Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

J

[Jack] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY.

[jack] See: EVERY LAST MAN also EVERY MAN JACK.

[jack of all trades]{n.}, {informal} (Often followed by the words "master of none.") A person who is knowledgeable in many areas. Can be used as praise, or as a derogatory remark depending on the context and the intonation. •/Peter is a jack of all trades; he can survive anywhere!/ •/"How come Joe did such a sloppy job?" Mary asked. "He’s a jack of all trades," Sally answered./

[jackpot] See: HIT THE JACKPOT.

[jack-rabbit start]{n.}, {informal} A very sudden start from a still position; a very fast start from a stop. •/Bob made a jack-rabbit start when the traffic light turned green./

[Jack Robinson] See: BEFORE ONE CAN SAY JACK ROBINSON.

[jack up]{v.} 1. To lift with a jack. •/The man jacked up his car to fit a flat tire./ 2. {informal} To make (a price) higher; raise. •/Just before Christmas, some stores jack up their prices./

[jailbait]{n.}, {slang} A girl below the legal age of consent for sex; one who tempts you to intimacy which is punishable by imprisonment. •/Stay away from Arabella, she is a jailbait./

[jailbird]{n.}, {informal} A convict; someone who is in jail or has been recently released from prison. •/Because Harry was a jailbird, it was understandably hard for him to find a job after being imprisoned./

[jake flake]{n.}, {slang} A boring person whose company is usually not wanted. •/Please don’t invite Turner, he is a jake flake./

[jar on]{v. phr.} To irritate. •/The constant construction noise was beginning to jar on the nerves of the members of the meeting./

[jaw] See: GLASS JAW.

[jawbreaker]{n.} 1. A large piece of hard candy or bubblegum. •/Billy asked his mother for a quarter to buy some jawbreakers and a chocolate bar./ 2. [informal] A word or name that is hard to pronounce. •/His name, Nissequogue, is a real jawbreaker./

[jaw drop] or [jaw drop a mile] {informal} Mouth fall wide open with surprise. — Used with a possessive. •/Tom’s jaw dropped a mile when he won the prize./

[jaws tight]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Angry; uptight; tense. •/Why are you getting your jaws so tight?/

[jazz up]{v.}, {slang} To brighten up; add more noise, movement, or color; make more lively or exciting. •/The party was very dull until Pete jazzed it up with his drums./

[Jehu] See: DRIVE LIKE JEHU.

[jerk] or [jerker] See: SODA JERK or SODA JERKER.

[jerry-built]{adj.} 1. Built poorly or carelessly of cheap materials; easily broken. •/That jerry-built cabin will blow apart in a strong wind./ 2. Done without careful preparation or thought; planned too quickly. •/When the regular television program didn’t come on, a jerry-built program was substituted at the last minute./

[Jesus boots] or [Jesus shoes] {n.}, {slang} Men’s sandals, particularly as worn by hippies and very casually dressed people. •/I dig your Jesus boots, man, they look cool./

[jig’s up] See: GAME’S UP.

[jim-dandy]{n.}, {slang} Something wonderful; something very good. •/Tommy’s new boat is really a jim-dandy! I wish I had one like it./

[jink] See: HIGH JINKS.

[job] See: DO A JOB ON, FALL DOWN ON THE JOB, LIE DOWN ON THE JOB, ON THE JOB.

[Joe Doakes]{n.} A name used informally for the average man. •/Let us say that Joe Doakes goes to the movies three times a year./ Compare: MAN IN THE STREET, SO-AND-SO.

[John Doe]{n.} A name used for an unknown person, especially in police and law business. •/The alarm went out for a John Doe who stole the diamonds from the store./

[John Hancock] or [John Henry] {n.}, {informal} Your signature; your name in writing. •/The man said, "Put your John Hancock on this paper."/ •/Joe felt proud when he put his John Henry on his very first driver’s license./

[Johnny-come-lately]{n.} Someone new in a place or group; newcomer; also: a new person who takes an active part in group affairs before tlie group has accepted him; upstart. •/Everybody was amazed when a Johnny-come-lately beat the old favorite in the race./ •/When it looked as though Mr. Brown had a good chance of winning, many Johnny-come-latelies began to support him./

[Johnny-on-the-spot]{adj. phr.} At the right place when needed; present and ready to help; very prompt; on time. •/A good waterboy is always Johnny-on-the-spot./ •/The firemen were Johnny-on-the-spot and put out the fire in the house soon after it started./ Compare: ON THE JOB.

