Л. К. Науменко

BUSINESS IDIOMS DICTIONARY

СЛОВАРЬ БИЗНЕС-ИДИОМ

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УДК 81’374(038)=111

ББК 81.2Англ-4

        Н34

Автор:

Науменко Л. К., доцент кафедры иностранных языков по экономическим направлениям Восточный институт — Школа региональных и международных исследований Дальневосточного Федерального Университета, почетный работник высшего профессионального образования, лауреат премии им. В. П. Вологдина.

Если Ваша компания или Вы лично ведете переговоры с иностранными партнерами, то Вы неизбежно столкнетесь с идиомами — устойчивыми оборотами, которые стали неотъемлемой частью современной бизнес-культуры.

Словарь содержит основные бизнес-идиомы и будет полезен при базовом обучении деловому английскому, а также при желании расширить свой словарный запас или уточнить значение ранее изученных выражений.

Уникальность издания в том, что оно позволяет изучить как английские, так и русские идиомы.

Для максимального удобства идиомы расположены в алфавитном порядке, содержат русское толкование и примеры их употребления.

УДК 81’374(038)=111

ББК 81.2Англ-4

© Науменко Л. К., 2017

© ООО «Проспект», 2017

A

A-1 — excellent — отличный, идеальный.

I bought a used computer. It’s in A-1 condition.

Above all (else) — most importantly (of all) — прежде всего, главным образом, в основном, больше всего.

We have several matters to consider. Above all, however, is the question of financing our new project.

Above board — in the open; without dishonesty, concealment, or fraud — честный (игроки показывали свою честность, держа руки поверх крышки стола).

It is necessary to be above board when dealing with people otherwise they won’t trust you.

Above the call of duty — much more than should be expected — возможное и невозможное; не по обязанности, а от души.

The teacher received a medal for his work which went above and beyond the call of duty.

According to — following, corresponding to, in relation to, as said by, depending on — согласно, в соответствии с, по утверждению, по словам, по мнению.

The foreman was disciplined according to the rules laid down for the offence.

Account for — to explain, to give a full or satisfactory answer for — отчитываться в чем-либо, отвечать за что-либо, объяснять что-либо.

Price rises can be accounted for by increased demand or decreased availability of supply.

Acid test — the most effective and essential test of a quality — серьезное испытание.

Road trials of the new car will provide the acid test of its safety and reliability.

Across the board — including all parts of something — одинаковый для всех или всего.

The taxes increased across the board and everyone must pay more.

Adopt a low profile — avoid public attention — занять сдержанную позицию по какому-либо вопросу.

He’s been in a little trouble recently so he’s trying to keep a low profile.

Agree on/to/with — to reach or make agreement about, to accept, to have the same opinion as, to come to the same conclusion — соглашаться с кем-либо (with), c чем-либо (to), на что-либо; уславливаться (on).

I am afraid we cannot agree to your offer.

The negotiators quickly agreed on two matters.

Ahead of the curve — better than average — опережая события.

For careerists, they want to stay ahead of the curve.

Ahead of the pack — more successful than those you are competing against — (быть) впереди всех.

Of all the software I’ve tested, this product is ahead of the pack.

Ahead of time/schedule — earlier than arranged, expected or planned — досрочно, с опережением графика.

The Minister’s arrival ahead of schedule caused a minor panic.

Aim at — to plan to, to try to, to reach or hit an objective, goal or target — стремиться, нацеливаться, прицеливаться.

This experiment aims at showing how to measure the volume of water.

(The) aim of exercise — the purpose or objective of this activity which may not immediately be clear or apparent — цель деятельности.

The aim of the exercise is to give a general explanation of how the product operates.

All along — all the time — все время, с самого начала.

I knew all along that my friend would not get the promotion.

All at sea — confused — быть в полной растерянности; не знать, что делать; недоумевать.

I’m all/completely at sea with the news.

All ears — eagertolisten — превратиться в слух (внимательно слушать).

The lecture was very interesting, and the students were all ears.

All hands on deck — something that you say when everyone’s help is needed, especially to do a lot of work in a short amount of time — аврал, мобилизовать все силы.

We’ve got to get all this cleared up before they arrive so it’s all hands on deck.

All important — most important, urgent or necessary — крайне важный, первостепенной важности.

Speed, surprise and superiority are all important as factors for success in commercial operations.

All in all — taking everything into account and weighing it up, summarizing by comparing the positive and negative factors — в общем, все.

Although the company has had its problems over the last twelve months, all in all it has been a successful year.

All or nothing — to be or to be aiming at one hundred per cent of something — все или ничего.

This company has an all or nothing policy with its smaller suppliers.

Allow for — to take into consideration or account — принимать во внимание, учитывать, допускать.

Company cash flow projections are inaccurate; they don’t allow for bad debts or salary increases.

All the rage — very popular/fashionable — быть в моде в данный период времени.

You know, violence as a political tool is all the rage right now.

All systems go — to be in a condition or attitude of total readiness to go ahead — все работает нормально, все в полной готовности.

How do you feel about the new project? — I am on all systems go.

Along these lines — in this way or according to or by following this method — вроде, типа.

Your new employment contract will be along the lines of your last one, except for a salary increase.

Amount to — to total, to mean, to result in — составлять сумму, равняться, быть равным, равнозначащим.

Although at first the proposals seemed attractive, in fact they amounted to very little.

And so on — and other similar details; etc. — и так далее.

I don’t know him very well, although we’ve shared the same office and so on for two years.

Ants in one’s pants — nervousness, anxiety — нервозность, беспокойство.

Would you please stop tapping your foot?! You must have ants in your pants!

Apple of one’seye — something special — что-либо или кто-либо очень дорогой или важный для говорящего.

The man’s youngest daughter is the apple of his eye.

Argue against — to oppose with logic — полемизировать.

The Research and Development Manager argued strongly against reducing his department’s annual budget.

Arise from — to originate from, to be due, to be caused by — происходить, проистекать.

Misunderstandings often arise from language problems.

An arm and a leg — a large amount of money — 1. большая сумма денег; 2. очень дорогостоящий.

My new Mercedes cost me an arm and a leg.

Arrange for — to fix or make practical plans for something to happen or to be done — подготавливать, организовывать.

Let’s arrange for a meeting now. How about Friday, nine o’clock, your office?

ASAP — is an acronym for «as soon as possible» — как можно быстрее.

I need to finish these reports. My boss needs them ASAP.

As far as it goes — within certain limited incomplete or imperfect bounds — что касается (чего-либо), что до (чего-либо).

Your argument seems logical, as far as it goes, but to be honest it doesn’t tackle the real issues here.

As long as — if the situation exists that, provided that, but only if — пока, до тех пор.

We aren’t going to make a profit as long as we continue employing too many people.

As a rule — usually (but not always) — как правило, обычно.

As a rule we deliver within 7 days of receipt of order.

As straight as a die — completely honest/fair — прямой, такой не подведет, честный.

She’s as straight as a die, I can trust her to tell me what she’s really thinking.

As such — in or by its nature, considered alone, in itself — как таковой, по существу.

The company as such is in a strong financial position.

As to — about, regarding — в отношении.

We have to weigh up the pros and cons — as to the risks and opportunities.

As usual — as always, in the normal or accustomed way — как всегда, как обычно.

An annual bonus will be paid as usual to employees who have performed well this year.

As we have seen — as has already been shown, proved or demonstrated — как мы видели, как мы поняли.

As we have seen from the trading figures, sales in all sectors are up, although profits remain marginal.

As well (as) — too, also, in addition to — так же как, а также, заодно и.

As well as being the best on the market, our products are also reasonably priced.

As a whole — taken or considered all together; in aggregate — в целом, в общем, в общей массе.

The group as a whole approved the parent company’s proposal.

As yet — up to now, up to the time of speaking, so far — все еще, пока, до сих пор, на данный момент, к настоящему моменту.

As yet, we haven’t had time to consider your proposals.

At a loss for words — unable to think of anything to say — быть не в состоянии говорить; не знать, что сказать.

I was at a loss for words when I met my friend after many years.

At all — to any or to some, extent or degree; in any way — совсем, полностью.

If we can be of any help to you at all, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

At cross purposes — having a difference of opinions, wishes or objectives, leading to confusion — делать наперекор; говорить на разных языках.

This is a complex matter, so let’s set up our objectives before we start, to make sure we don’t end up at cross purposes.

At the end of one’s rope — desperate, with nowhere to turn — не иметь выбора, альтернативы; застрять в плохой ситуации.

I’m at the end of my rope — I lost my job, my car died, and I don’t have any money in the bank.

At fault — responsible, to blame — быть ответственным за что-либо, быть виновным в чем-либо.

I wondered who was at fault for the loss of valuable documents.

At first — originally, in the first instance, at/in the beginning, to start with — вначале, сначала, на первых порах.

It made sense at first to include overseas trade in our budget figures.

At first sight (glance) — apparently at first, when seen for the first time — на первый взгляд, с первого взгляда.

At first sight the contract seemed normal.

At full stretch — using all one’s energy to do something — полностью, полным ходом.

The emergency services are working at full stretch today to cope with the accident.

At least — to this minimum extent or amount or degree — по крайней мере, во всяком случае.

It’s only a small order, but at least it’s better than nothing.

At logger heads (with somebody) — in strong disagreement — быть в ссоре, несогласии с кем-либо; противостоять кому-либо.

