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whipping boy мальчик для битья; козёл отпущения M E A N I N G : a scapegoat I used to be the whipping boy during my early days in the company. ORIGIN: At one time if a prince had done wrong he had to have a whipping boy to take physical punishment in his place. whistle for it не видать как своих ушей M E A N I N G : not to get something; to try in vain for something I’m afraid you’ve seen the last of your money. You can whistle for it as far as Richard is concerned. ORIGIN: It was an old superstition among sailors that if the wind died it could be brought back by whistling. The current meaning of the phrase reflects the futility of this custom. whistle stop tour галопом по Европам M E A N I N G : a quick visit to several locations en route Nine countries in twelve days – it was a whistle stop tour! ORIGIN: In America it was common for a politician to visit many small towns on a campaign tour. Many of the towns were too small to be regular train stops so a signal (whistle) was given to stop at the station and the politician would speak from the back of the train. white elephant медвежья услуга; обуза; на тебе, Боже, что нам негоже M E A N I N G : any possession that is useless, unwanted, or costs a lot of money to keep There’s a white elephant sale on Saturday. Bring all your junk to sell. ORIGIN: There is a legend that in ancient Siam (now Thailand) a king once gave a rare white elephant to 143