Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[cut rate(1)] <n.> A lower price; a price less than usual. * /Toys are on sale at the store for cut rates./

[cut-rate(2)] <adj.> Sold for a price lower than usual; selling cheap things. * /If you buy cut-rate things, be sure they are good quality first./ * /John's brother bought a cut-rate bicycle at the second-hand store./ * /There is a cut-rate drug-store on the corner./

[cut short] <v.> To stop or interrupt suddenly; end suddenly or too soon. * /Rain cut short the ball game./ * /An auto accident cut short the man's life./ * /When Dick began to tell about his summer vacation the teacher cut him short, saying "Tell us about that another time."/

[cut teeth] <v. phr.> 1. To have teeth grow out through the gums. * /The baby was cross because he was cutting teeth./ 2. or [cut eye teeth] <informal> To learn something very early in life; gain experience; start by learning or doing.
– Used with a possessive, usually used with "on". * /The professional ball player cut his teeth on a baseball bat in the sandlots./ * /Mr. Jones's company is building the new Post Office in town but Mr. Jones cut his eye teeth as a carpenter./

[cut the ground from under] <v. phr.> <informal> To make (someone) fail; upset the plans of; spoil the argument for (a person) in advance. * /Paul wanted to he captain but we cut the ground from under him by saying that Henry was the best player on the team./ * /Several workers applied for the retiring foreman's job, but the owner cut the ground from under them by hiring a foreman from another company./

[cut the mustard] <v. phr.>, <slang> To do well enough in what needs to be done; to succeed. * /His older brothers and sisters helped Max through high school, but he couldn't cut the mustard in college./

[cut-throat] <adj.> Severe; intense; unrelenting. * /There is cut-throat competition among the various software companies today./

[cut to pieces] <v. phr.> 1. To divide into small parts with something sharp; cut badly or completely. * /Baby has cut the newspaper to pieces with scissors./ 2. To destroy or defeat completely. * /The soldiers were cut to pieces by the Indians./ * /When Dick showed his book report to his big sister for correction, she cut it to pieces./

[cut to the bone] <v. phr.> To make (something) the least or smallest possible amount; reduce severely; leave out everything extra or unnecessary from. * /Father cut Jane's allowance to the bone for disobeying him./ * /When father lost his job, our living expenses had to be cut to the bone./

[cut to the quick] <v. phr.> To hurt someone's feelings deeply. * /The children 's teasing cut Mary to the quick./

[cut two ways] See: CUT BOTH WAYS.

[cut up] <v.> 1. <informal> To hurt the feelings of; wound. Usually used in the passive. * /John was badly cut up when Susie gave him back his ring./ 2. <slang> To act funny or rough; clown, * /Joe would always cut up if there were any girls watching./ * /At the party Jim and Ron were cutting up and broke a chair./ Compare: FOOL AROUND.

D

[dab] See: SMACK-DAB or SMACK-TO DAB.

[dagger] See: CLOAK-AND-DAGGER, LOOK DAGGERS.

[daily dozen] <n.>, <informal> Gymnastic exercises; especially, several different exercises done daily. * /The boys did their daily dozen early each morning./

[daisy] See: PUSH UP DAISIES.

[dam] See: WATER OVER THE DAM.

[damn] See: GIVE A HANG, NOT WORTH A TINKER'S DAMN.

[damned if one does, damned if one doesn't] <adj. phr.> No matter what one does, someone is likely to criticize one. * /No matter what decisions I make, there are always some people who will approve them and those who won't. It is a classical case of "damned if I do, damned if I don't."/

[dance] See: SONG AND DANCE.

[dance to another tune] <v. phr.> To talk or act differently, usually better because things have changed; be more polite or obedient because you are forced to do it. * /Johnny refused to do his homework but punishment made him dance to another tune./ Compare: CHANGE ONE'S TUNE, SING A DIFFERENT TUNE.

[dander] See: GET ONE'S BACK UP, GET ONE'S DANDER UP or GET ONE'S IRISH UP.

[dandy] See: JIM-DANDY.

[dangerous] See: A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING.

[dare say] <v. phr.> To think probable; suppose; believe.
– Used in first person. * /Mary is unhappy now but I dare say she will be laughing about this tomorrow./ * /There is no more ice cream on the table, but I dare say we can find some in the kitchen./

[dare one to do something] <v. phr.> To challenge someone to do something. * /"I dare you to jump off that rock into the sea," Fred said to Jack./

[dark] See: IN THE DARK, SHOT IN THE DARK, WHISTLE IN THE DARK.

[darken one's door] or [darken the door] To appear, as in a doorway; enter someone's home or establishment.
– Used in negative imperative sentences especially with "never" and "again". * /If you leave this house now, never darken my door again./ * /After a son shamed his father by having to go to prison, the father told him never to darken his door again./

[dark horse] <n.>, <informal> A political candidate little known to the general voting public; a candidate who was not expected to run. * /Every once in a while a dark horse candidate gets elected President./

[dark of the moon] <n. phr.>, <literary> A time when the moon is not shining or cannot be seen. * /A was the dark of the moon when the scouts reached camp and they had to use flashlights to find their tents./ Contrast: FULL OF THE MOON.

[dash cold water on] See: THROW COLD WATER ON.

[dash light] <n.> A light on the front inside of a car or vehicle. * /Henry stopped the car and turned on the dash lights to read the road map./

[dash off] <v.> To make, do, or finish quickly; especially, to draw, paint, or write hurriedly. * /Ann took out her drawing pad and pencil and dashed off a sketch of the Indians./ * /John can dash off several letters while Mary writes only one./ * /Charles had forgotten to write his English report and dashed it off just before class./

[date] See: DOUBLE-DATE, TO DATE.

[date back] <v. phr.> To go back to a given period in the past. * /My ancestors date back to the sixteenth century./

[dawn on] <v.> To become clear to. * /It dawned on Fred that he would fail the course if he did not study harder./

[day] See: ALL IN A DAY'S WORK, CALL IT A DAY, CARRY THE DAY, EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY, FATHER'S DAY, FOREVER AND A DAY, GOOD DAY, MAKE A DAY OF IT, NAME DAY, NIGHT AND DAY, ONE OF THESE DAYS, or SOME OF THESE DAYS, PASS THE TIME OF DAY, RAINY DAY, SAVE THE DAY, SEE BETTER DAYS, THAT'LL BE THE DAY.