гнать волну
to make waves
Why do you always have to make waves?
гнать в три шеи (кого-л.)
to throw someone out on one’s ear
If you continue to be so late, the director will throw you out on your ear.
гнуть свою линию
to stand/hold one’s ground; to stand firm/fast; to stick to one’s guns
The referee stood his ground and refused to be intimidated.
The customer stood fast and got a refund on the faulty good he brought back.
She was sticking to her guns and nobody could persuade her to do something against her wishes.
гнуть спину
to break one’s back; to work one’s fingers to the bone
I’m not going to break my back working all day for such low wages.
His parents worked their fingers to the bone so he could have everything he needed.
говорить без обиняков
not to mince matters; to talk turkey
Not to mince matters, he is absolutely useless.
I wanted to discuss his behaviour and I was prepared to talk turkey.
говорить на ветер
to waste one’s breath
You’re wasting your breath. He won’t agree to go with you.
голову даю на отсечение
I’ll eat my hat!
I’ll eat my hat if it wasn’t your little sister who stole my book.
голубая кровь
blue blood
They are very poor, but they have blue blood in their family.
голыми руками
with one’s bare hands
A desperate man can kill a leopard with his bare hands.
гора с плеч
a load off someone’s mind
It is a load off my mind to know that he has solved that problem.
городить чушь
to talk through one’s hat
You’re talking through your hat. You don’t know anything about it.
горькая пилюля
a bitter pill (to swallow)
His betrayal came as a bitter pill to swallow.
горячая линия
a hot line
The society has set up a hot line for people to report sightings of whales and dolphins.
грабеж средь бела дня
daylight robbery
The prices in this shop are unbelievable – it’s daylight robbery.
греть руки
to line one’s pockets; to feather one’s nest
When the company discovered that the director had been lining his pockets with bribes and commissions, he was dismissed.
The mayor used a lot of public money to feather his nest.
гроша медного не стоить
not worth a damn
Your advice isn’t worth a damn.
давать волю (кому-л.)
to give someone free rein
The boss gave me free rein with the new project.
давать волю (чему-л.)
to give something free rein; to give way to something
In writing that book he gave his imagination free rein.
He gave way to anger and yelled at the children.
давать выход (чему-л.)
to give vent to something
June gave vent to her anger and frustration in a furious letter to her husband.
давать жару (кому-л.)
to give someone hell
If he goes to a pub with his friends, his wife gives him hell.
давать на лапу (кому-л.)
to grease someone’s palm
We had to grease the palms of numerous officials before we could renew the licence.
давать от ворот поворот (кому-л.)
to give someone the boot/push/heave-ho/brush-off
My sister has given her latest boyfriend the heave-ho.
давать пищу сплетням
to set tongues wagging
The news of her marriage set tongues wagging through the whole village.
давать себе волю
to let oneself go
She really let herself go at the party and drank far too much beer.
давать тягу
to take to one’s heels; to turn tail and run; to do a bunk
The thief saw me and took to his heels.
Two boys did a bunk during the morning break.
I was so nervous that my only thought was to turn tail and run.
далеко не так
far from it
I thought your wife spoke fluent German. – Far from it – she doesn’t even know how to say ‘hello’.
далеко пойти
to go far
Her son has a talent for painting and I’m sure he will go far.
Дамоклов меч
the sword of Damocles
дать дуба
to kick the bucket; to cash in one’s chips
His children were just waiting for the old man to kick the bucket.
Tony is too young to cash in his chips.
дать урок (кому-л.)
to