Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[flying wedge] <n.>, <informal> 1. An offensive formation in football in which players link arms and line up to form a "V" with the ball carrier in the middle. * /The flying wedge was so dangerous and hurt so many players that rules have forbidden it for over 50 years./ 2. A group (as of guards or policemen) who use a "V" formation to help someone get through a crowd. * /Police had to form a flying wedge to get the movie star through the crowd of autograph hunters./

[fly in the face of] or [fly in the teeth of] <v. phr.> To ignore; go against; show disrespect or disregard for. * /You can't fly in the face of good business rules and expect to he successful./ * /Floyd's friends tried to help him, but he flew in the teeth of their advice and soon became a drunkard./

[fly in the ointment] <n. phr.>, <informal> An unpleasant part of a pleasant thing; something small that spoils your fun. * /We had a lot of fun at the beach; the only fly in the ointment was George's cutting his foot on a piece of glass./ * /Your new job sounds too good to be true - interesting work, high pay, short hours. Isn't there any fly in the ointment?/

[fly off the handle] <v. phr.>, <informal> To become very angry. * /John flew off the handle whenever Mary made a mistake./ * /The children's noise made the man next door fly off the handle./ Syn.: LOSE ONE'S TEMPER.

[fly the coop] <v. phr.>, <slang> To leave suddenly and secretly; run away. * /The robbers flew the coop before the police arrived./ * /His partner flew the coop with all the money./

[flying visit] <n. phr.> A visit of very short duration. * /Tom came to New York for only a flying visit. We had hardly eaten lunch when he had to leave./

[flying saucer] See: U.F.O.

[fly into a rage] or [temper] <v. phr.> To become very angry. * /By the time we mention the name of her ex-husband, she flies into a rage./

[foam at the mouth] <v. phr.>, <slang> To be very angry, like a mad dog. * /By the time Uncle Henry had the third flat tire he was really foaming at the mouth./

[fob off] <v.>, <informal> 1. To get something false accepted as good or real. * /The peddler fobbed off pieces of glass as diamonds./ Syn.: PALM OFF, PASS OFF. 2. To put aside; not really answer but get rid of. * /Her little brother asked where she was going, but she fobbed him off with ah excuse./

[fog] See: IN A FOG.

[foggy bottom] <n.>, <slang> An area in downtown Washington, D.C. where many offices of the Department of State are located; hence figuratively, the U.S. Department of State. * /The press secretary gave us a lot of foggy bottom double-talk about the hostage crisis in the Near East./

[fold up] <v.>, <informal> To collapse; fail. * /The team folded up in the last part of the season./ * /The new restaurant folded up in less than a year./ Compare: FALL APART.

[folk] See: WEE FOLK.

[follow] See: AS FOLLOWS.

[follower] See: CAMP FOLLOWER.

[follow in one's footsteps] also [follow in one's tracks] <v. phr.> To follow someone's example; follow someone exactly, * /He followed in his father's footsteps and became a doctor./ Compare: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.

[follow one's heart] <v. phr.> To do what one wishes to do rather than to follow the voice of reason. * /Instead of accepting a lucrative job in his father's business, Jim followed his heart and became a missionary in the jungle./

[follow one's nose] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To go straight ahead; continue in the same direction. * /Just follow your nose and you'll get there./ 2. To go any way you happen to think of. * /Oh, I don't know just where I want to go. I'll just follow my nose and see what happens./

[follow out] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To do fully; finish (what you are told to do.) * /The boy followed out the instructions and made a fine model plane./ Compare: FOLLOW THROUGH. 2. To keep working at (something) until it is finished; give (something) your attention until it comes to an end or conclusion. * /The student followed out all the index references in the encyclopedia until he found what he wanted to know./ Compare: FOLLOW UP.

[follow suit] <v. phr.> 1. To play a card of the same color and kind that another player has put down. * /When diamonds were led, I had to follow suit./ 2. To do as someone else has done; follow someone's example. * /When the others went swimming, I followed suit./

[follow through] <v. phr.> 1. To finish a movement that you have started; continue an action to its natural ending. * /A football passer should follow through after he throws the ball./ 2. To finish an action that you have started. * /Bob drew plans for a table for his mother, but he did not follow through by making it./

[follow up] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To chase or follow closely and without giving up. * /The Indians followed up the wounded buffalo until it fell dead./ 2. Make (one action) more successful by doing something more. * /After Mary sent a letter to apply for a job, she followed it up by going to talk to the personnel manager./ * /The doctor followed up Billy's operation with x-rays, and special exercises to make his foot stronger./ Compare: FOLLOW OUT, FOLLOW THROUGH(2). 3a. To hunt for (more news about something that has already been in the newspapers, radio or TV news); find more about. * /The day after news of the fire at Brown's store, the newspaper sent a reporter to follow up Mr. Brown's future plans./ 3b. To print or broadcast (more news about some happening that has been in the news before). * /The fire story was printed Monday, and Tuesday's paper followed it up by saying that Mr. Brown planned to build a bigger and better store at the same place./

[follow-up] <n.> Additional work or research by means of which an earlier undertaking's chances of success are increased. * /I hope you'll be willing to do a bit of follow-up./

[fond of] Having a liking for; attracted to by strong liking. * /Alan is fond of candy./ * /Uncle Bill was the children's favorite, and he was fond of them too./

[food for thought] <n. phr.> Something to think about or worth thinking about; something that makes you think. * /The teacher told John that she wanted to talk to his father, and that gave John food for thought./ * /There is much food for thought in this book./

[fool] See: CHILDREN AND FOOLS SPEAK THE TRUTH, MAKE A FOOL OF.

[fool and his money are soon parted] A foolish person soon wastes his money.
– A proverb, * /Jimmy spends all his pennies for candy. A fool and his money are soon parted./

[fool around] or [mess around] or [play around] or [monkey around] <v.>, <informal> 1. To spend time playing, fooling, or joking instead of being serious or working; waste time. * /If you go to college, you must work, not fool around./ * /The boys fooled around all afternoon in the park./ Compare: CUT UP(2). To treat or handle carelessly. * /Bob cut himself by fooling around with a sharp knife./ * /Suzie says she wishes John would quit playing around with the girls and get married./ 3. or [fiddle around] To work or do something in an irregular or unplanned way; tinker. * /Jimmy likes to monkey around with automobile engines./ * /Alice is fooling around with the piano in her spare time./ Compare: FUCK AROUND.