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В

в бегах - on the run: “The killers are on the run, but it is only a question of time before they are caught.”

 

в кои-то веки - once in a blue moon: “Unfortunately, my son comes to visit me once in a blue moon.”

 

в конце концов - in the long run: “In the long run it is better to know the truth even if it hurts.”

 

в крайнем случае - as a last resort: “As a resort we can borrow the money from my uncle.”

в крови - it runs in the blood: “The Tews have been distinguished engineers for generations. It runs in the blood.”

 

в мгновение ока - in the twinkling of an eye: “This happened in the twinkling of an eye. I was not able to do anything.”

 

в одно ухо влетает, в другое вылетает - in one ear and out the other: “Everything I say to this boy goes in one ear and out the other.”

 

в одной упряжке - in double harness: two people working together

 

в подметки не годится - not fit to hold a candle to: “She plays the violin quite well, but she isn’t fit to hold a candle to her brother.”

 

в полном разгаре - in full swing: “The party was in full swing by midnight.”

 

в поте лица - by the sweat of one’s brow: to earn one’s living by hard work.”

 

в расцвете сил - in the pink: “He seems to be in the pink of health.”

 

в цвете лет - in the bloom of youth: “Mary is in the bloom of youth and she resembles her mother so much.”

 

в частности - in particular: “Among all the participants of the conference I remember him in particular.”

 

в честь старой дружбы - for the sake of old times/for old times’ sake: “I do not have much time, but I’II talk to your son and try to persuade him for old times’ sake.”

 

в чем мать родила - to be in one’s birthday suit: to be naked, just as one was born

 

в чужой монастырь со своим уставом не ходят - When in Rome, do as Romans do: one should adopt the customs and manners of the people one is living with.

 

Вавилонское столпотворение - the confusion of Babylon: an uproar

 

важная шишка - a big shot: “He is a big shot in the new administration.”

 

валить с больной головы на здоровую - to lay blame at someone else’s door: “Don’t lay blame at my door, you were the cause of delay not me.”

 

валиться с ног - to be exhausted / to be falling off one’s feet: “After this winter I feel exhausted, I really do.”

 

валять дурака - to play the fool: “Walt played the fool with the children and they had fun.”

 

вариться в собственном соку - to stew in one’s own juice: “We keep stewing in our own juice. Let’s think whom we can address for help.”

 

вверх дном - upside down: “Everything was upside down in Brain’s room when he came back home.”

 

вводить в курс дела - to brief  / to bring up the date / to put someone wise to: “Ashley stood beside her uncle at the barbecue, trying to bring him up to date.” / “I thought that I had better out you wise as what’s going o here. Your project is being much criticized by the boss.”

вгонять в краску / в пот - to make someone blush/sweat: “His tactless remark made her blush.”

 

вдаваться в крайности - to go to extremes: “Sue is always like that; she goes to extremes whenever she has to make her judgment about him.”

 

вдаваться в подробности - to go into details: “He didn’t go into details but his manner left Ann in no doubt about the importance of what was about to happen.”

 

вдолбить что-нибудь в голову - to drum/drill something into someone’s head: “He remembered one thing the Captain had drilled into their heads many times: that a good start made for a good campaign.”

 

вдоль и поперек - far and wide / inside out / backwards and forwards

 

вдохнуть жизнь в кого-либо - to breathe (a) new life into someone: “The hope that you gave me breathes a new life into me.”

 

век живи - век учись - you live and learn: “Who would have thought that she is able to treat her own children like that? You live and learn.”

 

великие мира сего - the great once of the earth

 

верить на слово - to take someone’s word for it: “Don’t take her word for it - you can see for yourself.”

 

верно как дважды два четыре - as sure as eggs is eggs: absolutely certain.

 

вернуться в пустыми руками - to come back empty-handed: “They came back home empty-handed.”

 

вертеть домом - to rule the roost: “In the early part of the century, it was the eldest son, not the widow, who ruled the roost.”

 

верх совершенства - the pink of perfection: “Her dancing was wonderful, graceful, expressive-the pink of perfection.”

 

верхушка айсберга - the tip of the iceberg: “They have uncover only the tip of the iceberg. The case is much more difficult.”

