like kicking dead whales down the beach
Бесполезное или мало эффективное дело<
Getting him to adopt the new method is like kicking dead whales down the beach.
Почти безнадежно заставить его применять новый метод.
live down
To remove (blame, distrust or unfriendly laughter) by good conduct; cause (a mistake or fault) to be forgiven or forgotten by not repeating it.
Искупить (оскорбление, вину) хорошим поведением; сделать так, что допущенная ошибка или промах будут прощены или забыты.
John's business failure hurt him for a long time, but in the end he lived it down.
Frank was rather a bad boy, but he lived it down as he grew up.
Sandra called her principal the wrong name at the banquet, in front of everyone, and she thought she would never live it down.
You can never live this down!
Тебе этого никогда не искупить!
look down on
look down upon
To think of (a person or thing) as less good or important; feel that (someone) is not as good as you are, or that (something) is not worth having or doing; consider inferior.
Mary looked down on her classmates because she was better dressed than they were.
Jack looked down on Al for his poor manners.
Miss Tracy likes tennis but she looks down on football as too rough.
People who are in positions of power should be careful not to look down on those who work for them.
Why does Alma look down on Mario; just because his family is so poor?
look down one's nose at
To think of as worthless; feel scorn for.
The banker's wife has beautiful china cups, and she looked down her nose at the plastic cups that Mrs. Brown used.
Harry has never had to work, and he looks down his nose at people in business.
Jerry was the athlete who looked down his nose at the weak student.
lowdown
The inside facts of a matter; the total truth.
Nixon never gave the American people the lowdown on Watergate.
make a fool of
make a clown of
make a monkey of
To make (someone) look foolish.
Выставлять кого-либо на посмешище.
The boy made a fool of himself.
Mary's classmates made a fool of her by telling her the party was to be a masquerade.
My friend made a monkey out of me when he started arguing with me in front of my boss.
Мой друг выставил меня на посмешище, когда начал спорить со мной перед моим начальником.
man-about-town
A sophisticate; an idler; a member of cafe society; one who knows where the best plays and concerts are given.
Ask Mark where to go when you're in New York City; he's a real man-about-town.
mark down
To lower the price.
The department store marked down their prices on women's sandals.
To give a poor grade to a student.
Peter was marked down for his numerous spelling errors.
To make a written note of something.
Here is my phone number; mark it down.