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TRANSCRIPT
English idioms
Azərbaycan Respublikası Təhsil NazirliyiAzərbaycan Dillər Universiteti
__________________________________________________
SAHILƏ MUSTAFAYEVA
EVERYDAY ENGLISH IDIOMS WITH AZERBAIJANI EQUIVALENTS IN USE
İNGİLİS DİLİNDƏ İŞLƏK İDİOMLAR VƏ ONLARIN AZƏRBAYCAN DİLİNDƏ
QARŞILIĞI
25 UNITS OF VOCABULARY REFERENCE AND PRACTICE
SELF – STUDY AND CLASSROOM USE
(WITH ANSWERS)
Азярбайъан Республикасы Тящсил назиринин04.02.2008. тарихли 154 сайлы ямри иля
тясдиг едилмишдир
Бакы – «Леттерпресс» – 2008
3
English idioms
Redaktorlar: İngilis dili üzrə
Azərbaycan dili üzrə
Filologiya elmləri doktoru, professor D.N.YunusovFilologiya elmləri doktoru, professor İ.Z.Qasımov
Rəyçilər: Nəsimi adına Dilçilik İnstitutunun direktor müavini, filologiya elmləri doktoru, professor M.Mahmudov
İngilis dilinin leksikologiyası kafedrası-nın dosenti, filologiya elmləri namizədi Ə.H.Hacıyeva
Korrektorlar: İradə VahabovaŞəlalə Əliyeva
Mustafayeva Sahilə Bağır qızı
Everyday English Idioms with Azerbaijani equivalents in use (dərs vəsaiti). Bakı, «Леттерпресс», 2008. – 344 səh.
Kitabda ingilis dilində gündəlik işlədilən idiomlar və onların Azərbaycan dilində qarşılığı verilmişdir. Bu idiomların mənasını daha yaxşı mənimsəmək üçün müxtəlif ingilis dilli mənbələrdən misallar verilmişdir.
Vəsait ali məktəb tələbələri, orta məktəb şagirdləri, ingilis dilini tədris edən müəllimlər və bu dili sərbəst öyrənənlər üçün nəzərdə tutulmuşdur.
Грифли няшр, 2008. © Mustafayeva, 2008.
4
English idioms
Money spent on the brain
is never spent in vain
ÖN SÖZ
İngilis dilini öyrənənlər dilin qrammatikasını, fonetikasını
öyrənməklə yanaşı, həm də zəngın söz ehtiyatına malik olmağa
çalışırlar. Dil öyrənənlər adətən bədii nitqdə (literary speech)
maneə ilə rastlaşmadan uğur qazanırlar. Amma məlum olduğu
kimi, dilin lüğət tərkibini təşkil edən sözlərin həqiqi mənaları
ilə yanaşı, məcazi mənaları da çoxluq təşkil edir. Hətta
vurğulamaq istərdik ki, hal-hazırda dilin lüğət tərkibində bir
sıra sözlər öz həqiqi mənalarını itirib, məcazi mənada daha çox
istifadə olunur. Elə bu səbəbdən də bəzən dili öyrənənlər rast
gəldikləri sözün və ya birləşmənin idiomatik ifadə olduğunu
bilmədiklərindən çaşıb qalır, idiomlu ifadə ilə desək, başlarını
itirirlər.
Leksikologiya bizə idiomlar barədə geniş məlumat versə
də, Azərbaycan dilində idiomları qruplaşdıran, ingilis dilindəki
idiomların Azərbaycan dilində qarşılığını əks etdirən dərs
vəsaitləri azlıq təşkil edır. Ali məktəb tələbələri gündəlik
danışıqda idiomların istifadəsi zamanı müəyyən çətinliklərlə
qarşılaşır, bəzən isə ümumiyyətlə, onlardan istifadə edə
5
English idioms
bilmirlər. Orta məktəb şagirdləri də bu problemlə üzləşirlər.
Bildiyimiz kimi, orta təhsil məktəblərinə aid dərsliklərdə
qismən idiomatik ifadələrə rast gəlirik. Amma onların
dilimizdə qarşılığını tapmaq şagirdlər üçün, hətta bəzən,
müəllimlər üçün də çətinlik törədir. Bu problemləri nəzərə
alaraq ingilis dilində çox işlək idiomatik birləşmələrin
Azərbaycan dilində qarşılığını verən belə bir vəsaitin
yaranmasına ehtiyac vardır. Məlum olduğu kimi, ingilis dili
idiomatik birləşmələrlə zəngin bir dildir. Amma bir qrup
idiomlar var ki, onlar kifayət qədər köhnəlmiş və dilin lüğət
tərkibindən çıxmışdır. Bu səbəbdən də bu gün onlara ancaq
klassik ingilis ədəbiyyatında rast gəlmək mümkündür. Təqdim
olunan bu dərs vəsaitində verilmiş idiomlar və idiomatik
birləşmələr müasir ingilis dilində ünsiyyət prosesində daha çox
istifadə olunan birləşmələrdir. Biz bu idiomlara adi məişət
dilində, qəzetlərdə, müasir və həmçinin klassik ingilis
ədəbiyyatında, həm də həyatda rast gələ bilirik. Vəsaitə daxil
edilmiş misallar gündəlik həyatda daha çox istifadə olunan
danışıq üslubunda verilmişdir. Eyni zamanda, vəsaitdə həm
klassik, həm də müasir ingilis ədəbiyyatından seçilmiş misallar
da üstünlük təşkil edir.
Dərs vəsaiti 25 bölmədən ibarətdir. Hər bölmədə müəyyən
sayda idiom toplanmış və hər idioma aid misallar verilmişdir.
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English idioms
Bundan əlavə, vəsaitdə hər bölməyə aid leksik çalışmalar tərtib
edilmişdir. Ümidvarıq ki, çalışmalar vəsaitdən istifadə edən hər
bir oxucunun idiomları nə dərəcədə başa düşdüyünü, onlardan
necə istifadə etdiyini yoxlamağa kömək edəcəkdir. Sözsüz,
dərs vəsaiti ingilis dilini öyrənənlərin öyrəndikləri dilə
marağını artırmaqda, nitqin rəvan və səlis olmasına, habelə
təbii səslənməsinə yardımçı olacaqdır.
Vəsaitin hazırlanmasında öz dəyərli məsləhətləri və
tövsiyələri ilə bizə kömək etmiş fil.e.d., prof . Oruc Musayevə,
ingilis dili üzrə redaktor fil.e.d., prof. Dünyamin Yunusova,
Azərbaycan dili üzrə redaktor fil.e.d., prof. İkram Qasımova,
rəyçilər fil.e.d., prof. Məsud Mahmudova, fil.e.n., dos. Kifayət
Gözəlovaya, fil.e.n. Əminə Hacıyevaya, İngilis dilinin
üslubiyyəti kafedrasının baş müəllimi İradə Vahabovaya və
İngilis dilinin qrammatikası kafedrasının bütün əməkdaşlarına,
xüsusilə həmin kafedranın müəllimi Şəlalə Əliyevaya
minnətdarlığımızı bildiririk.
Vəsait barədə tənqidi qeydlərini, arzu və təkliflərini
bildirəcək şəxslərə də qabaqcadan öz təşəkkürümüzü bildiririk.
Müəllif
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English idioms
İDİOM NƏDİR?
İDİOMLARI ÖYRƏNMƏK NƏ ÜÇÜN LAZIMDIR?
Hər bir dil üçün əsas material sözdür və dil öyrənmək
istəyən hər kəs gündəlik olaraq yeni söz və söz birləşmələri
öyrənir. Həmin söz birləşmələrinin tərkibində idiomlar xüsusi
yer tutur. İngilis dili idiom və idiomatik birləşmələrlə zəngin
bir dildir. İdiomlara bütün üslublarda rast gəlmək mümkündür:
yazıda, danışıqda, bədii ədəbiyyatda və s. Hətta qəzetlər belə
idiomatik ifadələrlə zəngindir.
İdiomların öyrənilməsi nə üçün zəruridir? İlk əvvəl «idiom
nədir?» sualına cavab tapmaq lazımdır. İdiomları təşkil edən
sözlər bir yerdə öz əvvəlki mənalarını itirir və birləşmə
tərkibində yeni məna çalarlığı yaradır. Məsələn:
I could eat a horse. Dəhşətli dərəcədə acam. məc*.
Acından ölürəm. (Acından bir qoyun da yeyə bilərəm).
Money doesn’t grow on trees. Pulun qədrini bilmək
lazımdır. məc. Pul yerdən yığılmır. (Pul özünə hörmət istər).
We are all at sixes and sevens. Biz tamamilə çaş-baş
qalmışıq.
I got there in the nick of time. Mən ora ən son anda
çatdım.
məc.* - məcazi məna
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English idioms
İdiomları təşkil edən sözlərin çoxu məcazi məna daşıyır.
Müasir ingilis dilində sözlərin həqiqi mənalarına nisbətən,
məcazi mənalarından daha çox istifadə olunur. Məsələn: “to
catch” feli həqiqi mənadan daha çox, məcazi mənada işlədilir.
Misallara nəzər salaq:
Həqiqi məna Məcazi məna
I have been fishing,
but caught absolutely
nothing!
1. Yesterday I caught the bus.
2. Try to catch his eye.
3. You’ll catch your death of cold.
4. Wait while I catch my breathe.
Dilin lüğət tərkibində elə sözlər də var ki, onlar artıq öz
bədii mənada işlədilmə halını itiriblər və ancaq məcazi mənada
işlənirlər. Məsələn, “to plough” (əkmək, biçmək) feli. Bu fel
müasir ingilis dilində həqiqi mənada demək olar ki, istifadə
olunmur. Biz ona ancaq idiomatik birləşmələrin tərkibində
məcazi mənada rast gələ bilərik. Məsələn:
1. He had to plough through hundreds of pages of
American history to get ready for his test. O, Amerika
tarixindən testi vermək üçün yorulmadan çalışırdı/O, Amerika
tarixindən testi vermək üçün kağızların arasında itib-batmışdı.
2. You can plough money into a business. Sən bu işə
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English idioms
sərmayə yatıra bilərsən/Sən bu işə pul buraxa bilərsən.
3. Profits can be ploughed back. Qoyulan sərmayə qazanc
gətirə bilər.
Və yaxud, “to rack” felini götürək. “Rack” çoxmənalı
qədim ingilis sözüdür; “to torture”; “to exhaust”, yəni
(əzab/əziyyət/işgəncə vermə) mənalarında istifadə olunur.
Müasir ingilis dilində isə “rack” bu mənalarda öz istifadəsini
itirib. Biz ona ancaq idiomatik birləşmələrin tərkibində rast
gələ bilərik. Məsələn: “to rack your brain”. Bu idiomatik
birləşmənin dilimizdə qarşılığı “bir şeyi xatırlamağa güclü səy
göstərmək, yaddaşını eşələmək” kimi tərcümə olunur. Bu
siyahını artırmaq mümkündür. Misalların təhlilindən belə
nəticəyə gəlirik ki, biz sözlərin həqiqi istifadəsi ilə yanaşı,
məcazi istifadəsini də bilməliyik. Əks təqdirdə, cümlə
tərkibində rast gəldiyimiz sözün məcazi istifadəsini bilmiriksə,
onun tərcüməsində çətinlik çəkəcəyik və tərcümə düzgün
olmayacaq. Buna görə də idiomları və onları təşkil edən
sözlərin həm həqiqi, həm də məcazi mənalarını öyrənmək zə-
ruridir.
İdiomatik vahidlərin həm quruluşca, həm də məna və
ekpressivlik çalarlıqlarına görə rəngarəngliyi onların üslubi
istifadə imkanlarının zənginliyini təmin edən əsas cəhətdir.
İdiomlardan ədəbi dilin, demək olar ki, bütün üslublarında
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English idioms
istifadə olunur. Lakin bu vahidlərin ən geniş istifadə meydanı,
əlbəttə ki, bədii üslub və ictimai-siyasi üslubdur. Məhəbbət,
nifrət, istehza, kinayə, gülüş, qəm-qüssə, eyham və s. məna
çalarlıqlarının daha bariz olduğu idiomatik vahidlərə həm bədii
üslubda, həm də ictimai-siyasi üslubda təsadüf edilir. Bədii
üslubda təsirliliyi artırmaq, canlı və obrazlı səhnələr yaratmaq
üçün epitet, metonimiya və digər çalarlıqlara malik olan
idiomlardan istifadə edilir.
Ümumiyyətlə idiomlar danışıq-məişət leksikasının böyük
hissəsini təşkil edir və danışıq prosesində fikrin obrazlı, təsirli,
bir sıra hallarda isə ironik-ekspressiv istifadəsinə xidmət edir.
İdiomları öyrənmək ilk baxışdan asan görünsə də, əslində
bu yolda bir sıra çətinliklərlə qarşılaşmalı oluruq. İdiomlar
özlərinə məxsus quruluşa malik olan söz birləşmələridir.
İdiomları təşkil edən sözlər bizə bəzən qəribə, qeyri-məntiqi və
qrammatik cəhətdən düzgün görünməsələr belə, biz onlarda də-
yişiklik apara bilmirik. Onlar dilin lüğət tərkibinə daxil
olduqları kimi öyrənilməlidir. Beləliklə, idiomlar aşağıdakı
quruluşa malik olan sözlərdir:
İdiomlar dilin lüğət tərkibinə daxil olduqları kimi istifadə
olunmalıdır; biz onları dəyişə bilmərik.
İdiomları təşkil edən sözlər həm həqiqi, həm də məcazi
mənaya malikdir.
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English idioms
İdiomların özlərinə məxsus dəyişməz qrammatik
quruluşları olur (Biz onların quruluşunda ancaq zamanı
və ya əvəzlikləri dəyişə bilərik).
Beləliklə, ingilis dili idiom və idiomatik birləşmələrlə
zəngindir və onları öyrənmək dil öyrənən hər bir şəxs üçün
zəruridir. Bu yolda bizə istək, diqqət, zəhmət və təcrübə
köməklik göstərəcək. Sonda bir ingilis misalını yada salmaq
istəyirik: “Practice makes perfect and all things are difficult
before they’re easy”.
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English idioms
SECTION ONE
ANIMAL IDIOMS
Zoonimik idiomlar
♣ IT IS A ZOO OUT THERE
swing a
cat
(informal) used to say
that a room is very small
and that there’s not
enough space
çox darısqal otaq; ayaq
qoymağa yer yoxdur; boş
yerin olmaması; haranın-
sa basırıq olması
- What sort of flat are you looking for?
- I need somewhere with a bit more space. There’s not enough
room to swing a cat in my living room.
smell a
rat
(informal) to be suspicious;
feel that something is wrong
bir kəsdən/nədənsə
şübhələnmək; gözü
su içməmək
◘ Nick told me he was working late tonight. But there were no
lights on when I passed. I smelt a rat, and called the police.
◘ Every time Tom visits me, one of my ashtrays disappears.
I’m beginning to smell a rat.
monkey
(horse)
around
(informal) to play in a way that is
noisy and not very careful so that
you could hurt sb or damage sth;
meymun kimi
atılıb düşmək;
vurnuxmaq;
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English idioms
to join in rough teasing; play
around
ora-bura qaç-
maq
- Would you please stop monkeying around? You’ll break
something.
- Oh, come on! We’re just having fun.
go to the
dogs
(informal) to be
ruined or
destroyed; become
rundown
dağılmaq, korlanmaq; var-
yoxdan çıxmaq, dilənçi ha-
lına/it kökünə düşmək;
müflis olmaq; alt-üst olmaq
◘ - This shopping centre used to be quite good but look at it
now.
- I know, it’s really gone to the dogs in the last few years.
◘ Poor devil, he’s gone to the dog’s altogether [32, p.189].
have ants
in your
pants
(informal) to be very excited
or impatient about sth and
unable to stay still; nervous
overactivity; restlessness
kürkünə birə düş-
mək; yerində sakit
otura bilməmək;
nadinc olmaq
He just won’t sit still in class. I think he’s got ants in his
pants.
keep the
wolf from
the door
(informal) to have
enough money to avoid
going hungry, poverty
acından ölməmək, bir
təhər keçinmək, özünü
bir təhər dolandırmaq
- You get a company pension, don’t you?
14
English idioms
- Yes, it’s not very much but it helps to keep the wolf from the
door.
be (feel)
like a
fish out
of water
a person who is out of
his proper place in
life, someone who
doesn’t fit in
özünü sudan çıxarılmış ba-
lıq kimi hiss etmək; özünü
naqolay/biçimsiz hiss et-
mək; yerində olmamaq
I went to a disco for the first time in ten years last night. I
looked and felt like a fish out of water.
a pig
sty
(informal) a very
dirty or untidy place
çirkli/səliqəsiz yer; tör-tökün-
tü /pinti yer; donuz damı
◘ I wish you’d tidy your flat up! It’s like a pig sty!
◘ “Christ, the place is like a pig sty” [31, p.40].
to be
foxed
unable to understand or solve
sth; (of the paper of the old
books or prints) covered with
brown spots
çaş-baş qalmaq;
kitabın və s. vərəq-
lərinin saralması
I just didn’t understand. I didn’t know what to do. I was totally
foxed!
donkeywork (informal) the hard
boring part of a job or
task
işin ən çətin və zəhlə-
tökən hissəsi; çirkli iş
I don’t see why I should do all the donkey work!
15
English idioms
get sth (straight)
from the horse’s
mouth
(informal) (of information)
given by sb who is directly
involved and therefore likely
to be accurate
məlumatı
mötəbər
mənbədən
əldə etmək
- Are you sure we’re getting a pay rise next month? Who told
you?
- I got it straight from the horse’s mouth. The manager
himself told me.
chicken
feed
(informal) a very
small sum of money
çox az pul; məc. cücə yemi,
uşaq payı; cüzi məbləğ
You can get between twenty and thirty thousand pounds a year
as an office manager now. That’s chicken feed compared to
what you can get in the States.
bookworm a person who likes
reading very much
kitab oxumağı xoşlayan
adam, kitab həvəskarı
My sister is a real bookworm. She’s always reading a book.
a wolf in
sheep’s
clothing
a person who pretends
to be good but really is
bad
saxtakarlıq edən adam;
qoyun cildinə girmiş ca-
navar; mələk cildinə gir-
miş şeytan
I trusted the lawyer until I realized that he was a wolf in
16
English idioms
sheep’s clothing.
a dog’s
life
a life of misery,
poverty, and
unhappiness
çətinliklə/problemlərlə dolu hə-
yat, yoxsulluq içində yaşamaq; it
kimi yaşamaq, it həyatı sürmək
◘ Nowadays some people live a dog’s live.
◘ “… that he should lead a dog’s life in order to provide them
with board and lodging ... ” [33, p.25].
a wild-goose
chase
a search for sth that is
impossible for you to
find or that doesn’t
exist, that makes you
waste a lot of time
hədər yerə vaxt sərf
edib sonda uğursuz-
luqla üzləşmək; dər-
yada balıq sevdası;
xam xəyal
◘ I went all over the place trying to get what I wanted, but I
had no success at all. It was a wild-goose chase.
◘ I’ve sent them on a wild goose chase [30, p.49].
a frog in
your
throat
to lose your voice or be
unable to speak clearly for
a short time
boğazı/nitqi tutulmaq;
qısa muddət danışa
bilməmək
Let me drink a glass of water. I have got a frog in my throat.
17
English idioms
a fly on
the wall
a person who
watches others
without being
noticed
nəzərə çarpmadan ətrafdakıla-
rı müşahidə edən/izləyən adam;
məc. pəncərədə quş; gözəgörün-
məz
◘ I’d love to be a fly on the wall during their conversation.
◘ I wish I were a fly on the wall and heard what they’re
talking about - Kaş pəncərədə quş olub, onların nə barədə
danışdıqlarını eşidəydim.
dog-eared (informal) worn, used a lot;
especially about pages in
books that have been turned
in to mark where the reader
has stopped
çox istifadədən
sonra kitabın və-
rəqlərinin çirk-
lənməsi, əzilməsi;
əzik-üzük
After a book has been used a lot, it tends to get a bit dog-
eared.
dog doesn’t eat dog (saying) it-itin ayağını basmaz
◘ John had been constantly reprimanded for being negligent on
the job. Finally, in desperation his supervisor exclaimed,
“Shape up or ship out!” And when one of his friends began to
defend him the supervisor cried nervously: “Dog doesn’t eat
dog!”
every dog
has his/its
everyone will have his
chance or turn; everyone
hər şeyin öz vaxtı/za-
manı var; həyatda
18
English idioms
day
(saying)
is lucky or popular at
some time in their life
hər kəsin bəxtinin
gətirəcəyi, xoşbəxt
olacağı gün var
- I feel sorry for Mike. He was feeling quite depressed when I
ran into him.
- Did he tell you what was bothering him?
- Among other things, he informed me that he was fired from
his job without any reason.
- He had better be strong. Every dog has his day.
when pigs
fly
(ironic) never; under no
circumstances; used to show
that you don’t believe sth will
ever happen
qum göyərəndə;
dəvənin quyruğu
yerə dəyəndə
I’ll accept his invitation when pigs fly. Be sure.
go to the dogs
(go to hell in a
handbasket)
(informal) to get
into a bad state;
become run-down
sökülmək; dağılmaq;
sınıq-sökük; it kökünə
düşmək
- I think, their house needs repairing. It goes to dogs.
- So do I. I guess with a little carpentry work and some paint it
could look pretty decent.
fishy going on to become suspicious;
strange
şübhələnmək; gö-
zü su içməmək
Why are they having all those secret meetings behind closed
19
English idioms
doors? There’s something fishy going on.
take the bull
by the horns
(informal) take
decisive action
in a difficult
situation
işə ciddi girişmək, cəsarətini
toplamaq, qəti addım atmaq;
həlledici həlqədən yapışmaq
Take the bull by the horns and say to him what you think
about of him.
a horse of a
different colour
(informal) quite a
different matter
bu başqa məsələ; ta-
mamilə ayrı məsələ
He likes to play jokes on his friends, but he makes sure that
nobody is hurt of his pranks. A prank that hurts someone is a
horse of a different color!
be (strictly)
for the birds
(informal)
uninteresting and
meaningless
gərəksiz/lazımsız; heç bir
dəyəri olmayan; gülünc,
axmaq
They went to the cinema, but they were bored and restless. As
far as they were concerned, it was for the birds! They left
during an intermission.
cat got your tongue
(usually used about
children or as a
question to children)
you aren’t able or
willing to talk
because of
shyness
utandığından da-
nışa bilməmək;
dilini pişik yeyib
- Come on, tell us what you think about the article?
20
English idioms
- Well, uh …
- Was it exciting?
- I, uh …
- What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?
♣ CAT IDIOMS
Everyone knows that cats are domestic animals. Most
families have cats at home. It is not surprising that English
has lots of idiomatic expressions based on cats.
catty
(cattier;
cattiest)
(informal) (of a woman)
saying unkind things
about other people;
bitchy, spiteful
başqa insanlar haqqın-
da xoş olmayan sözlər
danışmaq; sözbaz, söz-
gəzdirən; kinli, qəzəbli
When you speak to Mary be careful what you say to her. Last
time I heard how you spoke to her. Some people might think
that was a very catty remark!
It is a very catty thing to
say!
Bu cür danışmaq amansızlıq-
dır!
make the cause a aləmi bir-birinə qatmaq;
21
English idioms
“fur fly” disturbance qarışıqlıq/iğtişaş salmaq
You should have seen what happened yesterday. There was a
terrible fight between Anar and the boss. The fur was really
flying!
get your
claws into
somebody
(disapproving) if a woman
gets her claws into a man,
she tries hard to make him
marry her or to have a
relationship with her; to
criticize so severely
kişini caynağına ke-
çirmək; qadının ki-
şiyə zorla ərə get-
məyə çalışması; bir
kəsi kəskin tənqid
etmək
I’ve never seen her behave like this with him. At last she has
got her claws into him!
when the cat
is away, the
mice will
play (saying)
when one’s supervisor at work is
gone, things loosen up and the
employees feel freer; when the
parents are gone, children take
liberties that they would not if the
parents were at home
özbaşınalıq /
sərbəstlik et-
mək; at
ölüb, itlərin
bayramıdır
Yesterday my parents weren’t at home. I invited my friends
and we had a wonderful party. We did what we wanted: sang,
danced, ate, etc. When the cat is away, the mice will play.
stop pussyfooting
and say what you
to stop being too
hesitant and careful in
mus-mus deyin-
cə, birdəfəlik
22
English idioms
mean expressing opinion «Mustafa» de
- Mary, I, I’m, hm …
- Jeff, stop pussyfooting and say what you mean.
there is more
than one way
to skin a cat
there’re different
ways of doing
something
hər işin bir çarəsi/əlacı
var; ölumdən başqa hər
şeyə əlac var
- I don’t’ know how to solve this problem. I can’t think about it
any more. What can I do?
- Don’t worry. There is more than one way to skin a cat.
put/set the
cat among
the pigeons
to say or do sth
that is likely to
course trouble
başını bəlaya salmaq; özünü
işə salmaq; cəncələ düşmək;
quzunu qurda tapşırmaq
Is it real that you let the cat out of the bag? I don’t believe my
ears. How can I speak to the boss now? That’s put the cat
among the pigeons.
let the
cat out of
the bag
to tell about something
that is supposed to be a
secret
sirri açmaq; ağzının
qaytanı olmamaq; pişiyi
torbadan buraxmaq
◘ I heard Marry is pregnant. But no one knows it yet. She
asked me not to tell anyone. She wants to inform all herself.
Please, don’t let the cat out of the bag.
◘ My elder sister was planning to give me a present for my
birthday. But I knew about it, because my little sister let the
23
English idioms
cat out of the bag.
curiosity
killed the
cat
getting too nosey
may lead a person
into trouble
həddindən artıq maraq in-
sanın başını bəlaya salar;
başın girməyən yerə, bədə-
nini soxma
- Sh, Sh. I don’t hear. They’re quarrelling again. Let me hear
what they are arguing about.
- Don’t do it. Mind your own business. Don’t forget:
“Curiosity killed the cat”.
not to have a
cat in hell’s
chance
not to succeed at what
they are trying to do
boş yerə özünü yor-
maq; heç bir şansı
olmamaq
Don’t wait for him any longer. He won’t receive you today.
You haven’t got a cat in hell’s chance.
be the cat’s
whiskers the
bee’s knees
(informal) to be the
best person, etc
özü haqqında yüksək fi-
kirdə olmaq, özündən
razı olmaq
My sister thinks she’s the cat’s whiskers the bee’s knees.
be raining
cats and
dogs
(informal) to be
raining heavily
güclü yağış yağır; məc; bir
yağış yağır ucundan tut göyə
çıx, leysan
When I left home it was raining cats and dogs.
24
English idioms
Note: Some people consider black cats lucky, while others
consider them unlucky. They used to be associated with the
Devil.
♣ BIRD IDIOMS
run around like
a headless
chicken
to be very busy and
active trying to do sth,
but not very organized,
with the result that you
do not succeed
o tərəf, bu tərəfə
qaçmaq; yumur-
tası tərs gəlmiş to-
yuq kimi vurnux-
maq
I’m supposed to be going on holiday tomorrow. I’ve been
running round like a headless chicken all day trying to get
ready.
watch sb/sth
like a hawk
watch very closely bir kəsə/şeyə diqqət
yetirmək, göz qoymaq
I made a personal call from the office and my boss found out
about it. She’s watching me like a hawk now to make sure I
don’t do it again.
not say
“boo” to
to be very shy or
gentle; to be too
utancaq olmaq; heç kimin xət-
rinə dəyməmək; qarışqani be-
25
English idioms
a goose shy to say
anything
lə incitməmək; heç kimin to-
yuğuna kiş deməmək
Really? I can’t believe Carol would say anything to upset you.
She would not say boo to a goose.
eat like a
sparrow
to eat very little;
have little appetite
az yemək; iştahasız olmaq
I’m not surprised Andrea’s so thin. She eats like a sparrow.
be as dead
as a dodo
completely dead; no
longer interesting or
valid
sıradan çıxmaq/xarab ol-
maq, hərəkətsiz olmaq
Do you know anything about computers? I’ve just switched
mine on and nothing happened. It’s as dead as a dodo.
as the crow
flies (in a
crow line)
by the most direct way;
along a straight line
between two places
birbaşa, düz xətlə,
düz xətt üzrə, düzünə
It’s only forty miles from here to Bristol as the crow flies, but
it takes an hour by car because the roads are so bad.
be as sick as
a parrot
to be very
disappointed
məyus/ümidsiz olmaq; ovqatı
təlx, dərdli, qüssəli
I’ve got tickets for the match on Saturday. Mark has to work
and there’s no work he’s going to manage to get off. He is as
sick as a parrot.
take somebody to take care of and bir kəsə himayədar-
26
English idioms
under your
wing
help sb who has less
experience of sth than
you
lıq etmək; kimisə qa-
nadı altına almaq
My new boss has taken a special interest in my career. He’s
taken me under his wing.
fly the
nest
(of sb’s child) to leave home and
live somewhere else
evi tərk etmək;
yuvadan uçmaq
All my children have grown up and flown the nest.
be an
early
bird
(humorous) a person who
gets up, arrives, etc. very
early; an early riser
yuxudan tez duran, la-
zım olan yerə vaxtında
gələn adam
My mother really is an early bird. She gets up at six every
morning.
swan
around
(informal, disapproving)
to go around enjoying
yourself in a way that
annoys other people or
makes them jealous
özünü göstərmək; özünü
yekəxana aparmaq; qı-
nından çıxıb, qınını bə-
yənməmək
I don’t like people who return to their home town and swan
around in expensive clothes and big cars.
kill two
birds with
one stone
to succeed in doing two
things by only one action;
get two results from one
bir güllə ilə iki dov-
şan vurmaq; bir əldə
27
English idioms
effort iki qarpız tutmaq
Let’s check the timetable and pick up the tickets at the same
time. We might as well kill two birds with one stone.
a little bird
told
(whispered)
(informal) used to say that sb
told you sth but you don’t want
to say who it was; to have
learned something from a
mysterious, unknown, or secret
source
bir şeyi gizli
mənbədən öy-
rənmək/əldə
etmək; məc.
qulağı çalmaq
A little bird told me you had got engaged. Is it true? –
Eşitmişəm (qulağım çalıb ki) nişanlanmısan. Doğrudur?
be no spring
chicken
(humorous) to be
no longer younger
uşaqlıq yaşını aşmış ol-
maq; təcrübəli/dünyagör-
müş olmaq
I know Sheila looks young, but I can tell you she’s no spring
chicken. I should know! I was in her class at school.
be a spring
chicken
(slang) a very young
person
gənc; təcrübəsiz cavan,
sadəlövh/ürəyiaçıq
Don't be angry with her. She is a spring chicken and doesn't
know how to behave professionally.
28
English idioms
in (at)
one fell
swoop
(literary) in one attack or
accident; in one bad blow; at
one time; at the same time
bir göz qırpımında;
bir anlıq; bir zərbə
ilə; eyni vaxtda
One stupid comment to the media and your reputation can be
destroyed in one fell swoop.
♣ HORSE IDIOMS
on the
hoof
to do sth quickly and without giving it
your full attention because you are
doing sth else at the same time
başdansovdu;
məsuliyyətsiz-
cəsinə
What I don’t like about this government is the way it makes up
policy on the hoof. There isn’t enough planning.
get the bit
between
your teeth
(informal) to become very
enthusiastic about sth that you
have started to do that you’re
unlikely to stop until you’ve
finished
özünü nəyə isə
məcbur etmək;
dözmək; dişini-
dişinə sıxmaq
I started a new job last month. It was all a bit strange at first but
I’ve got the bit between my teeth.
saddle sb/
yourself with
to give sb/yourself
an unpleasant
bir kəsə xoşagəlməz tap-
şırıq vermək; məc. kimisə
29
English idioms
sth (often
passive)
responsibility, task,
debt, etc
yükləmək; bir şeyi etmə-
yə məcbur olmaq; boynu-
na qoymaq
◘ I hate going to the airport to meet international clients but I
always get saddled with it because I’m the one who can speak
three foreign languages.
◘ … and Anabelle was constantly out, and always leaving
Audrey saddled with her children [21, p.302].
put the
cart before
the horse
things in wrong
order; something
backwards or
mixed up
işi tərsinə/baş-ayaq görmək;
kimisə tərs/səhv başa düş-
mək; arxi hoppanmamiş
hop demək
Listen, Jane, do you really think buying a wedding dress is a
good idea? I mean, why not wait till he asks you? Aren’t you
put the cart before the horse?
bite your
lips
to force yourself to
remain silent and not
to reveal your feelings
hisslərini cilovlamaq; di-
şini-dişinə sıxmaq; məc.
dodaqlarını dişləmək
◘ When he saw her in the room he became very angry, but tried
to bite his lips.
◘ I had to bite my lips to prevent myself from laughing [32,
p.147].
be (get) on to behave in a way özünü hər şeyi bilən kimi
30
English idioms
your high
horse
that shows you think
you are better than
other people
ğöstərmək; lovğalanmaq;
iddia satmaq, təşəxxüslən-
mək; meydan sulamaq; at
oynatmaq
Just because you’ve been to university and I haven’t, you think
you can get on your high horse every time we discuss
something. Well, you’re wrong!
a dark
horse
unknown; a political candidate
little known to the general
voting public; a candidate who
was not expected to run
hər hansı bir işdə
az tanınan; məşhur
olmayan; seçkidə az
tanınmış namizəd
Nobody really knows a lot about this team. They are the dark
horse in this World Cup.
wild horses
wouldn’t
drag /make/
stop, etc. sb
(do sth)
used to say that nothing
would prevent sb from
doing sth or make them
do sth they don’t want to
do
heç kimin dediyi ilə
oturub-durmamaq;
təsir altına düşmə-
mək; öz bildiyi kimi
hərəkət etmək
◘ I don’t know why you go to discos. You can’t have a
conversation and they’re full of smoke and sweaty bodies. Wild
horses couldn’t drag me into one of those places.
◘ Stu, if he really wanted to, wild horse couldn’t have
31
English idioms
stopped him [20, p.220].
horse
around
to join in rough teasing;
play around
vurnuxmaq; ortalıqda
gəzmək, var-gəl etmək
◘ Stop horsing around. You’re going to break something.
◘ There was a photograph of all of them three Chrismases
before, laughing, their arms around each other, horsing around
while an exasperated photographer had begged them to be
serious for a moment so he could take their picture [20, p.12].
hand the
reins over
to retire voluntarily könüllü istefa vermək;
sükanı əldən vermək
- So, you’ve decided to take early retirement, Jim?
- Yes, I’ve been manager here for twenty years now, it’s time to
hand the reins over to someone younger.
be/get/ride
your high
horse
(informal) to behave in
a way that shows you
think you are better than
other people
özündən razı olmaq;
məc; göylə getmək, gö-
zü ayağının altını gör-
məmək
I don’t like his manners. He is riding his high horse when he
speaks about his father’s position in society.
♣ FISHING IDIOMS
32
English idioms
English in particular is a language which is rich in idioms
associated with fishing.
there’s
plenty
more fish
in the sea
there are many other
people or things that are
as good as the one sb has
failed to get
çox; itə daş atırsan
oğlana (qıza) dəyir;
bir kəsin/şeyin çox
olması
- He just phoned me and told me he didn’t want to see me
again?
- Oh, don’t worry! There’s plenty more fish in the sea.
fish for
compliments
to try to make someone
pay a compliment
tərifi xoşlamaq; tərif
üçün ürəyi getmək
- What do you think of my hair?
- Oh, you are fishing for complements, aren’t you?
let sb
off the
hook
to free sb or yourself from
a difficult situation or a
punishment
bir kəsin/özünün canını
qurtarmaq; təhlükədən
/cəzadan xilas olmaq,
kiməsə kömək etmək
◘ - This is the first time John’s made a mistake. It was a one-
off.
- Trust him. He’ll be more careful in future. I think we should
let him off the hook.
33
English idioms
◘ It was enough for her, if not for him, and she wasn’t going to
let him off the hook that easy [19, p.358].
rise to
the bait
to react when sb is deliberately
trying to make you angry or get
you interested in sth
bir kəsin fitfa-
sına getmək
Look, the unions want a strike. If we rise to the bait, we’ll be
playing right into their hands.
cast
your
net
wider
to consider a lot of
different people,
activities, possibilities,
etc. when you are
looking for sth
axtardığını əldə etmək üçün
fərqli insanlarla görüşmək,
müxtəlif variantları nəzər-
dən keçirmək və s.; tilovu
uzağa atmaq
This job is too important to advertise in the local papers. If we
want to attract a top sales manager, we need to cast our net
wider and advertise nationally.
SECTION TWO
BODY IDIOMS
Bədən üzvləri ilə bağlı olan idiomlar
♣ THE BODY HAS MANY USES
be on your final stages of physical son gunlərini yaşamaq,
34
English idioms
last legs weakness before dying;
the final stage of a
journey
axır günləri olmaq; ya-
rarsız olmaq; səyahətin
son mərhələsi
I love my old car, but I’m having more and more problems with
it. I think it’s on its last legs.
come to
a head
if you bring a situation to a
head or if a situation comes to
a head, you are forced to deal
with it quickly because it
suddenly becomes very bad
vəziyyətin/müna-
sibətin son həddə
çatması; ağ etmək;
kəlləçarxa çıxmaq
My boy friend and I have always argued quite a lot, but the
situation came to a head last week. He accused me of lying.
face the
fact
to accept that a difficult
situation exists, although
you would prefer not to
reallıqla barışmaq; hə-
qiqətlə üzləşmək, həqi-
qəti qəbul etmək
I’m sorry, but we have to face the fact that we’re not getting
on.
talk
behind
sb’s back
when one is absent; without
one’s knowledge or consent;
in a dishonest way; secretly;
sneakily
bir kəsin arxasınca
danışmaq; qeybət
etmək
I can’t trust you any more. You’ve been talking about me
35
English idioms
behind my back.
have an
old hand
an experienced and highly
skilled expert at some
particular job
bir işdə böyük təcrü-
bəsi olan adam; məc.
qoca qurd
He is an excellent chairman. He’s an old hand at controlling
difficult people.
have/put a
brave face
to pretend that you feel
confident and happy
when you don’t
dözümlü/mətanətli/ira-
dəli olmaq; çətinliyə si-
nə gərmək
◘ I know Jane is in a lot of pain, but she puts a brave face on
it.
◘ Though he put a brave face on it, Julia felt that he was
deeply mortified [31, p.45].
have a
good head
to have a special talent
in a certain area
hər hansı bir işdə baca-
rıqlı/qabiliyyətli olmaq
◘ Ask Marianne to help you. She’s got a good head.
◘ She has a good sound head and her advice is always worth
taking [33, p.99].
36
English idioms
dip your
toe in/ into
the water
(informal) to start
doing sth very
carefully to see if it
will be successful
or not
hər hansı bir işi ehtiyatla
görmək; ehtiyatı əldən
verməyərək işə başlamaq;
ilk addımlarını atmaq
It’s the first time I’ve driven a car. I’m dipping my toe in the
water. And I’m anxious.
get on sb’s
nerves
(informal) to
annoy sb
bir kəsin əsəbləri ilə oynamaq;
kimisə hirsləndirmək
Stop it! You are getting on my nerves.
to be
nosey
(slang) too interested in things
that don’t concern you, especially
other people’s affairs
hər işlə maraqlan-
maq; burnunu hər
yerə soxmaq
- Who was that man I saw you with last night?
- Don’t be so nosey! It’s none of your business.
to shoulder to accept the
responsibility
for sth
məsuliyyəti üzərinə/boynuna gö-
türmək, məc. çiynində ağır yük
daşımaq
- She’s not her usual self at the moment. Is there something
wrong?
- I think it’s pressure of work. She has to shoulder a lot of
responsibility.
get sth off to talk about sth that has dərdini bölüşmək,
37
English idioms
your chest been worrying you for a
long time so that you feel
anxious
ürəyini boşaltmaq;
yüngülləşmək
Talk about it! It might help to get it off your chest.
put your
foot in sth
to speak carelessly and
rudely; hurt one’s feelings
without intending to
ehtiyatsızlıq etmək;
səhv etmək; məc.
yaraya duz səpmək;
yaranı qanatmaq
- Did you know that Alan and Moira have stopped seeing each
other?
- Yes, I do now, but I put my foot in it yesterday when I asked
when they were getting married.
shoot your
mouth off
(about sth)
(informal) to give
opinions without
knowing all the facts;
talk as if you know
everything
ağız dolusu danışmaq;
özünü öymək, təriflə-
mək; özünü hər şeyi
bilən kimi göstərmək
Jim doesn’t play tennis very much, but he’s always shooting
off his mouth about how good he is.
38
English idioms
jump down
sb’s throat
(informal) to suddenly
become very angry at
someone; scold severely
or angrily
qəfildən kiməsə hirs-
lənmək, danlamaq,
acıqlanmaq; bir kəsi
dəng etmək
◘ - Don’t be late. You are to be here at 2:30.
- I know dad. You don’t have to jump down my throat! I
don’t intend to be late.
