Our Selection for A

about to do something

- on the point of doing something

She was about to leave when the phone rang.

about time

- something that should have happened earlier

It is about time that you returned that book to me.

absent-minded

- forgetful

My grandfather is very absent-minded and often forgets his key.

add up

- seem consistent or reasonable

The things that he said about his boss don't really add up.

ahead of time

- early

We started the meeting ahead of time so we could go home early.

air one's dirty laundry (linen) in public

- make public something embarrassing that should be kept secret

The dinner party became uncomfortable when the host began to air his colleagues' dirty laundry in public.

all along

- all the time

I knew all along that he would not get the promotion.

all at once

- suddenly, without warning

All at once the fire alarm rang so we had to leave the building.

all day long

- the whole day

She has been sitting and waiting for the mail to arrive all day long.

all ears

- eager to listen to someone

Okay, I'm all ears, please tell me about the party.

all in all

- in summary, after considering everything

We had a few problems but all in all the meeting was successful.

all of a sudden

- suddenly, without advance warning

All of a sudden it became cloudy and began to rain.

all right

- okay, satisfactory

She said that it would be all right for me to bring my friend to the party.

all the time

- continually

She asks for money all the time but I don't like to give it to her.

all thumbs

- have difficulty fixing things or working with one's hands, clumsy

He is all thumbs when it comes to fixing things around the house.

an arm and a leg

- (cost) a large amount of money

His new car must have cost him an arm and a leg.

apple of one's eye

- one's favorite

His youngest daughter is the apple of his eye.

as a rule

- usually, as a habit

As a rule I usually get up at 7:00 AM every morning.

as far as

- to the extent or degree that

As far as I know he will be here in a few minutes.

ask for trouble

- behave in a way that trouble is likely

He is asking for trouble if he misses another class.

asleep at the switch

- not alert to an opportunity

I think he was asleep at the switch. He didn't even know that the job was available so he never applied for it.

as long as

- provided that, on condition that

As long as you promise to be careful you can borrow my car.

as the crow flies

- by the most direct way, along a straight line between two places

As the crow flies it is about 6 kilometers between my house and my company.

as usual

- most of the time, as is the custom

As usual, she forgot to bring her book to class.

as well as

- in addition to

Please bring your swimming suit as well as your towel.

as yet

- until now, up to the present

As yet, she has not told me about her plans to leave the company.

at cross purposes

- have opposite ways to do something, opposing goals

They are at cross purposes and are always arguing about what to do.

at fault

- be responsible or to blame for something

The truck driver was at fault in the terrible accident.

at first

- at the beginning

At first she didn't want to go to a movie but later she changed her mind.

at first blush

- when first seen, without careful study

At first blush he seemed like a good worker but later we had many problems with him.

at heart

- basically, fundamentally

She is a very nice person at heart although many people dislike her.

at home

- in one's house

I'm sorry but I left my money at home. Can you lend me some money?

at last

- finally, after a long time

I was waiting all morning for her call but at last it came.

at loggerheads

- having a quarrel, opposing each other

We have been at loggerheads over their plans to build a new office complex.

at odds

- in disagreement

He has been at odds with his boss over the new sales territory.

at someone's beck and call

- always ready to serve somebody

His eldest daughter is always at his beck and call when he spends an evening at home.

at the end of one's rope

- at the limit of one's ability to cope

I am at the end of my rope about what to do about my current situation at work.

attend to someone

- take care or deal with someone

The doctor attended to the other patient before he got to my mother.

Our Selection for B

back on one's feet

- return to good financial or physical health

He is finally back on his feet after his company went out of business.

back out

- withdraw from an agreement or promise

The company backed out of the deal with the foreign firm.

back to the drawing board

- go back to start a project or idea from the beginning

The boss doesn't like our idea so I guess we must go back to the drawing board.

bail someone or something out

- help or rescue

The government has decided to bail out the troubled bank.

bank on

- be sure of, count on

You can bank on them to come and help the company.

bark is worse than one's bite

- someone isn't as bad as they sound

Don't worry if he gets angry - his bark is worse than his bite.

bark up the wrong tree

- make a wrong assumption about something

The police are barking up the wrong tree in their investigation of that person.

beat around the bush

- speak indirectly or evasively

Stop beating around the bush and give us your final decision.

beat someone to the punch (draw)

- do something before others

He beat me to the punch and arrived at the interview first.

(have a) bee in one's bonnet

- have an idea that continually occupies one's thoughts.

He has a bee in his bonnet over whether or not to build a new house or not.

(do something) behind someone's back

- without someone's knowledge

He is very angry because they borrowed the car behind his back.

behind the times

- old fashioned

My aunt is a little behind the times.

be to blame

- be responsible for something bad or unfortunate

He's not to blame for breaking the computer.

bend over backwards to do something

- try very hard

If I can, I will bend over backwards to help you get a promotion in the company.

beside one's self

- very upset or excited about something

He was beside himself with joy at winning the contest.

beside the point

- not relevant to the subject that you are considering or discussing

"What you are saying is beside the point. We are not talking about salary now."

bet on the wrong horse

- misjudge a coming event, misread the future

I think that he bet on the wrong horse by putting all of his money into that new stock.

better off

- be in a better situation than before

He would be better off if he sold his old car and bought a new one.

beyond the pale

- outside the bounds of acceptable behavior

What they are doing is totally unacceptable and beyond the pale.

bide one's time

- patiently wait for an opportunity to occur.

He is biding his time as he waits to become president of the company.

big shot

- an important and powerful person

He is a big shot in the oil and gas industry.

birthday suit

- completely naked, no clothes on

The little boy was running down the street in his birthday suit.

bite off more than one can chew

- try to do more than one is able to do

I think I bit off more than I can chew by taking on the new assignment.

bite the bullet

- endure in a difficult situation, face a difficult situation bravely

I have decided to bite the bullet and begin studying for my Master's degree.

bite the dust

- be killed, break down, be defeated

I think that my car has finally bitten the dust.

bite the hand that feeds you

- turn against a friend or supporter, repay kindness with wrong

He is biting the hand that feeds him if he continues to criticize and fight against his boss.

blind leading the blind

- someone who doesn't understand something trying to explain it to others

It is like the blind leading the blind watching him try and explain how to operate the new computer.

blow it (something)

- fail at something

I tried hard, but I am sure that I blew the final math exam last week.

blow one's own horn

- praise oneself

He is always blowing his own horn and is very annoying at times.

blow over

- die down or calm down

The problem with the lost invoices has finally blown over and everyone is working hard again.

blue in the face

- endlessly, fruitlessly

You can argue with him until you are blue in the face but you will never change his mind.

bone of contention

- a reason for quarrels, the subject of a fight

The family cottage was a major bone of contention when their father died.

boot out

- make someone go or leave, get rid of someone, dismiss

He was booted out of high school for smoking on the school grounds.

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth

- born rich, provided from birth with everything you need

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has never worked in his life.

brand new

- absolutely new

He was finally able to buy a brand-new car.

break down

- stop working because of mechanical failure

The car broke down on the lonely road so nobody knew about it.

break down

- analyze

We must break down these figures for further study.

break fresh ground

- deal with something in a new way

The researchers were able to break fresh ground in their search for a cancer cure.

break the bank

- win all the money at a casino gambling table

He didn't really break the bank but he did win a lot of money.

break the ice

- relax and start a conversation in a formal situation

Nobody was enjoying the party until the host finally was able to break the ice.

break the news

- tell some information first

He is planning to break the news to her about his transfer tomorrow.

break up (with someone)

- stop a relationship

She broke up with her boyfriend last June.

bring home the bacon

- work and earn money for your family

He is out bringing home the bacon and is very busy.

bring home the importance of something to someone

- make someone fully realize something

He was unable to bring home the importance of arriving early for the meeting.

bring some new facts to light

- discover some new facts, make some new facts known

The lawyers were able to bring some new facts to light in the trial of the killer.

bring someone into line

- persuade someone to agree with you

He was finally able to bring the other members of the committee into line.

bring something on

- cause to develop rapidly

I don't know what brought on his anger but you should avoid him until he calms down.

bring the house down

- cause much laughter in the audience

The comedian brought the house down with his jokes about the lost dog.

bring to mind

- recall something

Her perfect acting brought to mind some of the great actresses of the past.

bring up

- introduce a subject into a discussion

They brought up the subject at the meeting but nobody wanted to talk about it.

bring up

- raise or care for a child

My grandmother brought up ten children.

bring up the rear

- be at the end of the line or in the last position

The runner from the other school was bringing up the rear in the school relay race.

broke

- have no money

I spent all of my money on my holiday and I am now broke.

brush up on something

- review something one has already learned

I'm going to brush up on my English before my trip to New York.

brush with the law

- a brief encounter or experience with the police because of a crime

He had a brush with the law when he was young but now he is totally honest.

bull in a china shop

- someone who is clumsy and upsets other people or plans

He was like a bull in a china shop when I saw him at the meeting last week.

bundle up

- put on warm clothes, dress warmly

We bundled up and went for a walk in the park.

burn a hole in one's pocket

- money that you want to spend quickly

I just got paid today and this money is burning a hole in my pocket.

burn down

- burn completely (usually used for buildings)

The neighbor's house burnt down completely during the night.

burn one's bridges behind one

- do something that makes going back impossible

He burned his bridges behind him and is unable to work in the same industry again.

burn the candle at both ends

- work or play too hard without enough rest

He has been burning the candle at both ends with his work and his studies. That is why he became sick.

burn the midnight oil

- study until very late at night

We burned the midnight oil for three nights in a row in order to study for the exam.

burn up

- burn completely (usually things not buildings)

The uniforms burned up in the fire.

bury (hide) one's head in the sand

- refuse to see or face something, keep from seeing or knowing something unpleasant

He always buries his head in the sand and never wants to deal with his family problems at all.

bury the hatchet

- stop quarreling and become friendly with someone

He decided to bury the hatchet with his brother and they are now on friendly terms again.

butter someone up

- flatter someone

He is trying to butter up his boss so that he can leave early on Friday.

buy a pig in a poke

- buy something without seeing it or knowing if it will be satisfactory

You shouldn't buy that car without first inspecting it. It is like buying a pig in a poke.

by and large

- on the whole, considering everything

By and large we had a good meeting even though it was a little short.

by and by

- before long

By and by they will come and we can go out for dinner.

by far

- greatly, by a great margin

He is by far the smartest person in the company.

by fits and starts

- irregularly, with many stops and starts

By fits and starts the company was finally able to begin business.

by hook or by crook

- in any way necessary

She says that she will go to Italy this year by hook or by crook.

by the way

- incidentally

By the way, could you please bring your computer tomorrow.

by the skin of one's teeth

- by a very small margin, barely

I made the application date for the job by the skin of my teeth.

by the sweat of one's brow

- by hard work

He managed to make enough money to buy the farm by the sweat of his brow.

Our Selection for C

calculated risk

- an action that may fail but has a good chance to succeed

They took a calculated risk when they opened the new store but it has been very successful.

call a spade a spade

- speak bluntly

He was calling a spade a spade when he began to criticize his employee for being lazy.

call for someone

- come and get someone

Could you please come and call on me before you go to the game.

call it quits

- stop, finish

He called it quits and went home for the day.

call of nature

- the need to go to the toilet

He is answering the call of nature and can't talk to you for a few minutes.

call off

- cancel

The game was called off because of the rain.

call on

- visit someone

I plan to call on my brother when I am on my holidays.

call on

- ask someone to participate or contribute something

The teacher called on me three times to answer questions in the class.

call on to the carpet

- call someone before an authority to be scolded or reprimanded

He was called on to the carpet by his boss for losing the major sale.

call someone's bluff

- challenge someone to prove what they say is true

I decided to call his bluff and asked him to show me the evidence.

call the shots

- be in charge, give orders

He is now calling the shots and is in control of the company.

call up

- telephone

He said that he would call up his parents tomorrow night.

calm down

- relax

She finally calmed down after the accident.

cancel out

- destroy the effect of something

The benefits of her exercise were cancelled out by her always overeating.

can of worms

- a complicated situation or problem

The lawsuit opened up a can of worms for the company.

can't see the forest for the trees

- unable to judge or understand the whole picture because you are looking at the small parts of it

He has no real understanding of most problems as he always fails to see the forest for the trees.

card up one's sleeve

- a plan or argument kept back to be produced if needed

I think that he has a card up his sleeve and will be able to help us later.

(in) care of someone

- send something to one person at the address of another person

I sent the parcel to her in care of her friend at the university.

carrot and stick

- the promise of reward and threat of punishment at the same time

The trade negotiators took a carrot and stick approach to the automobile talks.

(get) carried away

- lose control or judgement due to strong feelings

I got a carrried away and began to yell at her for losing my textbook.

carry on

- continue, keep doing as before

We were permitted to carry on with the party after we had talked to the landlord.

carry (something) out

- put into action, accomplish

The move to the new headquarters was carried out with a minimum of problems.

carry over

- save for another time

We plan to carry over the summer swimwear until next year.

carry the ball

- take the most important or difficult part in an action or business

The vice-president was forced to carry the ball while the president was away.

carry the day

- win or be successful

His fine performance in our company carried the day for us.

carry the torch

- show loyalty to a cause or a person

He has been carrying the torch for the candidate for a long time.

carry through

- put a plan into action

The company carried through with their plan to layoff 300 workers.

(a) case in point

- an example that proves something or helps to make something clear

What he just said was a case in point about what I have been saying all year.

cash cow

- a good source of money

His new business is a great cash cow. I think that he is really making a lot of money.

cash in

- exchange something for money

We decided to cash in the coupons because we needed some money.

cash in on

- see and profit by a chance

The small town cashed in on their success with the winter Olympics.

cash on the barrelhead

- money paid when something is bought

It was a cash deal and we were forced to pay cash on the barrelhead.

cast pearls before swine

- waste something valuable on someone who doesn't appreciate it

Giving her the gold earrings was casting pearls before swine.

cast the first stone

- be the first to blame someone

He was the one to cast the first stone and now he is having a major fight with his neighbor.

castles in the air

- daydreams

She is always building castles in the air and is very unrealistic.

cat burglar

- a burglar who enters a building by climbing a wall etc.

We lost our stereo when a cat burglar entered our apartment.

cat gets one's tongue

- can't talk

I think that the cat has got her tongue. She hasn't said anything at all since the meeting started.

catch-22

- a situation where whatever you do the outcome will be bad, a no-win situation

It was a catch-22 situation where if I went to work there would be problems but if I didn't go to work there would be more problems.

catch a cold

- become sick with a cold

I caught a cold because of the rain and the cold weather.

catch-as-catch-can

- in any way possible

We are in the middle of moving house so the meals when you visit will be catch-as-catch-can.

catch on

- understand, learn about

It was difficult to catch on at first but finally I was able to understand the math problem.

catch on

- become popular

Recently ballroom dancing has begun to catch on among many people.

catch one's breath

- stop to rest and regain one's normal breathing

After running from the station it took a moment to catch my breath.

catch one's eye

- attract one's attention

I tried to catch her eye but she didn't notice me.

catch (someone) red-handed

- find someone in the middle of doing something wrong

He caught the boy red-handed when he was stealing the candy.

catch up with (someone or something)

- become even with someone (in a race or in schoolwork etc.)

