| English | Russian |
| be at play | развлекаться (Whether I am at work or at play, I try to be pleasant to people. VLZ_58) |
| be at play | играть роль (свою/определённую VLZ_58) |
| be at play | быть задействованным (It's a complicated matter with several important issues at play. VLZ_58) |
| be at play | иметь значение (VLZ_58) |
| be at play | играть (Actively playing or involved in other leisure activities. The kids love the game you bought them–they've been at play for hours now. VLZ_58) |
| child's play | детская забава (jouris-t) |
| child's play | как дважды два (Taras) |
| child's play | нипочём (for or to s/o Liv Bliss) |
| child's play | плёвое дело (jouris-t) |
| come into play | пойти в ход (Alexgrus) |
| don't play the sap | не прикидывайся простачком (IlonaSun) |
| Follow instructions, play well with others | веди себя хорошо, будь хорошим / ей мальчиком / девочкой (Баян) |
| Follow instructions, play well with others | Веди себя хорошо и не балуйся (стандартное напутствие детям Баян) |
| give full play | дать полный простор (aspss) |
| go-play-in-traffic | выпей яду (в редких случаях-йаду fa158) |
| go-play-in-traffic | убейся об стену (fa158) |
| he dances well to whom fortune plays | кому счастье служит, тот ни о чём не тужит |
| make great play of | раздувать до небес (They made great play of a minor kick in the product to knock the price down. APN) |
| make great play of | придавать непомерное значение (They made great play of a minor kick in the product to knock the price down. APN) |
| play a central topic | играть центральную роль (Alex_Odeychuk) |
| play a central topic | играть основополагающую роль (Alex_Odeychuk) |
| play a cruel joke | сыграть дурную шутку (SirReal) |
| play a cruel joke | сыграть скверную шутку (SirReal) |
| play a cruel joke | сыграть злую шутку (SirReal) |
| play a cruel joke | сыграть шутку (on someone SirReal) |
| play a dirty trick | сыграть злую шутку (on someone EnAs) |
| play a dirty trick on | подложить свинью (someone Franka_LV) |
| play a dirty trick on | подложить свинью (someone – кому-либо Franka_LV) |
| play a dirty trick upon | подложить свинью (someone Franka_LV) |
| play a dirty trick upon | подложить свинью (someone – кому-либо Franka_LV) |
| play a hoax on | провести |
| play a hoax on | провести (кого-либо) |
| play a hunch | руководствоваться шестым чувством (VLZ_58) |
| play a hunch | действовать интуитивно (play one's hunch VLZ_58) |
| play a lone hand | действовать самостоятельно (Andrey Truhachev) |
| play a mean trick on | подложить свинью (someone Franka_LV) |
| play a mean trick on | подложить свинью (someone – кому-либо Franka_LV) |
| play a mean trick upon | подложить свинью (someone Franka_LV) |
| play a mean trick upon | подложить свинью (someone – кому-либо Franka_LV) |
| play a rusty | провести (with someone tess durbey) |
| play a sneaky trick on | обвести вокруг пальца (They played a sneaky trick on us. 4uzhoj) |
| play a wrong card | неправильно поступить (Bobrovska) |
| play a wrong card | сделать не то, что нужно (Bobrovska) |
| play antics games | беситься с жиру (george serebryakov) |
| play around | валять дурака (Maggie) |
| play at bo-peep | закрывать и открывать лицо, то появляться, то прятаться (with; развлекая ребёнка Bobrovska) |
| play ball | работать сообща ("It might pay you to play ball with me. It might be a good idea. It might pay you to keep your nose clean." "How much might it pay me?" I asked. "It might pay you in time and health." (Raymond Chandler) ART Vancouver) |
| play ball | действовать сообща ("It might pay you to play ball with me. It might be a good idea. It might pay you to keep your nose clean." "How much might it pay me?" I asked. "It might pay you in time and health." (Raymond Chandler) ART Vancouver) |
| play ball | подыгрывать (Баян) |
| play ball | играть по правилам (установленным: If you want to go camping and live like you want, there’s plenty of space in the bush. If you want to live in a community with easy access to goods and services, there are standards and expectations that must be respected. That’s the trade-off. A rules based society can’t function properly when groups of people simply decide they’re not going to play ball anymore. (Reddit) ART Vancouver) |
