Ниже представлены английские идиомы, которые начинаются с буквы “W”.
(like) water off a duck’s back
Нужно понимать как: что-то незначительное, не волнующее вообще
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: сигнал к пробуждению
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: словесная перепалка
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: гора с плеч
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: великолепно проводить время
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: ложь во спасение
Пример:
Sometimes it’s better to tell a white lie than to tell someone a painful truth.
a wolf in sheep’s clothing
Нужно понимать как: волк в овечьей шкуре
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: изношенный, в плохом состоянии; заболевший
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: признак того, что что-то плохо кончится
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: ждать своей очереди, шанса
Пример:
In politics, there are always plenty of people waiting in the wings ready for a chance to take power.
warts and all
Нужно понимать как: без прикрас, со всеми деталями
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: снимать с себя ответственность
Пример:
She washed her hands of the whole project after she found out that people had been stealing donated money.
waste your breath
Нужно понимать как: попусту говорить
Пример:
You’re just wasting your breath. He won’t listen to anyone.
water under the bridge | water over the dam
Нужно понимать как: дела минувших дней
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: очень сильное чувство, вызывающее слабость
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: быть открытым, выражать свои эмоции открыто
Пример:
Ivan is one of those tennis players that spectators love to watch because they always wear their heart on their sleeve.
weather a storm
Нужно понимать как: пережить трудности
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: молодой и неопытный
Пример:
He’s just finished high school, so he’s still wet behind the ears.
wheeling and dealing
Нужно понимать как: заниматься политикой или бизнесом
Пример:
You’ll need to be good at wheeling and dealing if you want to do well in politics.
whet your appetite
Нужно понимать как: разжигать интерес
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: далеко от истины
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: с успехом
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: работает как по волшебству
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: очень тяжело работать
Пример:
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
Нужно понимать как: на вес золота
Пример:
Your grandmother’s stories are worth their weight in gold, so you should try to record them or write them down.
worth your while
Нужно понимать как: стоит усилий
Пример:
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.