I think it's too late to catch up with the rest of the class now.

caught short

- not having enough of something when you need it (usually money)

I was caught short last week and couldn't pay the weekly food bill.

cave in

- to weaken and be forced to give up

The company finally caved in to the union's demand for more money.

chalk up

- record

The stock prices of the company chalked up a big gain last week.

change horses in midstream

- make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity

They decided to change horses in midstream and that is probably why they lost the election.

change of heart

- change the way one feels about something

She had a change of heart and decided to let her child go to the circus.

change (one's) mind

- change one's decision

He changed his mind and said that he would not go to the movie tonight.

change (one's) tune

- make a change in one's story,statement or opinions

He has begun to change his tune recently and is beginning to agree that we need to do things a little differently.

(in) charge of something

- be responsible for an activity or group of people

He is in charge of selling tickets for the school dance.

cheat on (someone)

- be unfaithful to someone

He recently began cheating on his wife which was the main cause of their divorce.

(have the) cheek to do something

- rudeness, impudence

She had the cheek to tell me that she was sick and couldn't come to work today.

cheek by jowl

- side by side, in close intimacy

They were walking down the stairs cheek by jowl when the alarm sounded.

chew the fat

- chat

The two men were chewing the fat on the porch of the house.

chew out (someone)

- scold roughly

The teacher chewed out the student for talking in class.

chicken feed

- a small amount of money

What he sold his car for was chicken feed compared to the amount of money that he has in the bank.

chicken out

- stop doing something because of fear

He chickened out of jumping into the lake from the high diving board.

chickens come home to roost

- words or acts come back to cause trouble for a person

Her chickens have finally come home to roost and she must now take responsibility for what she has done.

chime in

- join in (a song or conversation)

We were having a nice conversation until she chimed in and started complaining about everything.

chip in

- contribute or pay jointly

We all chipped in and bought our father a present.

chip off the old block

- person who looks or acts like one of his parents

His son is a chip off the old block and acts exactly like his father.

(when the) chips are down

- the time when one faces the greatest obstacles

When the chips were down he went to his father for advice and received his encouragement.

clam up

- stop talking

She clammed up as soon as her boyfriend entered the room.

clean bill of health

- the assurance that an animal or person is healthy

The astronaut was given a clean bill of health before he began training.

clean slate

- having no errors, past acts that are all good

He started off with a clean slate and has never caused any problems for the company.

clear the air

- calm down and remove a misunderstanding

We had a big argument so I think it is time to clear the air.

clear the decks

- clear away things and prepare for action

Let's clear the decks and get everyone out of the house so we can begin work.

clear up

- solve or explain (a problem etc.)

They finally cleared up the problem that I was having with my salary at work.

cliffhanger

- sports event or movie where the outcome is uncertain until the very end

The playoff game was a cliffhanger and one of the most enjoyable games of the year.

climb the wall

- be so bored that you become anxious and frustrated

She began to climb the wall after only a few days at her new job.

clip joint

- a low-class business where people are cheated

They went into a clip joint near the bus station and had to pay a lot of money.

clip someone's wings

- limit one's activities or possibilities

They decided to clip his wings and took away his expense account.

close call/shave

- an accident almost happens (but doesn't happen)

I had a close call this morning when the truck almost hit me.

close ranks

- come together for fighting, unite and work together

They decided to close ranks and stop arguing among themselves

close to home

- near to someone's personal feelings, wishes or interests

What I said about her work habits must have hit close to home as she seemed to become very quiet suddenly.

coast is clear

- no danger is in sight, no one can see you

When the coast was clear we decided to enter the building.

(bring) coals to Newcastle

- bring something of which there is plenty

Bringing extra food to the farmer's picnic was like bringing coals to Newcastle.

cog in the machine

- you are not important but only a small part of a large organization

The employees felt like they were only cogs in a machine so the atmosphere at the company was not very good.

cold spell or cold snap

- a sudden short period of cold weather (usually in winter)

The cold snap lasted for five days.

cold turkey

- stop using drugs (heroin etc.) abruptly and without medical aid

Although she was able to stop using drugs cold turkey she was very sick for awhile.

come a cropper

- fail

I think that he has come a cropper in the horse competition and that is why he is sad.

come across

- find something or meet someone by chance

I came across an interesting story in the newspaper the other day.

Come again.

- please repeat, please say that again

Come again. I didn't hear you the first time.

come alive

- brighten up and become active

She finally came alive and began to enjoy the party.

come along

- make progress, thrive

The work on our new house is coming along very well at the moment.

come a long way

- make great progress

He has come a long way and has learned many things about his new company.

come back

- return to the place you are now

She came back from her holidays last week.

come back

- return to one's memory

I can't remember clearly the events of last year but slowly everything is coming back to me.

come back

- become popular again

Recently bell-bottom pants have come back into fashion.

come between

- disrupt the relationship between (two people)

His constant interfering finally came between his brother and his wife.

come by

- get, obtain, acquire

She came by a lot of money recently and is now enjoying her life.

come clean

- tell the truth

The president of the company was forced to come clean and tell what really happened to the business.

(a) come-down

- a lowering in status, income, influence or energy

Her new job was a real come-down from her last one so she was not very happy.

come down hard on

- scold or punish severely

The police have been coming down very hard on drunk drivers recently.

come down to earth

- stop imagining or dreaming, think and behave as usual

He has finally come down to earth and is preparing seriously to look for a job.

come down with

- become sick with or catch a cold etc.

Her mother came down with a cold so was unable to attend the dinner.

come from

- be a native of a place

Several of the students in the class come from Mexico.

come full circle

- completely opposite from one's starting point

They have come full circle since the new president started at the university.

come hell or high water

- no matter what happens

Come hell or high water I plan to go to the concert next week.

come in handy

- prove to be useful

I think that the small hammer will come in handy to fix the desk.

come into

- receive, get possession of

They came into a lot of money which they donated to charity.

come into fashion

- become fashionable

She says that although bell-bottom pants have come into fashion again she will never wear them.

come into one's own

- become to perform or work well because of good circumstances

He has really come into his own as a basketball player since he changed positions.

come off

- be successful

The party came off without any problems so everyone was very happy.

come on strong

- overwhelm with excessively strong language or personality

He came on too strong during the job interview and was unable to get the job.

come out with

- say, make known

The child has recently come out with many strange and funny expressions.

come to

- begin or learn to do or feel something

At first I disliked her a lot but recently I have come to accept her.

come to

- regain consciousness

She came to a couple of hours after the accident.

come to blows

- begin to fight

They almost came to blows when they were trying to fix the car.

come to grief

- have a bad accident or disappointment

He has recently come to much grief because of his son's problems with the police.

come to grips with

- struggle (successfully) with an idea or problem

She has finally been able to come to grips with her husband's drinking.

come to light

- be discovered, become known

It has recently come to light that the company has lost millions of dollars.

come to nothing

- end in failure

All his efforts to help his sister find a job came to nothing.

come to one's senses

- begin to think clearly or act sensibly

He finally came to his senses and decided to buy a cheaper car rather than borrow a lot of money for an expensive one.

come to pass

- to happen, occur

It came to pass that the company was never able to recover from their financial problems.

come to terms

- reach an agreement

We came to terms with the bank and were able to buy the house.

come to the point

- be direct

His speech was interesting but he never really came to the point.

come up with

- produce or find a thought, idea or answer

Please try to come up with a name for the new magazine.

common touch

- a friendly manner with everyone

He has a nice common touch and everyone likes him a lot.

conk out

- fall asleep quickly with great fatigue

As soon as we returned from the hike I conked out in front of the TV.

cook one's goose

- ruin one's chances

She really cooked her own goose and has no chance of getting the new job.

cook up

- invent, plan and put something together

I don't know what kind of plan she is cooking up now but it should be quite interesting.

cool as a cucumber

- very calm and brave, not worried or anxious

She was as cool as a cucumber when her canoe turned over in the river.

cool one's heels

- be kept waiting because of another's rudeness

He was forced to cool his heels for an hour in the waiting room before his boss would talk to him.

cop a plea

- plead guilty to a crime in order to get a lesser penalty

He was forced to cop a plea when the evidence against him became too strong to dispute.

cop out

- avoid doing something that you were planning to do

He copped out from our plan to go to to the beach for the day.

copycat

- someone who copies another person's work or their actions

The little boy was accused of being a copycat by the other children.

cough up

- give unwillingly

He finally coughed up enough money to pay for the accident.

count on

- depend on

You can never count on him to do anything right.

count one's chickens before they're hatched

- assume that something will be successful before it is certain

Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. You're spending your money and you don't even have a job yet.

count out

- leave something out of a plan, exclude

Please count me out of your plans to go skiing for the weekend.

cover one's tracks

- hide or not say where one has been or what one has done

He was trying to cover his tracks but it was easy to see where he had recently been.

cover up

- hide something wrong or bad

They tried to cover up the facts regarding the illegal election campaign funds.

cozy up to (someone)

- try to be friendly to someone

I don't know what he wants but recently he has been trying to cozy up to me.

crack a joke

- tell a joke

He was a lot of fun at the party because he was always cracking jokes.

crack a smile

- let a smile show on one's face

He never cracked a smile during the whole meeting.

crack down on

- enforce laws or rules strictly

The school principal decided to crack down on people running in the halls.

crack of dawn

- daybreak, early in the morning

We got up at the crack of dawn to go fishing.

crackpot

- an eccentric person with ideas that don't make sense to others

He is a total crackpot and you never know what he will do next.

crack the whip

- try to make someone work hard or obey you by threatening them

We had to crack the whip in order to get the job finished by the weekend.

(buy something) on credit

- pay for something not in cash

He decided to buy the stereo on credit.

crack up

- burst into laughter

I cracked up when he started talking about the incident with the taxi driver.

cramp one's style

- limit one's talk or action

Working in the new section is beginning to cramp my style a little.

crash the gate

- enter without a ticket or without paying or with no invitation

Many people didn't have a ticket for the concert so they decided to crash the gate.

cream of the crop

- the top choice

When they hire new employees they always look for the cream of the crop.

(the) creeps

- a strong feeling of fear or disgust

I get the creeps every time that I see a dead animal.

creep up on

- crawl quietly towards

The thief crept up on the elderly women at the supermarket.

crocodile tears

- a show of sorrow that is not really felt

He said that he was very sorry but his tears were just crocodile tears.

crop up

- appear or happen unexpectedly

I will meet you early next week unless something crops up that keeps me busy.

cross a bridge before one comes to it

- think and worry about future events or problems before they happen

We shouldn't worry about that problem now. We can cross that bridge when we come to it.

cross one's heart and hope to die

- promise that what you are saying is true

I promise that I will pay you back the money next week. Cross my heart and hope to die.

cross one's mind

- think of, occur to someone

It just crossed my mind that I would probably see him in the evening so I didn't phone him.

cross (something) out

- eliminate by drawing a line through something

Please cross out that amount and put in the correct amount.

cross to bear/carry

- something you must do or continue with even though you are suffering

Looking after my sister's children every day is my cross to bear.

cry out for

- need something badly, be lacking

The new room that he built cries out for a new set of furniture.

cry over spilt milk

- cry or complain about something that has already happened

Don't cry over spilt milk. You can never change the past.

cry uncle

- admit defeat or that one has lost

He finally had to cry uncle when the other wrestler pinned him to the mat.

cry wolf

- warn of danger that is not there

He has been crying wolf for years about various things and now nobody believes him.

(not one's) cup of tea

- something one enjoys, special interest

It's not really my cup of tea so I think I will stay home and not go to the art gallery.

curiosity killed the cat

- being too nosy and interested in other peoples business may lead a person into trouble

Don't keep asking so many questions. Remember curiosity killed the cat.

curry favor

- flatter someone to get his help or friendship

He has been working hard to curry favor with the other members of the committee.

cut across

- cross or go through something instead of going around

We decided to cut across the field because we were in a hurry to get to school.

cut and dried

- completely decided, prearranged

The decision was cut and dried and nobody asked for our opinion.

cut back

- use fewer or use less

We were forced to cut back on the number of people who were invited to the party.

cut both ways

- serve both sides of an argument

What he said cuts both ways and we should carefully think about it.

cut corners

- economize

We will have to cut corners in order to save some money for our holiday.

cut down on

- use less of something

Recently he has cut down on his drinking in order to start his new health program.

cut down to size

- prove that someone is not as good as he thinks

I was able to cut him down to size when I criticized what he said at the meeting.

cut (someone) off

- stop someone from saying something, disconnect someone on the phone

I tried to tell him about the accident but he cut me off before I had a chance.

cut off one's nose to spite one's face

- make things worse for oneself because one is angry at someone else

He is cutting off his nose to spite his face. Taking revenge on his neighbor will only cause more problems for himself.

cut out

- eliminate

She decided to cut out chocolate in order to lose weight.

cut the mustard

- reach the required standard

He doesn't cut the mustard and will never be able to work here.

Our Selection for D

dance to a different tune

- talk or act differently (usually better) because things have changed

He has begun dancing to a different tune now that he knows that his head salesman is thinking of quitting.

dark horse

- a candidate little known to the general public

At first he was a dark horse candidate but he later won the election.

dash off

- do or finish quickly, leave quickly

I will dash off a letter now but then I must go to work.

dawn on

- become clear

It finally dawned on me as to why he was angry.

day and night

- continually

We worked day and night to finish the project before the end of the month.

day in and day out

- regularly, all the time

He goes to that restaurant day in and day out and never gets tired of it.

dead ahead

- exactly in front, before

There was a truck dead ahead so we put on the car brakes suddenly.

dead as a doornail

- very dead

The man was dead as a doornail as we could see after the accident.

deadbeat

- a person who never pays his debts

There is a policy to penalize deadbeat fathers by the local government.

dead center

- exact middle

He was able to hit the target dead center.

dead duck

- person or thing in a hopeless situation or condition

He is a dead duck and has no hope of recovering his former position.

dead end

- the closed end of a road or an impasse

The negotiations between the team and the owners have come to a dead end.

deadpan

- with an expressionless or emotionless face

He had a deadpan expression when he told us the story.

dead set against something

- determined not to do something

They are dead set against their son going to Europe for a year.

dead tired

- very tired, exhausted

I was dead tired so I went to bed as soon as I got home.

dead to the world

- fast asleep

The little boy was dead to the world when his father took him out of the car.

decked out

- dressed in fancy clothes

She was all decked out in her best clothes for the party.

deep-six

- throw away, dispose of

I decided to deep-six the videos as I didn't want them any longer.

deep water

- serious trouble or difficulty

He will be in deep water if he doesn't tell us where he spent the money.

deliver the goods

- succeed in doing what is expected well

He is the best manager that we have ever had. He knows how to deliver the goods.

devil-may-care

- unworried, not caring what happens

He has a devil-may-care attitude to his job and nothing ever bothers him.

die down

- come slowly to an end, grow weaker

When the sound of the music finally died down we were able to get to sleep.

die off

- die one after another until the number is small

The house plants began to die off as soon as he moved to a new apartment.

die out

- die or disappear slowly until all gone

Dinosaurs died out millions of years ago.

dig in

- begin eating

Let's dig in and eat before everything is cold!

dime a dozen

- common, easy to get and of little value

Used books are a dime a dozen so don't worry if you can't sell them.

dirty look

- a look that shows dislike or disapproval

His mother gave him a dirty look when he smoked the cigarette.

dish out

- serve food from a large bowl or plate

He began to dish out the food as soon as the guests arrived.

dish out

- treat or criticize roughly

He likes to dish out criticism to others but he doesn't like to hear criticism about himself.

do a double take

- look again in surprise at someone or something

She did a double take when she saw her old boyfriend with another woman.

do a job on

- do harm to, make ugly or useless

He really did a job on the plans for the new house that he was working on.

do away with

- put an end to, stop, get rid of

The company has decided to do away with having fixed holidays every year.

dog-eat-dog

- ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what you want

It is a dog-eat-dog world out in the world of advertising and public relations.

do in

- to ruin, destroy

He quickly did in the new shoes that he received for his birthday.

do in

- to make tired, exhaust

He was really done in by the time that he finished the marathon.

doll up

- dress in fancy clothes

She was all dolled up for the party at the downtown hotel.

done for

- ruined, defeated, dying

I think that the team is done for as far as this season is concerned.

done with

- be finished using something

He was finally done with the computer and so he let his sister use it.

do one's best

- try to do something as well as you can

I tried to do my best on the exam.

do one's bit (part)

- share in a group project by contributing one's time and effort

He did his bit for the planning of the party.

do one's thing

- do what one wants to do and enjoys

He is an individualist and enjoys doing his thing when and where he chooses.

do-or-die

- make a great effort while disregarding danger

He was in a position of do-or-die when he finally found another job.

do out of

- cause to lose by trickery or cheating

He was worried that the company would do him out of the large bonus that he was expecting.

do someone good

- be good or beneficial for someone

It will do you good to go on a holiday.

do something rash

- take drastic action (usually without thinking)

She is extremely angry so I hope that she doesn't do anything rash.

do the honors

- perform the duty of a host (when serving a drink etc.)