| play ball | действовать согласно правилам (установленным: If you want to go camping and live like you want, there’s plenty of space in the bush. If you want to live in a community with easy access to goods and services, there are standards and expectations that must be respected. That’s the trade-off. A rules based society can’t function properly when groups of people simply decide they’re not going to play ball anymore. (Reddit) ART Vancouver) |
| play ball | подыграть (Rus_) |
| play ball | вести дела по честному, без обмана ("It might pay you to play ball with me. It might be a good idea. It might pay you to keep your nose clean." "How much might it pay me?" I asked. "It might pay you in time and health." (Raymond Chandler) ART Vancouver) |
| play bet | ставка, остающаяся в силе, независимо от того, бежала лошадь или нет (Bobrovska) |
| play both sides | играть на всех досках (Alex_Odeychuk) |
| play B-sides | Сменить обстановку (Alexsword92) |
| play by the ear | импровизировать (george serebryakov) |
| play by the ear | действовать по обстоятельствам (george serebryakov) |
| play by the ear | придумывать на ходу (george serebryakov) |
| play one's cards right | правильно разыграть свою карту (jouris-t) |
| play one's cards right | выжать максимум возможного из ситуации (jouris-t) |
| play cat and mouse with someone | играть в кошки-мышки (с кем-либо; Border agents played cat and mouse with people trying to enter the country illegally. Val_Ships) |
| play cat and mouse | развлекать себя игрой (с кем-либо; She loved to play cat and mouse with an admirer, acting by turns friendly, indifferent, and jealous . Val_Ships) |
| play cat-and-mouse | играть в кошки-мышки |
| play checkmate with smb. | сделать шах и мат (Bobrovska) |
| play Cupid | сводить (VLZ_58) |
| play Cupid | знакомить (to try to arrange for two people to fall in love with each other: She vowed never to play cupid again. The movie is about a woman who plays Cupid with her brother and her best friend. VLZ_58) |
| play dumb | прикидываться дураком (Andrey Truhachev) |
| play dumb | прикидываться дурачком (Andrey Truhachev) |
| play fair and square | играть по правилам (Александр_10) |
| play false | изменить (мужу, жене Mark_y) |
| play fast and loose with | бесцеремонно обращаться с (A lot of people are frustrated with how these big companies are playing fast and loose with their personal information. ART Vancouver) |
| play footsie with someone | заигрывать (с кем-либо; Someone said that Ruth is playing footsie with Henry. Val_Ships) |
| play for a sucker | оставить в дураках ("He wrote me that letter because he had a guilty conscience. He had played me for a sucker and he was too nice a guy for that to rest easy on him." (Raymond Chandler) ART Vancouver) |
| play for a sucker | водить за нос ("He wrote me that letter because he had a guilty conscience. He had played me for a sucker and he was too nice a guy for that to rest easy on him." (Raymond Chandler) ART Vancouver) |
| play for a sucker | надуть ("He wrote me that letter because he had a guilty conscience. He had played me for a sucker and he was too nice a guy for that to rest easy on him." (Raymond Chandler) ART Vancouver) |
| play for a sucker | одурачить ("He wrote me that letter because he had a guilty conscience. He had played me for a sucker and he was too nice a guy for that to rest easy on him." (Raymond Chandler) ART Vancouver) |
| play for a sucker | держать за дурака (Andrey Truhachev) |
| play for a sucker | выставлять дураком (Andrey Truhachev) |
| play for a sucker | выставить дураком (Andrey Truhachev) |
| play for time | тянуть кота за хвост (пытаться выиграть время  theguardian.com Alex_Odeychuk) |
| play hardball | занимать жёсткую позицию (Anglophile) |
| play hardball | играть в жёсткую (Raz_Sv) |
| play hardball | идти на более жёсткие меры (4uzhoj) |
| play hardball | перестать церемониться (4uzhoj) |
| play havoc with someone's nerves | мотать нервы (grafleonov) |
| play one's heart out | полностью отдаваться игре (VLZ_58) |
| play heart out | отдать себя игре без остатка (VLZ_58) |
| play into someone's hands | лить воду на чью-либо мельницу |
| play into the hands of the enemy | играть на руку врагу (Merriam-Webster ART Vancouver) |
| play-it-safer | мещанин (Евгений Челядник) |
| play-it-safer | обыватель (китаизм (встречается в англоязычных текста, написанных китайцами) Евгений Челядник) |
