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Американские идиомы

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Американские идиомы


[abide by] {v.} To accept and obey; be willing to follow. * /A
basketball player may know he did not foul, but he must abide by the
referee's decision./ * /The members agree to abide by the rules of the
club./

[a bit] {n., informal} A small amount; some. * /There's no sugar in
the sugar bowl, but you may find a bit in the bag./ * /If the ball had
hit the window a bit harder, it would have broken it./ - Often used
like an adverb. * /This sweater scratches a bit./ - Also used like an
adjective before "less", "more". * /Janet thought she could lose
weight by eating a bit less./ * /"Have some more cake?" "Thanks. A bit
more won't hurt me."/ - Often used adverbially after verbs in
negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences, sometimes in the
form "one bit". * /"Won't your father be angry?" "No, he won't care a
bit."/ * /Helen feels like crying, but I'll be surprised if she shows
it one bit./ - Sometimes used with "little" for emphasis, also in the
emphatic form "the least bit". * /"Wasn't Bob even a little bit sorry
he forgot his date?" "No, Bob wasn't the least bit sorry."/ Syn.: A
LITTLE. Compare: A FEW. Contrast: A LOT.

[about face] {n.} A sudden change of course or a decision opposite
to what was decided earlier. * /Her decision to become an actress
instead of a dentist was an about face from her original plans./

[about one's ears] or [around one's ears] {adv. phr.} To or into
complete collapse, defeat, or ruin; to the destruction of a person's
plans, hopes, or happiness. * /They planned to have factories all over
the world but the war brought their plans down about their ears./ *
/John hoped to go to college and become a great scientist some day,
but when his father died he had to get a job, and John's dreams came
crashing around his ears./ Compare: ON ONE'S HEAD.

[about time] {n. phr.} Finally, but later than it should have been;
at last. * /Mother said, "It's about time you got up, Mary."/ * /The
basketball team won last night. About time./

[about to] 1. Close to; ready to. - Used with an infinitive. * /We
were about to leave when the snow began./ * /I haven't gone yet, but
I'm about to./ Compare: GOING TO, ON THE POINT OF. 2. {informal}
Having a wish or plan to. - Used with an infinitive in negative
sentences. * /Freddy wasn't about to give me any of his ice-cream
cone./ * /"Will she come with us?" asked Bill. "She's not about to,"
answered Mary./

[above all] {adv. phr.} Of first or highest importance; most
especially. * /Children need many things, but above all they need
love./ Syn.: FIRST AND LAST.

[above suspicion] {adj. phr.} Too good to be suspected; not likely
to do wrong. * /The umpire in the game must be above suspicion of
supporting one side over the other./


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