détail inexpliqué « there are some annoying loose ends in the plot. » to tie up loose ends = mettre au point les derniers détails, régler les derniers détails « there are lots of loose ends to tie up in this case. » to be at (a) loose end(s) = ne pas trop savoir quoi faire. « adolescents are most likely to get into trouble when they're at loose ends. »
famille « she has gone to live with her husband's kin. » kith and kin = parents et amis « his loyalty, he said, was first of all to his own kith and kin. » next of kin = parent le plus proche « we have notified their next of kin (=nous avons avisé leurs proches). » "next of kin" (on forms) = "nom et prénom de votre plus proche parent".
mauvaise herbe « the garden's full of weeds. » désherber « mum was busy weeding the garden. » marijuana « I'm spending the evening at home with some weed. »
se montrer plus malin que, se montrer plus futé que « she used her wits to outsmart the enemy. » to try to outsmart (someone) = jouer au plus fin (= to have a battle of wits)
esprit « the girl laughed at his wit » = La fille riait de ses traits d'esprits.
with great wit = avec beaucoup d'esprit
witty man = homme d'esprit
witty woman = femme d'esprit
to have the wit to do sth = avoir la présence d'esprit de faire qch « No one had had the wit to bring a bottle-opener. » to wit = à savoir « we speak in a language they don't know: to wit, English. »« »
wits = tête (fig.) to use one's wits to do sth = se servir de sa tête pour faire qch.
to have one's wits about one = avoir toute sa tête.
to keep one's wits about one = garder la tête sur les épaules « she'd better learn to keep her wits about her. » to pit one's wits against sb = rivaliser d'esprit avec qn
to be at one's wits' end = ne plus savoir que faire « I'm at my wits' end. »
virage « a road full of dangerous bends » = une route pleine de virages dangereux.
to go into a bend, to take a bend = prendre un virage
blind bend = virage sans visibilité.
attirer.« All the attractions of the city beckon » = toutes les attractions de la ville nous attirent.
« Fame and fortune beckoned... » La gloire et la fortune (nous) attiraient...
to beckon to sb = faire signe à qn. « He beckoned to the waiter. » to beckon sb over = faire signe de venir à qn « he beckoned her over » = il lui fit signe de venir.
scrutin, vote The result of the ballot will not be known for two weeks.
to hold a ballot = procéder à un vote « The council will have no choice but to hold a ballot if 5 per cent of residents back the move. »
encombrer « I don't have much time for girls who overdose and clutter up the wards. » fouillis, fatras « The rooms were full of clutter. »« There's too much clutter in here. »
cluttered = encombré « a dirty, cluttered room filled with the evidence of a sloppy man. » cluttered screen = écran rempli de fenêtres.
« to get down to the nitty-gritty » = en venir au fond du problème « the nitty-gritty of politics » = la dure réalité de la politique « nitty-gritty of life » = dures réalités de la vie
dénigrement union-bashing = campagne de dénigrement contre les syndicats Paki-bashing = ratonnade queer-bashing = brutalités ou expéditions punitives contre des homosexuels « an outburst of violent gay-bashing in New York. »
chair de poule to come out in goose bumps = avoir la chair de poule fig.: to get goose bumps = avoir des frissons « Even now, I get goose bumps just thinking about it. »
cacher, dissimuler « The scarf concealed a revolver ; about 3kg of cocaine was found concealed in his luggage » ; « The duke might be concealing a secret from me » ; « They are trying to conceal the truth. »
cool, admirable. Being a badass goes hand-in-hand with being self confident, secure and uninhibited « he thinks he's such a badass » ; « that action movie was so badass. »
écraser « Ushiba ground his cigarette beneath his heel. » aiguiser « The blade had been ground to a sharp edge. » to grind one's teeth = grincer des dents « she grinds her teeth in her sleep. » to grind to a halt = s'immobiliser « The truck ground to a halt after a hundred yards »« The peace process has ground to a halt while Israel struggles to form a new government. » corvée « the long grind of revision. » the daily grind = le train-train quotidien.
héraut précurseur « this festival is the herald of a new age. » annoncer « his rise to power heralded the end of an era. » to be heralded as sth = être salué comme qch « Tonight's clash between Real Madrid and Arsenal is being heralded as the match of the season. »
râteau, ratisser I watched the men rake leaves into heaps. fig.: balayer (with machine gun, lights) enemy searchlights raked the sea. Planes raked the beach with machine gun fire.