◘ My mother jumped down my brother’s throat when she
found out that he got a bad mark.
pull sb’s
legs
fool
someone
bir kəslə məzələnmək; kimisə axmaq/
gülünc vəziyyətə salmaq, ələ salmaq
◘ - I was invited to take part in this performance.
- Oh, really? Come on, you’re pulling my leg!
◘ - No, honestly. Do you really think that I’m trying to fool you
with a ridiculous story?
- Well, you’ve told me foolish stories before.
- Of course he was skillfully pulling their legs: the dirty dog
[33, p.213].
shake a leg (old-fashioned, informal) to
hurry
cəld olmaq; tələs-
mək
Hey, you always take such a long time to finish your make-up.
Come on, shake a leg!
be all (fingers awkward, especially biçimsiz, yöndəmsiz,
39
English idioms
and) thumbs with your hands;
clumsy
naqolay olmaq; əlləri
əsmək
◘ - Hey, Bea. Can you help me out? I don’t seem to be able to
button up the back of my dress.
- Sure. Let us see if I can do it for you.
- I guess I’m all thumbs because I’m so nervous. I’m already
late for my date. Well, I suppose that being so nervous would
make you clumsy and awkward.
◘ She was unreal, like a picture, and yet had an elegance which
made Kitty feel all thumbs [33, p.166].
get off
sb’s back
(informal) to stop
criticizing or nagging
someone
bir kəsi tənqid etməkdən/
dəng etməkdən/zəhləsini
tökməkdən əl çəkmək
◘ - Come on, let’s go out and do something.
-Sorry, I’m right in the middle of studying for a physics exam.
-You’ve been studying for a long time. Take a break: Come
on! Let’s go! Forget studying for a while!
-Look! Get off my back! I can’t go anywhere!
◘ Get off my back! Açıl başımdan! Əl çək!
40
English idioms
be all
ears
(informal) to be waiting
with interest to hear what
sb has to say; very eager
to hear; very attentive
diqqətlə qulaq asmaq; çox
maraqlandığı bir məsələni
eşitməyə tələsmək; qulağı
bir kəsdə olmaq
Go on! Tell me the gossip. What has happened between them.
I’m all ears!
hear sth by word
of mouth
by being told directly öz qulağı ilə eşit-
mək
I heard about their wedding by word of mouth. Everyone said
it was good.
poke/stick
your nose
into sth
(informal) to try to
become involved in sth
that doesn’t concern you
başqasının işinə qarış-
maq, müdaxilə etmək;
burnunu hər yerə sox-
maq
Stop poking/sticking your nose into other people’s business!
turn your
nose up at
sth
(informal) to refuse
sth, especially
because you don’t
think that it is good
enough for you
köməkdən imtina etmək;
özünü yekəxana aparmaq;
hər şeyi özünə yaraşdırma-
maq; məc. burnunu dik
tutmaq
You shouldn’t turn your nose up at 300 pounds a week. It’s
better than nothing.
in the teeth despite baxmayaraq, əksinə, ziddinə
41
English idioms
He achieved it in the teeth of serious opposition.
by the skin of
your teeth
to escape a
disaster
qəzadan güclə can qurtarmaq;
möcüzə nəticəsində sağ qalmaq
He escaped disaster by the skin of his teeth.
lying through
your teeth
to tell a
deliberate lie
bilərəkdən yalan danışmaq;
gözünün içinə kimi yalan da-
nışmaq
I think he is lying through his teeth. I’ve never said any such
thing!
♣ EYE IDIOMS
with your
eyes closed/
shut
having enough
experience to be able
to do sth easily
hər hansı bir işdə böyük
təcrübəsi olmaq; bir işi
gözü yumulu edə bilmək
I’ve driven from London to Edinburgh so many times now I
could do it with my eyes closed.
eyes in the
back of
your head
ability to know what
happens when your
back is turned
ehtiyatlı olmaq; hər şey-
dən xəbərdar olmaq; məc.
boynunun ardında da ğö-
42
English idioms
zü olmaq
You need eyes in the back of your head.
in the
public
eye
widely known to many
people through
newspapers and
television
diqqət mərkəzində olan,
tez-tez ictimai tədbirlər-
də/ekranda görünən, çox
tanınan
You wouldn’t want to be famous. You live your life in the
public eye.
be up to your
eyes in sth
to have a lot of
sth to deal with
çox çalışmaq, məşğul ol-
maq; işi başından aşmaq
Sorry, but I’m afraid I have to cancel lunch. I’m up to eyes in
work at the moment. How about next week?
see eye to
eye on sth
to agree fully;
hold exactly the
same opinion
zövqləri üst-üstə düşmək, ra-
zılaşmaq; hər şeyə eyni gözlə
baxmaq; ümumi dil tapmaq
I get on very well with my husband. We see eye to eye on most
things.
out of the
corner of
your eye
(informal) without looking
at a person or thing directly
or openly; secretly; without
being noticed
bir kəsə nəzərə çarp-
madan baxmaq, gizli
baxmaq; ğözucu bax-
maq/ görmək
◘ I was lying in my bed when I noticed something moving out
of the corner of my eye. I jumped up and turned the light on
43
English idioms
and saw a snake on my blanket.
◘ I look out of the corner of my eye and there he is [16,
p.145].
pull the
wool over
sb’s eyes
(informal) to fool
someone into thinking
well of you; deceive
bir kəsi aldatmaq; məc.
bir kəsin gözünə kül üfür-
mək; kiminsə başına co-
rab hörmək
Don’t try to pretend you’ve been working late in the office. I
rang and they told me you’d left early. You can’t pull the wool
over my eyes.
not bat an eyelid
(used in negative
sentences)
don’t show
surprise;
fearless
heç bir reaksiya verməmək;
gözünü qırpmamaq; hisslə-
rini biruzə verməmək
- They offered you double your salary? What did you do? Fall
off your chair?
- No, I did not bat an eyelid, I looked straight at them and said
it wasn’t enough.
turn a
blind eye
to pretend not
to see; not pay
attention
ğöz yummaq; fıkır verməmək;
bir şeyin üstündən keçmək; özü-
nü görməməzliyə vurmaq
- He was rather rude to you yesterday, wasn’t he? Have you
spoken to him?
44
English idioms
- No, I decided to turn a blind eye to it. He’s under a lot of
pressure at work.
keep an eye
on
somebody/
something
to watch carefully;
not stop paying
attention to
fikir vermək; nəzarət et-
mək; gözü bir kəsin/şeyin
üstündə olmaq; muğayat
olmaq
- Are you coming with us?
- No, I’ll stay here and keep an eye on our things.
(not be able to)
take your eyes
off sb/sth
to find sb/sth so
interesting, attractive,
etc. that you watch
them all the time
çox diqqət yetirmək;
gözünü bir kəsdən/
şeydən çəkə bilmə-
mək; heyran olmaq
- I think Steve rather likes Andrea, don’t you? He spent the
whole evening talking to her and ignoring everyone else.
- You can say that again! He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
run your eye
over sth
to look at or examine
sth quickly
bir şeyə nəzər salmaq,
gözdən keçirmək
Leave your report here, I’ll run my eye over it.
raise your
eyebrows
(at sth)
(often
passive)
(disapproval) to show
that you disapprove of
or are surprised by sth;
to shock people; cause
surprise or disapproval
bir şeyə təəccüblənmək;
insanları şoka salmaq,
şübhələndirmək; məət-
təl qoymaq/qalmaq;
məc. qaşlarını qaldır-
45
English idioms
maq
◘ I think you should have kept quiet about the baby! It raised a
few eyebrows.
◘ Eyebrows were raised when she informed that she was
going to have a baby.
♣ FACE IDIOMS
do sth till
you are
blue in
the face
(informal) to try to do sth
as hard and as long as you
possibly can but without
success; very angry or
upset; excited and very
emotional
ciddi-cəhdlə bir şeyə
nail olmağa çalışmaq;
məc. nəfəsin kəsilənə
kimi; gözün kəllənə çı-
xana kimi
You can keep asking till you’re blue in the face. I’m not going
to change my mind.
take sth
at face
value
to believe that sth is what it
appears to be, without
questioning; the seeming
worth or truth of sth
bir şeyi ğöründüyü
kimi/olduğu kimi qə-
bul etmək, bir şeyin
görünən/zahiri tərəfi
You can never take what she says at face value.
to sb’s face to say directly sözün düzünü üzə demək;
46
English idioms
birbaşa demək
Everybody knows he is a wrong person, but nobody says it to
his face.
fall flat on
your face
to fail completely,
usually causing
embarrassment
bir şeyin uğursuz alınması;
biabır olmaq, gülünc vəziy-
yətə düşmək
◘ He once fell flat on his face as he was trying to give a major
speech.
◘ His final lecture fell flat on its face.
be written
all over
your face
(of a feeling) to be very
obvious to other people from
the expression on sb’s face
üzündən görün-
mək, üzünə yazıl-
maq
◘ It must have been you. It’s written all over your face.
◘ The magnitude of her loss was written all over her face, …
[21, p.343].
disappear/vanish
off the face of the
earth
to disappear
completely
yoxa çıxmaq, qeyb olmaq;
yerin altına girmək
Have you seen my keys? I put them down five minutes ago and
now they’ve disappeared off the face of the earth.
face the
music
(informal) to go through trouble or
danger, especially because of sth you
danlanmaq;
tənqidə tuş
47
English idioms
did; accept your punishment gəlmək
◘ - He didn’t back up his computer last night and it crashed
again.
- He’s with the boss at the moment, no doubt facing the music.
◘ “I was thinking that it’s time for you to go back to
Washington and face the music” [19, p.412].
get a long
face
to look sad;
disappointed
look
kədərli görünmək, qaş-qabağını
tökmək; məc. burnunu sallamaq
Why have you got such a long face? Has something happened
I don’t know about?
put a face
to a name
yaxından tanış olmaq; adını eşidib, üzünü
də görmək; bir kəslə əyani tanış olmaq
It’s nice to meet you at last, Mr. Lee. It’s good to be able to put
a face to a name. - Nəhayət ki, sizinlə tanış olduq, Cənab Li.
Adınızı eşitmişdik, üzünüzü də görə bildik (Yüz eşitməkdənsə
bir görmək yaxşıdır).
48
English idioms
♣ FINGERS AND THUMBS IDIOMS
fingers
crossed
to believe in
luck
uğura inanmaq (barmaqları çar-
paz bir-birinin üstünə qoymaq və
işin uğurlu alınacağına inanmaq)
- I’ve got my final exam tomorrow.
- Good luck I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
twist (wrap;
wind) sb round
your little
finger
(informal) to persuade
sb to do anything that
you want
bir kəsi təsir altına
almaq; barmağına
dolamaq, fırlatmaq
- Danny and Sane have a strange relationship, she gets her own
way all the time.
- Oh, yes. She can twist him round her little finger.
have
something
at your
finger-tips
to have the information,
knowledge, etc. that is
needed in a particular
situation and be able to find
it easily and use it quickly
lazım olan məluma-
tın, biliyin əl altında
olması; axtardığını
asanlıqla tapmaq və
istifadə etmək
- I see so, you can put all the data onto the computer network.
- That’s right. Then any information you need is at your
finger-tips immediately.
green a talent for gardening; bağbanlıq qabiliyyəti,
49
English idioms
fingers ability to make things grow güllərdən baş çıxarma
- I don’t know what I am doing wrong. My plants are dying.
- Speak to Nina. She’s the one with green fingers.
be under
sb’s
thumb
(of a person) obedient
to you; controlled by
you; under your power
qorxaq/arvadağız olmaq;
bir kəsin təsiri altında ol-
maq; bir kəsə itaət etmək;
qapazaltı olmaq
- I’m going to ask Tony if he wants to come away with us on
the golf weekend.
- He won’t come. His wife won’t let him. He’s totally under
her thumb.
finger on
the pulse
to always be aware of the most
recent developments in a
particular situation
məlumatlı olmaq;
hər şeydən xəbəri
olmaq
- Does anybody know who the new Personnel manager is going
to be?
- I have no idea. Ask Chris. He’s got his finger on the pulse.
count the
fingers of
one hand
used to say that the
total number of sb
/sth is very small
bir kəsin/şeyin ümumi sa-
yının az olması; barmaq
hesabı saymaq, çox az
◘ - My boy friend took me out to a lovely restaurant last night.
- Lucky you. I can count the fingers of one hand the number
50
English idioms
of times my husband’s taken me out for a meal recently.
◘ I love it here. It’s so peaceful. You can count the number of
cars you see here in a week on the fingers of one hand.
♣ FOOT IDIOMS
think on
your feet
to think quickly; answer or
act without waiting; know
what to do or say right away
cəld cavab vermək,
hazırcavab olmaq;
gözüyumulu cavab
vermək
People ask you the most unexpected questions in this job. You
really have to think on your feet.
fall/land
on your
feet
to get yourself out of trouble
without damage or injury and
sometimes with a gain; be
successful no matter what
happens
vəziyyətdən çıxmaq;
bəxti gətirmək; su-
dan quru çıxmaq
◘ - Has your sister found a job yet?
- Didn’t I tell you? She’s got a wonderful job in the city
company car, incentives, bonuses, etc. She’s really landed on
her feet.
51
English idioms
◘ No matter what trouble he gets into, he always seems to land
on his feet.
find your
feet
to become able to act
independently and with
confidence
müstəqil və özünə
inamlı addım atmaq;
şəraitə uyğunlaşmaq
I’ve got a new job. I think it’ll take me a couple of weeks to
find my feet.
drag
your feet
(or heels)
to be deliberately
slow in doing sth or
in making a decision
bir işi/qərarı bilərəkdən
uzatmaq; ləng tərpənmək;
məc. ayaqlarını dartmaq/
sürümək
◘ I’m having my flat decorated at the moment. They’re
supposed to finish it today but they’ve been dragging their
feet so it’ll probably be Friday now.
◘ He had been thinking about doing a book about it, but he’d
been dragging his feet about doing the research [20, p.250].
stand on your
own feet
(stand on your
own two feet)
to depend on
yourself; do things
yourself; earn your
own living; be
independent
müstəqil həyata atıl-
maq, sərbəst yaşamaq,
müstəqil olmaq; məc.
ayaqları üstə möhkəm
dayanmaq
You can’t live with your parents forever, Victor. You’re
52
English idioms
twenty-six. It’s time you were standing on your own two feet.
put your
foot down
to take a decided
stand; be stubborn in
decision
qəti addım atmaq; ölçü
götürmək; fikrində/möv-
qeyində möhkəm olmaq
◘ I don’t mind my son going to discos and clubs but I had to
put my foot down when he started coming home as late as two
or three in the morning.
◘ Micheal was always there to put his foot down [31, p.147].
get/start off
on the wrong
foot (with sb)
(informal) to start a
relationship badly; make
a bad start; begin with a
mistake
bir kəslə pis yola
getmək, yola get-
məmək; pis başla-
maq
I get on very well with my flat mate now but we got off on the
wrong foot because she used to play her music so loud. It was
fine after we’d talked about it.
be dead
on your
feet
very tired but still standing
or walking; too tired to do
more; exhausted
əldən düşmək, yorğun
olmaq; məc. ayaq üstə
ölmək/güclə dayanmaq
I worked for thirteen hours yesterday. I was dead on my feet
when I got home.
53
English idioms
be rushed/
run off
your feet
to be extremely busy;
to have too many
things to do
çox məşğul olmaq; işi
başından aşmaq; başını
qaşımağa vaxtı olmamaq
- Have you had a busy day? You look exhausted.
- Yes, it was the first day of the sale. We were rushed off our
feet.
set foot in/ on
sth (used with
negative)
to step, walk, go; to
enter or visit a place
getmək/ baş çək-
mək; ayaq basmaq
- So, you had a good time in the village, then?
- Yes, but I hope I never set foot in that place again. There is
lots of rain there.
keep your feet
on the ground
(used with a
possessive)
an understanding
of what can be
done; sensible
ideas
nə etdiyini bilmək; ağlı
başında olmaq; ağlını itir-
məmək; yolunu azma-
maq; məc. ayaq üstə möh-
kəm durmaq
- It’s my first job, and they are giving me a company car! And
the salary is twice what I expected. What do you think of that,
then?
- Just keep your feet on the ground, son! That’s all I can say!
54
English idioms
♣ HAND IDIOMS
live from
hand to
mouth
to live on little money and
spend it as fast as it comes
in; live without saving for
the future
qənaət edə bilməmək;
büdcədən yemək; güc-
lə dolanmaq
◘ People who live from hand to mouth never save for
tomorrow.
◘ These days are the hardest days of my life. We are just living
from hand to mouth. We aren’t able to save anything, but we
manage.
have your
hands full
to be very busy with
lots to do
işi başından aşmaq; başını
qaşımağa vaxtı olmamaq
◘ If you have got your hands full, you are very busy with lots
to do.
◘ - I wonder if you can help me about the house. I don’t feel
well nowadays.
- Normally I would, but I have got my hands full these days.
My mother is in bed and I have to look after her.
get out of
hand
out of control nəyisə əldən vermək, vəziyyətə
nəzarət edə bilməmək
◘ If things get out of hand, they get out of control.
55
English idioms
◘ - Come on, there is a fight between Farid and Anar.
- Don’t worry. I’ll call the police if things get out of hand.
have a
big
hand
it means that
you’ve had a lot of
influence over sth
hər işdə əli olmaq; işlərin öhdə-
sindən gəlmək; rəhbərlik etmək;
böyük əməyi/zəhməti olmaq
- Thank you for organizing such an excellent meeting.
- Thanks you, but don’t forget Maria. She had a big hand in all
the planning as well.
turn your hand
to something
it means you are able
to everything
əlini hər işə atmaq;
hər işi bacarmaq
He can turn his hand to almost anything; sport, painting,
music. He’s good at everything.
fall into sb’s right
hands
to be gained by sb yaxşı əllərə düşmək
It is a good thing my papers have fallen into the right hands.
fall into wrong
hands
(formal) to become
controlled by sb
pis əllərə düşmək
This report is strictly confidential. If it fell into the wrong
hands we would all be in serious trouble.
(not) the right
hand knows
sağ əl, sol əlin nə iş gördüyünü bilmir;
sağın soldan xəbəri yoxdur
The problem with this company is communication. Half the
56
English idioms
time the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.
take your
own hands
to deal with a particular
situation because you are not
happy with the way the others
are dealing with
işləri öz əlinə/öh-
dəsinə/himayəsi-
nə götürmək
I don’t care if you know who did this to your car, you shouldn’t
deal with it yourself. Call the police. You can’t take the law
into your own hands.
change
hands
to change or transfer
ownership
əldən-ələ keçmək, başqasının
əlinə keçmək; satılmaq
- Let’s go to the Greek restaurant we went to last year. It was
nice.
- It’s a Chinese restaurant now. It changed hands last
September.
out of
hand
if you reject, etc. sth out of
hand, you do so immediately
without thinking about it
fully or listening to other
people’s arguments
oxumadan/müzakirə et-
mədən bir şeyə etiraz
etmək; bir şeyin üzünə
baxmadan qaytarmaq,
əldən qaytarmaq
My boss rejected my report out of hand.
have time on your
hands
to have time to spare boş vaxtı olmaq
- We’re repairing the house at the moment, it’s taking ages.
57
English idioms
- Don’t worry. I can give you a hand. I’ve got a bit of time on
my hands.
get your
hands on
to read everything and
anything
əlinə keçəni oxumaq
- I wonder how you have got the information. You can answer
nearly everything what you are asked about.
- I read very widely. In fact, I read everything I can get my
hands on.
give sb a hand
(or lend a hand)
to give a hand; make
yourself useful; help
bir kəsə kömək
etmək/əl tutmaq
Your luggage looks heavy. Let me give you a hand.
♣ HEAD IDIOMS
have your
head in the
clouds
far from real life; to have
ideas, plans, etc. that are
not realistic
real həyatdan uzaq;
göylərdə uçmaq; xə-
yala qapılmaq
He is typical teenager. No sense of responsibility. He thinks
he’ll walk into a job. I know he has got his head in the clouds
most of the time.
make head or tail of
(used in negative,
to see the why of;
finding a meaning
başa düşmək/
baş açmaq; bir
58
English idioms
conditional, and
interrogative sentences)
in; understand şeyin səbəbini
anlamaq
- I’ve read the instruction booklet, but I couldn’t understand it.
- I’ve looked at it too, and can’t make head or tail of it, either.
do something
standing on
your head
(informal) to be able to do
sth very easily and
without having to think too
much
bir işi çox asanlıq-
la etmək; gözü yu-
mulu edə bilmək
- Is it difficult to make a home page or a website?
- Not really. I’ve done so many now I could do it standing on
my head.
be head and
shoulders
above sb/sth
to be much
better than other
people or things
digərlərindən fərqlənmək,
fərqli olmaq, başqa insan-
lardan/şeylərdən çox üstün
olmaq; başbilən olmaq
He is still top of the family. He is head and shoulders above
the rest, as always.
put/lay your
head/neck
on the block
to risk losing your
job, damaging your
reputation, etc. by
doing or saying sth
hərəkətləri/danışığı ilə
özünü (işini) təhlükə al-
tında qoymaq; başını
cəncələ/bəlaya salmaq
- Sorry about the mistakes, but none of them was very serious.
59
English idioms
- That’s easy for you to say, but it’s my head that’s on the
block, not yours!
go right
over your
head
not understandable; beyond
your ability to understand;
too hard or strange for you to
understand
başa düşülməyən,
başına batmayan,
ağlı bir şey kəsmə-
mək
I listened to this problem of yours but it went right over my
head. Nonsense!
keep your
head above
water
to remain solvent;
manage to stay
out of debt
çulunu sudan çıxarmaq; güc
-bəla ilə dolanmaq, birtəhər
dolanmaq; borca düşməmək
The first two years of running this business were very hard. We
just about managed to keep our heads above water.
need (to have)
your head
examined
(informal)
to be crazy
dəli olmaq; məc. ağlına dua yaz-
dırmaq; ağlı çaşmaq; başını hə-
kimə yoxlatmaq/göstərmək
If you think I’m going to lend you money again, you need your
head examined.
bury/hide
your head
in the
sand
to refuse to admit
that a problem
exists or refuse to
deal with it
təkidlə real faktları nəzərə al-
madan boyun qaçırmaq; məc.
başını kola soxmaq; başının
altına yastıq qoymaq
60
English idioms
This is a problem we have to face. We can’t bury our heads in
the sand and hope it will go away.
put
heads
together
to cooperate with
someone else in order
to find the solution to a
given problem
bir yerə yığılıb məsləhət-
ləşmək, bir yerdə müzaki-
rə etmək; məc. külüngü
bir yerə vurmaq
I’m sure we can find a solution to this problem if we all put our
heads together.
♣ HEART IDIOMS
The heart has always been seen as one of the most
important organs in the body, perhaps the most important.
close/
dear/near
to your
heart
having a lot of
importance and
interest for sb
bir kəsin qəlbinə yaxın olmaq,
bir kəslə/şeylə maraqlanmaq,
marağına uyğun olmaq; nəyə
görəsə narahat olmaq
You know, this problem has always been close to my heart.
61
English idioms
have a
heart of
gold
a kind, generous, or
forgiving nature
saf qəlbli olmaq, xeyirxah ol-
maq, qızıl kimi qəlbi olmaq
◘ - My mother is a great help to us. And she does so much for
her neighbours as well.
- Yes, people are always saying she’s got a heart of gold.
◘ They shared most of the same views, she had a heart of
gold, ... [18, p.51].
have a heart
of stone
a nature without
pity
zalım, qəddar, daşürəkli
olmaq
◘ He has a heart of stone. He often hits his wife. ◘ My mother
has a mind like a whip, and a heart of stone [41, p.136].
heart
is (not)
in sth
used to say that you are
(not) very interested in
or enthusiastic about sth
bir şeyə aludə olmaq/ürə-
yini qoymaq; bir şeyə istə-
yi/həvəsi olmaq (olma-
maq); maraqlanmaq
- I’ve decided to give up my piano lessons. I just don’t seem to
be getting anywhere.
- Well, there’s no point continuing if your heart is not in it.
in your heart
of hearts
deep down where it really
matters; in one’s innermost
feelings
qəlbinin də-
rinliyində
◘ - The job in America came to nothing. Are you disappointed?
62
English idioms
- Not really. In my heart of hearts, I didn’t really want to
leave Britain.
◘ And she prayed daily that He would let her keep her father,
but in her heart of hearts, she knew that wasn’t going to
happen [19, p.95].
have a
change
of heart
if you have a change of heart,
your attitude towards sth changes
usually making you feel more
friendly, helpful, etc
niyyətini/məq-
sədini/məramını
dəyişmək
- Why are Tom and Julia going back to Australia? I thought
they were going to stay for another six months.
- That’s the plan but they’ve had a change of heart. They’re
homesick.
a man/woman
after your
own heart
a man/woman who
likes the same things
or has the same
opinions as you
eyni şeyləri xoşlayan,
eyni fikirdə olan, ar-
zuları üst-üstə düşən
insanlar
◘ - I like most sports really -
especially rugby.
- Oh, a man after my own
heart. I really love rugby!
- Mən idmanı sevirəm,
xüsusilə reqbini.
- Əsl mənim adamımsan.
Mən də reqbini sevirəm.
◘ He had an idea that everybody in the room was a man after
63
English idioms
his own heart, that everything was glorious, everything was
perfect [22, p.27].
have heart-
to-heart
about sth
speaking freely and
seriously about
something private
dərdləşmək; səmimi
söhbət etmək; ürəyini
bir-birinə açmaq
- Where’s Lisa? She’s not at her desk.
- She’s in David’s office. They’re having a heart-to-heart
about her future.
break sb’s
heart
to make sb feel
very unhappy or
hopeless
bir kəsi məyus etmək, kədər-
ləndirmək; bir kəsin qəlbini
sındırmaq/parçalamaq
◘ My car has finally come to the end of its life. I’ve had it for
20 years. It’ll break my heart to say good- bye to it.
◘ “Have you broken my heart and ruined my whole life just
to keep me in your rotten theatre?” [31, p. 43].
not have
the heart
(to do sth)
to be unable to do sth because you
know that it will make sb feel sad
or upset; not be insensitive or
cruel
ürəyi gəlmə-
mək; cürət et-
məmək
◘ Simon asked if he could play the piano at the wedding. I
know he’s not very good but I didn’t have the heart to say no.
◘ Crystal was tired, but she didn’t have the heart to refuse her
64
English idioms
[19, p.169].
heart sink to lose hope, courage,
or eagerness; be very
disappointed
ümidini, cəsarətini itir-
mək; kədərlənmək; məc.
ürəyi düşmək
◘ My heart sank when I saw how much washing up there was
in the kitchen.
◘ Her heart sank because she knew she had lost something …
[31, p.50].
65
English idioms
SECTION THREE
CLOTHES IDIOMS
Geyimlə bağlı işlənən idiomlar
♣ CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN AND THE WOMAN
fit like a
glove
to fit
perfectly
yaraşmaq; əyninə oturmaq; üstünə
biçilmək, ölçüsünə uyğun olmaq
This coat fits you like a glove.
get/have/
keep sth
up your
sleeve
to keep a plan or an idea
secret; kept secrectly
ready for the right time
or for a time when
needed
gizli bir fikri və yaxud
planı olmaq; ehtiyatda
(boxçada) bir şey saxla-
maq; ehtiyatlı olmaq;
hər şeyi öz vaxtında is-
tifadə etmək
◘ It’s my sister’s birthday tomorrow, but I haven’t bought or
planned anything yet, mother calms me because she always has
got something up her sleeve.
◘ I think you are keeping something up your sleeve. What’s
it? Come on. Tell me, I’m all ears.
66
English idioms
be in sb’s
shoes
(boots)
in or into
one’s place
or position
bir kəslə eyni vəziyyətdə olmaq; özü-
nü kiminsə yerinə qoymaq, başqası-
nın vəziyyətini başa düşmək
◘ The director asked Kate to break the news to the people who
are losing their jobs. Poor Kate. I wouldn’t like to be in her
shoes.
◘ You know, it’s a very good plan to put yourself in
somebody else’s shoes and ask yourself how you would act in
his place [33, p.56].
on a
shoestring
(informal) using
very little money;
with little money to
spend; on a very
low budget
çox az pul istifadə etmək/
xərcləmək, az məbləğ pul ilə
işə başlamaq; bir işi özünü
sıxaraq (pul barədə) görmək
- We just can’t compete with bigger companies.
- I know. We have to do everything on a shoestring.
get your
knickers
in a twist
to become angry,
confused or upset
bərk əsəbiləşmək, acıqlan-
maq, özündən çıxmaq; məc.
tumanını başına çevirmək
- The dinner is not ready. I still haven’t washed my hair. The
place is mess, What am I going to do?
- Just calm down! Don’t get your knickers in a twist.
tighten to live on less money than qənaət etmək (pula,
67
English idioms
your belt usual; use less food and
other things
yeməyə); məc. özünü
sıxmaq
◘ People are having to tighten their belt just to survive till
better times return.
◘ When my husband lost his job we had to tighten our belts.
fill sb’s
shoes
to take the place of another
and do as well; to substitute
satisfactorily for
bir kəsin vəzifəsini
(vakansiyasını) tut-
maq; bir kəsin yerini
tutmaq
She is going to a new job in New York. We are going to miss
her. It won’t be easy to find someone to fill her shoes.
pull your
socks up
to try to do better,
either in terms of one’s
behaviour or at a task
one is performing
qolunu çırmayıb işə giriş-
mək/başlamaq; işi daha
yaxşı görmək üçün ciddi-
cəhdlə çalışmaq
You are going to fail this course unless you pull your socks up.
wear the
trousers
(pants)
(often disapproving)
(especially of a woman) to
have a man’s authority; be
the boss of a family or
household
evin kişisi olmaq (qa-
dın haq.); kişini (ərini)
qapazaltı etmək; evdə
hökmranlıq etmək
She’s the one who wears the trousers in their house.
talk to say something without cəfəngiyyat danış-
68
English idioms
through
your hat
knowing or understanding
the facts; talk foolishly or
ignorantly
maq; ağlına gələni
danışmaq, sayıqla-
maq
Don’t listen to what he’s saying. He’s talking through his hat.
a wet
blanket
(informal, disapproving)
a person or thing that
keeps others from
enjoying life; dull or
boring person
darıxdırıcı adam; öz hə-
rəkətləri ilə başqaları-
nın sevincini/kefini və s.
pozan adam; başqasının
kefinə soğan doğrayan
◘ James was not invited to go on the outing with the rest of the
group because he’s such a wet blanket. On many previous
occasions he has kept others from enjoying themselves by his
pessimism and lack of enthusiasm. It’s understandable that no
one wants him around.
◘ He danced rottenly, he was a wet blanket at a party [33,
p.50].
keep under
your hat
keep sth a secret
tell nobody
bir şeyi sirr/gizli saxlamaq;
heç kimə heç nə deməmək
Although the contestants were more anxious to know who won
the prizes in the piano competition, the judges kept the results
under their hats. They kept the results a secret so that the
formal announcements could be made in public at the awards
69
English idioms
ceremony.
dressed
to kill
wear your finest
clothing
ziyafət paltarını geyinmək, ən
yaxşı/ağlı başdan alan paltarını
geyinmək
The reception for the new Swedish ambassador at the
Lennison’s was quite lavish. Naturally, everybody was dressed
to kill. Everyone was dressed in their finest, most elegant
clothes.
blow/knock
sb’s socks
off
(informal) to surprise or
impress sb very much;
enthuse and excite
bir kəsi təəccüblən-
dirmək, şoka sal-
maq, çaşdırmaq
- Hi, John. What’s new?
- Oh, nothing too much with me, but you ought to see
Alfriedo’s new car. It’ll knock your socks off!
- So, he finally got that Italian sports car he’s been dreaming.
lose your
shirt
lose a great deal of
money
var-yoxdan çıxmaq; çox pul
itirmək
- I happened to bump into Doug at lunch yesterday afternoon.
- What’s new with Doug these days?
- He wasn’t doing so well. For one thing, he told me he lost his
shirt at the races.
- He has always liked to bet on the horses. I’m not surprised
70
English idioms
that he lost great deal of money.
in
stitches
(informal) laughing so
hard that the sides ache;
laughing very hard
qəşş etmək; gülməkdən
ürəyi getmək; qarnını
tutana qədər gülmək
Danny was hilarious at the party the other night. He had us all
in stitches! I didn’t realize that he was such a comedian.
dressed to
the teeth
dressed elegantly dəbdəbəli geyinmək; sə-
liqəli, eleqant geyinmək
- Did you see Hilda at the party last night?
- Yes, I did. She was really dressed to the teeth!
- Well, she had on her finest, most elegant clothing because she
was out to make a good impression on Bill.
71
English idioms
SECTION FOUR
COLOUR IDIOMS
Rəng adları ilə işlənən idiomlar
♣ BLACK/WHITE
a white
lie
an innocent social excuse; not serious
and sometimes saves embarrasement
yüngül yalan;
qərəzsiz yalan
- I think you didn’t like Anar’s new picture. Am I right?
- Yes, you’re right, I didn’t want to upset him so I told him a
white lie.
be/look as
white as a
sheet
(at the skin) pale because
of emotion or illness
solğun/xəstə görün-
mək; rəngi solğun;
kağiz kimi ağ olmaq
- I don’t feel very well. I’d better go to bed.
- Yes, go and lie. You look as white as a sheet.
a white
elephant
unwanted property, such as real
estate, that is hard to sell
artıq yük; lazım-
sız (əşya, mülk)
◘ I should never have bought this piano. My children never
play on it. It just takes up space. It’s a bit of a while elephant.
Let’s sell it.
◘ … his truly English pragmatism, couldn’t help feeling that
72
English idioms
Micheal would be well rid of a white elephant [27, p.66].
a black look an angry one hirsli/qəzəbli/kinli baxış
My father didn’t say a word to me as I came home late
yesterday. He only gave me a black look. It was enough for
me.
a black spot a dangerous road or
corner
təhlükəli yol/yer; ölüm
nöqtəsi
Be careful driving along here. It’s a real black spot. Three
people were killed in an accident only last week.
a black picture a depressing one qəmgin/kədərli mənzərə
◘ Things are bad, I’m afraid. We might have leave 50 workers
this year and some of the others next year. Sorry to paint such a
black picture, but that’s the reality.
◘ He painted such a black picture and he was so sorry for
himself that his father had to laugh with gentle humor [19,
p.324].
a black
economy
unofficial and
illegal
qeyri-qanuni yolla qazanılan
var-dövlət; qara iqtisadiyyat
Every country has a black economy, but I think it is bigger in
our country than others.
73
English idioms
the blackest
day of one’s
life
a day of great
unhappiness; a
disaster
bir kəsin həyatının ən pis
günü; ən qara/kədərli gün
When I heard his death I became frightened. It was the
blackest day of my life.
in black
and white
in print or in writing;
words on paper, not spoken
yazılı formada, çap
olunmuş formada;
kağız üzərində
- Good news, Andy. I’ve just heard we’re finally getting that
pay rise we were promised-starting from next month.
- I’ll believe it when I see it in black and white.
black or white
(of tea or coffee)
without milk;
with milk added
südsüz və ya südlə olan
çay/kofe
- Can I have a coffee, please?
- Certainly. Black or white?
- Black, please.
♣ RED/BLUE
once in a
blue moon
very rarely; very
seldom; almost never
ayda/ildə bir dəfə, az-az,
nadir hallarda
I’ve a lot of work to do. I don’t have any time for
74
English idioms
entertainment. I even meet my close friends once in a blue
moon.
give
someone a
red carpet
treatment
a sign of special
welcome or
attention for an
important visitor
bir kəsi yaxşı qarşılamaq,
üzünə xoş baxmaq; ayağının
altına xalça döşəmək; ayağı-
nın altında qurban kəsmək
When we receive foreign presidents at the airport we give them
the red carpet treatment.
paint the
town red
to go out to drink
and have a good
time; celebrate
wildly; carouse
yaxşı vaxt keçirmək; bir şeyi
geniş şəkildə qeyd etmək; sə-
hərə kimi gəzib-dolaşmaq; içki
məclisi düzəltmək, eyş-işrətlə
məşğul olmaq
After my birthday party, I and my friends didn’t stay at home.
We painted the town red.
do sth till you
are blue in
the face
(informal) to try to do sth as
hard and as long as you
possibly can but without
success; very angry or upset;
excited and very emotional
nəfəsin kəsilə-
nə kimi/gözün
kəllənə çıxana
qədər çalışmaq
Look, you’ve asked me fifty times already and you can keep
asking until you’re blue in the face, but the answer is still
“No”.
75
English idioms
blue
handed
to be caught
while stealing
cinayət üstündə yaxalanmaq; oğur-
luq malı kiminsə əlində tutmaq
- I’m sure that Robert stole my money.
- How can you be sure of that? Did you see it?
- One of my friends saw it. He was caught blue-handed.
blue-eyed
boy
(informal, often disapproving)
a person treated with special
favour by sb
bir kəsin sevimlisi
olan adam; bir
kəsin əziz-xələfi
- My brother is the director’s favourite worker. He never hurts
him. Generally, all are nice to him at work.
- Oh, yes. I know him. He can do no wrong. He is the blue-
eyed man.
blue movies an obscene or pornographic
film/movie, etc
pornoqrafiya
filmi
- Will you watch this new late-night cinema?
- No, thanks. I heard that they show blue movies. I’m not
interested in them.
a red rag to a
bull (like
waving a red
flag in front
of a bull)
an extraordinarily
powerful irritant that
provokes violent
reaction
bir kəsi özündən çıxar-
maq/cırnatmaq; dəliyə
döndərmək; məc. cin
atına mindirmək
I become quite aggressive when my parents speak about their
76
English idioms
jobs at the dinner table. It’s like a red rag to a bull.
a bolt
from/out
of the
blue/sky
something sudden and
unexpected; an event that
you did not see coming; a
great and unpleasant
surprise; shock
qəflətən, gözlənilmə-
dən baş verən hadisə;
şok hadisə; yaxşı və
ya xoş olmayan sür-
priz/xəbər
◘ - Didn’t you know about your promotion?
- Of course, not. Totally unexpected. It was like a bolt out of
the blue.
◘ “I always get the feeling you’re waiting for bolts of
lightning to come down from the sky before you decide it’s
right” [19, p.177].
be in the
red
(informal) in an
unprofitable way; so
as to lose money
əli aşağı olmaq (pul barədə);
zərərdə olmaq, çox pul itir-
mək
- What’s the matter with you? You look worried? Is everything
OK?
- Not really. I’m in the red again. I’m having real money
problems.
a red-letter
day
a holiday; memorable
day (usually printed in
red on calendars)
unudulmaz/yadda qalan
gün; bayram günləri
(təqvimdə qırmızı ilə
göstərilmiş günlər)
77
English idioms
- Did you pass your final exam?
- Oh, I passed it two days ago. It was really difficult. The day I
passed was a red-letter day for me. I remember it like it was
yesterday.
see red (informal) to become
very angry
acıqlanmaq, hövsələdən çıx-
maq; məc. cin atına minmək;
ağlını itirmək, dəliyə dönmək
◘ My friend accused me of lying. Can you believe it? I just saw
red and started shouting at her.
◘ Whenever anyone teased my sister about her weight, she saw
red.
78
English idioms
SECTION FIVE
PEOPLE’S FEELINGS IN PARTICULAR SITUATIONS
Müxtəlif vəziyyətlərdə insan hisslərini əks etdirən idiomlar
♣ WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
a lemon (informal) a thing that is useless
because it doesn’t work as it
should; something defective
bir şeyin qüsurlu
/xarab olması
◘ - Have you seen Joanne’s new car yet?
- Yeah. It looks good, but she’s had nothing but problems with
it.
- That’s too bad. It sounds like she got a real lemon.
- She sure did! No sooner did she drive it home from the
dealer’s than it proved defective and started breaking down.
◘ “Mother, our fridge is a lemon,” my sister bitterly
complained.
out of the woods out of danger təhlükəsiz, təhlükədən uzaq
Although Eric was well on his way to recovering from his bout
with pneumonia, he was still not out of the woods.
get up on the
wrong side of
the bed
to be bad-tempered for
the whole day for no
particular reason; to
xüsusi səbəb olmadan
bütün günü kefsiz ol-
maq, yuxudan oya-
79
English idioms
wake with a bad temper nandan kefsiz/qaşqa-
baqlı olmaq
- What’s the matter with Bernard today? He started shouting
from the moment he stepped into the office.
- I don’t know. He usually doesn’t act that way at all. I guess he
got up on the wrong side of the bed.
out on a limb (informal) in a
risky position
təhlükəli/riskli vəziyyətə
düşmək; işə düşmək
The members of the committee realized that their position
against expanding the student aid program was an unpopular
one, and that they were going out on a limb by voting against
the program.
what’s eating
her, etc.?
(informal) used
to ask what sb is
annoyed or
worred about
bir kəsin narahatçılığının,
əsəbiliyinin səbəbini so-
ruşmaq; onun qəlbini di-
dən nədir?
◘ - Hey, Alice. What’s been eating you lately? Don’t you
realize how rude and irritable you’ve become?
- I know. I’m really sorry for the way I’ve been acting.
- Well, why don’t you tell me what has been bothering and
upsetting you and maybe we can work your problem out
together.
