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соль земли

the salt of the earth

I think that people who live in rural areas are the backbone of society, the salt of the earth.

сомкнуть ряды

to close ranks

The journalists closed ranks, and no information was made available.

сорить деньгами

to spend money like water

You will never be able to buy a new car – you spend money like water.

сослужить хорошую службу (кому-л.)

to stand someone in good stead; to do someone a good turn

His knowledge of French will stand him in good stead if he wants to get a job in a French company.

He did me a good turn by warning me of the coming storm.

сохранять присутствие духа

to keep a stiff upper lip

She suffered a lot, but kept a stiff upper lip throughout her ordeal.

спасать положение

to save the day

There was nowhere to hold the exhibition, but Beryl saved the day by offering the use of her office.

спасать свою шкуру

to save one’s own skin/neck

He is an evil man who has lied to save his own neck.

спать без задних ног

to sleep like a log; to be dead to the world

The bed was very comfortable and I slept like a log.

He won’t hear anything – he is lying on his bed, dead to the world.

спать сном праведника to sleep the sleep of the just

спокоен как скала

as steady as a rock

All his friends were shaking with fear, but Tom was as steady as a rock.

спускать с лестницы (кого-л.)

to throw someone out on one’s ear

If you come home drunk again, I will throw you out on your ear.

спуститься с неба на землю

to come down to earth

Your thoughts are far away. Come down to earth.

сражаться с ветряными мельницами

to tilt at windmills

Why do you always attack the government policy? You are tilting at windmills.

средь бела дня

in broad daylight

The thief broke into the shop in broad daylight.

ставить все на одну карту

to put all one’s eggs in one basket

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. In case plan A fails, keep plan B updated.

ставить крест (на ком-л./чем-л.)

to give someone/something up as a bad job

After failing the driving test three times, I gave it up as a bad job.

ставить на место (кого-л.)

to put someone in one’s place; to cut someone down to size

He started to criticise her work, but she soon put him in his place.

Your secretary has been too rude lately. It’s time someone cut her down to size.

ставить с ног на голову (что-л.)

to stand/turn something on its head

She stood the whole idea on its head.

ставить себя на место (чье-л.)

to put oneself in someone’s place

I know he was acting foolishly, but put yourself in his place.

ставить точки над i

to dot the i’s and cross the t’s

After very careful negotiations we dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s.

становиться на ноги (выздороветь)

to be back on one’s feet

He looks quite well; he’ll be back on his feet again in a week.

становиться на ноги (стать самостоятельным)

to stand on one’s own two feet; to find one’s feet

As soon as he had enough money to stand on his own two feet he left home and moved to London.

When he was released from prison, Margaret helped him find his feet again.

становиться на свои места

to fall into place

She explained how the results were obtained, and then things started to fall into place.

становиться на сторону (кого-л.)

to take someone’s part/side

You know she’s the one who’s wrong. I thought I could at least rely on you to take my part.

становиться поперек горла (кому-л.)

to stick in someone’s throat

It sticks in my throat to have to take orders from your mother.

становиться поперек пути (кому-л.)

to stand in someone’s way

If you want to live away from home, I won’t stand in your way.

стараться изо всех сил

to do one’s (level) best

The girl was bad at English, but she did her level best to pass the exam.

старо как мир

(as) old as Adam; (as) old as the hills

That song is as old as Adam. Even my grandmother knows it.

Many of his stories are written in the first person singular. That is a literary convention which is as old as the hills.

стезя добродетели

the straight and narrow

I couldn’t believe that such a nice man, who had kept to the straight and narrow all his life, had done such a thing.

стереть в мелкий порошок (кого-л./что-л.)

to make mincemeat of someone/something

He was a formidable opponent – a man who made mincemeat of any ideas that contradicted his own.

стиснуть зубы

to grit one’s teeth

The fireman gritted his teeth and entered the burning building.

стоять комом в горле (у кого-л.)

to stick in someone’s throat

I longed to tell him the truth, but the words stuck in my throat.

стоять на перепутье

to be at the crossroads

We were at the crossroads; we had to decide very soon whether to stay in England or emigrate.

стоять на своем

to hold/stand one’s ground, to stick to one’s guns

The woman stood her ground and refused to withdraw her complaint.

He was determined to stick to his guns.

стоять над душой (у кого-л.)

to breathe down someone’s neck

I can’t work with you breathing down my neck all the time.

стоять одной ногой в могиле

to have one foot in the grave, to be at death’s door

Stop treating your father as though he has one foot in the grave!

I was very distressed to hear that the old woman was at death’s door.

страшный как смертный грех

(as) ugly as sin

Her new boyfriend is as ugly as sin.