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set the Thames on fire изобрести / выдумать порох; хватать звёзды с неба M E A N I N G : to fail to make an impression (used usually in the negative) The teacher doubted if his son would ever set the Thames on fire. ORIGIN: Versions of this saying date back to the eighteenth century, and similar things have been said about the Rhine and Seine in the appropriate languages. The Romans had the expression, “Tiberium accendere nequaquam potest” (It isn’t at all possible to set the Tiber on fire). shake a leg пошевеливаться; поторопиться M E A N I N G : to hurry up; to go faster; to speed up Shake a leg or you’re going to miss the bus. ORIGIN: This lively American expression from the late 1800s is an order to someone who is moving too slowly. When you remain still, your legs are motionless. So when somebody tells you to shake a leg, that’s a command to get going. This expression comes from the navy. shoot from the hip рубить сплеча; говорить, не подумав M E A N I N G : to speak or act without first thinking about the consequences In the interview, Perry just shot from the hip and got himself into a lot of trouble. ORIGIN: In the olden days of the Western gunfighters, it was quicker to shoot your revolver from the side of your hip as soon as you pulled it from the holster than it was to raise it higher and shoot. If you had a good aim, this method was fast and accurate. Later the idea was transferred to talking or acting aggressively, recklessly and impulsively without thinking of the effect of your actions. 113