to slip someone’s mind
I meant to invite him to lunch, but it slipped my mind.выносить сор из избы
to wash one’s dirty linen in public
It is unfortunate that his wife has chosen to wash their dirty linen in public.выпадать на долю (кому-л.)
to fall to someone’s lot
It fell to his lot to tell Paul the bad news about his brother.выплакать все глаза
to cry one’s eyes out
She cried her eyes out when he married another girl.выплывать на свет божий
to come to light
All his secrets have come to light.выпускать из рук (что-л.)
to let something slip through one’s fingers
You will always regret that you have let such an opportunity slip through your fingers.выпускать пар
to let off steam
Tom’s shouting didn’t mean he was angry with you; he was just letting off steam.выходить в люди
to make one’s way in the world
He has made his own way in the world – his parents have not helped him at all.выходить из своей скорлупы
to come out of one’s shell
Nancy was very shy when she first went to school, but since she has made some friends, she has come out of her shell.выходить из себя
to lose one’s temper/rag; to fly off the handle; to go off the deep end
She lost her temper and shouted at her husband.
My father flew off the handle when he saw my report card.
I knew my father would be angry with me, but I had no idea he’d go off the deep end like this.выходить сухим из воды
to get off scot free; to land/fall on one’s feet
Mark cheated on the examination and got caught, but he got scot free.
No matter what trouble he gets himself into, he always seems to land on his feet.гадкий утенок an ugly duckling
гладить по головке (кого-л.)
to pat someone on the back
You shouldn’t criticise him all the time. Why don’t you pat him on the back occasionally?гладить против шерсти (кого-л.)
to ruffle someone’s feathers; to rub someone up the wrong way
She always tried not to ruffle his feathers.
He rubbed me up the wrong way and this led to an argument.глаза полезли на лоб (у кого-л.)
one’s eyes nearly popped out of one’s head
When I heard how much money she was spending on clothes, my eyes nearly popped out of my head.глаза разгорелись (на что-л.)
to set one’s heart on something
I’ve set my heart on having that new dress.глазом не моргнуть
not to bat an eyelid; not to turn a hair
Tom didn’t bat an eyelid when he was told that his daughter was getting married.
He didn’t turn a hair when a large dog ran straight towards him.глас вопиющего в пустыне a voice crying in the wilderness
глупый как пробка
to be dead from the neck up
Her husband was dead from the neck up.глухой как пень
(as) deaf as a post
He won’t hear us – he’s as deaf as a post.гнать волну
to make waves
Why do you always have to make waves?гнать в три шеи (кого-л.)
to throw someone out on one’s ear
If you continue to be so late, the director will throw you out on your ear.гнуть свою линию
to stand/hold one’s ground; to stand firm/fast; to stick to one’s guns
The referee stood his ground and refused to be intimidated.
The customer stood fast and got a refund on the faulty good he brought back.
She was sticking to her guns and nobody could persuade her to do something against her wishes.гнуть спину
to break one’s back; to work one’s fingers to the bone
I’m not going to break my back working all day for such low wages.
His parents worked their fingers to the bone so he could have everything he needed.говорить без обиняков
not to mince matters; to talk turkey
Not to mince matters, he is absolutely useless.
I wanted to discuss his behaviour and I was prepared to talk turkey.говорить на ветер
to waste one’s breath
You’re wasting your breath. He won’t agree to go with you.голову даю на отсечение
I’ll eat my hat!
I’ll eat my hat if it wasn’t your little sister who stole my book.голубая кровь
blue blood
They are very poor, but they have blue blood in their family.голыми руками
with one’s bare hands
A desperate man can kill a leopard with his bare hands.гора с плеч
a load off someone’s mind
It is a load off my mind to know that he has solved that problem.городить чушь
to talk through one’s hat
You’re talking through your hat. You don’t know anything about it.горькая пилюля
a bitter pill (to swallow)
His betrayal came as a bitter pill to swallow.горячая линия
a hot line
The society has set up a hot line for people to report sightings of whales and dolphins.грабеж средь бела дня
daylight robbery
The prices in this shop are unbelievable – it’s daylight robbery.греть руки
to line one’s pockets; to feather one’s nest
When the company discovered that the director had been lining his pockets with bribes and commissions, he was dismissed.
The mayor used a lot of public money to feather his nest.гроша медного не стоить
not worth a damn
Your advice isn’t worth a damn.давать волю (кому-л.)
to give someone free rein
The boss gave me free rein with the new project.давать волю (чему-л.)
to give something free rein; to give way to something
In writing that book he gave his imagination free rein.
He gave way to anger and yelled at the children.давать выход (чему-л.)
to give vent to something
June gave vent to her anger and frustration in a furious letter to her husband.давать жару (кому-л.)
to give someone hell
If he goes to a pub with his friends, his wife gives him hell.давать на лапу (кому-л.)
to grease someone’s palm
We had to grease the palms of numerous officials before we could renew the licence.давать от ворот поворот (кому-л.)
to give someone the boot/push/heave-ho/brush-off
My sister has given her latest boyfriend the heave-ho.давать пищу сплетням