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.

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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

7

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

9

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

10

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.

11

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”.

12

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;

13

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.

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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-

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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

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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

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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

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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,

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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

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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;

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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-

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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;

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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

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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-

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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;

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

pocket

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

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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

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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,

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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

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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

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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____?”

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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?

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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