80
English idioms
◘ “What’s eating you?” [19, p.215].
get the ax (informal) be
dismissed, fired
from a job
torbası qoltuğuna verilmək;
işdə/imtahanda və s. fırıldaq-
çılıq etdiyinə görə qovulmaq
◘ - I feel sorry for Richard. He was feeling quite depressed when
I ran into him.
- Did he tell you what was bothering him?
- Among other things he informed me that he got the ax at
work.
- That’s strange. He’s always been a conscientious worker.
◘ One of the students got caught cheating on his final exam and
he got the ax by our dean Naila. ◘ Joe got the ax from Bessy.
They won’t see each other again.
be in a
hole
(informal) in debt; in
a difficult situation
borclu olmaq; borca düşmək;
çətin vəziyyətdə olmaq
◘ Unfortunately, Peter had to sell his neighborhood hard-ware
store. Because of competition from the bigger stores in the
shopping center, he was going in the hole every month.
◘ It seemed only natural to help you when you were in a hole
[31, p.145].
bite the
bullet
(informal) endure in a
difficult situation
çətin/ağrılı vəziyyətə döz-
mək
- We really had a frightening experience when we went hunting
81
English idioms
last month.
- What happened?
- We got lost in the wilderness and had to bite the bullet until
help arrived.
blow it fail at sth kəsilmək (imtahandan), şansını əldən
vermək
◘ - How did you do on the history exam?
- I think I blew it! There was a section on the Civil War, and
that’s the chapter in the book that I studied the least.
◘ That English test was so easy. I can’t understand how I could
have blown it.
be at the end
of your rope
(end of your
tether)
to feel that you cannot
deal with a difficult
situation any more
because you are too
tired, worried, etc; at
the limit of one’s ability
to rope
mübarizə aparmağa
gücü qalmamaq, bez-
mək/yorulmaq/əldən
düşmək, bir kəsin
səbrinin tükənməsi;
səbr kasasının daş-
ması
◘ The Jone’s housekeeper was completely useless! Poor Mrs.
Jones felt that she was at the end of her rope when she walked
into the house and saw the children crying and unfed, dirty
dishes in the sink, and clothes strewn all over the place.
82
English idioms
◘ My brother was out of work and broke, and he was at the end
of his rope.
be on your
last legs
sick and failing;
the final stage of
a journey
miskin/xəstə/ümidsiz vəziyyət-
də olmaq; son günlərini yaşa-
maq; səyahətin son mərhələsi
◘ - Poor Mike. He was one of the greatest musicians I’ve ever
known, but when I saw him the other day he looked like he was
on his last legs.
- Yeah. He hardly plays any more.
- What made him give up his music?
- Apparently he lost confidence in himself at some point in his
career, and he’s been sick and failing ever since.
◘ The last leg of our journey was from London to Madrid.
hot under
the collar
(informal)
extremely
angree
hirsindən boğulmaq; son dərəcə
əsəbi olmaq; məc. hirsindən çırt-
ma vursan qanı damar
- Did you see how Bill came in to work this morning?
- Did I ever! Boy, was he hot under the collar!
- What brought that on?
- He said that he was extremely angry because he got stuck in
slow-moving traffic and arrived late for an important business
meeting.
be on the (informal) in danger of bir şeyi itirmək təhlükə-
83
English idioms
line being lost sində olmaq
Lately Tom’s been more conscientious about the accuracy and
quality of his work with the company. He was warned that his
job was on the line because of his lack of concern for his duties.
♣ WHEN THINGS GO WELL
for a song (informal) for very little
money; very cheaply
ucuz; çox az pula; su
qiymətinə
- Sara, I picked up the perfect chair for the living room the
other day.
-That’s wonderful. I know you’ve been looking for some time.
Where did you finally come across what you wanted?
- I was really quite lucky. I got it for a song at a little furniture
store. I was able to buy it for very little money because the
owners of the store were right in the middle of their spring
liquidation sale.
have the
world by the
tail
be successful
and happy
çox xoşbəxt olmaq; özünü
dünyanın yiyəsi hiss etmək
Mark finished school at the top of his class and he was offered
an excellent position with an accounting firm. Now he feels
84
English idioms
that he has the world by the tail. Everything has been working
out for him lately, and it’s no wonder that he’s feeling so
successful and happy.
feel like a
million
dollars
feel
wonderful
özünü təzə anadan olmuş uşaq
kimi hiss etmək; özünü əla hiss
etmək
- I bumped into Nick at the barbershop yesterday. He looked
great, but I noticed that he had a slight limp when he walked.
- I guess you didn’t know that he had an operation on his knee.
- No, I didn’t. How’s he feeling?
- He says he’s feeling like a million dollars now. Apparently,
the pain in his knee is all gone.
kick up
your heels
(informal) to be
relaxed and
enjoy yourself;
celebrate
rahat nəfəs almaq; vaxtını
şən keçirmək; sevincdən gö-
yə uçmaq; bir şeyi qeyd
etmək
The prerequisites for admission to the Theater Arts School are
quite demanding, and those students who were finally accepted
had reason to kick up their heels. It was natural that those who
made it through the exams and interviews would want to
celebrate the occasion by going out and having a good time.
85
English idioms
♣ PEOPLE DO THE STRANGEST THINGS
bite the
dust
(informal) to fail,
or to be defeated
or destroyed
uğursuzluqla üzləşmək, məğ-
lub edilmək, dağıdılmaq; dö-
yüşdə öldürülmək
◘ Andy did exceptionally well in all of the track events, but he
bit the dust in the high jump competition. Much to the
disappointment of his fans, he went down in defeat, losing to a
competitor from the visiting team.
◘ Captain Jones discharged his gun and another guerrilla bit
the dust.
bend over
backwards
try very hard dəridən-qabıqdan çıxmaq; çox
çalışmaq, əlləşmək; bir kəsə
kömək etməyə çalışmaq
When Joan first started teaching she was afraid that she would
have a lot of trouble getting used to the kids and to the faculty.
Her tears turned out to be unfounded, since everybody bent
over backwards to help her. Everyone tried very hard to help
her feel comfortable and adjust to the school.
cough sth
up
(informal) give sth
unwillingly (especially
money)
könülsüz vermək (pulu),
boğazından kəsmək (pu-
lu)
- Say, Greg. Did you finally get that computer that you wanted
86
English idioms
so much?
- Not yet. I needed to raise a couple of hundred dollars more.
- Is it going to take you a while to raise the money?
- It would have taken me forever, but dad said he’d cough up
the money I need since I’m going to be using the computer for
my school work.
jump the gun to be hasty hövsələsizlik etmək, tələsmək
Denise was planning on telling her grandparents that the doctor
said she was going to have twins, but when her dad found out
he jumped the gun and told them before Denise could say a
word. He was so excited that he became hasty and revealed the
news before Denise had a chance to tell them.
scratch
sb’s back
return a favour; to do
sth kind and helpful for
someone or to flatter
him in the hope that he
will do sth for you
bir kəsə etdiyi yaxşı-
lığın əvəzini görmək;
yaxşılığın əvəzini qay-
tarmaq; əl-əli yuyar,
əl də üzü
- Hey, Bea. I need some help stacking these boxes. Would you
please give me a hand?
- Ok, and I need some help tidying up the house. How about
your helping me out after that?
- Ok. If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.
hit the become very çox əsəbiləşmək; hirsindən divara
87
English idioms
ceiling angry dırmaşmaq; məc. başını divara
vurmaq
Don’s father hit the ceiling when he was informed that his son
had been detained by the police for disorderly conduct.
turn
someone off
disgust
someone
bir kəsdə ikrah/nifrət oyatmaq;
kimisə özündən iyrəndirmək
- How was your date with Marty last night?
- Well, it started Ok, but he really turned me off when we went
for a snack after the movies.
- Did he say or do something to annoy you?
- Frankly, he disgusted me when he tried to talk with his
mouthful.
go fly a
(your) kite
(informal) go
away
“uç”; get saqqızını çeynə; çıx
get; açıl başımdan
For the past three hours Jerry had been trying to convince
Linda to go to the art exhibition with him. She had been
refusing all along and finally in desperation she told him, “Go
fly a kite!” Jerry didn’t like to be told to go away in such a
forceful manner. Nevertheless, he finally stopped trying to get
Linda to attend the exhibition.
kick the
bucket
(informal) (humorous)
to die
ölmək; o dünyaya getmək
It’s been said that the old man knew a buried treasure, but he
88
English idioms
kicked the bucket before telling anyone where it was.
raise a
stink
protest
strongly
bir şeyə kəskin etiraz etmək; tufan
qoparmaq; aləmi bir-birinə qatmaq
Listen! Don’t try to use any of your sister’s clothes without
asking her first. She’s reliable to raise a stink if she finds
something missing.
♣ SUPRISES
out of the blue without any warning; by
surprise; unexpectedly
qəfildən, qəflətən,
gözlənilmədən
My father has just arrived from London, completely out of the
blue. It was a lovely surprise.
the shock of
your life
to be surprised; to
fill with surprised
disgust, horror
matı-qutu qurumaq; təəc-
cubdən ağzı açıq qalmaq;
şoka düşmək
- Didn’t she phone to say she was coming?
- No, there was a knock at the door and there she was with her
suitcase. I got the shock of my life.
you’ve got
another
think
(informal) used to tell sb
that they are wrong about
sth and must change their
nəticə çıxarmağa tə-
ləsmək; bütün plan-
ları alt-üst etmək,
89
English idioms
coming plans and opinions aləmi qarışdırmaq
- He says he’s taking next Monday off. He wants to go skiing on
Scotland.
- Well he hasn’t asked me about it. If he thinks he can take a day
off without checking first, he’s got another think coming.
pull the rug
from under
sb’s feet
(informal) to withdraw
support unexpectedly
from; to spoil the plans
of
gözləmədiyi halda zər-
bə almaq; məc. bir kə-
sin ayağının altından
yerin qaçması
My boss started to criticize my work, which really pulled the
rug from under my feet.
take
somebody
by surprise
to appear in front of someone
suddenly or to suddenly
discover him before he
discovers you; appear before
(someone) unexpectedly
qəfildən/gözlənil-
mədən peyda ol-
maq; gözlənilməz
hadisə ilə üzləş-
mək/çaş-baş qal-
maq
- Congratulations on your promotion, Pat! Were you expecting
it?
- Not at all. It took me completely by surprise.
come back
to earth
with a
(informal) to return, or to make
sb return, to a normal way of
thinking or behaving after a time
bir kəsi xəyal-
dan ayıltmaq;
göylərdən yerə
90
English idioms
bump when they’ve been very excited,
not very practical, etc
endirmək
My brother had a great time on holiday last month. He came
back to earth with a bump though. When he got home, he
found his flat had been broken into.
a blessing
in disguise
some unexpected good that
came about as the result of
something bad or undesirable
hər pis işin içində/
sonunda bir xeyir
var, hər şeydə bir
xeyir var
- I heard you lost your job last month. That was a shock, wasn’t
it?
- Actually, it was a blessing in disguise. I have found
something much better.
harder than one
bargains for
to get more in a
pejorative sense than
what one expected to get
gözlədiyindən da-
ha ağır/ciddi və-
ziyyətlə üzləşmək
- How was your exam? Was everything OK?
- No, it was much harder than I had bargained for.
not believe your eyes
(used with a negative or
in an interrogative or
conditional sentences)
to not believe
what one sees;
trust one’s
eyesight
gözlərinə inanma-
maq; gördüyünə
inana bilməmək
- What did you think of the dress Sandora was wearing last
91
English idioms
night?
- Like everyone else, I couldn’t believe my eyes! Everyone
thought she was so quiet and conservative.
♣ YOU DON’T SAY
money
talks
(informal) money can
influence people
hər şeyi pul həll edir; pul
açmayan qapı yoxdur
- We’ve been waiting for three months to get delivery on our
car, and people who in their order after us have already gotten
theirs.
- Well, money talks. Why don’t you try giving the dealer a
little something extra to move things along?
- I know full well that money has the power to influence
people, but I refuse to pay extra for a service that is owed to me
as a client.
let
sleeping
dogs lie
do not agitate a
potential source
of trouble
hər şeyi olduğu kimi saxlamaq;
yatan iti oyatmazlar; ağrımayan
başına dəsmal bağlama
You’d better not say anything to the owner of the building about
painting your apartment. If I were you I’d let sleeping dogs lie.
if the shoe fits, admit the truth həqiqəti etiraf etmək;
92
English idioms
wear it
hər şeyi boynuna almaq
- Joe feels rather badly because he’s always being criticized for
his sloppy personal appearances.
- With reason. “If the shoe fits, wear it”, I always say. Still, I
can’t help feeling sorry for the guy. I know that what people say
about him is true, and that he should admit it.
different
strokes for
different folks
everyone has
different interests
and tastes
hərənin öz maraq dai-
rəsi və zövqü var; hər
aşığın öz havası var
- It’s hard to understand my sisters. My elder sister goes in for
sailing, but my little sister can’t stand to be on water. She
enjoys jazz.
- You know what they say: “Different strokes for different
folks”.
eyes are bigger than
sb’s stomach
take more food
than one can eat
çox yemək; acgözlük
etmək; qarın doyur,
göz doymur
- Chris, why don’t you finish eating that third helping of
dessert?
- I guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach when I said I
wanted more.
put your follow through with a vədini həyata keçir-
93
English idioms
money where
your mouth is
stated intention mək; sözdən əmələ
keçmək
- You’ve been promising to take us to Disneyland 7 for the past
two years. Since the kids are free, how about putting your
money where your mouth is?
- You don’t have to remind me. I have every intention of doing
exactly what I promised.
people who live
in glass houses
shouldn’t throw
stones
one should
not criticize
when one is
equally at
fault
özün günahkar olduğun hal-
da, başqasına ağıl öyrətmə;
öz gözündə tükü görmür,
başqasının gözündə tir ax-
tarır
My friend criticized me for driving too fast, but I tried to tell her
that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones,
but it didn’t do much good.
all’s well
that ends
well
a successful outcome is
worth the effort
hər şey yaxşılığa doğru-
dur; hər işin sonunda
xeyir var
- After all, I’m happy to hear that things finally turned out
satisfactorily for you.
- Don’t you know, they say: “All’s well that ends well”
- I’m happy, too. It was really worth the effort.
pay through pay too high a soyulmaq (pul barədə); çox
94
English idioms
the nose price pul ödəmək/xərcləmək
At last I found the coat I had been seeking for a long time. But,
at once, I understood that I would have to pay through the nose
in order to have it. Then I decided that I wouldn’t mind paying
such a high price for something so rare.
play it
by ear
(informal) to decide how
to deal with a situation as
it develops rather than by
having a plan to follow
hadisələrin nə cür inkişaf
edəcəyi işin gedişindən
asılıdır; işin/hadisələrin
gedişinə baxarıq
◘ - Let’s go to the movies, agreed?
- Sure. And what’ll we do after that?
- Oh, I don’t know. Let’s play it by ear. I think it’s always
more fun not knowing what to expect and deciding what to do as
we go along.
◘ Pearl played it by ear, as Crystal let herself drift into the
music [19, p.166].
(not) have a
leg to stand
on
to have no
good defense
for one’s
opinions or
actions
özünü müdafiə etmək iqtidarın-
da olmamaq; haqqını tələb edə
bilməmək; hərəkətlərinə bəraət
qazandıra bilməmək; məc. ayaq
üstə möhkəm dayana bilməmək
I think that my wages is low for having worked overtime.
However, I won’t have a leg to stand on, unless I can prove
95
English idioms
that I put in all those extra hours. I don’t stand a chance of
getting my money without a strong foundation of facts to
support my position.
sell
someone
short
underestimate
someone
bir kəsin qabiliyyətini lazımi qə-
dər qiymətləndirməmək; kiminsə
haqqında pis fikrə düşmək
- Just because he doesn’t say much is no reason to sell him
short.
- Actually, he’s a profounder thinker and a most talented writer.
put sth
on ice
away for safekeeping or later
use; set aside for future use
əl saxlamaq; fasilə et-
mək; işi müvəqqəti
saxlamaq
- We’ve been working on this project since morning. Don’t you
think we should take a break for some dinner?
- I’m kind of hungry too. Let’s put the project on ice awhile
and grab a bite to eat.
♣ THAT’S NOT NICE
sell someone
down the river
betray someone kimisə (bir) qara qəpiyə
satmaq; xəyanət etmək
- I heard that poor Jud landed up in jail.
96
English idioms
- Yeah. His so-called girl-friend sold him down the river and
claimed the reward on him.
- I can’t understand that. I thought she was devoted to him.
leave someone
high and dry
abandon
someone
bir kəsi tərk etmək; yarı yolda
qoymaq; köməksiz qoymaq
◘- Say, Sill. I thought that John was going to help you do the
dishes tonight.
- So did I. But he left me high and dry.
◘ I’m afraid, so I guess that leaves me high and dry here [20
p.265].
a snow job insincere talk boş/qeyri-səmimi söhbət/danı-
şıq
The salesman tried to convince a group of investors that the
properties he was selling would soon be worth much more
money that he was asking. However, no one bought anything
from him because they felt he was giving them a snow job.
spill the beans (informal) reveal
a secret
sirri açmaq; məc. sözü
ağzından qaçırmaq
- Did you know that Harry was going to take Kathy on a
Caribbean cruise?
- Yes, I did. He was planning on surprising her with the tickets
97
English idioms
for their anniversary, but someone spilled the beans.
- What a shame! That was supposed to have been a surprise.
feed someone
a line
deceive
someone
bir kəsi aldatmaq; məc. boş vəd-
lər vermək; başının altına yastıq
qoymaq; başını bişirmək
Mr. Jones had been telling Louise how efficient she was and
how much he admired her work at the office. He had promised
her a promotion in the near future, but she soon discovered that
he was feeding her a line when he passed her by and gave the
promotion to someone less capable.
♣ DO YOUR BEST
toot your
own horn
(informal) to praise your own
abilities and achievements; to
boast
özündən razı ol-
maq, lovğalan-
maq
Michael’s last novel was a bestseller. He has no need to toot his
own horn about his literary accomplishments.
stick to your
guns
(informal) maintain
one’s position
öz sözünü yeritmək;
dediyindən dönməmək
In spite of the fact that it was inadvisable to have a
controversial figure address the club, the chairman stuck to his
98
English idioms
guns and insisted that it would make good sense to hear the
other side of the question before taking a vote on the issue.
get the ball
rolling
initiate
action
bir işə başlamaq/girişmək; sözdən
əmələ keçmək; vədini həyata keçir-
mək
- Look! You’ve been talking about repairing the roof for weeks
now. Don’t you think it’s about time to get the ball rolling?
- I know, but I’ve been busy with other things. I promise I’ll get
to it this weekend.
mind your
P’s and Q’s
(informal) take care
in speeh and action
danışığına fikir vermək;
məc. sözü ağzında bişirib
çıxarmaq
- Listen, Larry. If you want an invitation to Clarissa’s party
you’d better mind your P’s and Q’s.
- But I haven’t been doing anything to offend her.
- I’ll tell you one thing. You’re going to have to be careful of
what you say and how you act around Susan.
give it your
best shot
try very hard əlindən gələni etmək; çox
çalışmaq
- Can you do anything about repairing this TV set?
- I’m not much of an electrician, but I’ll give it my best shot.
- Many thanks. I’d be most appreciative.
make (both) to earn just enough ancaq zəruri olan şeyləri
99
English idioms
ends meet money to be able to
buy the things you
need
almaq imkanı olmaq;
güclə/çətinliklə dolanmaq
- It’s almost impossible trying to keep up with the high cost of
living.
- It’s true. Things are so expensive nowadays that it’s very
difficult to make ends meet. You know, even with Lucie’s
salary, our combined income is hardly enough to pay all the
bills.
get the jump
on someone
get the advantage
over someone
bir kəsdən zirək tərpən-
mək; qabağa düşmək
- Did you have a nice time at the school dance last night?
- To tell you the truth, I would have enjoyed myself more if I
had been able to go with Teresa instead of Elena.
- Why did not you ask Teresa in the first place?
- I was about to, but Benito got the jump on me.
pull strings to exert influence bir kəsə təsir göstərmək;
dil tapmaq
Steven had been unsuccessful in getting tickets for the opening
game of the season. However, he pulled some strings with the
manager of the team and got excellent seats.
spread
yourself
become involved in çox işdən yapışmaq, hər işə
əl atmaq/baş qoşmaq; yüz
100
English idioms
too thin too many activities yerə qaçmaq
Although Teresa has always been an excellent student, her
marks have been going down lately because she is spreading
herself too thin.
go to bat
for
someone
(informal) help out and
support someone
bir kəsi müdafiə etmək;
məc. kiminsə qanının ara-
sına girmək
- Is it true that Don got into some trouble at work last week?
- Yes, he did. He was reproached for not turning in his sales
reports, but his secretary went to bat for him.
- What was she able to do?
- She helped him out a great deal by admitting that she had
misplaced the reports that he gave her to be typed.
duck soup (informal) easy,
effortless
çox asan; su içmək kimi asan
- Can you help me hook up my new stereo equipment? I’m
having quite a bit of trouble with all these connections.
- Sure. That’s duck soup for me.
♣ ADVICE (POSITIVE)
sit tight to make no move or səbirli/dözümlü olmaq;
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English idioms
change; stay where you
are
heç yerə tərpənməmək;
yerində bərk oturmaq
◘ - I’m fed up with my job. I know they won’t rise my salary.
- Don’t ask me who told me, but I heard they’re thinking of
promoting you. So, I’d sit tight if I were you.
◘ My advice to you is to sit tight [33, p.20].
go for
something
to put a lot of effort
into sth, so that you
get or achieve sth to
choose sth
bir şeyi əldə etmək üçün
əlindən gələni etmək, bir
işin dalınca düşmək;bir şey
üçün mübarizə aparmaq
◘ - I don’t have the qualifications. I’m probably too young. But I
know I can do the job better than anyone. Do you think I should
apply or am I wasting my time?
- If you don’t take risks, life passes you by. Go for it.
bide your
time
to wait an opportunity; wait
patiently until your chance
comes
səbr etmək; müna-
sib vaxt/imkan göz-
ləmək
Don’t bide your time. Try to get any position at your job.
keep your
wits/head/
about you
to stay calm when
there is trouble or
danger
təmkinli olmaq; sakitliyini
saxlamaq; özünü/başını itir-
məmək, ağlı başında olmaq
◘ - I’ve never driven in Britain before. Is it hard driving on the
102
English idioms
left?
- Not really, but you need to keep your wits about you.
◘ When he heard the fire alarm he kept his head and looked for
the nearest exit.
take the
bull by
the horns
take decisive action in a
difficult situation take
decisive action in a
difficult situation
cəsarətli/qətiyyətli ol-
maq; işə ciddi giriş-
mək; məc. həlledici həl-
qədən yapışmaq
◘ -I’d like to ask Helen to dine with me, but I hesitate. I’m not
sure she’ll say yes.
- There’s only one way for you, Mike. You have got to take
the bull by the horns and ask her.
◘ Charlotte had finally taken the bull by the horns herself [21,
p.258].
take one day
at a time
to not think about what
will happen in the future
hər günün qədrini
bil; bu günlə yaşa
Don’t waste your time being busy with lots of nonsense. Take
one day at a time.
♣ ADVICE (NEGATIVE)
don’t lose don’t worry about it; narahat olmağa dəyməz;
103
English idioms
any sleep
over it
you needn’t worry
about it
yuxunu qaçırmağa dəy-
məz; başını yorma
- I hurt him. He won’t phone me any more.
- I’m sure he’ll phone you one of these days. Don’t lose any
sleep over it.
don’t be
silly
stop being stupid or embarrasing,
especially in a way is more typical
of a child than an adult
axmaq olma;
ağlına gələni
danışma
- I’m sure I failed. I was so nervous. And I know I made lots of
mistakes.
- Now, don’t be silly! You’ve probably passed with flying
colours!
Note: If you pass an exam with “flying colours”, it means
you’ve passed it very well. In this idiom “colours” are, literally
“flags”.
don’t let sth/sb
get you down
heç kimə/nəyə imkan vermə ki, səni əzsin,
məhv etsin, gücdən/qüvvədən salsın
◘ - I just don’t know what I can do to get rid of the flu. I’ve had
it on and off for three weeks.
- It’ll go away. Don’t worry. Just don’t let it get you down.
104
English idioms
◘ You aren't going to let his affection get you down, are you?
[16, p.66].
(not) throw
the baby out
with the
bathwater
(informal) to lose sth that you
want at the same time as you are
trying to get rid of sth that you
do not want
tələsmək; bir
şeyi əldən bu-
raxmaq; yüz
ölç, bir biç
◘ Be careful, when you change things, not to lose some of the
good old ideas. I advise: “Don’t throw the baby out with
bathwater”.
◘ God knows that there are weaknesses in the program, but if we
act too hastily we may throw the baby out with the bathwater.
(don’t) take
anything for
granted
to believe sth is true
without first making
sure that it is
hər deyilənə inanma;
eşit, amma inanma
◘ - I think all food and drink is included when you go on a
cruise.
- Don’t take anything for granted. You don’t want to end up
with a huge drinks bill on the last days of your holiday! ◘ He
was at ease, confident, but never so careless as to take anything
for granted [14, p.278].
105
English idioms 106
English idioms
♣ BEING POSITIVE
Third time
lucky!
used when you’ve failed to do sth twice
and hope that you will succeed the third
time
Atalar
üçdən
deyib!
- My sister failed her entrance exam this year again. That’s twice
now.
- Never mind. Third time lucky!
You never
know!
used to emphasize a negative
statement instead of “not”
Allahın işini
bilmək olmaz!
◘ - I think we don’t get a pay rise again this year.
- You never know! I hope.
◘ - Why would something happen to you?
- You never know [21, p.428].
It’ll be all
right on
the night!
used to say that a performance, an
event, etc. will be successful even if
the preparations for it have not gone
well
Darıxma,
hər şey yax-
şı olacaq!
- I’m so nervous about speaking in public at the meeting
tomorrow.
- Don’t worry. It’ll be all right on the night!
look on the
bright side
to be careful or positive
about a bad situation
həyata ümidlə baxmaq;
optimist olmaq; ruhdan
107
English idioms
düşməmək
- I’ve lost everything during the earthquake.
- Look on the bright side! Things can only get better!
It’s not the end
of the world!
(informal) not the worst thing
that could happen to sb
Dünyanın
axırı deyil!
- When my brother’s wife left him I asked him not to worry.
There’s plenty more fish in the sea.
- You are absolutely right. It’s not the end of the world!
light at the end
of the tunnel
the first sign of hope
after a long period of
difficulties
ümid yeri; işıq ucu
(hər hansı bir işin
sonunda)
◘ I’ve got some difficulties at work. I’m so distressed. But I am
pleased to say that at last there is light at the end of the tunnel.
◘ … and in spite of her talk with Tanya in Todd’s room that
afternoon, for the moment, there was certainly no light at the
end of the tunnel [20, p.77].
sb’s bark is
worse than
their bite
(informal) used to say
that sb is not really as
angry or aggressive
as they sound
özünü hökmlü göstərən;
hədə-qorxu gələn; yalan-
dan qışqıran; göründüyü
kimi olmamaq
◘ - I heard your boss’s voice. I think he’s got a hot temper.
- Oh, he’s OK. His bark is worse than his bite.
108
English idioms
◘ Our teacher speaks harshly to our students, especially when
they fail to complete their homework assignment. But, we all
know that his bark is worse than his bite. He threatens to keep
them after school and to inform their parents, but he’s not really
as bad-tempered as he appears.
you win
some, you
lose some
used to express sympathy
for sb who has been
disappointed about sth
canın sağ olsun; başına
sadağa; qazanan da
sənsən, xərcləyən də sən
- I bought this blouse for 30 manats last month and now it’s in
the sale for only 20 manats.
- Oh well. You win some, you lose some.
♣ AGREEING AND DISAGREEING
no way never, under no
circumstances
heç vəchlə; bu barədə söhbət
belə gedə bilməz
- Can I borrow your trousers for the night?
- No way! Never again! Not after the state you returned it last
time!
it is out of
the question
not worth considering;
unthinkable; impossible
bu barədə söhbət
belə gedə bilməz
109
English idioms
- I was wondering if I could have tomorrow off to go to my
mother’s birthday?
- I’m afraid. It’s out of the question! You’ve already been to
two mother’s birthdays last month. I wasn’t born yesterday, you
know!
over my
dead body
under no circumstances;
by no means
heç vəchlə, heç vaxt;
məc. meyidimin üstün-
dən
- I think we should make Lala marry with Anar.
- Over my dead body! They have different characters. I’m sure
they won’t get on well together.
on the contrary exactly the opposite; rather;
instead
əksinə; əvəzinə
- I thought you believed in capital punishment.
- On the contrary! I’ve always been dead against it!
you must
be joking
used to show that you are very
surprised at what sb has just
said
zarafat edirsən;
nə danışırsan?
ola bilməz
- What about an ice-cream?
- You must be joking! It’s minus ten outside.
you’re
telling me
used to show that a thing is so
clear that it need not be said, or
day demə; düz
deyirsən
110
English idioms
just to show strong agreement
- This weather is incredible, isn’t it? It’s like the tropics!
- You’re telling me! We’ll have to start thinking about air
conditioning if it goes any longer.
take the words
out of sb’s
mouth
to say what another is
just going to say; to
put another’s thought
into words
bir kəsin ürəyindən
xəbər vermək; arzu-
ları üst-üstə düşmək
- What about going to Turkey this year again? This will have
been 5 years in a row!
- You know, you took the words right out of my mouth! I
think it’s time we took the kids abroad, don’t we?
fair enough plausible, acceptable kifayət qədər ədalətli
- Can I take the book for two weeks?
- No, sorry. That’s the third time you’ve asked it. It’s not
allowed here and it’s not fair to the others.
- OK, fair enough! I see your point.
Now
you’re
talking!
this is the right attitude, now
you’re on the right track,
this is the way to ... make
sense
Axır ki, mən deyənə
gəldin! İndi düz yol-
dasan! (düzgün möv-
qe/qərar)
◘ - I know I said that our maximum discount was 30%.
- Well, I’ve spoken to my head office and we think we can go
111
English idioms
to 40%.
- Now you’re talking! Well, we can do business after all!
◘ OK, I’ll try to overcome my fears and learn how to be a good
pilot”, my brother said to our father, who replied, “Now, you’re
talking!”
♣ ANNOYANCE AND FRUSTRATION
get on sb’s
nerves
(informal) to
make you
nerves
bir kəsin əsəbləri ilə oynamaq;
bir kəsi əsəbiləşdirmək/acıqlan-
dırmaq
Do you stop biding your nails? It’s getting on my nerves.
the last/final
straw (the
straw that
breaks the
camel’s back)
a small trouble which
follows other troubles
and makes one lose
patience and be unable
to bear them
səbr kasasının aşıb-
daşması; bir kəsin
səbrinin tükənməsi;
əsəblərin son həddə
çatması
◘ I’ve told my flat mate to find somewhere else. She never
tidied the place or cooked. The last straw was when she
brought a stray dog home.
◘ She was in a black rage. This was the last straw [31, p.107].
tear your hair to stay upset kədərlənmək, fəryad et-
112
English idioms
out (pull your
hair out over)
because of a
frustrating event
or situation
mək; qəm dəryasında
qərq olmaq; məc. saçını
yolmaq; başını itirmək
◘ - I heard they refused to give you a visa.
- Yes, it’s so frustrating. I’m tearing my hair out trying to
find out what the problem is.
◘ My sister was pulling her hair out over her husband’s
drinking.
drive sb
round
the bend
to make sb very angry,
crazy, etc. or to make them
do sth extreme
bir kəsi dəli etmək;
əsəbiləşdirmək/özün-
dən çıxarmaq
- I see you got another letter from that book club.
- Yes, it’s the third letter this month asking me to pay for books
I never ordered. It’s driving me round the bend.
run out of
patience
become annoyed
about sth
hövsələdən/özündən çıxmaq;
səbrini itirmək; səbr kasası
aşıb-daşmaq
- You still haven’t got your new furniture yet?
- No, they phoned to say it still hasn’t been delivered. I think I’ll
cancel the order and look somewhere else. I’m running out of
patience.talk to a
brick wall
to talk to sb uselessly boş yerə danışıb özünü
yormaq
113
English idioms
When my brother doesn’t want to do anything, you can’t argue
with him. It’s like talking to a brick wall.
drive sb to
distractions
so that you become upset,
excited, or angry and not
be able to think clearly
bir kəsi narahat et-
mək/dəli etmək; bir
kəsin baş-beynini
aparmaq
Our neighbours play really loud music even after midnight.
They are driving us to distractions. We’ve spoken to them
several times, but it’s like banging your head against a brick
wall.
drive
one up
the wall
to irritate, frustrate, or
tickle someone’s fancy so
badly that they think
they’re going insane
bir kəsi əsəbiləşdirmək
/acıqlandırmaq/cinlən-
dirmək; məc. hirsindən
divara dırmaşmaq
I wish we could do sth about the rats coming from the restaurant
next door. They’re driving us up the wall.
♣ PEOPLE’S RELATIONSHIPS
a shoulder
to cry on
a sympathetic person
who is willing to listen
to one’s complaints and
bir kəsə təsəlli verən/
dəstək olan adam; ətə-
yinə ağlaya biləcəyin/
114
English idioms
troubles ürəyini boşalda biləcə-
yin adam
◘ - Thanks for listening, Rose. I feel better after talking to you.
- That’s OK. You can always come to me if you need a
shoulder to cry on.
◘ “At last I can cry on his shoulders” [18, p.67].
fight like cat
and dog
disagree or argue
violently, often
repeatedly
it-pişik kimi yola get-
mək; yola getməmək
My brother and elder sister fight like cat and dog.
at each
other’s
throats
(two or more people,
groups, etc.) fight a lot
dalaşmaq, çox pis yola
getmək; məc. bir-biri-
nin boğazını gəmirmək
- Is it true that Jeff and Laura are having problems?
- I think so. They seem to be at each other’s throats most of
the time these days.
through
thick and
thin
in bad times
and good
times
bərkdən-boşdan çıxmaq; yaxşı
gündə də, pis gündə də bir yerdə
olmaq; uzun müddət bir yerdə
olmaq
My parents have been marred for 50 years. In those days people
stayed together through thick and thin.
there’s no they don’t like bir-birinə hörmət etməmək;
115
English idioms
love lost
between …
each other (arada) xətir-hörmətin qal-
maması
◘ - Why was there such a bad atmosphere in that meeting?
- You’re new here. Didn’t you notice that there’s no love lost
between George and Andrew?
◘ There is little love lost for him around here [14, p.62].
clear
the air
to remove angry
feelings,
misunderstanding,
or confusion
məsələyə aydınlıq gətirmək, gər-
ginliyi azaltmaq, vəziyyəti yün-
gülləşdirmək; gərginliyə soyuq
su səpmək; havanı təmizləmək
◘ There is a bad atmosphere in our office. Some people aren’t
talking to each other. Well, it’s time you had a meeting to clear
the air.
◘ He nodded, and then he had to clear the air [18, p.73].
have ups
and downs
vicissitudes; alternating
periods between good
and bad times; change in
fortune
arada dığ-dığın/söz-
söhbətin olması; xırda
problemlər; taleyin
dönüklüyü
- You have had the same flat-mate for years, haven’t you? You
must get on very well.
- Well, we’ve had our ups and downs over the years but on the
whole it’s worked very well.
not see eye to not share the same bir-biri ilə razılaşma-
116
English idioms
to eye with
sb (on sth)
views as sb about sth;
don’t agree
maq, eyni fikirdə olma-
maq, zövqləri üst-üstə
düşməmək
- How are you getting on with your new business partner?
- Well, we don’t see eye to eye on everything, but that’s a good
thing. It’s when we agree on something too quickly that
mistakes are made.
get/start off on
the right foot
(with sb)
(informal) to start a
relationship well
bir kəslə yaxşı mü-
nasibət yaratmaq,
yaxşı yola getmək
I hope I’ll start off on the right foot with my boss.
♣ SUCCESS AND FAILURE IDIOMS
burning
ambition
(of feelings, etc) very
strong; extreme
əlçatmaz arzu; bir şeyi
dəlicəsinə istəmək
- I have always had a burning ambition.
- And what’s that?
- To visit the planet Mars.
move heaven
and earth
to try every way; do
everything you can
axtarmaq; yerin altını-
üstünə çevirmək; əlin-
dən gələni etmək
117
English idioms
Look, our customer needs the parts in Jakarta by Wednesday
this week. I don’t care what it costs. We can’t afford to lose
him. You have my permission to move heaven and earth to get
these parts out there.
leave no
stone
unturned
to try in every way;
miss no chance; do
everything possible
axtarmaq; əlindən gələni et-
mək, yerin altını-üstünə çe-
virmək; hər bucağı ələk-və-
lək etmək
◘ The police said that they were confident of finding the
escaped prisoners and would have no stone unturned.
◘ She would leave no stone inturned until she found the truth,
the answer, the culprit [20, p.22].
stop at
nothing
to be willing to do
anything to get what you
want, even if it is dishonest
or wrong; to be
unscrupulous
istədiyini əldə etmək
üçün hər alçaqlığa əl
atmaq; vicdansız, utan-
maz, abırsız olmaq
He has determined to become a manager. He’ll stop at nothing
until he gets the job.
set (get) your
heart on sth
want sth
very much
bir şeyi beyninə yeritmək; bir
şeyin arzusunda olmaq/istəmək
My sister doesn’t want to go to university. She’s set her heart
118
English idioms
on becoming a top actress.
pull your
socks up
to try to do better either
in terms of one’s
behavior or at a task
one is performing
qolunu çırmayıb işə gi-
rişmək/başlamaq; işi da-
ha yaxşı görmək ücün
ciddi-cəhdlə çalışmaq
You must pull your socks up or you’ll be in a bad situation.
the be-all-and
the-end-all
(of something)
(informal) the most
important part/thing;
all that matters
ən əhəmiyyətli bir his-
sə/şey; nəyinsə əsası
His speech isn’t the be-all-and –the –end-all in the meeting.
works/
goes/ runs
like a
dream
works goes/ runs
very well indeed
bir şeyin ürəyin istəyən kimi
əla olması; nəyinsə yaxşı işlə-
məsi; məc. yağ kimi gedir
Our new car works/goes/runs like a dream; it’s fast, but so
smooth and quiet.
♣ HAPPINESS AND SADNESS
119
English idioms
jump for
joy
be very happy and
excited about sth that
has happened
çox sevinmək; sevincdən
atılıb-düşmək; sevincdən
yerə-göyə sığmamaq
My brother jumped for joy when he heard that he’d passed the
final exam.
something
makes your
day
something makes you
feel very happy
bir şeyə sevinmək; xoş-
bəxt/sevincli gün yaşa-
maq
It’s great to get a letter from him. It’s really made my day.
feel on top
of the
world
feel very
happy
çox sevinmək; özünü dünyanın sahi-
bi kimi hiss etmək; özünü dünyanın
yeddinci qatında hiss etmək
◘ When I saw my name in the winners’ list I felt on top of the
world.
◘ He was his own person now, and there were times when he
felt on top of the world, … [19, p.104].
be floating
(walking)
on air
be very happy about something
good that has happened
çox sevinmək;
sevincdən göyə
uçmaq
She’s been walking on air ever since she and Anar got
engaged.
grin
and
accept a situation you
don’t like because you
taleyə boyun əymək; vəziyyətlə
barışmaq; əzab-əziyyətə məta-
120
English idioms
bear can’t change it nətlə dözmək; gülərək öz əzab-
əziyyətini biruzə verməmək;
qismətlə barışmaq
◘ If you don’t leave your job, you’d better just grin and bear it.
◘ ... but the only thing is to grin and bear it [31, p.45].
suffer from
sour grapes
(informal) being jealous
about something you
can’t have
bir kəsə paxıllıq et-
mək; kiminsə paxıl-
lığını çəkmək
I think my close friend is suffering from sour grapes because
I’ll take part in the school competition.
be a
misery
guts
(very informal) someone
who complains all the
time and is never happy
pisniyyət adam; (hər şey-
dən) şikayət edən; (hər
şeydən) narazı olan; na-
şükür
My sister likes being a misery guts. She is always complaining
about her every day.
121
English idioms
♣ ANGER
rub someone
up the wrong
way
make someone
annoyed
bir kəsin fikrini yayındır-
maq/qarışdırmaq/çaşdır-
maq
My brother always manages to say something to rub our
father up the wrong way.
ruffle
somene’s
feathers
make someone
annoyed
bir kəsi qıcıqlandırmaq/hirs-
ləndirmək/narahat etmək;
hisslərinə toxunmaq
She speaks without worrying about whether she might be
ruffling anyone’s feathers.
give someone
an earful
tell someone
how angry you
are with them
bir kəsə hirslənmək; kiməsə
qulaqburması vermək; dişi-
nin dibindən çıxanı demək
The old lady gave the children an earful for nearly knocking
her over.
(not) be on
speaking
terms
be so angry with each
other that they refuse to
speak to each other
bir-biri ilə danış-
mamaq; küsülü
olmaq
They aren’t on speaking terms at the moment, and I don’t
know what they first quarreled about.
