beat one's head against a wall
To struggle uselessly against something that can't be beaten or helped; not succeed after trying very hard.
Trying to make him change his mind is just beating your head against a wall.
beat the --- out of
lick the --- out of
whale the --- out of
knock the --- out of
knock the tar out of
beat the living daylights out of
To beat hard; give a bad beating to. Used with several words after the, as daylights, living daylights, tar.
The big kid told Charlie that he would beat the daylights out of him if Charlie came in his yard again.
bee in one's bonnet
have a bee in one's bonnet
put a bee in one's bonnet
A fixed idea that seems fanciful, odd, or crazy.
Состояние навязчивой идеи, как правило странной или сумасбродной.
Robert Fulton had a bee in his bonnet about a steamboat.
Grandmother has some bee in her bonnet about going to the dance.
She's got a bee in her bonnet about moving to New York!
У неё навязчивая идея о переезде в Нью-Йорк!
been in the wars
been through the wars
Видавший виды; что-то что долго использовалось и за чем, возможно, был плохой уход.
He arrived in a car that looked as if it had been in the wars.
Он приехал на машине, которая выглядела, будто побывала на войне.
before one can say Jack Robinson
between two shakes of a lamb's tail
in the twinkling of an eye
Very quickly; suddenly. An overused phrase.
Очень быстро; неожиданно.
Before I could say Jack Robinson, the boy was gone.
She could do it in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.
Она могла это делать быстро и без затруднений.
begin with
As a preliminary statement; in the first place.
В качестве предварительного заявления; в первую очередь.
To begin with, you are far too young to get married.
Начнем с того, что вы еще слишком молоды, чтобы вступать в брак.
Let’s begin with an overview of the main themes in the book before diving into the details.
Давайте начнем с обзора основных тем книги, прежде чем углубиться в детали.
Before we tackle the budget, let’s begin with understanding the team's needs.
Прежде чем заняться бюджетом, давайте начнем с понимания потребностей команды.
behind bars
In jail; in prison.
He was a pickpocket and had spent many years behind bars.
That boy is always in trouble and will end up behind bars.
behind one's back
When one is absent; without one's knowledge or consent; in a dishonest way; secretly; sneakily.
Say it to his face, not behind his back.
It is not right to criticize a person behind his back.