| play nice | соблюдать нормы поведения (It means to follow the rules and be kind and courteous when you're doing whatever it is you're "playing nice" in; to behave oneself in interaction with others, in particular refraining from instigating trouble, teasing or being cruel; it means to get along with and be nice to whoever you're supposed to "play nice" with. ART Vancouver) |
| play off against one another | сталкивать лбами (Asfodel) |
| play possum | прикинуться бессознательным (pretend to be unconscious when threatened – in imitation of an opossum's behavior Val_Ships) |
| play possum | прикинуться спящим (pretend to be asleep: I knew that Bob wasn't asleep. He was just playing possum. Val_Ships) |
| play possum | притвориться непричастным (The baseball broke the window, but the children played possum when asked who had thrown it. Val_Ships) |
| play possum | прикинуться дурачком (feign ignorance Val_Ships) |
| play somebody along | вешать лапшу на уши (КГА) |
| play someone like a violin | манипулировать,управлять,обвести вокруг пальца (seniyakseniya) |
| play all the angles | использовать все средства и возможности для достижения цели (to make use or take advantage of every means or opportunity one can find in order to reach or attain one's goal Taras) |
| play all the angles | использовать все возможности (Taras) |
| play all the angles | добиваться своего (Taras) |
| play the clown | прикинуться дураком (Andrey Truhachev) |
| play the clown | валять дурака (Andrey Truhachev) |
| play the devil's advocate | спорить ради спора (SirReal) |
| play the first fiddle | Быть первой скрипкой (AmaliaRoot) |
| play the first fiddle | занимать руководящее положение (AmaliaRoot) |
| play the fool | прикидываться дураком (Andrey Truhachev) |
| play the fool | прикинуться дураком (Andrey Truhachev) |
| play the fool | прикидываться дурачком (Andrey Truhachev) |
| play the goat | идиотничать (To behave comically or playfully, often to amuse others.) |
| play the heavy | не миндальничать (Act the part of a villain; take the blame for unkind behavior. fa158) |
| play the ponies | играть на скачках (to wager on horse races, to bet on horses at the race track; тж. to play the horses: He's lost a lot of money playing the ponies. He bets on every race Taras) |
| play the sidekick | играть вторую скрипку (No way I'll play the sidekick. I'll take the hero or nothing! SirReal) |
| play the system | использовать существующие правила или порядки к своей выгоде (plushkina) |
| play the the mischief | ходить на голове (VLZ_58) |
| play the woman | тру́сить |
| play to a packed\full house | собирать полный зал зрителей (englishenthusiast1408) |
| play to an one's audience | играть на публику (VLZ_58) |
| play to the cheap seats | играть на низменных инстинктах (Баян) |
| play to the cheap seats | подыгрывать толпе (Баян) |
| play to full house | собирать полную аудиторию слушателей (tavost) |
| play to strengths | сыграть в свою силу (It's easier to play to your strengths. Don't compensate for weaknesses. VLZ_58) |
| play to one's strengths | использовать свои сильные стороны (He played to his strengths and won out by doing so. joyand) |
| play tonsil hockey | целоваться взасос (noun. humorous US. Passionate kissing; deep or French kissing; 'making out'; frequently in "to play tonsil hockey": to engage in this.) |
| play trump card | разыграть козырную карту (I won't play my trump card until I have tried everything else. Val_Ships) |
| play trump card | использовать свой главный козырь (I thought that the whole situation was hopeless until Mary played her trump card and solved the whole problem. Val_Ships) |
| play up to | рассыпаться мелким беcом (VLZ_58) |
| play up to | рассыпаться мелким бисером (VLZ_58) |
| play with one's cards on the table | изложить всё без утайки (Bobrovska) |
| play with one's cards on the table | выложить карты на стол (Bobrovska) |
| play with dynamite | шутить с огнём (Taras) |
| play with dynamite | играть с огнём (Taras) |
| play with edge tools | играть с огнём |
| play with edged tools | шутить с огнём (Taras) |
| The story always plays out in the same way | история всегда повторяется одинаково (amorgen) |
| triple play | тройная игра (Yeldar Azanbayev) |
| when the band begins to play | когда дело пахнет керосином (george serebryakov) |