We are at logger heads with the company over their plans to build a new factory.

At a loss — below cost — в убыток.

We were forced to sell the computers at a big loss.

At (the) most — up to a given maximum — самое большее, не больше чем.

Bankruptcy is certain, at most we can just delay it, but we can’t prevent it.

At odds — in disagreement — быть в ссоре с кем-либо, иметь разногласия с кем-либо.

The man has been at odds with his boss over his new sales territory.

At once — immediately, very soon, right away — сразу, в то же время, вместе с тем.

Can you send this fax at once please, it’s very urgent.

At one’s beck and call — always ready to do as ordered — всегда быть готовым послужить кому-либо или сделать что-либо для кого-либо.

Don t expect to have me at your beck and call.

At one’s wit’s end — frantic, anxious, not knowing what to do next — быть в растерянности; не знать, что делать.

I’m at my wit’s end with this problem. I cannot figure it out.

At the outset — at, from or shortly after some starting point — вначале.

The product was more successful than we had expected at the outset.

At the outside — as the highest estimate, at the most — самое большее, в крайнем случае.

How much does it cost? — At the outside I would guess around 50 dollars.

At a premium — at a high price — по высокой цене.

They started selling this software at a premium.

At random — without specific aim, unsystematic — наугад, наобум, наудачу.

The market researchers interviewed people at random in the street.

At stake — ready to be won or lost; at risk; hanging in the balance — поставленный на карту; в опасности.

That’s a very risky investment. How much money is at stake?

At will — as or when one pleases, without restriction or limit — по желанию, как угодно.

With a Gold Card you can travel almost at will.

Average out at — to calculate or be calculated as an average — вычислять среднюю величину.

Production time per unit averages out at two hours.

B

Back against the wall — in a very difficult position, with few or no choices — припереть к стене, прижать к стенке.

The minister had survived many political changes, many threats to his position. In fact, when he had his back against the wall, he was at his most charming and dangerous.

Back and forth (backwards and forwards) — movement from one position to another, before returning to the first position again, usually again and again, regularly — взад и вперед.

Letters had been passing back and forth between the two companies for weeks before a meeting could be set up.

Back down — to show a marked change of attitude or position, from being in confrontation to being passive, neutral or accepting, to withdraw — отступать, уступать, отказываться.

After days of hard negotiating, both sides backed down sufficiently in their demands to make agreement possible.

Back on one’s feet — financially independent or physically healthy — снова встать на ноги (вернуть себе прежнее положение).

She has undergone a serious operation and now she is back on her feet.

Back out (of) — to fail to carry out (or to withdraw from) some promise, arrangement, agreement or obligation — уклоняться, отступать от чего-либо.

You can rely on her for sure. Once she agrees to do something, she never backs out of it.

Back to the drawing board — ready to start over, refine or rethink an idea — вернуться и начать что-либо (проект, мысль и т. п.) с начала.

The boss does not like our idea so we must go back to the drawing board.

Back to the salt mines — time to return to work, school, or something else that might be unpleasant — вновь за работу, за учебу, за занятия и т. п. (вернуться к выполнению чего-либо неприятного).

The work was tedious; they finished their coffee and went back to the salt mines.

Back to square one — returned to the beginning — все сначала, все заново.

Negotiations have broken down, and it’s back to square one.

Back to the drawing board — return to an earlier stage in an enterprise because a planned undertaking has failed — все начинается сначала.

After our first attempt failed we went back to the drawing board.

Backroom deal — an agreement or decision that is made without the public knowing about it — закулисная сделка.

We will never reach an agreement if our companions don’t put an end to backroom deals.

Bail a company out — rescue a company from trouble or difficulty — давать поручительство или вносить залог за компанию.

The local government decided to bail out the shoe factory in order to avoid unemployment in the town.

Bait and switch — deceptive commercial practice of advertising a low-priced item to attract customers, then telling them that the product is out of stock and persuading them to buy a more expensive article — заманить и подменить* (привлечение клиентов низкой ценой с последующим объявлением о том, что данный товар закончился или на самом деле имеет недостаточное качество; целью является привлечение клиентов в торговую точку в расчете на то, что пришедший клиент все равно совершит какую-либо покупку; во многих странах считается незаконным).

This store is famous for its bait and switch tactics.

(The) Ball is in (your) court — It’s up to (you) to take action, the next step is for (you) to take, (we) await your next move — теперь твоя очередь действовать; теперь все зависит от тебя.

We’ve made them a good offer — now the ball’s in their court.

Ballpark number — a very inexact estimate — неточный, приблизительный показатель.

A firm price hasn’t been set yet, but the ballpark figure under discussion is $3 million.

Bang for the buck — value for the money spent; excitement for the money spent — получить сполна за свои деньги.

They were not able to get much bang for the buck when they advertised on the Internet.

Banker’s hours — short work hours: 10:00 A. M. to 3:00 P. M. — короткие часы работы (часы работы банка).

There aren’t manybankers who keep banker’s hours these days.

(The) Bare bones (bare outline) — a short description, a few words giving only the most important facts — костяк, основное, самое главное.

At this stage, I’m going to describe the process in bare outline only. My colleague will explain it in detail later.

He will need time... to present the bare bones of the argument.

Bark up the wrong tree — make a wrong choice or false assumption — ошибаться, идти по ложному следу; обвинять не того, кого следует.

George is barking up the wrong tree when he blames his troubles on his parents.

Base on — to use as a basis, ground, or system of reasoning — основываться на.

The scientist’s calculations were based on the results of his experiments.

Bat an eyelash (neg.) — show emotion — реагировать; делать большие глаза.

Bill told his story without batting an eyelash, although not a word of it was true.

Bat a thousand — have a perfect record whether good or bad — быть очень успешным.

Jeremy has been batting a thousand in his attempts to earn much money.

Be against (to be for, to be in favor of) — to oppose, to be opposed or contrary to — возражать (быть за).

This company is against joint venture schemes because experience shows that these so often go wrong.

Bean counter — a person, such as an accountant or financial officer, who is concerned with quantification — бухгалтер, счетовод; человек, ведущий расчеты.

Today two bean counters are here to help us with our taxes.

Be beside oneself — be very upset, nervous — в крайнем состоянии, в состоянии чего-либо (гнева, страха, расстройства и т. п.).

Sarah could not speak. She was beside herself with angerwhen she got a pink slip.

Be beside the point — to have no connection with what is being discussed, to be irrelevant — быть неважным, несвязанным.

The only important question is whether we go ahead with the project or not, anything else is beside the point.

Be exact — to be more precise, to define exactly or accurately — быть точным.

The calculations were exact to the nearest millimeter.

Be head and shoulders above the rest —
be more important/greater/better than others — быть на голову выше остальных (быть гораздо лучше кого-либо или чего-либо).

I believe that our team is head and shoulders above the other teams.

Be in the dark — to not know, to be without information — быть в неведении, в неизвестности.

It’s no use asking me about the company’s takeover plans — I’m as much in the dark as you are.

Be in the picture — to know, to have information — быть в курсе дела.

Let’s go over those points again, to make sure you’re completely in the picture, before we go any further.

Be in line with — to be in conformity or agreement with — точно следовать (идеям, принципам).

Your ideas are very interesting especially as they’re very much in line with our own.

Be in/out of touch with — to be in contract by the spoken or written word, to get in touch — to make contract, to keep or stay in touch — to continue contract, to lose touch — to lose contract, out of touch — not in contract — находиться в контакте с/не находиться в контакте с; быть в курсе чего-либо/не быть в курсе чего-либо.

Although they don’t see each other very often, they are in constant touch by letter or phone.

Be in the same boat — be in the same unpleasant situation as other people — в одном положении, в одной ситуации; испытывать те же трудности, неприятности.

She’s always complaining that she doesn’t have enoughmoney, but we’re all in the same boat.

Be (go) out of action — to not work or operate, to fail to function or to stop working/operating/functioning — не работать, быть выведенным из строя.

The computer is out of action at the moment, due to an electrical fault.

Be rolling in it — be rich — купаться в деньгах.

If they can afford a yacht, they must be rolling in it.

Be (fall) short of — to be less than needed, wanted or expected, to lack something, to not be enough — испытывать недостаток в чем-либо, нуждаться в чем-либо; не хватать.

The test results are interesting as far as they go, but they fall far short of proving the safety of this product.

Be snowed under — have a plenty of work to do — быть заваленным работой, загруженным, обремененным.

Can you call me later? I’m snowed under with my manager’s orders.

Be (run, come) up against — to be, or arrive, at a position where positive progress or forward movement is, or may be, blocked — стоять перед задачей, проблемой, встретить трудности.

Profits have fallen because the company is up against stronger competition than expected.

Bear fruit — to produce the result — приносить плоды (давать результаты).

After 10 years’ hard work, his research finally bear fruit.

Be at around the bush — avoid giving a clear answer — ходить вокруг да около (говорить уклончиво и не по существу).

Stop beating around the bush and give us your final decision.

Beat someone to the punch — do something before someone else can — обскакать кого-то (сделать работу прежде других).

I was thinking of applying for that job but Carol beat me to the punch.

Beat the rap — escape punishment — избежать наказания.

Having hired a sophisticated lawyer, Jeremy was able to beat the rap.

Begin with — at first, first of all, at the beginning — начинать с, во-первых.