 

вершина (служебной) лестницы - the top of the ladder: “ If you want to get to the top of the ladder, you must work like a demon, and be completely ruthless.”

 

вести двойную жизнь - to lead a double life: “The majority of pirates led a double life.”

 

вести начало - to have its origin in: “The tradition has its origin in old times.”

 

вести неравный бой - to fight a losing battle: “We all fight a losing battle with age; it’s better to grow old gracefully.”

 

ветер перемен - the wind of change: “Young people hoped that the wind of change would breathe a new life in their country.”

 

взвешивать свои слова - to weigh one’s words: “When you are being interviewed for a job, you must weigh your words before answering the questions they ask you.”

 

взять верх - to get the upper hand: “I bet you’d change fast, if I ever let you get the upper hand.”

 

взять под крылышко - to take somebody under one’s wing: “I asked Mr. Smith to take my son under his wing.”

 

взять себя в руки - to pull oneself together: “I told Ann to pull herself together and stop crying.”

 

видавший виды - hard-boiled: “Jack is a hard-boiled policeman.”

 

видеть выход из положения - to see daylight: “After months of hard work, we are beginning to see daylight.”

 

видеть насквозь - to read one’s mind / to read someone like a book / to see through: “I can read my son like a book no matter how carefully he tries to hide his feelings.” / “I could see him through and understand hid real intentions.”

 

винтика не хватает - to have a tile loose: “If Jesse accepts this, she must have a tile loose.”

 

висеть на волоске - hang by a thread: “After the collision with a truck, Gregory’s life hung by a thread.”

 

висеть над головой - to have something hanging over one’s head: “This court case has been hanging over my head for the last three months.

 

витать в облаках - to be/to have one’s head in the clouds: “It is useless to deal with him. He has his head in the clouds.”

 

внести лепту - to do one’s bit: “Each family member did his bit for her to feel herself at home.”

 

внести путаницу - to make hay of something/to make hay with: “He made hay of our discussion, there is no use to go on.”

 

во веки веков - for all time

во все горло (всю глотку) - at the top of one’s lungs: “When Spencer saw the figures of grave robbers dressed in black she started screaming at the top of her lung.”

 

во всю мочь - with all one’s might: “There was no time to think; she stood and run with all her might heading for the main street.”

 

во всяком случае - in any case / at any rate: “At any rate, you can get some valuable information here.” / “In any case, you might have guessed she would be at the party.”

 

во плоти - in the flesh: “He’d never met any of these men or women in the flesh but they are were like old friends.”

 

воздушные замки - castles in Spain / castles in the air / pie in the sky: unreal dreams of splendour which only exist in the imagination of a dreamer

 

возлагать надежды - to pin one’s hope on: “We are pinning our hopes on our son’s talent to help us to survive.”

 

войти в долю - to go halves: to take an equal share with somebody else

 

войти в историю - to go down in history: “Alexander Bell has gone down in history as the inventor of the telephone.”

войти в колею - to be back on the track: “After Christmas all will be back on the track again.”

 

волей-неволей - willy-nilly: “Alice wanted to keep aside from their conversation, but willy-nilly she was drawn into their discussion.”

 

волк в овечьей шкуре - a wolf in sheep’s clothing: someone who looks respectable and harmless but whose behaviour is quite the opposite

волосы становятся (встаю) дыбом - to have one’s hair stand on end: “When a little girl heard the sound, her hair stood on end.”

 

вольная птица - free as a bird: “You can be free as a bird now.”

 

вооруженный до зубов - armed to the teeth: “The criminal was armed to the teeth when police caught him at last.”

 

вопиющая несправедливость - a crying shame: “It is a crying shame that the children should be separates from one another because of their parents’ divorce.”

 

вопрос времени - a question (a matte) of time: “It is only a question of time before you are caught.”

 

ворошить прошлое - to rake up the past: “Why rake up the past? I thought it was over and forgotten.”

 

восстать как Феникс из пепла - to rise like a phoenix from the ashes: a force which has apparently been destroyed, but which emerges once again to triumph over the enemies

 

Вот (эка) невидаль! - What’s all the fuss?

