Vydáno dne 16.06.2011
Několik užitečných zvířecích idiomů. Víte například, co znamená spojení ‚rat race‘ nebo ‚pigheaded‘? A co třeba když pustíte kočku ven z tašky? (let the cat out of the bag)
IDIOMY jsou zažitá spojení, která v doslovném překladu nedávají většinou smysl, proto je jejich pochopení poměrně složité. Více si o problematice idiomů přečtěte v samostatném článku.
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. *1
When I started looking for some ceremony venues online, I tried to kill two birds with one stone and looked for a photographer too. *2
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush/ə bɜ:d ɪn ðə 'hænd ɪz wɜ:θ tu: ɪn ðə 'bʊʃ/ – lepší vrabec v hrsti, než holub na střeše
I know, it would be much better to go on holiday next month, the weather will be better. But my boss might not let me take a week off then. Let's go now. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. And they have great last minute offers. *3
Well, I'm selling it for 20,000 and if I don't have a buyer within a week, I might go down to 18,000, but you're risking that someone else will buy it. – Ok, I'm not an unreasonable man and a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. So yes, I'll take it. *4
early bird/'ɜ:liˌbɜ:d/ – ranní ptáče
The early bird catches the worm. *5 *6
I'm such an early bird. Even at weekends, I wake up at about 6:30 at the latest. With no alarm clock. *7
the birds and the bees/ðə ˌbɜ:dz ən ðə 'bi:z/ – fakta o tom, jak to chodí v sexu
I was afraid she might actually ask me about the birds and the bees, but she only wanted to know if she could get her nose pierced. I said no, of course. *8
His dad wanted to tell him about the birds and the bees, but after about an hour he discovered that his son was more interested in the birds and the birds. *9
have ants in your pants/hæv 'ænts ɪn jə pænts/ – mít roupy, být neposedný
Yes, the boy is a bit fidgety with ants in his pants, but otherwise he's a nice kid. *10
Let him sit by the window, honey. He'll have ants in his pants until you do. Let's not spoil out trip right at the start. *11
chicken out/ˌtʃɪkən'aʊt/ – dostat strach, vycouvat (zbaběle)
I'm sure he won't do it. He always chickens out in the last minute. *12
Don't tell me you are chickening out after all the effort you've put into this. *13
chicken/'tʃɪkən/ – zbabělec (srab)
Come on, you know him quite well. He's always been a mummy's boy and that's the reason, my friend, why he's such a chicken. *14
She's so nervous about it. I wish for once she'd stop being such a chicken. *15
copycat/'kɒpikæt/ – kdo se opičí
Some people might say that Lady Gaga is a total copycat of Madonna, but I like her. *16
Janet is such a copycat! She dresses like my sister, behaves like her and now she even wants to steal her boyfriend. She's pathetic. *17
eager beaver/ˌi:gə 'bi:və/ – pilný (pracuje víc než ostatní), horlivec
Steve is a real eager beaver. He always stays late at work and sometimes works at weekends too. *18
Don't be such an eager beaver. Everybody knows you can work really hard. *19
fishy/'fɪʃi/ – divný, podezřelý, nekalý
I'm damn sure something very fishy is going on here. *20
I can't put my finger on it, but I think there's something fishy about the whole deal. *21
hold your horses/ˌhəʊld jɔ: 'hɔ:sɪz/ – Neukvapuj se! / Zadrž!
Hold your horses! Have you thought this through? *22
Hold your horses! The game's not over yet. We still may lose. *23
holy cow/ˌhəʊlɪ 'kaʊ/ – Ty jo! / Svatá dobroto! / Ty krávo!
How much did you say the wedding cost? Holy cow! *24
Holy cow! The view is incredible. *25
the lion's share/ðə 'laɪənz ˌʃeə/ – největší podíl
The lion's share of the government's budget goes to the military, but it should be spent on useful things like education or health care. *26
Smartphones continue to grab the lion's share of the market. *27
let the cat out of the bag/ˌlet ðə 'kæt aʊt əv ðə ˌbæg/ – pustit si pusu na špacír (prozradit tajemství)
I was planning a surprise party for my husband, but my sister let the cat out of the bag and told him about it. *28
Oops. It looks like I let the cat out of the bag. *29
make a beeline for/ˌmeɪk ə 'bi:laɪn fɔ:/ – namířit si to přímo k (vzdušnou čarou)
All the kids made a beeline for the cake that my mum was serving in the dining room. *30
He turned green and made a beeline for the bathroom. *31
rat race/'rætˌreɪs/ – pachtění se (honba) za penězi, kariérou
I've asked him a million times to get out of the rat race. It's only a matter of time until he gets a heart attack or something. *32
After they release her from hospital, she will be back in the rat race in no time. *33
pig-headed/ˌpɪg'hedɪd/ (pigheaded) – tvrdohlavý
I don't understand his pigheaded refusal to give up. *34
Why do you have to be so pigheaded? *35
Další balík zvířecích idiomů najdete v článku Animal idioms (2).