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Идиомы о животных

• scaredy-cat
  трусишка

  The children call Vera a scaredy-cat because she is easily frightened.
• see a man about a dog
  пойти в туалет (эвфемизм)

  Jeremy drank too much beer, so he had to stop his car several times to see a man about a dog.
• separate the sheep from the goats
  отделить более компетентных людей от менее компетентных, разделить на две группы

  I am not at all sure that joining the military is a good way to separate the men from the boys.
• serve as a guinea pig
  быть подопытным кроликом

  "Is that a test you are going to perform? I don't want to serve as a guinea pig."
• shaggy dog story
  длинный бессмысленный рассказ

  My cousin told me a shaggy dog story about how she had lost her purse.
• shark
  жестокий и нечестный человек (как акула)

  Ronald turned out to be a shark. I made up my mind not to do any business with him.
• small fry
  мелкие людишки, мелкая сошка, малыши

  The older children went to the party, but the small fry was left at home.
• smell a rat
  заподозрить, почуять неладное

  When Clara didn't come back with my money, I began to smell a rat.
• snake oil salesman
  продавец, пытающийся продать некачественный товар

  The car dealer is like a snake oil salesman. His second-hand cars are no good at all.
• spread one's wings
  стать независимым, расправить крылья

  Sam decided to become independent; he wants to spread his wings and try to do something on his own.
• squirrel (something) away
  сделать запас (заначку) чего-либо

  I sometimes have to squirrel some extra money away so that I can use it later.
• stir up a hornet's nest
  нажить много врагов, вызвать нарекания, "потревожить осиное гнездо"

  Mr. Galvani's speech at the shareholders' meeting stirred up a hornet's nest.
• straight from the horse's mouth
  услышать прямо из чьих-либо уст

  I heard the news about my friend's promotion straight from the horse's mouth.
• straw that broke the camel's back
  переполнить чашу терпения

  Alan cheated on me again and it was the straw that broke the camel's back; I decided to break off with him.
• swallow (something) hook, line and sinker
  безоговорочно поверить, "заглотить наживку"

  Rick told me about his disastrous situation, and I, being a gullible person, swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.
• swan song
  лебединая песня

  This film was a swan song of the great actress.
• tail wagging the dog
  ситуация, когда кто-либо незначительный держит всё под контролем

  Jim is just a minor employee in the firm, yet he tries to give everyone orders; I think it's a case of the tail wagging the dog.
• take (someone) under one's wings
  взять кого-либо под своё покровительство, "под крылышко"

  Diana took Moira, who was just out of high school, under her wing.
• take the bull by the horns
  решительно взяться за дело, "взять быка за рога"

  Margaret decided to take the bull by the horns and ask Desmond if he was going to marry her.
• talk turkey
  серьёзно обсуждать что-либо

  It's necessary to talk turkey as far as her future plans are concerned.
• there are plenty of other fish in the sea
  есть и другой выбор, другие люди

  My friend refused to go to the movies with me; I was not upset because I know there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
• there is more than one way to skin a cat
  есть много способов добиться своего

  "How did you get your son to study so hard?" I asked my friend. "I disconnected the television set," she answered. "There's more than one way to skin a cat."
• throw (someone) to the lions
  взвалить ответственность за провал на кого-либо; "сделать кого-либо козлом отпущения"

  The company was about to go bankrupt. It was decided to throw the financial director to the lions, which was absolutely unfair.
• throw (someone) to the wolves
  отдать кого-либо на растерзание

  In order to explain the situation to the press the governor blamed the mayor and threw him to the wolves.
• to hound (someone)
  подвергать гонениям, изводить кого-либо

  It seemed to Edna that the boss was hounding her, and she decided to quit her job.
• top dog
  самая важная персона в организации

  Mr. Abrahams is the top dog in his company.
• try out one's wings
  пытаться сделать что-либо, чему только что научился

  Tina has had only ten German lessons, but she wants to try her wings by speaking with our visitors from Germany.
• turn tail
  поспешно уйти или броситься бежать

  The men in front of me turned tail like a dog that had been whistled home, and fled like the wind.
• turn turtle
  перевернуться вверх дном

  My tires began to slip; the car turned turtle and stopped.
• ugly duckling
  гадкий утёнок

  Nancy was the ugly duckling in her family until she grew up.
• under the wings of (someone)
  быть под защитой кого-либо, "под крылом у кого-либо"

  Sue has been under the wings of one of the supervisors since she started to work here.
• until the cows come home
  бесконечно долго, допоздна

  We are going to throw a New Year's party and stay up until the cows come home.
• watch (someone or something) like a hawk
  зорко следить за кем-либо, не спускать глаз

  "You've got to watch these guys like a hawk; they are not reliable."
• weasel out of (something)
  устраниться, уклоняться от чего-либо

  I have no wish to stay at work after office hours; I'd rather weasel out of the job they want me to do.
• whale of (something)
  исключительно хороший

  We had a whale of a time at the barbecue party.