вбивать в голову (что-л. кому-л.)
to get something into someone’s head
The teacher couldn’t get the Latin grammar into his pupils’ heads.
вбивать себе в голову
to get it into one’s head
For some reason, he got it into his head that everybody was persecuting him.
вверх дном
upside down
The children turned the house upside down.
вводить в курс дела (кого-л.)
to put someone in the picture
I was new to this project and the manager put me in the picture.
вдоль и поперек (досконально)
inside out; backwards and forwards; through and through
He has lived in London for 30 years and knows the city inside out.
She knows the fashion business backwards and forwards.
I’ve studied his report through and through but couldn’t find any mistakes.
вдоль и поперек (во всех направлениях)
far and wide, the length and breadth of something
The police searched far and wide for the missing girl.
We travelled the length and breadth of the town looking for a good hotel.
вдохнуть жизнь (во что-л.)
to breathe life into something
The new director will help to breathe life into the project.
везет как утопленнику (кому-л.)
just someone’s luck
It was just my luck that the train left five minutes before I got to the station.
верить на слово ( кому-л.)
to take someone’s word for it; to take someone on trust
John will be late again. Take my word for it.
He always took his friends on trust.
вертеться как белка в колесе
to be on the go
With three children to look after she is always on the go from morning till night.
вертеться на языке (у кого-л.)
to be on the tip of one’s tongue
What’s the name of that tree? Hold on, it’s on the tip of my tongue.
вертеться под ногами (у кого-л.)
to be under someone’s feet
I can’t cook the dinner with three children under my feet all the time.
верхушка айсберга
the tip of the iceberg
The reported cases of the disease might be only the tip of the iceberg.
вечный сон the long sleep
вешать голову
to lose heart; to look down in the mouth
Don’t lose heart, even when you’re faced with serious difficulties.
She looked very down in the mouth when I told her that I couldn’t go with her.
взад и вперед
back and forth; to and fro; up and down; backwards and forwards
The lion was pacing back and forth inside the cage.
She walked to and fro in the hospital waiting room.
We’ve been running up and down the street looking for you.
The pendulum was moving slowly backwards and forwards.
взбредать в голову (кому-л.)
to take it into one’s head
Ann took it into her head to become an actress.
взвешивать свои слова
to weigh one’s words
I had to weigh my words carefully before asking my boss for more pay.
видать виды (много испытать)
to see the world; to go through the mill
He had the appearance of a man who has seen the world.
The young soldiers really went through the mill during the first two months of their training.
видать виды (поношенный)
have seen better days
My old hat has seen better days.
видеть насквозь (кого-л.)
to read someone like a book
You won’t deceive me with your lies. I can read you like a book.
видеть свет в конце туннеля to see the light at the end of the tunnel
видит Бог
honest to God/goodness!
I didn’t break the window, honest to God!
винтика в голове не хватает (у кого-л.)
to have a screw loose; to have bats in the belfry
He must have a screw loose to walk around barefoot.
The poor old woman had bats in the belfry.
висеть на волоске
to hang by a thread
His life was hanging by a thread.
висеть над головой (у кого-л.)
to hang over one’s head
The threat of dismissal hung over my head.
витать в облаках
to have one’s head in the clouds
The new secretary must be in love. She has her head in the clouds most of the time.
вить веревки (из кого-л.)
to twist/wrap someone round one’s little finger
His wife can twist him round her little finger.
владеть собой
to keep one’s temper
You should learn to keep your temper.
власти предержащие
the powers that be
The powers that be have decided to demolish the old building to make space for a car park.
влетать в копеечку (кому-л.)
to cost someone a pretty penny
That house must have cost them a pretty penny.
вместе с водой выплеснуть и ребенка
to throw the baby out with the bath water
I know there are weaknesses in the programme but we shouldn’t act too hastily and throw the baby out with the bath water.
вне себя
beside oneself
She was beside herself with joy when she heard the news about her son.
вносить свою лепту
to do one’s bit
We must all do our bit to finish this job in time.
во весь голос
at the top of one’s voice
He was shouting at the top of his voice.
во весь опор
at full tilt; for all one is worth
The boy was running at full tilt down the street.
I ran to the station for all I was worth to catch the last train.
во все глаза
all eyes
The children were all eyes, taking in every detail of their new house.
во всю мочь
with all one’s might
He struggled with all his might to open the stiff door but it stayed shut.
во всю прыть
like greased lightning; like a bat out of hell
He ran out of the room like greased lightning.
The dog ran after the cat like a bat out of hell.
во плоти
in the flesh
I’ve never seen the Queen in the flesh.
во что бы то ни стало
at all costs; at any price
You must at all costs avoid an argument with your employer.
He was determined to get his freedom at any price.
водить за нос (кого-л.)
to lead someone up the garden path; to take someone for a ride
He never realised that she had been leading him up the garden path.