[John Q. Public]{n.} A name used informally for the average citizen. •/It is John Q. Public’s duty to vote at each election./ Compare: JOE DOAKES.

[join forces] or [join hands] {v. phr.} To get together for the same aim; group together for a purpose; unite. •/The students and the graduates joined forces to raise money when the gym burned down./ •/The American soldiers joined hands with the British in the war against Germany./ Compare: THROW IN ONE’S LOT WITH.

[join hands] See: JOIN FORCES.

[joint] See: CLIP JOINT, PUT ONE’S NOSE OUT OF JOINT.

[joke] See: CRACK A JOKE.

[joking apart] See: JOKING ASIDE.

[joking aside] or [joking apart] {v. phr.}, {informal} No fooling; without exaggerating: seriously. •/Joking aside, although the conditions were not very comfortable, we had a wonderful time./ •/Joking apart, there must have been over a hundred people in the room./

[Jones] See: KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES.

[jot down]{v. phr.} To quickly commit to writing; make a quick note of something. •/Let me jot down your address so that I can send you a postcard from Europe./

[judgment seat]{n.} A place where you are judged; a place where justice and punishment are given out. •/Mrs. Smith is so bossy, she always acts as though she is in the judgment seat./

[jug-eared]{adj.} With ears that stick out like the handles of a jug. •/Tommy was a redheaded, freckle-faced, jug-eared boy./

[juice] See: STEW IN ONE’S OWN JUICE.

[juice dealer]{n.}, {slang} An underworld money lender who charges exorbitant fees to his clientele and frequently collects payment by physical force. •/No matter how broke you are, never go to a juice dealer./

[jump] See: GET THE JUMP ON or HAVE THE JUMP ON, GO JUMP IN THE LAKE, NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN or NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO JUMP.

[jump all over] See: JUMP ON.

[jump at]{v.} To take or accept quickly and gladly. •/Johnny jumped at the invitation to go swimming with his brother./ Compare: TAKE UP(7).

[jump bail] or [skip bail] {v. phr.}, {informal} To run away and fail to come to trial, and so to give up a certain amount of money already given to a court of law to hold with the promise that you would come. •/The robber paid $2000 bail so he wouldn’t be put in jail before his trial, but he jumped bail and escaped to Mexico./ •/The man skipped bail because he was afraid the court might put him in jail for a long time./

[jump ball]{n.} The starting of play in basketball by tossing the ball into the air between two opposing players, each of whom jumps and tries to hit the ball to a member of his own team. •/Two players held onto the ball at the same time and the referee called a jump ball./

[jump down one’s throat]{v. phr.} To suddenly become very angry at someone; scold severely or angrily. •/The teacher jumped down Billy’s throat when Billy said he did not do his homework./

[jump from the frying pan into the fire] See: OUT OP THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE.

[jumping-off place]{n. phr.} 1. A place so far away that it seems to be the end of the world. •/Columbus' sailors were afraid they would arrive at the jumping-off place if they sailed farther west./ •/So you visited Little America? That sounds like the jumping-off place!/ 2. The starting place of a long, hard trip or of something difficult or dangerous. •/The jumping-off place for the explorer’s trip through the jungle was a little village./

[jump on] or [jump all over] or [land on] or [land all over] {v. phr.}, {informal} To scold; criticize; blame. •/Tom’s boss jumped all over Tom because he made a careless mistake./ •/Janice landed on Robert for dressing carelessly for their date./ •/"I don’t know why Bill is always jumping on me; I just don’t understand him," said Bob./ Compare: FIND FAULT, GET ON, LAY OUT(7).