122
English idioms
♣ HAVING PROBLEMS
put your
foot in
something
said sth tactless
and embarrassing
düşüncəsiz və utandırıcı hə-
rəkət etmək; məc. bir kəsin
yaralı yerinə toxunmaq
When I said it to her I felt embarrassed. I wish I had not put my
foot in it.
be left
holding
the baby
(informal) to suddenly
make sb responsible for sth
important that is really
your responsibility; to be
left by at herself to with a
problem alone
uşaqla küçəyə atılmaq;
öz məsuliyyətini başqa-
sının üstünə yıxmaq,
məsuliyyətdən qaçmaq;
tərk edilmək; meydan-
da tək qalmaq
I have been left holding the baby, and I don’t know how to
escape from this situation.
dig someone
into a hole
to cause a problem
that will be difficult to
escape from
çətin və təhlükəli vəziy-
yətə düşmək; (özünü)
zibilə/işə salmaq
You’d better stop talking or you’ll dig yourself into a deeper
hole.
spread
yourself
too thin
try to do too many things
at the same time, with the
result not to give any of
çox iş görməyə çalış-
maq; yüz işdən yapış-
maq; hər işə əl atmaq;
123
English idioms
them the attention they
need
bir əldə iki qarpız tut-
maq
If you take on any more work, you’ll be spreading yourself far
too thin.
be in dire
straits
in a very difficult or
dangerous situation
çox çətin və qorxulu
vəziyyətə düşmək
Staying in a hotel with no money and luggage, we were all
aware that we were in dire straits.
124
English idioms
SECTION SIX
INTELLIGENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
Zəka və bilik idiomları
♣ KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITY
learn sth at
your mother’s
knee
to learn something
as a very young
child
çox gənc yaşlarından hər
şeyi öyrənmək; anasının
qarnında öyrənmək
He had learned to count at his mother’s knee.
go your
own way
to do what you want rather
than what everyone else
does or expects
öz yolu ilə getmək; öz
ağlı ilə hərəkət etmək
I believe in going my own way.
rack your
brain(s)
to think very hard
or for a long time
about sth
bir iş barəsində ciddi fikirləş-
mək; məc. beynini qurdalamaq
/eşələmək; baş sındırmaq
◘ He racked his brains all afternoon, but couldn’t remember
his address.
◘ If she had racked her brains for a week she could not have
thought of anything that would humiliate Tom more bitterly [31,
p.108].
stuff sb’s to give someone ideas about bir kəsin başını
125
English idioms
head with
sth
something; teach someone
(usually something useless or
wrong)
boş-boş şeylərlə
doldurmaq
Don’t stuff his head with nonsense.
stuff sb’s
memory with
sth
to load sb’s
memory with
sth
bir kəsin beynini boş/lazım-
sız şeylərlə doldurmaq/yük-
ləmək
I don’t want to stuff your memory with too many details.
hammer into
sb’s head
to keep repeating sth
forcefully so that it
will have an effect on
people
bir şeyi dəfələrlə başa
salmaq/təkrar etmək;
bir kəsin beyninə yerit-
mək
The teacher has been trying to hammer into their heads the
importance of writing dearly.
show promise to be likely to become
very good
gələcək üçün ümid-
verici olmaq
◘ When she was young, she showed considerable promise as a
teacher.
◘ Not that Sasha showed much greater promise [18, p.249].
be a walking
dictionary/
encyclopedia
someone who knows a
lot, and always has the
information that you
canlı lüğət/ensiklope-
diya olmaq; həmişə
hər şeyi bilən adam
126
English idioms
want haqqında
If you need to learn sth ask him. He has always had the
information you want. He is a walking dictionary.
bear/reap
the fruits of
sth
to have a
result of sth
gördüyü işin bəhrəsini/səmərəsini
görmək; bir şeyin meyvəsini dər-
mək
He died before he could bear the fruits of all his hard work.
turn a deaf
ear to sth
to ignore what
someone says
bir şeyi qulaq ardına vurmaq;
əhəmiyyətsiz/etinasız yanaşmaq
Young people sometimes seem to turn a deaf ear to the words
of their parents and teachers.
go in (at) one
ear and out
(at) the other
what has been
said is forgotten
immediately
bir qulağından alıb, o bi-
ri qulağından vermək;
əhəmiyyət verməmək
You are speaking, but it just goes in his one ear and out the
other, I’m sure.
second
nature
(to do sth)
something that you do
very easily and naturally,
because it is part of your
character or you have
done it so many times
bir şeyi asanlıqla/gözü
yumulu etmək, bir şe-
yə çox yaxşı bələd ol-
maq
- Can you help me set up a database on my computer?
127
English idioms
- No trouble at all! I’ve done it so often I don’t even need to
think about it. It’s second nature to me now.
not to know
the first thing
about
something
to be totally
ignorant about a
certain issue
heç bir məlumatı olmamaq;
(hər hansı bir işdə) naşı ol-
maq/başı çıxmamaq
- Do you know anything about washing machines? Mine’s got a
problem.
- Sorry. I can’t help you. I don’t know the first thing about
them.
know something
like the back of
your hand
to know sth
throughly,
inside out
bir şeyi ətraflı bilmək; bir şe-
yi ovcunun içi kimi bilmək;
cikinə-bikinə bələd olmaq
- Have you been to Oxford before?
- Yes, I lived there for ten years. I know it like the back of my
hand.
be the first
to hear of it
the first time to
be aware of it
nə barədəsə ilk dəfə eşitmək
- Did you know that Lisa is planning to emigrate to Australia?
- You’re kidding! That’s the first I’ve heard of it.
know chalk
from cheese
to be very stupid; to be
unable to distinguish
valuable things from
ağı qaradan seçə bil-
məmək; axmaq, ağıl-
sız olmaq
128
English idioms
rubbish
My friend will never amount to much; the poor guy doesn’t even
know chalk from cheese.
keep in the
dark
in ignorance; without
information
bir kəsi cəhalətdə saxla-
maq; məlumatsız saxla-
maq; intizarda saxlamaq
I wish you hadn’t kept me in the dark about your plans.
learn the
ropes/get
on the
ropes
through or special
knowledge of a job; how to
do something; the ways of
people or the world
bir şeyə yaxşı bələd
olmaq, işi dəqiqliklə
öyrənmək; cikini-
bikini bilmək
Don’t worry! You’ll soon learn the ropes.
common
knowledge
to be sth that anyone knows,
especially in a particular
community or group
hamının bildiyi
bir şey; hamıya
aydın olan məsələ
- Don’t talk about it to anybody.
- It is common knowledge. I needn’t.
put your
foot in
sb’s
mouth
to say or do sth that upsets,
offends or embarrasses sb;
hurt another’s feelings
without intending to; make a
rude mistake
düşüncəsiz hərəkət
etmək, bir kəsin ya-
ralı yerinə/ hisslərinə
toxunmaq, pis vəziy-
yətə salmaq
He put his foot in it with his remark about self-made men
129
English idioms
because Jones was one of them.
a little knowledge
is a dangerous
thing
(literary) a person who
knows a little about
something – may think
he knows it all and
make bad mistakes
kamil bir palan-
çı olsa da insan,
yaxşıdır yarım-
çıq papaqçılıq-
dan
John has read a book on driving a car and now he thinks he can
drive. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
♣ READING/EDUCATION
be very well read
(used after an
adverb)
(of a person) having
knowledge that has
been gained from
reading books, etc
bilikli/məlumatlı/çox
oxumuş/mütaliə et-
miş adam olmaq
If you want to know anything ask Khuraman. She is very well
read.
turn over a
new leaf
to start afresh; to
have a new
beginning
yeni səhifə açmaq (həyatın-
da); həyatının axarını dəyiş-
mək
- Why can you never find anything on your desk?
130
English idioms
- Because I am naturally untidy! I know. I am going to turn
over a new leaf. I promise.
(not) read
too much
to think that sth
means more than
it really does
bir şeyə fikir/əhəmiyyət ver-
məmək; boş buraxmaq, ürə-
yinə salmamaq
- She completely ignored me this morning. I must have put my
foot in it yesterday.
- She’s just not in a good mood at the moment, that’s all. I
wouldn’t read too much into it.
be an
open
book
if you describe sb or their life
as an open book, you mean that
you can easily understand them
and know everything about
them
ürəyində olan dilin-
də olmaq, səmimi
olmaq; hamıya mə-
lum olan, açıq həyat
sürmək
What I like about Susanna is her openness and honesty. Yes,
what you see is what you get. She’s an open book.
read
between
the lines
to understand all of
one’s meaning by
guessing at what he
has left unsaid
bir kəsin hərəkətlərindən/dav-
ranışından nə demək istədiyi-
ni başa düşmək; sətraltı/ey-
hamlı mənaları dərk etmək
Everybody seems to be happy with the idea of Isabel’s joining
our group, except Jack. He said he wasn’t against the idea, but
reading between the lines I think he has got his doubts about
131
English idioms
her.
(don’t)
judge a
book by
its
corner
(saying) used to
say that you
shouldn’t form an
opinion about
sb/sth from their
appearance only
insanı geyiminə görə qarşılayıb,
ağlına görə yola salırlar; bir kə-
sin xarici görkəminə görə deyil,
əməllərinə görə nəticə çıxar-
maq; anasına bax qızını al, qı-
rağına bax bezini al
I was completely wrong about our new press officer. When I
saw the pigtail, I thought, “What have we got here?” Well, you
know what they say: “Never judge a book by its corner”.
read sb
like a
book
to understand
easily what sb is
thinking or feeling
bir kəsi yaxşı başa düşmək; fik-
rindəkiləri oxumaq; dabbaqxa-
nada gönünə bələd olmaq
I could read my husband like a book.
132
English idioms
SECTION SEVEN
MIND AND MEMORY IDIOMS
Ağıl və yaddaş idiomları
have a
(good)
mind to
to consider doing;
intend to with a high
degree of probability
nəzərdə tutmaq; bir şeyi
etmək üzrə olmaq; bir işi
görməyə meylli olmaq
◘ - The service in that shop was terrible. The way that assistant
talked to you!
- Yes, I’ve got a good mind to write and complain.
◘ “I’ve got a good mind to have a shot at it myself,” said
Michael [31, p.60].
on sb’s
mind
in one’s
thoughts
müxtəlif fikirlərin beyni/ağılı məşğul
etməsi, beyni qarışıq olmaq
- Jim seems to be very quiet today. He’s not his usual self.
- No, I think he’s got something on his mind.
take your
mind off
things
to make you forget about sth
unpleasant for a short time
fikrini dağıtmaq,
yüngülləşmək
- Sorry, Paul, I’m not very good company this evening. I can’t
stop thinking about that argument I had with Sally at work.
- Well, Why don’t we go out? It’ll take your mind off things.
give someone a to scold angrily; bir kəsin başına ağıl qoy-
133
English idioms
piece of your
mind
say what you
really think to
maq; kimisə yerində
oturtmaq; məsləhət ver-
mək; danlamaq
- Did you see that woman hit that little girl?
- Hang on! I’m going to give her a piece of my mind.
come/spring
to mind
immediately
think of sth
cəld fikirləşmək, yadına sal-
maq; ağlına nəyisə/kimisə
gətirmək
◘ - Now, who could we get to chair the new committee?
- Nobody springs to mind. I’m sorry to say.
◘ … and the memory of her two days there with Charlie sprang
instantly to mind [21, p.246].
with an open
mind
wait until you’ve all the facts
before forming an opinion
ayıq başla;
diqqətlə
Before you read this report, I’m going to tell you there are
things in which you’re going to disagree with. All I ask is that
you read it with an open mind.
mind over
matter
the power of mind over
physical matters, such as
illness, fear, etc
ağılın/insan zəkası-
nın qələbəsi; nəfsi-
nə güc gəlmək
Giving up smoking is just a question of mind over matter.
put sb’s
mind at
to do or say sth to make
sb stop worrying about
bir kəsi sakitləşdirmək;
təsəlli vermək; rahatlaş-
134
English idioms
rest sth maq
I’m sure she’s arrived safely, but why not phone her to put
your mind at rest.
be bored out of
your mind
extremely bored bezmək, yorulmaq
She talked about nothing but only her husband all evening, I
was bored out of my mind.
slip your mind/
memory
to forget about
something
yadından çıxarmaq,
unutmaq
◘ I’m sorry, I forgot to give you a message. It completely
slipped my mind.
◘ “Has it slipped your memory that I’ve got a first night
tonight?” [31, p.196].
be in your
right mind
accountable; sane or
sober
ağlı başında olmaq; nə
etdiyini bilmək
◘ Marry Karl? She’s mad. Nobody is in their right mind to
marry with Karl.
◘ If you were in your right mind, you wouldn’t be saying such
stupid things to our boss.
be a load/
weight off
your mind
feel relieved because
a worry is removed
rahatlaşmaq, yüngülləş-
mək; məc. yük altından
çıxmaq
I have finally finished paying back my car loan. That’s a weight
135
English idioms
off my mind.
jog your
memory
make you remember
sth
yadına salmaq; yaddaşını
tərpətmək (silkələmək)
◘ - I don’t know anyone in your class.
- Have a look at this photograph. Perhaps it will jog your
memory.
◘ She had almost forgotten, her mother jogged her memory
[18, p.291].
mind goes/
becomes
blank
can’t think of anything
to say; unable to
remember anything
hər şeyi unutmaq;
yaddaşından silinmək
◘ I hate being asked questions. When they start asking difficult
questions, my mind goes blank. ◘ As she sat to sleep, his mind
became blank [22, p.80].
refresh
your
memory
to remind yourself sb or sth,
especially with the help of sth
that can be seen or heard
yaddaşını təzələ-
mək, yadına sal-
maq, xatırlamaq
- Are you sure you know the way to the museum from here?
- I’ve been there but I need a little time to refresh my
memory.
ring a
bell
to make you remember
something; sound familiar
nəyisə xatırlamaq, qu-
lağında cingildəmək; ta-
136
English idioms
nış gəlmək/səslənmək
◘ - Have you heard of Quasimodo?
- Quasimodo? Yes, that name rings a bell.
◘ It rang another bell too, but he could’t remember what, …
[21, p.282].
bear
something
in mind
in the center of your
thought; in your close
attention
bir şeyi yadında saxla-
maq; beyninə həkk et-
mək
- Don’t forget that Japanese people don’t like to talk about
business straightway.
- Thanks. I’ll bear it in mind.
have a
photographic
memory
to remember
everything/
everyone
qeyri-adi yaddaşı olmaq; hər
şeyi/hər kəsi bir baxışdan ya-
dında saxlamaq; göz yaddaşı-
na malik olmaq
- If I want to remember anything, I have to write it down.
- Me too, but my boss is incredible. He’s got a photographic
memory.
be on the tip
of the tongue
about to say something, such
as a name, a telephone
number, etc, but unable to
remember it for the moment
xatırlamağa ça-
lışmaq; dilinin
ucunda olmaq
I am sure I know his name. It’s on the top of my tongue.
137
English idioms
get (hold of) the
wrong end of
the stick
(informal) to misunderstand
something; to understand sth
in the wrong way
bir şeyi səhv/
tərsinə başa
düşmək
No, you must have got the wrong end of the stick. I said we
should meet outside the cinema, not at my house.
go over
the head
not understandable; beyond
your ability to understand;
too hard or strange for you
to understand
başa düşülməyən
olmaq; yadda qal-
mamaq; ağıla bat-
mamaq
I can’t understand anything in my physics class. All the
explanation goes right over my head.
lose someone to become
confused
bir kəsi çaşdırmaq/çaşmaq; başa
sala bilməmək
- Push these two buttons, then this one and then these two at the
same time.
- Sorry, you’ve lost me! Can you show me again?
get/talk/be
at cross
purposes
(pl)
if two people are at cross
purposes, they do not
understand each other
because they are talking
about or aiming at
different things, without
bir-birini başa düş-
məmək; hərənin öz
aləmində olması; bi-
rinin Leyli-Məcnun-
dan, birinin Əsli-Kə-
138
English idioms
realizing it rəmdən danişması
I was talking about my cat and Chris thought I was talking
about my mother. It wasn’t until I said something about the
cat’s tail and we realised we’d been talking at cross purposes.
can’t make
head nor tail
of smth
to be unable to
understand sth
bir şeyi anlamamaq; başa
düşməmək; baş çıxarmamaq
- Do you understand this letter from the solicitor?
- No, I can’t make head nor tail of it.
take a stroll/trip
down memory
lane
remember some of
the happy things
you did in the past
keçmişdəki xoşbəxt
günləri yada salmaq/
xatırlamaq
We decided to visit the place where we’d spent our honeymoon
and take a stroll down memory lane.
be in/within
living memory
can be remembered by
people still alive
yaddaşlarda yaşa-
maq; xatırlanmaq
Streets lit by gas lamps are still within living memory.
a train of
thought
a series of consecutive
thoughts
fikir düzümü/ardıcıllığı;
məc. düşüncələrin qatarı
◘ Oh no! I’m losing my train of thought. ◘ He refolded the
letter hastily and was in the act of replacing it in its envelope
when his wife, who had no mail this morning, interrupted his
train of thought [14, p.273].
139
English idioms
commit
something to
memory
make yourself
remember
something
əzbərləmək, əzbər öyrənmək;
yadda saxlamaq; yaddaşına
yazmaq/köçürmək
I never write exercise numbers down. I just commit them to
memory.
140
English idioms
SECTION EIGHT
LIFE AND DEATH IDIOMS
Həyat və ölümlə bağlı işlənən idiomlar
bored to
death
(informal) to be extremely
bored or frightened
darıxmaq; cana
doymaq; bezmək
He talked about his adventures the whole evening I was bored
to death.
sick to
death
to be bored to death; so
ill/sick that you may die
əldən düşmək, bezmək,
cana doymaq
◘ Please be quiet. I’m sick to death of your constant
complaining.
◘ He was sick to death of them all, and even a little bit of
Sasha [18, p.278].
dice with
death
to risk your life by
doing sth that you
know is dangerous
ölümlə çilingağaç oynamaq;
ölümlə üz-üzə gəlmək, həya-
tını təhlükəyə atmaq
You should get the brakes fixed on you car. You’re dicing with
death every time you go out on the road.
141
English idioms
not be able
to do sth
save your
life
(informal) to be
completely
unable to do sth
tənbəllikdən düşməninə “da-
yı” demək; heç bir işə yara-
mamaq; tamamilə heç bir iş
bacarmamaq
I can’t believe my eyes! You are working! It must be a joke!
You can’t work to save your life, can you?
life and
soul of the
party
the liveliest, most attractive
person at a gathering of
friends; the one to whom
most people pay attention
diqqət mərkəzində
olan; başqalarından
fərqlənən; həyat eş-
qi ilə dolu olan
My brother-in-low is normally quite quiet but when he has a
couple of drinks he is the life and soul of the party.
frighten the
life out of
someone
to make sb
suddenly
feel afraid
bir kəsi qorxutmaq/hürkütmək;
qorxudan ödü ağzından gəlmək;
ürəyini qoparmaq
- Hello? Who’s there? Is anyone there?
- Oh, it’s you, Jack. You frightened the life out of me.
make sb’s life
a misery
to behave in a way that
makes sb else feel very
unhappy
bir kəsin həyatını
cəhənnəmə çevir-
mək; incitmək
I think my boss doesn’t like me. She makes my life a misery.
the kiss
of death
(informal, especially humorous)
an event that seems good, but is
təhlükəli/riskli
məsələ
142
English idioms
certain to make sth else fail
I don’t think it’s a good idea to go there at this very moment.
That’s the kiss of death.
be at
death’s
door
(often humorous)
very near death;
dying
ölüm ayağında olmaq; ağır
vəziyyətdə olmaq; bir ayağı
qəbirdə olmaq
I hear his father is out of hospital. He was at death’s door only
last month, he’s made a remarkable recovery.
♣ LIFE IS GAMBLING
a bit of a
gamble
to take a risk with
sth, hoping that you
will be successful
riskli/təhlükəli/qumar oyu-
nu kimi bir iş; sonu nə cür
olacağı bilinməyən iş
- My brother is a lawyer and works self-employed.
- Well, good luck! Working for yourself can be a bit of a
gamble.
play your
cards right
to use abilities and opportunities
so as to be successful; act
cleverly; make the best use of your
place or skills
imkanların-
dan məha-
rətlə istifadə
etmək
◘ - I’ve got a job at this office.
143
English idioms
- Congratulations. They’re a good company to work for. Play
your cards right, then you’ll do very well there.
◘ Tom Fennell had said that if she played her cards well with
Roger it might easily lead to something [31, p.138].
when the
chips are
down
said when a situation has
reached its most critical or
worst point
həlledici an gəldikdə/
çatdıqda; dar macal-
da
- I think the company is having a bad year, from what I’ve
heard.
- Well, we’ll just have to work that bit harder. We usually do
when the chips are down.
put money
on sth/sb
to bet that a particular horse,
dog, etc. will win a race; to
feel very sure that sth is true
or that sb will succeed
bir şeyə/kəsə pul
qoymaq; sərma-
yə yatırmaq;
mərc gəlmək
- The weather looks fine. I’d like to take the children on a
picnic. I promised them one of these days.
- I wouldn’t put money on it if I were you! You know what it
can be like at this time of year.
the luck of
the draw
the fact that chance decides sth, in a
way that you cannot control
taleyin
qisməti
- Why do you think I’ve been chosen to lead this course?
144
English idioms
- Don’t ask me! It’s just the luck of the draw.
show your
hand/cards
to make your plans
or intentions known
öz planını/məqsədini bəlli
etmək; kartını açmaq
When you start negotiating, let the other person make the first
offer. Never show your hand too early.
bluff your
way in/out
through sth
to succeed in dealing with a
difficult situation by making
other people believe sth which
is not true
vəziyyətdən çıx-
maq; sudan qu-
ru çıxmaq
- If you want my opinion, I’ll have to change your attitude. Get
to work 5 minutes early, not 5 minutes late. Do you realize your
job’s at stake.
- Don’t worry. I can look after myself. I can always bluff my
way out of trouble.
take
your
chances
to take a risk or to use the
opportunities that you have and
hope that things will happen in
the way that you like
özünü real hə-
yatda sınaqdan
çıxarmaq, bəxti-
ni sınamaq
My parents advised me to continue my study. But I decided to
take my chances in the real world.
a toss-up (for sth) (informal) to throw a coin
in the air in order to decide sth,
especially by guessing which side,
püşk/cöp atma;
seçim arasında
qalma; bığla
145
English idioms
is facing upwards when it lands; a
situation in which either of two
choices, results, etc. is equally
possible
saqqal arasında
qalma
We can’t decide to spend our weekend in the country or to go
abroad. It’s a toss-up between the country and abroad.
hit the
jackpot
make or win a lot of money
quickly or unexpectedly
çoxlu pul qazanmaq;
cekpotu udmaq
I’ve passed my exam, got the travel grand, and been offered a
fantastic job for when I get back. I guess I’ve hit the jackpot.
♣ LIFE IS JOURNEY
be in a
rut
stick in an unchanging; boring
job, marriage, or other situation
in life
yerində addımla-
maq; qabağa get-
məmək
◘ I have been doing the same job for 15 years. I think I’m in a
rut. I need a change.
◘ “Why is Mary so sad?” her brother Joe asked. “She feels that
she is in a rut”, Mary’s husband replied.
go to end a relationship with
sb; to go in a different
ayrılmaq, əlaqələrə son
qoymaq; vidalaşıb/gö-
146
English idioms
separate
ways
direction from sb you have
been travelling with
rüşüb ayrılmaq; öz yo-
lu ilə getmək
Our partnership didn’t last. In the end we agreed to go our
separate ways.
on the road
to recovery
changing; going from
one condition to
another
sağalmağa başlamaq;
yaxşılaşmaq; məc. kə-
fəni yırtmaq
◘ I’m feeling much better now. I’m well on the road to
recovery.
◘ My sister was sick for several weeks, but now she is on the
road to recovery.
(no) turning
back
to return the way you have
come is impossible
geriyə yol yoxdur
You’ve made your decision, you realise there’s no turning
back, don’t you?
follow in sb’s
footsteps
to follow someone’s
example; follow
someone exactly
bir kəsin yolunu da-
vam etdirmək; kimin-
sə davamçısı olmaq
His father’s a doctor and it’s obvious Harry’s going to follow in
his father’s footsteps.
be at a
crossroads
at an important point in
sb’s life or development
yolayrıcında qal-
maq; həlledici anda/
147
English idioms
məqamda olmaq
I can’t make up my mind. It’s either stay where I am or apply
for a job abroad. I seem to be at a crossroads in my present
job.
sb has
arrived
(informal) somebody has
become successful
xoşbəxt/bəxtli/bəxtəvər
olmaq; bəxti gətirmək
Now he’s been given a new company car, he thinks he’s really
arrived.
go off the
rails
to start behaving in a
strange or unacceptable
manner, for example
drinking or taking drugs;
to lose control and stop
functioning correctly
xoşagəlməz hərəkətlər
etməyə başlamaq; hər
şeydən əl çəkmək; cı-
zığından çıxmaq; rels-
dən çıxmaq
His wife died last year. I’m afraid he just hasn’t come to terms
with yet. And now he’s started drinking. I’m afraid he’s just
gone right off the rails.
not know
whether you’re
coming or going
to be so excited or
confused that you
cannot behave or
think in a sensible
way
yerin altında, yoxsa
üstündə olduğunu
hiss etməmək; çaş-
baş qalmaq
I’ve got so much work on my desk. I’m really confused. I don’t
148
English idioms
know whether I’m coming or going.
149
English idioms
SECTION NINE
NATURE AND WEATHER IDIOMS
Təbiət və hava ilə bağlı işlənən idiomlar
king’s/queen’s or
royal weather
very nice,
beautiful weather
əla hava; xanlara
(bəylərə) layiq hava
We’re having royal weather when we were on holiday.
pour with rain to rain very hard leysan; güclü/şıdırğı yağış
It’s pouring with rain.
high summer the hottest part of
summer
yayın cırhacır vaxtı; ya-
yın ən isti vaxtı
I’ll have to go on holiday in high summer.
in the depths of
winter
the coldest time qışın oğlan çağı;
qışın ən soyuq vaxtı
It’s very terrible to be homeless in the depths of winter.
the course
of nature
the usual or natural
way that something
happens, develops, or
is done
təbiətin qanunu; təbiət-
də hər hansı bir hadisə-
nin təbii olaraq baş ver-
məsi
In the course of nature winter gives way to spring.
rain or shine whatever the
weather is like
istər gün olsun, istər yağış;
hava necə olur-olsun
We’ll go for a walk rain or shine.
150
English idioms
fine weather for the ducks rainy weather yağışlı hava
This city has fine weather for the ducks.
in the dead of
winter
in the middle of
winter
qışın ortası; qışın oğlan
çağı
She moved there in the dead of winter and it made everybody
unhappy who heard it.
wind and
weather
bad, windy weather “zəhrimar” kimi hava; çox
pis küləkli hava
It’s a large house, proof against wind and weather.
warm
sb/sth
up
to make sb/sth more
lively or enthusiastic;
to become more lively
or enthusiastic
bir kəsi/şeyi şövqə gətirmək,
ürəkləndirmək, canlandır-
maq, qızışmaq, qızışdırmaq
(məclis və s.)
- How was the office party?
- A bit slow at first, but it soon warmed up when the boss left!
warm (up) to
somebody
to begin to
like sb
bir kəsə isinişmək, öyrəşmək,
meyl salmaq, dostlaşmaq
◘ - So, you met my old friend Garry yesterday. What do you
think of him?
- A great guy! Yes, I warmed up to him straightway.
◘ She didn’t warm up to no one [18, p.272].
cloud
someone/
a sad or
depress
bir kəsi/şeyi kədərləndirmək, əhvalı-
nı pozmaq, qəmləndirmək, pərt ol-
151
English idioms
something news maq; bir kəsin qanını qaraltmaq; ke-
finə soğan doğramaq; kefsiz olmaq
- Did you have a good time last night?
- Not really, Jill had some sad news which clouded the whole
evening.
brighten up to become, feel or look
happier; to make sb look
happier
çiçəyi çırtlamaq;
seinmək, xoşbəxt
olmaq/görünmək
- She seemed a bit depressed this morning.
- Oh, she’ll soon brighten up when I’ll tell her she’s being sent
to Paris!
give a frosty
reception to
somebody
sth that you do or say to
sb when they arrive,
especially sth that makes
them feel you aren’t
happy to see them
bir kəsi qaşqabaqlı
qarşılamaq, soyuq
qarşılamaq; üzünə
baxmamaq
I felt sorry when I saw them. They gave us a very frosty
reception.
storm
into
to go somewhere
quickly and in an
angry, noisy way
bir kəsin üstünə hücum çəkmək,
gözlənilmədən içəri girmək; fır-
tına kimi soxulmaq
He stormed into the room and shouted at me!
152
English idioms
give a
warm
welcome
sth that you do or say to sb
when they arrive, especially
sth that makes them feel you
are happy to see them
bir kəsi mehriban-
lıqla/gülərüzlə/sə-
mimiyyətlə qarşıla-
maq
They gave me a very warm welcome.
every cloud
has a silver
lining (saying)
every sad or difficult
situation has a positive
side
hər işin sonunda
bir xeyir var
153
English idioms
SECTION TEN
HOUSE AND HOME IDIOMS
Evlə bağlı işlənən idiomlar
hit/strike
home
if a remark, etc. hits/strikes home,
it has a strong effect on sb, in a
way that makes them realize what
the true facts of a situation are;
strike a vulnerable spot
bir kəsin yaralı,
zəif yerinə to-
xunmaq; kefinə
soğan doğra-
maq
◘ It wasn’t until I got home and sat down that the news about
my job really hit home. Twenty-five years in the same factory
and now it’s closing.
◘ And what she had said to him hit home [21, p.125).
a few
home
truth
(usually pl.) a true but unpleasant
fact about a person, usually told to
them by sb else
xoşagəlməz/
pis/acı həqiqət
◘ My flat mate never cleans or does the dishes. I think I am
going to have to tell her a few home truths. ◘ “Now, Miranda,
it’s time for a few home truth. If you think I’m your servant,
you’re mistaken”.
eat
someone
out of
(informal) to eat
so much as to
cause economic
hər şeyi yeyib qurtarmaq;
kiminsə qonaqpərvərliyin-
dən sui istifadə etmək, hara-
154
English idioms
house and
home
hardship; to
overstay one’s
welcome
dasa uzun müddət qalmaq;
bir kəsi talamaq, var-yox-
dan çıxarmaq
My brother and his family came to stay with us at Christmas.
They nearly ate us out of house and home. We spent a fortune
on food.
till the cows
come home
until sunset; until the last şər qarışana kimi;
çox gec saata kimi
- He likes to talk, doesn’t he? It’s sometimes difficult to shut
him up.
- Yes, he’ll sit and talk until the cows come home if you let
him.
the lights are
on but no one
at home
(humorous) used to describe sb
who is stupied, not thinking
clearly or not paying attention
axmaq/ağlı
başında ol-
mayan adam
- Pan can be a bit slow sometimes. I often have to explain things
three times.
- I know what you mean. I don’t like saying this, but sometimes
it seems as if the lights are on but there’s no one at home.
bring the
house down
to start an audience
laughing or clapping
enthusiastically
gurultulu alqışlara sə-
bəb olmaq; uğur əldə
etmək
◘ Her last song brought the house down.
155
English idioms
◘ It used to bring the house down [31, p.185].
nothing to
write home
about
nothing interesting or
significant; nothing to
brag about
danışılası (qeyri adi) bir
şey yoxdur; adi, heç nə-
yi ilə fərqlənməyən
- Have you seen Christine’s new boyfriend? What is he like?
- Well, he’s OK, I suppose. But nothing to write home about.
put your
own house
in order
to sort out one’s
own problems
first
özünə umac ova bilməyib,
başqasına əriştə kəsmək; öz
problemləri ilə məşğul olmaq
He needs to put his own house in order.
Put your own house in order! Öz işinlə məşğul ol!
156
English idioms
SECTION ELEVEN
POLITICS
Siyasətlə bağlı işlənən idiomlar
rivet ['rivit]
one’s attention
on (to)
when things rivet sb, they
fascinate sb and hold sb’s
interest firmly and completely
bir kəsin
diqqətini
cəlb etmək
World attention was riveted on the talks in Geneva.
take
action
to do things in order to
deal with or achieve
something
ölçü götürmək; addım at-
maq; bir şeyin qarşısını al-
mağa çalışmaq
The government is already taking action to stop the strike.
get a new
angle on
sth
to consider a problem
or situation, to change
one’s point of view of
sth
hər hansı bir məsələyə
başqa tərəfdən baxmaq;
yeni fikir nümayiş etdir-
mək
He has got a new angle on the problem.
agree
to
differ
to agree to accept the fact
that they will never have the
same opinion about sth and
so stop arguing about it
müxtəlif fikirdə olan
adamların bir araya gəl-
məsi; razılaşmaq; bir-
birinə güzəştə getmək
Sometimes, where important matters are concerned, people
agree to differ.
157
English idioms
hardly
annual
a question (problem)
discussed every year
hər il müzakirə olunan
məsələ; çeynənmiş məsələ
Readers are one more filling the columns of that newspaper
with “Is the government’s policy a Failure?” The hardly
annual attracts everybody’s attention this time.
drive into the
background
not to pay much
attention to sth, to
find sth unimportant
bir şeyə əhəmiyyət ver-
məmək, diqqət yetirmə-
mək, bir şeyi arxa plana
keçirmək
This missile crisis drove again into the background, for a
time, the social and political aspirations of the people.
keep in the
background
to try not
to be
noticed
gözdən yayınmağa çalışmaq; diq-
qəti cəlb etməməyi/gözdən uzaq/
arxa planda qalmağa çalışmaq
He keeps himself very much in the background.
on (upon) the
anvil ['anvil]
under discussion; sth which
is still being considered and
talked about
hələ də müza-
kirə obyekti
olan məsələ
The new immigration laws are on the anvil.
kill the bill to defeat a proposed
new law
təklif olunan qanun la-
yihəsini rədd etmək
The bill was killed by 230 votes to 150.
lay down to stop fighting əl saxlamaq; vuruşmanı da-
158
English idioms
(one’s) arms and surrender yandırmaq, təslim olmaq
Having suffered a defeat, they laid down their arms.
rise in arms
(take up arms
against)
to prepare to
attack sb and
fight against sb
əldə silah üsyan etmək/
üsyana qalxmaq/silaha
sarılmaq
The people immediately took up arms against the invader.
under
arms
if a country has people under arms, it
has people trained to use weapons and
ready to fight a war
döyüşə hazır
əsgərlər
At this time our country has more forces under arms than ever
before.
up in arms
over sth
to be very angry about
sth and protest strongly
qəti etiraz etmək; nə-
yinsə qəti əleyhinə
The youth is really up in arms over an unpopular war in Iraq.
big stick
policy/the
big stick
the threat of using
military or political force to
get what one wants
bir kəsə hərbə-zorba
gəlmək, qorxutmaq;
güc/dəyənək siyasəti
What is their policy? Is it the big stick policy of their
President?
a carrot
and stick
policy/the
carrot and
the promise of
reward and threat
of punishment, both
at the same time
bir kəsi aldadaraq tələyə
salmaq; həm mükafat söz
vermək, həm də hədə-qorxu
gəlmək; sülh və güc siyasə-
159
English idioms
the stick ti; bişim-bişimlə öz istədiyi-
nə nail olma
◘ Their method of negotiating is a combination of the carrot
and the stick.
◘ His father used the carrot and stick when he talked about his
low grades.
shuttle
diplomacy
international talks, e.g. to try
to make peace, carried out by
someone who travels between
the countries concerned
taking messages and
suggesting answers to
problem
müxtəlif ölkələr
arasında sülh əldə
etmək üçün apa-
rılan beynəlxalq
danışıqlar zamanı
vasitəçilik diplo-
matiyası
We find Secretary Brown’s shuttle diplomacy very important.
shirtsleeve
diplomacy
informal and
direct diplomacy
bağlı qapı arxasında aparı-
lan danışıqlar; qeyri-rəsmi
və üzbəüz danışıq
Two presidents continue their shirtsleeve diplomacy.
political
prisoner
someone who is put in prison because
they oppose and criticize the government
of their own country
siyasi
məhbus
The President says they have no political prisoners.
political the right to remain safely in another siyasi
160
English idioms
asylum country, for a person who cannot live
safely in their own because of the political
situation
sığına-
caq
He is seeking political asylum.
be at peace
with sb
a situation in which there is no
war between countries or in a
country
sülh şəraitin-
də yaşamaq
They’ve been at peace with Germany for many years.
go into politics to become a politician siyasətçi olmaq
He went into politics in his early thirties.
under a
government
during the period
of a government
hər hansı bir hökumətin
hakimiyyəti dövründə
There were some changes in policy under the last
government.
be in
government
to be governing a
country
hakimiyyətdə olmaq
How long has this president been in government?
161
English idioms
SECTION TWELVE
LAW IDIOMS
Qanunla bağlı işlənən idiomlar
go to
law
to go to court in order to deal with a
dispute, or arrange to do this
məhkəməyə mü-
raciət etmək
If he doesn’t agree to our terms, we’ll have to go to law.
bring (take)
an action
against sb
a change or a matter for
consideration by a court
of law
bir kəsə qarşı məh-
kəmə işi qaldırmaq
I’m afraid, we must bring an action against him.
the scene of
the crime
a place where an event
or action happens
cinayət yeri; hadisə-
nin baş verdiyi yer
They say that murderers always return to the scene of the
crime.
be behind bars in prison dəmir barmaqlıqlar arxasında/
həbsxanada olmaq
He has made a lot of crimes, now he is behind bars.
aid and
abet
to help sb in
criminal activities
cinayət ortağı olmaq; bir kəsə
cinayətdə köməklik göstər-
mək; cinayətdə əli olmaq
He was accused of aiding and abetting the murderer.
take the law to take no notice of müstəqil araşdırma
162
English idioms
into one’s
own hands
society’s rules and act
alone, usually by force
aparmaq, xəfiyyəlik
etmək
He took the law into his own hands and shot the burglar.
the (long)
arm of the
law
pomp., humor – justice, esp. in the form
of the police, considered as something
that criminals cannot escape from
güclü
qanu-
nun əli
They were beyond the arm of the law.
be called
to the Bar
to become a barrister, a lawyer
who has the right of speaking
in the higher courts of law
ali məhkəmədə
danışmaq hüqu-
quna malik olmaq
Your uncle is called to the Bar, isn’t he?
hardened
criminals
men who have been
guilty of many crimes
bir çox cinayətlərdə əli
olan; qatı cinayətkarlar
Putting this man into prison alongside hardened criminals is
the surest way to make him reoffend.
The greater the
crime, the higher
the gallows
serious crimes
must be punished
severely
Cinayət nə qədər
böyük olarsa, cəza
bir o qədər ağır olar
163
English idioms
SECTION THIRTEEN
EATING IDIOMS
Yeməklə bağlı işlənən idiomlar
eat a horse to eat a lot;
eat hungrily
çox yemək, acgözlüklə yemək;
bir oturuma bir qoyun yemək
I’m hungry. I could eat a horse.
eat your
words
to take back something
you have said; admit
something is not true
sözünü geri götürmək;
sözündən qaçmaq; məc.
tüpürdüyünü yalamaq
◘ I made him eat his words.
◘ He will eat his words with a fork and spoon [16, p.66].
have a
sweet
tooth
to be excessively fond of
dessert items, such as ice
cream, pies, etc
şirniyyatı xoşlamaq;
şirniyyatdan keçə bil-
məmək
- Will she have a dessert?
- I’m sure she will. She always has a sweet tooth.
bite sb’s
head off
to answer someone in
great anger; answer
furiously
bir kəsə acıqla/qeyzlə/
quduzcasına cavab ver-
mək; it kimi qapmaq
I had said nothing; I’ve no idea why he’s biting my head off.
164
English idioms
be in your
taste
what a person
likes or prefers
bir kəsin zövqünə uyğun
olmaq; bir şeyi xoşlamaq
I didn’t like the opera. It is not in my taste. Bu mənlik
deyil.
swallow your
pride
to take back something
you have said; admit
something is not true
qürurundan əl çək-
mək; güzəştə getmək
Just swallow your pride and accept their help.
leave a bad
taste in
your mouth
(of events or experiences)
to make you feel disgusted
or ashamed afterwards
bir kəsdə nifrət/ik-
rah oyatmaq; pis
təəssürat buraxmaq
The whole experience has left a bad taste in my mouth.
get your
teeth into
sth
(informal) to have something
real or solid to think about; go
to work on seriously; struggle
with
bir işin qulpun-
dan möhkəm ya-
pışmaq; işə ciddi
girişmək
- I thought you liked your job. Why do you want a change?
- I need a fresh challenge-something to get my teeth into.
a second bite
at the cherry
an opportunity to
do sth
daha bir şans; yenidən
cəhd göstərmək imkanı
- I’ve failed my university entrance exam. I’m not sure if I can
retake it.
165
English idioms
- I expect you can. You’re allowed a second bite at the cherry.
bite off more
than you can
chew
to try to do more
than you can; be
too confident of
your ability
başından yekə iş görmək;
bacarmadığı işdən yapış-
maq; burnu girməyən ye-
rə başını soxmaq
- I’m going to try to fix the car myself.
