Brigin

bring home the bacon – добиться успеха, оказаться в выигрыше. 1) "You can give me the glad hand to-night, mister," he cried. "I'm bringing home the bacon at last."

at bay – в безвыходном положении. 1) The stag is always at bay when I see him, and a pack of creditors are hard upon his track. 2) The scream of the young girl at bay gave her grandmother the sudden strength of anger with which she carried her dear Pierrette in her arms to Frappier's house 3) With a low cry she sprang toward the cabin, and, as she entered, gave a backward glance which filled her soul with terror, for the brute had intercepted her husband, who now stood at bay grasping his ax with both hands ready to swing it upon the infuriated animal when he should make his final charge. 4) Yet it is well to leave a frightened lion in his thicket, my son, for a lion at bay is hard to handle.

bring (drive) to bay – загнать в угол, в тупик; припереть к стенке. 1) She answered him with a woman's desperate disregard of consequences when she is driven to bay. 2) At last the fugitive, hard-pressed, takes to a narrow passage and a court which has no thoroughfare.  Here, against a hoarding of decaying timber, he is brought to bay and tumbles down, lying gasping at his pursuer, who stands and gasps at him until the woman comes up. 3) Jurgis and his gang joined in the sport, every man singling out his victim, and striving to bring him to bay and punch him.

hold at bay – держать к.л. в страхе, не подпускать. The cruel invasion of their country by Porter has alone furnished them with ample provocation; and I can sympathize in the spirit which prompts the Typee warrior to guard all the passes to his valley with the point of his levelled spear, and, standing upon the beach, with his back turned upon his green home, to hold at bay the intruding European.

keep smb at bay –держать к.л. под присмотром, под контролем. 1) The most terrible evils are just kept at bay by incessant efforts. 2) These thoughts, and her melancholy life so full of secret sorrows were like a mortal illness kept at bay for a time by remedies. 3) The woman had found a revolver in a table drawer in the room in which she had been locked, and now she kept the mate of the Kincaid at bay with the weapon. 4) These two books of sacred, and secular, passages for memory--will serve other good purposes besides merely occupying vacant hours: they will help to keep at bay many anxious thoughts, worrying thoughts, uncharitable thoughts, unholy thoughts. 5) Old Sir Guy sprang to his son's side, and so did Little John; and the four setting back to back, kept the sheriff and his men at bay till the bowmen came within shot and let fly their arrows among the sheriff's men, who, after a brief resistance, fled in all directions.

beyond belief –  невероятно. 1) His irascibility was so far beyond belief that I will tell you nothing about it. 2) It was beyond belief to me how she rolled; in seemingly smooth water, the bell striking, the fittings bounding out of our state-room.

to the best of one’s belief –  насколько к.л. известно. He lost all patience when he considered the laziness and want of charity of his squire Sancho; for to the best of his belief he had only given himself five lashes, a number paltry and disproportioned to the vast number required.

to save one’s bacon –  спасти свою шкуру *** in the belief that… –  с надеждой на то, что… *** popular / unpopular belief – популярное / непопулярное мнение *** erroneous/false