 

Вот те (и) на! - Look what happened! / See what happens!

 

впадать в крайность - to run to extremes: “Isn’t it stupid to run to extremes in your age!”

 

впасть в немилость - to fall from grace: “Since being rude to the client, Brenda has fallen from Mr. Smith’s grace and expects very soon to lose her job.”

 

врастать корнями - to grow/put down roots: “we have grown too many roots here to emigrate.”

 

врать без стыда и совести - to lie through one’s teeth: “If Ted told you that he was in the meeting yesterday, he was lying through his teeth. We did not have any meeting yesterday.”

 

врать как сивый мерин - to be a habitual liar: “How could you believe him. Everybody knows that he is a habitual liar.”

 

время от времени - from time to time: “From time to time he stopped listening for shots, but the dark plains were quiet and peaceful, though it was on them that he had just seen the most violent and terrible things he had ever seen in his life.”

 

время тянется - time drags: “How time drags when one has to wait.”

 

все дороги идут в Рим - all roads lead to a Rome: Rome has always been a place of a special importance.”

 

всей душой - with all one’s heart: “Margaret hoped with all her heart that her daughter’s marriage will be a happy one.”

 

всему свое место и время - there’s a time and place for everything: “I love to listen to funny jokes but not when I have much work to do. There’s a time and place for everything.”

 

 

вскружить голову - to turn someone’s head: “His new position has turned his head. He does not notice anybody.”

 

встать на ноги - to get back on one’s feet: “We’ve got to geld some horses. We’ve put it off too long, hoping Bob would get back on his feet.”

 

встать не с той ноги - to get out un bed on the wrong side: “What’s wrong with you this morning, Jenny? You got out of bed on the wrong side, I bet.”

 

втираться в доверие - to worm oneself into another’s favour or conference: “Nobody was able to notice how he had managed to worm himself into his boss’s confidence.”

 

вторая молодость - a new lease of life: “Debby’s change of job has given her a new lease of life. She looks several years younger now.”

 

вторая натура - second nature: “Lucy lies for the sake of lying. It has become second nature to her.”

 

второе дыхание - one’s second wind: “After a bad start, Paul got hid second wind and tries again.”

 

выбить почву из-под ног - to cut the ground from under one’s feet / to pull the rug from under one’s feet / to take the wind out of one’s sails: “When Nancy’s father complained about the teaching at the school, the headmaster cut the ground from under his feet by announcing that Nancy had won a scholarship of Marlborough College”. / “Councel for the accused was about to address the jury when he had the wind taken out of his sails by the client, who blurted out that he was guilty.”

 

выбросить из головы - to get something out of one’s mind: “I was wrong to talk to her like that and now I can’t get it out of my mind.”

 

выеденного яйца не стоит - not worth a straw/not worth a fig: “All that fuss about her marriage was not worth a straw.”

 

выжатый лимон - a sucked orange: “After working twenty-five years for the company, Tom was discarded like a sucked orange.”

 

выжидать, куда ветер подует - to see which way the cat jumps

 

выйти сухим из воды - to escape with a whole skin: to escape without injury

 

вылететь в трубу - come to pieces / to go to pot: “Dick has let his business go to pot.”

 

выносить сор из избы - to wash one’s dirty linen in public: “Of course, your brother has behaved very badly to you, but you will only make matters worse by washing dirty linen in public.”

 

вынуть туз из рукава - to have a card up one’s sleeve: “The future had a card up its sleeve which nothing at that time would have led him to expect.”

 

выплакать (все) глаза - to cry one’s eyes out: “It was a woman without a smile. She had cried her eyes out looking at her little son’s sufferings.”

 

выскочить из головы - to slip one’s mind: “It slipped my mind that I had an appointment at five.”

 

выуживать информацию - to fish for information: “The reporters were here all morning fishing for information.”

 

выходить / выйти из себя - to lose temper / to fly of the handle / to go up in the air: “when I told Henry that I would have to charge him for the work I had done for him, he flew off the handle and started to yell at me.” / “ The interrogation went on and on, the questioner beginning to lose his temper.”

 

выше чьего-нибудь понимания - over one’s head: “They talked advanced mathematics. It was completely over my head.”