- Well, if it is difficult, don’t do it. Don’t bite off more than
you can chew.
♣ FOOD IDIOMS
sb’s cup of
tea/dish of
tea (used
with a
possessive)
(informal) something
you enjoy or do well
at; a special interest,
or favourite
occupation
bir kəsin zövq aldığı və ya-
xud yaxşı bacardığı iş; hər
hansı bir işə olan xüsusi
maraq; sevimli məşğuliy-
yət, zövq, həvəs, meyl, ma-
raq
Going for a walk is his cup of tea.
not sb’s cup of
tea (used with a
possessive)
(informal) not what sb
likes or is interested in;
something you don’t
bir kəsin xoşla-
madığı, maraq-
lanmadığı iş
166
English idioms
enjoy or don’t do well
◘ Going to the restaurants is not my cup of tea.
◘ But I’m not sure that’s my cup of tea at all [19, p.108].
a couch
potato
a person who is addicted
to watching television all
day
bütün günü televizora
baxan adam; televizor
aludəçisi
My brother works hard during the week but at the weekends he
spends most of his time lying on the sofa watching TV. He can
be a real couch potato.
bread
and
butter
the usual needs of
life; food, shelter,
and clothing
əsas gəlir mənbəyi, çörək ağacı;
həyat üçün zəruri olan ehtiyac
(ərzaq, paltar və s.), yaşayış va-
sitəsi
◘ - So you write novels poetry, do you?
- Yes, but sports journalism’s my bread and butter.
◘ He’s got his bread and butter to think of, like the rest of us
[33, p.56].
go (sell)
like hot
cakes
to sell quickly or
in great numbers
əlüstü/dərhal satılmaq; göydə
qapmaq (mal), əlüstü alınıb
qurtarmaq
These T-shirts are sold like hot cakes.
a piece of cake very easy çox asan; bir udum su kimi
I went windsurfing for the first time on Saturday. I thought it
167
English idioms
was going to be a piece of cake but soon realized it was a lot
more difficult than I’d expected.
as cool as a
cucumber
very calm and
controlled
sakit/soyuqqanlı/təmkinli/
özünü itirməyən
Did you see the way she handled that aggressive customer? She
was as cool as a cucumber.
go pear-shaped to go wrong alt-üst olmaq, alınmamaq,
puç olmaq
The whole peace settlement went pear-shaped when the
terrorists planted a bomb in the main railway station.
butter
someone
up
to try to get the favour or
friendship of (a person)
by flattery or
pleasantness
bir kəsə quyruq bula-
maq, yaltaqlanmaq;
məc. kimisə yağlamaq,
başını bişirmək
- Before we ask our boss for anything, we start being extra nice
to him.
- We do the same with our boss. We just butter him up a bit.
It’s never failed yet!
have (put) all
your eggs in
one basket
to place all your efforts,
interests, or hopes in a
single person or thing
bütün ümidlərini
bir kəsə/şeyə bağ-
lamaq; risk etmək
The golden rule with investments is to put our money in a
variety of different companies. Don’t put all your eggs in one
168
English idioms
basket.
stew in your
own juice
to suffer from sth that
you have caused to
happen yourself
öz qazdığı quyuya
düşmək; öz cəzasını
çəkmək
- I’m going to phone Mike to see if he’s ready to say sorry
about that argument.
- No, don’t do that, it’s his fault, so let him stew in his own
juice, for a while.
egg on
sb’s face
embarrassment; humiliation
caused by a claim made,
which subsequently turns out
to be false
utanmaq; biabır
olmaq; pis vəziy-
yətə düşmək; pərt
olmaq
◘ We ended up with egg on our face.
◘ My friend announced that she got the directorship of the firm.
He sure had a lot of eggs on his face the next day, when it
turned out that he was not even considered for the post.
the icing
on the
cake
something extra and not
essential that is added to an
already good situation or
experience and that makes it
even better
süd gölünə düşmə,
istədiyindən artığı-
nı əldə etmə; doşab
alasan bal çıxa
I love my new job; the people, the work, the money. The fact
they’ve given me the car of my dreams is just the icing on the
169
English idioms
cake.
Fry your eggs! Öz işinlə məşğul ol!
♣ MEALS
eat sb’s
bread
to live on sb, to live at the
cost of someone else
bir kəsin çörəyini ye-
mək; kiminsə hesabına
yaşamaq
He likes to eat his parents’ bread.
wine and
dine sb
to entertain or be
entertained with a
meal and wine
bir kəsi yedirib-içirmək,
qonaqlıq vermək, bir kəsi
qonaq etmək
We wined and dined our guests until late into the night.
make your
mouth water
to want to eat sth
very much
ağzının suyu axmaq; ağzı
sulanmaq; bir şeyi çox is-
təmək
◘ What beautiful cakes! They really make my mouth water.
◘ Makes my mouth water just repeating the menu [23, p.305].
melt in your
mouth
if food melts in your
mouth, it is soft and
delicious
ağzında ərimək (bir
şeyin çox yumşaq və
dadlı olması)
These chocolates really melt in your mouth.
170
English idioms
smack
your
lips
to make a short loud noise with
your lips because one is hungry,
or to express how much you’ve
enjoyed eating some food
ağzını marçıldat-
maq; bir şeyin ləz-
zətli olduğunu gös-
tərmək
He looked at the plate and smacked his lips.
eat
somebody
out of house
and home
to eat a lot of
someone’s supply
of food, so that
they have to buy
more
hər şeyi yeyib qurtarmaq,
bir kəsin qonaqpərvərliyin-
dən sui istifadə etmək, məc.
silib-süpürmək; hər şeyin
(ərzaq) axırına çıxmaq
When her children come home, they eat her out of house and
home.
Eat, drink and be
merry (saying)
enjoy life, because
it’s very short
Ye, iç, kef elə, dünya
beş günlükdür
I advise you eat, drink and be merry. We don’t know what
we’ll face in future.
big (light, fussy,
etc.) eater
someone who eats a lot, not
much, only particular things,
etc
qarınqulu;
çox yeyən
My friend has always been a big eater.
to my (your, his,
etc.) taste
in a way that I
like
zövqümə uyğun, ürəyimcə
olan; ürəyimə yatan
171
English idioms
There are many things to my taste here. I think I’ll stay here.
eat like a
bird
to eat very little uşaq payı (az) yemək; yeməyi
quş kimi dimdikləmək
She is very thin. She eats like a bird.
172
English idioms
SECTION FOURTEEN
FIRE IDIOMS
Odla bağlı işlənən idiomlar
Fire has always been very important in all societies. It is not
surprising that the image of fire is used in many situations,
particularly in human relationships.
burning
ambition
(of feeling) very
strong; extreme
bir şeyi dəlicəsinə istəmək; bir
işin həyata keçməsini çox arzu-
lamaq
I want to be a teacher. I’ve got a burning ambition to teach
children English in our village.
heated
discussion
a loud, often violent
discussion
alovlu/qızğın/səs-küylü
müzakirə
I wouldn’t say we had an argument. It was just a heated
discussion.
get on like
a house on
fire
(informal) (of people)
to become friends
quickly and have a very
friendly relationship
bir kəslə yaxşı yola get-
mək; tez və asan əlaqə
yaratmaq, yaxşı ünsiy-
yətdə olmaq; isti müna-
sibət qurmaq
◘ I met Jackie at a conference and liked her immediately. We
173
English idioms
got on like a house on fire.¨
◘ I know that you can act me off the stage, but we get on
together like a house on fire, and … [31, p.36].
play with
fire
to act in a way that is
not sensible and take
dangerous risks
risk etmək; məc. odla
oynamaq, özünü təhlü-
kəyə atmaq
You’re playing with fire. If the company finds out what you’ve
done, you’ll be looking for a new job.
go up in
smoke
if your plans, hopes, etc. go
up in smoke, they fail
completely; disappear; fail;
not come true; to be
completely burnt
arzuların puç olma-
sı; bir şeyin tamami-
lə yanıb kül olması;
yoxa/boşa çıxması
◘ I was planning a quiet weekend, but Sally and Richard invited
themselves round on Saturday, so all my plans went up in
smoke.
◘ Our cottage went up in smoke last year.
shoot
somebody
down in
flames
to be very critical of
sb’s ideas, opinions,
etc
bir kəsin ağzından vur-
maq, sözünü ağzında
qoymaq; danışmağa
imkan verməmək
Every time I have a new idea you just shoot me down in
flames without really listening to what I have to say.
174
English idioms
sparks
fly
(usually plural) feeling of
anger or excitement
between people; argument
mübahisə, dava-dalaş,
səs-küy; aləm bir-biri-
nə dəyir
Have you ever heard Kate and Tina discussing politics? The
sparks really fly when they disagree about something.
a baptism
of fire
a difficult introduction to a
new job or activity
cəhənnəm əzabı
I can remember my first day in the classroom. I had to teach
maths to a class of 30 very difficult sixteen - year-olds. It was a
baptism of fire.
burn
your
bridges
to make a
decision that
you cannot
change
tələsik qərar vermək; tələsik ad-
dım atmaq, geriyə yol qoymamaq,
məc. öz körpüsünü/qayığını yan-
dırmaq; oturduğu budağı kəsmək
- Are you resigning?
- Well, I’m looking for a change, but I’m not leaving this job till
I’ve got something fixed up. I don’t want to burn my bridges.
175
English idioms
add more
fuel to the
fire
to make a bad matter
worse by adding to its
cause; spread trouble
increase anger or
other strong feelings
by talk or action
aranı qatmaq; odun üs-
tünə yağ tökmək; dala-
şanları qızışdırmaq; və-
ziyyəti daha da pisləş-
dirmək, məc. altına od
qoymaq
- That’s the third government minister who’s resigned this
week.
- There’s been something funny going on for a long time. This
just adds more fuel to the fire.
176
English idioms
SECTION FIFTEEN
MEDICINE IDIOMS
Təbabətlə (səhhətlə) bağlı işlənən idiomlar
alive and
kicking
if someone or something is alive
and kicking, they are not only
still living or in existence, but are
also very active and lively
həyat eşqilə do-
lu; sağ və sala-
mat; gümrah
Though my age I am alive and kicking and thinking of you.
be a picture of
health
to look very
healthy
yanaqlarından qan dam-
maq; çox sağlam görünmək
When I saw him, he was a picture of health.
be (as) right
as rain
to be completely well
and healthy again
özünə gəlmək; yenidən
qaydasına düşmək
Don’t worry! You’ll soon be as right as rain.
a bag of bones/
skin and bone
very thin çox arıq; bir qucaq sür-sümük;
bir dəri, bir sümük
My sister is very thin, just a bag of bones.
feel like a
boiled/wet rag
very tired özünü əzgin hiss etmək; çox
yorğun olmaq
I’m just recovering from flu, and I don’t think there is any
illness which makes one feel more like a wet rag than that
177
English idioms
does.
feel like death
warmed up
to feel very ill çox xəstə olmaq; məc. özü-
nü ölü kimi hiss etmək
My wife feels like death warmed up much of the time.
go to pieces to be nervous dəli-divanəyə dönmək
◘ His nerves had gone to pieces when he heard this news.
◘ He plays a winning hand very well, but when he has bad
cards he goes all to pieces [33, p.41].
go from bad to
worse
to become more difficult pisləşmək (iş,
vəziyyət və s.)
After that things went from bad to worse.
between life
and death
an extremely serious, dangerous
situation when someone may die if
people don’t act immediately
həyatla
ölüm ara-
sında
Phone an ambulance. She’s between life and death. It’s a
matter of life and death.
catch a
cold
to become ill with a
cold
sətəlcəm olmaq, soyuqla-
maq, özünü soyuğa vermək
Don’t sit there. You’ll catch a cold.
catch one’s death
=catch one’s death
of cold
to be very cold and
probably become very ill
soyuqlamaq;
sətəlcəm ol-
maq
Don’t go out in wet weather! You’ll catch your death of cold.
178
English idioms
sb’s days
are
numbered
there only remains a short
time before sth unpleasant
will happen to someone,
e.g. that someone will die
sayılı günləri qal-
maq; ölümünə az
qalmaq; can ver-
mək, can üstə olmaq
Me grandfather is terribly ill. His days are numbered.
breathe your last
(breathe or gasp)
to die canını tapşırmaq; son
nəfəsini vermək; ölmək
◘ He sighed and breathed his last.
◘ … and then finally breathed his last, …[21, p.309].
die a natural
death
to die quietly of old age or illness
rather than because of an accident,
in war
əcəli ilə
ölmək
He had been in action all through the war. But he died a
natural death.
die in your boots/die
with your boots on
to die while still
working
qəfildən olmək;
rahat ölmək
I’d much rather die in my boots.
hope against
hope
to hope for sth
that seems
impossible
möcüzənin baş verəcəyinə/
qeyri-mümkün olan bir işin
düzələcəyinə ümid etmək
We hoped against hope that my father would become better.
179
English idioms
But in vain.
be a martyr
of sth/die a
martyr to
to suffer greatly/
die, because of sth
bir şeydən çox əziyyət
çəkmək; bir şeyə düçar/
mübtəla olub ölmək
She’s a martyr to severe headaches.
take your
life in your
own hands
to put oneself in
danger of death
həyatı ilə oynamaq; özünü
təhlükəyə/ölümün ağuşu-
na/ atmaq
Every time you cross this busy road you take your life in your
hands.
nurse sb
back to
health
to nurse someone
until they’re well
again
xəstənin yatağından aralan-
mamaq; sağalanadək xəstə-
nin qulluğunda durmaq
My mother nursed my elder brother back to health.
bring sb
to life
to make someone live,
regain consciousness
bir kəsi yenidən həyata
qaytarmaq
She was brought to life by the doctor.
♣ HEALTH IDIOMS
a sore
point/
a weak or sensitive part; a subject or
thing about which someone
ağrılı məsələ;
bir kəsin ağrılı
180
English idioms
spot becomes angry or upset easily yeri
Try not to mention baldness while he’s here. It’s a sore spot for
him.
give someone a
tastle/dose of
their own
medicine
to treat
someone the
way he or she
treats others
bir kəsin sənə etdiyi
pisliyin /yaxşılığın əvəzini
vaxtı gələndə çıxmaq; kiməsə
onun öz kartı ilə cavab
vermək
When I refused to help him I tried to give him a tastle of his
own medicine.
sugar
the pill
do sth to make something
unpleasant more acceptable
gərginliyi azaltmaq
My father has sugared the overtime pill by offering a large
extra payment.
a bitter pill
to swallow
something hard
to accept;
disappointment
xoşagəlməz məsələ/əhvalat;
qəbul edilməsi ağır olan acı
həqiqət
◘ My brother wasn’t invited to the party as it was a bitter pill
for him to swallow.
◘ At forty, cessation of menses is a bitter pill to swallow.
have
itchy
feet
(informal) to want to
travel or move to a
different place; to want
bir yerdə qərar tuta bilmə-
mək; bir yerdə uzun müd-
dət qala bilməmək; məc.
181
English idioms
to do sth different ayağının altı qaşınmaq
I’m leaving this place next week. As you know, I can’t stay in
one place for more than a year without getting itchy feet.
182
English idioms
SECTION SIXTEEN
DAILY PROGRAMME
Gündəlik işlərlə bağlı olan idiomlar
be as regular
as clock-work
very
regular
saat kimi dəqiq olmaq; hər hansı
bir işi eyni vaxtda görmək; mün-
təzəm
He phones me every evening, regular as clockwork.
be as busy as a bee very busy arı kimi çalışqan olmaq;
çox məşğul olmaq
I don’t have time to help you. I’m as busy as a bee.
be up to one’s
ears in work
to have a lot of work çox işi olmaq; işi ba-
şından aşmaq
I’m up to my ears in work.
have one’s
hands full
to be very
busy or too
busy
başını qaşımağa vaxtı olmamaq;
olduqca məşğul olmaq; əlində
çox işi olmaq
I’m sorry I can’t come. I have my hands full with problems at
home.
a woman’s work is
never done
one has always
some housework to
do
evin (qadının) işi
qurtarmaz; həmişə
görüləsi işi olmaq
I’ll do the cleaning and go to bed, I’m tired out. A woman’s
183
English idioms
work is never done.
morning, noon
and night
used to emphasize that
something happens a lot or
continuously
səhər-axşam;
daima
My sister is on the phone morning, noon and night.
not sleep a wink/not
get a wink of sleep
not be able to sleep
at all
yuxusuz qalmaq;
çimir almamaq;
göz yummamaq
◘ He looked tired. He never slept a wink that night.
◘ Eily couldn’t sleep a wink with worry and did her best to
hide it from the others [30, p.38].
184
English idioms
SECTION SEVENTEEN
BREAKING IDIOMS
Emosional hisslər ifadə edən idiomlar
go to
pieces
to become very nervous or sick
from nervousness; become wild
məhv olmaq; dünya
başına fırlanmaq;
qəlbi parçalanmaq
He went to pieces when he heard of his mother’s death.
feel
fragile
not strong and likely to
become ill/sick
özünü əzgin/xəstə hiss
etmək; kefsiz olmaq
He’s feeling fragile this morning. He had a late night.
handle
someone
with kid
gloves
to deal with sb in a very
careful way so that you do
not offend or upset them
bir kəslə çox ehtiyat-
la davranmaq; bi-
şim-bişimlə dav-
ranmaq
Be very careful what you say to him. You have got to handle
him with kid gloves.
knock someone
down with a
feather
(informal) used
to express
surprise
gördüyündən şoka düş-
mək; sevincdən ürəyi get-
mək; gözləri kəlləsinə çıx-
maq
◘ When I heard the news, you could have knocked me down
185
English idioms
with a feather.
◘ “You could have knocked me down with a feather”, she
answered, so surprised that she looked at him blankly [33,
p.34].
snap
back sb
to speak or say sth in an
impatient, usually angry
voice
bir kəsə kəskin/kobud/
qaba tərzdə cavab ver-
mək; it kimi qapmaq
“Do it yourself, if you think you can do it better!” he snapped
back.
put sb’s life
back together
to come to
oneself
yenidən həyata qayıtmaq;
özünə gəlmək
After his wife’s death, it took him a long time to put his life
back together.
mend the
relationship
to find a solution to a
problem or disagreement
bir kəsin könlünü al-
maq; münasibətləri
yenidən bərpa etmək
She wants a divorce, but Justin is trying to mend the
relationship.
pick up the
pieces
to continue living life
normally after some tragedy
that put a major roadblock
in one’s way
hər hansı bir hadi-
sədən sonra özünə
gəlmək; yenidən
həyata bağlanmaq
It was terrible losing Mary, but I’m doing my best to pick up
186
English idioms
the pieces.
need careful
handling
to deal with sb in a
very careful way
bir kəslə ehtiyatla rəftar
etmək; bir kəslə bişim-
bişimlə davranmaq
He needs careful handling. He’s brilliant, but he’s a bit
sensitive to criticism.
break sb’s
heart
to discourage greatly;
make very sad or
hopeless
ruhdan düşmək, məyus
olmaq; bir kəsin qəlbini
sındırmaq/parçalamaq
◘ When her son was killed in the war, it broke her heart.
◘ “Have you broken my heart and ruined my whole life just to
keep me in your rotten theatre?” [31, p.43].
187
English idioms
SECTION EIGHTEEN
HOLIDAYS
Istirahətlə bağlı işlənən idiomlar
get away
from all
to get loose or get free;
become free from being
held or controlled; succeed
in leaving; escape
hamıdan, hər şeydən
qaçmaq/uzaqlaşmaq;
baş götürüb qaçmaq,
aradan çıxmaq
- When are you on holiday?
- Tomorrow.
- I can’t wait. I am really looking forward to getting away from
it all.
off the
beaten
track
not well known or often
used; not gone to or seen by
many people; unusual
gözdən uzaq yer; sakit
yer; tapdaq (ayaqaltı)
olmayan yer
I like this town. It is so quiet. We are the only tourists. I prefer
places off the beaten track.
let your
hair down
act freely and
naturally; be
informal; relax
azad nəfəs almaq; sərbəst
olmaq; dincəlmək, özünü
sərbəst aparmaq
Why do you always stay here? It is the best place to really let
your hair down.
have time of a very happy or həyatın ən gözəl dəqiqə-
188
English idioms
your life wonderful time lərini yaşamaq
- How was your holiday?
- Wonderful. We had the time of our lives.
in the middle
of nowhere
in a deserted,
far away place
çox uzaq, əlçatmaz yer; dün-
yanın qurtaracağında/o başın-
da
◘ - Where is the cottage you’re renting in Portugal?
- Oh, it’s miles from anywhere in the middle of nowhere.
◘ When my car stopped on the highway in the middle of
nowhere, it took forever to get help.
◘ To die all alone in the middle of nowhere, starved and with
no family or friends [30, p.70].
have a whale
of a time
to enjoy yourself very much;
to have a very good time
əla vaxt keçir-
mək; əylənmək
- Did you like your skiing holiday? What was it like?
- It was great. We had a whale of a time.
what the
doctor orders
(humorous) exactly
what sb wants or needs
zəruri/gərəkli olan
hər şey; quş iliyi can
dərmanı
- I see you had a good time?
- Fantastic. Sun, sea and excellent food. It was just what the
doctor ordered.
recharge the to get back your enerji yığmaq; güm-
189
English idioms
batteries strength and energy
by resting for a while
rahlaşmaq; havasını
dəyişmək, istirahət et-
mək
We are going to recharge our batteries, that is why we are
here.
pack everything
except the
kitchen sink
(humorous) a very
large number of things,
probably more than is
necessary
əlinə keçəni, gözü
gördüyünü götür-
mək; hər şeyi
yığıb-yığışdırmaq
- Are you sure everything is in the cases?
- Yes, positive. We have packed everything except the
kitchen sink.
watch the
world go by
to relax and watch
people in a public place
qaynar həyatı kənar-
dan seyr edərək zövq
almaq
- Have you been to Paris?
- Yes, I love Paris, I love sitting in a cafe watching the world
go by.
190
English idioms
SECTION NINETEEN
SLEEP AND DREAM IDIOMS
Yuxu və arzu idiomları
lose sleep
over
to worry about
something
narahat olmaq; kürkünə birə
düşmək; yuxusu ərşə çəkilmək
- I am a bit worried that I upset Amanda I didn’t mean to be
rude.
- It was just a misunderstanding. Don’t lose any sleep over it.
be half asleep not fully awake ayaq üstə mürgüləmək;
yarı yuxulu
- Sorry? What did you say? I wasn’t listening.
- What’s the matter with you this morning? You are half
asleep.
a dream
come true
a wish to have or be sth, especially one that seems
difficult to achieve
arzunun həyata keç-
məsi/gerçəkləşməsi
- So, you’re off to America at the weekend? Have a good time.
- I will. I’ve been waiting to go for years. It’s a dream come
true.
191
English idioms
go like a
dream
to work very well; to
happen without problems,
in the way that you had
planned
yuxuya bənzəmək; əla
getmək/(iş, plan və s.)
olmaq/işləmək
◘ - How was your date with Richard? Is he Mr. Right?
- It was wonderful. Everything was perfect. It went like a
dream.
◘ Our new computer goes like a dream.
sleep on
sth
(informal) to delay making a
decision about sth until the next
day, so that you have time to
think about it
götür-qoy etmək;
təxirə salıb (qərarı)
vaxtı uzatmaq/
vaxt qazanmaq
- Work in the Madrid office? Well, it sounds good, but it’s a big
decision to have home for two years.
- Sleep on it! You don’t have to decide now. We can talk again
tomorrow.
I wouldn’t
dream of it!
(informal)
I would never
do it
Bunu heç vaxt etmərəm! Bu-
nu ağlımdan da keçirmirəm!
- Do you allow yourself to have a drink when you’re driving?
- No, I wouldn’t dream of it. I’d never forgive myself if I had
an accident.
sleep like a (informal) to sleep very yaxşı yatmaq; ölü/daş
192
English idioms
log/baby deeply and soundly kimi yatmaq, xorxaxor
yatmaq
◘ I feel great. I slept like a log last night.
◘ Every day I was up at dawn, clearing, working on my house,
and at night when I threw myself on my bed it was to sleep like
a log till morning [32, p.202].
dead to the world fast asleep bərk yatmaq; dünyadan
xəbəri olmamaq
Someone said there was thunder last night, but I didn’t hear a
thing. I was dead in the world.
get/have a wink to be able to sleep gözünün acısını al-
maq; mürgüləmək
I sometimes stay in my office and have forty winks at my desk.
look dead on
one’s feet
very tired but still
standing or walking
çox yorğun olmaq; məc.
ayaq üstə ölmək
(yorğunluqdan)
It is time you go to bed. You look dead on your feet.
193
English idioms
SECTION TWENTY
SUITABILITY
Münasibət bildirən idiomlar
feel at home to feel comfortable,
relaxed, at ease
özünü evindəki kimi hiss
etmək; rahat olmaq
- Is your son still living in Italy?
- Yes, he feels very much at home there.
fit (sb) like
a glove
to fit
perfectly
əyninə biçilmək; boyuna/ölçüsünə
uyğun olmaq; məc. əyninə qutu kimi
oturmaq
- How do these shoes feel?
- Lovely. They fit like a glove. I’m just not sure about the
colour.
do the
trick
to bring success in doing
something; have a desired
result
uğur gətirmək; uğur-
lu/yaxşı olmaq (nəticə
haqda)
- I’ve got a terrible headache. I’d better go home.
- Try this medicine. It’ll do the trick! You’ll be feeling as right
as rain again in a couple of minutes.
fit/fill the bill to be what is needed
in a particular
situation or for a
münasib olmaq; uyğun
(yararlı) olmaq; tələblə-
194
English idioms
particular purpose rə cavab vermək
◘ - We’re looking for somebody to send to England.
- What about Mr. Anar? I think he’d fill the bill, wouldn’t he?
◘ And Harcourt didn’t fit the bill either, though he was perfect
for her sister [21, p.17].
tailor
something to
sb’s needs
to make or adopt sth for
a particular purpose, a
particular person, etc
bir şeyi tələblərə
uygun düzüb-qoş-
maq
- My timetable is not suitable for me.
- Don’t worry. That’s no problem. We can tailor it to your
needs.
out of
place
in the wrong place or at the
wrong time; not suitable;
improper
əlverişli/münasib olma-
yan vəziyyət; biabırçı/
gülünc vəziyyət
Everyone else was wearing fancy dress! I was the only one in a
suit! I felt completely out of place.
It’s (for) you! (me,
her, them, etc.)
used to say that sth belongs
to or who it is intended for
Əsl sənin
malındır!
- Does this coat suit me?
-It’s you! Yes, it’s definitely you.
a square peg
in a round
hole
a person who doesn’t fit
into a job or position;
someone who doesn’t
öz yerində olmayan
adam; müqəvvaya
oxşayan/gülünc gö-
195
English idioms
belong where he is rünən adam
I’m sorry for Clive. He just doesn’t fit in around here. He is a
square peg in a round hole.
be in your
element
doing what you are
good at and enjoy
ürəyincə olan/zövq aldığın
işi görmək, öz yerində ol-
maq
My sister works in the kindergarten. She loves children, and she
is in her element.
right up
your
street
(informal) very suitable for
you because it is sth that
you know a lot about or
are interested in
bir kəs üçün əlverişli
/münasib olan iş; bir
kəsin ürəyincə olan iş
Thanks for this job. It is right up my
street.
Bu işə görə çox sağ
olun. Əsl mənlikdir.
196
English idioms
SECTION TWENTY ONE
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
Oxşarlıq və fərq bildirən idiomlar
be in the
same boat
in the same trouble, in the
same fix; in the same bad
situation
eyni vəziyyətdə ol-
maq; eyni qara gün-
də/dərddə olmaq
It’s not just you who are worried about losing their jobs. We’re
all in the same boat.
a/the world
of difference
(informal) used to emphasize
how different two things are;
to be different
yer-göy qədər
fərqli olmaq;
çox fərqlənmək
There is a world of difference between visiting a country and
actually living there.
one of a kind the only one
like this
tayı-bərabəri olmayan; hamı-
dan (hər şeydən) fərqli olan
I love my uncle. He’s a politician. I don’t know anybody quite
like him. He’s one of a kind. (Ondan yoxdur).
be poles
apart
completely different; to have
no interests that you share
tamamilə fərqli, ayrı-
ayrı fikirlərdə olmaq
Anar and I are good friends but when it comes to politics we’re
poles apart.
a far cry from something very fərqli/yer-göy qədər fərqli
197
English idioms
different olmaq
◘ So here you are living in a luxury flat looking out at
Buckingham Palace. It’s a far cry from the slums of Liverpool!
◘ It was a far cry from her gentle loving family in Japan [19,
p.26].
as different
as chalk
and cheese
if two people or things are
like chalk and cheese, or as
different as chalk and
cheese, they’re completely
different from each other
çox fərqlənmək;
yer-göy qədər
fərqli olmaq; ayrı-
ayrı dünyanın in-
sanları olmaq
- I think, you and your husband are very different characters,
aren’t you?
- Completely different. We are as different as chalk and
cheese.
a different
kettle of fish
(informal) a completely
different situation or
person from the one
previously mentioned
fərqli olmaq; hamı-
dan fərqlənmək; baş-
qa adamlardan seçil-
mək
- I only knew Mary’s sister Anne. She led a very quiet life.
- Oh, you couldn’t accuse Mary of that! She was a different
kettle of fish.
stick out
like a sore
to be
conspicuous;
barmaqla göstərilmək; gülünc
vəziyyətə düşmək; diqqəti özünə
198
English idioms
thumb be different
from the rest
cəlb etmək; özünü gözə soxmaq
(hərəkəti, geyimi və s. ilə)
You can’t go to work wearing such a kind of tie! You’ll stick
out like a sore thumb!
be on a par
with sb/ sth
as good, bad,
important, etc. as
sb/sth else
bir kəslə/şeylə bərabər,
eyni vəziyyətdə olmaq;
fərqlənməmək
I would say that the cost of living in London is on a par with
Paris.
Join the
club!
(informal) used when sth bad
that has happened to sb else has
also happen to you
sən də bizim gün-
lüsən; sən də biz-
lərdənsən
- I’m absolutely fed-up! I’m over-worked and under-paid.
- Join the club! You are not the one, you know!
a carbon copy a person or thing that is
very similar to sb/sth else
bir kəsin/şeyin
eyni
This book is virtually a carbon copy of the last one.
199
English idioms
SECTION TWENTY TWO
ORGANIZATIONS ARE GARDENS
Yaxşı plan işin yarısı deməkdir
dig out to find by searching;
bring out (sth) that was
put away
bir şeyi araşdırmaq/üzə çı-
xarmaq/axtarıb tapmaq;
qazıb/eşib çıxarmaq
I have got some difficulties with this account. Do you have a
minute? If you can dig them out for me, I’ll be grateful to you.
stem from originate
from
kökünü/mənbəyini/başlangıcını gö-
türmək; yaranmaq, əmələ gəlmək;
I’ll explain to you why you’ve got problems. All your problems
stem from bad communication. You need to speak to each other
once more.
plough money
into
invest a lot of
money
pul/sərmayə qoymaq;
bir şeyə maya yatırmaq
I don’t advise you to plough money into this project.
Otherwise you’ll fail, I think.
weed
out
to remove what is
unwanted, harmful, or
not good enough from
kənar etmək; təmizləmək;
təzələmək; köhnəni yenisi ilə
əvəz etmək; alaq etmək
Some people have been doing the same thing at our work for a
long time. We haven’t had any differences yet. I think we need
200
English idioms
to weed out our weaker ones and re-train our best staff.
cut back on to reduce azaltmaq, aşağı salmaq, kəsmək
We are in the middle of a recession. That means we all have to
cut back on all unnecessary expense.
branch
out into
expand and
diversify
genişləndirmək; müxtəlifləşdirmək,
eyni şeyi cürbəcür şəkildə göstərmək
They are planning to branch out into new markets in this part
of the city.
bear fruit produce results nəticə vermək/göstərmək;
bar vermək
Two thousand replies this week! Our promotional campaign is
beginning to bear fruit at last.
dead
wood
people or things that have
become useless or unnecessary
in an organization
yararsız; heç bir işə
yaramayan adam/əş-
ya; köhnə-kürüş, cır-
cındır
If we want to be more efficient, we have to get rid of the dead
wood in middle management.
201
English idioms
SECTION TWENTY THREE
FAMILY IDIOMS
Ailə üzvləri arasındakı münasibətləri əks etdirən idiomlar
♣ FAMILY LIFE
baby of the
family
a younger child in a
family, often the youngest
ailənin sonbeşiyi;
evin kiçiyi
I’ve got two brothers who are older than me and then my
younger sister Susan who is 16. She is the baby of the family.
be like two
peas in a pod
closely similar; almost
exactly alike
iki alma kimi bir-bi-
rinə oxşamaq; çox
oxşar olmaq
They’ve got two sons and they look just the same. They’re like
two peas in a pod.
blood is
thicker
than
water
persons of the same family
are closer to one another
than to others; relatives
are favored or chosen over
outsiders
ətini yesə də sümüyü-
nü atmaz; qan çəkir;
(ailə üzvlərinin bir-bi-
rinə çox bağlı olması
haqda)
◘ Sam is not the best person for the job but his father made him
head of marketing in the family business. As you know, blood
202
English idioms
is thicker than water.
◘ Mr. Brown hires his relatives to work in his store. Blood is
thicker than water.
◘ She was his sister after all, and blood was thicker than
water [18, p.93].
be your
own flesh
and blood
a close relative (as
a father, daughter,
brother); close
relatives
bir kəsin can-ciyəri (se-
vimlisi) olmaq; yaxın qo-
hum/eyni qandan olmaq
◘ My son’s in trouble with the policy. I normally have no
sympathy with people who break the low but it’s different
when it’s your own flesh and blood.
◘ They were flesh and blood, and he loved them [18, p.92].
fight like cat
and dog
disagree or argue
violently, often repeatedly
dalaşmaq; yola
getməmək; it-pişik
kimi dolanmaq
My sister and her husband used to fight like cat and dog when
they were younger.
like father,
like son
(ironic) a son is usually like his
father in the way he acts
oğul atasına
oxşayar
My brother is mad about tennis, just like our father. You know
what they say: “Like father, like son”.
tie the to get married; to evlənmək; bir yerdə ömür sür-
203
English idioms
knot perform a wedding
ceremony
məyə qərar vermək; ömrünü
kiminləsə bağlamaq
My brother and his girlfriend decided to tie the knot. They’re
getting married in spring.
a long-lost
relative
a long-lost relative is
one whom you haven’t
seen for many years
uzun müddət xəbər-ətər
çıxmayan qohum; itkin
düşmüş qohum
I have a long-lost relative in Persian. I didn’t even know he
existed. I’m going to visit him this summer.
runs in the
family (runs
in the blood)
to be a common family
characteristic; be learned or
inherited from your family
ailə ənənəsi; nə-
sildən-nəslə ke-
çən ailə ənənəsi
Everyone in our family plays a saz. Music runs in our family.
be like
chalk and
cheese
to be completely
different from each
other
bir-birindən fərqlənmək;
bir-birinə oxşamamaq, yer-
göy qədər fərqli olmaq
My sister and I look alike but when it comes to personality
we’re like chalk and cheese.
be/look the very
picture of your
(father)
be the spitting
image of sb; to
look like a
relative
bir kəsə çox bənzəmək;
elə bil atasının eynidir,
məc. elə bil atasının bur-
nundan düşüb
My brother looks the very picture of our father.
204
English idioms
as pretty as a
picture
very pretty şəkil kimi gözəl; çox gözəl
◘ She is as pretty as a picture. I’m sure my brother will fall in
love with her at the first sight.
◘ “And pretty as a picture, they tell me” [31, p.138].
keep one’s
looks
to continue to be
physically attractive
özünü yaxşı saxlamaq
(xarici görünüşcə); yax-
şı görünmək
My boss keeps his looks even in the old age.
beauty lies
in lover’s
eyes
different people have
different opinions about
what is beautiful
Leyliyə Məcnunun
gözü ilə bax; hər kə-
sin gözəllik haqda öz
fikri var
I don’t not agree with you. I think, he is very handsome.
Beauty lies in lover’s eyes.
appearances
are
deceptive
something that is
deceptive seems to
be one thing but is in
fact very different
insanı geyiminə görə
qarşılayıb, danışığına gö-
rə yola salarlar; xarici
görkəm aldadıcı olur
It’s usually best not to judge by appearances. They say,
appearances are deceptive.
in the flower to be at the time in your bir kəsin həyatının
205
English idioms
of life (one’s
age); in the
prime of life
life when you are the
strongest and most
active
çiçəkləndiyi dövr;
kamillik dövrü
He was about 40 years old, and in the prime of life.
a chip off
the old
block
a person very like
his or her mother or
father in character/
appearance
həm xasiyyət, həm də görü-
nüşcə valideynlərinə oxşa-
maq; (atasını, anasını) itə-
ləyib yerində durub
“That daughter of hers”, observed the Colonel, “is a chip off
the old block”.
bear/carry off
your age well
to look younger that
one actually is
yaşına görə cavan gö-
rünmək/yaxşı qalmaq
- I wonder if you know how old she is.
- I think she is in her thirties, but she carries off her age well.
the apple of
one’s eye
to be loved very
much by someone
bir kəsin sevimlisi/gözünün
işığı/göz bəbəyi olmaq
My brother is always the apple of my parents.
be a
black
sheep
someone who is
regarded by other
members of their family
or group as a failure or
embarrassment
ailənin üz qarası; ailəyə bi-
abırçılıq gətirən adam, ya-
ramaz, bədzad, rəzil adam;
bir dana bütöv naxırı kor-
layır (atalar sözü)
I think she’s the black sheep of the family, she always behaves
206
English idioms
badly.
be a
character
to be an interesting
and unusual person
çox maraqlı və qeyri-adi
insan olmaq; şəxsiyyət ol-
maq
He is quite a character. He has so many tales to tell.
207
English idioms
SECTION TWENTY FOUR
GRAMMATICAL IDIOMS
Qrammatik idiomlar
♣ “ALL” IDIOMS
if it’s all the
same to you
to not be
important to sb
əgər inciməsən; əgər sənin
üçün fərqi yoxdursa; əgər
etiraz etmirsənsə
- Let’s go by car, shall we?
- Thanks for offering, but if it’s all the same to you, I’ll walk. I
need some fresh air.
all of a
sudden
suddenly; unexpectedly,
without warning; abruptly
qəfildən; gözlənilmədən;
bir göz qırpımında
I was watching TV, having coffee and all of a sudden
everything went black; the TV, the lights. There was a power
cut.
be all go to be very busy or full of
activity
çox məşğul olmaq;
fəaliyyətdə olmaq
Sorry I haven’t been able to ring you earlier, but my phone
stopped ringing since I got in the morning. It has been all go!
all over completely finished; in tamamilə qurtarmış;
208
English idioms
every part; everywhere; in
every way
hər tərəfdə/yerdə; hər
halda, necə olsa da
◘ If you don’t hurry, the cinema will be all over by the time we
get there.
◘ I have a fever and aches all over.
by all
accounts
people say; apparently deyilənə görə/deyirlər
ki,/söz-söhbət gəzir ki,
- Have you been to the new art gallery?
- No, I haven’t but, by all accounts, it’s excellent.
be all for in favour of bir şeyin tərəfdarı olmaq; bir kəsi
dəstəkləmək/tərəfində olmaq
- People aren’t allowed to smoke here. But it’s true. People
should be allowed to smoke wherever they want. This is a free
country, after all.
- Well, I’m all for of freedom, but you do have to respect other
people’s health don’t you?
when all is said
and done
the general
conclusion
iş-işdən keçəndən sonra;
başqa əlac olmayandan
sonra/ əlac nədir?!
◘ I can’t say I like my job. There are things I don’t like about it,
but it pays the bills. When all’s said and done, it’s better than
having no job at all!
209
English idioms
◘ … when all is said and done he was only the public [31,
p.71].
all being well if nothing goes
wrong
hər şey qaydasında olsa;
bir əngəl çıxmasa
I’ll visit you tomorrow, all being well. It partly depends on the
weather.
all in
all
in summary; altogether;
the person or thing that
you love most
bütünlükdə, ümumilikdə,
ümumiyyətlə götürdükdə; se-
vimli insan; misilsiz bir şey
◘ - I hope the weather didn’t ruin your holiday.
- Well, it was very disappointing, but everything else was
great. All in all we had a really good time.
◘ I was all in all to him.
◘ Football was his all in all. (Futbol onun üçün hər şey demək
idi).
all the (used to
emphasize comparative
adjectives, adverbs, and
nouns)
than
otherwise;
even
üstəlik; hətta; daha
da; (yoxsa, əks təq-
dirdə; başqa cür, di-
gər halda)
Opening the letter made the situation all the worse.
all the go the latest fashion son dəb, dəbdə olan
These trousers are all the go this winter.
210
English idioms
♣ BINOMIALS (“AND” IDIOMS)
Binomials are expressions (often idiomatic) where two words
are joined by a conjunction (usually “ and ” ). The order of the
words is usually fixed.
be sick
and
tired
feeling strong dislike for
something repeated or continued
too long; exasperated; annoyed
cana doymaq;
bezmək, xəstəhal
və yorğun olmaq
- Stop telling me how to behave!
