Идиомы о животных

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  • lay an egg
    провалиться, не заинтересовать (зрителей), не иметь успеха
    The film was awfully poor, and no wonder it laid an egg with the audience.
  • lead a dog's life
    вести несчастную (собачью) жизнь
    Ron has been leading a dog's life since he retired.
  • leopard can't change its spots
    невозможно исправить человеческую натуру, "горбатого могила исправит"
    My boy friend apologized for having deceived me, but I don't believe him. A leopard can't change its spots.
  • let sleeping dogs lie
    не нарывайся на неприятности, "не буди лиха пока лихо тихо"
    "Don't ask him about his problems; he might get angry. Better let sleeping dogs lie."
  • let the cat out of the bag
    проболтаться, разболтать, выдать секрет
    "I meant to have kept my engagement a secret and not let the cat out of the bag."
  • like a bat out of hell
    очень быстро, со всех ног, во весь опор
    The thief left the house like a bat out of hell.
  • like a deer caught in the headlights
    (быть) в замешательстве
    Marion looked like a deer caught in the headlights when she learnt that she had failed the test.
  • like lambs to the slaughter
    безропотно, покорно, "как агнец на закланье"
    Our baseball players went like lambs to the slaughter to meet the best team in our area.
  • like shooting fish in a barrel
    лёгкая победа (из-за слабости противника)
    The chess competition was like shooting fish in a barrel. It was very easy to win.
  • like water off a duck's back
    всё ни почём, "как с гуся вода"
    It is absolutely useless criticizing Jenny; the criticism falls away like water off a duck's back.
  • lion's share of (something)
    львиная доля чего-либо
    Sam gave the lion's share of his stamp collection to his son.
  • little bird told me
    мне стало известно по секрету, "сорока на хвосте принесла"
    A little bird told me that my Mom would give me a nice present for my birthday.
  • live high on/off the hog
    иметь всё самое лучшее, жить в роскоши и комфорте
    Gina has been living high on the hog since she married a millionaire.
  • live in a fish bowl
    жить в тесноте, бок о бок с другими людьми
    Everybody knew about his life and personal affairs in that small place; it was like living in a fish bowl.
  • loaded for bear
    (быть) очень рассерженным
    Mr. Ferrar came home drunk and loaded for bear.
  • lock horns with (someone)
    сцепиться с кем-либо (в споре, в словесной перепалке)
    Samuel Clemens locked horns with his boss and was immediately fired.
  • lock the barn door after the horse is gone
    пытаться исправить положение
    Tina failed the examination and said she would study hard after that. She wanted to lock the barn door after the horse was gone.
  • lone wolf
    волк-одиночка (о замкнутом или нелюдимом человеке)
    The man was a lone wolf; he had neither friends nor family to spend his time with.
  • look a gift horse in the mouth
    дарёному коню в рот не смотрят"
    William's father gave him a computer, but William complained that the computer was outdated. His father told him not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
  • look like something the cat dragged in
    выглядеть усталым, "быть выжатым как лимон"
    Wanda was very tired after the flight and looked like something the cat dragged in.
  • look like the cat that swallowed the canary
    выглядеть очень довольным
    Jeremy looked like the cat that swallowed the canary when he told me about his success.
  • look like the cat that swallowed/ate the canary
    выглядеть очень довольным собой
    When Linda got the job she wanted, she looked like the cat that swallowed the canary.
  • louse up
    испортить, изгадить
    "Don't you think that you've loused up your job interview? Now there is no chance for you of getting a good job."
  • lovely weather for ducks
    дождливая погода
    "Lovely weather for ducks," I thought, walking to my car in the rain.
  • make a beeline for (someone or something)
    поспешить, пойти прямо к кому-либо \ чему-либо
    Felix entered the cafe and made a beeline for the table at which his friend was sitting.
  • make a monkey out of (someone)
    заставить кого-либо выглядеть глупо, подшутить
    Anne's classmates made a monkey out of her by telling her the party was to be a masquerade.
  • make a mountain out of a molehill
    преувеличивать значимость чего-либо, "делать из мухи слона"
    "Don't make a mountain out of a molehill. I am sure you exaggerate the seriousness of your problem."
  • make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
    сделать что-либо из ничего
    You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear; the girl is not a good tennis player, so she won't be able to win in the competition.
  • monkey around with (someone or something)
    попусту тратить время на кого-либо \ что-либо
    "Why are you monkeying around with your camera? You have a lot of homework to do."
  • monkey business
    обман, неэтичное поведение, противозаконная деятельность
    Jack is involved in some monkey business; he'd better get rid of it otherwise he may go to prison.
  • monkey on one's back
    серьёзная, не решённая проблема
    I am not very good at math, and my math course is a real monkey on my back.
  • monkey see, monkey do
    копировать, "обезьянничать"
    It was monkey see, monkey do for Derek. He copied everything that his friend did.
  • more fun than a barrel of monkeys
    очень смешной, забавный
    Jonny was more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and everybody loved to hear his jokes.
  • neither fish nor fowl
    ни то, ни сё; "ни рыба, ни мясо" (о нерешительном человеке)
    Mike is neither fish nor fowl, and he doesn't really fit into any of the student group.
  • night owl
    сова (человек, привыкший ложиться спать поздно)
    I am a night owl and my husband is an early bird.