| English | Russian |
| a pinpoint strike or blow | точечный удар (Maggie) |
| anything that may be flammable or combustible | всё, что может гореть и дымиться (Maggie) |
| ascribe or attribute to | аккредитировать (Maggie) |
| association or merger | объединение (civilian Maggie) |
| bang one's head pretty good on a door jamb or door post | косяк поцеловал |
| be let go or to let someone go | уволить (used in the general sense when it is not clear whether one is fired or laid off. Maggie) |
| be stubborn or obstinate | упрямится (Maggie) |
| big or top gun | шишка (Maggie) |
| bigotry or white supremacy | расизм или идея превосходства белой расы (New York Times; e.g., bigotry or white supremacy in any form is contrary to the American values. Alex_Odeychuk) |
| can't make heads or tails of | не в состоянии понять (John is so strange. I can't make heads or tails of him. Val_Ships) |
| cash or credit card? | будете расплачиваться наличными или по кредитной карточке? (kee46) |
| completely or totally confused | в полном здравии (Maggie) |
| completely or totally confused | в полном здравие (Maggie) |
| cross-stitched or satin-stitched | вышивал крестиком или гладью (Maggie) |
| drive someone up the wall over something, hassle or annoy or pester someone to no end | морочить голову (Maggie) |
| fish or cut bait | принять то или иное решение |
| fish or cut bait | сделать выбор, не откладывая в долгий ящик |
| fodder or no fodder | смириться со своей долей |
| fodder or no fodder | выполнять свои обязанности |
| for better or worse | как бы там ни было (We now have a new government, for better or for worse. Val_Ships) |
| for better or worse | при любых обстоятельствах (Val_Ships) |
| for better or worse | что бы там ни было (For better or worse, he trusts everyone. Val_Ships) |
| for better or worse | в радости или гор (With this ring I thee wed, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, til death do us part. Val_Ships) |
| frequently or regularly used | активно используются (Maggie) |
| depending on context Friday Photo or Image | пятничный позитивчик |
| go crazy or mad | шизануться (Maggie) |
| go to hell in a handbasket or handbag | вылететь в трубу (Maggie) |
| he was in good or he was in great form tonight | он был в ударе |
| here or elsewhere | здесь или ещё где-либо (Val_Ships) |
| Hollywood or bust | пан или пропал (staking total success or failure on one high-risk event 4uzhoj) |
| hover [as in "around" or "before my eyes" | маячить (Only in certain contexts... Maggie) |
| how awful or that's awful | мрак (Maggie) |
| it is eliminated or repaid by mutual debt cancellations | погашается путём взаимозачётов (Maggie) |
| land or end up in prison | сесть в тюрьму (Maggie) |
| let the cat out of the bag or bird out of the cage | выдавать секрет (Maggie) |
| life sustenance or vital life sustenance | жизнедеятельности (Maggie) |
| literally to tare someone to shreads, but the meaning is to bleed someone dry or to rob someone blind | порвать на нитки |
| it's a lost cause or hopeless case | гиблое дело (Maggie) |
| make heads or tails of | понять что к чему (The other file I can't made heads or tails of. Val_Ships) |
| make heads or tails of | разобраться что к чему (I couldn't make heads or tails of the report. Val_Ships) |
| someone messed me up or screwed me over or fucked me over | подвёл (depends on context Maggie) |
| more or less | где-то около (80 miles,more or less Val_Ships) |
| more or less | в общих чертах (We more or less agree on the substance of the letter. Val_Ships) |
| more or less | где-то порядка (the jar holds more or less 18 pickles Val_Ships) |
| need right away or straight away | надо по зарез (Maggie) |
| to have some nerve or what nerve! | наглость (Maggie) |
| neverending or unending construction project | долгострой (the word project can be dropped depending on context, for instance if the conversation is about construction in the home Maggie) |
| not now or ever | не сейчас или когда-либо вообще (he had absolutely no chance of getting his car back, not now or ever Val_Ships) |
| I'm not stressing or stressing out | души не рву |
| one can't make heads or tails of | не мочь понять (Val_Ships) |
| one way or the other | тем или иным образом (One way or the other, this project must be finished by March first. Val_Ships) |
| one way or the other | как бы там ни было (One way or the other, I'm going to finish this job next week. Val_Ships) |
| or lack thereof | или отсутствие оного (The problem is money, or lack thereof. Val_Ships) |
| or lack thereof | или отсутствие (Val_Ships) |
| or lack thereof | или отсутствие такового (give expert testimony on the competence, or lack thereof Val_Ships) |
| OR theory | исследование операций |
| organizational/administrative or directional documentation | Организационно-распорядительная документация (Maggie) |
| plaid blanket or throw | плед (also may be a blanket of various patterns Maggie) |
| play double or nothing | идти ва-банк (YGD) |
| provide or send with credentials | аккредитировать (Maggie) |
| psychologically unstable or mentally ill | больная психика |
| rain or shine | без разницы – солнце или дождь (no matter whether it rains or the sun shines • We'll hold the picnic–rain or shine. Val_Ships) |
| reporting/control or verification documentation | Отчётно-контрольная документация (Maggie) |
| root, hog, or die | сам о себе не позаботишься – никто не позаботится (moebiuspenguin) |
| that's rough! or that's tough! | круто (Maggie) |
| run a scam or a racket | делать дела (Used as slang, in a criminal sense. Maggie) |
| shape up or ship out | одно из двух – или ты берёшься за ум, или мы тебя увольняем (Anglophile) |
| smart cookie, clever girl or boy, good boy or girl | умница (Maggie) |
| sooner or later | в конечном итоге (Sooner or later she's going to realize what a mistake she's made. Val_Ships) |
| spew or sputter nonsense or utter nonsense or mind-numbing nonsense | говорить ерунду (Maggie) |
| spin or tell a cock-and-bull story or tall tales | рассказывать сказки про белого бычка |
| staffing or manning | комплектование (not only recruiting Maggie) |
| suffer from or have separation anxiety | тяжело расстаться |
| swam to or ashore | Приплыли |
| telecom center or network | слаботочка (Maggie) |
| the headlines were splashed across or in the newspapers | газеты запестрели заголовками (Maggie) |
| therapeutic resort or facility or treatment center | санаторно-курортный (In the US the use of the word "sanatorium" is associated with mental care – like in an insane asylum. The word is used seldom at best and only by well-travelled people. Maggie) |
| thumb the nose or snout at | мордой трусит (someone Maggie) |
| tick or piss someone off | выводить из себя (Maggie) |
| to be in good or to be in great form | в ударе (Maggie) |
| to be let go or to let someone go | уволить (used in the general sense when it is not clear whether one is fired or laid off. Maggie) |
| top or fat cat | шишка (Maggie) |
| truth or a lie | правда или ложь (It'll be for you to judge wheather that be truth or a lie. Val_Ships) |
| U.S Army equivalent: First Sergeant or Master Sergeant or Sergeant Major | старшина (Maggie) |
| U.S Army equivalent: Staff Sergeant or Sergeant First Class | старший сержант (Maggie) |
| visual agitation or propaganda | Наглядно-агитационная документация (Maggie) |
| win, place or show | тройное пари |
| win, place or show | ставка на первую, вторую и третью лошадь (на скачках) |
| with or without | с молоком или без (вопрос о кофе; британский вариант – black or white VLZ_58) |
| without any regard for anyone or anything | напропалую (Maggie) |
| gift wrap or wrapping paper | обёртка (Maggie) |