To begin with, the business grew slowly, but after several years it expanded rapidly.

Behind closed doors — in private/secretly — за закрытыми дверьми (тайно, втайне).

The meeting to settle the dispute took place behind closed doors.

Behind the 8 ball — introuble — черный шар под номером 8 в бильярде (оказаться в невыгодном положении).

I’m behind the eight ball againand can’t see how to relieve my dilemma.

Behind someone’s back — without someone’s knowledge; secret from someone — за чьей-либо спиной (тайком, за глаза).

She sold the car behind his back, while he was away on vacation.

Behind the scenes — out of public view; privately — за кулисами (скрытно, тайно).

Diplomats have been working hard behind the scenes in preparation forthe talks.

Behind time/schedule — Be late — не вовремя, неаккуратно , с опозданием.

The meeting is running behind schedule and we have to finish on time.

Belt-tightening — the process of reducing some expenses — процесс снижения расходов.

We should’ve done some belt-tightening instead of spending financial resources on development.

Bend over backward — try very hard, make a great effort — лезть из кожи вон (прилагать все усилия для выполнения чего-либо, стараться изо всех сил; обычно используется для описания попыток помочь или угодить кому-либо).

He said he would bend over backwards to help her get a job in the company.

Better safe than sorry — It’s better to be too careful than to take risks — береженого Бог бережет.

Don’t be afraid to have this checked by a doctor — better (to be) safe than sorry!

Bide one’s time — wait patiently for the right opportunity — дожидаться своего часа (дожидаться удобного случая).

The man is biding his time as he waits to become president of the company.

Big gun/cheese/wheel/wig — an important person, a leader — важный человек, лидер.

Though my uncle is a big cheese in the company I never ask him for help.

Big picture — The overall view of things — общая картина.

Even though we all have very specific tasks to do, our manager makes sure we don’t lose sight of the big picture.

Big stink — an angry and loud complaint — крупный скандал (хай, шорох и т. д.).

There was a big stink made about my absence.

Bit by bit — in small pieces or stages, gradually — постепенно, понемногу, мало-помалу; по частям.

Although the sales target seems a long way off at the moment, we seem to be getting there bit by bit.

Bite one’s tongue — keep oneself from speaking — прикусить (себе) язык (не проговориться).

I always bite my tongue when I am talking with my wife so that I do not say the wrong thing and make her angry.

Bitter pill to swallow — unpleasant fact that has to be accepted — проглотить горькую пилюлю (что-либо неприятное, что надо пережить).

Losing the game was a bitter pill to swallow for the whole team.

Blamestorming — group discussion regarding the assigning of responsibility for a failure or mistake — разбор полетов (групповой поиск виновного (члена группы), прилюдный поиск виновного).

A blamestorming session took place follo- wing the unfavourable reviews in the press.

Blank cheque — the freedom or permission to spendas much moneyor use asmuch resourcesas neededinpursuitof a desire or goal — незаполненный чек, чек на предъявителя (свобода действий).

The company was having a difficult time retaining good employees, so the manager was given a blank cheque to increase salaries and restructure his department.

Blow the whistleon — expose, betray — разоблачить; покончить.

The employee blew the whistle on the illegal practices of the company.

Blue chip company — company with a solid reputation for thequality ofits productsandthestability of its growth and earnings — голубая фишка, первоклассная компания (крупная солидная компания, известная своей надежностью, качеством товаров и услуг, стабильной прибылью, а также выплачивающая дивиденды).

It’s usually safe to invest in a blue chip company.

Blue collar — синий воротничок (производственный рабочий).

On average, women earned only two thirds of the amount earned by men, with female blue collar workers particularly disadvantaged.

Boil the ocean — waste one’s time attempting to do the impossible — объять необъятное (напрасно тратить время).

You’re wasting my time. Youmight as well be boiling the ocean.

Bone of contention — a sensitive issue that causes argument — яблоко раздора (причина ссор, разногласий).

Job security is a bone of contention in our discussions.

Botch up — make a big mistake, ruin — портить; делать плохо или небрежно.

He made a mistake on the payroll and botched up everyone’s paycheck.

Bottom fall out/drop out — fall below an earlier lowest price — достигать самой низкой точки.

The goods sale has begun to bottom out, and I am not sure it will ever increase in value.

Bottom line — the last figure on a financial profit-and-loss statement, or on a bill, the result; the final outcome — спорный вопрос; суть дела, общий итог, окончательный баланс.

How much do I oweyou? Don’t tell me all those figures! Just tell me the bottom line.

Boys/men in the backroom — a group of men making decisions behind the scenes — группа людей, принимающая закулисные решения.

The boys in the backroom informed us that the wages would be probably docked.

Break one’s back — put a lot of effort into doing something — делать все возможное, работать много и усердно.

Robert broke his back to try and get the information he wanted.

Break down — fail, collapse, stop — обрывать(ся); разрушать(ся); разрыва-ть(ся).

The first 2 negotiations were unsuccessful and the third broke down after only a few hours.

Break even — have expenses equal to profits — достичь точки безубыточности (самоокупаемости, критического объема производства).

After only three months the company was able to break even and start making profits.

Break the ice — do or say something to ease tensions between people, to start to create a more sociable, relaxed atmosphere, usually on first meeting — разбить, сломать лед [устранить натянутость (в отношениях между кем-либо)]; сделать первый шаг.

A new manager’s first task is to break the ice with staff and create a new team dynamic.

Break the mould — completely change the way something is done — ломать стереотипы.

When they first started, they said they were going to break the mould of company policy.

Break the new ground — enter a new area of discovery or knowledge, be a pioneer — найти новый путь; сказать новое слово; начать новое дело; быть новатором, пионером; начать новую страницу.

The recent agreement between the companies has broken new ground in fruitful relation.

Break off — end suddenly — прекращать, порывать .

The breaking off of diplomatic relations between two countries may signal the start of warfare.

Break through — make sudden, positive progress by pushing through a seen or unseen barrier or obstacle — прорваться, пробиться, добиться успеха.

The discovery of the petrol engine was a break through in the history of transport.

Bring about — cause, make something happen, give rise to — осуществлять, вызывать, влечь за собой.

Careful planning of objectives, strategy and tactics are necessary to bring about a successful negotiation.

Bring to light — make known — выводить на чистую воду (обнаружить, выявлять, выяснять).

The trial brought to light numerous contradictions in his story.

Brush something under the carpet — hide/ignoresomethingillegal, unpleasant — замести под ковер (пытаться скрыть что-либо (постыдное), держать в тайне, пытаться избежать огласки).

We’d better not brush our differences under the carpet; let’s discuss them.

Buckle down — study or work very hard — энергично приниматься за дело.

The father told his son to stop fooling around and buckle down to do his work.

Budget squeeze/crunch — a situation where there is not enough money in the budget — нехватка средств в бюджете.

There was a severe budget squeeze in their company and they had to stop wasting money.

Burn a holei n one’s pocket — bespent quickly — прожечь дыру в кармане [долго не держаться (о деньгах)].

It’s no wonder Jim is always short of money; the money often burns a hole in his pocket.

Burn the midnight oil — work very late at night to achieve something — засиживаться за работой до глубокой ночи.

We burned the midnight oil for three nights in order to study for the exam.

Bury the hatchet — make peace, stop arguing — помириться, заключить мир.

He buried the hatchet with his brother and they are now friendly again.

Bury one’s head in the sand — ignore trouble by pretending it doesn’t exist — прятать голову в песок (отказываться видеть/признавать что-либо неприятное).

When the situation got tough, Phil buried his head in the sand; he was unable to take the responsibility.

Business as usual — a situation that has returned to its usual state again after an unpleasant or surprising event — жизнь продолжается (несмотря ни на что); дела идут своим чередом.

Serious problems such as depression can make business as usual impossiblefor most people.

Business before pleasure — you should finish your work before starting to relax and enjoy yourself — делу время, потехе час; сделал дело — гуляй смело.

I’d love to have lunch with you, but I’ve got a report to finish — business before pleasure I’m afraid!

Business is business — in financial and commercial matters, friendship or personal feelings should not be allowed to have any influence — на войне как на войне; в бою как в бою.

I’ll hire your brother only if he is the best candidate. I’m sorry but business is business!

Butter up — flatter for selfish reasons — льстить кому-либо, умасливать кого-либо.

It’s hard to get a promotion if you can’t butter up the right people.

Buyoff — bribe — подкупить кого-либо, откупиться.

The land developer tried to buy off the politician but he was not successful.

Bythebook — following the rules exactly — по правилам, по инструкции; как это обычно делается.

Minor officials will often go by the book instead of using a little discretion or common sense.

By hook or by crook — by any means necessary — любыми путями, всеми правдами и неправдами.

I decided I was going to get that job by hook or by crook.

By a long shot — by a big difference, by far — намного, значительно.

You haven’t done your share of the work by a long shot.

By the same token — for the same reason; as a logical extension of the same argument — к тому же, кроме того; лишнее доказательство того, что; справедливо и то, что.

Because of falling profits, research and development costs must be drastically reduced. By the same token, there are to no salary increases.

By the skin of one’s teeth — by a very small margin — еле-еле, едва.

He won the election by one vote, by the skin of his teeth.

By the way — changing the subject, incidentally, in passing — кстати, между прочим, к слову сказать.

Really? That’s interesting. By the way, did you hear the latest news about our competitors.

