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COLLOQUIAL
ENGLISH IDIOMS
БИБЛИОТЕЧКА УЧИТЕЛЯ ИНОСТРАННОГО ЯЗЫКА
В.В.СЫТЕЛЬ
РАЗГОВОРНЫЕ АНГЛИЙСКИЕ ИДИОМЫ
CONTENTS
ИЗДАТЕЛЬСТВО "ПРОСВЕЩЕНИЕ" МОСКВА 1971
COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH IDIOMS 1
FOREWORD
The aim of this book is to supply a number of colloquial English idioms classified, explained and
illustrated by examples drawn mainly from modern English and American authors. It will be noticed
that the term "idiom" is used here in its broader sense, embracing both idioms proper and so-called
"non-idiomatic" word groups. Only colloquial phrases are included in the book; a few idioms
marked "slangy" are more for recognition than actual use. W. Ball's classification of colloquial
idioms (see below), though greatly changed, is partially used in this book.
The definitions and explanations are taken mainly from the following sources:
1. The Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English, by A. S. Hornby, E. V. Gatenby, H.
Wakefield,
2. A Concise Dictionary of English Slang, by W. Freeman. 3 A Practical Guide to Colloquial Idiom,
by W. J. Ball.
4. English Idioms and How to Use Them, by W McMordie
5. English Idioms for Foreign Students, by A. J.Worrall.
Сытель В. В.
С 95 Разговорные английские идиомы. М., Просвещение, 1971.
128 с. (Б-чка учителя иностр. языка)
Парал. тит. л. на англ. яз.
Бз № 60 — 1970 — №5 4 И (Англ) (07)
Материал для сайта любезно предоставил Аркадий Куракин ark@mksat.net
Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru
COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH IDIOMS 2
1 DIFFICULTIES AND TROUBLE
A general phrase for "(to be) in difficulties or trouble" is:
(to be) up against it — (to be) confronted by formidable difficulties or trouble
"Well, old girl, "she murmured, "you're up against it this time, and no mistake." ( K . M.)
You were a brick to me when I was up against it. (J. G.)
We are properly up against it here, Chris. We've paid out every stiver we've got. (A. C.)
(To be) in for it (trouble) is similarly used, meaning (to be) involved in trouble.
He grabbed the knob and pulled vigorously. It had closed. Heavens! He was in for it now, sure enough. (Th. D.)
Quickly I got in before Brown and said they might be in for another kind of trouble. (C. S.) If you break the school
windows, you'll be in for trouble. (A. H.)
Having (getting into) trouble (difficulties) is colloquially expressed by these phrases:
(to be) in a jam — (to be) in a difficulty or in an awkward situation
Well, Dad, I'm in a bit of a jam again. (J. M.) Connie was all right. She'd been in plenty of jams herself. She wouldn't
turn up her nose. (N. C.) He was in a bit of a jam, that was all. (N. C.)
(to be) in a fix — in a difficulty (or dilemma)
Then she'ld be in just the same old fix, only worse. (H. W.)
His cart has stuck in the river, so that he is in a bad fix. (W. M.)
I should like to see the fix I'd be in in this house if I started laying down that law. (L. A.)
to be in (get into) a scrape — to be in (get into) trouble (difficulty)
She perceived she was in a scrape, and tried in vain to think of a way of escape. (H. W.) If he'd get into a scrape, or
break his leg. (J. G.) I'll do anything you like to help you out of the scrape if you're in one. (H. W.)
(to be) in a hole — (to be) faced with what appears to be a disastrous difficulty, an insurmountable trouble
You'd think to judge from the speeches of the "leaders", that the world had never been in a hole before. The world's
always in a hole, only in the old days people didn't make a song about it. (J. G.)
(to be) in the soup (cart) — (to be) in disastrously serious trouble
What if she declared her real faith in Court, and left them all in the soup! (J. G.)
"He's got himself properly in the soup, he has, " he said thickly. (N. C.)
"No good crying before we're hurt, " he said, "the pound's still high. We're good stayers." "In the soup, I'm afraid." (J. G.)
"Now we're really in the cart, " she said. (A. Chr.)
