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Idiom(s) of the day: act - clean up your act
My category (Russian-to-English translation): Качество и старание. Успех и неудача. Прогресс.
Explanation(s):
Collins Cobuild Dictionary of Idioms, 2004 (CCDI):
If a person or organization cleans up their act, they stop behaving badly or irresponsibly, and begin to act in a more socially acceptable way.
Lingvo (www.lingvo.com):
to start behaving in a moral or responsible way
behave in a more acceptable manner; begin to behave in a better way, esp. by giving up alcohol, drugs, or illegal activities
to behave in a more acceptable manner (as by discontinuing questionable practices)
to start to behave in a responsible manner
Babylon (www.babylon.com):
to start to obey certain laws or generally accepted standards of behavior
do it better, do it legally, get your act together
To improve one's behavior or performance
If someone who has been behaving badly cleans up their act, they start to behave in a more acceptable or responsible way. (INFORMAL)
Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary v4.7:
to begin adhering to more acceptable practices, rules of behavior, etc.
Translation(s):
CCDI:
Покончить с расхлябанностью, разгильдяйством; взяться за ум.
Lingvo (www.lingvo.com):
Babylon (www.babylon.com):
Multitran (www.multitran.ru):
улучшать качество исполняемой работы; браться за ум; исправиться; одуматься; навести порядок
Multilex (www.multilex.ru):
Examples:
CCDI:
The Minister warned the press two years ago that privacy laws would be implemented unless newspapers cleaned up their act.
There is enormous corruption in the game, but the game does not want to clean up its act.
In the last couple of years I’ve cleaned up my act a bit. I just drink wine and beer mostly, hardly any spirits.
Lingvo (www.lingvo.com):
He cleaned up his act and came off drugs.
If you don't clean up your act, you'll be sent home — Если ты не исправишься, тебя отправят домой
Since she cleaned up her act her performance is quite good — С тех пор, как она взялась за ум, качество ее работы стало почти отличным
We were told to clean up our act or move out — Нам сказали: "Или работайте, или увольняйтесь"
the casino industry is bent on cleaning up its act
Some companies could face heavy fines if they fail to clean up their act.
Babylon (www.babylon.com):
You're going to have to clean up your act if you're serious about keeping your job.
I've missed classes, failed tests. I need to clean up my act.
The article 'NYPL cleans up its act' describes the 4 phases of a project conducted by the Conservation Division of the New York Public Library to improve its collections.
The nation's advertisers need to clean up their act.
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) v4.0:
Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary v4.7:
The factory must clean up its act and treat its employees better.
British National Corpus (BNC), Mark Davies (http://corpus.byu.edu/bnc/):
1 KRM S_brdcast_news and a Government Minister has warned farmers who dump their waste in the waterways to clean up their act . He has told them there's no excuse and tough new
2 KRM S_brdcast_news pollution paints a depressing picture. Despite a concerted Government-initiated campaign to encourage farmers to clean up their act , the number of reported cases of pollution has risen to record
3 CN3 W_fict_prose had fallen foul of the Gorbachev reforms when a new KGB chief was appointed to clean up their act . One night she had boarded a small fishing vessel moored at
1 CH2 W_newsp_tabloid " YOB SOCCER bad boy Ian Jolosa, who was ordered by a judge to clean up his act by watching Gary Lineker videos, has been banned from the game
2 CH3 W_newsp_tabloid Dutch midfielder Richard Goulooze. WALSH BUZZING TOUGH Leicester defender Steve Walsh is planning to clean up his act after serving a three-match ban already this
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