By trial and error — finding the right method or solution by the primitive process of making changes in measurements or calculations until finally there are no errors — методом проб и ошибок.

After a good deal of trial and error we found the exact proportions required for the mixture.

C

Calculated risk — an action that may fail but has a good chance to succeed — обдуманный риск.

The factory must have taken a calculated risk when they had put new products on the market.

Callitaday — to stop work or other activity — считать свой рабочий день законченным, считать работу законченной.

It’s already 5 p. m., let us call it a day.

Call it quits — stop, finish, quit — закончить, прекратить.

We’ve been discussing the problem long enough; let’s call it quits.

Call on the carpet — reprimand — вызвать кого-либо на ковер (устраивать нагоняй).

Jim must have failed to do the job well because he was called on the carpet by his boss.

Call someone’s bluff — challenge someone’s empty threats, have someone prove what he says — вывести кого-либо на чистую воду (разоблачить обман).

I could call the partner’s bluff if I were sure I would be able to prove that he is a swindler.

Call the shots — be in charge, give orders — быть главным, быть во главе; отдавать поручения, задания, приказы.

The vice-president is now calling the shots and is in control of the company.

Can’t hold a candle to somebody/something — can’t be compared favorably with somebody/something — не идти ни в какое сравнение с кем-либо/чем-либо; играть подчиненную роль.

Their new house can’t hold a candle to their old one. It is bigger and more beautiful.

Can’t stand the pace — unable to do things well when you are under a lot of pressure — не выдерживать темпа или нагрузок.

She once worked for a famous fashion designer but she couldn’t stand the pace.

Carbon copy — smb/smth that is exactly the same as smb/smth else — точная копия.

He’s a carbon copy of his father.

Carry the can — take the blame — быть козлом отпущения; расхлебывать кашу (отдуваться ).

I don’t want to carry the can for his deeds.

Carry the day — win or succeed — завоевать полную поддержку.

Mark’s proposal carried the day and everyone supported him with enthusiasm.

Carry out — fulfill, perform, complete, finish successfully — осуществлять; приводить в исполнение; доводить до конца.

The oil company is carrying out geological surveys in the area before drilling begins.

Carry through — put into action — осуществлять, проводить.

It is doubtful whether it will be possible to carry through the educationreforms.

Сarve out a niche — find your role, trade — занять нишу, место на рынке; застолбить.

In today’s competitive market it is better to carve out a niche and try to become the best in that area.

Cash cow — a product or service which is a regular source of income for a company — дойная корова (что-либо, приносящее хороший доход).

His latest invention turned out to be a real cash cow.

Cash in your chips — sell something, especially shares, either because you need the money or because you think the value is going to fall — продать чью-то долю или акции; (one’s) прекратить деловые переговоры.

Andy cashed in his chips as soon as business started to slow down.

Catch somebody’s eye — get somebody’s attention — привлекать внимание.

One of the books on the top shelf caught my eye, and I took it down to look at it.

Catch someone off guard — surprise someone by doing or saying something they were not expecting — застать кого-либо врасплох.

He’s used to being interviewed and it seems that no question catches him off guard.

Catch someone red-handed — discover someone doing something illegal or wrong — быть захваченным с поличным.

I caught him red-handed trying to break into my car.

Cave (or cave in) — to yield completely, esp under pressure — уступать, отступать, сдаваться.

I thought he could face his opponent and not cave in so easily, but I was disappointed.

Chalk up — record, score — вести счет, записывать счет.

Now we can chalk up another victory for our team.

Chance it — take a risk — рисковать.

He’d probably never find out if I did go to the party, but I can’t afford to chance it.

Change of pace — a shift in normal routine — введение новых правил игры, изменение условий.

It’s nice to go on business trips because it’s a change of pace.

Change one’s mind — change a decision or opinion — передумать, изменить решение.

At first, she didn’t like her new colleague at all, but after a while she changed her mind.

Chapter and verse — in full detail — точные данные.

I can’t quote you chapter and verse but I think it’s not of great interest.

Check over — look at carefully and efficiently in order to find out if there are any problems or mistakes — проверять, сверять, выверять.

Letters should be checked over for mistakes before being sent.

Chew the fat — chat, talk idly — болтать, молоть языком.

Sit yourself down and let’s chew the fat for a while.

Chicken feed — a small amount of money — небольшая сумма денег.

«What you are giving me is chicken feed. I need a lot more money».

Chip in — contribute, give jointly — вносить деньги, платить в складчину.

My friends and I decided to chip in some money to buy a birthday present for our colleague.

Chip on one’s shoulder — sense of anger/bitterness because of unfair treatment — повод для ссоры или драки.

Ron has a chip on his shoulder. He’s arguing with everybody.

Clamp down — become stricter — принимать строгие меры.

The government plans to clamp down on taxfraud with tough new laws.

Clean up — make a big profit — (изрядно) нажиться на чем-либо.

The company cleaned up on their recent business arrangement.

Clear the air — come anger and remove misunderstanding — разрешить все споры, недомолвки; положить конец недоразумениям.

We had a big argument but now it is time to clear the air.

Сlinch a deal — reach agreement on a proposal or offer — завершить сделку, окончательно договориться о заключении сделки.

Paul’s final argument enabled us to clinch the deal.

Clock-watcher — a person in a hurry to leave work — нерадивый работник, работающий от и до.

I’ve never expected my friend to turn into a clock-watcher.

Сlose the books — stop financial transactions; end a matter — прекратить принимать наряд-заказ.

The company closed the books at the end of the year.

Close out — sell the whole of something, sell all the goods — ликвидировать (дело, ценные бумаги); продавать (ценные бумаги); закрыть свое предприятие; распродажа в связи с закрытием дела; уцененная вещь; товар, идущий по дешевке.

They decided to close out the store and sell all of the remaining stock very cheap.

Count the cost — suffer the consequences of a reckless/foolish action — страдать от последствий.

I didn’t read the contract fully before I signed it but I’m counting the cost now.

Cog in the machine — one part of a large system or organization — винтик в механизме (небольшая и неважная часть большой организации).

John didn’t want to be a cog in the machine so he quit his job.

Cock and bull story — exaggerated or false story — неправдоподобная история, небылица.

Mark gave us a cock-and-bull story about how he had been caught into the traffic jam.

Cold call — A telephone call or visit made to someonewho is not known or notexpecting contact, ofteninordertosell something — холодный звонок (звонок или визит к потенциальному клиенту без предварительной договоренности или представления). When he first started to work at his company he was asked to make cold calls using the telephone book.

Come apart at the seams — be upset and lose control — полностью расклеиться (потерять контроль над собой, находиться на грани нервного срыва).

Our team is coming apart at the seams since our coach left.

Come clean — tell the truth — признаваться, сказать правду.

«I want you to come clean and tell me what really happened».

Сome down to earth with a bump — stop dreaming and start thinking practically — спуститься с небес на землю.

You have a fit of enthusiasm, John, butyou must come downto earth. We can’tpossibly afford anyofyoursuggestions.

Come hell or high water — no matter what happens — что бы ни случилось.

Come hell or high water I plan to go on a business trip next week.

Come in handy — be useful — быть кстати, пригодиться.

I strongly advise you to buy this dictionary; it will come in handy one day, I am sure.

Come a long way — make a great progress — иметь большие успехи, проделать большую работу.

The manager has come a long way and has learned many things about his new company.

Come to the point — arrive directly at the focus, or most important part, of a speaking or writing activity — дойти до сути дела, до главного, решающего момента.

I’m afraid I can’t follow your reasoning: you’ve been speaking for twenty minutes without coming to the point.

Come under fire — be sharply criticized, be condemned — подвергнуться жесткой критике.

The government has come under fire for high corporate tax.

Come (run, or be) up against — be or arrive, at a position where positive progress or forward movement is, or may be, blocked — сталкиваться, встречаться с проблемами.

The government ran up against strong opposition when it tired to increase taxes.

Come up short — to exert much effort but still fail miserably, fall short of a goal — не справляться, показать плохие результаты.

The charity fund raiser was supposed to raise three million dollars, but they came up short.

Come up with — create, devise, produce, find — поравняться с кем-либо, догнать кого-либо; предлагать (план, проект).

This artwork is rubbish! Can’t you come up with anything better than that?

Common ground — shared area of agreement or understanding, an overlap of aims or interests — общее дело, общие интересы; общий язык, взаимопонимание.

There was enough common ground between the two teams of researchers to enable them to create an information pool.

Common sense — natural intelligence and understanding — здравый смысл.

Common sense suggests that regular exercise improves the quality of our daily lives, and our performance.

Company man — a person who always works hard and agrees with his employees — фанатично преданный фирме сотрудник.

My father was a true company man and was always putting in an extra effort for his company.

Compete against — try to beat or to oppose in competition — состязаться, конкурировать.

Recent increases in taxation mean that companies are competing as much against the government as against each other.

Compromise (with, over) — reach agreement by modifying or reducing one’s stated objectives — идти на компромисс.

After lengthy negotiations, contract terms were finally agreed when the two companies compromised with each other over prices and delivery schedules.

Consist of — be made (up) of, be composed of, compromise — состоять из.

Water consists of two parts of hydrogen to one part of oxygen.

Cook someone’s goose — create big problems for someone — подпортить, погубить свою репутацию.

The girl cooked her goose and has no chance of getting the new job.