- I’m sick and tired of being treated like a child.
time and again many times; repeatedly;
very often
dəfələrlə; dönə-
dönə
My sister keeps using my computer without asking me. It’s
driving me mad. I’ve asked her time and again not to do it but
she still does.
get peace
and quiet
the state of being
calm or quiet
rahatlıq tapmaq; dincəl-
mək; asudə nəfəs almaq
The main reason I go to the countryside is to spare some time on
my own. In fact, it’s the only time I get any peace and quiet.
211
English idioms
be out
and
about
be able to go outside again
after an illness; traveling
around a place
xəstəlikdən sonra yeni-
dən ayaq üstə olmaq;
gəzmək/dolaşmaq
◘ Don’t phone me at work tomorrow. I’m going to be out and
about all day. Call me at home in the evening. ◘ She is better
now, out and about again.
have ups
and
downs
the mixture of good and bad
things in life or in a
particular situation or
relationship
ara sıra küsüb barış-
maq; həyatın eniş-yo-
xuşu ilə üzləşmək
Don’t worry about yesterday’s. There’s no such thing as the
perfect marriage. Every couple have their ups and downs. It’s
the same for everyone.
born and
bred
born and having grown up in a
particular place with a particular
background and education
anadangəl-
mə; anadan
olandan
I’m not English. I’m American born and bred.
bright
and
early
prompt and alert; on time
and ready; cheerful and on
time or before time
təyin olunmuş vaxt-
da və yüksək əhval-
ruhiyyədə
- Be ready at six.
- OK. See you in the morning bright and early, then.
go round to work hard at sth heç bir irəliləyişə nail ol-
212
English idioms
and round
in circles
or discuss sth
without making any
progress
madan eyni işi görmək;
məc. yerində fırlanmaq/
saymaq
This meeting is getting us nowhere. We just keep going round
and round in circles.
wear and
tear
deterioration
through use
işlənib köhnəlmə, xarab olma;
yeyilmə, aşınma; yıxılıb-dur-
ma; kökdən düşmə
◘ After 75,000 miles there is usually a lot wear and tear on any
car.
◘ I need an operation on my knee. It’s because of the wear and
tear of playing football over the past 25 years.
forget
and
forget
used to tell sb that sth is not
important and that they
shouldn’t worry about it
qulaq ardına vurmaq;
göz yummaq, əhəmiy-
yət verməmək
If I have an argument or fight with someone, I always try to
forget and forget. It’s the only way to keep your friends.
short and
sweet
brief and to
the point
qısa və yığcam; mətləbdən uzaqlaş-
madan; az danış, yaxşı danış;ucun-
dan tutub ucuzluğa getmədən
If you’re going to make a report, my advice to you is: “Keep it
short and sweet.” (Qısa və konkret ol!).
cut and decided or expected əvvəldən hazırlanmış,
213
English idioms
dried beforehand; following the
same old line; doing the
usual thing
şablon, trafaret (nəti-
cə, fikir, mülahizə və
s. haq.)
The solution to this problem isn’t going to be easy. I wish there
was a cut and dried answer, but there isn’t!
few and
far
between
not many; few and
scattered; not often
met or found; rare
ərşə çəkilmə, qeyb olma, yo-
xa çıxma, azalma; nadir/ az
rast gəlinən/tapılan
Last year we picked a lot of apples, but this year they’re very
few and far between.
tried and
tested
to use, do or test sth in order to
see if it is good, suitable, etc.
sınaqdan çıxarıl-
mış; yoxlanılmış
When I get a cold I go to bed with whisky and honey. The next
day I’m fine. It’s a tried and tested remedy.
search high and
low
everywhere hər tərəfi axtarmaq; hər
yeri ələk-vələk etmək
I can’t find my password. I’ve searched high and low for them,
but I can’t find them anywhere.
be home
and dry
to have done sth
successfully, especially
when it was difficult
azad/rahat nəfəs almaq;
rahatlaşmaq; üstündən
yük götürülmək
When I finish my final essay, hand it in, then I’ll be home and
dry.
214
English idioms
day and age now, in the modern
world
ilin-günün bu vaxtı; hal-
hazırki vaxtda
In our country it’s not usual in this day and age for couples to
live together without getting married.
Note: The order in these expressions is fixed. You can’t say
I’m tired and sick of waiting or I need a bit of quiet and peace.
♣ IDIOMS WITH DEGREES OF ADJECTIVES
(GOOD/BETTER/BEST; BAD/WORSE/WORST)
do sb/sth the
world of good
to make sb feel much
better; to improve sth
bir kəsə/şeyə çox xeyri
dəymək/xeyir vermək
I’ve just come back from a holiday. I’ve been top France,
Madrid, etc. You should try it some day. It did me the world of
good.
be in sb’s
good/bad
books
(informal) used to
say that sb is
pleased/annoyed
with you
bir kəs haqqında yaxşı/pis fi-
kirdə olmaq; bir kəsin qara
siyahısına/qırmızı kitabına
düşmək
Shalalah has been doing very silly things recently. She is not in
215
English idioms
my good books.
throw good
money after
bad
to spend more money
on sth, when you have
wasted a lot on it
already
pulu boş yerə xərclə-
mək; məc. pulu çölə at-
maq/havaya sovurmaq
We needn’t to spend so much money on this project. It won’t
work. We’re just throwing good money after bad.
for your
own good
having a useful or
helpful effect on sb/ sth
kiminsə xeyrinə/yaxşı-
lığına
I think you need to go on a diet. Believe me, it’s for your own
good.
Good for you!
(sb, them, etc.)
(informal) used to praise
sb for doing sth well
Afərin! Halaldır!
Bərəkallah!
You’re trying to learn English at last! Good for you!
What’s the good of doing …? …bunu etməyin nə mənası?
- I’ve complained so many times about the noise from the next
door. But they never pay any attention to my words. I’m
absolutely fed up with them.
- What’s the good of complaining any more? They just ignore
us.
216
English idioms
it’s a
good
job
(informal) used to say that you are
pleased about a situation or that sb is
lucky that sth happened
yaxşı oldu; ye-
rinə düşdü; nə
yaxşı ki
It’s a good job I didn’t catch the two o’clock plane. That’s the
one that crashed!
at the best
of times
even when the circumstances are
very good
dünyanın düz
vaxtı
- It’s the most boring lesson I’ve ever had. He’s so dull.
- Yes, he’s not very interesting at the best of times, but that
day he was worse than usual.
it’s probably
for the best
used to say that although sth
appears bad or unpleasant now,
it will be good in the end
hər şey yaxşı-
lığa doğru-
dur
- Sorry, Jane. I have to cancel our meeting next Sunday.
- Don’t worry. It’s probably for the best. I’m very busy
myself.
the best of your
knowledge
as far as your
know
bir kəsin bildiyinə görə/
məlumatına əsasən
- What about Farid? Is he doing the same things?
- To the best of my knowledge, he’s still working at the same
office.
make the best
of a bad job
to accept a bad or
difficult situation and
vəziyyətlə razılaş-
maq/barişmaq; taleyə
217
English idioms
do as well as you can boyun əymək
◘ It was difficult for me to leave my job, but soon I made the
best of a bad job and began to enjoy it.
◘ -The food in this restaurant is awful. If I’d known it was
going to be this bad, I’d never have come.
- Well, there’s nothing we can do about it. Let’s just make
the best of a bad job.
see
better
days
(usually of things) (always
perfect tense form) to enjoy a
better or happier life; to
become old, damaged or
useless
yaxşı günlər görmək;
vaxtilə daha yaxşı və-
ziyyətdə olmaq; köh-
nəlmiş/yararsız olmaq
◘ - I hear you’ve got an old Volkswagen Bettle, What’s it like?
- Well, it’s seen better days but it still runs very well.
◘ They had all seen better days, … [21, p.449].
know
better
(than that/than to do
sth) to be sensible
enough not to do sth
bilməliydin; bir şeyi etməmiş-
dən əvvəl nəticəsini anlamaq,
başa düşmək, dərk etmək
- Frank still hasn’t given me back the $50 I lent him.
- You should know better than to lend him money. That’s
typical of him.
second best not as good as the thing ürəyincə olmamaq;
218
English idioms
you really want babat olmaq
If you know what kind of job you want, you really shouldn’t
settle for second best.
give/get the
best of both
worlds
have the advantages
of two different
things at the same
time
bir neçə şeydən zövq al-
maq; bir kəsə dünyaları
bəxş etmək (hər şeyin ən
yaxşısını dadmaq)
Living in France and working in Switzerland gives them the
best of both worlds – Swiss salaries and a French lifestyle.
for the best unpleasant now but will turn
out well in the future
yaxşılığa
doğru
It may well be that the break-up of their relationship is for the
best.
be on your best
behaviour
make an effort to
behave as well as
possible
özünü bacardığı qədər
yaxşı aparmağa çalış-
maq
My brother hates formal parties, but he has promised to be on
his best behaviour at the reception tonight.
give something
up as a bad job
stop sth
because it’s
not worth
continuing
mənasız hesab etdiyi işi ya-
rımçıq saxlamaq; davam et-
dirməyə lüzum görməmək;
bir işdən vaz keçmək
219
English idioms
I was learning driving, but I have given it up as a bad job.
if the worst
comes to the
worst
if the situation
becomes very
difficult or serious
əgər vəziyyət daha da pis-
ləşsə/ciddiləşsə; aləm qa-
rışsa/bir-birinə dəysə
◘ If the worst comes to the worst, we’ll sell the house and
move back to our parents.
◘ He had said that he would stand by her, and if the worse
came to the worse, well … [33, p.21].
♣ I DIOMS WITH “IT”
it’s in
the bag
(informal) if sth is in the
bag, it is almost certain
to be won or gotten
məc. çantada hazır olmaq
(bir işin düzələcəyinə
əmin olaraq söyləmək)
- Have you got the contract?
- Well, it hasn’t actually been signed, but I think we can safely
say it’s in the bag.
it’s up in
the air
not yet settled;
uncertain;
undecided
həll olunmamış, qərara alınma-
mış; bir şeyin sual altında olma-
sı; məc. havadan asılı qalmaq
- Are Jim and Ann getting married or not? I hear they’re having
220
English idioms
second thoughts.
- That’s right. They had a big argument about something, so
it’s all up in the air at the moment.
It’s
anyone’s
guess
(informal) something
that nobody can be
certain abou
Bu heç kimin fərz/təxmin
etmədiyi məsələdir; Bunu
heç kim dəqiq bilmir
- We’ve been waiting for five hours and we still don’t know
when the plane is going to leave. Do you think it’ll be tonight?
- I’m sorry, sir. It’s anyone’s guess. We’re as much in the dark
as you. As soon as we hear anything, we’ll make an
announcement.
it’s touch
and go
very dangerous and
uncertain in situation
çox təhlükəli/qeyri-
müəyyən vəziyyət
- How is your father? Is he still in hospital?
- Yes, I’m afraid! It’s touch and go at the moment. We’ll
know within 24 hours whether he’s going to pull through or
not.
♣ NUMBER IDIOMS
221
English idioms
be at sixes
and sevens
(informal) in confusion; not
well organized
çaş-baş qalmaq;
başını itirmək
222
English idioms
◘ My husband is waiting for me in the taxi. We’re going to the
cinema. But I’m not ready yet. I’ve lost my keys and can’t find
my hand bag. I’m all at sixes and sevens. ◘ Everything was at
sixes and sevens [22, p.426].
Third time
lucky!
used when you’ve failed to do sth
twice and hope that you will succeed
the third time
Atalar
üçdən
deyib!
-I again failed my entrance exam. I’m so unhappy.
- I’m sure you can do it next year. You know what they say:
Third time lucky!
two/ten a
penny
very common and
therefore not valuable
qara qəpiyə dəyməyən,
dəyərsiz/adi
I’m glad that you split up with your boyfriend. I never liked
him. Men like him, are ten a penny.
hit/knock
somebody
for six
to affect sb
very deeply
bir kəsə sarsıdıcı zərbə vurmaq,
pis təsir göstərmək; bir kəsi şoka
salmaq; yeddi qatından keçmək
When I heard that they gave me the sack, it completely knocked
me for six.
be on cloud
nine
too happy to think of
anything else, very
happy
göyün yeddinci qatında
olmaq; çox sevinmək
His last books are best-seller, so he’s on cloud nine at the
223
English idioms
moment.
at the eleventh
hour
at the last possible time;
just in time
son dəqiqədə;
ən son anda
- I think James is late. Let’s phone him.
- Oh, don’t worry. He’ll be here soon. He always arrives at the
eleventh hour.
be in
seventh
heaven
extremely
happy
son dərəcə xoşbəxt olmaq, göyün yed-
dinci qatında olmaq; sevincdən uç-
maq, çox sevinmək
She’s been invited over to Hollywood, so you can imagine she’s
in seventh heaven!
be back
to square
one
to start at the beginning again
in an attempt to correct
whatever mistakes were made
initially
hər şeyi yenidən
başlamaq, nəzər-
dən keçirmək
I’ve just phoned some shops and nobody sells that wall-paper
any more, so we’ll have to find another wall-paper. We’re back
to square one.
224
English idioms
be in two
minds about
something
to be unable to
decide what you
think about sb/sth,
or whether to do
sth or not
iki fikir arasında qalmaq;
qərara gələ bilməmək; tə-
rəddüd etmək; məc. bığla
saqqal arasında qalmaq
- So, what have you decided? Will you buy that car or not?
- I’m not sure it. I’m in two minds about it.
six of one and
half a dozen of
the other
two things the
same; not a
real choice; no
difference
ikisi də eynidir; fərq yoxdur;
həm bu həm o; hər ikisi; ke-
çəl Həsən ya Həsən keçəl,
fərqi nədir?/ikisi də bir bezin
qırağıdır
◘ - Who is to blame – John or Ken?
- It’s six of one and half a dozen of the other.
◘ - Do you want to eat now or swim later or swim now and eat
later?
- Oh, I don’t care. It is six of one and a half a dozen of the
other.
two is company,
three is a crowd
an informal way to
express a situation when
two people desire privacy
and a third one is present
üçüncü adam
artıqdır, çox-
luq “zibillik-
dir”
- Why don’t you come with me and Mary?
225
English idioms
- No, no, two is company, three is a crowd.
it takes
two to
tango!
co-operation is always necessary
in order to accomplish
something, whether good or bad
həm yaxşı, həm pis
işdə iki nəfərin ey-
ni dərəcədə iştirakı
- My sister blames her husband, and he blames her. I don’t know
who is guilty?
- Well, these things are never one person’s fault. It takes two to
tango. Bu işdə onların hər ikisinin günahı (əli) var!
work
against
the clock
work fast
because you only
have limited time
az vaxtda çox iş görməyə çalış-
maq; vaxta/saata qarşı işləmək;
vaxtı qabaqlamağa çalışmaq
I’m working against the clock to get the report finished before
the meeting.
call it a
day
decide to finish
(usually finish
working)
işi qurtarmağa qərar vermək, işi
başqa günə saxlamaq, təxirə sal-
maq; münasibətlərə son qoymaq
◘ I’m really tired. Let’s call it a day now and come back to it
next week.
◘ “We’ve had some very jolly times together, but don’t you
think the moment has come to call it a day?” [31, p.146].
not have a
minute to call
to be
very
çox məşğul olmaq; işi başından aş-
maq; adını belə yadına sala bilmə-
226
English idioms
your own busy mək; başını qaşımağa vaxtı olmamaq
My sister has not had a minute to call her own ever since her
twins were born.
nine times out of ten almost always demək olar ki, həmişə
- Let’s try and speak to Mr. Anar, shall we?
-Well, we can try, but nine times out of ten he’s too busy to
meet anyone.
from time to time sometimes, but not regularly hərdənbir,
bəzən
My father plays golf from time to time.
feel like a million
dollars
to feel
wonderful
özünü əla hiss etmək; məc.
özünü yenidən dünyaya gəl-
miş kimi hiss etmək
◘ My mother had a headache yesterday but she feels like a
million dollars today.
◘ I feel like a million dollars [31, p.202].
♣ IDIOMS WITH “MILLION” OR “THOUSAND (S)”
Thank you for the flowers.
You’re one in a million!
Güllər üçün təşəkkür edirəm.
Səndən yoxdur! Səndən bir
227
English idioms
dənədir!
I wouldn’t have thought he
would have behaved so badly.
Not him! Not in a million
years!
Mən onun belə pis hərəkət edə-
cəyinə inanmazdım. O, bunu
edə bilməz! Heç vaxt! Dünya-
sında inanmaram!
Now, who is going to replace
him? That’s the 64–thousand
dollar question!
İndi kim onun yerində olmaq is-
təyir? Bu ölüm-dirim məsələsi-
dir!
♣ “NO” IDIOMS
no idea (informal) used to emphasize
that you don’t know sth
heç bir fikri/məlu-
matı olmamaq
◘ - Do you know where the meeting takes place?
- Sorry, I’ve got no idea. (Çox təəssüf, amma mənim
xəbərim yoxdur).
◘ She had no idea when to keep her own councle and defer to
others [14, p.64].
no way not at all; never; under
no circumstances
heç vəchlə; mümkün de-
yil; ola bilməz; çətin ki
◘ - I’m going to wear these jeans today’s meeting. What do you
228
English idioms
think?
- Well, if you wear jeans, there’s no way they’ll let you in.
They’ve got a strict no jeans policy.
◘ - Can I borrow your coat?
- No way!
no doubt without doubt; doubtless;
surely; certainly
şübhəsiz; ehtimal ki
Something had happened, of that there was no doubt, but there
seemed to be no way to get an explatation [40, p.15].
no joke without teasing; to be
difficult or unpleasant
zarafat deyil, asan deyil;
çətin və xoş olmayan iş
- If we miss the last bus we can walk home. No problem.
- It isn’t problem for you. But walking that distance for me is no
joke.
no word a thing that you say; a
remark or statement
heç bir xəbər yoxdur;
xəbər-ətər yoxdur
- What do you think how the just-married are going on
together?
- Heaven knows! There’s been no word from them since they
left.
no
sign
an event, an action, a fact, etc that
shows that sth exists is not happening
or may not happen in the future
heç bir əlamət/
işarə/nişan yox-
dur; işıq ucu
229
English idioms
yoxdur
◘ - He’s getting worse and worse, isn’t he?
- Yes, and here’s no sign of him getting better.
◘ But the lion still hasn’t heard, or if it has, it shows no sign
[16, p.64].
no
reason
a cause or an explanation for sth that
has happened or that sb has done
heç bir sə-
bəb yoxdur
◘ - Be careful what you’re saying!
- Listen to me. I know you’re in a bad mood, there’s no
reason to take it out on me!
◘ You guessed about mine, no reason why I can’t do the same
[16, p.51].
no chance a possibility of sth happening,
especially sth that you want
heç bir ümid
yoxdur
- It’s already twenty past four.
- Well, there’s no chance of us getting there in time.
no point the purpose or aim of sth ehtiyac yoxdur; məs-
ləhət deyil
◘ - Shall we send Anar a card?
- There’s no point. He never says thank you and he never
sends us one!
◘ There was no point in evasion any longer [14, p.71].
No such luck! Məndə o bəxt hanı!
230
English idioms
- Can you stay at home on Monday? Don’t go to work.
- No such luck! I must be there in time.
No hard
feelings!
a lack of resentment or
anger; a state of
peace and forgiveness
Narahat olmağa dəyməz!
Fikir vermə! Unut getsin!
(bağışlamaq əlaməti ola-
raq)
- Look, I’m really sorry about what I said yesterday.
- No hard feelings!
no end of
(problems)
so many, or so much of, as
to seem almost endless;
very many or very much
(problemin) ucu-bu-
cağı yoxdur; (prob-
lem) qurtarmır; çox
I have had no end of problems with my new car.
No thanks to you! despite sb/sth; with no help
from sb/ sth
Başına
dəysin!
- Look, we found the way in the end, let’s get away from here.
- No thanks to you!
a no-go
area
an area, especially in a city, which is
dangerous for people to enter, or that the
policy or army do not enter, often because
it is controlled by a violent group
təhlükəli
yer, giriş
qadağan
olunan yer
When I was in Naples years ago, they told me not to go near a
231
English idioms
certain area. They said it was a no-go area.
It’s a real
no-no!
used to say that it is
impossible to do sth
Heç cür mümkün de-
yil! Həqiqətən olmaz!
Whatever you do, don’t take Julia’s things. It’s a real no-no.
She gets very angry about it.
♣ “OR” IDIOMS
believe it
or not
often heard when one announces
that something unusual will be
communicated
inanırsan inan,
inanmırsan inan-
ma
◘ Believe it or not, I used to be a professional singer.
◘ “Believe it or not, I’m back in school again [19, p.30].
take it or
leave it
to accept something without
change or refuse it; decide
yes or no
istəyirsən götür, is-
təmirsən götürmə;
özün bilərsən
I’ll give you $50 for the blouse. That’s my final offer. Take it
or leave it.
like it
or not
used to say that it makes no
difference to you if sb likes sth or not
istəsən də, is-
təməsən də
◘ There’s no point complaining about tax. You have to pay it
232
English idioms
whether you like it or not.
◘ “It means that, like it or not, you’re going to have to leave,
Audrey” [21, p.195].
laugh
or cry
(informal) to be unable to decide
how to react to a bad or unfortunate
situation
bilmirdim gü-
lüm, yoxsa ağ-
layım
I’ve just been to the travel agent. Can you believe it costs $700
to fly to South Africa? I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry
when they told me.
Hilary wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry [18, p.134].
sink or
swim
to succeed or fail by your own
efforts; without help or
interference from anyone else;
fail if you don’t work hard to
succeed
təkbaşına mübarizə
aparmaq; bir şeyə
təkbaşına nail ol-
mağa çalışmaq;
ölüm -dirim məsələsi
◘ When I started this new job, nobody told me how to do
anything. I just had to learn quickly. It was a real sink or swim
situation.
◘ When his parents died he was thirteen, and he was left by
himself to sink or swim.
sooner
or later
at some unknown
time in the future;
gec-tez, əvvəl-axır; gec ya da
tez; nə vaxtsa, nəhayətdə; bir
233
English idioms
sometime vaxt/zaman
You can’t keep being rude to people, Tom. Sooner or later,
somebody’s going to get really angry and hit you.
rightly or wrongly what is morally
good or correct
düzdürmü ya səhv-
dirmi; düz ya səhv
I believe, rightly or wrongly, that private schools should be
abolished.
neither here
nor there
not important to the thing being
discussed; off the subject; not
mattering
məsələ bun-
da deyil
- You can’t complain about me being late. Lots of people were
late today.
- That’s neither here nor there. You are always the last to
arrive.
now or
never
this is the right time to do something
at other times the opportunity to carry
out such an activity will not be there
ya indi ya da
heç vaxt; qa-
çırılası fürsət
deyil
- I’m thinking of asking Sally to come out for a drink with me.
- Here she comes now, Steve, go on! It’s now or never.
for better
or worse
used to say that sth cannot be
changed, whether the result is
yaxşı ya da pis,
başqa yol yoxdur
234
English idioms
good or bad
◘ - Do you think Jack is up to the job?
- I hope so. For better or worse he’s the man we’ve
appointed
◘ …and if not, she had lived with him for fourteen years … for
better or worse … [18, p.416].
either or used to show a choice of two things ya, ya da
We are going to have to make a choice – increase wages or give
them more holiday. This isn’t an either or situation. I’m afraid
it’s “both and”.
♣ SOMETHING, ANYTHING, NOTHING IDIOMS
something of to some degree bir növ
When I was younger, I used to be something of an athlete. In
fact, I won quite a few trophies. Do you want to see some
photos?
nothing but only; no more/less than … -dan/-dən; başqa
heç nə
◘ My computer has been nothing but trouble since the day I
bought it! Something goes wrong with it every day.
235
English idioms
◘ The fact was, Kitty supposed, that she cared for nothing but
her children … [33, p.18].
nothing to presenting no serious
challenge; easily
accomplished
asanlıqla həyata keçirilən/
çətin olmayan iş; heç nə
Anyone can use this method. It’s easy. There is nothing to it!
something against
somebody
opposing or disagreeing
with sb/sth
bir kəsə qarşı
nə isə
Have you got something against me, or have you got an
attitude problem?
not for nothing for a very good reason səbəbsiz deyil,
səbəbi var
Mike? Oh yes, he’s a real pain in the neck. It’s not for nothing
that nobody wants to share an office with him.
there is/was
nothing in sth
something is/was not
true
düz deyil; boş şeydir/
söhbətdir
There was a rumour she was leaving for London, but I think
there was nothing in it.
look for sth
for nothing
(informal) behave in a
way that you seek
unpleasantness in vain
heç nədən iş çıxar-
maq; qaşınmayan
yerdən qan çıxarmaq
There’s always someone looking for something for nothing!
make to make (sth/sb) daha irəli getmək, daha yax-
236
English idioms
something of
(yourself)
seem important şısına nail olmaq, vəziyyəti
şişirtmək/böyütmək
◘ I wonder why Mike is working in a supermarket. He could
really make something of himself if he wanted to.
◘ When the girls see another girl with a boy, they often try to
make something of it.
anything
goes
you can do as you
please; anything is
permissible
hər şey mümkündür; necə
istəyirsən, o cür hərəkət edə
bilərsən
When I was young, women wore earrings, made-up and had
long hair, and men didn’t. Nowadays, it seems anything goes!
something
else
so good as to be beyond
description; the
ultimate; stupendous
qeyri-adi; tərifə sığ-
mayan; təsvir etmək
mümkün olmayan
Did you see that seven-year-old dancing on TV last night? He’s
something else, isn’t it?
come to
nothing
to end in failure;
fail; be in vain
boşa çıxmaq; nəticəsiz qurtar-
maq; məhv olmaq/dağılmaq
After spending over a million researching the new engine, the
whole thing came to nothing! It was scrapped.
it is nothing of the
sort
to be wrong;
it is not true
elə şey yoxdur; qətiyyən be-
lə deyil; heç də belə deyil
Don’t believe people when they tell you the weather’s awful in
237
English idioms
England. It’s nothing of the sort. It’s just different! Different
every day.
it has nothing to
do with me
to not be involved
with; not care about
mənimlə heç bir əla-
qəsi yoxdur
- Who broke the vase on the table?
- Was it you, Pat?
- No, it has nothing to do with me! Ask Robert.
there is nothing to
choose between
both are the
same
aralarında heç bir fərq
yoxdur; ikisi də eynidir
- So, which one do you advise me to take? The Sony or the
Phillips?
- To be honest, there’s nothing to choose between them.
They’re both excellent systems.
♣ TO + INFINITIVE
to cap
it all
used to introduce the final piece of
information that is worse than the
other bad things that you’ve just
mentioned
hələ bu harası-
dır; bu azmış
kimi; ən əsası/
başlıcası
I found my brother sitting in my office with his feet on my
desk, using my phone, and, to cap it all, he’d finished the
238
English idioms
crossword in my newspaper.
to make matters
worse
the situation became
very difficult
işin tərsliyindən;
ən pisi
◘ I left home late, the traffic was terrible and then, to make
matters worse I had a puncture on the motorway. That’s why
I’m so late.
◘ … and to make matters worse, in June they had a massive
heat wave [21, p.488]..
to say the
least
to put it an understated way;
without exaggerating at all
uzun sözün qı-
sası; kəsəsi
◘ I was involved in an accident last week. My car was a write
off. I only had a small cut on my face and a sprained ankle. I
was lucky, to say the least. ◘ But he also found his manner
difficult – abrasive, to say the least [14, p.175].
to put it in
a nutshell
in a few words; briefly, without
telling all about it
bir sözlə; qısası
Increased sales, profits up, and a full order book; to put it in a
nutshell, our best year ever!
to add insult
to injury
to make bad
trouble worse
bu azmış kimi, ən pisi; daha
pisi, gözüm baxa-baxa; ağını
çıxarmaq
They told me I was too old for the job, and then, to add insult
to injury, they offered it to somebody who was less than a year
239
English idioms
younger than me!
to be fair to be honest açığı; düzü; vicdanla desək
- I don’t like Jerry at all, he’s loud and he’s often rude to other
members of staff.
- I know what you mean, but, to be fair, he’s one of the best
workers here.
to be honest what I really think is vicdanla/səmimi desək
◘ I’m not sure how many more rounds of this I can take, to be
honest with you [20, p.41].
◘ Do you like Japanese food? I don’t want to offend you, but to
be perfectly honest, I don’t really.
not to
mention
without ever needing to
speak of; in addition to;
besides
üstəlik; bundan baş-
qa; hələ ... demirəm
◘ You know that Rachel’s rich; her clothes, her jewellery, not
to mention, the brand new Mercedes.
◘ It can only be an embarrasment to them, not to mention
painful [18, p.285].
240
English idioms
nothing to write
home about or
nothing to boast
about or nothing to
wire home about
nothing interesting
or significant;
nothing to brag
about
heç nəyi ilə fərq-
lənməyən; danışı-
lası/qeyri adi bir
şey yoxdur; elə
bir şey deyil
◘ What do you think of your first big London musical? To be
honest with you, it is nothing to write home about. I’ve seen
better on Broadway.
◘ “ From what I’ve seen, there’s nothing much to write home
about” [23, p.106].
to sum
up
to put something into a few words;
shorten into a brief summary; summarize
xülasə;
bir sözlə
Now, I’ve given you all the arguments for and against going
into this new market. To sum up, and I can’t be more honest, I
think you would be crazy to go ahead.
to put it
mildly
used to show that what you are talking
about is much more extreme, etc. than
your words suggest
açığı; bir
az yumşaq
desək
- I’m going to Cannes this summer. You’ve been there, haven’t
you?
- Yes, it’s expensive, to put it mildly, it’s a lovely place.
♣ THE FOLLOWING INFINITIVES ARE ALWAYS
241
English idioms
PASSIVE:
remains
to be seen
said when someone remains
skeptical about a statement or
promise made
gözləməkdən baş-
qa çarə yoxdur
◘ He said he’ll meet us outside the school no later than seven
but whether or not he will, remains to be seen. He’s never on
time.
◘ That remainded to be seen [21, p.116].
not to be
sniffed at
good enough to be
accepted or considered
seriously
“hm” demək olmaz; şan-
sı əldən vermək olmaz
I’ll get an extra $75 if I work at weekends and that’s not to be
sniffed at.
leaves a
lot to be
desired
to be highly flawed,
bad, unsatisfactory
qənaətbəxş/arzu edilən səviy-
yədə deyil; istədiyini (arzula-
dığını) əldə edə bilməmək
The food in this restaurant leaves a lot to be desired. I won’t
be back.
there’s a lot to
be said for
there are good reasons
for doing sth
… yaxşı/müsbət
tərəfləri var
There’s a lot to be said for working for a year before going to
university. (Universitetə daxil olmamışdan əvvəl bir il
242
English idioms
işləməyin çox müsbət tərəfləri var).
♣ SIMILES (AS … AS)
In this unit we look at idioms with as … as. As … as idioms
make an adjective stronger/more intense. Remember, most
of these similes are fixed. For example: as dead as a
doornail; the whole phrase means “totally dead”. Use all
these expressions with care and keep them generally as part
of your receptive vocabulary. Try to memorize the
keywords. They may help you to remember the whole idiom
more easily. They also tell you something about what
animals are associated with the British culture.
be as blind
as a bat
anyone who is blind and has
difficulty in seeing; a person
with very thick glasses
yarasa kimi kor ol-
maq; görə bilmə-
mək; yaxşı görmə-
mək
I am as blind as a bat during the night.
be as busy as a
bee
to be very busy arı kimi çalışqan olmaq;
çox işləmək
Though his age my grandfather is as busy as a bee every day.
243
English idioms
be as
slippery
as an eel
to change one’s
attitude; position;
constantly to
escape control
külək kimi gah bu tərəfə, gah
o tərəfə əsmək; balıq kimi sü-
rüşkən olmaq; mövqeyini tez-
tez dəyişmək; bir fikrə/məqsə-
də/qulluq etməmək
I won’t ask his attitude. He is as slippery as an eel.
be as sly
(cunning)
as a fox
to be very sly,
cunning
tülkü kimi hiyləgər olmaq; yerin
altını da, üstünü də bilmək
If I were you, I wouldn’t trust her. She’s as sly/cunning as a
fox.
be as strong
as an ox
to be very strong öküz kimi güclü olmaq;
çox güclü
I think his brother is as strong as an ox.
be as plain as the
nose on your face
very easy to see gün kimi aydın olmaq;
açıq-aşkar görünmək
- I think there’s something strange goes between them. What do
you think?
- You’re right. It’s as plain as the nose on your face.
be as ugly
as sin
to be very ugly indeed adama oxşamamaq;
çox eybəcər olmaq
Looks aren’t everything. It doesn’t matter if you marry someone
244
English idioms
who is as ugly as sin as long as you love each other.
be as light as
a feather
to be very light quş/lələk kimi yüngül olmaq
Don’t worry. My luggage is as light as a feather.
be as heavy
as lead
to be very heavy qurğuşun kimi ağır olmaq
Oh, I can’t carry this suitcase. It’s as heavy as lead.
be as quiet
as a mouse
to be very quiet, silent siçan kimi səssiz/sakit
olmaq
My little son is as quiet as a mouse.
be (as) hard
as iron /rock
not flabby or soft; strong
and tough; not gentle or
mild; rough; stern
dəmir kimi möh-
kəm olmaq; daş
kimi bərk olmaq
◘ This chair is as hard as iron. I can’t sit on it.
◘ Her eyes were hard as rocks, and he could feel his heart sink
as he watched her [19, p.346].
as bold
as brass
without showing
any respect,
shame or fear
həyasız, abırsız; utanmaz; üzü
(mis kimi) qırmızı; qırmızı-qır-
mızı; həyasızcasına (zərf)
She told him, as bold as brass, that she didn’t like him.
as quick as a
flash
very fast, very
quickly
çox cəld; işıq kimi sürətli
She answered the question as quick as a flash.
245
English idioms
be as red as
a beetroot
bright red or pink
especially because you
are angry, embarrassed
or ashamed
utandığından/acığın-
dan qızarmaq; çuğun-
dur (pazı) kimi qıp-
qırmızı olmaq
When I told him about his affairs, his face went as red as a
beetroot.
be as sick as a dog vomiting ürəyi/ödü ağzına gəlmək
The dinner was bad, and I felt as sick as a dog.
be/feel as sick as a
parrot
bad feeling of
disillusionment,
frustration
özünü ümidsiz/əlac-
sız/zəif hiss etmək
When I heard that she ran off with my money I felt as sick as a
parrot.
246
English idioms
♣ IDIOMS WITH EXPRESSION “THERE IS NO …”
These are four common fixed expressions all starting with
“There is no …”
there is no going
/turning back
you won’t be able to
change your mind
geriyə yol yoxdur
And once they began the trip, there would be no turning back
[21, p.137].
there is no place
like home
your country/home is
the best place to live
gəzməyə qərib öl-
kə, ölməyə vətən
yaxşı
there is no smoke
without fire
if sth bad is being said
about sb/sth, it usually has
some truth in it
od olmasa,
tüstü çıxmaz
there is no
rhyme nor
reason to/
for sth
if there is no rhyme nor reason
to/for sth, it happens in a way
that cannot be easily explained
or understood; no emotional or
intellectual substance
baş verən hadi-
sənin səbəbini
heç cür başa
düşmək, anla-
maq olmur
247
English idioms
♣ IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS WITH PREPOSITIONS
be/feel on top
of the world
feeling pleased and
happy; feeling
successful
çox sevinmək, həyacan-
lanmaq; göyün yeddinci
qatında olmaq
◘ My daughter’s getting married in a week. She is so excited.
She’s on top of the world.
◘ I feel on the top of the world [31, p.202].
top of the list the highest or most
important rank or position
əsas/ən vacib mə-
sələ; başlıcası
- Have you found anywhere else to live, Joe?
- Not yet. I’m not looking for too hard at the moment. Top of
the list right now is finding a new job.
from top to
bottom
in one’s entirety
without skipping any
detail; wholly; entirely
əvvəldən axıradək, ta-
mamilə, bütünlüklə, büs-
bütün, başdan ayağa
I couldn’t find my glasses. Though I’ve searched the house from
top to bottom.
be on top of
each other
standing or lying
on; live very close
bir-birinin üstündə/dar
yerdə/darısqallıqda yaşa-
maq
- This flat is too small for five of you, you need a bigger place to
248
English idioms
live, don’t you?
- Yes, we need more space. Most of the time we’re on top of
each other.
over the
hill
(informal) (of a person) old and
therefore no longer useful or
attractive; past one’s prime;
unable to function as one used to
“havası” çalın-
mış/vaxtı keç-
miş/qocalıb əl-
dən düşmüş
◘ - Our centre forward is useless. He’s only scored three goals
this season.
- Well, he must be about 35 now. If you ask me, he’s over the
hill.
◘ I’m twenty-four years old, I’m not over the hill yet, … [19,
p.316].
without a shadow of a doubt no doubt şübhəsiz
It was John. I’m telling you I saw him. It was him - without a
shadow of a doubt.
be in a bit
of a jam
in a predicament; in
a difficult situation
çətin/xoşagəlməyən/müş-
kül vəziyyətdə olmaq; işə
düşmək
I’m in a bit of a jam. I’ve to go to the airport in an hour’s time
and Helen’s got my car. Can I borrow yours? I’ll be back by
4.30, so you don’t need to worry.
be (into, out, of) to be in özünü cəncələ salmaq; bəlaya/
249
English idioms
in hot water trouble pis vəziyyətə düşmək; məc. oda
düşmək
- I often use the office phone for personal calls. I don’t think it
matters.
- Well, if Helen finds out what you’ve been doing, you’ll be in
hot water.
out of my
(his, etc.)
depth
in a situation in which one
feels unprepared or not
ready to react intelligently
mən girən kol de-
yil; mənim səviy-
yəmdə deyil
◘ I had a great conversation with Kim and Kevin. The only
problem was when the conversation got round to opera. They
know about it very much. I was completely out of my depth. ◘
He never seemed out of his depth [14, p.72].
bottom dollar one’s last penny,
one’s last dollar
bir kəsin son qəpiyi/axı-
rıncı pulu
I was down to my bottom dollar when I suddenly got the job
offer.
top
banana/
top dog
the head of any business
or organization; the most
influential or most
prestigious person in an
establishment
hər hansı bir təşkilatın
və ya kompaniyanın
başçısı; təşkilatın ən nü-
fuzlu/etibarlı/hörmətli
adamı/başbiləni
Who’s the top banana/dog of his company?
250
English idioms
on (the) top of
that
in addition to; along with üstəlik; bu azmış
kimi
Our company has faxed to say they’re going to be a month late
with their payment. And on the top of that, they’ve asked for
more discount.
be (do sth)
over the top
(informal) done to an
exaggerated degree and
with too much effort
ağ olmaq; ağını
çıxarmaq
◘ His speech was completely over the top.
◘ I think you’re going to do it a bit over the top at times.
rock-bottom (informal) the
lowest point or
level that is
possible
ən aşağı (qiymət, yer, səviy-
yə); ən pis vəziyyət; tamami-
lə bədbinlik/ruhdan düşmə
◘ The rock-bottom price of this T-shirt is $ 20.
◘ My friend needs help. His wife has left him and he’s drinking
heavily. He’s hit rock-bottom.
thin on top without much hair on the head keçəl, daz
My husband is 35, but he looks, at least ten years older than that.
It’s because he’s going thin on top.
off and on/on and off occasionally hərdənbir, bəzən,
vaxtaşırı; ara-sıra
251
English idioms
◘ - Do you go and see your parents very often?
- Well, off and on.
◘ For the next two days it rained on and off [30, p.64].
SECTION TWENTY FIVE
MIXED IDIOMS
252
English idioms
Qarışıq idiomlar
kick up a
row
to misbehave and
disturb someone; to
make a scandal
dava/qalmaqal salmaq;
aləmi bir-birinə qatmaq;
aranı qarışdırmaq
◘ He’s a small fry. He won’t kick up a row.
◘ “… let Walter kick up a row if he chose” [33, p.21].
make a fuss
(over
somebody or
something)
to worry about; to be
helpful toward a
person or a pet; to
argue about someone
or something
hay-küy qaldırmaq,
vurnuxmaq, boş-bo-
şuna əlləşmək, təşvişə
düşmək, panika ya-
ratmaq
Don’t make a fuss. There’s nothing to worry about.
get/touch
someone
on the
raw
to hurt somebody’s
feelings by talking
about something
which is painful to
him/her
bir kəsin dərdini təzələmək;
yaranın üstünə duz səpmək;
kimin üçünsə ağrılı olan mə-
sələdən danışmaq; bir kəsin
hisslərinə toxunmaq
When he talked his words got me on the raw.
laugh at somebody
behind his back
to laugh at sb
without him/
her knowing
bir kəsi ələ salmaq; bir
kəsin arxasınca gül-
mək, rişxənd etmək
It’s vulgar to laugh at a person behind his back.