Would you like to do the honors and pour everyone a glass of wine?

do the trick

- work well, achieve a good result

I think the new piece of equipment should do the trick and solve the problem.

do time

- spend time in prison

He was doing time when I first heard about him.

do with

- benefit from

I have been working hard all day so now I could do with a cold drink.

do with

- be acquainted, involved or associated with

I don't have anything to do with the party this year.

do without

- manage without something

If there is no sugar, we'll have to do without.

double back

- turn back from where you are going or have been

We decided to double back from the arena to get some money to go to a movie.

double-check

- check again to be sure something is correct

He double-checked the price of the airplane ticket.

double-cross

- deceive, promise one thing and do another

He tried to double-cross his partner but was caught and sent to jail.

double-talk

- talk that appears to have meaning but does not

He gave the audience a lot of double-talk so nobody knew what he wanted to say.

double up

- share a room or home with someone

The passengers had to double up in hotel rooms when the plane was delayed because of the weather.

down and out

- have no money

He has been down and out before but he has always been able to find a job eventually.

down in the dumps

- unhappy

She has been really down in the dumps since her boyfriend moved away.

down on (someone)

- be critical of someone, angry at

She is really down on her friend but I don't really know the reason.

down one's alley

- suited to one's tastes and abilities

Computers are down his alley so I am sure that he will be interested in taking the job.

down the line

- straight ahead, in future

There will be many changes at this company down the line but for now your job is safe.

down the drain

- wasted or lost

He is just throwing money down the drain when he goes to the horse races.

down-to-earth

- sensible and practical

Her mother is a very down-to-earth person.

down to the wire

- nearing a deadline, running out of time

We went right down to the wire but we were able to finish the job on time.

do wonders

- produce excellent results

If you begin to do some exercise it will do wonders for your health.

drag in

- insist on bringing another subject into a discussion

He always drags in his personal problems when we are talking about his performance on the job.

drag on

- pass very slowly, make longer

The speech seemed to drag on and on so finally we decided to leave early.

drag one's feet/heels

- act slowly or reluctantly

He has been dragging his feet about whether or not to take the job.

draw a blank

- obtain nothing in return for an effort made, get a negative result

He drew a blank when he went to the head office to try and receive some information about the merger.

draw fire

- receive criticism or argument

He has been drawing a lot of fire since he announced that he would not play basketball another year.

draw fire

- be a target, attract or provoke shooting

The soldiers drew fire when they entered the small village.

draw in one's horns

- spend less money

Their company is not doing well so they will have to draw in their horns for awhile.

draw (someone) out

- make a person talk or tell something

She was very quiet but we finally were able to draw her out so that she would join the party.

draw the line

- set a limit

We have to draw the line somewhere in regards to the costs of the party.

draw up

- put in writing

They were able to draw up the new contract while we were waiting.

dressed to kill

- wear one's finest clothes

She was dressed to kill when I saw her at the concert last week.

dressed to the nines (teeth)

- dressed elegantly

The stars were all dressed to the nines during the Academy Awards ceremony.

dress up

- put on one's best clothes

He decided to dress up for dinner at the restaurant.

drive a hard bargain

- conclude a bargain without making any concessions

Although he drives a hard bargain I like doing business with him.

drive at

- try or want to say something

I don't know what he was driving at in his speech.

drive someone up a wall

- irritate or annoy someone greatly

His constant complaining is driving me up a wall.

drop a hint

- casually utter a hint or suggestion

He dropped a hint that he wanted to transfer to a new department.

drop (someone) a line

- write or mail a note or letter to someone

She promised that she would drop me a line when she gets to Singapore.

drop back

- move or step backwards, retreat

During the hike his foot began to get sore so he decided to drop back and rest for awhile.

drop by

- to visit someone or somewhere

He dropped by after work for a drink.

drop by the wayside

- give up or fail before the finish

Many runners dropped by the wayside as the marathon continued.

Drop dead!

- go away and be quiet, stop bothering someone

I told him to drop dead when he came into my room and now he is angry at me.

drop in

- make a short or unplanned visit

I decided to drop in and visit my friend after I finished work for the day.

drop in the bucket

- small amount

The money he paid back was only a drop in the bucket compared to what he owes.

drop out (of school)

- quit school or a course of some kind

She dropped out of the class after three months.

drown one's sorrows

- drink alcohol to forget one's problems

He's in the bar drowning his sorrows with a beer.

drown out

- make so much noise that it is impossible to hear

The team captain was drowned out by the cheering fans.

drum up

- invent, encourage by making an effort

They were able to drum up a lot of business during the summer.

duck soup

- easy, effortless

How was the test last week? It was duck soup - no problem at all.

dumb bunny

- a stupid gullible person

He is a dumb bunny and you never know what he will do next.

Dutch treat

- meal/movie etc. where each person pays their own way, contribute equally to something

When he goes out with his girlfriend it is always a Dutch treat as he doesn't have much money.

dwell on

- think about or talk about something all the time

I wish he wouldn't always dwell on his personal problems.

Our Selection for E

each and every

- every (used for emphasis)

I would like each and every one of you to bring your textbooks tomorrow.

eager beaver

- person who is always eager to work or do extra work

He is a real eager beaver and is always available to work when we need him.

earful

- scolding, a lot of information (often critical)

He really gave his daughter an earful when she came home late.

early bird catches the worm

- a person who gets up early in the morning has the best chance of success

He always goes to work before his colleagues because he knows that the early bird catches the worm.

(keep/have one's) ear to the ground

- pay attention to the way things are going or the way people feel and think

He always has his ear to the ground and knows everything that is going on in our company.

ease off

- reduce in severity or pressure, relax

The president was asked to ease off on his efforts to save money in the company.

easy come, easy go

- something that you get easily can be lost easily

He doesn't care if he loses his job or not. For him everything is easy come, easy go.

easy does it

- do something without sudden movements or too fast

"Easy does it" he said as he helped to move the large piano.

easy-going

- tolerant and relaxed

He has a very easy-going management style.

eat away

- rot, erode, destroy

The mildew has been eating away at the window frame all summer.

eat crow

- admit one is mistaken or defeated

He was forced to eat crow when the figures that he gave us at the meeting were all wrong.

eat dirt

- accept another's insult or bad treatment, act humble

He made the senior manager eat dirt as revenge for his bad treatment in the past.

eat one's heart out

- suffer greatly from longing

You can eat your heart out. I'm going to Hawaii for three weeks!

eat humble pie

- admit one's error and apologize

He had to eat humble pie in front of his friends when they discovered his mistake.

(be) eating someone

- bothering or worrying someone

I don't know what is eating her but she doesn't seem to be in a good mood today.

eat like a bird

- eat very little

He eats like a bird. That's why he can't put on enough weight to join the football team.

eat like a horse

- eat a lot

He eats like a horse but he never puts on any weight.

eat one's cake and have it too

- use or spend something and still keep it

He always wants to eat his cake and have it too and is never prepared to sacrifice anything.

eat one's words

- admit being wrong in something one has said, retract one's statement

He was forced to eat his words after his boss proved that he was wrong.

eat out

- eat in a restaurant

He eats out three or four times a week.

egg (someone) on

- urge or push someone to do something

He is always egging his friend on when he is angry which makes him even angrier.

eke out

- earn with difficulty

He was unable to eke out a living on the farm so he sold it.

elbow grease

- effort and strength to clean something

We'll have to use a lot of elbow grease to get the kitchen cleaned.

elbow room

- space (enough to be comfortable)

They moved to the country in order to have a little more elbow room.

end in itself

- a purpose or goal one wants for itself alone and not as a way to something else

For some people travelling is an end in itself and the destination is not important.

(at the) end of one's rope

- the last of one's ability or ideas about how to proceed or do something

He is at the end of his rope regarding what to do about his job.

end up

- finish, finally do something

We ended up going to the restaurant after the movie last night.

even so

- nevertheless, however

He always works hard but even so he has no money saved.

every dog has his day

- everyone will have his chance or turn, everyone will get what he deserves

You should be patient and wait until you get a chance. Remember every dog has his day.

every other

- alternate, every second one

She has to work every other Saturday evening.

every so often

- occasionally

You should walk around every so often when you are on a long plane trip.

every Tom, Dick and Harry

- the average person

He said he is not the same as every Tom, Dick and Harry.

eyes are bigger than one's stomach

- one wants more food than one can eat

His eyes are bigger than his stomach. He will never finish all of the food that he took.

eyes in the back of one's head

- ability to know what is happening behind one's back

He has eyes in the back of his head and you can never borrow anything without him knowing about it.

eyes pop out

- much surprised

Her eyes popped out when she saw her name in the newspaper.

Our Selection for F

face down

- confront boldly and win, defy

They decided to face down their competitors and were able to easily stay in business.

face the music

- accept the consequences of something

He is going to have to face the music sooner or later.

face up to

- accept something that is not easy to accept

You must face up to the fact that you are never going to have enough money to buy that car.

face value

- value or price printed on a stamp/bond/paper money etc.

He gave me the face value that was printed on the used stamps.

face value

- seeming value or truth of something

He is a nice person but you must always take at face value what he says.

facts of life

- what one should know about sex, marriage and birth

He seems to be a little too young to know about the facts of life.

fair and square

- honestly, just, straightforward

The British team won the game fair and square but still the other team complained.

fair game

- a likely object of aggressive interest

The company is fair game as a takeover target by other international companies.

fair play

- justice, equal and right action

He believes in fair play and is a wonderful person to have on our team.

fair shake

- honest treatment

She was not given a fair shake at the inquiry into her behavior.

fair-weather friend

- a person who is a friend only when one is successful

He is a fair-weather friend only and you can't rely on him if you have a problem.

fall apart

- become to not work properly

The equipment fell apart about six months after I bought it.

fall back

- move back, go back

The runner fell back from the rest of the runners when the race was half over.

fall back on something/someone

- turn to for help when something else has failed

She had to fall back on her father's money when her business had problems.

fall behind

- fail to keep up with work or studies or payments etc.

He fell behind with his homework at the beginning of the term and had problems throughout the year.

fall by the wayside

- give up or fail before the finish

He had a good chance of winning the competition but he fell by the wayside near the end.

fall flat

- be unsuccessful, fail

I think that my attempt at humor fell flat and now she doesn't like me.

fall for

- begin to like very much, begin to love

He fell for the woman at the bank but he is afraid to ask her for a date.

fall from grace

- lose approval

The politician fell from grace with the public over the money scandal.

falling-out

- argument, disagreement, quarrel

We had a falling-out during our holiday and we haven't spoken since.

fall in love with

- begin to love someone

I fell in love with her the first time that I saw her at the restaurant.

fall into line

- go and stand properly in a row (like soldiers)

The students were forced to fall into line as they waited for the doors to open.

fall in with

- become associated with a bad group of people

He fell in with a bad group of friends and began to get lower marks.

fall off

- decrease

The number of tourists to visit the island has fallen off recently.

fall off the wagon

- return to the consumption of alcohol or drugs after stopping for awhile

He fell off the wagon after he stopped drinking for three years.

fall on

- meet (troubles)

The town had fallen on hard times before the new computer company moved to town and created many jobs.

fall out of use

- be no longer used

That kind of stereo system has fallen out of use over the last 20 years.

fall over oneself

- be extremely eager to do something or please someone

They fell over themselves in their effort to please their host.

fall short (of one's expectations)

- not be as good as you expected, not succeed

The new movie fell short of everyone's expectations and attendance is very low.

fall through

- fail, not happen

My plan to go abroad fell through when my father refused to lend me some money.

far and wide

- everywhere, in all directions

We looked far and wide for the book but could not find it.

far cry

- something very different

What he said to my friend is a far cry from what he told me over the telephone.

farm out

- have someone else do something, send away

We farmed out all of the printing to another company in order to save money.

fast buck

- money earned quickly and easily

He is always trying to make a fast buck without really trying to work very hard.

fast talker

- con artist, clever talker who convinces others easily

He is a fast talker so you should be careful not to believe everything that he says.

fat chance

- little or no possibility, almost no chance

Fat chance that he will let me use his car. He never lets me borrow anything.

(live off the) fat of the land

- have the best of everything, especially without having to work for it

He plans to move to the mountains and try and live off the fat of the land.

favorite son

- a candidate supported by his home state for President etc.

We voted for him because he is the favorite son of our state.

feather in one's cap

- something you achieve and are proud of

Winning the new contract was a real feather in his cap.

feather one's nest

- look after one's own interest (while holding public office or a trusted job etc.)

The mayor has been feathering his nest for many years and is now very rich.

fed up with

- disgusted or bored with someone or something

I think that he is getting fed up with the constant demands of his boss.

feed someone a line

- deceive

He was feeding me a line about his plans to open a new restaurant downtown.

feel like a million dollars

- feel wonderful

I feel like a million dollars today so I think that I will go for a walk.

feel out

- talk or act carefully with someone and find out what he thinks

I will try and feel out my boss this weekend and see what he thinks of my chance of promotion.

feel sorry for

- pity

I feel sorry for him after losing his job.

feel up to (do something)

- feel able (healthy enough or rested enough) to do something

I don't feel up to going to the game.

feet on the ground

- sensible ideas

He is a good family man and always has his feet on the ground.

few and far between

- not many, rare, few and scattered

The gas stations were few and far between on the highway through the mountains.

fiddle around

- tinker, do something in an unplanned way

I tried fiddling around with the computer printer for awhile but it still won't work.

fifty-fifty

- equally, evenly

We divided the cost of the trip fifty-fifty.

fight tooth and nail

- fight fiercely or with all one's might

He is fighting tooth and nail to get a transfer to another department.

figure on

- depend on, be sure about

You can figure on about 30 people coming to the party next week.

figure out

- try to understand or solve

He finally figured out how to use the new video recorder.

fill (someone) in

- tell someone the details

I will fill you in later about our plans for the weekend.

fill (something) in

- write words needed in blanks

Please fill in this form and give it to the receptionist.

fill one's shoes

- substitute satisfactorily for

Although he is a good supervisor he is unable to fill the shoes of those who came before him.

fill out

- write down the facts that are asked for (in a report etc.)

We were asked to fill out the forms before we could have an interview for the job.

fill the bill

- be suitable for what is required

I think that the new equipment should fill the bill for us.

find fault with

- criticize

He is always finding fault with everything that I do.

find out

- learn, discover

She is angry at me because she found out that I quit the night class.

