scare up
scrape up
To find, collect, or get together with some effort when needed.
The boy scared up enough money to go to college.
"Will you stay for supper?" she asked. "I can scare up enough for us all."
He managed to scrape up the money for his speeding fine.
stack the cards
cards stacked against one
To arrange cards secretly and dishonestly for the purpose of cheating.
The gambler had stacked the cards against Bill.
To arrange things unfairly for or against a person; have things so that a person has an unfair advantage or disadvantage; make sure in an unfair way that things will happen. Usually used in the passive with in one's favor or against one.
A tall basketball player has the cards stacked in his favor.
The cards are stacked against a poor boy who wants to go to college.
take care of
To attend to; supply the needs of.
She stayed home to take care of the baby.
Who is going to take care of your house plants while you are away?
To deal with; do what is needed with.
I will take care of that letter.
The coach told Jim to take care of the opposing player.
take care
To be careful; use wisdom or caution.
Take care that you don't spill that coffee!
We must take care to let nobody hear about this.
to death
bore to death
frightened to death
scare to death
tickle to death
To the limit; to the greatest degree possible. Used for emphasis with verbs such as scare, frighten, bore.
Cowboy stories bore me to death, but I like mysteries.
Sara is scared to death of snakes.
John is tickled to death with his new bike.
trump card
Something kept back to be used to win success if nothing else works.
The coach saved his star pitcher for a trump card.
Mary had several ways to get Joan to come to her party. Her trump card was that the football captain would be there.
upset the applecart
upset one's applecart
To ruin a plan or what is being done, often by surprise or accident; change how things are or are being done, often unexpectedly; ruin or mix up another person's success or plan for success.
Разрушать планы или что-то уже сделанное, как правило неожиданно или случайно - "портить малину".
John upset the other team's applecart by hitting a home run in the last inning and we won the game.
We are planning a surprise party for Bill, so don't let Mary upset the applecart by telling him before the party.
Frank thinks he is going to be the boss, but I'll upset his applecart the first chance I get.
Everything was going well at the company picnic until our boss arrived and upset the applecart.
Все шло хорошо на пикнике компании, пока наш босс не пришел и не испортил малину.