[jump on the bandwagon] or [get on the bandwagon] {v. phr.}, {informal} To join a popular cause or movement. •/At the last possible moment, the senator jumped on the winning candidate’s bandwagon./

[jump out of one’s skin]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be badly frightened; be very much surprised. •/The lightning struck so close to Bill that he almost jumped out of his skin./ Compare: HAIR STAND ON END.

[jump pass]{n.} A pass (as in football or basketball) made by a player while jumping. •/The Bruins scored when the quarterback tossed a jump pass to the left end./

[jump the gun] also [beat the gun] {v. phr.} 1. To start before the starter’s gun in a race. •/The runners were called back because one of them jumped the gun./ 2. {informal} To start before you should; start before anyone else. •/The new students were not supposed to come before noon, but one boy jumped the gun and came to school at eight in the morning./ •/The students planned to say happy birthday to the principal when the teacher raised her hand, but Sarah jumped the gun and said it when he came into the room./

[jump the traces] See: KICK OVER THE TRACES.

[jump the track]{v. phr.} 1. To go off rails; go or run the wrong way. •/The train jumped the track and there was a terrible accident./ •/The pulley of the clothesline jumped the track and Mother’s washing fell down./ 2. {informal} To change from one thought or idea to another without plan or reason; change the thought or idea you are talking about to something different. •/Bob didn’t finish his algebra homework because his mind kept jumping the track to think about the new girl in class./ Compare: OFF THE TRACK.

[jump through a hoop]{v. phr.}, {informal} To do whatever you are told to do; obey any order. •/Bob would jump through a hoop for Mary./ Compare: TWIST AROUND ONE’S LITTLE FINGER, UNDER ONE’S THUMB.

[jump to a conclusion]{v. phr.} To decide too quickly or without thinking or finding the facts. •/Jerry saw his dog limping on a bloody leg and jumped to the conclusion that it had been shot./ Contrast: LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP.

[junked up]{adj.} or {v. phr.}, {slang}, {drug culture} To be under the influence of drugs, especially heroine. •/You can’t talk to Billy, he’s all junked up./

[just about]{adv.}, {informal} Nearly; almost; practically. •/Just about everyone in town came to hear the mayor speak./ •/The dress came down to just about the middle of her knee./ •/Has Mary finished peeling the potatoes? Just about./

[just for the fun of it]{adv. phr.} Merely as a matter of amusement. •/"I’ll bring a goat to class," Bob said to his classmates, "just for the fun of it; I want to see what kind of a face Professor Brown will make."/

[just for the hell of it] See: JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT.

[justice] See: DO JUSTICE TO.

[just in case]{adv. phr.} For an emergency; in order to be protected. •/"Here are my house keys. Sue," Tom said. "I’ll be back in two weeks, but you should have them, just in case…"/ See: IN CASE.

[just in time] See: IN TIME.

[just now]{adv. phr.} 1. Just at this moment; at this time. •/Mr. Johnson isn’t here just now. Will you phone back later? 2./ {informal} A very short time ago; only a moment ago; only a little while ago. •/"Where could that boy have gone so quickly? He was here just now!"/ Compare: WHILE AGO.

[just so(1)]{adj.} Exact; exactly right. •/Mrs. Robinson likes to keep her house just so, and she makes the children take off their shoes when they come in the house./

[just so(2)]{conj.} Provided; if. •/Take as much food as you want, just so you don’t waste any food./ Syn.: AS LONG AS(2).

[just so(3)]{adv. phr.} With great care; very carefully. •/In order to raise healthy African violets you must treat them just so./

[just the other way] or [the other way around] {adv. phr.} Just the opposite. •/One would have thought that Goliath would defeat David, but it was the other way around./

[just the same] See: ALL THE SAME.

[just what the doctor ordered]{n. phr.}, {informal} Exactly what is needed or wanted. •/"Ah! Just what the doctor ordered!" exclaimed Joe when Mary brought him a cold soda./