(go over with a) fine-toothed comb

- very carefully

We went over the apartment with a fine-toothed comb but couldn't find her watch.

finger in the pie

- part ownership or responsibility

He has his finger in the pie of all the small companies in the area.

first come, first served

- the person who comes will have his turn first

"First come, first served" she called as she put the food on the table.

firsthand

- directly

I learned the news from him firsthand.

first-run

- new, shown for the first time

There are a lot of first-run movies that I haven't had time to see yet.

fish for

- try to get or to find out (something) by hinting at it

She is always fishing for compliments when I see her at work.

fish out of water

- someone who does not fit in

He was like a fish out of water at the expensive restaurant.

(be) fishy

- strange and suspicious

Something is fishy with his excuse. Why did he take the day before the holiday off work?

fit as a fiddle

- in good athletic condition or health

Her grandfather is 92 years old but he is as fit as a fiddle.

fit like a glove

- fit perfectly

The new pair of jeans that he bought fit like a glove.

fit to be tied

- very angry or upset

He was fit to be tied when he heard that I was going to take a month off work in the summer.

fix someone up with someone

- help someone get a date by arranging a meeting for the two

I tried to fix my sister up with a date with my friend but she refused me.

fizzle out

- fail after a good start, end in failure

The party began to fizzle out about midnight when many people went home.

flare up

- become suddenly angry, begin again suddenly

The fighting flared up again after the United Nations soldiers left the town.

flash in the pan

- something that makes a showy start and then fails

His sports career was a flash in the pan. Recently I haven't heard of him at all.

flat broke

- have no money

I have been flat broke since I stopped working last month.

flat-out

- without hiding anything, plainly, openly

I told her flat-out that I would not go with her to the party.

flea in one's ear

- an annoying hint, an idea or answer that is not welcome

I put a flea in his ear regarding the proposal deadline that he had missed.

flea market

- a place where antiques or secondhand things are sold

We went to a flea market last Saturday to try and buy some dishes.

flesh and blood

- a close relative

She is my own flesh and blood so of course I felt terrible when she got into trouble.

flip one's lid

- become very excited, lose one's temper

He really flipped his lid when I told him about the huge telephone bill.

flip out

- go insane, go out of one's mind, become very angry

She flipped out when she heard that I had sold her car.

fly by the seat of one's pants

- do a job instinctively rather than by using concrete information

I had to fly by the seat of my pants when the supervisor left me alone for a week.

flying high

- very happy, joyful

She has been flying high since she heard that she had won a new car.

fly in the ointment

- a small thing that spoils enjoyment

The problem with the music was a fly in the ointment at the party.

fly off the handle

- become angry

He really flew off the handle when he saw the bill for the meal.

fly-by-night

- unreliable (business)

That new company is a real fly-by-night operation.

foam at the mouth

- be very angry (like a mad dog)

He was foaming at the mouth when I told him that I had had an accident with his car.

follow in one's footsteps (tracks)

- follow someone's example, follow someone exactly

He is following in his father's footsteps and has decided to work for a bank.

follow suit

- do as someone else has done, follow someone's example, play a card of the same color and kind that another has put down

He followed suit and began to leave work early on Friday just as his boss was doing.

follow through

- continue or finish an action that one has started

He said that he would help me paint my house but he has never followed through with his offer.

follow up

- make (one action) more successful by doing something more

He followed up his phone call in the morning with a visit in the afternoon.

foot in the door

- an opening or opportunity

I finally got a foot in the door when they accepted my application.

food for thought

- something worth thinking about

I don't really agree with his proposal but at least it is food for thought.

fool around

- spend time playing rather than working, waste time

If he would spend less time fooling around he would be able to get some work done.

foot the bill

- pay

The company will foot the bill for his move to Chicago.

for all

- in spite of, even with

For all the time that he spends studying his marks are still very low.

for all one is worth

- as hard as one can

I will try for all I am worth to help you get the job at the supermarket.

for all the world

- for anything, for any price

For all the world I do not know what he is trying to tell me with the notes that he writes.

for a song

- for very little money

He was able to buy his new car for a song.

for better or worse

- depending on how one looks at the matter, with good or bad effects

For better or worse he has decided to quit his job and go to live in Brazil.

force one's hand

- make someone do something sooner than planned

I forced his hand and he told me what he planned to do about the new contract for our company.

for certain

- without doubt, certainly, surely

It is for certain that he will not be playing in the game tonight.

for crying out loud

- used to show that you are surprised or angry

For crying out loud please turn your radio down a little.

for dear life

- as though afraid of losing one's life

The mountain climber held on to the rock for dear life as he waited for someone to rescue him.

forever and a day

- forever, always

It took forever and a day to get the book that we ordered from the bookstore.

for good

- permanently

He has decided to move to Los Angeles for good.

for keeps

- for always, forever

He told the boy that he could have the baseball bat for keeps.

fork out

- pay, pay out

I had to fork out a lot of money to fix my car.

fork over

- hand over, give

The robber told me to fork over my money or he was going to shoot me.

for love or money

- by any means

We were unable to get him to agree to the proposal for love or money.

for once

- one time

For once he listened to what I said. Usually he ignores me.

for sure

- without doubt, certainly, surely

I will go to the movie with you for sure next week.

for that matter

- about that, with regard to that

I don't want to go shopping with you and for that matter I don't want to go anywhere with you.

for the asking

- by asking, on request

You can get a free ticket to the concert for the asking from the front office.

for the birds

- uninteresting, something you don't like

Doing the cleaning all day is really for the birds.

for the time being

- for now, for awhile

We really need a new car but for the time being we'll have to continue using the old one.

for the world

- under any conditions

I would not want to sell my car for the world.

foul up

- ruin or spoil by stupid mistake, go wrong

There was a problem with our tickets so our plans were all fouled up.

frame of mind (good or bad)

- one's mental state

He made sure his boss was in a good frame of mind before he asked him for the time off.

freak/freak out

- become angry or lose control of oneself

I freaked out when I discovered that my reservations had not been made.

free and easy

- informal

He has a free and easy attitude about his work.

free hand

- great freedom to do something

We had a free hand in designing the new sport's program for the university.

freeload

- accept food and housing at someone else's expense

He was angry at his brother because he was always freeloading and never worried about finding a job.

freeze out

- keep from a share in something by unfriendly or dishonest treatment

They froze him out of the profits that they made on the sale of land.

from hand to hand

- from one person to another and another

The plate of food went from hand to hand until finally it was all finished.

from A to Z

- know everything about something

He knows about cars from A to Z.

from the bottom of one's heart

- with great feeling, sincerely

I thanked him from the bottom of my heart for helping my daughter when she was sick.

from the heart

- sincerely, honestly

He gave her some flowers with a message straight from his heart.

from now on

- from this moment forward

From now on I will study Italian every day.

from scratch

- from the very beginning

He decided to build the house from scratch.

from time to time

- occasionally

We go to that restaurant from time to time.

from way back

- since a long time ago, for a long time

I know him from way back. In fact we went to elementary school together.

full-fledged

- complete, having everything that is needed to be something

She became a full-fledged nurse before she went to Saudi Arabia to work for a year.

full of beans

- in high spirits, energetic

She seems to be full of beans today. She must be excited about something.

fun and games

- a very difficult task (used ironically)

It was all fun and games today when I wrote my two final exams.

funny bone

- the place at the back of the elbow that tingles when hit

I hit my funny bone and it still hurts a little.

Our Selection for G

gain ground

- go forward, make progress

The toy company has been gaining ground in their effort to sell more products.

gang up on someone

- attack in a group, get together to hurt someone

The school children tried to gang up on the boy but he ran away.

gas up

- fill up a gas tank

We should gas up tonight before we leave on our holiday tomorrow.

gee whiz

- used as an exclamation to show surprise or other strong feelings

Gee whiz! Are we really going to go to go to Disneyland for our holiday?

get a break

- get an opportunity or good deal

I got a break when he sold the car for less than it was worth.

get across

- explain, make something understood

I had a hard time trying to get across to him the importance of taking care of his computer discs.

get a fix on something

- receive a reading of a distant object by electronic means

We were able to get a fix on the island and got the boat safely to the harbor.

get a grip of oneself

- take control of one's feelings

He finally got a grip of himself and calmed down.

get after someone

- urge or make someone do something he should do but has neglected

I'll get after him to fix the computer as soon as he returns.

get ahead

- advance or be successful

She really works hard at her job in order to get ahead.

get a kick out of

- enjoy

I think that my father got a kick out of seeing his old school friend.

get a load of

- take a good look at, see something

Get a load of that man over there with the four big dogs.

get along

- manage

He is able to get along on very little money.

get along

- leave

It's late so I must be getting along now.

get along with someone

- have a good relationship with someone

I don't get along very well with the new woman I work with.

get a move on

- hurry up

Please get a move on. We are already over three hours late.

get a rise out of someone

- tease, have fun with someone by making him or her angry

We really got a rise out of the teacher when we left the windows open while it was raining.

get around

- go to different places, move about

He really gets around. He has been to almost every state in the United States.

get around to

- finally find time to do something

The apartment manager finally got around to fixing the bath.

get at

- mean

I really don't know what he was trying to get at during the meeting.

get away

- succeed in leaving, escape

I was able to get away early from work today so I went shopping for awhile.

get away from it all

- go on a holiday

We want to get away from it all this summer and go and relax somewhere.

get away with murder

- do something very bad without being caught or punished

The child was able to get away with murder while the substitute teacher was at the school.

get away with something

- do something one shouldn't and not get caught at it

The criminal got away with the robbery and was never caught.

get a wiggle on

- hurry up, get going

Get a wiggle on. We have to arrive at the party before the other guests arrive.

get a word in

- find a chance to say something when others are talking

The customer couldn't get a word in while talking to the salesman so he decided to go to another company.

get a word in edgewise

- manage to break into a conversation

I couldn't get a word in edgewise so I left the meeting.

get back

- return

We got back from London early yesterday afternoon.

get back at

- do something bad to someone who has done something bad to you, hurt someone in return for something

She is very angry at her boyfriend and is getting back at him by not answering the telephone.

get behind

- go slow while doing something, be late

If you get behind in the homework you will never be able to pass the course.

get behind (a person or idea)

- support, help

They decided to get behind the main candidate when he promised to cut taxes.

get by

- satisfy your needs or demands (usually related to money)

He is able to easily get by on his salary because he doesn't spend a lot of money.

get cold feet

- become afraid at the last minute

He got cold feet and cancelled his plan to go to China.

get cracking

- hurry up, start moving fast, get started

We will have to get cracking on this work if we want to finish it before dinner.

get (someone) down

- make (someone) unhappy, cause discouragement

The long commuting time has begun to get her down so she wants to quit her job.

get down to

- get started on

Let's get down to work so we can go home early.

get down to brass tacks

- begin discussing the essential matters immediately

Let's get down to brass tacks and begin to deal with the business at hand.

get even

- get revenge

He seems to want to get even with him for their past problems.

get-go

- the beginning

Right from the get-go I never liked the way that the new manager acted.

get (someone's) goat

- annoy someone

He has been getting my goat recently and I am tired of him.

get going

- excite, stir up and make angry

Once he gets going he will never stop complaining.

get hold of (something)

- get possession of

When you get hold of a dictionary could you please let me see it for a few minutes.

get hold of (someone)

- find a person so you can speak with him or her

I tried to get hold of him last week but he was out of town.

get in on the ground floor

- start at the beginning (in hopes of future gain)

He managed to get in on the ground floor of the new company.

get in touch with someone

- contact someone

I'll get in touch with him when I arrive in New York in August.

get in the swing of things

- adapt to a new environment or situation

He got into the swing of things after the party started.

get it all together

- be in full control and possession of one's mental faculties

He finally got it all together and applied for the job at the supermarket.

get it through one's head

- understand, believe

He has got it through his head that he will get a job easily without really making an effort.

Get lost!

- go away

She told her younger brother to get lost so she could finish her homework.

get mixed up

- become confused

I'm sorry but I got mixed up with the dates. That's why I came today.

get off

- come down from or out of (a bus or train etc.)

We decided to get off the train at the station next to our regular station.

get off easy

- escape a worse punishment

The criminals got off easy even though they robbed the bank.

get off one's back

- leave someone alone and not bother them

I wish that the supervisor would get off my back.

get off one's butt

- get busy, start working

He should get off his butt and try and get a job so he will have some money.

get off on the wrong foot

- make a bad start

I got off on the wrong foot with him and our relationship never really recovered.

get off the ground

- make a successful beginning, go ahead

His new business never really got off the ground so he must look for another job.

get one's dander up

- become or make angry

You shouldn't talk to him early in the morning or you will get his dander up.

get one's feet wet

- begin, do something for the first time

He has managed to get his feet wet in the publishing business and is ready to start his own business now.

get one's own way

- cause people to do what you want

He always gets his own way with his younger brothers.

get one's rear in gear

- hurry up, get going

Let's hurry up and get our rear in gear before it is too late to go to a movie.

get on in years

- to advance in age

He is getting on in years and is not very healthy.

get on one's high horse

- behave with arrogance

He is back on his high horse and has started giving orders to everyone.

get on one's nerves

- irritate someone

His constant complaining is beginning to get on my nerves.

get out of bed on the wrong side

- be in a bad mood

I think that she got out of bed on the wrong side this morning as she hasn't said a word to anyone yet.

get out from under

- escape a situation that one doesn't like

I would like to get out from under my boss always watching my work.

get out of hand

- lose control

The going away party was beginning to get out of hand so they asked everyone to leave.

get out of the way

- be no longer an obstacle

He was unable to get out of the way of the truck and was injured.

get over something

- overcome a difficulty, recover from an illness or shock

She has been having a lot of trouble getting over her father's death.

get (something) over with

- finish, end

He wants to get his exams over with so that he can begin to relax again.

get ready

- prepare yourself

First I must get ready for work, then I will help you.

get rid of something

- give or throw something away, sell or destroy something, make a cold or fever disappear

I bought a new television set so I had to get rid of the old one.

get set

- get ready to start

We are working hard to get set for her wedding ceremony.

get the ax

- be fired

He got the ax last week and now has no job.

get the ball rolling

- start something

Let's get the ball rolling and start working.

get the better of (someone)

- win against, beat, defeat

He got the better of me and won the tennis match.

get the feel of

- become used to or learn about something

After you get the feel of the new computer it will be very easy to use.

get the goods on someone

- find out true and often bad information about someone

I think that I have finally got the goods on him and will have to talk to the police as soon as possible.

get the message

- understand clearly what is meant

I told him three times but I don't think that he really gets the message.

get the sack

- be fired or dismissed from work

I told him that if he doesn't change his work habits he will get the sack from his job.

get the show on the road

- start working on something

Let's get the show on the road and begin work for the day.

get the worst of

- be defeated or beaten, suffer most

He got the worst of the deal when the salesman sold him the used car.

get through

- succeed in passing an exam or ordeal

She has been having trouble gettting through her final exams.

get through to

- be understood by, make (someone) understand

I tried talking to her but I couldn't really get through to her.

get to

- have a chance to, be able to

I didn't get to see her last year but maybe I will have a chance this year.

get to first base

- make a good start, succeed

I tried to meet the sales manager of the company but I couldn't get to first base.

get to the bottom of

- find out the real cause

The government is trying to get to the bottom of the financial problems in the company.

get to the heart of

- understand the most important thing about something

We were in the meeting for three hours trying to get to the heart of the matter.

get under one's skin

- bother someone, upset someone

She always gets under my skin although I don't really know why I don't like her.

get up

- get out of bed, get to one's feet

I decided to get up early today so that I would be able to go fishing with my friend.

getup

- fancy dress or costume

What was that strange getup that she was wearing the other day?

get-up-and-go

- energy, enthusiasm, drive

He has lots of get-up-and-go and it is difficult to follow him around.

get up on the wrong side of the bed

- be in a bad mood

He got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and won't talk to anyone.

get up the nerve

- become brave enough

I tried to get up the nerve to ask him about the new job.

get what's coming to one

- receive the good or bad that one deserves

He got what was coming to him when he was sent to jail for two years.

get wind of

- hear about something

I got wind of the company expansion from my friend.

get wise to something/somebody

- learn about something kept secret

He finally got wise to the fact that they were stealing his money.

get with it

- pay attention, get busy

I told him to get with it or he would get in trouble with the boss.

