ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH

найдено в "Dictionary of American idioms"

asleep at the switch: translation

*asleep at the switch

Fig. not attending to one's job; failing to do one's duty at the proper time. (Alludes to a technician or engineer on a train sleeping instead of turning whatever switches are required. *Typically: be \asleep at the switch; fall\asleep at the switch.) •

The security guard fell asleep at the switch and a robber broke in.

•

If I hadn't been asleep at the switch, I'd have noticed the car being stolen.

* * *

{adj. phr.} 1. Asleep when it is one's duty to move a railroad switch for cars to go on the right track. * /The new man was asleep at the switch and the two trains crashed./ 2. {informal} Failing to act promptly as expected, not alert to an opportunity. * /When the ducks flew over, the boy was asleep at the switch and missed his shot./

найдено в "Dictionary of American idioms"

asleep at the switch: translation

*asleep at the switch

Fig. not attending to one's job; failing to do one's duty at the proper time. (Alludes to a technician or engineer on a train sleeping instead of turning whatever switches are required. *Typically: be \asleep at the switch; fall\asleep at the switch.) •

The security guard fell asleep at the switch and a robber broke in.

•

If I hadn't been asleep at the switch, I'd have noticed the car being stolen.

* * *

{adj. phr.} 1. Asleep when it is one's duty to move a railroad switch for cars to go on the right track. * /The new man was asleep at the switch and the two trains crashed./ 2. {informal} Failing to act promptly as expected, not alert to an opportunity. * /When the ducks flew over, the boy was asleep at the switch and missed his shot./

найдено в "Англо-русском новом словаре современного неформального английского языка"

asleep at the switch adj AmE infml He was asleep at the switch when the call came in Его не было на месте, когда поступило это сообщение He wasn't exactly asleep at the switch Он бдительности не терял She's asleep at the switch as usual Она опять спит на работе

найдено в "Новом англо-русском словаре современной разговорной лексики"

adj AmE infml He was asleep at the switch when the call came in — Его не было на месте, когда поступило это сообщение He wasn't exactly asleep at the switch — Он бдительности не терял She's asleep at the switch as usual — Она опять спит на работе