Cope (with) — manage a problem, deal successfully with a difficulty — справляться.

The new product was so successful that production was barely able to cope with demand.

Copper-bottomed — completely safe or reliable — надежный, платежеспособный, правдивый, неподдельный, достоверный.

He signed a copper-bottomed agreement with a distributor.

Corner a market — dominate a particular market — монополизировать рынок.

Small low cost airlines have cornered the market in cheap flights.

Cough up — give money unwillingly, give up a secret — отдать что-либо неохотно.

Ann was unwilling to give back the money she had borrowed, but she was forced to cough it up.

Cover one’s tracks — hide/get rid of evidence — заметать следы; прятать то, что было сделано.

The man was trying to cover his tracks but it was easy to see where he had been.

Crack of dawn — very early in the morning — на рассвете.

We left for our office at the crack of dawn.

Cream of the crop — the best of a group, top choice — сливки общества (самые лучшие).

«Stop looking for the cream of the crop; it’s not always possible to get the best».

Credibility gap — difference or distance between what one is able, or willing, to believe and what one is asked to believe, the extent of disbelief — кризис доверия.

You say that you took $10 from the pretty cash box but $15 is missing. There is a credibility gap here, I’m afraid.

Crop up — happen quickly without warning — внезапно возникнуть, появиться.

«I will give you a call if something important crops up».

Crystal clear — clear beyond any doubt, without possibility of misunderstanding — понятный, ясный.

The government statement made it crystal clear that public spending had to be reduced.

Cue someone in — explain — информировать кого-либо о том, что происходит.

I don’t know what is going on, so I would like someone to cue me in on what is happening.

Cut-and-dried — clear and easy to understand — быть решенным заранее, быть подготовленным предварительно.

The decision was cut and dried and nobody asked for our opinion.

Cut corners — follow a quick but risky route to an objective, especially by not performing all the usual stages of some process — идти напролом; действовать незаконно.

In this company we don’t cut corners, we produce a high-quality, reliable product.

Cut noice — fail to impress — не производить никакого эффекта, никак не повлиять на кого-либо, не иметь значения для кого-либо.

The employee’s excuses cut no ice with the manager.

Cutoff — interrupt or stop — резко оборвать во время разговора.

She cut him off before he said something he would regret later.

Cut one’s losses — end or withdraw from a bad situation which can only get worse — выйти из игры (бросить невыгодное дело).

This product has almost outlived its lifespan — we should cut our losses and take it off the market at once.

Cut-throat — cruel, inexpiable, unmerciful, deadly — беспощадный, жестокий.

These days not all companies can survive cut-throat competition.

Cut someone down to size — prove someone isn’t as good as he or she thinks — доказать чью-либо несостоятельность.

My boss tried to cut me down to size when he showed to me a few mistakes in my project.

Cutting edge — the newest, most advanced stage in the development of something — новейший, передовой; в тренде.

This set is the cutting edge — the best on the market.

D

Dawn on — become clear, begin to understand — приходить в голову, доходить до сознания.

It suddenly dawned on me that I had forgotten to tell them about my schedule for the next week.

Dead end — a path going nowhere, a direction or course from which there is no exit or which results in no progress — тупик, безвыходное положение, безвыходная ситуация.

After five years without promotion, she felt she was in a deadend job.

Dead wood — people or things which are no longer considered useful or necessary — никчемный человек, бесполезная вещь.

The new manager wants to reduce costs by cutting out the dead wood.

Deliver the goods — succeed in doing well what is expected — удачно провернуть дело.

I don’t think Alan is very successful in his career; he is never able to deliver the goods.

Diamond in the rough — a person who iswonderful despite arough exterior; a person withgreatpotential — неограненный алмаз, неотшлифованный алмаз.

He’s a diamond in the rough — a little hard to take at times, but very smart andhelpful.

Digone’s heels in — show firmness over something — отказаться менять свои убеждения или свои поступки; заупрямиться.

Our boss dug in his heels and refused to give us a few days off.

Dime a dozen — common, easily obtained — не имеющее большой ценности; очень распространенное, обычное.

Tim bought a few used magazines; they were a dime a dozen.

Do business with — trade or negotiate with a view to making money — иметь общий бизнес с кем-либо.

We would like to do business with you, but if you aren’t able to play ball just a little on your pricing policy, it really isn’t worth our while.

Do the spadework — do the necessary preparatory work or research tosuccessfully completea given task or objective — выполнять черную/черновую работу.

I did all the spadework setting up the new department, but my boss got all the credit.

Dog-eat-dog world — describes a situation in which people will do anything to besuccessful, even if what they do harms other people — волчьи законы (ситуация, при которой, человек человеку волк; ситуация, в которой для того, чтобы добиться успеха, нужно идти по головам других).

It is dog-eat-dog world in the advertising and public relations business.

Do/make a deal with — reach a business or commercial agreement — уславливаться о цене, условиях.

I called the real estate agents about that house we saw last week but their clients already made a deal with someone else, so we’re too late I’m afraid.

Do one’s own thing — do whatever one wants — делать то, что кому-либо хочется и нравится.

My friend enjoys doing his thing when and where he chooses.

Do something rash — take drastic actions — совершить необдуманный, безрассудный поступок.

I know Alec is going to change his job, but I don’t want him to do anything rash.

Do the trick — be successful, acieve a good result — хорошо сработать, получиться, удаваться, достичь хорошего или желаемого результата.

I think that the new piece of equipment should do the trick and solve our problem.

Do without — live without something — обходиться без.

I didn’t save enough money, so I will have to do without holiday this year.

Done deal — agreement or decision which has been reached on a certain matter — решенный вопрос, завершенная сделка.

We’re still considering several proposals, so it’s not a done deal yet.

Done and dusted — successfully completed — завершенное дело.

We expect the deal to be done and dusted before the end of next week.

Donkey’s years — a long time — много лет, долгое время.

Fanny had been working for our company for donkey’s years before she retired.

Donkey work — hard, boring work — ишачий труд (большая и неблагодарная работа).

Why do I have to do all the donkey work while you get to do the interesting stuff?

Doom and gloom — the feeling that a situation is bad and is not likely to improve — безнадежная ситуация; мрачные предсказания.

Fortunately it’s not doom and gloom for all businesses, in spite of the economic situation.

Double-check — check something again to confirm — перепроверить, перепроверять.

We were unable to double-check the costs of the new products before the price list was printed.

Double-cross — betray — обмануть кого-либо, надуть кого-либо.

It’s very hard to trust people who once double-crossed you.

Down and out — having no money, no success — разоренный, не имеющий денег.

After the collapse of the company in which he had invested Andrew was down and out.

Down the drain — wasted or lost — пускать (деньги) на ветер (впустую, зря).

My father didn’t want to pay my extravagant expenses; he said it was money down the drain.

Down in the dumps — unhappy — несчастный, печальный, угнетенный, подавленный.

I lost all my money. That’s why I am down in the dumps.

Down the drain — wasted — впустую, зря.

My father didn’t want to pay my extravagant expenses; he said it was money down the drain.

Down-to-earth — having good sense, practical — практичный, приземленный.

The boss of our company is friendly and sensible. She is down-to-earth.

Drastic times call for drastic measures — extreme and undesirable circumstancesor situations canonly beresolvedby resorting to equally extreme actions — ситуация требует решительных мер.

After Johnny’s third accident, his father confiscated his car. Drastic times call for drastic measures!

Drawback — adisadvantage — недостаток, отрицательная сторона.

Your suggestion has only one serious drawback, that is, it’s likely to reduce profit margins.

Draw a line — set a limit — установить предел, ограничить.

The government had to draw the line at selling imported goods in the country.

Draw up — arrange, prepare, draft or compose a written document — составлять (текст завещания, контракта, законопроекта).

Good, so, as you agree the terms, let’s draw up your letter of employment now.

Dream ticket — a combination of two people, usuallycandidates in an election, that isconsidered tobeideal — идеальная пара.

Kennedy and Johnson were the first «dream ticket».

Dribs and drabs — small quantities, little by little — по крохам, по мелочам; маленькими порциями, по чуть-чуть.

Many came to the meeting, but her companions arrived in dribs and drabs.

Drive home — make smb fully aware/understand — убеждать, внедрять в сознание.

She used charts and statistics to drive home her message that we need to economize.

Drive someone up the wall — make someone crazy — сильно раздражать кого-либо.

My son’s constant misbehavior is driving me up a wall.

Drop in the bucket — small amount — капля в море (маленькое, незначительное количество, размер, особенно по сравнению с тем, что необходимо).

The money that my friend repaid me was a drop in the bucket compared to what he owes me.

Dry (dummy) run — an experiment or trial of a machine or project under realistic (but not real) conditions — репетиция, прогон, испытание.

Before making a presentation, it’s a good idea to do a dummy run by recording yourself on video or cassette and checking the result.

Dud — not performing the required or expected function, ineffective in result or effect — бесполезный; негодный, неисправный.

How can we be expected to carry out our jobs with the dud equipment you gave us?

E

Eager beaver — someone who is very enthusiastic; someone who works very hard — трудолюбивый человек; энтузиаст.

My colleague is an eager beaver and is always ready to work hard when we need him.

Easy come, easy go — something gained easily is also lost easily — что легко достается, то легко тратится; легко нажито — легко прожито.

A lot of people who inherit money waste it on stupid things. It’s easy come, easy go.