The people who have invested their money in this project have been taken for a ride.
водой не разольешь
as thick as thieves
Mary and Tom are as thick as thieves. They go everywhere together.
возводить на пьедестал (кого-л.)
to put someone on a pedestal
He has put his wife on a pedestal and won’t listen to a word of criticism against her.
возлагать надежды (на кого-л./что-л.)
to pin one’s hopes on someone/something
We are pinning our hopes on the new advertising campaign.
возродиться из пепла
to rise from the ashes
He bought the firm when it was bankrupt. Now it has risen from the ashes and is in profit.
войти в историю
to go down in history
I’m sure that his name will go down in history.
волк в овечьей шкуре
a wolf in sheep’s clothing
I always suspected that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
волосы становятся дыбом (у кого-л.)
one’s hair stands on end
When the boy heard that sound, his hair stood on end.
вольная птица
(as) free as a bird
He felt as free as a bird when he escaped to his country house.
вооруженный до зубов
armed to the teeth
The robber was armed to the teeth and ready to fight.
I arrived for the interview armed to the teeth with letters of recommendation.
вопрос жизни и смерти
a matter of life and death
Go and get the doctor. Tell him it’s a matter of life and death.
воротить нос (от чего-л.)
to turn one’s nose up at something
She always turns her nose up at my cooking.
ворошить прошлое
to rake over the ashes/coals
Jim has already made an apology for his rude behaviour, so there’s no need to rake over the ashes.
воскрешать в памяти (что-л.)
to call something to mind
I know this actor but I can’t call his name to mind.
воспрянуть духом
to take heart
The soldiers took heart when they heard the news.
вот тебе и раз!
well, did you ever!; I say!
Well, did you ever! Mrs Smith has finally decided to move house.
I say! What a surprise!
впадать в детство
to be in one’s second childhood
He was acting very strange, as if he was in his second childhood.
впадать в немилость
to fall from grace
He was one of the president’s closest advisers for several years but fell from grace when the fraud was discovered.
впадать в уныние
to lose heart
After so many unsuccessful attempts to win the championship, he began to lose heart.
впитать с молоком матери (что-л.)
to imbibe something with one’s mother’s milk
We imbibed a love for music with our mother’s milk.
врать как сивый мерин
to lie through one’s teeth
When he said he was not married he was lying through his teeth but I pretended to believe him.
время от времени
from time to time; (every) now and again/then; (every) once in a while
From time to time he sends me flowers.
I drink coffee every now and then.
We go to the cinema every once in a while.
все до одного
one and all
I would like to invite you to dinner, one and all.
всей душой
with all one’s heart and soul; heart and soul
I hope with all my heart and soul that you will succeed.
He loved her heart and soul.
вставать на колени (перед кем-л.)
to throw oneself at the feet of someone ; to go down on one’s hands and knees (to someone )
Do I have to throw myself at your feet to convince you that I’m really sorry?
I won’t go down on my hands and knees to her, no matter how important she is.
вствать с левой ноги
to get out of bed on the wrong side
She must have got out of bed on the wrong side today – she is so grumpy.
вставлять палки в колеса (кому-л.)
to put a spoke in someone’s wheel; to throw a spanner in the works
We disagree about it, but I won’t put a spoke in his wheel.
You threw a spanner in the works supplying me with the wrong information.
всыпать по первое число (кому-л.)
to knock someone into the middle of next week; to give someone hell
My brother promised to knock me into the middle of next week if I crash his car.
His wife gave him hell when he came home late last night.
втирать очки (кому-л.)
to pull the wool over someone’s eyes; to throw dust in someone’s eyes
He tried to pull the wool over my eyes with some feeble explanation.
He only gave this information in order to throw dust in our eyes.
втираться в доверие (кому-л.)
to worm oneself into someone’s confidence
Within a few months he had wormed himself into her confidence and soon he was the only person she trusted.
вторая натура
second nature
It was second nature to Sally to tell everyone else what to do.
входить в долю
to go halves
I went halves with my sister when we bought Mum a birthday present.
входить в курс дела
to learn the ropes
I’ll be able to do my job better once I learn the ropes.
входить в положение (чье-л.)
to put oneself into someone’s shoes
Try putting yourself into my shoes – I really couldn’t help your sister at that time.
вчера родиться
to be born yesterday
You must think I was born yesterday if you expect me to believe that nonsense.
выбивать из колеи (кого-л.)
to put someone off one’s stroke
His tricky questions put me off my stride and I got confused.
выбивать почву из-под ног (у кого-л.)
to cut the ground from under someone’s feet; to pull the rug from under someone
The politician completely cut the ground from under his opponent’s feet.
His girlfriend pulled the rug from under him by going to Spain alone.
выбросить из головы (что-л.)
to get something out of one’s system/mind
He couldn’t get that problem out of his system.
выведенного яйца не стоить
not worth a damn
