З

за бесценок - to go for a song: “The picture went for a song because the painter had to raise money quickly.”

 

за словом в карман не лезет - to have a ready tongue: “These folks are really wise, they have a ready tongue for all kinds of questions.”

 

за спиной - behind one’s back / when one’s back is turned: “Laura said some very nasty words about you behind your back.”

 

забивать себе в голову - to get it into one’s head: “Students couldn’t get Latin grammar into their heads.”

 

заблудиться в трех соснах - to be confounded be the simplest problem

 

заблудшая овца - lost sheep: “ was it necessary to risk his life for that lost sheep?”

 

забрать свои слова обратно - to eat one’s words: “Our critics said that we would never make a success of our magazine; now that we have proved them wrong, they will have to eat their words.”

 

завершить цикл - to harp on the string: “I wish you wouldn’t harp on the same string every time I drink coffee. I know already that it is bad for health, but I won’t give it up.”

 

завоевать доброе имя - to make a name for oneself: “Christian has made a name for himself in printing.”

 

загнать в угол - to drive someone into a corner: to deprive an opponent of any possibility to retreat. The phrase is often used in boxing.

 

задеть за живое - to cut to the quick: “Robert was cut to the quick when his wife told him she would not go abroad with him.”

 

задирать нос - to put one’s nose in the air: ‘You put your nose in the air every time your back is against the wall.”

 

заказывать музыку - to call the tune: “You must do what your uncle asks. He is paying for your training so he has a right to call the tune.”

 

закидывать удочки - to fly a kite: “It would be wise to fly a kite to test public reaction.”

 

закон джунглей - the law of the jungle: “The law of the jungle governs all in Free Market economy.”

 

закон не писан (для кого, кому) - to be a law into oneself: “Executives of his eminence rarely bothered themselves with the spadework but Cousins - as she’d begun to realize - was a law unto himself.”

 

закрутить гайки - to tighten the screw: “Our boss is trying to tighten the screw in order to make us work long hours.”

 

закрывать глаза (на что) - to shut one’s eye to: “She shut her eye to all his short-coming, although my brother was always pointing them out of her.”

 

зализывать раны - to lick one’s wounds: “She wanted to be alone to lick a few wounds.”

 

заложить краеугольный камень - to lay the corner-stone: the corner-stone is the most important part of the building

 

заметать следы - to cover one’s track: “The bank robbers have covered their tracks very thoroughly.”

 

замолвить словечко - to put a word (for): “Could you put a word for me, Nancy, when you see Mr. Jacobs tomorrow?”

 

заморозить (проект, план) - to put on ice: “We are sorry, Andrew, but we’ve had to put your project on ice. We’ll have another look at it in two months’ period.”

 

замучиться до смерти - to be sick to death: “I am sick to death of his endless stories.”

 

занят по уши - to be up to the ears in work / to have one’s hands full: “I cannot go to the theater tonight, I am up to the ears in work.” / “Don’t ask me to do anything else, I have my hands full with the children.”

 

запретный плод - stolen fruit / forbidden fruit: “Forbidden fruit is always the most desirable.”

 

заразительный смех - infections laugh: “Her laugh was so infections that when she laughed, all class joined in though they didn’t understand the joke.”

 

зарыть голову в песок - to bury one’s head in the sand: “He has buried his head in the sand ans does not want to listen to everybody.”

 

зарыть талант в землю - to bury one’s talent: to disregard one’s abilities and gifts.

 

застольная беседа - table talk: light conversation at the table

 

затевать безнадежное дело - to make bricks without straw: “We were unable to give you an opinion because you did not give the information we needed. We can’t make bricks without straw.”

 

затишье перед бурей - the calm before the storm: a period of quiet before an upheaval or crisis

 

затянуть ремень - to tighten the belt / to pull in one’s belt: “The president asked hes people to tighten their belts and to wait for better times.”

 

захватить кого-либо врасплох - to take someone by surprise: “The policeman took the criminal by surprise.”

 

заходить в тупик - to strike a snag: “The negotiations stroke a snag and had to be postponed for two weeks.”

 

злоба дня - a nine-days wonder: something very sensational but quickly forgotten.

 

знать как свои пять пальцев - to have at one’s fingertips / to know a place like the back / palm of one’s hand: “He has parliamentary procedures and the rules and traditions of the House of Commons at his fingertips.”

 

знать, куда ветер дует - to know which way the wind is blowing / wait and see which way the wind is blowing: “We should wait and see which way the wind is blowing.”

 

знать свое место - to know one’s place: “Dan should know his place and avoid giving advice to the boss.”

 

знать толк в чем-либо - to have an eye for: “She had an eye for clothing and she wore it beautifully.”

 

значиться в списках - to be on the books: “This institution is not on the books. I don’t think we will deal with it.”

 

золотая середина - a happy medium: “You should choose a happy medium and think about your health.”

 

золотое дно - a gold-mine: “This business could be a gold-mine if it were property developed.”

 

золотое правило - the golden rule: “Never to be late is the golden rule.”

 

золотое сердце - a heart of gold: “Your mother has a heart of gold; she is so kind, generoud and forbidden.”

 

Золотой век - The Golden Age: “The seventeenth century was the Golden Age for France.”

 

золотой юбилей - a Golden Jubilee: “Celebration of the fifties anniversary of an important event is a Golden Jubilee.”

 

золотые дни - a hey-day / halcyon day: the best days

 

зубы съесть - to cut one’s teeth: “Forty-four years age he cut his teeth on Richmond Council.”