253
English idioms
love with all one’s
heart and soul
to love someone
dearly, passionately
bütün qəlbi və
ruhu ilə sevmək;
ehtirasla sevmək
◘ When I was young I loved him with all my heart and soul.
◘ “He loves me with all his heart and soul” [33, p.66].
take somebody
under your wing
to protect,
help somebody
bir kəsi öz qanadı altı-
na almaq; hima-
yədarlıq etmək
◘ He took his niece under his wing.
◘ The people who worked there were friendly to her, and many
of them, sensing how young she was, took her under their
wing … [19, p.163].
drink
in sb’s
words
to pay a lot of
attention to or
enjoy something
bir kəsin sözlərini ciyərinə çək-
mək; diqqətlə və zövqlə qulaq as-
maq; ürəyinə yağ kimi yayılmaq
They drank in their president’s words.
read sb’s
thought
to guess what
someone is thinking
adamların ürəyini/fikrini
oxumaq
Tell us the truth. We can’t read your thoughts.
254
English idioms
set your hopes
on someone/
something
to rely on
someone or sth
bir kəsə/şeyə ümid olmaq/
bel bağlamaq; bir kəsə ar-
xalanmaq
She set her hopes on her son.
be
frightened
out of your
wits
to be so afraid
that one can
no longer
think clearly
çox qorxmaq, qorxudan nitqi
qurumaq; qorxudan adını ya-
dından çıxarmaq; qorxudan ağ-
lı çaşmaq/ağlı başından çıxmaq
She was frightened out of her wits by the terrible noise.
pull
yourself
together
to bring one’s emotions under
control so that one can behave
calmly and reasonably and think
clearly
hisslərini cilov-
lamaq; özünü
ələ almaq
Don’t be afraid. Try to pull yourself together, then speak.
keep up
appearances
to continue to dress and
behave in the way that people
have come to expect of this
person, especially when he can
no longer afford it, but he is
too proud to admit it (hide the
true situation and pretend that
everything was going well)
yalandan özü-
nü nümayiş
etdirmək; göz-
dən pərdə asıb
özünü heç nə
olmamış kimi
göstərmək/
aparmaq
◘ It was very expensive to buy this kind of car. But they kept
255
English idioms
up appearances.
◘ When they lost their money, they were determined to keep
up appearances.
take pains
to do sth
to make a great effort to
do something
özünü bir şeyi etməyə
məcbur etmək; dişini-
dişinə sıxmaq
She took pains to tell the truth.
do sth of your
own free will
to do sth because you want to
do it, you’re not forced to do
it
bir şeyi öz xo-
şu ilə etmək
He went to the party of his own will.
cry for
the
moon
to want something
impossible to have
əlçatmaz/qeyri-mümkün olan
bir şeyi istəmək/arzulamaq;
göydən ulduz qoparmaq xül-
yasına düşmək
There’s no use crying for the moon.
beat
about/
around
the bush
to try to avoid
answering a question
or saying something
immediately and
directly
söhbəti fırlatmaq; əsas
məsələdən deyil, ordan-
burdan danışmaq, əsas
məsələdən yayınmaq; gah
nala, gah da mıxa vurmaq
◘ Stop beating about the bush. Come straight to the point.
256
English idioms
◘ There was no playing around with her, no beating around
the bush, … [19, p.120].
come/get
down to
brass tacks
to discuss the basic
and most important
facts
məsələyə aydınlıq gətir-
mək; işin əslini öyrən-
mək, təfərrüata varmaq;
əsas məsələyə toxunmaq
◘ They are going to come down to brass tacks.
◘ I want to get down to brass tacks [31, p.184].
have your
tongue in
your cheek
not to be sincere or serious
about what you say; in an
ironic or insincere manner
qeyri-səmimi,
ikiüzlü olmaq
◘ I felt she had her tongue in her cheek when she told it to
you.
◘ Kitty spoke with her tongue in her cheek, for she knew well
… [33, p.33].
have your
head screwed
on your
shoulders
to be sensible, to
have common
sense
ağlı başında olmaq; yaxşı
düşünmə qabiliyyətinə
malik olmaq; sağlam dü-
şüncə sahibi olmaq
◘ My mother has her head screwed on her shoulders. She
can give you a good piece of advice.
◘ “No, but I flatter myself that I’ve got a head screwed on my
257
English idioms
shoulders” [33, p.16].
know which
side your
bread is
buttered
to know how to make oneself
liked by people in power or how
to gain their approval; to know
what is one’s advantage
özünü gözə
soxmağı/is-
tətməyi ba-
carmaq
◘ Some of my colleagues know which side their bread is
buttered.
◘ Charlie was right when he suggested that Walter knew
which side his bread is buttered [33, p.60].
keep your
nose above
water
to be out of
serious
difficulty
qara gün görməmək; ciddi çə-
tinliklə üzləşməmək; xəta-bə-
ladan uzaq gəzmək/durmaq
He’s spent his life keeping his nose above water.
wash your
dirty linen
in public
to make unpleasant
subjects in public
which ought to be
kept private
öz paxırını açıb tökmək;
xoş olmayan məsələdən
danışıb aləmə car çək-
mək
◘ I think, you shouldn’t wash your dirty linen in public.
◘ Walter doesn’t give me the impression of a fellow who’d
care to wash a lot of dirty linen in public [33, p.55].
burn the
candle
at both
to work or be active from very
early until very late; use up all
one’s strengths by trying to do
gecə-gündüz işlə-
mək; dincliyi ol-
mamaq; çox az
258
English idioms
ends too many different things; get
too little rest
dincəlmək; istira-
hətin nə olduğunu
bilməmək
My boss is working very hard though he’s old. He’s burning
the candle at both ends.
burn your
bridges
behind you
to destroy all means of
going back, so that one
must go forward
keçmişin üstündən
xətt çəkmək; pis olan
hər şeyi arxada qo-
yub irəliyə baxmaq
He decided to break off with his old friends and burn his
bridges behind him.
♣ SWIMMING IDIOMS
keep your
head above
water
to deal with a difficult
situation, especially
one in which you’ve
financial problems, and
just manage to survive
güc-bəla ilə dolanmaq,
özünü çətinliklə dolan-
dırmaq, bir təhər do-
lanmaq/keçinmək, çu-
lunu sudan çıxarmaq
My wife’s just lost her job. If we’re careful with money, we
should just about be able to keep our heads above water.
swim against to agree with/oppose əksəriyyətə qarşı get-
259
English idioms
the tide the attitudes or
opinions that most
other people have
mək/çıxmaq, zamanla
ayaqlaşmamaq, axına
qarşı getmək
You’ll have to agree in the end. You can’t go on swimming
against the tide for much longer.
going
under
in or into an
unconscious state
müflis olmaq, hər hansı işdə geri
getmək; iflasa uğramaq; məc.
batmaq
If the recession continues for much longer, a lot of small
businesses are in real danger of going under.
be/drow
in deep
water(s)
serious
trouble or
difficulty
bəlada/fəlakətdə/çətin/təhlükəli/çı-
xılmaz vəziyyətdə olmaq; çətinliklə
qarşılaşmaq; çətinə/dara düşmək
◘ I’ve got some terrible news. Bill’s son has just been arrested.
He’s been involved with some pretty shady business deals. He is
in deep water.
◘ She was a nine-year-old child after all, and she was slowly
drowning in deep waters [18, p.108].
make a
splash
(informal) to do sth in a way
that attracts a lot of attention
or causes a lot of excitement
diqqəti cəlb etmək;
səs-küy qaldırmaq,
sensasiya yaratmaq
◘ If you really want to make a splash with your new book,
you’ll have to throw a few parties and give away a few thousand
260
English idioms
copies to the right people.
◘ I don’t want to make a splash when I go to the parties. Then I
don’t feel comfortable.
test the
waters
to find out what the
situation is before doing
sth or making a decision
bir şeyi sınaqdan çıxar-
maq/yoxlamaq/araşdır-
maq; tədbirli olmaq
◘ I think it would be a good idea to test the waters first before
we spend any more money on the project.
◘ “I’d like you to come to America one day,” he said as though
testing the waters, as he watched her eat [18, p38].
throw someone
a lifeline
to help sb who
is in a debt
bir kəsə yardım əli uzat-
maq; köməklik göstərmək,
borc vermək
I wish someone would throw me a lifeline! With a loan of a
couple of thousand pounds I could just about get myself out of
trouble.
be tread
water
to make no progress while you
are waiting for sth to happen
yerində saymaq,
qabağa getməmək
I don’t think I’m going to get promoted here. My job hasn’t
changed for three years and I’m bored. I feel as if I’ve been
tread water.
261
English idioms
♣ DRIVING IDIOMS
drive
somebody
mad
to make sb very angry,
crazy, etc. or to make
them do sth extreme
bir kəsi dəli etmək;
hirsləndirmək, özün-
dən çıxarmaq
This new computer is driving me mad.
be in a bit
of a jam
in a predicament; in
a difficult situation
zibilə/işə/çətinə düşmək;
çətin vəziyyətdə olmaq,
ciddi problemlə üzləşmək
I wonder if you could help me out. We’re in a bit of a jam.
a dead-
end job
a hopeless situation,
from which one is
unable to advance
gələcəyi olmayan iş/məşğuliy-
yət; axırı yaxşı olmayan/ölü
nöqtəyə dirənmiş bir iş
I wish I could leave. This is a dead-end job.
steer clear
of sb/ sth
to stay away from; keep
from going near sb
bir kəsdən/şeydən uzaq
(kənar) durmaq; gözunə
görünməmək
Steer clear of him today, he is in a dreadful mood.
go up a
gear
to go or move highest;
rise, to increase
irəliləmək; yüksəlmək;
artmaq; qabağa getmək
The team weren’t bad in the first half, but ten minutes into the
second half they seemed to go up a gear. They won 3 nil.
hit the to become a wanderer; to avara/səfil/sərsəri həyat
262
English idioms
road live an idle life; become a
tramp or hobo; to leave,
especially in a car
keçirmək; məc. küçələrə
düşmək; yolu yarı etmək,
yola düşmək (maşınla)
◘ Come on. It’s time to hit the road, Jack.
◘ When his wife died, he hit the road.
turn the
corner
to pass a very important point in
an illness or a difficult situation
and begin to move
çətin/təhlükəli
vəziyyətdən çıx-
maq
Last year was a bit difficult, but I think our company is turning
the corner now.
step on it to go faster; hurry; to push
down on the gas pedal to
make a car go faster
əlli olmaq; tələs-
mək; qaz vermək
(avtomobilə)
Step on it! We’re going to be late.
be in the
slow lane
not make progress as fast
as other people, countries,
companies, etc.
yerində addımlamaq/
saymaq; irəli getmə-
mək; geri qalmaq
- I hear your company is not doing very well.
- You’re dead right. We are in the slow lane going nowhere.
go round in
circles
without any progress;
without getting
anywhere; uselessly
söhbəti fırlatmaq; əsas
mətləbdən/məsələdən
yayınmaq
Let’s get to the point! For the last hour we’ve been going round
263
English idioms
in circles.
♣ PEOPLE ARE LIQUID
a ripple of laughter a wave of laugh gülüş dalğası
I started my speech with a joke. It worked. There was a ripple
of laughter across the audience and then I started to relax and
began to speak.
stem the tide
of sth (or sb)
to resist; hold back
something of great
pressure or strength
müqavimət göstərmək,
qarşı durmaq; tablaş-
maq; məc. axının qarşı-
sını almaq
◘ I think the government has to find a way to stem the tide of
refugees.
◘ ... but there was no stemming the tides of what she felt, and
had felt since the first day she’d met him [21, p.280].
go with
the flow
(informal) to be
relaxed and not
worry about what
you should do
axınla getmək; hər şeyə qane
olmaq; zamanla ayaqlaşmaq;
palaza bürün ellə sürün (at. söz)
I never complain about sth. I just go with the flow.
dry up to disappear or vanish azalmaq; yoxa çıxmaq, məc.
264
English idioms
as if by evaporating qəhətə çıxmaq; qeybə çəkil-
mək; qeyb olmaq; qurumaq
Nowadays, few people are studying Russian at university. Not
surprisingly, the number of new Russian teachers applying for
jobs is slowly starting to dry up.
be
a drip
(informal) a boring or stupid
person with a weak personality
quru/darıxdırıcı/can-
sıxıcı/gicbəsər olmaq
Come on! Come and dance. It’s fun. Don’t be such a drip.
a pool of
somebody
a group of people available
for work when needed
ehtiyatda olan bir
dəstə/qrup insan
Our football team has eleven permanent players and a pool of
about 12 temporary players. We use them when we need them
during the game.
♣ BUILDING IDIOMS
get a
foot in
the
door
the first step toward getting
or doing something; a start
toward success; opening
ilk addımlarını atmaq
(hər hansı bir işdə);
ayağına yer vermək;
əlini bir işə ilişdirmək
- Why are you taking such a low paid job? I’m sure you could
265
English idioms
find something better.
- I know but it’s a good company. I just want to get a foot in
the door and with, any luck I can work my way up.
(come down)
like a ton of
bricks
(informal) very
heavily; very
severely
məc. bir kəsin üstünə “şığı-
maq”/düşmək; it kimi qap-
maq; bir kəsə qarşı kəskin
davranmaq
- Diana looks cross about something.
- What’s happened?
- I just asked if I could leave early tonight and she came down
on me like a ton of bricks.
hit the
roof/ceiling
to become
violently angry;
go into a rage
tüstüsü təpəsindən çıxmaq;
vəhşiyə dönmək; hirsindən
divara dırmaşmaq
- My father wasn’t very pleased about my exam results.
- Neither was mine. He hit the roof when I told him I’d failed
maths.
on (at) the/
your doorstep
very close; very near
where you work or live
bir addımlıqda; çox
yaxın; əlinin altında
- I don’t know how you can live in the middle of town. It must
be awful.
- It is all right once you’re used to it. You’ve got everything
266
English idioms
right on your doorstep.
get sth through the
back door
in an unfair or
indirect way
tanışlıqla/rüşvətlə bir
şeyə nail olmaq
- How did you manage to get a job with the bank?
- Well, I got it through the back door, really. My dad plays
golf with one of the directors.
bang/set
your back
against a
brick wall
to be unable to make any
progress because there is
a difficulty that stops you
bütün cəhdlərə bax-
mayaraq istədiyinə
nail olmamaq; işləri
daşa dirənmək
- You still haven’t got a job, then?
- No, I’m afraid not. I’ve applied for maybe thirty and I haven’t
had one interview. I feel as if I’m banging my head against a
brick wall.
be at death’s door very near death; dying ölüm ayağında
olmaq
I was so ill with flu last week. I thought I was at death’s door.
have your
back to the
wall
(informal) to be in a trap,
with no way to escape; in
bad trouble
çətin/çıxılmaz vəziy-
yətə düşmək; tələyə
düşmək
◘ Our business is not going too well at the moment.
Financially, we’ve got our backs to the wall.
267
English idioms
◘ The soldiers had their backs to the wall.
go out of the window to go out of effect;
be abandoned
yaddan çıxmaq
I’m supposed to be a diet at the moment. Whenever I have
dinner with friends, it just goes out of the window.
talk to a
brick wall
to talk to somebody
uselessly
boş yerə danışıb özünü
yormaq; məc. daşa-diva-
ra danışmaq
You never listen to me. It’s like talking to a brick wall.
♣ METAL IDIOMS
worth your
weight in gold
extremely useful
or valuable
özü boyda qızıla dəy-
mək; çox dəyərli olmaq
I wish I had a secretary like yours. She’s got everything so well
organized. I know, she’s worth her weight in gold.
268
English idioms
have nerves
of steel
to have great
courage
iradəli/dözümlü olmaq; məc.
dəmirdən əsəbləri olmaq
Look at that man working up there on that roof. I can’t even
bear to look at him! He must have nerves of steel.
have the
brass
neck
a combination of
confidence and lack of
respect
abırsız/həyasız/utanmaz
olmaq; hər şeyə üzü gəl-
mək
I don’t know how he had the brass neck to ask for a rise after
the mistakes he’s made this year.
go over
like a lead
balloon
to fail to generate a
positive response or
enthusiasm; to meet with
boredom or disapproval
müsbət qarşılamamaq
(hər hansı bir fikri);
bir şeyi narazılıqla,
könülsüz qarşılamaq
The minister’s suggested budgets cuts went over like a lead
balloon.
♣ MONEY IDIOMS
tighten
your belt
to live on less money than
usual, use less food and
other things
qənaət etmək (pula,
yeməyə və s.); özünü
sıxmaq
- I’m afraid. Our rent is getting more and more expensive.
269
English idioms
- Well, we’ll just have to be careful what we spend. We should
tighten our belts a bit.
go halves to share half or equally
become partners
bir işi şərikinə/yarı-
yarıya görmək
- Let’s go to the restaurant. I’ll pay for this.
- No, it’ll be expensive. Let’s go halves.
save money
for a rainy
day
a time of need; especially, a
time when you really need
money
qara gün üçün
pul yığmaq; qə-
naət etmək
I’m not going to spend the money I’ve got. I’m going to save it
for a rainy day.
put money
aside
to save
money
kənara pul qoymaq; bir şey üçün
pul yığmaq, qənaət etmək
- Every year you go on holiday. How can you manage it?
- Easy! I just put a bit of money aside each month just for my
holiday.
live on the
breadline
it is the situation where
you are just able to feed
yourself and your family
çətin/dözülməz vəziy-
yətdə yaşamaq; güclə
dolanmaq; yarı ac, ya-
rı tox yaşamaq
Millions of people in this country are still living on the
breadline, just surviving.
buy and sell to have a lot bir kəsi pulla satın ala bilmək;
270
English idioms
someone of money çox dövlətli olmaq; məc. pula-
pul deməmək
The old man next door looks like a down-and-out, but he’s a
millionaire. He could buy and sell you.
live in the
lap of
luxury
well supplied with
luxuries; having most
things that money can
buy
var-dövlət içində yaşa-
maq; yağ-bal içində ya-
şamaq, süd gölündə üz-
mək
My brother has just got a teaching job in Brunei; big tax, free
salary, all expenses paid. He’s living in the lap of luxury.
short of a
bob or two
usual, customary,
ordinary, routine
normal (orta) səviyyədə
yaşamaq
I wouldn’t say I am rich. Let’s just say I’m living short of a
bob or two.
Note: The informal word for the old British “coin” known as
a shilling (5 p) was a bob.
♣ SHOPPING
271
English idioms
buy for a
song
(informal) to buy something
very cheaply
bir şeyi çox ucuz/
lap havayı almaq
272
English idioms
They bought their house for a song some years ago.
cost a pretty penny cost a lot of money çox baha olmaq
That car cost a pretty penny!
pin
money
a small amount of money that
you can spend on yourself
rather than on necessary
things
qara gün üçün yığı-
lan/saxlanılan pul;
son qəpik-quruş
What a selfish girl she is? I can’t understand her. She spent her
pin money on a dress.
spend money
like water
to spend too
much money
çox pul xərcləmək; pulu su
kimi xərcləmək; pulu sağına
-soluna xərcləmək
Her mother will be angry with her, I’m sure. She spends
money like water.
burn a
hole in
your
if money is burning a hole in
your pocket, it means you
want to spend it as soon as
you can
pulu tez xərcləməyə
çalışmaq; kasıb pul
tapdı, qoymağa yer
tapmadı
That $100 is burning a hole in my pocket. (O yüz dollar
cibimi cırır).
buy sth
over sb’s
head
to buy sth and put more
money than someone
else in order to get it
bir kəsin başinin üs-
tündən iş görmək;
kimdənsə xəbərsiz iş
273
English idioms
görmək
He bought the house over his brother’s head.
have money to burn/
flush with money/
have deep pockets
to have a
lot of
money
dövlətli olmaq; dam do-
lusu pulu olmaq; pulu
başından aşmaq/pulunu
qoymağa yer tapmamaq
They must have money to burn.
it’s not worth a
farthing/penny
about sth which is
worthless, useless
qara qəpiyə dəyməz
What an ugly dress you’ve bought! It is not worth a farthing.
be a good/bad
buy
to be worth or to be not
worth the price you paid
verdiyin pula
dəyər/dəyməz
This wine is a good buy at $3.50.
dirt cheap extremely low in price çox ucuz; lap havayı
These shoes are dirt cheap.
♣ “VERY” IDIOMS
In English there are some different words used as
intensifiers. They make an adjective stronger. For example:
totally, different, absolutely ridiculous, utterly stupid. Some
adjectives have their own intensifiers which very often go
274
English idioms
with them. Some are very obvious: bone dry, razor sharp,
paper thin. Others are less obvious: shark naked, brand new.
They all have one thing in common. You can’t guess them.
You have to learn the words together as a single expression.
broad
daylight
(in) the clear light of day, when it
is easy to see
günün günorta
çağı
My sister was robbed in the street last week in broad
daylight.
stone-deaf showing no signs of life; completely
deaf
tamam kar
You have to shout at my grandmother. She’s stone deaf.
pitch black totally, completely dark göz-gözü görməyən
qaranlıq
I can’t see a thing. Switch the light on. I can’t find the light
switch. It’s pitch black in here.
paper thin very thin kağız kimi nazik, çox nazik
The walls of my flat are paper thin. You can hear everything.
wide awake fully awake tamamilə oyaq; oyanmış, ayıq
- It’s been a long day. You must be very tired.
- Actually, I feel wide awake.
bone dry very dry çox quru, odun kimi quru; qup-quru
-These clothes are probably still a bit wet, aren’t they?
275
English idioms
-No, actually, they’re bone dry.
razer sharp very sharp ülgüc kimi iti, çox iti
Be careful with that knife, it’s razer sharp.
rock hard extremely hard or strong çox bərk; daş kimi
bərk
This bread is lovely when it’s fresh but next day it goes rock
hard.
brand-new as new or fresh as when
just made and sold by the
manufacturer; showing no
use or wear
qatı açılmamış;
istifadə olunma-
mış; təp-təzə; yeni
◘ - Can I borrow your camera for the weekend?
- OK, but please be careful with it, It’s brand-new.
◘ Everything was brand-new between them [19, p.247].
dead easy very easy çox asan, su içmək kimi asan
- I’m really worried about my oral.
- Oh, don’t worry. It’s dead easy. It’s the composition you
need to worry about!
♣ “LIKE” IDIOMS
276
English idioms
look like death
warmed up
to look or feel
very sick/ill or
tired
xəstə/ümidsiz/rəngi solgun
görünmək; məc. öluyə oxşa-
maq
- I feel terrible. I think I need to consult a doctor.
- Yes, go home. You look like death warmed up.
treat sb
like dirt
to treat sb with
no respect at all
bir kəsi adam yerinə qoymamaq;
məc. kimisə əski hesab etmək, bir
kəsə hörmət etməmək
◘ - Did you see the way Robert spoke to his wife last night?
Disgusting, wasn’t it?
- Yes, but it didn’t surprise me. He treats her like dirt.
◘ “… who used to come to our house at home that here we
should be treated like dirt” [33, p.19].
eat like a horse to eat a lot; eat
hungrily
çox yemək; camış ki-
mi/acgözlüklə yemək
- I see Peter’s put more weight on.
- I am not surprised. He eats like a horse.
drink like a
fish
to drink (alcoholic beverages) in
great quantities, to be addicted to
alcohol
çox içmək,
ayıq vaxtı
olmamaq
- I could smell alcohol on Gerry’s breath this morning. Does he
drink a lot? Didn’t you know?
277
English idioms
- He’s got a problem. He drinks like a fish.
have memory
like a sieve
(informal) to have a very
bad memory; to forget
things easily
huşsuz olmaq;
məc. quşbeyin
olmaq
- Surely you remember Monica. She’s the teacher you met at
Cardin’s house.
- Sorry. I’ve got memory like a sieve.
smoke like
a chimney
to smoke very heavily
and continuously
çox siqaret çəkmək;
məc. baca kimi tüstülə-
mək
- I suppose I smoke about ten cigarettes a day.
- That’s nothing compared to my brother. He smokes like a
chimney.
spend like there
is no tomorrow
to spend
much money
sabahı düşünməmək; bəd-
xərc olmaq; çox pul xərc-
ləmək
My sister has always short of cash. She spends like there is no
tomorrow.
drive like
a maniac
to drive dangerously dəli kimi maşın sürmək
Never get into a car with Gerry. He drives like a maniac.
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English idioms
speak something
like a native
to speak
fluently
hər hansı bir dildə ana dili kimi
danışmaq, çox yaxşı danışmaq
You should hear Simon’s Spanish. He speaks it like a native.
♣ “WAY” IDIOMS
“Way” is a very common word in English with many uses
and different meanings:
1. You can see the literal meaning in “Could you tell me the
way to the nearest shop?”
2. “Way” can also mean “distance”. It’s a long way to
Madrid.
3. It can also mean “method” or “style” as in Frank
Sinatra’s famous song “I’ll do it my way”.
work your
way to the
top
(informal) rise, move, to
more responsible
positions by one’s own
efforts
cəmiyyətdə/işdə özünə
yer tutmaq, mənsəbə
çatmaq, pillə-pillə bö-
yümək, artmaq
It’s taken me a long time to get where I am in the company. I
started as an office clerk and slowly worked my way to the top.
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English idioms
It took a lot of hard work.
meet
someone
halfway
to give up part of what you want
or to do your share in reaching an
agreement with someone
qarşılıqlı gü-
zəştə/kompro-
misə getmək
$400 is too much so I’ll meet you halfway. Let’s say $350.
have a way
with words
to be talented at
speech; be able to
influence others by
expressing oneself
succinctly and
persuasively
başqasını fikrindən da-
şındımaq; yolundan
döndərmək; sözlə ilanı
yuvasından çıxarmaq;
məc. yağlı dili olmaq
My mother can persuade people to do almost anything. She has
a way with words.
stand in sb’s
way (in the
way of sth)
to prevent sb
from doing sth,
stop sth
happening
bir kəsi fikrindən daşındır-
maq; mane olmaq; məc. qa-
ratikan kimi kiminsə yolu-
nun üstündə bitmək; yolunu
kəsmək
◘ I personally think you should go to university. But if you
really want to leave school and get a job, I won’t stand in your
way.
◘ Naturally, I don’t want to stand in her way [31, p.195].
go out of to make an extra əlindən gələni etmək, bir kəsə
280
English idioms
your way effort; do more
than usual
yardım əli uzatmaq, köməklik
göstərmək; dəridən-qabıqdan
çıxmaq
I’m never going to help him again. I went out of your way to
make time to help him fix his car yesterday and not a word of
thanks. Nothing at all.
keep out of
sb’s way
to stay out;
remain out of
bir kəsin gözünə görünmə-
mək; bir kəsdən uzaq olmaq
Martin is in a bad mood, so I would keep out of his way if I
were you.
have
something
both ways
two incompatible
approaches to the
same problem can
not happen at the
same time
bir əldə iki qarpız tutmaq;
bir araya sıgmayan, uyuş-
mayan iki iş görmək; bir
əldə iki qarpız tutmaq
◘ You’ll have to choose between a wage rise or shorter hours.
You can’t have it both ways.
◘ John wants to keep both his wife and his mistress; he doesn’t
understand that he must choose. He can’t have it both ways.
come a
long way
to show much improvement;
make great progress
uzun və şərəfli bir
yol keçmək
- I remember the days our company employed only five people,
and that included you and your wife! Now it’s around two
281
English idioms
thousand, isn’t it?
- That’s right. We’ve come a long way since those early days.
♣ “WORD” IDIOMS
be a man
of word
who keeps his promises and
does the things he agrees to
do; a man who can be
trusted
sözünə əməl etmək;
sözünün ağası ol-
maq; sözünün üstün-
də durmaq
I don’t think you need to worry about him changing his mind.
He’s a man of his word.
from the word go from the
beginning
əvvəldən; başlanğıcdan
Never buy anything second-hand. I bought a second-hand fridge
a month ago and it was trouble from the word go.
word for word in exactly the same
words
sözbəsöz; olduğu
kimi, eyni ilə
He has got an amazing memory for what people say. She can
repeat what you said last week word for word.
be lost for
words
to be surprised, confused,
etc. that you don’t know
deməyə söz tapma-
maq (təəccübdən,
282
English idioms
what to say çaşqınlıqdan və s.)
I told Kevin I was leaving because I’d never worked for anyone
as stupid as him. He didn’t say anything at all. For once he was
lost for words.
too awful
for words
very terrible
accident
dəhşətli/çox təsirli mənzərə; sözlə
deyiləsi/təsvir ediləsi olmayan hadisə
I saw a motorbike accident yesterday. It was terrible. I feel sick
when I think about it. It was too awful for words.
take the
words right
out of sb’s
mouth
to say what another is
just going to say; to put
another’s thought into
words
bir kəsin qəlbni oxu-
maq; fikirləri üst-üstə
düşmək; bir kəsin söy-
ləmək istədiyini ondan
qabaq demək
- I don’t know about you, but I think we should stop for lunch.
- You took the words right out of my mouth.
famous
last
words
issued as a warning after an optimistic
statement indicating that the person
with the optimistic outlook could easily
be wrong
boş söz; məc.
deyilişi gözəl
sözlər
◘ - Don’t worry, the meeting will be finished no later than
four o’clock.
- Famous last words! We’ll be lucky to be out of here by
283
English idioms
seven.
◘ - He will be OK, don’t worry.
- Famous last words!
♣ “TIME” IDIOMS
at the crack
of dawn
the time in the morning
when the sun’s rays first
appear
səhər sübhdən; gün
doğanda; dan yeri sö-
küləndə
When I’m on holiday and the weather is good, I love to get up
at the crack of dawn.
once in a
blue moon
very rarely; very
seldom; almost never
tək-tük/çox az/nadir hal-
larda; ayda ildə bir dəfə
Although we work at the same university, we only see each
other once in a blue moon.
in this day and
age
now, in the modern
world
ilin-günün bu vaxtı;
müasir dövrdə
I can’t believe there are so many homeless and unemployed
people in this day and age. The government should do
something about it.
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English idioms
at the last
minute
the latest possible time
before an important event
lap son anda; məc. bı-
çaq sümüyə dirənəndə
I’m never early, and I’m never late, but I do admit doing things
at the last minute.
long time
no see
greeting; I haven’t seen you for
quite a long while - a joking
imitation of Pidgin English
çoxdandır görün-
mürsən, aya-günə
dönmüsən
Where’ve you been for the past six mouths? Long time no see.
there’s no
time like
the present
this is the right time to do
something; at other times the
opportunity to carry out such
an activity won’t be
fürsəti fövtə ver-
mə; dəmiri isti-is-
ti döyərlər; vaxtı
itirmək olmaz
Here’s the number of my dentist. Ring him and make an
appointment. Go on, there’s no time like the present.
Tomorrow
is another
day!
used to say to sb to be
patience and not to lose
hope or the ability to
stay calm
Gecənin xeyrindən
gündüzün şəri yaxşı-
dır! Allah kərimdir!
Ümidini üzmə!
Just forget everything that’s happened today. Tomorrow is
another day!
♣ SEEING IS UNDERSTANDING
285
English idioms
see through
sb’s eyes
to think about
and see sth the
way that another
person sees it
bir şeyə başqasının gözü ilə
baxmaq; özünü bir kəsin ye-
rinə qoymaq, başqasının və-
ziyyətini başa düşməyə çalış-
maq
Try to see the situation through my eyes. I simply can’t accept
his invitation.
with eyes
wide open
fully aware of the
possible problems or
results of a particular
course of action
düşünülmüş şəkildə, nə-
ticələri nəzərə alaraq hər
şeyi götür-qoy edərək
Jane and Fred are both in their forties, so they are going into
marriage with their eyes wide open.
see past the end
of your nose
not to be
clever
enough
burnunun ucundan uzağı
görməmək; ağıl-sız olmaq
My boss is really selfish and small-minded. He can’t see past
the end of his nose.
open
sb’s
eyes
to make a person see or
understand the truth; make a
person realize; tell a person
what is really happening or
bir kəsi ayıltmaq;
başa salmaq; məc.
bir kəsin gözünü
açmaq, qəflət yuxu-
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English idioms
what really exists sundan ayıltmaq
I think you need to change your job. They make you work all
hours. It’s time you opened your eyes.
see
reason
to think or act sensibly,
especially after realizing what the
facts are on a certain matter and
accepting advice about it
razılaşmaq; yola
gəlmək; məc. daşı
ətəyindən tökmək
It took a long time to persuade him, but he finally saw reason.
EXERCISES
ANIMAL IDIOMS
Exercise 1. Complete the sentences with one of these
idioms:
a. monkey around; b. swing a cat; c. ants; pants; d. a pig-sty;
e. gone to dogs; f. a little bird told (whispered)
1. - I heard they’d moved in a new flat. What’s the matter?
- Oh, they found a room with a bit more space. There wasn’t
enough space in their flat.
2. Will you stop ? You’ll break something!
3. A me you’re going to London. Is it true?
4. My little boy just can’t sit still while eating. It always makes
me angry. I often say to him: “Do you have in your____?”
287
English idioms
5. - Their house used to be quite good but look at it now.
- I know. It’s really in the last few years.
6. Did you see her flat? I just couldn’t believe my eyes. It was
like !
Exercise 2. Without using a dictionary, guess the meaning
of the underlined idioms.
1. I don’t like this character of yours. You always make up
decisions on the hoof.
2. I’m very hungry. I can eat a horse.
3. Why do you want to make me visit him? Wild horses can’t
drag me to his house again!
4. My daughter is so thin. She eats like a sparrow.
5. Be careful! Don’t think that your mother doesn’t see you.
She has eyes like a hawk.
6. My boss has taken me under his wing.
Exercise 3. Use each of the following animals as a verb by
putting it in a suitable form in its correct space in the
sentences below.
a. fox; b. monkey; c. worm; d. hound; e. dog; f. ram; g. duck;
h. badger
1. The thief in the stolen car refused to stop so the police were
forced to it with their own car.
2. This machine is complicated and dangerous so don’t
288
English idioms
about with it.
3. The children their father to buy them a dog until he
finally gave in and did so.
4. He complained that because of his political beliefs he had
been by the press.
5. To avoid being seen he down behind the hedge.
6. He tried to avoid telling me but after half an hour I managed
to the truth out of him.
7. He managed to his pursuers by changing cars three
times and then escaping in disguise.
8. All through her life she was by misfortune.
Exercise 4. Add the missing words:
1. Fight like cat and … .
2. Stop … !
3. A cat in … chance.
4. A … remark.
5. When the cat’s … .
6. Put the cat … .
7. Let the cat out of the … .
8. The cat’s … .
BODY IDIOMS
Exercise 5. Put each of the following idioms in its correct
289
English idioms
place in the sentences below.
a. a brave face
b. a good head
c. to talk behind somebody’s back
d. to pull somebody’s leg
e. to find somebody’s feet
f. a heart of gold
1. Hey, Nicy, my heart went to pieces when I heard that you -
_____.
2. - I want to ask her for help, but I can’t take the bull by the
horn.
- If I were, I’d do it. She has .
3. I know after her mother’s death she’s so sad and helpless,
but she on it.
4. Mike always makes fun of me, but I don’t take him too
seriously. I know he only .
5. - How is your new job going?
- I don’t know yet. I’m still .
6. If I’m in a difficult situation I always ask Irada .She has
_____ for everything.
Exercise 6. How we call the following situations with the
idioms.
1. if something irritates you?
290
English idioms
2. if you’re trying something for the first time?
3. if you pay for something?
4. if you really don’t feel like doing it?
Exercise 7. Comment on the meaning of each of the idioms.
Try to give their equivalents in Azerbaijani and use them in
situations of your own.
1. Get on everyone’s nerves.
2. Dip someone’s toe in the water.
3. Foot the bill.
4. To have eyes in the back of someone’s head.
Exercise 8. The following parts of the body are used as
verbs in the sentences below. Put each one in its correct
place.
a. shin d. finger g. head i. back
b. head e. back h. foot j. elbow
c. mouth f. thumb
1. I think we’d better for the station. Our train leaves in
half an hour.
2. It is your fault! Don’t leave me to all the blame!
3. There was a crowd of people there. I’d to my way
through.
4. They decided to their way round Europe. They’re
experienced hitch-hikers.
291
English idioms
5. If customers a book a lot, it gets dirty.
6. I’m having my house painted. It’s very expensive. I don’t
know how I’m going to the bill.
7. Bob couldn’t hear me because of the noise, so I had to
what I wanted to say.
8. He’s very fit and strong. Watch him up that tree like a
monkey.
9. It’s been announced that the Foreign Minister will
delegation to visit China next month.
10. A large manufacturing firm has offered to the
Himalayan Expedition.
Exercise 9. Rewrite each underlined idiom with a literal
expression that has the same meaning. Use a dictionary if
necessary.
1. She said some very hurtful things to me, but I just bit my
tongue, because I didn’t want to show her I was upset.
2. He doesn’t have any notes. He will just play it by ear, and
he’ll be great.
3. When I lent him some money he turned his nose up at it and
returned it back.
4. We were all ears when she told some gossip about Ted and
Lily?
5. I wish you wouldn’t poke your nose into other people’s
292
English idioms
affairs.
6. The table was piled high with mouth-watering desserts.
CLOTHES IDIOMS
Exercise 10. Rewrite these sentences using an idiom instead
of the underlined bits. The following idioms will help you.
1. Don’t listen to what your brother is saying. He doesn’t know
what he’s talking about.
2. I love my native country. If I could get a job here, I’d stay
here, without planning.
3. He wanted to tell me a secret, but he made me promise to tell
nobody.
4. We never use type-writers now. They are old-fashioned.
5. My husband is going to repair his car by himself. I admire.
I’m sure he isn’t able to do it without professional help.
(through somebody’s hat; at the top of a hat; keep it under
somebody’s hat; old hat; I take my hat off to him)
Exercise 11. Can you think of a situation where you might
…
1. have to pull your socks up?
2. have to tighten your belts?
3. have to keep something under your hat?
4. have to do everything on a shoe-string?
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English idioms
5. have to get your knickers in a twist?
6. don’t feel like to be in anybody’s shoes?
COLOUR IDIOMS
Exercise 12. Put each of the following color idioms in its
correct place in the sentences below.
a. out of the blue
b. once in a blue moon
c. green fingers
d. in black and white
e. a black sheep
f. a white elephant
1. The offer of a holiday sounded very good, but I couldn’t
believe it till I had it .
2. We have a beautiful garden. My grandfather is a successful
gardener. He has .
3. Your friend is always in trouble, unlike the rest of the
family. I’m afraid he is .
4. Tourists often visit our country to see Maiden Tower, but we
only go there.
5. - I think this piano just takes up space. Am I right?
- Right. We’re going to sell it. It’s a bit of .
6. I had lost touch with my friend, and yesterday I met him
294
English idioms
right in the street . What a surprise!
Exercise 13. Match the idioms on the left-hand box with
their non-literal meanings on the right-hand box:
1. A black spot is
2. A black look is
3. The black economy is
4. A white lie is
5. A black picture is
6. A black sheep is
7. In black and white means
a. unofficial and illegal.
b. not serious and sometimes
saves embarrassment.
c. a dangerous road or corner.
d. an angry one.
e. different from the rest of the
family.
f. in writing.
g. a depressing one.
Exercise 14. Write the missing colour.
1. They painted the town after the exam.
2. My brother is a – eyed boy. Everyone loves him at
work.
3. That’s like a rag to a bull.
4. You may ask till you’re in the face, but I won’t
change my decision.
5. It was a – letter day.
6. My mother-in-law got a carpet treatment when she
came to us.
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English idioms
7. I do my morning exercises once in a moon.
8. She was caught – handed.
IDIOMS EXPRESSING PEOPLE’S FEELINGS,
RELATIONSHIPS …, IN PARTICULAR SITUATIONS
Exercise 15. Here are some idioms that can be grouped as
expressing either positive or negative feelings. Try to group
them using a dictionary if necessary.
1. to be over the moon
2. to feel/be a bit down
3. to keep somebody’s chin up
4. to be in a (black) mood
5. feel like a million dollars
6. kick up one’s heels
7. paint the town red
8. get away clean
9. at the end of one’s rope
10. face the music
Exercise 16. Choose suitable idioms to fill the gaps in the
following sentences.
a) sell someone down the river
b) leave someone high and dry
c) sell someone short
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English idioms
d) spill the beans
e) on ice
f) burning ambition
g) pull the rug from under somebody’s feet
h) light at the end of the tunnel
i) have something up one’s sleeve
j) knock someone down with the feather
k) out of the blue
1. I had lost touch with Jack, and then one night he arrived at
my flat right _____. What a surprise!
2. We’re going to Mum’s birthday. I don’t worry. I’ve got
______.
3. It’s been a long, hard struggle, but I think at last we can see
____ .
4. When my boss began to criticize my work it really ______.
5. I saw Jody’s car yesterday. It .
6. My is to climb Mount Everest. Can you believe it?
7. We’ve been working since morning. I’m hungry. Let’s put
the notes awhile and grab a bite to eat.
8. I’ve bought a present for Irada. I wanted to make her a
surprise. But someone .
9. Just because he doesn’t say very much is no reason to .
10. I thought my sister was going to help me do the washing
297
English idioms
up, but she .
11. I never liked my brother’s girlfriend. When I heard that his
so-called girlfriend I didn’t get surprised.
