2. Определите идиоматическое значение прилагательных (а) и существительных (в) в следующих словосочетаниях.

А

a dead letter, a dead fence, a dead end, a dead-end job, a dead wire, dead loss, a good debt, a bad debt, hard currency, hard liquor, hard drugs, high life, high tea, at high noon, in high summer, high treason, a pretty penny, a thin audience, thin beer, a thin excuse, a thin story, a blind date, a blind alley, a blind wall, a blind landing, small talk, in the small hours, a white lie, a white elephant, blue wa­ter, blue stories, blue chip.

В

a bed of roses, a bed of thorns, the crux of the matter, a baker's dozen, the cock of the walk, a bolt from the blue, the seeds of time, a pillar/the pillars of society, a rope of sand, a shot in the wild, a soldier of fortune, birds of feather, the ups and downs of smth., odds and ends.

3. Переведите следующие фразеологические обороты. Про­комментируйте особенности их перевода в каждой из выделен­ных групп.

А

to play a second fiddle to fight with the windmills

to fish in troubled waters to be at crossroads

to throw dust in smb. 's eyes to rest on one's laurels

to tempt Providence to cut the Gordian knot

the lion's share to take smb. under one's wing

to be up to ears in smth.

to take/follow the line of least resistance

to bury one's head in the sand Draconian laws

В

to throw sand in the wheels to go through thick and thin

to set the Thames on fire to buy a pig in a poke

to be hand in glove with smb. to wear one's heart on one's sleeve

to escape by a hair's breadth to cry over spilt milk

to pull the wool over one's eyes to make a killing on smth.

to be born with a silver spoon in one's mouth

С

to call a spade a spade to have other fish to fry

to have a finger in every pie to pay through the nose

to draw the line at smth. to keep up with the Joneses

to be on the ball to cut smb. off with a shilling

to mind one's p's and q's to talk shop

to throw in the towel to smell a rat

4. Дайте русские эквиваленты следующих устойчивых обо­ротов, заимствованных из Библии (а) и античной культуры (в).

А

a prodigal son

a doubting Thomas

the slaughter/massacre of the innocent

the horn of plenty

the Holy of Holies

Solomon's judgement

a dog in the manger

Buridan's ass

Noah's ark

salt of the Earth

ten commandments

the stumbling stone

writing on the wall

Man shall not. live by bread alone.

Nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest.

He who sows the wind, shall reap the whirlwind.

Phoenix rising from the ashes

by/in the sweat of one's brow/face

to separate the wheat from the chaff/the husk from the grain

seven deadly sins

thirty pieces of silver

Confusion of Babylon

a voice in the wilderness

В

the Augean stables

the sword of Domocles

the Procrustean bed

the thread of Ariadne

the apple of discord

the heel of Achilles

under the aegis

the torments of Tantalus

a Sisyphean labour

the bonds/ties of Hymen

the labours of Hercules

the Hub of the Universe

to sink/fall into the Lethe

a Greek gift/the Trojan horse