(not a) ghost of a chance

- very little, (not even) the smallest chance

He doesn't have a ghost of a chance to finish the book in time for his class.

gift of the gab

- be good at talking

He has a real gift of the gab and is great at parties.

give (someone) a hard time

- make trouble for someone, tease

She was giving her boyfriend a hard time about his new haircut.

give-and-take

- sharing, giving and receiving back and forth between people

You must be willing to give-and-take if you want to have a good marriage.

giveaway

- an open secret, a sale where items are sold very cheap

His speech was a giveaway. Now I know that he is planning to retire.

give away

- give something to someone

I decided to give away my bicycle because I didn't need it anymore.

give away

- let (a secret) become known

I tried to stop her before she gave away my plans to go to Mexico for a holiday.

give a wide birth to

- keep away from, keep a safe distance from

I usually give a wide birth to my boss when he is angry.

give chase

- chase or run after someone or something

The police gave chase to the man who robbed the store.

give free rein to

- allow to move about or to do something with freedom

He was given free rein in his new job to do what he wanted.

give ground

- move back, retreat, stop opposing someone

He refused to give ground on his plans to change the system of office management.

give in

- give someone his own way, stop opposing someone

The company gave in to the union's demand for more money.

give it to

- punish, scold

He really gave it to his son when he came back late with the car.

give off

- send out, let out, put forth

The garbage was beginning to give off a bad smell because of the hot weather.

give oneself away

- show guilt, show one has done wrong

She gave herself away when she said that she hadn't seen her boyfriend but he had already said that he had met her earlier.

give oneself up

- surrender, stop hiding or running away

The robbers gave themselves up when the police surrounded the house.

give oneself up to

- let oneself enjoy, not hold oneself back from

He gave himself up to enjoy the party although he was feeling sick.

give one's right arm

- give something of great value

I would give my right arm to be able to go to Italy with the rest of the group.

give or take

- plus or minus a small amount

I think that he is about 45 years old give or take 5 years.

give out

- give to people, distribute

We gave out more than 600 free baseball caps at the shopping center.

give out

- fail

We went hiking last week but my legs gave out so we had to return early.

give out

- be finished, be gone

We went on a week-long backpacking trip but our food gave out after only three days.

give out

- let escape

She gave out a loud yell when she saw the big spider.

give pause to

- cause one to stop and think

His problems should give you pause to think a little more carefully about what you do.

give rise to

- be the cause of something

The problems with the heating system gave rise to a lot of other problems that we had to solve.

give someone a hand

- help someone with something

Please give me a hand to move this piano.

give someone an inch and they will take a mile

- if you give someone a little they will want more and more, some people are never satisfied

If you give him an inch he will take a mile so you shouldn't give him any more money.

give someone a piece of your mind

- scold or become angry with someone

When I met her yesterday I really gave her a piece of my mind.

give someone enough rope and they will hang themself

- give someone enough time and freedom to do what they want and they will make a mistake or get into trouble and be caught

Don't worry about trying to control him. If you give him enough rope he will hang himself.

give someone one's word

- make a promise or assurance

He gave me his word that he would meet me at the library.

give someone the ax

- fire an employee (usually abruptly)

He gave the new employee the ax because he was always late.

give someone the benefit of the doubt

- believe someone is innocent rather than guilty when you are not sure

I gave him the benefit of the doubt but I still think that he is a liar.

give someone the cold shoulder

- be unfriendly to someone

He gave her the cold shoulder at the party.

give someone the eye

- look or stare at someone (especially in a cold or unfriendly way)

The man in the store began to give me the eye so I left.

give someone the green light

- give permission to go ahead with a project

He has been given the green light to begin work on the new housing plan.

give someone their due

- give someone the credit that they deserve

You have to give him his due. He has successfully saved the company from bankruptcy.

give someone the slip

- escape from someone

The bank robbers were able to give the police the slip at first but they were soon caught.

give the devil his due

- be fair (even to someone who is bad and who you dislike)

I don't like to work with him at all as I think he is lazy. Still you have to give the devil his due because he always gets the job done.

give it your best shot

- try very hard

Although he didn't have enough experience he decided to apply for the job and give it his best shot.

give to understand

- make a person understand by telling him very plainly or boldly

I was given to understand that I could rent an apartment very easily here.

give up

- abandon, stop

He has decided to give up his plan to work in Hong Kong for a year.

give up the ghost

- stop working, die

My old car finally gave up the ghost so I must buy another one.

(don't) give up the ship

- (don't) stop fighting and surrender, (don't) stop trying or hoping to do something

Please don't give up the ship and quit this company. I am sure you still have a useful role to play.

give voice to

- tell what one feels or thinks

He has begun to give voice to his feelings about the new office building.

give way

- collapse, fail

The dam gave way and the water flooded the farmland below.

glad hand

- a friendly handshake, a warm greeting

The politician spent the morning glad handing the people at the shopping center.

gloss over

- try to make what is wrong or bad seem right or not important, hide

The accountant tried to gloss over the money that they lost last year.

go about

- be busy with, start working on

He has been going about his business all morning although he is feeling sick.

go after

- try to get

The police decided to go after the people who were speeding near the school.

go ahead

- begin to do something, not wait

Let's go ahead and start now. We can't wait for him any longer.

go along

- move along, continue

He invented the story as he went along.

go along

- agree, co-operate

They went along with his idea about having a party on the weekend.

go ape

- become very excited or behave in a crazy way

He went ape when he heard about the money that I had spent.

go around

- go from one place or person to another

We decided to go around from one shop to another until we found a good present.

go around in circles

- without getting anywhere, uselessly

He has been going around in circles for weeks now and still hasn't made any progress with his essay.

go at

- fight with, attack, argue

When I entered the room they were going at it loudly.

go at it hammer and tongs

- fight with great strength or energy, have a bad argument

They were going at it hammer and tongs when the police came to their house.

go back on

- turn against, not be faithful to

He promised not to go back on his word about the discount tickets.

go broke

- lose all of one's money

His company went broke so he quickly lost his job.

go Dutch

- two people each pay for themselves

We always go Dutch when we go on a date.

go for

- try to get, try for

I have decided to go for the new job at the computer center.

go for broke

- risk everything on one big effort, try as hard as possible

They are going for broke trying to win the new contract.

go from bad to worse

- get worse, deteriorate

Things are going from bad to worse in the company.

go-getter

- a person who works hard to become successful, an ambitious person

He is a go-getter. He always works hard and has lots of money because of that.

go great guns

- do something very fast or very hard, successfully

The workers were going great guns fixing the building when I saw them this morning.

go halves

- share equally

We have decided to go halves on buying a new computer.

go haywire

- become damaged, stop working properly

At first everything was going well but later all the plans began to go haywire.

go in for

- decide to do (something), take part in

He is going to university and has decided to go in for medicine.

going for (someone)

- in one's favor

She should do very well as she has many good things going for her.

go into orbit

- lose one's temper, become very angry

He went into orbit when he heard about the missing money.

go jump in a lake

- go away and quit bothering someone

She asked me to borrow some money but I told her to go jump in a lake because she never paid me back before.

golden opportunity

- excellent and rare opportunity

The heat wave was a golden opportunity for the ice cream seller to make money.

good deal

- good quality and a cheap price

You can usually get a good deal on stereos at that discount store.

Good grief!

- used to show surprise (good or bad)

Good grief! It's 6:00 and I have not finished this job yet.

good riddance

- used when you lose something and you are happy about it

Good riddance he said when the computer broke down and he had to buy another one.

good riddance to bad rubbish

- used to show you are glad that someone or something has been taken or sent away

Good riddance to bad rubbish! I never liked him and I am glad that he has finally left.

good sport

- person who loses well

He is a very good sport and never complains about losing.

go off

- leave, depart

He went off on a trip and he never even bothered to phone and say good-bye.

go off

- explode, be ignited

The firecracker went off in his hand before he had a chance to put it down.

go off

- begin to ring or buzz

The fire alarm started to go off just as we entered the building.

go off half-cocked

- act or speak before being ready

He always goes off half-cocked when he is at a meeting.

go off the deep end

- give way to emotion

He went off the deep end when he saw the picture in the paper.

goof off

- fool around, not work or be serious

He has been goofing off all afternoon and has not got any work done.

go on

- continue

The game went on for about an hour after I left.

go on

- talk for too long

He started to go on about his problems so I finally left.

go on

- put on, fit on

The top of the jar wouldn't go on so I threw it away.

go (someone) one better

- do something better than someone else, do more or be better than someone

I decided to go him one better and buy a bigger present for my girlfriend.

go one's own way

- go or act the way one wants

He has decided to go his own way and will start his own business next year.

go out of one's way

- make an extra effort

She went out of her way to help me when I visited her in October.

go out the window

- be abandoned, go out of effect

The school dress code went out the window when the new principal took over.

go out with (someone)

- date or be dating someone

She went out with him for two years before they got married.

go over

- examine

The accountant will come to go over the books tomorrow.

go over well

- be liked, be successful

I am sure that the party will go over well. You have done a lot of preparation for it.

go overboard

- do something in excess

He really went overboard with the birthday party.

go steady

- go on dates with the same person all the time, date just one person

My sister has been going steady with the same person for two years.

go straight

- become an honest person, lead an honest life

He was in prison for awhile but has recently decided to go straight.

got a thing going

- be engaged in a pleasureable activity with someone else as a partner (in romance or business)

He has a thing going with computer repairs and is making a lot of extra money.

go the whole hog

- make a thorough job of something

They really went the whole hog in their efforts to welcome the foreign visitors.

go through

- examine or think about carefully, search

The police went through his house to look for a gun.

go through

- experience, suffer, live through

He has been through many hard times since he lost his job.

go through

- be allowed, pass, be agreed upon

The law finally went through Congress last week.

go through changes

- be involved in changing circumstances

She has been going through many changes since her divorce.

go through with

- finish, do as planned or agreed

He has decided to go through with his plans to go back to school.

go to one's head

- become conceited

He new position has really gone to his head and he won't speak to us any longer.

go to pieces

- lose your self-control

She went to pieces when she received the letter about her father's death.

go to pot

- deteriorate

The business has really gone to pot since he became president.

go to rack and ruin

- reach a very bad state of repair

The building has gone to rack and ruin since the new owners took over.

go to town

- work fast or hard, do something with much energy

They really went to town last night and finished painting the bedroom.

go up in smoke/flames

- burn or be destroyed by fire, fail, not come true (dreams)

His plans to open a new restaurant have gone up in smoke since he lost his job.

go without saying

- be so easy to see that it doesn't have to be mentioned

He is a hard worker so it goes without saying that his boss is very happy with him.

grasp at straws

- try something with little hope of succeeding, depend on something that is useless in a time of trouble

He is grasping at straws. He will never find enough money to pay next month's rent.

grass is always greener on the other side

- a place or thing that is far away or different seems better than what we have or where we are

She is always moving or changing jobs as she thinks that the grass is always greener on the other side.

gravy train

- job that gives one a lot of money compared with what you do

The cleaning contract was really a gravy train. We only worked for 3 hours but we got paid for 8 hours.

grease one's palm

- give money or pay for some special favor

We had to grease the border guard's palm in order to enter the country.

greasy spoon

- a small, cheap eating place with basic but not-so-good food

We had to go to a greasy spoon for breakfast as all the other restaurants were closed.

green

- be inexperienced or immature

He is a little green and doesn't know the job very well.

green thumb

- skill in making plants grow

He has a real green thumb and has a beautiful garden.

green with envy

- very jealous, full of envy

The little girl was green with envy when she saw her friend's new bicycle.

grind to a halt

- slow down and stop (like a machine when it is turned off)

The city ground to a halt when the power went off for five hours.

ground floor

- the first or best chance - especially in a business

The video store was a good investment so I was happy to get in on the ground floor.

gum up

- cause not to work, ruin something, make something go wrong

The computer printer seemed to have become gummed up just as I was about to print my resume.

gun for someone

- look hard for a chance to harm or defeat someone

My supervisor has been gunning for me for a long time but I don't really know why.

gun for something

- try very hard to get (prize or promotion etc.)

He has been gunning for the new sales job for a long time.

gung-ho

- enthusiastic, full of eagerness

She is really gung-ho about her new job at the library.

Our Selection for H

had better

- should do something

I'd better go now or I'll be late for class.

hair stand on end

- become frightened or afraid of something

My hair stood on end when I saw the aftermath of the automobile accident.

hale and hearty

- in very good health, well and strong

My uncle is a hale and hearty fellow who never gets sick.

half-baked

- foolish

I didn't really like his half-baked idea about the new delivery system.

half the battle

- a large part of the work

Sending the letters out will be half the battle. We can finish the rest of the work next week.

hammer out

- remove, work out by discussion and debate

The union and managers were able to hammer out an agreement before midnight last night.

hand down

- arrange to give something to someone after your death

My grandmother handed down her silver jewellery to my mother.

hand in

- give to someone, hand to someone

I went to the company early to hand in my job application.

hand it to (someone)

- give credit or praise to someone

You have to hand it to him - he worked hard and was very successful with his business.

handle with kid gloves

- be very careful handling someone or something

He is very sensitive so you have to handle him with kid gloves when you speak to him.

hand-me-down

- something given away after another person doesn't need it (especially clothing)

She was very poor when she was a child and always wore hand-me-down clothing.

hand out

- give things of the same kind to several people

The teacher decided not to hand out the tests until everyone in the class stopped talking.

hand-out

- a gift - usually from the government

The government stopped giving hand-outs to the university students as they said they had no money.

hand-out

- sheet of paper given to students or people who attend a meeting etc.

Everyone at the meeting was given a hand-out on how to save and invest money.

hand over

- give control or possession to someone, give something to another person

The criminals were forced to hand over the stolen money to the police.

hand over fist

- rapidly

His new company is making money hand over fist.

(one's) hands are tied

- unable to help

I'm sorry that I can't help you with the job but my hands are tied at the moment.

hands down

- easy, unopposed

They won the game hands down over the other team.

hands off

- leave alone, don't interfere

The government decided to take a hands-off approach to the teachers during the strike.

hand something to someone on a silver platter

- give a person something that has not been earned

He was handed a great job on a silver platter and never had to make any effort at all.

hand to mouth

- having only enough money for basic living

He was living a hand to mouth existence until he was finally able to find a job.

handwriting on the wall

- a sign that something bad will happen

The handwriting is on the wall. Business conditions are bad so probably nobody will get a pay raise this year.

handy

- can easily fix things

He is very handy around the house and is always fixing or building something.

hang around

- pass time or stay someplace without any real purpose or aim

We decided to stay home and hang around on Sunday rather than go out to the game.

hang back

- stay some distance behind or away, hesitate or be unwilling to do something

He lacks self-confidence and always hangs back when his boss asks for volunteers.

hang by a thread

- be in doubt, depend on a very small thing

The outcome of the election hung by a thread until the last two or three hours.

hang in the balance

- have two equally possible results, be uncertain

After the opposition party won the election whether or not the new highway will be built hangs in the balance.

hang in (there)

- persevere, don't give up

You should hang in there and don't quit your job just because you don't like the supervisor.