Exercise 17. Which idiom would you use in these
situations? The following idioms will help you.
1. if somebody’s panicking about the future?
2. if you encourage a friend to try something?
3. if somebody wants to take some exercise?
4. if you encourage someone to take control of a situation and
take action?
5. if you tell someone to wait patiently and take no action?
6. if you tell someone not to worry about a situation?
7. if you tell someone to be careful?
8. if you tell someone not to assume that something will
happen?
(take one day at a time; go for it; don’t overdo it; take the bull
by the horns; sit tight; don’t lose any sleep over it; don’t take
anything for granted; keep your wits about you).
ADVICE (POSITIVE)
Exercise 18. Fill in the following verbs in the idiomatic
expressions below:
go; bide; take (2); sit; make; speak; tread; keep (2).
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English idioms
a. … your mind
b. … the most of it
c. … your wits about you
d. … the bull by the horns
e. … your time
f. … tight
g. … carefully
h. … one day at a time
i. … a low profile
j. …. for it
ADVICE (NEGATIVE)
Exercise 19. Match each idiom on the left with its definition
on the right.
1. don’t throw the baby out
with the bath water
2. don’t lose any sleep over
it
3. don’t over do it
4. don’t beat about the
bush
a. say what you are thinking
b. don’t worry about it
c. be careful, when you change
things, not to lose some of the
good old ideas
d. slow down and stop doing so
many things
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English idioms
HAPPINESS AND SADNESS
Exercise 20. Correct the mistakes in each of these
sentences.
1. My brother was thrilled for bits to have his photo in the
paper.
2. I felt as if I was floating in air as I ran down the hill into his
arms.
3. Why does he look so out of sort today?
4. Don’t make such fuss. It’s not the finish of the world!
5. Your telephone call has really done my day!
6. Anar said he was on cloud seven and we agreed that he was
in ninth heaven.
7. Why does Mark always have to be such a miserable guts?
8. He is said to be over the sun.
ANGER
Exercise 21. Group these pairs of idioms which mean more
or less the same thing:
go off the deep end; give him an earful; put his back up; do his
nut; drive him up the wall; rub him up the wrong way; give
him a piece of her mind; send him round the bend;
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English idioms
SUCCESS AND FAILURE IDIOMS
Exercises 22. Rewrite the underlined parts using success
and failure idioms.
1. At first we thought the new road would spoil our village, but
in fact it was a positive development and the village shops are
doing more business.
2. I sprayed the stain remover onto my jacket and it had an
immediate positive result.
3. This is not the absolute best and most complete cookery
book, but it does have recipes from 100 different countries.
4. The school has got better and better since the new head
teacher took over.
5. Getting new curtains has changed my flat in a positive way.
It feels like a new one.
HAVING PROBLEMS
Exercise 23. Match the beginning of each idioms on the left
with its ending on the right.
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English idioms
1. left holding the
2. brick
3. dire
4. draw a
5. have you over a
6. face the
a. wall
b. music
c. baby
d. barrel
e. straits
f. blank
READING IDIOMS
Exercise 24. Look back at the reading idioms and fill in the
missing nouns:
1. I’m turning over a new …
2. You’ve got to read between the …
3. It’s just a … of tripe.
4. I read it from cover to …
5. I can’t make head nor … of this.
6. I didn’t read the small ...
7. It takes a … to get going.
8. Never judge a book by its …
EDUCATION
Exercise 25. Match the following idioms to their respective
dictionary definitions.
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English idioms
◘ Learn something at one’s mother’s knee
◘ Show promise
◘ In one ear and out the other
◘ Live and learn
◘ Stuff sb’s memory with sth
◘ Follow in sb’s footsteps
Exercise 26. The following sentences all contain an idiom
with one key word missing. Choose one of the four
alternatives to complete the idiom.
1. The factory owner’s turned a (dead, deaf, deep, deft)
ear to the demands of the workers.
2. I think if I work hard I’ll (bar, bare, bear, beard) the
fruits of my work.
◘ To load sb’s memory with sth
◘ To learn sth as a very young child
◘ To do the same things as sb did earlier
◘ To increase one’s knowledge by
experience
◘ To be likely to be very good
◘ What has been said is forgotten
immediately
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English idioms
3. My little sister agreed to go to the dentist under
(presage, press, pressing, pressure).
4. Our dean knows a lot about everything. I think she’s a
(working, waking, walking, wanting) dictionary.
5. My mother tries to (ham, hamper, hammer, hamstring)
the facts into our heads every day.
6. Don’t (stumble, stump, stuff, stun) the child’s head with
this nonsense.
Exercise 27. Add the missing word to these idioms:
a. He’s got his … screwed on.
b. He can turn his … to anything.
c. He knows what’s ….
d. He hasn’t got a ….
e. He’s learning the ….
f. He hasn’t got the … of it yet.
g. He doesn’t know one … of a car from the other.
h. It’s common ….
(end; hang; clue; what; knowledge; ropes; head; hand).
Exercise 28. Without using a dictionary, guess the meaning
of these idioms.
1. My brother knows a thing or two about computers.
2. We’ll soon get the hang of it.
3. My boss is an old hand at the university.
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English idioms
4. I think you know it like the back of your hand.
5. Don’t worry! You’ll soon learn the ropes.
6. She’s got her heard screwed on.
7. It’s second nature to me now.
MIND AND MEMORY IDIOMS
Exercise 29. Try to complete these expressions using
memory or mind idioms. Use a dictionary if necessary.
1. Out of sight, out of _____.
2. The class reunion gave us a great opportunity for a trip down
_____ lane.
3. I’m sorry I forgot to post your letters. It just slipped my
_____.
4. You can’t remember what you did last night? Let me jog
your _____.
5. Please, bear me in _____ if you need someone to work on
this project.
6. I was so embarrassed that my _____ just went blank.
7. It never crossed my ______ to tell Nigel about our meeting.
8. Streets full of horse – drawn carriages are still within living
____ just!
9. I wanted to give her a surprise, but nothing suitable came to
______.
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English idioms
10. Try to commit your mobile phone number to ______.
NATURE AND WEATHER IDIOMS
Exercise 30. Rewrite these sentences using an idiom from
this section.
1. It was raining very hard when I got up yesterday.
………………………………………………………………….
2. It is rainy weather.
…………………………………………………………………
3. I hope they’ll start early in the morning.
…………………………………………………………………
4. I hope, they’re having very nice, beautiful weather in the
village at the moment.
…………………………………………………………………
5. Last year we had mild, snowless winter.
…………………………………………………………………
6. I’ll go to the match whatever the weather is like.
…………………………………………………………………
7. She will be operated on in the hottest part of summer.
…………………………………………………………………
Exercise 31. Try to work out the meaning of the idioms
from the context. If you can’t, then check their meaning in
a dictionary or in a dictionary of idioms.
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English idioms
1. I was shaking like a leaf as I waited to hear if I had passed
the exam.
2. I slept like a log last night. It was so quiet and the bed was
very comfortable.
3. I hate making big decisions. I usually prefer to just go with
the flow.
4. It goes against the grain for him ever to say he was wrong. It
is not in his character to admit that he has made a mistake.
5. The news has come as a breath of fresh air for students
worried about the level of fees.
6. The discussions have not solved the problem, but they have
helped to clear the air to a certain.
HOUSE AND HOME IDIOMS
Exercise 32. Match the idiomatic expressions on the left-
hand box with the non-idiomatic equivalents on the right-
hand box:
1. She’s nothing to write home
about.
2. They ate us out of house and
home.
3. Put your own house in
a. Sort out your own
problems first.
b. We liked each other a lot.
c. We had no food left.
d. The audience applauded a
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English idioms
order.
4. He brought the house down.
5. We got on like a house on
fire.
lot.
e. She’s not specially good-
looking.
POLITICS
Exercise 33. Decide which version of the idioms is correct in
the following sentences.
1. The citizens of the country are making/taking action to stop
the war.
2. The war drives many problems into the background
/underground.
3. I’m afraid they’ll kill/fill the bill.
4. We’re against the arms race/pace.
5. Our president is famous for his shuttle/shutter diplomacy.
6. We’ll hold a round/ground table discussion next month.
Exercise 34. Match the following English idioms to their
respective dictionary definitions:
◘ Get a new angel on sth
◘ Make arrangements
◘ Hardly annual
◘ Shirtsleeve diplomacy
◘ Promises and treats
◘ Informal and direct diplomacy
◘ Become a politician
◘ Have the power to take all the
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English idioms
◘ Go into politics
◘ The carrot and the stick
◘ Hold the balance
◘ Kill the bill
important decisions
◘ Change one’s point of view
◘ Make plans and preparations
◘ To defeat a proposed new law
LAW IDIOMS
Exercise 35. Here are some idioms connected with law. Can
you translate them into your own language?
1. If he doesn’t repay his debts, we’ll have to go to law.
2. He was accessory after the fact.
3. Everybody looked at the prisoner at the bar.
4. They became hardened criminals.
5. Crime doesn’t pay.
6. Yesterday they broke jail.
7. We had to take the law into our own hands.
FIRE IDIOMS
Exercise 36. Add the missing words in the following fire
idioms.
1. … the world on fire
2. … a blazing row
3. … with fire
4. … on like a house on fire
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English idioms
5. … fuel to the dire
6. … the imagination
7. … up in smoke
8. … your bridges
MEDICINE IDIOMS
Exercise 37. A. Match the following medicine idioms to their respective dictionary definitions.◘ Alive and kicking
◘ Catch one’s death
◘ Breathe one’s last
◘ Die in one’s boots
◘ Sb is a picture of
health
◘ Bring sb to life
◘ Catch a cold
◘ A bag of bones
◘ Go to pieces
◘ To become ill with a cold
◘ To look very healthy
◘ Very thin
◘ To be nervous
◘ To be very active and lively
◘ To die
◘ To die while still working
◘ To make someone live, regain
consciousness
◘ To be very cold and probably
become very ill
B. Use some idioms to make up a story. A student starts it
with “Good health is above wealth”.
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English idioms
HEALTH IDIOMS
Exercise 38. Match each statement on the left with the most
likely response on the right.
1. Failing the driving test
was a bitter pill to
swallow.
2. I don’t think I’ll tell her
what I think of her.
3. I think she’s got itchy
feet.
4. Be very attentive while
speaking to her. Her son
is deaf.
a. Why? You should give her a
dose of her own medicine.
b. Don’t worry. You’ll soon get
over it.
c. Don’t worry. I know it is a sore
spot for him.
d. Where would she like to go this
time?
Exercise 39. Put each of the following idioms in its correct
place in the sentences.
a. death warmed up
b. recharge one’s batteries
c. a bitter pill to swallow
d. sore spot
e. have itchy feet
1. Try not to mention the merger to him; it’s a bit of a _____
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English idioms
for him.
2. Telling Farida what you feel may be a _____, but you owe it
to her nevertheless.
3. Watching travelling programmes on TV always gives me
_____.
4. Have you seen Lala? She looks like _____ !
5. A good game of golf at the weekend always helps to _____
my brother’s_____.
DAILY PROGRAMME
Exercise 40. Try guessing from the context what the
underlined daily programme idioms mean. Use a dictionary
if necessary.
1. All work and no play makes my brother a dull boy.
2. The students haven’t done a stroke of work.
3. Evidently, we don’t have time to burn.
4. “Go to bed with the lamb and rise with the lark!” – my
grandmother used to say to me when I was young.
5. I didn’t sleep a wink that night.
6. Hurry up! We don’t have all day!
Exercise 41. Read the following passages and choose the
correct key word to complete daily programme idioms. Use
your dictionary to check your answers. Translate the
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English idioms
passages into Azerbaijani.
1. Julia and Charles dined at the Savay. They had come late,
they dined well, and by the time Charles had finished his
brandy people were already beginning to come in for supper.
“Good gracious, are the theatres out already?” he said, glancing
at his watch. “How quickly the time (flights/flies) when
I’m with you.” [31].
2. Julia and Gimmie had no sooner sat down to table than he
went straight to the point, “I never slept a (wing/wink)
all night for thinking of you”, he said. [31].
3. How are you today, Sydney? You’re looking very well.
Busy as a (beetle/bee) as usual, I suppose. You’re
simply amazing. [34].
HOLIDAYS
Exercise 42. Rewrite each sentence with a suitable idiom in
this section.
1. It was exactly what I needed.
2. I like going to quiet and unusual places.
3. I had a wonderful time.
4. I’m ready to come back to work.
Exercise 43. Add the missing words:
1. A … is as good as a ...
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English idioms
2. I need to get … from it ...
3. There’s … place like …
4. We had a … of a …
5. It was … what the … ordered.
6. We had the … of our …
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
Exercise 44. Here are some idioms that can be grouped as
expressing a similar meaning or a different meaning. Try to
group them, using a dictionary if necessary.
a far cry from
in the same boat
the odd one out
the spitting image
on a par with
carbon copy
poles apart
six of one and half a dozen of the other
a world of difference
one of a kind
GRAMMATICAL IDIOMS
Something/Anything/Nothing idioms
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English idioms
Exercise 45. Put each of the following idioms in its correct
place in the sentences bellow.
a. nothing to write home about
b. something against
c. nothing of the sort
d. something for nothing
e. there’s nothing to it
f. nothing … trouble
g. there’s nothing to choose
h. anything goes
1. - Have you seen Farida’s new boyfriend? How is he like?
- Handsome enough, but !
2. My new computer has been but ___since the day I
bought it! I think something is wrong with it.
3. Everyone can drive nowadays. There’s .
4. I think you’ve got me, or why you’re speaking like
this.
5. When I was a pupil, we wore uniforms, didn’t make-up
while going to school, read much. Nowadays it seems, !
6. Don’t believe people when they tell you that the weather’s
fine in Russia in winter. It’s . It’s just different everyday!
7. There’s always someone looking for !
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English idioms
8. - I don’t know whether to buy Ford or Jeep. Which one do
you recommend?
- Honestly, there’s between them. They’re both
excellent cars.
GOOD/BETTER/BEST
BAD/WORSE/WORST
Exercise 46. Complete each of these idioms with good, bad,
better, best, worse or worst.
1. As I learned Japanese it stood me in _____ stead when I
visited there.
2. He has been in quiet a _____ way ever since he had flu in
March.
3. I didn’t want to have a karaoke machine at our party, but
against my _____ judgments, I agreed.
4. People who live here enjoy the _____ of both worlds: the
peace of the countryside, and fast and frequent rail connections
with the city.
5. The situation at the scene of the disaster seems to be going
from ______ to ______.
Exercise 47. Put the words in correct order and make
sentences.
1. else/to/better/Sona/has/one/go/everyone/always/than.
2. to/to/worse/going/be/bad/conditions/seem/from.
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English idioms
3. the/tried/to/best/we/was/make/bad/a job/weather/the/of/bad/
but.
4. it/I/I/the/of/her/better/nearly/thought/told/but/truth.
5. the/happens/whatever/for/best/happens.
IDIOMS WITH “TO+INFINITIVE”
Exercise 48. Put each of the following words in its correct
place.
a) it all b) the truth c) the record straight d) insult to injury e) a
long f) the least h) matters worse i) in a nutshell
1. to cut …
2. to say …
3. to make …
4. to put it …
5. to cap …
6. to set …
7. to add …
8. to tell you …
Exercise 49. A. Try to group the following idioms whether
they’re used in the active or in the passive.
1. to put it mildly
2. to be honest
3. not to be sniffed at
4. to be fair
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English idioms
5. leaves a lot to be desired
6. to add insult to injury
7. a lot to be said for
8. nothing to speak of
9. remains to be seen
B. Comment on the meaning of each of them. Use any of
these idioms in situations of your own.
BINOMIALS
Exercise 50. Join the following idiomatic expressions with
“and”. Then check in a dictionary that you’ve the right word order and meaning.bright dry ups up
round outs choose high
pick ins about downs
early round
Now use them to fill the gaps in these sentences.
1. I’ll meet you in the morning and .
2. If I were you I shouldn’t pay much attention to it. All have
their and at work.
3. This meeting is getting us nowhere. We just keep going
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English idioms
and in circles.
4. My brother is in bed with flu, but I think he’s over the worst.
He’ll be and in no time.
5. I’m thinking of setting up my own business, but I need to
speak to someone who knows the and of how to get
started.
6. If you’re going to publish a book, and , you
need to be sure you’ve got some financial advice.
7. I was left and , with no one to help me.
“OR” IDIOMS
Exercise 51. Match words from the left-hand box with
words from the right-hand box to form idioms with “or”.
Use a dictionary if necessary.
give; take; it; like it;
wrongly; sooner; laugh;
believe it; sink; make
Or
leave it; later; rightly;
cry; not; swim; take;
not; break
Now use these idioms in the sentences below.
1. , I have been to London twice.
2. I’ll pay for this blouse 20 manats. That’s my final offer.
______!
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English idioms
3. Our business has been going down-hill for a while now. The
next few months are for us.
4. When I heard that the ticket to London cost $500, I didn’t
know whether to .
5. It’ll take three months for your new passport to arrive
a week.
6. I believe, , that private schools should be abolished.
7. If you go on being rude to people, , somebody will
really get angry and hit you.
8. There’s no point to complaining about meeting. We have to
take place whether we .
9. When I started my job, nobody told me how to do anything.
I just had to learn everything by myself. It was a real
situation.
SIMILES
Exercise 52. Look back at the expressions with similes and
add the missing words:
1. as quick as a …
2. as red as a …
3. as flat as a …
4. as bold as …
5. as quiet as a …
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English idioms
6. as dry as a …
7. as hard as…
Exercise 53. Different similes contain the same word. Fill
the gaps with the appropriate words.
1. Don’t worry. I think it is as easy as… off a log.
2. After eating that awful chicken I was as sick as a …
3. I knew she had deceived me. I felt as sick as a …
4. My grandmother’s hair is as white as …
5. Her face suddenly went as white as a …
“NO” IDIOMS
Exercise 54. Try guessing from the context what the
underlined idioms mean.
1. I have had no end of problems with my new car.
2. When I was in Paris, I was told not to go near a certain area.
They said it was a no-go area.
3. Whatever you do, don’t touch Sona’s things. It’s a real no-
no. She gets very annoyed about it.
4. - I found the book you asked, didn’t I?
- No thanks to you! It’s not the same book.
5. - Hey, Nicy, I’m really sorry about what I said yesterday.
- No hard feelings!
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English idioms
IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS WITH PREPOSITIONS
Exercise 55. Add the missing prepositions.
1. His company has gone _____ strength _____ strength in the
last six months. He’s making a lot of money now.
2. The flood ruined our old kitchen, but it was a blessing ____
disguise, because the insurance company paid for a completely
new one.
3. This new model is not the be – all – and- end – all – digital
cameras, but it certainly has many technical features that others
do not have.
4. Your offer to drive us to the airport makes all the difference
_____ our travel plans.
5. Your plan to persuade Lala to join the committee worked
_____ magic.
Exercise 56. Write the idioms in this section opposite the
meanings using the words in brackets:
1. absolutely certain (bet) ………………………………
2. as a guess (head) ………………………………
3. find the truth (bottom) ………………………………
4. looked everywhere
(search) ………………………………
5. exaggerated (top) ………………………………
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English idioms
6. as emotionally low as
possible (rock) ………………………………
7. not much hair (thin) ………………………………
NUMBER IDIOMS
Exercise 57. Complete the following idioms with numbers.
1. Two’s company, a crowd!
2. I’m in minds about it.
3. It’s first come, served.
4. It was of one and half a dozen of the other.
5. It takes to tango.
6. I put and together.
7. Two heads are better than .
Exercise 58. Put each of the following idioms in its correct
place in the sentences bellow.
a. to have second thoughts
b. in her seventh heaven
c. at the eleventh hour
d. knocked me for six
e. on cloud nine
f. third time lucky
1. Our financial problems were so great that we thought we’d
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English idioms
have to sell our house, but my father-in-law lent us some
money ------.
2. At first I liked him, but now I’m beginning .
3. My sister was when she actually met her favorite singer.
4. When I heard that they refused to take you, it completely .
I wasn’t expecting it.
5. My brother was ____ when he heard that he’d won the
competition.
6. I always repeat: “____!” when I fail to do something.
Exercise 59. Complete each of these idioms.
1. It runs like ____.
2. We set off at the crack ____.
3. We were working against ____.
4. I’ve had enough. Let’s call ____.
5. It happens this way nine ____.
Exercise 60. Complete these idioms with prepositions.
1. … scratch.
2. once … a lifetime.
3. once and … all
4. … time …time.
5. work … the clock.
6. nine times … … ten.
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English idioms
MIXED IDIOMS
Exercise 61. Can you think of a situation where you might
…
1. be willing to pay through the nose for tickets?
2. have to take somebody under your wing?
3. have to drink in somebody’s words?
4. have to read somebody’s thoughts?
5. find it hard beat about the bush?
6. have to know which side your bread is buttered?
Exercise 62. Here are some idioms. Comment on the
meaning of each of them. Use them in situations of your
own.
1. Wash one’s dirty linen in public.
2. Be in the air.
3. Keep one’s nose above water.
4. Burn the candle at both ends.
5. Burn one’s bridges (behind one).
“VERY” IDIOMS
Exercise 63. Try guessing from the context what the
underlined “very” idioms mean.
1. I’ve been working since morning and I feel wide awake. I’d
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English idioms
better go to bed.
2. When my brother wanted to borrow my car, I asked him to
be careful with it because it was brand new.
3. I don’t think these clothes are a bit wet. They’re bone dry.
4. My mother-in-law couldn’t eat the bread because it was rock
hard.
5. You have to shout at my grandmother. She’s stone deaf.
6. The walls of our flat are paper thin. You can hear
everything.
7. My mother was robbed in the street yesterday in broad
daylight.
8. I watched an awful film last night. I should have just
switched it off but I watched it until the bitter end to see what
happened.
“WAY” IDIOMS
Exercise 64. A. Try to complete these “way” idioms.
1. either …
2. to … thinking
3. the other …
4. … way
5. that …
6. by …
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English idioms
7. come …
B. Now use them in your own sentences and try to give
their equivalents in your own language.
Exercise 65. A. Try giving the equivalents of the following
“way” idioms in your native language.
1. either way
2. the way of thinking
3. the other way round
4. on the way
5. that way
6. by the way
7. in a way
8. come a long way
B. Make up a story using any of these idioms.
“LIKE” IDIOMS
Exercise 66. What can you say about …
1. a person who sees everything and never misses a thing?
2. a plan or course of action that works very well?
3. someone who eats and drinks a great deal?
4. someone with a very bad memory?
5. someone who has been very active and busy all day?
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English idioms
“WORD” IDIOMS
Exercise 67. Look back at the “word” idioms and add the
missing words:
1. I’ll take your word ____ it.
2. ____ word of mouth.
3. put ____ a good word for you.
4. get a word ____ edgeways.
5. ____ a word – no.
6. ____ the word go.
7. word ____ word.
8. a man ____ his word.
9. lost ____ words.
10. _____ other words.
“MONEY” IDIOMS
Exercise 68. Put the words in right order and make
sentences.
1. is/a killing/his/job/new/in/Anar.
2. I/put/the/position/had/I/was/in/but/no choice/pick up/to/the
tap.
3. spent/we/the/hotel/at/in/living/a/weekend/lap/the/of/luxury.
4. our/spent/neighbours/small/a/conservatory/fortune/on/new/
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English idioms
their.
5. we/to/had/pay/nose/the/through/get/to/tickets/match/the/for.
FOOD IDIOMS
Exercise 69. Choose one of the alternatives to complete each
sentence.
1. Although it was too slow-moving for my taste, I sat through
the film to the bitter/sour/sweet end.
2. Watching that cookery programme on TV has really
watered/wetted/whetted my appetite for trying some new
recipes.
3. Staying in a hotel room that Elvis Presley had once used was
really the icing on the biscuit/cake/ sugar.
4. As Shalalah has such a sweet mouth/tongue/tooth it makes
very difficult for her to lose weight.
5. The wonderful smells from the kitchen are really making my
eyes/mouth/nose water.
Exercise 70. Comment on the meaning of each of the
following idioms. Use them in situations of your own.
1. bread and butter
2. eat a horse
3. eat sb out house and home
4. egg on one’s face
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English idioms
5. bear fruit
DWELLING IDIOMS
Exercise 71. A. Rewrite the following text in idiomatic
English.
My parents are good at receiving guests. They’re houseproud. I
think, they make a great effort to make our house as interesting
and attractive as possible. Everything is perfectly arranged in
our house. My parents are wealthy. They have enough money
to buy everything they want. They like to see our friends in our
house. They welcome visitors at any time. Our friends say our
place is as pleasant and comfortable as their own house. My
parents say their home is the best place in the world for them.
B. Use any of the dwelling idioms to make up a story. A
student starts it with “An Englishman’s home is his castle”.
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English idioms
SOME KEYS TO EXERCISES
Dear reader, as many of your answers will depend on
your own particular interests and needs, some keys to exercises
have been given undone.
Exercise 1:
1. to swing a cat, 2. monkey around, 3. a little bird told, 4. ants;
pants, 5. gone to dogs, 6. a pig-sty.
Exercise 2:
1. to do sth quickly and without giving it your full attention, 2.
to eat a lot, 3. nothing would prevent sb from doing sth or
make them do sth they do not want to do, 4. to eat very little, 5.
to watch sb very closely, 6. to take care of and help sb who has
less experience of sth than you.
Exercise 3:
1. ram, 2. monkey, 3. badgered, 4. hounded, 5. ducked, 6.
worm, 7. fox, 8. dogged
Exercise 4:
1. dog, 2. pussyfooting around, 3. hell’s, 4. catty, 5. away; the
mice will play, 6. bag, 7. whiskers.
Exercise 5:
1. are talking behind my back, 2. a heart of gold, 3. puts a
brave face, 4. pulls my leg, 5. finding my feet, 6. a good heard.
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English idioms
Exercise 6:
1. get on sb nerves, 2. dip your toe in the water, 3. foot the bill,
4. heart is not in sth.
Exercise 8:
1. head, 2. shoulder, 3. elbow, 4. thumb, 5. finger, 6. foot, 7.
mouth, 8. shin, 9. head, 10. back.
Exercise 9:
1. to stop yourself from saying sth that might upset sb or cause
an argument, although you want to speak, 2. to decide how to
deal with a situation as it develops rather than by having a plan
to follow, 3. to refuse sth, 4. to be waiting with interest to hear
what sb has to say, 5. to try to become involved in sth that does
not concern you, 6. food looks or smells so good that you want
to eat it immediately.
Exercise 10:
1. talk through his hat, 2. go at the drop of a hat, 3. to keep
under your hat, 4. old hat, 5. I take my hat off to him.
Exercise 12:
1. in black and white, 2. green fingers, 3. a black sheep, 4. once
in a blue moon, 5. a white elephant, 6. out of the blue.
Exercise 13:
1. c, 2. d, 3. a, 4. b, 5. g, 6. e, 7. f.
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English idioms
Exercise 14:
1. red, 2. blue, 3. red, 4. blue, 5. red, 6. red, 7. blue, 8. blue.
Exercise 15:
Positive:
1. to be over the moon, 2. Feel like a million dollars, 3. Paint
the town red, 4. Get away clean, 5. To keep somebody’s chin
up, 6. kick up one’s heels.
Negative:
1. to feel/be a bit down, 2. to be in a black mood, 3. at the end
of one’s rope, 4. face the music.
Exercise 16:
1. out of the blue, 2. sth up my sleeve, 3. light at the end of the
tunnel, 4. pull the rug under my feet, 5. knock me down with
the feather, 6. burning ambition, 7. on ice, 8. spill the beans, 9.
sell him short, 10. leave me high and dry, 11. sell him down the
river.
Exercise 18:
a. speak, b. make, c. keep, d. take, e. bide, f. sit, g. tread, h.
take, i. keep, i. go.
Exercise 19:
1. c, 2. b, 3.d, 4. a.
333
English idioms
Exercise 20:
1. for - to, 2. in - on, 3. sort - sorts, 4. finish - end, 5. done -
made, 6. seven - nine, 7. miserable - misery, 8. sun - moon.
Exercise 21:
1. went off the deep end/did his nut, 2. give him an earful/give
him a piece of her mind, 3. drive him up the wall/send him
round the bend, 4. put his back up/rub him up the wrong way.
Exercise 22:
1. it was a blessing in disguise, 2. worked like magic/did the
trick, 3. the be-all-end all, 4. has gone from strength to
strength, 5. made all the difference.
Exercise 23:
1.c, 2.a, 3. e, 4. f, 5. d, 6. b.
Exercise 24:
1. leaf, 2. lines, 3. a load of tripe, 4. cover, 5. tail, 6. print, 7.
while, 8. corner.
Exercise 26:
1. deaf, 2. bear, 3. pressure, 4. walking, 5. hammer, 6. stuff.
Exercise 27:
a. head, b. hand, c. what, d. clue, e. ropes, f. hang, g. end, h.
knowledge.
Exercise 29:
1. mind, 2. memory, 3. mind, 4. memory, 5. mind, 6. mind, 7.
334
English idioms
mind, 8. memory, 9. mind, 10. memory.
Exercise 33:
1. taking, 2. background, 3. fill, 4. race, 5. shuttle, 6. round.
Exercise 36:
1. set, 2. have, 3. play, 4. get, 5. add, 6. fire, 7. go, 8. burn.
Exercise 41:
1. flies, 2. wink, 3. bee.
Exercise 43:
1. change, rest, 2. away, all, 3. no, home, 4. whale, time, 5. just,
doctor, 6. time, lives.
Exercise 44:
Meaning similar:
in the same boat
the spitting image
on a par with
carbon copy
six of one and half a dozen of the other
Meaning different:
a far cry from
the odd one out
one of a kind
poles apart
a world of difference
335
English idioms
Exercise 45:
1. a, 2. f, 3. e, 4. b, 5. h, 6. c, 7. d, 8. g.
Exercise 46:
1. good, 2. bad, 3. better, 4. best, 5. bad, worse.
Exercise 47:
1. Sona always has to go one better than everyone else.
2. Conditions seem to be going from bad to worse.
3. The weather was bad, but we tried to make the best of a bad
job.
4. I nearly told her the truth, but I thought better of it.
5. Whatever happens, happens for the best.
Exercise 50:
bright and early
pick and choose
up and about
ups and downs
round and round
high and dry
ins and outs
Exercise 51:
give or take
take or leave it
like it or not
336
English idioms
rightly or wrongly
sooner or later
believe it or not
sink or swim
laugh or cry
make or break
Exercise 52:
1. a flash, 2. a beet-root, 3. a pancake, 4. brass, 5. a mouse, 6.
a bone, 7. rock.
Exercise 53:
1. falling, 2. dog, 3. parrot, 4. snow, 5. sheet.
Exercise 56:
1. I can bet you bottom dollar, 2. off the top of my head, 3. get
to the bottom of this,
4. I’ve searched from top to bottom, 5. over the top, 6. hit the
rock, 7. thin on top.
Exercise 57:
1. three, 2. two, 3. first, 4. six, 5. two, 6. two, two, 7. one.
Exercise 58:
1. c, 2. a, 3. b, 4. d, 5. e, 6. f.
Exercise 59:
1. clockwork, 2. of dawn, 3. the clock, 4. it a day, 5. times out
of ten.
337
English idioms
Exercise 60:
1. from, 2. in, 3. for, 4. from… to, 5. against, 6. out of.
Exercise 64:
1. way, 2. my way of, 3. way round, 4. on the, 5. way, 6. the
way, 7. a long way.
Exercise 66:
1. like a hawk, 2. like clockwork, 3. like a horse, like a fish, 4.
like a sieve, 5. like a bee.
Exercise 67:
1. for, 2. by, 3. in, 4. in, 5. in, 6. from, 7. for, 8. of, 9. for, 10.
in.
Exercise 68:
1. Anar is making a killing in his new job.
2. I was put in the position where I had no choice but to pick
up the tap.
3. We spent a weekend at the hotel living in the lap of luxury.
4. Our neighbors spent a small fortune on their new
conservatory.
5. We had to pay through the nose to get tickets for the match.
Exercise 69:
1. bitter, 2. watered, 3. cake, 4. tooth, 5. mouth.
338
English idioms
L I T E R A T U R E
Ə D Ə B İ Y Y A T
Azərbaycan dilində
1. Bayramov H.A. Azərbaycan dilinin frazeologiyasının
əsasları. Bakı, 1978.
2. Cahangirov F.F. İngilis dilindən leksik çalışmalar toplusu.
Bakı, Nurlan, 2003.
3. Hacıyev E.İ. Müasir İngilis və Azərbaycan dillərində
köməkçi nitq hissələrinin funksional-semantik
xüsusiyyətləri. Bakı, Mütarcim, 2006.
4. Hacıyeva Ə.H. İngilis və Azərbaycan dillərində somatik
frazeologizmlərin struktur-semantik xüsusiyyətləri. Bakı,
Nurlan, 2004.
5. Hacıyeva A.K. İngilis-Azərbaycan zoo-metaforizmlər
lüğəti. Bakı, Nurlan, 2004.
6. Xanbutayeva L. İngilis dilində qrammatik omonimlik və
onlara aid çalışmalar toplusu. Bakı, ADU-nun nəşriyyatı,
2007.
7. Qurbanov A. Müasir Azərbaycan dilinin frazeologiyası.
Bakı, 1963.
8. Musayev O.İ. İngiliscə-Azərbaycanca lüğət. Bakı, “Qismət”
Nəşriyyat-Poliqrafiya, 2003.
339
English idioms
9. Musayev O.İ. Azərbaycanca-İngiliscə lüğət. Bakı,
Azərbaycan Dövlət Nəşriyyatı, 1996.
10. Nəbiyeva N. Bir daha ingilis dilindəki а-prefiksli sözlər
haqqında. Azərbaycan Təhsil Nazirliyi. BSU, Humanitar
elmlərin məcmusu. Bakı, 2003.
11. Vahabova İ.Ə. Müasir Azərbaycan və ingilis dillərində
idiomlar və onların bəzi üslubi imkanları. Humanitar
Elmlərin öyrənilməsinin aktual problemləri. Bakı, 2000.
12. Vəliyeva N.Ç. Frazeoloji birləşmələrin müqayisəli
linqvistik təhlili (Azərbaycan, İngilis və Rus dillərinin
materialları əsasında). Bakı, Ünsiyyət, 2001.
İngilis dilində
13. Adam Makkai, M.T.Boatner, J.E.Gates. A Dictionary of
American Idioms. Printed in the United States of America,
2004.
14. Anne Perry. Cain His Brother.
15. Arnold I., Smirnitsky A., Kunin A. A dictionary of
phraseology. Moscow, 1995.
16. Charles Baxter. First Light.
17. Collins V.H. A book of English Idioms. London, L. 960.
18. Danielle Steel. Kaleidoscope.
19. Danielle Steel. Star.
340
English idioms
20. Danielle Steel. The Ranch.
21. Danielle Steel. Wanderlast.
22. David Herbert Lawrence. The Rainbow.
23. Faye Kellerman. Grievous Sin.
24. Harry Collins. 101 American-English Idioms. USA, 1994.
25. Hornby A.S. Oxford Advanced Leaners Dictionary of
Current English. Oxford University Press, 2005.
26. Jennifer Seidl, W.Mc.Mordie. English Idioms and how to
use them. Moscow, 1968.
27. John Galsworthy. The Silver Spoon.
28. Jon Wright. Idioms Organizer. Printed in England by
Commercial Colour Press. London E 7.
29. Maharramov L., Abdullayeva F. Many A Little Makes A
Mickle. Bakı, Təhsil, 2002.
30. Marita Conlon-McKenna. Under the Hawthorn Tree.
31. Maugham W.S. Theatre.
32. Maugham W.S. The Moon and Sixpence.
33. Maugham W.S. The Painted Veil.
34. Maugham W.S. Services Rendered.
35. Micheal McCarthy, Felicity O’ Dell. English Vocabulary in
Use. Cambridge University Press, Second Edition 2002.
36. Micheal McCarthy, Felicity O’ Dell. English Idioms in
Use. Cambridge University Press, 2002.
341
English idioms
37. Thomas B.J. Advanced Vocabulary and Idiom. England,
1995.
38. Yunusov D.N. A Guide to English Grammar. Bakı,
Mütarcim, 2006.
39. Yunusov D.N. Constancy and Variety of Complex
Syntactic Units in languages of different systems. Istanbul
Ekizler Publishing House, 2007.
40. Danielle Steel. Remembrance.
41. John Le Carre. Single and Single.
Rus dilində
42. Винарева Л.А., Янсон В.В. Английские идиомы.
Moсквa, 2005.
43. Кевиселевич Д.И. Русско-английский фразеологичес-
кий словарь. Moсква, 2000.
44. Кунин А.В. Англо-русский фразеологический словарь.
Moсква, 1967.
45. Seredina K.Q., Qwmlwnovic A.K., Krasnanskaya N.A.
Idiom Speech. Leningrad, 1971.
342
English idioms
C O N T E N T S
Ön söz ............................................................................. 3
İdiom nədir? Idiomları öyrənmək nə üçün lazımdır? 6
Section 1. Animal idioms …………………………….. 11
It is a zoo out there …………………………………… 11
Cat idioms …………………………………………….. 19
Bird idioms …………………………………………… 23
Horse idioms …………………………………………... 27
Fishing idioms ………………………………………… 31
Section 2. Body idioms ……………………………….. 33
The body has many uses ………………………………. 33
Eye idioms …………………………………………….. 40
Face idioms ……………………………………………. 44
Fingers and thumbs idioms ……………………………. 47
Foot idioms …………………………………………….. 49
Hand idioms …………………………………………… 53
Head idioms ……………………………………………. 56
Heart idioms …………………………………………… 59
Section 3. Clothes idioms …………………………….. 64
Clothes make the man and the woman ………………… 64
Section 4. Colour idioms ……………………………... 70
Black/white …………………………………………….. 70
Red/blue ……………………………………………….. 72
343
English idioms
Section 5. People’s feelings in particular situations ... 77
When things go wrong ………………………………… 77
When things go well ………………………………… 82
People do the strangest things …………………………. 84
Suprises ………………………………………………... 87
You don’t say ………………………………………….. 90
That is not nice ………………………………………… 95
Do your best …………………………………………... 97
Advice (positive) ………………………………………. 100
Advice (negative) ……………………………………… 102
Being positive ………………………………………….. 105
Agreeing and disagreeing ……………………………… 107
Annoyance and frustration …………………………….. 110
People’s relationships ………………………………….. 113
Success and failure idioms …………………………….. 115
Happiness and sadness ………………………………… 118
Anger …………………………………………………... 120
Having problems ………………………………………. 121
Section 6. Intelligence and knowledge ……………… 123
Knowledge and ability ………………………………… 123
Reading/Education ……………………………………. 128
Section 7. Mind and memory idioms ………………... 131
Section 8. Life and death idioms …………………….. 139
344
English idioms
Llife is gambling ………………………………………. 141
Life is journney ………………………………………... 144
Section 9. Nature and weather idioms …………….... 148
Section 10. House and home idioms …………………. 152
Section 11. Politics ……………………………………. 155
Section 12. Law idioms ……………………………….. 160
Section 13. Eating idioms …………………………….. 162
Food idioms ……………………………………………. 164
Meals …………………………………………………... 168
Section 14. Fire idioms ……………………………….. 171
Section 15. Medicine idioms …………………………. 175
Health idioms ………………………………………….. 178
Section 16. Daily programme ………………………... 181
Section 17. Breaking idioms …………………………. 183
Section 18. Holidays ………………………………….. 186
Section 19. Sleep and dream idioms ………………… 189
Section 20. Suitability ………………………………… 192
Section 21. Similarities and differences …………….. 195
Section 22. Organizations are gardens ……………… 198
Section 23. Family idioms ……………………………. 200
Family life ……………………………………………... 200
Section 24. Grammatical idioms …………………….. 206
“All” idioms …………………………………………… 206
345
English idioms
Binomials ……………………………………………… 209
Idioms with degrees of adjectives ……………………... 213
Idioms with “It” ………………………………………... 218
Number idioms …………………………………….…... 219
Idioms with “million” or “thousand (s) ………………... 224
“No” idioms ……………………………………………. 225
“Or” idioms ……………………………………………. 229
Something/anything/nothing idioms …………………... 232
To + Infinitive …………………………………………. 235
The following infinitives are always passive ………….. 239
Similies (as … as) ……………………………………... 240
Idioms with the expression “There’s no …” …………... 244
Idiomatic expressions with prepositions ………………. 245
Section 25. Mixed idioms …………………………….. 250
Swimming idioms …………………………………… 257
Driving idioms …………………………………………. 259
People are liquid ……………………………………….. 262
Building idioms ………………………………………... 264
Metal idioms …………………………………………… 266
Money idioms ………………………………………….. 267
“Shopping” idioms …………………………………….. 269
“Very” idioms …………………………………………. 271
346
English idioms
“Like” idioms ………………………………………….. 273
“Way” idioms ………………………………………….. 275
“Word” idioms ………………………………………… 278
“Time” idioms …………………………………………. 280
Seeing is understanding ………………………………... 282
Exercises ………………………………………………. 284
Some keys to exercises ………………………………... 328
Literature ……………………………………………... 336
347