(to be) in hot water or to get into hot water — to have (get into) trouble, especially as the result of foolish
behaviour
You'll get into hot water if you type the wrong addresses on the envelopes again. (W. B.)
It often happens that a young wife is in hot water as long as her mother-in-law lives in the same house. (W. M.)
The schoolmaster got into hot water with the Inspector for taking part in political meetings. (W. M.)
(to be, get into) in deep water — undergoing difficulty or misfortune
He looked and looked, and the longer the situation lasted the more difficult it became. The little shop-girl was getting
into deep water. (Th. D.)
(to be) in a mess — (to be) in trouble
Uncle, you're so renowned for dropping your best pals when they're in a mess. (J. G.) ... — if ever the story breaks
you're in a worse mess than ever, aren't you? (C. S.)
to catch it — to get into trouble; to receive censure or blame
The new boss is a terror. You'd better watch your step or you'll catch it. (W. B.)
The sharing of difficult or adverse circumstances is commented upon by the following phrase:
to be (all) in the same boat — to have the same dangers (difficulties) to face
The trouble is how to get on without reducing staff. Everyone is in the same boat. (J. G.) You're in the same boat.
Don't you see this war is being lost? (S. H.)
Lewisham looked at mother for a moment. Then he glanced at Ethel. "We're all in the same boat, " said Lewisham. (H.
W.)
To leave a person in difficulties or trouble is to leave him (her) in the lurch.
One thing we have to thank Foch for, he never left us in the lurch. (J. G.)
Inviting trouble , that is acting or behaving in such a way as to bring trouble upon oneself may be colloquially put
thus:
to look (ask) for trouble
Something in your eye says you're looking for trouble. That's the only kind of search that is bound to be a success you
know. (M. W.) "Guess he is out looking for trouble, " Roy said. "He may be looking for it right here, " Jack said. (J.
Ald.)
COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH IDIOMS 3
Well, to hell with it, he thought angrily, his life too complicated without looking for that kind of trouble all over
again. (M. W.) "If you want to go out, I can't stop you, " she said. "But it'll probably be your last. You and your chest
on a day like this ..." ..."You and your chest, " she said again. "It's just asking for trouble." (N. C.)
... I must say that you are asking for trouble ... (J. Ald.)
to ask for (it) — to take an action leading almost inevitably to an undesired result or trouble
You've been dismissed — but you did ask for it! CD. E. S.)
It's asking for it to put a wholly unexperienced player in the team. (W. B.)
to stick one's neck out — to adopt an attitude that invites trouble or unfavourable comment; to invite trouble
unnecessarily
You won't stick your neck out if you don't need to? That's all I'm asking you, will you? (C. S.)
However, if Willoughby wanted to stick his neck out — it was his neck. (S. H.)
And I'd like to be sure that I'm not the only one to stick out his neck. (S. H.)
Don't stick your neck out too far... (D. A. S.)
Some colloquial phrases for trouble making are:
to stir up a hornets' nest (the nest of hornets) — to stir up host of enemies; cause a great outburst of angry feeling
To bring a hornets' nest about one's ears means the same thing.
... You don't seem to realize, Senator, that this has stirred up a hornets' nest. (D. R.)
That suggestion of mine, it has indeed stirred up the nest of hornets. (A. Chr.)
to stir up trouble — to make trouble
Sounds innocent enough; but I can see through you. Get hold of the coloured folk round here and make them
dissatisfied — put ideas in their heads — stir up trouble! (D. R.)
to raise (make, kick up) a dust (shindy) — to make a disturbance
You'd obviously got to raise the dust about
Nightingale and give them an escape-route at one and the same damned time. (C. S.)
I don't want his lawyer to kick up a shindy about this. (A. Chr.)
They'll make a regular dust if they learn about it. (C. D.)
Warning of trouble to come may be expressed by these phrases in common use:
the fat is in the fire — what has been done will cause great trouble, excitement, anger, etc.
Well, the fat's in the fire. If you persist in your wilfulness, you'll have yourself to blame. (J. G.) "Yes, " murmured Sir
Lawrence watching her, "the fat is in the fire, as old Forsyte would have said." (J. G.)
trouble is brewing — trouble is about to come
Martin knew immediately the meaning of it. Trouble was brewing. The gang was his bodyguard. (J. L.)
you're for it — due for, or about to receive, punishment, etc.
