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К

к месту - in place: “His warm socks were just in place, you know, for we had to take our shoes off, though the floor was so cold.”

 

каждой бочке - затычка - to have a finger in every pie: “When Phil heard there was to be a jumble sale, he was soon busy organizing the stalls. He has a finger in every pie.”

 

каждый кулик свое болото хвалит - all your geese are swans: you overestimate the value of your possessions or ideas, just because they are your.”

 

как в воду кануть - to vanish/disappear into thin air: “We used to see a lot of him, then one day he vanished into thin air.”

 

как в лесу - at sea/all at sea: “After listening a few minutes to their conversation, I was all at sea. Chemistry is not my subject.”

 

как в тумане - to be in  fog: “Barbara is all in a fog now about what to do next.”

 

Как вам не стыдно! - Shame of you!: “You mother is carrying a heavy bag and you let her do it. Shame of you!”

как гром среди ясного неба - out of the blue: “Now, out of the blue, a Texan Ranger had shown up - one of the very ones who had partnered with Jake Spoon.”

 

как дважды два четыре - tow and two make four: absolutely clear

 

как доктор прописал - just what the doctor ordered: “Thank you for your help. It was just what the doctor ordered!”

 

Как жаль! - What a pity!: “What a pity that she couldn’t stay with us.”

 

как иголка в стогу (стоге) сена - like looking for a needle in a haystack: “We are moving and my room is such a mess; looking for your pencil will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

 

как красный цвет на быка - like a red rag to a bull: “Mention of his rival’s name was like a red rag to a bull to him.”

 

как крысы с тонущего корабля - like rats leaving the sinking ship: like traitors deserting the losing side in a contest

 

как молния - like (greased) lightning/ like a streak of lightning: “I’ve never seen anyone run so fast. This man ran like lightning across the field.”

 

как мухи на мед - like a moth (that flies) round a light: like someone who is unable to resist temptation

 

как на горячих угольях/как на иголках - lake a cat on hot bricks: extremely awkward and uneasy

 

как назло/как нарочно - as luck would have it: “John felt that he might have won Barbara that year but as luck would have if he was married then to his second wife.”

 

как об стенку горох - like talking to a brick wall: “He is so dogmatic. It’s like talking to a brick wall arguing with him.”

 

как постелешь - так и спать будешь - you make your bed, you must lie on it: “He has made his bed, and he must lie on it.”

 

как рыба в воде - like a duck to water: ”Although he had never been to the office before, he took to the routine like a duck to water.”

 

как с гуся вода - (like) water off a duck’s back: “She scolded her son again and again for his laziness, but her words were water off a duck’s back.”

 

как с неба свалиться - to appear out of the blue: “My brother suddenly appeared out of the blue yesterday. We hadn’t seen him for years and had given him up for dead.”

 

как саранча - like locusts: “The poor relations swarmed like locusts around the rich man.”

 

как сельди в бочке - to be packed like sardines: “We were packed like sardines on the train. I could hardly move my arm.”

 

как страус - like an ostrich: with its head in the sand

 

как флюгер - like a weather-cock: “Your son is so easily influenced, just like a weather-cock.”

 

Какая муха его укусила? - What’s eating him?

 

калиф на час - a Caliph for a day: a person who comes into power for a short time only

 

каменное сердце - a heart of stone: “He must have a heart of stone to turn away his own son like he did.”

 

камень преткновения - a stumbling block: “The issue of ethic was a stumbling block at their discussion.”

 

капля в море -  drop in the ocean: “Their help is only a drop in the ocean of what we really need, but in doesn’t mean that we are not thankful to them.”

 

карта бита - the game is up: “The game is up; would you like to make a statement now?”

 

карточный домик - a house of cards: “Denis’ ideas about his future work are nothing but a house of cards that may topple over any moment.”

 

кашу маслом не испортишь - plenty is no plague

 

кишеть как саранча - to swarm like locusts

 

клин клином вышибают - habit cures habit

 

ключ к проблеме - the key to the problem: “This is very essential. I think that this is the key to the problem.”

 

ключевое слово - the word that is necessary for breaking a code

 

когда левая рука не знает, что делает правая - when the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing

 

когда рак на горе свиснет - when pigs fly

 

когда счастье мне улыбнется - when my ship comes home: “When my ship comes home, I will buy this fur coat.”

 

кожа да кости - (all) skin and bones: “The old man who was their leader was just skin and bones.”

 

колесо фортуны - the wheel of Fortune: symbolizes the vicissitudes of life

 

командная позиция - the key position: a position of vital strategic importance

 

комок в горле застрял - to have a lump in one’s throat: “I couldn’t say good-bye to her. I had a lump in my throat.”

 

комок нервов - a bag of nerves: “Since her divorce, Pamela has been a bag of nerves.”

 

коней на переправе не меняют - don’t change horses in midstream/ half-way across the stream: “It is always a mistake to change horses in midstream.”

 

конец - делу венец - the end crowns the work

 

корабль пустыни (верблюд) - the ship of the desert: the camel

 

коренным образом - root and branch: “The old customs in China have been destroyed root and branch by the new regime.”

 

кормить завтраками - one of these days is none of these days

 

королевский прием - a royal welcome: “When we arrived at a small village in Lapland, we were surprised at the royal welcome the villagers gave to us.”

 

короче говоря - in short: “In short, you have to admit that you have lost this game.”

 

коридоры власти - the corridors of power

 

краем глаза - out of the corner of one’s eye: “And then I saw her out of the corner of my eye; she was so shy.”

 

крайности сходятся - extremes meet

 

краткость - сестра таланта - brevity is the soul of wit

 

крепкий орешек - a hard nut to crack: “He is a difficult man to convince. You will find him a hard nut to crack.”

 

кричать благим матом - to yell one’s head off: “He started yelling his head off as soon as sow his neighbour.”

 

кровь говорит/кровь заговорила - blood will tell: “My adopted son was given the same opportunities as the other children, but he turned out completely different from them.”

 

кровь не вода/водица - blood is thicker than water: the ties between relations are closer than those between friends

 

кровь с молоком - the picture of health: “A young girl was the picture of health: rosy cheeks, bright eyes, shining teeth.”

 

кровь стынет в жилах - to make the blood run cold/to chill the blood: “The sight of the man lying on the road was enough to make Nancy’s blood run cold.”

 

крокодиловы слезы - crocodile tears: “Take no notice of her crocodile tears. She’s not in the least concerned about your injury.”

 

крутиться под ногами - to be under someone’s feet: “I can’t cook the lunch with you under my feet all the time.”

 

крыша поехала - to have a screw loose: “He might have a screw loose, if he believes in all this.”

 

кто везет, того и погоняют - all lay loads on a willing horse

 

купить кота в мешке - to buy a pig in a poke: “What a pity you didn’t speak with me before buying this equipment. I am afraid you have bought a pig in a poke.”

 

куриные мозги - the brain of a pigeon: to be quite brainless

 

курить как паровоз - to smoke like a chimney: to smoke cigarettes incessantly

 

кусок пирога - a slice of the cake: “They are eager to have their slice of the cake after such a wonderful transaction.”