в лицо (что-л. кому-л.)
to throw something in someone’s face
She was always throwing her husband’s clumsiness in his face.
бросать деньги на ветер
to throw money down the drain
Don’t gamble on the horses. That’s just throwing money down the drain.
бросать камень (в кого-л.)
to throw stones at someone
Many politicians seem to spend too much time throwing stones at each other.
бросать на произвол судьбы (кого-л.)
to leave someone in the lurch
Soon after their son was born he went off and left her in the lurch.
бросать перчатку
to throw down the gauntlet
He threw down the gauntlet by challenging my conclusions.
бросаться в глаза (кому-л.)
to catch someone’s eye; to stick out like a sore thumb
His shiny black car caught my eye.
The dinner is formal; if you wear old jeans you’ll stick out like a sore thumb among all the well-dressed guests.
бряцать оружием
to rattle one’s sabre
He may rattle his sabre at his enemies in public, but then will bend over backwards to agree behind closed doors.
буква закона
the letter of the law
There was the danger that the judge may follow the letter of the law rather than its spirit.
буря в стакане воды
a storm in a teacup
This isn’t a serious problem – just a storm in a teacup.
была не была
here goes
‘Well, here goes!’ shouted the parachutist and jumped out of the plane.
быть беде
the fat is in the fire
The fat’s in the fire now that she has discovered about her husband’s lover.
быть на высоте
to give a good account of oneself
John gave a good account of himself during the match.
быть навеселе
to have had one too many; to have had a few (too many)
He looks as if he has had one too many.
She’s jad a few; you should take her home and put her to bed.
быть на побегушках (у кого-л.)
to fetch and carry (for someone); to be at someone’s beck and call
She is so lazy because her husband is always there to fetch and carry for her.
I had to be at his beck and call 24 hours a day.
быть нечистым на руку
to have light fingers
The employee on the till had light fingers and got fired.
в бегах
on the run
The jail-breakers were on the run from the police.
в глубине души
in one’s heart of hearts
In her heart of hearts, she knew that she wasn’t cut out to be a surgeon.
в здравом уме
in one’s right mind
No one in his right mind would go there.
в интересном положении
in the family way
I’ve heard that Martin’s wife is in the family way.
в кулаке (у кого-л.)
under someone’s thumb; in the palm of someone’s hand; in someone’s pocket
My sister is completely under her husband’s thumb.
The mayor had the local press in the palm of his hand and was never criticised by any of them.
Most of the officials in that country are in the pocket of a few very rich businessmen.
в курсе дела
in the know
Let’s ask Paul. He’s in the know.
в лицо (кому-л.)
to someone’s face
He wouldn’t dare say it to my face!
в лучшем случае
at best
The buses were all late and at best I could only hope to be home before midnight.
в любом случае
in any case/event; at any rate
In any event, I’ll see him on Tuesday.
At any rate we must go tomorrow.
в мгновение ока
in the twinkling of an eye
The new machine can do all the calculations in the twinkling of an eye.
в общем и целом
on the whole; all in all; first and last
On the whole, this was a very good journey.
All in all we haven’t done badly.
She is, first and last, a hard worker.
в объятиях Морфея
in the land of Nod
She was in the land of Nod and I didn’t want to wake her.
в одно ухо входит, а в другое выходит
to go in one ear and out the other
Everything she says to her son seems to go in one ear and out the other.
в одной лодке
in the same boat
When I told her that I was broke she said that she was in the same boat.
в первую очередь
in the first place
In the