Jones is late again, and this time he's for it. (D. E. S.)
A voice came right into the tower with us, it seemed to speak from the shadows by the trap — a hollow megaphone
voice saying something in Vietnamese. 'We're for it, " I said. (Gr. Gr.)
A difficult task is colloquially speaking:
a large (tall) order — a task almost impossible to perform;
a big thing to be asked to perform
"What you and I are going, " he said expansively, "is to revolutionize this whole damn industry. That's a large order,
and it may take us a long time but we'll pull it off." (M. W.) He says: "Well, Mr. Cauton, it looks a pretty tall order to
me." (P. Ch.)
a hard nut to crack — a very difficult problem
The police cannot find any traces; the burglars have indeed given them a hard nut to crack. (K. H.)
A difficult or critical situation is also colloquially described by the adjectives tricky and sticky.
"Never mind, " he consoled himself. "Nothing's so tricky when you've done it once." (N. C.) It was a tricky job, but
Minerva pulled it off. (L. A.)
"It gets tricky here, " Moose said as they entered the woods. (J. Ald.) I expect it'll be rather a sticky do. (R. A.)
A troublesome difficulty may be aptly expressed by a phrase from Hamlet: Aye, there's the rub.
But dreams! Ay, there was the rub. (E. L.) Lammlein! Lammlein was involved, too. Here was the real rub. ( S. H.)
An unexpected difficulty (hindrance) is colloquially speaking a snag or a hitch.
"If there's any snag, " said George, "I should expect you to look on me as your banker." (C. S.)
I take it there won't be any hitch about that, Brown? (C. S.)
COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH IDIOMS 4
Some colloquial phrases to describe financial difficulties are:
to be hard up — to be short of money
"She always talks about being hard up, " said Mrs. Allerton with a tinge of spite. (A. Chr.) Oh, but we may go to the
theatre, you see, Mother, and I think I ought to stand the tickets; he's always hard up, you know. (J. G.)
(to be) in Queer street — (to be) extremely short of money; in trouble; in debt
But if you ask me — the firm's not far off Queer street. (A. Chr.)
A man must be in Queer street indeed to take a risk like that. (J. G.)
(to be) on one's beam ends — to be without money, helpless or in danger
"What has he to say for himself?"
"Nothing. One of his boots is split across the toe." Soames stared at her.
"Ah!" he said, "of course! On his beam ends." (J. G.)
to be (stony) broke — to be penniless
But we're less broke than we were. I could borrow a dress from May Turner. (M. W.)
He sobered up. "Stony broke, " he said. (G.)
They can hardly (can't) make both ends meet also expresses an acute financial embarrassment.
With the high rent for their flat they can hardly make both ends meet on his small salary. (K. H.)
An end to troubles and difficulties may be put in this way:
it's all plain sailing now (difficulties are overcome)
plain sailing — freedom from difficulties, obstacles
The case was comparatively plain sailing. (S. M.)
After we engaged a guide everything was plain sailing. (A. H.)
If your wife had only shot Hammond once, the whole thing would be absolutely plain sailing. (S. M.)
He added in a tone unusually simple and direct: "This isn't altogether plain sailing, you know." (C. S.)
to blow over — to pass by; to be forgotten
"Don't worry, " said my mother, her face lined with care, defiant, protective, and loving. "Perhaps it will blow over."
(C. S.)
To avoid trouble is to keep out of it or steer clear of it.
Keep out of mischief! (i. e. Don't get into mischief!) (A. H.)
Up till then he had always managed to steer clear of trouble. (A. Chr.)
Some proverbs dealing with trouble: It never rains but it pours.
Misfortunes (troubles) never come singly. They mean: misfortunes do not come one by one but many come
together.
One more proverbial expression on trouble is: Pandora's box (of trouble) — a source of troubles.
How do we know that we aren't opening a Pandora's box of trouble? (A. Der.)
Well, let's not lift the lid of Pandora's box before we have to. (D. R.)
COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH IDIOMS 5

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