horns and asked my boss for a holiday.
брать верх (над кем-л./чем-л.)
to get the upper hand (over someone/something)
Our team managed to get the upper hand in the end.
брать голыми руками (кого-л.)
to beat someone hands down
The last time we played chess he beat me hands down.
брать за душу
to tug at the heartstrings
The story of a lost child was one that really pulled at the heartstrings.
брать свои слова обратно
to eat one’s words
You shouldn’t say that to me. I’ll make you eat your words.
брать себя в руки
to get a grip on oneself; to pull oneself together
Come on, get a grip on yourself and tell me what happened.
She started to panic but managed to pull herself together.
брать слово
to take the floor
Mr Smith took the floor to talk about the government’s new plans to reduce unemployment.
браться за ум
to come to one’s senses
John, you should come to your senses and stop gambling.
бросать в лицо (что-л. кому-л.)
to throw something in someone’s face
She was always throwing her husband’s clumsiness in his face.
бросать деньги на ветер
to throw money down the drain
Don’t gamble on the horses. That’s just throwing money down the drain.
бросать камень (в кого-л.)
to throw stones at someone
Many politicians seem to spend too much time throwing stones at each other.
бросать на произвол судьбы (кого-л.)
to leave someone in the lurch
Soon after their son was born he went off and left her in the lurch.
бросать перчатку
to throw down the gauntlet
He threw down the gauntlet by challenging my conclusions.
бросаться в глаза (кому-л.)
to catch someone’s eye; to stick out like a sore thumb
His shiny black car caught my eye.
The dinner is formal; if you wear old jeans you’ll stick out like a sore thumb among all the well-dressed guests.
бряцать оружием
to rattle one’s sabre
He may rattle his sabre at his enemies in public, but then will bend over backwards to agree behind closed doors.
буква закона
the letter of the law
There was the danger that the judge may follow the letter of the law rather than its spirit.
буря в стакане воды
a storm in a teacup
This isn’t a serious problem – just a storm in a teacup.
была не была
here goes
‘Well, here goes!’ shouted the parachutist and jumped out of the plane.
быть беде
the fat is in the fire
The fat’s in the fire now that she has discovered about her husband’s lover.
быть на высоте
to give a good account of oneself
John gave a good account of himself during the match.
быть навеселе
to have had one too many; to have had a few (too many)
He looks as if he has had one too many.
She’s jad a few; you should take her home and put her to bed.
быть на побегушках (у кого-л.)
to fetch and carry (for someone); to be at someone’s beck and call
She is so lazy because her husband is always there to fetch and carry for her.
I had to be at his beck and call 24 hours a day.
быть нечистым на руку
to have light fingers
The employee on the till had light fingers and got fired.
в бегах
on the run
The jail-breakers were on the run from the police.
в глубине души
in one’s heart of hearts
In her heart of hearts, she knew that she wasn’t cut out to be a surgeon.
в здравом