Hang it!

- a rather old expression used to express annoyance or disappointment

"Hang it", he said when he hit his finger with the hammer.

hang on

- continue

Although business was very bad he decided to hang on and fight to keep his business going.

hang on

- wait, continue listening on the telephone

Hang on for a minute while I go and get some paper and a pen.

hang one on

- get very drunk

He really hung one on last night after he heard about his promotion.

hang on to

- hold tightly, keep firmly

Please hang on to your hats or the strong wind will blow them off.

hang out

- spend one's time idly or lounging about, spend time with someone or a group of people

Recently his brother has been hanging out with a group of people who are not a good influence on him.

hang out one's shingle

- notify the public of the opening of an office - especially a doctor's or lawyer's office

He has decided to hang out his own shingle now that he has graduated from law school.

hang up

- place on a hook, peg or hangar

Everyone was forced to hang up their jackets before they entered the room.

hang up

- place a telephone receiver back on the telephone and break the connection

After he hung up the telephone he left to go to work.

hang-up

- a delay in some process

There was a hang-up in the construction of the office tower because of the fire.

hang-up

- an inhibition, a neurotic reaction to some life situation

She has a serious hang-up about the dark and is afraid to go out alone at night.

happy hour

- a time in bars or restaurants when drinks are served at a discount

We stopped at the restaurant during happy hour and had a couple of drinks.

hard and fast rule

- rules that cannot be altered to fit special cases

There is no hard and fast rule that says you can't use a cellular phone in the train.

hard as nails

- physically very fit and strong, rough, stern

He is as hard as nails and is not a good person to have an argument with.

hard feelings

- anger or bitterness

I don't have any hard feelings toward him even though he fired me.

hard-nosed

- not weak or soft, stubborn - especially in a fight, contest or negotiations

The company had a hard-nosed attitude while bargaining with the union.

hard nut to crack

- a person or thing not easily understood or influenced

He is a hard nut to crack and is not close to many people.

hard on (someone/something)

- treat something/someone roughly

His son is very hard on shoes.

hard pressed

- burdened with urgent business

I am a little hard pressed for time. Can we meet later?

hard sell

- selling something very aggressively and with great eagerness

I didn't like their hard sell attitude at the car dealership so I went to another dealer.

hard up

- short of money

I am hard up for money at the moment so I can't go to the movie.

harp on

- talk repeatedly and tediously about something

He has been harping on his lack of money for a few months now.

hassle

- bothersome

It is a real hassle to have to report to him two times a day.

hatchet man

- a politician etc. whose job it is to say negative things about the opposition, a person in a company who must fire extra workers or cut other expenses etc.

He is acting as a hatchet man for the leader but I don't think that he really believes what he is saying.

hate one's guts

- feel very strong dislike for someone

I absolutely hate her guts after she caused me so many problems at my company.

have a ball

- have a good time

She had a ball at the party last night.

have a crush on

- be attracted to someone

Her sister has had a crush on him for a long time.

have a fit

- become upset

She had a fit when she saw what her son did to the car.

have a go at

- try something especially after others have tried it

I decided to have a go at applying for the job after my boss recommended me.

have a hand in

- be partly responsible for something

I think that she had a hand in getting her friend fired from her job.

have a head on one's shoulders

- be smart or sensible

That new salesman really has a head on his shoulders.

have an edge on

- have an advantage (over someone)

Their team has an edge on the race to win the high school football championship.

have an eye for

- have good taste in something, be able to judge correctly

She has an eye for nice furniture and her apartment is absolutely beautiful.

(not) have anything to do with someone

- (not) want to be a friend of or work or have business with someone

My father will not have anything to do with the salesman because he sold him the faulty car.

have a screw loose

- act in a strange way, be foolish

He is a really strange person. I think that he has a screw loose somewhere.

have a time

- have trouble, have a hard time

She really had a time last night when her car stopped working completely

have a time

- have a good time, have fun

We really had a time at the party last night.

have a way with

- be able to lead, persuade or influence others

The little girl really has a way with horses. They are very gentle when she is around.

have a word with

- converse briefly

I will have a word with him before he goes home tonight.

have been around

- have been to many places and done many things, be experienced

My brother has really been around and has been overseas many times.

have dibs on

- demand a share of something or be in line to use something

I have dibs on the computer and would like to use it as soon as possible.

have egg on one's face

- be embarrassed

He really has egg on his face after finding out about his mistake.

have eyes only for

- give all one's attention to, be interested only in

She has eyes only for her boyfriend.

have half a mind

- feel tempted or inclined to do something

I have half a mind to go and offer my resignation to the president.

have had it (with someone or something)

- can't tolerate anymore

I have really had it with her constant complaining.

have in mind

- intend, plan

What do you have in mind for your wife's birthday?

have it

- hear or get news, understand

I have it that the new president will be coming to see us next week.

have it

- claim, say

Rumor has it that three of the supervisors will be leaving next week.

have it

- allow (usually used with will or would)

We wanted to have a party at our office next month but our boss won't have it.

have it

- get or find the answer

I think I finally have it. The reason she is leaving is because she is going to have a baby.

have it both ways

- do two things, have both things

You can't have it both ways. You must choose one or the other.

have it coming

- deserve a punishment

He really has it coming to him after causing the problems in the company.

have it in for someone

- show ill will or dislike a person

I have been having problems at work recently because I think that the new supervisor has it in for me.

have it made

- be successful, have everything

He really has it made with his new job.

have it out with someone

- settle or discuss something with someone angrily

I had it out with her yesterday over the problem with the money.

have on

- be wearing something

What did she have on when you last saw her?

have one's ass in a sling

- be in an uncomfortable predicament, be at a disadvantage

He really has his ass in a sling now that he has quit his job and can't find another one.

have one's eye on

- have a wish for something, have as an aim, look or think about something

I want to buy a nice present for my girlfriend so I have my eye on a nice dress that I saw at the department store last week.

have one's feet on the ground

- be practical or sensible

The new sales manager really has his feet on the ground.

have one's heart set on something

- want something very much

The child has his heart set on getting a new bicycle for his birthday.

have over

- invite someone to your house

We will have you over when we settle into our new house.

have rocks in one's head

- be stupid, not have good judgement

She really has rocks in her head. She should never have bought that old car.

have (something) going for one

- have ability, talent or good looks

She has a lot going for her and I am sure that she will get the new job.

have something on someone

- have information or proof that someone did sometning wrong

I think that the police have something on him and that is why he wants to quit his job.

have something on the ball

- be smart, clever, skilled

She really has a lot on the ball. She should do well in whatever she chooses to do.

have something up one's sleeve

- something kept secretly ready for the right time

I'm not too worried about the meeting as I have something up my sleeve if they try to cause any more problems.

have sticky fingers

- be a thief

He was fired because of his sticky fingers at the cash register.

have the last laugh

- make someone seem foolish for having laughed at you first

I had the last laugh when I was able to get home early while everyone else had to stay overnight at the airport because of the storm.

have (got) to

- obliged or forced to, must

I have to leave at 4 o'clock or I will be late for my appointment.

have to do with

- be about or on the subject or connected with something

The book has something to do with cooking but I am not sure if you will like it.

have two strikes against one

- have things working against one, be in a difficult situation

He already has two strikes against him and it will be very difficult for him to get the job.

haywire

- broken or confused

The plan went haywire when their directions became confused.

head above water

- out of difficulty, clear of trouble

Although he works very hard he is not able to keep his head above water financially.

head-hunting

- search for qualified individuals to fill certain positions

The head-hunting company has phoned me several times about getting a new job.

head in the clouds

- daydreaming

He always has his head in the clouds and can never answer a question easily.

head off

- get in front of and stop, turn back

In the western movie the soldiers went to head off the gang at the mountain pass.

head off

- block, stop, prevent

They were able to head off a strike by the union at the last minute.

head-on

- front end to front end, with the front facing

There was a serious head-on crash on the highway last night.

head-on

- in a way that is exactly opposite, opposed to someone in an argument or fight

They decided to deal with their opponents in a head-on manner in order to win the battle.

head out

- leave, start out

It is time that we head out for the movie now or we will be late.

head over heels

- upside down, head first

He fell head over heels when his bicycle hit the wall.

head over heels

- completely, deeply

She fell head over heels in love with the guy that she met at the party.

head shrinker

- psychiatrist

The criminal had to go and see a head shrinker after the judge sentenced him to life in prison.

head start

- to leave or start something before others

They left early in order to get a head start on the trip.

head up

- be at the head of (a group), a leader

The president headed up a group of people going overseas to promote trade.

hear from

- receive a letter/phone call/news from someone

I haven't heard from my university roommate for over one year.

heart goes out to someone

- one feels sympathy for someone

My heart went out to the victims of the railway accident.

heart is in the right place

- be kindhearted, sympathetic, have good intentions

He makes some serious mistakes sometimes but his heart is in the right place.

heart of gold

- a kind, generous or forgiving personality

My grandmother has a heart of gold and everyone loves her.

heart of stone

- someone with a nature with no pity

She has a heart of stone and is not at all interested in how other people feel.

heart skip a beat

- be startled or excited from surprise, joy or fright

My heart skipped a beat when the truck almost hit us last night.

heart stands still

- be very frightened or worried

My heart stood still when I heard the story about the little boy and the fire.

heart-to-heart

- honest or intimate

They had a heart-to-heart talk before they decided to get married.

heavy heart

- a feeling of sadness or unhappiness

He seems to have a heavy heart now that his wife has died.

hedge in

- keep from getting out or moving freely, block in

My car was hedged in by the other cars and I was unable to move it this morning.

hell and high water

- troubles or difficulties of any kind

They went through hell and high water in order to get the food to the flood victims.

hell-on-wheels

- a short-tempered, nagging or crabby person

She is hell-on-wheels in the morning so you should be careful of her.

helter-skelter

- in a confusing group, in disorder

When we arrived at work we found all of the files scattered helter-skelter over the floor.

hem and haw

- avoid giving a clear answer, be evasive in speech

He hemmed and hawed when I asked him if he knew where the missing money was.

here and now

- immediately

I want you to do that work right here and now.

here and there

- in various places, go to various places

We went here and there during our holidays.

here goes

- ready to begin while hoping for the best

Well, here goes. I am going to go and ask her for a date right now.

here goes nothing

- ready to begin - but it will be a waste of time and will probably fail

Here goes nothing. I have already asked him to lend me some money and he always says no but I'll try again.

hide (bury) one's head in the sand

- keep from knowing something dangerous or unpleasant

He hates to talk about important matters and hides his head in the sand when I try to talk to him.

high and dry

- stranded, out of the current of events

They left him high and dry when they moved the company to Europe.

high and low

- every place

We looked high and low for her watch but we couldn't find it.

high and mighty

- arrogant

He has a high and mighty attitude to all of his employees.

high gear

- top speed, full activity

The preparations for his visit have been going in high gear all week.

high-handed

- bossy, dictatorial, depending on force rather than what is right

My supervisor always takes a high-handed approach when dealing with her employees.

(the) high life

- a luxurious existence

They have been living the high life since they moved to Las Vegas.

high seas

- the ocean (away from the coast)

The crew of the ship spent three months on the high seas before going to shore for a visit.

(be in) high spirits

- have energy, be cheerful

They are in high spirits since their home team won the tournament.

high time

- the time before something should already have been done

It is high time that we spent some time cleaning up our house.

highway robbery

- an extremely high price for something

The price that we had to pay for the theater tickets was highway robbery.

hire out

- accept a job, take employment

He decided to hire himself out as a dancer while he was going to school.

hire out

- rent to someone

We rented out our boat last summer because we were too busy to use it.

hit and miss

- unplanned, uncontrolled, aimless, careless

We are looking for a new apartment but it seems to be hit and miss whether we can find a good one.

hit-and-run

- an accident where the driver of the car drives away without leaving his address

My sister was involved in a hit-and-run accident last Sunday afternoon.

hit-and-run

- striking suddenly and leaving quickly

The army made a hit-and-run attack on the enemy soldiers.

hit bottom

- be at the very lowest, not be able to go any lower

The economy hit bottom last year but is finally starting to improve.

hitch one's wagon to a star

- aim high, follow a great ambition or purpose

He wants to hitch his wagon to a star and pursue his dreams of becoming an actor.

hither and thither

- in one direction and then in another

He looked hither and thither when he discovered that he had lost his wallet.

hit it off with someone

- get along well with someone

We really hit it off at the party.

hit on/upon

- find what you want or think of something by chance

We hit upon the idea of going to the lake for our holiday after our airline reservations were cancelled.

hit parade

- a list of songs arranged in order of popularity

We listened to all the songs on the hit parade last night.

hit someone between the eyes

- make a strong impression on someone, surprise greatly

Her incredible performance really hit me between the eyes.

hit the books

- study or prepare for class

He stayed home all weekend and hit the books.

hit the bottle

- drink alcohol (usually a negative meaning)

She started to hit the bottle soon after her divorce.

hit the bull's-eye

- go to the most important part of a matter, reach the main question

She hit the bull's-eye when she suggested that decreasing costs was more important than increasing sales.

hit the ceiling

- get angry

His wife is going to hit the ceiling when she sees the bill for the car repair.

hit the deck

- get up from bed, start working

Let's hit the deck and get this work done before supper.

hit the dirt

- fall on the ground and take cover under gunfire

We were told to hit the dirt during the bank robbery.

hit the hay

- go to bed

I decided to hit the hay early last night because I was very tired.

hit the high spots

- consider or mention only the more important parts of something

He only had time to hit the high spots in his report but still it was very interesting.

hit the jackpot

- be very lucky or successful

She hit the jackpot when she went to Las Vegas last weekend.

hit the nail on the head

- make a correct guess or analysis

He really hit the nail on the head when he wrote the report about the bank's problems.

hit the road

- leave - usually in a car

We should hit the road early tomorrow morning if we want to reach the seashore before evening.

hit the roof

- become very angry, go into a rage

He hit the roof when he found out that his son had wrecked the family car.

hit the sack

- go to bed

I'm a little bit tired so I think that I will hit the sack now.

hit the sauce

- drink alcohol - usually heavily and regularly

He has been hitting the sauce now for a couple of months although he says that he doesn't drink.

hit the spot

- refresh or satisfy

Drinking the lemonade after the baseball game really hit the spot.

hold a candle to

- be in the same class or level with (used with a negative usually), can be compared with

As far as good service goes that restaurant can't hold a candle to the one that I usually go to.

hold a grudge

- not forgive someone for something

He has been holding a grudge against the company manager for a number of years.

hold all the trump cards

- have the best chance of winning, have full control

It will be difficult to do well in the negotiations with him as he holds all the trump cards.

hold back

- stay back or away, show unwillingness, prevent someone from doing something

He always holds back during meetings and never says anything.

hold court

- act like a king or queen among their subjects

He always acts like he is holding court among his subjects when I see him in his office.

hold down

- keep in obedience, keep control of

The government was able to hold down the people for many years but finally they revolted and got rid of the government.

hold down a job

- keep a job

He has a serious drinking problem and is unable to hold down a job.

hold forth

- offer, propose

The company held forth a promise to give all of the employees an extra bonus in the summer.