Egg someone on — encourage, urge, or dare someone to continue doing something — подстрекать, подбивать.

I wouldn’t havedone the dangerous experiment if my coworker hadn’t egged me on.

Either way — either single or inevitable result whatever happens or is done (or whether it is true or not) — в любом случае, так или иначе.

Whether we buy new equipment or employ new staff, either way we’re spending money.

Elephant in the room — a major or controversial problem that is not discussed — простая истина; что-либо, о чем всем известно, что всем очевидно, но на что не обращают внимание, что не обсуждается и т. п.

We should have been talking about our huge debt but no one wanted to talk about the elephant in the room.

End product — final result, after completion of some process or a series of actions — конечный продукт, результат, готовый продукт.

Careful preparation of a presentation will lead to a more effective end product.

Every other/second — in a sequence, with the focus on the second, fourth, sixth and so on — каждый второй, третий, четвертый и т. д.

Your company’s products are very popular, it seems as if every third person in the country has one.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry — the average person, nobody special — обыкновенный человек (Иванов, Петров, Сидоров), заурядный; каждый встречный.

Our new employee turned out to be very intelligent; he was not the same as every Tom, Dick and Harry.

Exception to the rule — someone or something which differs from the usual, the normal or some principle, rule or theory — исключение из правил.

Bankers will confirm that most customers are honest and repay their loans on time, put differently, the relatively few fraudsters and bad payers are the exceptions that prove the rule.

Exception proves the rule — something which differs from the usual, the normal, or some principle, rule or theory and yet, by the same token, reinforces what is usual — исключение подтверждает правило; нет правил без исключения.

Tests have shown that this product lasts at least three times longer than other similar products, so it is quite an exception to the rule.

F

Face the facts — admit the real situation — принимать во внимание реальную ситуацию.

Eventually, you will have to face the facts. Times are hard.

Face the music — meet one’s punishment, accept the consequences — держать ответ; отвечать за свои поступки, действия.

«You’ve made a mistake; now you’ll have to face the music».

Face up to — to accept something difficult or unpleasant and confront it — быть готовым встретить что-либо, встретиться лицом к лицу.

Retirement is something we all have to face up to sooner or later.

Face value — the official worth or trust of something — номинальная стоимость; кажущаяся ценность.

Although the face value of the postage stamp was very low it sold at the auction for much money.

Fact of the matter is — the truth is, the most important thing is — суть дела.

You keep telling us that production is delayed because of equipment breakdown, when the fact of the matter, as everyone knows, is that the real reason is industrial action.

Facts speak for themselves — the known facts of a situation clearly show the answers to any questions about them — факты говорят сами за себя.

The company’s financial records told the whole story. We could seat at a glance that large sums were not accounted for. The facts spoke for themselves — this was a case of fraud.

Fair and square — honest, honestly — абсолютно честный, справедливый.

The British team won the game fair and square.

Fair play — justice, equal and right action to someone — честная игра.

The company is very good to work for as they always use fair play when they are bargaining with their employees.

Fall apart — stop working properly — развалиться на части.

The deal to sell the company fell apart last summer.

Fall behind — not be able to keep up, fail to maintain a schedule or rate of speed — запаздывать; отставать.

I’ve fallen behind on the mortgage payments.

Fall on deaf ears — be ignored, especially of speech/advice — пропускать мимо ушей (игнорировать).

The reprimand of our boss always falls on deaf ears.

Farm something out — give work or responsibilities to other people — отдавать, передоверять работу кому-либо.

They decided to farm out the installation of the equipment to another company.

Feather in one’s cap — proud achievement — предмет особой гордости.

His own new companywill be another feather in his cap.

Feather one’s nest — obtain extra money, often dishonestly, through one’s job or position — нагреть руки (разбогатеть, поживиться за чей-либо счет).

Her only brother was eager to feather his own nest at the expense of his sister and her family.

Fed up with — disgusted with, had enough of — надоело.

I am fed up with the frustrations of everyday life.

Feel in one’s bones — feel certain, without evidence, know by intuition — интуитивно чувствовать что-либо, предчувствовать что-либо.

I feel it in my bones that I will win the lottery this month.

Feel like two cents — feel ashamed or embarrassed — плохо себя чувствовать.

I’m glad tohave finally broken up with my friend, he always made me feel like two cents.

Feel the pinch — suffer because of lack of money — быть в стесненном положении из-за нехватки денег.

When my father lost his job and we had tolive on my mother’s earnings, we really started to feel the pinch.

Fight a loosing battle — struggle against something with little or no hope of success — вести неравный бой (безуспешно бороться, тщетно пытаться, не иметь никаких шансов).

I try to control the emplyees, but I think I’m fighting a losing battle.

Figure out — find an answer by thinking about something — понимать, находить ответ.

Everyone in our company is trying to figure out what our boss is going to do with the new equipment.

Fill the bill — serve a particular purpose — как раз то, что нужно.

The information I received will fill the bill for what I need to finish the article.

Findfault — complain, criticize — придираться к кому-либо или чему-либо.

My boss finds fault with everything that I do.

Finger in the pie — involved in what is happening, receiving money for something — участие в каком-то деле; разделение ответственности.

I know that he had his finger in the pie of a few small businesses.

Firm hand — control and discipline — твердая рука (строгий контроль).

The manager ruled the company with a firm hand.

First and foremost — firstly and most important — прежде всего, в первую очередь, во-первых.

At the meeting we have several matters to consider. First and foremost is to decide on a replacement for the production manager, who sadly died last week.

First impression — first feelings, or initial reaction, caused as a result of a new experience or situation — первое впечатление.

As soon as we met, I thought, «This man has a dishonest face». That first impression was soon to be proved current.

First step — the first stage, or part of some process or series of actions — первый шаг, первая попытка.

We hope that this discussion will bear fruit and so be the first step towards greater cooperation between us.

Fishy — suspicious, false, sounding — странный и подозрительный.

We are sorry. We can’t accept your offer, because it sounds fishy.

Flash in the pan — popular for only a short time — мимолетная удача, подарок судьбы; мыльный пузырь (неудачная попытка, осечка, фиаско).

We’re hoping that this is a long-termopportunity, and not just a flash in the pan.

Focus on — concentrate on, to direct one hundred per cent attention to — концентрировать внимание на, сосредоточиваться на.

Next, let’s focus on production figures. As you can see from the graph, these have fluctuated over the last three months.

Food for thought — something to think about — пища для раздумий, для размышления.

I do not agree with his proposal but at least it is food for thought.

Foot the bill — pay for something — оплачивать счет, платить за что-либо.

The company will foot the bill for my move to Paris.

For (and) against — in agreement with and contrary to — за и против.

The government has carefully considered all arguments both for and against the new airport.

Forge ahead — make very good or rapid progress against all resistance, to develop or improve quickly — медленно и равномерно продвигаться вперед.

We’re forging ahead with the construction scheme, the first two stages were completed ahead of schedule.

For sale — on the market and available, or open, to offers to buy — на продажу.

We’re looking for new offices in the city centre. Can you look into it for us and let us know what’s for sale or for rent at the moment.

For sure — this is certain, there is no doubt — обязательно, непременно.

The economic crisis shows no sign of improving and we’re deep in the red at the bank. If business improves and the bank extends our overdraft, we’ll keep going, maybe. If not, we’ll go bankrupt for sure.

For the most part — mainly, generally, largely, in the majority of cases or instances, on the whole — главным образом, большей частью, в основном, в целом.

That’s an interesting idea. For the most part I agree with you, but I have my doubts about a couple of points.

For the time being — temporarily, forthemoment — в данное время, на данный момент; на некоторое время.

We’re ahead of our competitors for the time being but we can only stay that way as long as we keep an eye on what the market wants.

Free hand — have permission to make your own decisions, especially in a job — свобода действий.

My boss gave me a free hand in the choice of supplier.

From the ground up — from the very beginning — с самого начала.

We must plan our sales campaign carefully from the ground up.

From scratch — from the beginning and without any help — с нуля, на пустом месте, с чистого листа.

I lost all of my notes so I had to start from scratch with the project.

Funny business — dishonest actions or behaviour intended to trick someone — противозаконная деятельность.

The young man seems to be involved in some funny business which is probably illegal.

G

Gain ground — advance, make progress — продвигаться вперед; делать успехи.

The toy company is gaining ground in their effort to sell more products.

Game plan — carefully thought out general strategy for achieving a target and the tactics and methods to be used — план игры (cтратегия, тщательно разработанный план).

The game plan for this morning’s meeting is to finish ordinary business in the first half an hour, then take time out for coffee, so that, in the second half, we can zero in on the all-important question of new product development.

Generate lots of buzz — stimulate rumors about products or services to raise the level of sells — вызвать ажиотаж, заставить говорить о себе.

That new advertising campaign launched by Sony generated lots of buzz.

Get a break — obtain or receive a fortuitous and beneficial opportunity — получить значительную скидку, послабление (в цене).

My companion managed to get a break on the price of the furniture and saved much money.

Get across — communicate to make clear, to reach — четко изложить, донести.

When making a presentation, it is necessary to decide what ideas or information one wants to get across.

Get ahead — become successful — продвинуться, преуспеть.

I work day and night at my new project in order to get ahead.

Get around to — finalliy find time to do something — сделать что-либо, несмотря на возможные трудности (нехватку времени и т. п.).

