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.”
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