hold forth

- speak in public, talk about

He was holding forth about taxes again last night when I saw him in his office.

hold good

- continue, endure, last

The demand for air conditioners held good during July but decreased rapidly in August.

hold off

- delay, not begin

The concert will be held off until next week.

hold off

- keep away by force

The man was able to hold off the police for several hours before he was arrested.

hold on

- wait a minute, stop, wait and not hang up the phone

Please hold on for a minute while I go back and lock the window.

hold one's breath

- stop breathing for a moment when one is excited or nervous

I had to stop and hold my breath while I was waiting for the announcement of the winning names.

hold one's fire

- keep back arguments or facts, keep from telling something

You should hold your fire during the meeting and save the rest of the information until next week.

hold one's horses

- stop and wait patiently

Hold your horses for a minute while I return to get my wallet.

hold one's own (in an argument)

- defend one's position

Although her boss is very aggressive she is always able to hold her own in any dispute with him.

hold one's peace

- be silent and not speak against something, be still

Please try and hold your peace during the meeting as it will be to our disadvantage if we have a confrontation.

hold one's tongue

- keep quiet

He decided to hold his tongue rather than give his honest opinion.

hold on to

- continue to hold or keep, hold tightly

Hold on to your bag when you are in the bus or someone may try and steal it.

hold out

- reach out, extend

She held out her hand to help her daughter climb up the stairs.

hold-out

- someone who refuses to give something up, a non-conformist

He was the last hold-out in our effort to make sure that everyone wore a necktie to work.

hold out for something

- refuse to give up, keep resisting

The famous basketball star is holding out for a large salary increase.

hold out on

- refuse something to a person

He is holding out on me and wont give me the latest sales figures.

hold over

- extend the engagement of, keep longer

The movie was held over for another week.

hold something back

- keep information or something to or for oneself

He is holding back the information about the new computer system.

hold still

- not move

Please hold still while I fix your jacket zipper.

hold the fort

- cope in an emergency, act as a temporary substitute

He has been holding the fort at his company while his boss is on vacation.

hold the line

- not yield to pressure or something

The company has been holding the line on any new salary increases.

hold the reins

- be the most influential person

He has been holding the reins in his company for many years.

hold up

- lift, raise

The students hold up their hands when they have a question.

hold up

- support, carry

The main beams in the house are holding up the total weight of the house.

hold up

- check, stop, delay

The traffic was held up for over three hours at the border crossing.

hold up

- rob at gunpoint

The criminal was able to hold up three people before he was caught.

hold up

- keep up one's courage or spirits

Her spirits are holding up quite well even though she does not have a job now.

hold up

- remain good, not get worse

Sales during the first six months of the year have held up very well compared to last year.

hold up

- prove true

Her story held up during the questioning by the police.

hold-up

- a robbery

He was involved in a hold-up when he was in the supermarket last weekend.

hold water

- be a sound idea

His proposal for a new work scheduling system doesn't hold water.

hole in the wall

- a small place to live, stay in or work in; small hidden or inferior place

We went for a drink at a little hole in the wall near the university last night.

holier-than-thou

- acting as if one is better than others in goodness or character etc.

I don't like him because he always takes a holier-than-thou attitude toward everyone else.

holy cats

- used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger

Holy cats he said as he looked out and saw the water rising in the river.

holy cow

- used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger

Holy cow! There are over one hundred people standing in front of our house.

holy mackerel

- used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger

"Holy mackerel," cried the little boy when he saw the new bicycle he got for his birthday.

holy Moses

- used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger

Holy Moses! It is already noon and I haven't even started work yet.

holy terror

- a very disobedient or unruly child

The little boy is a holy terror and his parents never want to take him anywhere.

honeymoon is over

- the first happy period of friendship and cooperation between two groups is over

The honeymoon was over for the new President after about two months.

honky-tonk

- a cheap night-club or dance hall

We went to a small honky-tonk in the small town where we stopped last night.

hook, line and sinker

- without question or doubt, completely

She fell in love with her new boyfriend hook, line and sinker.

hook up

- connect or fit together

As soon as we moved to our new apartment we had to hook up the phone.

hook-up

- a connection

The new hook-up for the computer is not working very well.

hope against hope

- continue to hope when things look very bad

The rescue team were hoping against hope that the lost hikers would be found alive.

hop to it

- get started, start a job, get going

We must hop to it and try to get this job done before dinner.

hopped up

- high on a drug or on alcohol

The man who tried to rob the store was hopped up on some kind of drug.

horn in on

- come in without an invitation or welcome, interfere

He horned in on our conversation although he knows that nobody likes him.

horse around

- play around, join in rough teasing

The children were horsing around in the school yard when the bell rang for class.

horse of a different color

- something altogether separate and different

We should not be talking about that issue now. It is a horse of a different color entirely.

horse sense

- good judgement, wisdom in making decisions

He has a lot of good horse sense so you can expect him to make an intelligent decision.

horse trade

- business agreement arrived at after hard negotiations

We had to do a lot of horse trading but we were finally able to reach an agreement to buy the antique car.

hot air

- nonsense, exaggerated talk

He is full of hot air and you can't rely on what he usually says.

hot and bothered

- excited and worried, displeased

I don't know what is wrong with her but she is hot and bothered about something.

a hot potato

- a situation likely to cause trouble to the person handling it

The issue of the non-union workers is a real hot potato that we must deal with.

hot rod

- an automobile changed so that it can go very fast

He has always loved cars and was a member of his local hot rod club when he was a teenager.

hot water

- trouble

He has been in hot water at work since he took a week off with no excuse.

house of cards

- something badly put together and easily knocked down, a poorly founded plan/action

The peace agreement between the two countries was like a house of cards and fell apart as soon as a minor problem occurred.

how about

- will you have something or will you agree to something

How about some coffee before we go to work?

how about

- what is to be done about something

We can't use her computer but how about one of the other staff members?

how about

- how do you feel about/think about something

She is not interested in the job but how about one of her friends?

how come

- why

How come you don't telephone her if you want to talk to her so much?

how's that

- what did you say

How's that? I couldn't hear you because the radio was too loud.

hue and cry

- an excited protest or alarm or outcry

They raised a big hue and cry when they realized that we had failed to notify the bank about our financial problems.

hush-hush

- something kept secret or hidden, concealed

What is the big hush-hush? Everyone seems to be very quiet this morning.

hush up

- keep news of something from getting out, prevent people from knowing about something

The government tried to hush up the bad economic figures but the news media soon discovered the facts.

hush up

- be or make quiet, stop talking/crying/making noise

The child was told to hush up by her mother when they were in the department store.

hyped-up

- have an excess of energy, be excited

She has been hyped up all morning because she will go to Italy for a holiday next week.

Our Selection for I

idiot box

- television set

He sits in front of the idiot box all day and never gets any work done.

if the shoe fits, wear it

- if what is being said in general describes you then it probably means you

He was complaining that most of the workers at his company were lazy. However his friend looked at him and said that if the shoe fits, wear it.

if worst comes to worst

- if the worst possible thing happens

If worst comes to worst we can cancel our holiday and go next year.

ill at ease

- feel nervous/uncomfortable

He appeared to be ill at ease during the interview.

in a bind

- in trouble

They will really be in a bind if they can't sell their house by next month.

in advance

- ahead of time

They bought the tickets in advance so that they could get a good seat.

in a family way

- pregnant, going to have a baby

Our new secretary is in a family way and plans to take a few months off from work soon.

in a fog (haze)

- confused, not sure what is happening

He is always in a fog and never seems to know what is going on.

in a hole

- in some trouble, in an embarrassing or difficult position

He is really in a hole now that he has problems both at work and at home.

in a hurry

- a need to move or act quickly

He is very busy and always in a hurry.

in a jam

- in trouble

He is really in a jam now that his car is not working properly.

in a kind (sort) of way

- to a certain extent, a little, somewhat

I would like to go in a kind of way but still I don't think that I will bother going today.

in and out

- coming in and going out often

He has been in and out all day but I don't know where he is at the moment.

in a nutshell

- briefly

I tried to explain the problem to him in a nutshell but there still wasn't enough time.

in any case (event)

- no matter what happens, surely, without fail

I may not be able to meet you next week but in any case I will still give you the books before then.

in a pig's eye

- hardly, unlikely, not so

In a pig's eye will I let him borrow my car next weekend.

in a pinch

- okay when nothing else is available

That other tool will do in a pinch if we can't find the correct one.

in arms

- armed, ready to fight

They are all in arms since they found out about the wage decrease.

in a rush

- in a hurry

They got the job done in a big rush so I am a little worried about the quality.

in a rut

- always doing the same thing

She feels that she is in a rut after doing the same job for seven years.

in a spot

- in some trouble, in an embarrassing or difficult position

She is really in a tight spot right now since she was unable to enter university and also has no job.

in a way

- to a certain extent, a little, somewhat

In a way I would like to go but basically I don't care.

in a word

- briefly, to sum up

In a word, the problem with the car is that it needs a new motor.

in a world of one's own

- in deep thought or concentration, not caring about other people

He is always in a world of his own and doesn't notice what other people say or think.

in black and white

- in writing

I want to get the information in black and white before I go to the meeting.

in cahoots with

- in secret agreement or partnership with someone

The supermarket was in cahoots with the vegetable producer to try and keep the prices high.

in case

- as a precaution, in order to be prepared

In case there is a fire, we keep our computer backup files in a fireproof safe.

in character

- as usual, typical, in the way that a person usually behaves

Supporting the other members of the staff is in character with her usual actions.

in charge

- in control or authority, responsible

He is charge of the sales department at his company.

in check

- under control, kept quiet or back

The violence was kept in check by the police department and the army.

in clover

- rich or successful, having a pleasant or easy life

They are in clover now that they have sold their business and retired.

in cold blood

- without feeling or pity, cooly and deliberately

The family was murdered in cold blood by the criminal gang.

in common

- shared together or equally, in use or ownership by all

We had to use the bathroom in common with the other people in the house.

in deep

- seriously mixed up in something like debt or trouble

He owes a lot of money and is in very deep with his new house and car.

in due course

- in the usual amount of time, at the right time

We will send the information to you in due course.

in fact

- actually, the truth is

He's been to China before. In fact he's been there three times.

in for

- unable to avoid, sure to get

He is in for a lot of trouble now that he is unable to finish his graduation essay.

in good time

- a little early, sooner than necessary

I will try and get the information to you in good time so that you will be able to decide what to do.

in hand

- under control

The teacher had the class in hand when the principal came to visit the classroom.

in hot water

- in trouble

I am in hot water over the extra expenses that I used during the conference.

in keeping with

- going well together, agreeing, similar

In keeping with our tradition of letting the visiting team kick first we will do it for this game as well.

in kind

- in a similar way, with the same kind of thing

We will pay them back in kind for the use of their sailboat.

in league with

- in secret agreement or partnership with someone

The union has been in league with management in trying to build the new factory.

in light of

- as a result of new information, because of

In light of his contribution to the company we decided to give him a large summer bonus.

in line

- doing or being what people expect or accept, within ordinary limits

It was difficult to keep the children in line at the picnic but somehow we managed.

in love

- liking very much, loving

He has been in love with his girlfriend ever since he met her in high school.

in luck

- having good luck, finding something good by chance

I think that we are in luck. I have found two tickets for the concert.

in memory of

- as a reminder of, as a memorial to

We decided to put our money together and buy a painting in memory of our grandfather.

in nothing flat

- quickly

I will have this information printed out for you in nothing flat.

in no time

- soon, quickly

I will have this done for you in no time and then you can go for lunch.

in on

- joining together for something

We went in on a present for our father for Father's Day.

in on

- told about, having knowledge of

I was finally let in on the secret about why she left our company.

in one's element

- in an environment or situation that comes naturally to someone

She is in her element being in charge of the new sales department.

in one's face

- abruptly, unexpectedly

The plan blew up in our face just as we were ready to start.

in one's good books (graces)

- approved of by someone, liked by someone

I have been in her good books since I helped her with her work last month.

in one's hair

- annoying someone

She has been in my hair all morning because she is on her summer holiday starting this week.

in one's mind's eye

- in one's imagination

In your mind's eye try and imagine that you are on a nice sunny beach in Hawaii.

in one's shell

- withdrawn, silent, not sociable

We have been trying to get her out of her shell but it is of no use. She doesn't want to talk to anyone.

in one's shoes

- in someone elses place or position

I wish that I was in his shoes with his great job and new car.

in one's tracks

- abruptly, immediately, just where one is at the moment

I was forced to stop in my tracks when I saw the snake on the road.

in order to

- for the purpose of

We have decided to close down the school for the summer in order to do some major repairs.

in other words

- say something in a different (usually more direct) way

In other words if you don't finish the assignment by Wednesday you will not pass the course.

in part

- to some extent, partly

I think the reason he is not golfing well this year is in part due to his problem with his back.

in point of fact

- really, truthfully

In point of fact there were not enough people at the meeting to vote on the proposal.

ins and outs

- all the details

He knows all the ins and outs of the new machine.

in seventh heaven

- very happy

I have been in seventh heaven since I started my new job.

in short supply

- not enough, in less than the amount or number needed

Chairs were in short supply so some of the guests had to sit on the floor.

inside and out

- in every part, completely

We looked through the room inside and out for my lost wallet.

inside out

- so that the inside is turned outside

She turned her purse inside out in order to look for her lost key.

inside track

- an advantage, shortest distance around a racetrack

I think that he has the inside track on getting the new job at the computer company.

in spite of

- in opposition to, despite

In spite of the terrible weather we went to the beach for a picnic.

instead of

- in place of

Let's meet at the restaurant instead of the department store as we had planned.

in stitches

- laughing

They were in stitches over their teacher's joke.

in stock

- having something ready to sell or use

The store didn't have any computer discs in stock so we bought some over the Internet.

in store

- ready to happen, waiting

I don't really know what the future has in store for me but I will be ready for anything.

in the air

- current, exerting an influence

It is in the air that we will be getting a new president next week.

in the bag

- certain, sure

The new contract will be in the bag if we put in a good proposal.

in the black

- have a credit balance, make a profit

The company has been in the black for over three years now.

in the cards

- to be expected, likely to happen, predictable

I think that a new company structure is in the cards but I can't be sure.

in the charge of

- under the care or supervision of

She has been in the charge of her grandmother since her mother and father died.

in the clear

- with nothing to limit action, free of anything that makes moving or seeing difficult

We seem to be in the clear now so it should be safe to cross the road.

in the clear

- free of blame or suspicion

The police talked to the three boys for a few minutes but they seem to be in the clear now.

in the clouds

- far from real life, in dreams, in thought

He is usually in the clouds so you may have trouble finding out what you want to know from him.

in the course of

- during

In the course of his life he visited over 45 countries.

in the dark

- having no information about something

He is still in the dark about my plans to quit my job.

in the doghouse

- in trouble

He is in the doghouse with his wife after staying out drinking last night.

in the first place

- firstly, to begin with

Of course I can't go. In the first place I must work on Saturday. In the second place I have no money.

in the groove

- at one's best, doing something very well

We are finally getting in the groove and should be able to finish this job by early next week.

in the hole

- having a score lower than zero in a game, a score below zero

At the beginning of the card game I was in the hole but later I began to do well.

in the hole

- in debt, behind financially

Although he is always working he always seems to be in the hole.

in the line of duty

- done or happening as part of a job

The police officer was killed in the line of duty during the bank robbery.

in the long run

- the distant future, in the end

For now he is losing money on his stocks but in the long run he should make money.

in the market for

- wanting or ready to buy something

I am in the market for a new computer as my old one is too slow.

in the red

- lose money, not make a profit

The company has been in the red for three years now.

in the saddle

- in command, in control

The president is back in the saddle again after being ill for several months.

in the same boat

- in a similar situation

We are all in the same boat now that our company has gone out of business.

in the soup

- in serious trouble, in disorder

She is in the soup now that she has had a big fight with her boss.

in the swim

- active in or knowing what is going on

He is definitely in the swim. He has information about everybody.

in the wake of

- as a result of, following

In the wake of the large number of people who have recently left our company we will need to hire some more people.

in the wind

- soon to happen, being planned

It is in the wind that they are planning to open a new store next year.

in the works

- in preparation, being planned or worked on

Don't worry about whether or not we will be building the new computer lab. It is definitely in the works.

in the wrong

- wrong; against justice, truth or fact

The driver was in the wrong and was arrested by the police after the accident.

in time

- early enough

I didn't come home in time to meet my cousin.

into thin air

- completely, without anything left

The group of hikers vanished into thin air and were never heard of again.

in touch

- talking or writing to each other, giving or getting news

We are still in touch even though we have been out of school for many years.

in tow

- being pulled

The truck had a trailer in tow when it went off the highway.

in tow

- being taken from place to place, along with someone

She spent the morning at the shopping center with her child in tow.

in tune

- going well together, in agreement, matching

We have been in tune with each other ever since we met at our high school graduation party.

in turn

- each following another

We went up to the front of the class in turn in order to pick up our diplomas.

in two shakes of a lamb's tail

- quickly, in no time at all

I will have this finished in two shakes of a lamb's tail and then I will give it to you.

in vain

- without effect, without success

We tried in vain to find a good job but it was impossible.

in view of

- after thinking about, because of

In view of the large number of people who have come I think that we will need a bigger room.

in with

- in friendship, favor or closeness with

I think that he was in with the wrong group of people when he was in high school.

iron out

- work out

We have ironed out all of our problems and are finally doing better.

irons in the fire

- things one is doing, projects with which a person is busy

Recently he has too many irons in the fire. That is why he has become sick.

itching palm

- a wish for money, greed

The guard at the border crossing has an itching palm so be careful of him.