We finally go t around to completing all our tasks.

Get away from it all — take a break from work or problems — уехать в отпуск, отдохнуть от всего.

Sometimes I want to get away from it all, and other times Iwant to know what’s going on.

Get away with murder — do something terrible/illegal without being punished — сойти с рук (сделать что-либо очень плохое и не быть пойманным и наказанным за это).

What about the consequences of letting someone get away with murder?

Get back in/into the swing of things — become accustomed to (or return to) an activity or routine — войти в колею (возвратиться к делам).

Our company shuts down operations for three weeks during the holiday season. When I go back to work in January, it’s difficult to get back in the swing of things.

Get to the bottom of — find the cause of, or the answer to, a problem or question — добраться до сути дела.

Our computer keeps on breaking down, so the engineers are checking it over to try and get to the bottom of it.

Get cold feet — beafraidatthelastminute, loseconfidence — струсить, не решиться, потерять уверенность в себе (обычно в последний момент).

The student go t cold feet and cancelled his plans to go to China.

Get down to brass tacks — start talking about the basic facts of a situation — добраться до сути, установить полную ясность.

Let’s get down to brass tacks — who’s going to pay for all of this?

Get down to business — begin to talk seriously, to tackle the real or important matter(s) — взяться за дело, приступить к делу.

Now the terms have been agreed between us, we can leave it to the lawyers to get down to the serious business of drawing up the necessary documents.

Get even — get revenge, settle the score — отомстить кому-либо, свести счеты с кем-либо.

I’ll get even with him if it’s the last thing I do.

Get a foothold — secure a position in a business, profession or organization — получить отправную точку, начать где-либо.

The contract got the firm a foothold in the local administration.

Get foot in the door — complete the first step in a process — сделать первый шаг к достижению цели; начать выполнение чего-либо, что приведет к успеху в будущем.

I was able to get my foot in the door of the banking industry when I found a job at a bank.

Get (to reach) to first base (with) — complete the first step of a series of stages towards some objective — добиться первого успеха, сделать первые шаги в каком-либо деле.

OK, we’ve broken the ice with these people, who could become big customers. They’ve agreed to listen to our proposals. A meeting has been set up for next week and we have to make a really effective presentation of our products and services to stand any chance of getting to first base with them.

Get a grip — take/maintain control of a situation — взять себя в руки (контролировать себя, владеть собой).

The man got a grip of himself and calmed down.

Get one’s hands dirty — to involve yourself in all parts of a job, including the parts that are unpleasant, or involve hard, practical work — заняться черной работой.

His willingness to get his hands dirty won the respect and approval of the whole team.

Get one’s own back — take revenge — взять реванш, отомстить за обиду, отомстить за оскорбление.

I’ll get my own back on her one day.

Get in on the ground floor — start from the beginning, so you will have full advantage of any favourable outcome — начать сначала (в надежде на будущий успех).

«If I were you, I would get in on the ground floor of your new job».

Get in the swing of things — adapt or adjust to a new environment — привыкнуть к новому окружению или ситуации.

When I move to a new environment, it’s always difficult for me to get into the swing of things.

Get in touch with — make contact — вступить в контакт, связаться с кем-либо.

As soon as we have a response from our agents in Seoul, We’ll get in touch with you by fax or phone at once.

Get a load of — have a good look at — хорошо взглянуть на кого-либо или что-либо; обратить внимание на кого-либо или что-либо.

Get a load of the lies in their press release!

Get off one’s back — leave someone alone, don’t bother — не беспокоить, не волновать кого-либо.

I wish my father would get off my back and stop asking me when I am going to look for a job.

Get out from under — end a worrisome situation — избегать неблагоприятной ситуации.

They’re struggling to get out from under a lot of debt.

Get out of hand — lose control — выйти из повиновения.

The meeting got out of hand and the police asked the participants to disperse.

Get (one’s) priorities (right) — choose the (correct) order of priorities, values, actions according to circumstances — расставлять приоритеты.

No, no you’re concentrating on the last stage of the process, when you should be thinking about the first step. You’ve got your priorities all wrong.

Get the show on the road — start an undertaking; begin work — начать (работу), приступить к выполнению (работы, программы).

After months of training, the astronauts were eager to get the show on the road.

Get something off the ground — start a project or business — встать на ноги; сделать первые шаги [успешно наладить (работу, дело, производство и т. п.)].

A lot more money will be needed to get this project off the ground.

Get something off one’s chest — unburden oneself, tell what is bothering you — облегчить душу; гора с плеч (рассказать о том, что беспокоит; поговорить о чем-либо, что беспокоит говорящего ).

I told my father about my problem at work so that I could get it off my chest.

Get the ball rolling — to get a process started — начинать что-то.

We need to get the ball rolling on this project. The deadline is in June, and it’s already April.

Get the ax — be fired — вылететь с работы (быть уволенным).

Henry got the ax because he had spoken rudely to his boss.

Get the brush-off — be ignored or dismissed — выразить неприязнь; проигнорировать; дать отставку.

I am afraid I might get the brush-off if I ask my Boss for promotion.

Get the show on the road — start a project or work — начать (работу), приступить к выполнению (работы, программы).

«Let’s get the show on the road and begin work for the day».

Get into the swing of something — become accustomed to something and start enjoying it — привыкнуть к новому окружению или ситуации.

When I move to a new environment, it’s always difficult for me to get into the swing of things.

Get/be on the good side of someone — to become the object of someone’s favor; to do something that causes someone to be pleased — быть чьим-то любимчиком.

I always remember my coworkers’ birthdays and get them a card or small gift. I like to get on people’s good side.

Get to first base — make a good start, succeed, make progress — удаваться, удачно начинать.

I wish I could get to first base with this business deal.

Get to grips with something — begin to understand/cope with something — понять и справиться с проблемой/ситуацией.

It’s a difficult subject to get to grips with.

Get to the bottom of — find out the real cause — добраться, докопаться до истины чего-либо .

The government wants to get to the bottom of the financial problems in the company.

Get under someone’s skin — annoy, bother, upset — действовать на нервы (раздражать, доставать, доводить).

I know he’s bothersome, butdon’t let him get under your skin.

Get up and go — ambition, energy, enthusiasm — энергия, энтузиазм.

My friend has got a lot of get up and go and it’s hard for me to keep up with him.

Get wind of — find out, hear gossip or rumors about — услышать о чем-либо.

I got wind of the changes in our company from my friend.

Gift of the gab — the talent to talk easily and persuasively — язык хорошо подвешен (бойкость речи, дар красноречия).

He had the gift of the gab and it attracted women to him.

Give and take — make compromises or an exchange of concessions so that everyone gains or loses to the same extent — взаимные уступки, компромисс.

We are ready to give and take in these discussions with a view to reaching overall agreement to our mutual advantage, and we hope that you will do so in the same spirit.

Give (get) the cold shoulder — be unfriendly to, ignore — игнорировать кого-либо, оказать кому-либо холодный прием.

My friend got the cold shoulder when he went to the expensive restaurant.

Give itone’s best shot — try very hard — очень постараться, сделать все возможное.

I plan to give the new job my best shot.

Give or take — more or less than a certain amount — плюс-минус (с поправкой в ту или иную сторону).

Give or take an hour or so, we should be in Dresden in about twelve hours.

Give rise to — cause, bring about — вызывать, иметь результаты.

Poor trading figures gave rise to a fall in share prices.

Give somebody the boot — fire somebody from their job — вытурить/турнуть/выгнать с работы.

He won’t have a chance of carrying out this project as he has just been given the boot.

Give someone a break — give someone an opportunity or chance — дать кому-либо шанс, не относиться к кому-либо предвзято.

«If only they would have given me a break! I would have done the job better».

Give someone a dose of his or her own medicine — treat someone the same way he or she treats others — дать попробовать своего же лекарства; отплатить той же монетой (ответить тем же за плохой поступок, несправедливость).

«You needn’t feel hurt; you got a dose of your own medicine».

Give someone the green light — give permission for someone to do something — дать зеленый свет кому-либо (разрешить).

So far Gordon was not given the green light to start work on the new project.

Give someone a pat on the back — to praise someone for something — похвалить кого-либо за что-либо.

The boss gave Brian a pat on the back for coming up with such a good idea.

Give someone a piece of one’s mind — say what you really think when angry — сказать, выложить все, что говорящий о ком-либо или чем-либо думает; высказать свое недовольство.

When I met my friend yesterday, I gave her a piece of my mind.

Give someone a run for their money — present strong competition in circumstances where the other person expects to win easily — дать кому-либо то, что он заслуживает.

We didn’t get the contract but we gave our competitors a run for their money!

Give someone the slip — escape, get away from — удрать от кого-либо, улизнуть.

The bank robbers tried to give the police the slip but they were soon caught.

Give the thumbs down — show that you do notlike or approve of something,or that youwill notallowsomethingto happen — не одобрять что-то.

We applied for a loan, but the bank gave us the thumbs down.

Give the thumbs up — give approval — одобрять что-то.

They gave our new proposal the thumbs up. We’re going out to celebrate tonight.

Go ahead — make progress, move forward, start or continue from a static or waiting position —продолжать(ся).

Local government has approved the plans for the new factory, so we can go ahead with construction.

Go along with — share the same opinion as, be or act in agreement with — соглашаться, иметь одинаковое мнение.

