Vydáno dne 02.06.2011
Několik užitečných číselných idiomů. Asi vám dojde význam ‚fifth wheel‘ nebo ‚sixth sense‘, ale znáte například "five o'clock shadow', ‚cloud nine‘ nebo ‚forty winks‘?
Idiomy jsou zažitá spojení, která v doslovném překladu nedávají často smysl, proto je jejich pochopení docela komplikované. Více si o problematice idiomů přečtěte v článku zde.
My se dnes zaměříme na idiomy, které obsahují nějakou číslovku (základní či řadovou). Věříme, že se vám některé zalíbí a začnete je používat.
one-night stand/ˌwʌnnaɪt'stænd/ – náhodná známost, láska (sex) na jednu noc
They are not dating. It was just a one-night stand. *1
She said she hated one-night stands and guess what happened last night. *2
one for the road/ˌwʌn fə ðə 'rəʊd/ – jedno na cestu
He had one for the road and left the pub. He wasn't really drunk, just a little bit tipsy. *3
Give me one for the road, Tom. – Aren't you driving? *4
in one ear and out the other/ɪn 'wʌn ɪə ænd aʊt ði: 'ʌðə/ – jedním uchem dovnitř a druhým ven
Do you really think he will do that? You know Bob, in one ear and out the other. *5
Are you listening at all?! I can almost see it literally going in one ear and out the other. *6
back to square one/'bæk tə ˌskweə 'wʌn/ – zpátky, na začátek, na nulu
He missed and had to go back to square one, which cost him a lot. He lost the whole game. *7
We had to go back to square one and start the project all over again. *8
Pozn.: Také be back at square one = být zpět na začátku.
have one too many/hæv ˌwʌn tu: 'meni/ – přehnat to s pitím
Don't talk to him, it's pointless now. Don't you see he's had one too many? *9
Sorry guys, I think I've had one too many. I gotta go home now. *10
first come, first served/ˌfɜ:st 'kʌm ˌfɜ:st 'sɜ:vd/ – kdo dřív přijde, ten dřív mele
‘First come, first served’ my mom called and put the food on the table. *11
It was first come, first served at the banquet so they almost ran to the buffet table. *12
a thing or two/ə 'θɪŋ ɔ: ˌtu:/ – něco málo (často ve spojení to know a thing or two about sth)
Oh come on. I know a thing or two about cooking. The dinner is going to be great. *13
Let him put the cupboard together. I'm sure he knows a thing or two about flat-pack furniture. *14
two left feet/tu: left 'fi:t/ – (mít) obě nohy levé, (být) nemotora (nešika)
Sorry, I keep stepping on your feet. I must have two left feet. *15
Paul took dancing classes, but he is hopeless with his two left feet. *16
kill two birds with one stone/kɪl tu: bɜ:dz wɪð wʌn 'stəʊn/ – zabít dvě mouchy jednou ranou
Janet killed two birds with one stone by going to Madrid. She met an important client in person and practiced her Spanish too. *17
When I started looking for some ceremony venues online, I tried to kill two birds with one stone and looked for a photographer too. *18
the lesser of two evils/ðə ˌlesə ɒv tu: 'i:vəlz/ – menší zlo (menší ze dvou zel)
The electors had to choose the lesser of two evils when voting for the mayor. Both of the candidates were horrible. *19
I didn't really want to accept the job offer but it was the lesser of two evils, because having no job is much worse. *20
be in two minds/bi: ɪn tu: 'maɪndz/ – být nerozhodný, být na vážkách
I am in two minds about going out on a date with her. *21
She is in two minds about whether or not to accept the job offer. *22
Pozn.: V Americké angličtině taky be of two minds.
like two peas in a pod/laɪk tu: pi:z ɪn ə 'pɒd/ – podobní si jako vejce vejci (vzhledem, myšlením, nebo chováním) *23
Neither of them would thank me for saying it, but they're like two peas in a pod. *24
You can tell they are brothers immediately. They are like two peas in a pod. *25
put two and two together/pʊt ˌtu: ən ˌtu: tə'geðə/ – dát si jedna a jedna (dvě a dvě) dohromady
I put two and two together and realized they wanted to trick me. *26
If Sarah was really such a genius, why couldn't she put two and two together? *27
two's company, three's a crowd/tu:z 'kʌmpəni θri:z ə 'kraʊd/ – do páru není třeba třetího (dva jsou tak akorát)
I was hoping we would see the movie alone. Why did you have to bring your sister? Two's company, three's a crowd. *28
Sorry, Steve, I want to be alone with my girlfriend. Two's company, three's a crowd. *29
second to none/ˌsekənd tə 'nʌn/ – nejlepší, bezkonkurenční
Her suggestion was second to none, and her boss accepted it eagerly. *30
I'm sure our new model is second to none. *31
third time lucky/ˌθɜ:d taɪm 'lʌki/ – do třetice všeho dobrého
After losing twice it'll be hopefully third time lucky and we may be fortunate enough to win. *32
Try once more. You know what they say, third time lucky. *33
Pozn.: V americké angličtině se setkáte se spojením (the) third time's the charm.
five o'clock shadow/faɪv əˌklɒk 'ʃædəʊ/ – nepatrné strniště (vousy)
She fancied him a lot. He was very handsome with the five o'clock shadow. *34
He had a five o'clock shadow on his shaved face and he must've been in his mid-thirties. I don't remember much more though. *35
give me five/ˌgɪv mi: 'faɪv/ – plácni si se mnou (plácnutí vztyčenou dlaní třeba s kamarádem, které označuje, že se jemu nebo mně něco povedlo)
Way to go, man. Give me five. *36
‘Give me five!’ I said, after I scored another goal. *37
fifth wheel/ˌfɪfθ 'wi:l/ – páté kolo u vozu
I think I should leave. I don't wanna be a fifth wheel. *38
It turned out I really was a fifth wheel. They didn't want me there at all. *39
Pozn.: Můžete se také setkat se spojením third wheel.
six feet under/ˌsɪks fi:t 'ʌndə/ – pod drnem (pohřbený)
My grandpa doesn't want to move from his house until he is six feet under. *40
His aunt has been six feet under for over two years now. *41
sixth sense/ˌsɪksθ'sens/ – šestý smysl
How do you know that? Do you have some kind of sixth sense? *42
The stranger has a sixth sense and seems to know what everyone else is thinking. *43
Pozn.: Můžete se setkat i se spojením second sight.
on cloud nine/ɒnˌklaʊd'naɪn/ – v sedmém nebi
Yay, I passed the difficult test! I'm on cloud nine. *44
He proposed to her last week and now she's on cloud nine. *45
Pozn.: Existuje taky be in seventh heaven.
nine-to-five/'naɪntəfaɪv/ – od 9 do 17 hodin (pracovní doba)
What time do you leave for work? – It depends. You see, I don't have a nine-to-five job, so I don't have to be at work early in the morning. *46
Michael used to be a freelancer. Now he has a nine-to-five job and hates every minute of it. *47
twenty-four seven/ˌtwentiˌfɔ:'sevn/ – non-stop (24 hodin denně, 7 dnů v týdnu)
The new restaurant round the corner is open twenty-four seven. *48
Even though they knew it was a reality TV, they didn't expect the cameras to follow them twenty-four seven. *49
Pozn.: V textu se běžně píše 24/7 nebo 24–7.
forty winks/ˌfɔ:ti'wɪŋks/ – šlofík (nejčastěji ve spojení se slovesem have)
Josh was very tired so he stopped the car to have forty winks. *50
When I arrived home I lay down and had forty winks. *51
Pozn.: Také lze říct catch forty winks.