Англійські ідіоми на літеру "W"

(like) water off a duck’s back

Треба розуміти як: щось незначне, що не турбує взагалі

Приклад:

I asked Amy if she got upset when journalists wrote negative things about her, and she said she didn’t care what they wrote – it was like water off a duck’s back.

a wake-up call

Треба розуміти як: сигнал до пробудження

Приклад:

I slipped over on the wet floor in my bathroom. I didn’t hurt myself badly, but it was a wake-up call and I went out and bought some non-slip mats to stick on the floor.

a war of words

Треба розуміти як: словесна перепалка

Приклад:

The leaders of the two main political parties are in a war of words over the issue of gun ownership. They debate the topic whenever they see each other.

a weight off your shoulders

Треба розуміти як: гора з пліч

Приклад:

Thanks so much for agreeing to take care of Snoopy while I’m away. It’s a weight off my shoulders knowing that a real dog lover will be looking after her.

a whale of a time

Треба розуміти як: чудово проводити час

Приклад:

I went to a karaoke club with my friends last night and we had a whale of a time. It was great!

a white lie

Треба розуміти як: солодка брехня

Приклад:

Sometimes it’s better to tell a white lie than to tell someone a painful truth.

a wolf in sheep’s clothing

Треба розуміти як: вовк в овечій шкурі

Приклад:

The priest at our church seemed to be a very warm and caring man, but we later found out that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

the worse for wear

Треба розуміти як: старий; багато разів використаний; хвора людина

Приклад:

Don’t you think we should have the sofa recovered? It’s looking a little the worse for wear.

the writing | handwriting is on the wall

Треба розуміти як: знак того, що щось буде погано для організації чи людини

Приклад:

The writing has been on the wall for this government ever since the street protests and demonstrations against it first began.

waiting in the wings

Треба розуміти як: чекати свого часу, чекати на нагоду

Приклад:

In politics, there are always plenty of people waiting in the wings ready for a chance to take power.

warts and all

Треба розуміти як: без прикрас, з усіма подробицями (як хорошими, так і поганими)

Приклад:

Are you sure you want to read the first draft? You’ll see it warts and all, with all the mistakes and all the bad writing still there.

wash your hands of something

Треба розуміти як: зняти з себе відповідальність

Приклад:

She washed her hands of the whole project after she found out that people had been stealing donated money.

waste your breath

Треба розуміти як: марно говорити; говорти тоді, коли ніхто не слухає

Приклад:

You’re just wasting your breath. He won’t listen to anyone.

water under the bridge | water over the dam

Треба розуміти як: справи давно минулих днів, що вже не стосуються сьогодення

Приклад:

I wish people would stop talking about my problems with the law. It all happened a long time ago and it’s water under the bridge as far as I’m concerned.

weak at the knees

Треба розуміти як: дуже сильна емоція, що змушує коліна підкошуватись

Приклад:

When he looked at me and smiled, I felt weak at the knees. He was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen!

wear your heart on your sleeve

Треба розуміти як: відкрита душа; демонструвати свої емоції на повну

Приклад:

Ivan is one of those tennis players that spectators love to watch because they always wear their heart on their sleeve.

weather a storm

Треба розуміти як: подолати труднощі

Приклад:

Everyone waited to see if the president could weather the storm caused by his son’s arrest for using illegal drugs.

wet behind the ears

Треба розуміти як: “зелений” гравець, шмаркач

Приклад:

He’s just finished high school, so he’s still wet behind the ears.

wheeling and dealing

Треба розуміти як: крутитися та домовлятися у політиці або бізнесі

Приклад:

You’ll need to be good at wheeling and dealing if you want to do well in politics.

whet your appetite

Треба розуміти як: розпалювати інтерес

Приклад:

My wife has been listening to reggae music all day. She heard a song by Bob Marley on the radio this morning, and it really whetted her appetite for reggae.

wide of the mark

Треба розуміти як: пальцем в небо, далеко від істини

Приклад:

The manager expected sales to double this year, but his prediction was wide of the mark. They only increased by ten per cent.

with flying colours | colors

Треба розуміти як: дуже успішно, з легкістю

Приклад:

Our daughter Rosie was really worried about her history exam, but in the end she passed it with flying colours. We’re very proud of her.

work like a charm

Треба розуміти як: працює беззаперечно

Приклад:

I tried adding coconut milk to the curry as you suggested, and it worked like a charm. It was really delicious.

work your socks off | work your tail off

Треба розуміти як: дуже тяжко працювати, працювати до виснаження

Приклад:

We had to get the job finished by Friday, so we worked our socks off to get it done on time.

worth its weight in gold

Треба розуміти як: на вагу золота, дуже цінне

Приклад:

Your grandmother’s stories are worth their weight in gold, so you should try to record them or write them down.

worth your while

Треба розуміти як: коштувати тих зусиль, що були прикладені

Приклад:

It’s not worth my while doing this job. It takes me two hours to get there and two hours to get home, and it doesn’t even pay very well.