style="font-size:15px;"> застигать на месте преступления (кого-л.)
to catch someone red-handed; to catch someone in the act
The police caught the burglars red-handed.
The thief was caught in the act of breaking into the shop.
затаить дыхание
to hold one’s breath
She held her breath as she watched the attempt to save the drowning child.
заткнуть за пояс (кого-л.)
to run rings round someone; to put someone to shame
Jane is good at French but her brother David can run rings round her – he can speak Dutch and German as well.
I thought I was in good shape for this race but my friend Tom, who was much older than me, put me to shame.
затыкать рот (кому-л.)
to shut someone’s mouth
They threatened to shut his mouth if he talks to the police.
затянуть пояс потуже
to tighten one’s belt
If the crisis gets worse, we shall just have to tighten our belts.
заходить (слишком) далеко
to go too far; to overstep the mark
He has always been a bully but this time he went too far and even his parents were ashamed of him.
You overstepped the mark when you shouted at the director.
звонить во все колокола
to shout it from the rooftops
If I’d known you were going to shout it from the rooftops, I wouldn’t have told you about my work.
здоров как бык
(as) sound as a bell
At the age of eighty her grandfather was as sound as a bell.
зеленая улица
the green light
The government gave the green light to the minister’s plan for the new road.
злой как черт
(as) cross as two sticks; like a bear with a sore head
The man was as cross as two sticks when his wife left without waiting for him.
When my brother has to get up early, he’s like a bear with a sore head.
змея подколодная
a snake in the grass
Don’t be deceived by his friendliness – he’s a real snake in the grass.
знать в лицо (кого-л.)
to know someone by sight
I know Gregory by sight but I’ve never met him.
знать свое дело
to know one’s stuff/onions
He is a good worker and knows his stuff. I’d be sorry if he left our company.
We’ve worked with him in the past. He is a man who knows his onions.
знать как свои пять пальцев (что-л.)
to know something like the back of one’s hand; to know something inside out
He knew Manchester like the back of his hand.
He is a very good plumber who knows his job inside out.
знать свое место
to know one’s place
I knew my place and kept silent.
знать, что к чему
to know what is what
You don’t have to worry about him – he knows what’s what.
золотая середина
a happy medium
You can surely find some happy medium between exercising all the time and doing nothing.
золотое дно
a gold-mine
The report represents a gold-mine of useful information.
золотое правило
the golden rule
The golden rule of teaching is to be clear.
золотое сердце
a heart of gold
His wife is a lovely woman. She has a heart of gold.
золотой телец
the golden calf
зондировать почву
to put out feelers
I wanted to get a new job, so I put out some feelers with our competitors.
и глазом не успел моргнуть
before you can say Jack Robinson
I’ll catch a train and be there before you can say Jack Robinson.
и дело с концом
that’s that
You are not going to the party alone, and that’s that.
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