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ORIGIN: My friends are going on a protest march in Trafalgar Square. They say it’s very important and they expect me to come too. But I don’t want to toe the line! This expression comes from the House of Commons, in the British Parliament, where two red lines are painted on the floor separating the members of the government from the opposition. A Member of Parliament who speaks is allowed to stand on the line but not to cross it. Originally the lines were set two sword lengths apart at a time when the MPs were allowed to take weapons into the room. If two MPs from opposing sides drew their swords they wouldn’t be able to touch each other without crossing the line and breaking the rules of the House. top drawer элитный; классный; суперский M E A N I N G : the highest quality; the best Aunt Shirley always takes the family to some top drawer restaurant. ORIGIN: The most likely origin of this 20 th century phrase is the top drawer of a dresser or bureau. Many people put their jewelry and other valuable possessions in the top drawer so that they can get them easily. From that custom comes this expression, which is used to describe people of the highest social status or anything that’s the best in rank or quality. tough nut to crack твёрдый орешек M E A N I N G : something very complicated to understand or to do; an extremely tough or thorny problem to solve A company whose product has sold well in the States may find the European market a tougher nut to crack. 135