We’re prepared to go along with you on price as long as delivery schedules are guaranteed.

Go belly up — fail — обанкротиться, разориться.

Four car dealers went belly up during the recession.

Go broke — to completely run out of money and other assets — разориться, прогореть, обанкротиться.

I made some bad investments last year, and it looks as if I may go broke this year.

Go cold turkey — stopabruptly — резко, полностью покончить с дурной привычкой.

I decided to go cold turkey and quit smoking.

Go dead (on) — stop working, responding or developing — перестать работать, выключиться.

The fax machine’s broken down. I don’t know what went wrong, one moment it was working and, the next, it just went dead.

Go down the drain — to fail; to be ruined or destroyed; to be squandered or wastefully discarded — быть истраченным впустую; катиться по наклонной плоскости; пойти насмарку; идти насмарку; катиться в пропасть; пойти прахом; вылететь в трубу (быть напрасным, не увенчаться успехом).

My father’s company is now going downthe drain because of the incompetent new CEO.

Go for a song — very cheaply — идти за бесценок, ничего не стоить.

I was able to buy the car simply because it was going for a song.

Go for (it) — be very enthusiastic and positive in feeling and action, usually about some specific thing or goal — дерзать.

Our new product gives us an advantage over our competitors in terms of both quality and cost. We need to get it on the market fast, so we can expand our market share. So, let’s go for it!

Good/great deal of (+uncountable noun) or Good/great many (+countable noun) — much, a lot of — много, большое количество.

We have spent a great deal of time energy and money on this project, so we are pleased to see it bearing fruit at last.

Go the extra mile — to try harder to pleasesomeone or to get the task donecorrectly; to do morethanoneis required to do to reach a goal — не пожалеть своего времени (сил), делать все возможное.

We go the extra mile for our customers. If someone is dissatisfied with a purchase, we refund their money and offer them a discount on their next purchase.

Go overboard — overreact, bereckless — делать что-либо излишнее, перестараться.

«I think you are ready to go overboard with the meeting preparations».

Go public — sell shares of a privatelyowned company to the public — распространять акции частной компании; обнародовать, объявить, опубликовать, получать огласку, предать гласности, становиться общеизвестным.

The stock of the Internet company rose very quickly when they went public.

Go round in circles — argue about the same things repeatedly without reaching a decision — топтаться на месте, суетиться без толку.

I’ve been running round in circles trying to get all the reports finished before themeeting.

Go through the roof — to increase to a very high level — очень сильно вырасти (о цене, стоимости), зашкаливать.

As a result of the war, oilprices have gone through the roof.

Go through with — do something you planned or promised to do — довести до конца (несмотря на трудности, препятствия и т. д.).

We have decided not to go through with our plans to launch the new product until we have solved all of its problems.

Go to bat for — assist, help — заступаться, кидаться в бой за (кого-либо), (someone) защищать, (someone) оказывать помощь.

She s one of my closest friends in the world I’d go to bat for her any day.

Go up in smoke — disappear, fail to materialize — кончиться ничем, не дать никаких результатов.

The waiter’s plans to open a new restaurant went up in smoke after he lost his job.

Go wrong — make a mistake, miscalculate or misjudge, develop negative characteristics — перестать работать, испортиться, выйти из строя.

Ah, yes, I can see at a glance where you went wrong in your calculations. You’ve added an extra zero, making 100 into 1000.

Go-getter — ambitious person — энергичный, удачливый, предприимчивый человек.

I am not much of a go-getter. I work a lot but with very little success.

Going concern — a business or activity that is dynamic and successful — действующее предприятие.

They opened a coffee shop that is a going concern today.

Golden handcuffs — financial arrangements given by a company to animportant employee in ordertoinfluencethem to stay with thecompany — золотые наручники (различные премии, поощрительные выплаты, льготы и т. д., предоставляемые компанией ключевым работникам с целью предотвращения их ухода в другие компании).

The company’s presented all the middle managerswith golden handcuffs, so they can’t afford to leave.

Golden handshake — ageneroussumof money giventoapersonwhentheyleaveacompanyorretire — золотое рукопожатие (большое выходное пособие служащему, которого хотят уволить; вознаграждение за досрочный выход на пенсию; увольнение высшего менеджера с большой финансовой компенсацией; увольнение с большой финансовой компенсацией).

He got a golden handshake from the company after being told to leave because they did not want him to tell anyone about their company secrets.

Golden opportunity — a favourable time or an excellent occasion which should not be missed — отличная и исключительная возможность.

The hot weather was a golden opportunity for the ice cream seller to make money.

Gold mine — worth a lot of money, successful — золотое дно (источник обогащения).

My friend is a gold mine of information.

Good sport — person who loses well — человек, ведущий себя по-спортивному, играющий честно, достойно принимающий победу и поражение, принимающий шутки над собой.

My friend is a good sport and he never complains about losing.

Goof off — not want to work, be lazy — слоняться без дела, филонить.

The students spent their free time goofing off instead of working on the project.

Grass roots — ordinary people, not in authority, but whose opinions are influential — простые люди; широкие массы; заурядные люди.

The opinion of the grass roots is taken into consideration.

Gray area — something without a clear rule or answer that is not clearly defined and needs careful judgement — неопределенное положение, ни то ни се.

There are many grey areas in the legal system — many vague laws.

Grease someone’s palm — bribe someone — дать на лапу (дать кому-либо взятку).

Sue hated bribery, but she had to grease the palm of the clerk to have her passport renewed as soon as possible.

Ground-breaking — new and innovative — передовой, прогрессивный.

The iPhone was a ground-breaking piece of technology when it was released in 2008.

H

Half-baked — foolish, silly — глупая(ый).

I don’t really want to listen to your half-baked ideas about quitting the job.

Hand in hand — working together or as a team, in conjunction with, as a complement to — рука об руку.

The news that some politicians were working hand in hand with organized crime brought about a scandal.

Hand it to someone — acknowledge, give credit to — похвалить кого-либо, дать кому-либо высокую оценку.

You have to hand it to our manager for working hard and being successful with his business.

Hand over fist — rapidly — быстро, проворно.

His new company is making money hand over fist.

Handle with kid gloves — be very careful, tactful — бережное обращение/обхождение.

Sue is difficult to deal with, so you’d better handle her with kid gloves when you speak to her.

Hands are tied — someone is not able to help or intervene — быть не в состоянии помочь.

I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do. My hands are tied.

Hand to mouth — barely able to cover daily expenses — едва сводить концы с концами (жить бедно).

Steven had neither work nor home and was living from hand to mouth.

Handle with kid gloves — be very careful, tactful — бережное обращение/обхождение.

Our coworkeris difficult to deal with, so we’d better handle her with kid gloves when we speak to her.

Hang in there — be patient, wait — крепиться, не бросать, упорствовать.

You should hang in there and not quit your job even if you hate the supervisor.

Hard facts — definite or specific facts which can be proved, checked or examined (in contrast to mere rumor, opinions, general statements or hopes) — неопровержимые, голые факты.

The hard fact is that we have a growing share of a shrinking market, and unless we diversify we’ll go out of business for sure.

Hard nut to crack — something difficult to do or understand — крепкий, твердый орешек (трудная задача или человек, с которым трудно иметь дело).

He is a hard nut to crack and is not close to many people.

Hard sell — an aggressive, high-pressure method of method of selling or promotion — усиленная реклама (товара); навязывание (товара потребителю).

Such an expensive project will be a hard sell during these slow economic times.

Hard up — in desperate need of something — быть в затруднительном финансовом положении.

I am not surprised that Paul is hard up for money again. He is such a spendthrift.

Have an ace up sleeve — have an advantage that other people do not know about — иметь козырь про запас.

Frieda had an ace up her sleeve which she could use against her opponent.

Have a bone to pick up with — have a reason to be angry with a person — быть несогласным с кем-либо, быть недовольным кем-либо, иметь с кем-либо разногласия.

I have a bone to pick with my boss because of his criticism of me.

Have doubts about — have a negative or uncertain reaction or feeling about — сомневаться.

I have doubtsabout my future with the company.

Really? I have no doubts at all about mine. — I’ve just been promoted.

Have an effect/impact on — effect, influence — подействовать, возыметь эффект.

Improved working conditions had only a marginal effect on production: what the workforce really wanted was a pay rise.

Have egg on one’s face — be embarrassed — смутиться, почувствовать себя неловко.

You ll be the one who has egg on your face if it goes wrong.

Have a good head for figures — be good at arithmetic — быть способным (неспособным) ко всяким расчетам.

Joan has quite a good head for figures.

Have a go at — try, often after others have failed — пытаться сделать что-либо.

I decided to have a go at applying for the job after my boss told me about it.

Have a head on one’s shoulders — be smart or sensible — иметь голову на плечах (быть разумным).

The new salesman has a good head on his shoulders.

Have it made — be sure of success, have everything — быть успешным, справляться.

I had it made with my final project.

Have it out with someone — discuss a conflict or misunderstanding with the other person involved — спорить с кем-либо, выяснять отношения.

You have let me down and I want to have it out with you.

Have a mind of one’s own — be able to think independently — поступать по своему разумению.

Tim has always had a mind of his own, so there is no use trying to convince him how to behave in the situation.

Have one’s feet on the ground — be practical, sensible, stable — твердо стоять на земле (быть практичным).

My uncle has always had his feet on the ground and