Our Selection for J

jack-of-all-trades

- a person who can do many things

We gave him a job because we needed a jack-of-all-trades around the factory to look after the many repairs.

jack up

- raise prices

The gas station jacked up their prices during the snow storm.

jam on the brakes

- quickly put the brakes on in a car to stop

He jammed on the brakes and was able to avoid hitting the child.

jam-packed

- crowded, full

The train that we took this morning was jam-packed with people.

jazz up

- brighten up, add more noise or movement or color

They really jazzed up the community center for the party tonight.

John Doe

- name used for an unknown person

Why do the application forms use "John Doe" as the name of the person who is applying for something?

John Henry (John Hancock)

- signature

Please sign your John Henry here and we will process your order right away.

Johnny-come-lately

- new-comer

He's a Johnny-come-lately and doesn't really know what he is talking about.

Johnny-on-the-spot

- be at the right place when needed, right on time

He's always Johnny-on-the-spot. Just when we need him he arrives.

jump all over someone

- criticize, scold, blame

As soon as I began to talk about my plans for the summer he jumped all over me.

jump at

- take or accept quickly and gladly

He jumped at the chance to go to Europe on company business.

jump bail

- run away and fail to come to trial and give up the money you have already paid to the court

He jumped bail and decided to go and live in a foreign country.

jump down someone's throat

- criticize or become angry with someone

As soon as I reached the office he jumped down my throat over the missing file.

jumping-off place

- the starting place of a long trip

We gathered early in the morning at the jumping-off place for our trip to the mountains.

jump on someone

- scold, criticize, blame

Everyone jumped on him at the meeting because they were angry about the new schedules.

jump on the bandwagon (also get or climb on the bandwagon)

- join a popular activity

Everyone has jumped on the bandwagon to try and stop smoking in the workplace.

jump out of one's skin

- be badly frightened

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw him at the window.

jump the gun

- start before you should

He jumped the gun and started selling the tickets before he should.

jump through a hoop

- do whatever one is told to do, obey any order

He is always ready to jump through a hoop for his boss so he is not very popular with the other employees.

jump to conclusions

- make a quick conclusion without thinking

Please don't jump to conclusions over who broke the computer.

just about

- nearly, almost

I waited just about one hour before the concert started.

just now

- this very moment, a minute ago

The accident happened just now. The police haven't even arrived yet.

just so

- with great care, very carefully

She always makes sure that her hair is just so before she goes out.

just the same

- nevertheless

I told her not to come early but just the same she came early anyway.

just what the doctor ordered

- exactly what is needed or wanted

Having the extra day off from work was just what the doctor ordered and he was able to get his many errands finished.

Our Selection for K

kangaroo court

- a self-appointed group that decides how to punish someone who is supposed to have done something wrong

The men were convicted by the people in the town but it was like a kangaroo court and nobody agreed with the decision.

Katie bar the door

- get ready for trouble, a desperate situation is at hand

The gang arrived at the bar and were ready to come in and fight. Well, Katie bar the door.

keel over

- fall over and faint

Three of the members of the band suddenly keeled over because of the heat.

keel over

- turn upside down, tip over

The boat keeled over in the middle of the lake but everybody was safe.

keep after

- remind someone over and over

I always have to keep after her to do her job properly.

keep an eye on something or someone

- watch (as in take care of something)

Will you keep an eye on the baby while I go to the store.

keep a secret

- not tell a secret to others

I have been trying to keep a secret about her boyfriend for a long time now.

keep a stiff upper lip

- be brave, face trouble bravely

The prisoners tried hard to keep a stiff upper lip in spite of the hardships of the prison.

keep at

- persist with

He has decided to keep at his studies so I am sure he will succeed.

keep body and soul together

- keep alive, survive

It was very cold during the winter but somehow she was able to keep body and soul together and survived.

keep books

- keep records of money gained and spent, do the work of a bookkeeper

My first job was to keep books for a small company in my hometown.

keep down

- keep from progressing or growing, keep within limits, control

The students were told to keep down the noise as some of the other classes were having exams.

keep from

- prevent, refrain from

I love ice cream and couldn't keep from eating three bowls.

keep good time

- work accurately (a clock)

My watch has not been keeping good time lately.

keep house

- look after a house or a household

She has been keeping house for her father while he is sick.

keep in touch

- talk or write to someone

I have always tried to keep in touch with my friends from high school.

keep on (doing something)

- continue

She is careless and keeps on making the same mistakes over and over.

keep one's chin up

- be brave, be determined

Try and keep your chin up. Things will get better in the future.

keep one's eye on the ball

- be watchful and ready

You should keep your eye on the ball or you will make a mistake.

keep one's fingers crossed

- wish for good results in something one is doing

Please keep your fingers crossed that I will pass the exam.

keep one's head

- stay calm when there is trouble or danger

He is a very good leader and always is able to keep his head during an emergency.

keep one's head above water

- have the ability to pay one's bills

He is having trouble keeping his head above water since his salary has decreased.

keep one's mouth shut

- be or stay silent

I was very angry so I told him to keep his mouth shut. Later I had to apologize.

keep one's nose clean

- stay out of trouble

He has been managing to keep his nose clean since he moved to the new town.

keep one's nose to the grindstone

- work very hard

He has been keeping his nose to the grindstone recently and I haven't had a chance to see him.

keep one's own counsel

- keep one's ideas and plans to oneself

He always keeps his own counsel and never really reveals his plans to anyone.

keep one's shirt on

- calm down, keep from losing one's temper or getting impatient

Try and keep your shirt on! Everything is going to be alright in a few minutes.

keep one's wits about one

- stay calm when there is trouble or danger

Although there was a fire in the building he was able to keep his wits about him and help everybody to safety.

keep one's word

- fulfill one's promise

She never keeps her word so I don't believe that she will come to the party.

keep pace

- go as fast, go at the same rate

It was difficult to keep pace with the other students but somehow I managed.

keep quiet

- remain silent

Could you all please keep quiet and listen to the instructor.

keep someone on

- allow someone to continue working for you

Although we have too many workers we have decided to keep him on until business improves.

keep tabs on

- watch or check, keep under observation

They have been keeping tabs on the spending of the sales department.

keep the ball rolling

- keep up an activity or action, not allow something that is happening to slow or stop

We should try to keep the ball rolling and get as much of our work done while everyone is still here.

keep the home fires burning

- keep things going as usual while someone is away

Don't worry about anything. I will stay home and keep the home fires burning while you are on your holiday.

keep track of

- maintain a record

Please carefully keep track of your expenses during the trip.

keep (someone) up

- prevent someone from going to bed

They kept me up last night with their noisy radio.

keep time

- show the right time

My new watch keeps perfect time so I am very happy.

keep time

- keep the beat, keep the same rhythm

It is difficult for him to keep time with the other members of the band but at least he tries.

keep under one's hat

- keep secret, not tell

He won't say where he is going for his holiday. He wants to keep it under his hat.

keep up appearances

- keep an outward show of prosperity or good behavior

They have been trying to keep up appearances even though he has lost his job.

keep up

- go on, not stop, continue

He is working hard to keep up the same level of production as last year.

keep up

- keep something at the same level or rate or in good condition

He spends a lot of time trying to keep up the garden of his house.

keep up with

- go at the same speed as a person or thing, maintain the same rate of progress

I can't keep up with the rest of the class.

keep up with the news

- keep informed

He reads the newspaper every morning in order to keep up with the news.

keep up with the Joneses

- try to be the same as your neighbors

He always worries about keeping up with the Joneses and is always frustrated.

kettle of fish

- something to be considered, how things are

That's a totally different kettle of fish. We should talk about it another time.

keyed up

- excited, nervous

I was all keyed up after we won the game and I couldn't go to sleep.

kick around

- treat badly, act roughly or badly to someone or something

I don't like her very much because she is always kicking other people around.

kick around

- lie around in a place

I was tired on Saturday so I stayed home and kicked around in the morning.

kick back

- relax and do nothing

I'm going to kick back this evening and stay home and watch television.

kickback

- money paid illegally for favorable treatment

The construction company gave the politician some illegal kickbacks in order to win the contract.

kick off

- begin, launch, start

The department store kicked off their summer sale early Saturday morning.

kick-off

- a start

The kick-off for the no smoking campaign will start next week.

kick oneself

- regret

I kicked myself for not applying for the job sooner.

kick out

- make someone go or leave, get rid of, dismiss

He was kicked out of school when he was 15 years old because of his bad behavior.

kick over

- a motor begins to work

At first the engine wouldn't start because it was too cold but finally it kicked over.

kick over

- pay, contribute

I was forced to kick over a lot of money for the motor for my car.

kick the bucket

- die

The man who used to clean the walls at the factory kicked the bucket last week.

kick the habit

- stop a bad habit like smoking or taking drugs

He has been trying to kick his smoking habit for years.

kick up a fuss

- make trouble, make a disturbance

I didn't think that it would be a big problem but he really kicked up a fuss when I told him about the accident.

kick up one's heels

- have a good time, celebrate

We really kicked up our heels at the Christmas party that we attended last week.

kill off

- kill or end completely, destroy

The pollution in the river has killed off all of the fish.

kill the goose that layed the golden egg

- spoil something that is good or something that one has by being greedy

He was always complaining about his job but now it is gone. He has killed the goose that layed the golden egg.

kill two birds with one stone

- accomplish two things with one action

He was able to kill two birds with one stone by going to the meeting.

knock about

- travel without a plan, go where one pleases

We decided to go to Brazil and knock about for a couple of months.

knock it off

- stop doing something, quit

Please knock it off. You are going to hurt yourself if you are not careful.

knock off

- murder someone

The owner of the shop was knocked off in the robbery last week.

knock off one's feet

- surprise or shock someone so much that he does not know what to do

When they announced that I had won the prize it knocked me off my feet.

knock one's block off

- hit someone very hard, beat someone up

He was very angry and threatened to knock anyone's block off who came near him.

knock one's head against the wall

- waste time trying to do something with no success

They have been knocking their head against the wall for years trying to find a solution to the problem.

knock oneself out

- make a great effort

They really knocked themselves out trying to make the party successful.

knock on wood

- knock on something made of wood to keep from having bad luck

I don't think that I will lose my job - knock on wood.

knockout

- a very beautiful woman

The man said that the woman he saw at the bus stop was a real knockout.

knock out

- make unconscious, unworkable or unusable

The storm last night knocked out power in most of the town.

knock the living daylights out of someone

- make someone unconscious

The man knocked the living daylights out of his friend during the fight.

know by heart

- memorize

I learned the poem by heart.

(not) know if one is coming or going

- not know what to do

The new sales manager doesn't seem to know if he is coming or going.

know-it-all

- a person who acts as if they know everything

He is a know-it-all and nobody likes to be around him.

(not) know the first thing about something

- lack basic knowledge about something

He doesn't know the first thing about computers.

know which side one's bread is buttered on

- know who can help one and try to please him, know what is good for oneself

He is careful not to make his boss angry. He knows which side his bread is buttered on.

knuckle down

- begin to work earnestly

I think it is time that we knuckle down and finally finish this project.

knuckle under

- yield, submit

The union finally knuckled under the pressure and ended the strike.

Our Selection for L

labor of love

- something done for personal pleasure and not for money

The book that he wrote was a labor of love and he doesn't expect to make any money from it.

lady killer

- a man who some women find very charming and attractive

The man in the movie was a lady killer who broke many women's hearts before he left them.

lady's man

- a man who is popular with women

He is a lady's man who always seems to have a lot of women interested in him.

laid up

- be confined to bed or unfit for work

He has been laid up for a few days because of a cold.

lame duck

- public official who has a short time left to serve in office and therefore has less power than before

He is a lame duck president so it is difficult for him to get things accomplished.

land on one's feet

- come out of a bad situation successfully

He always manages to land on his feet no matter how difficult the situation is.

lap up

- eat or drink with the tongue

The dog lapped up the milk that his master had given him.

lap up

- take in eagerly

He lapped up the praise that his boss gave him for the recently completed project.

lash out

- try suddenly to hit someone

He suddenly lashed out and hit the man who was sitting beside him.

lash out

- attack someone with words

They were walking along the beach when she suddenly lashed out in anger at her boyfriend.

last but not least

- in the last place but not the least important

Last but not least he came up to the front of the class to receive his report card.

last straw

- the last insult or mistake that one can endure and which then causes some reaction

The fourth time he came late was the last straw and we finally fired him.

last word

- the last remark in an argument, the final say in deciding something

She always expects to have the last word when she and her husband go to the store to buy something important.

laugh off

- not take seriously

He laughed off the attempt of his boss to tell him that he should try and come to work on time.

(not) lay a finger on someone

- not touch someone, not bother to do something (not even a little)

He was told by the police never to lay a finger on his wife again.

lay an egg

- fail to win the interest or favor of an audience

Although he was supposed to be a good magician, his performance was terrible and it laid an egg with the audience.

lay away

- save

They are trying to lay away some money for their holiday next year.

layaway plan

- a plan in which one pays some money down and then pays the rest little by little and the store holds the article until the full price has been paid

He decided to buy the television set on the department store's layaway plan.

lay down the law

- tell someone what to do using your power or influence

The new management plans to lay down the law to the workers regarding long lunch breaks.

lay eyes on

- see

I have never laid eyes on a more beautiful dog in my life.

lay hands on something

- get hold of or find something

If I can lay my hands on a slide projector I will show you the pictures of my trip tonight.

lay hands on someone

- do violence to, harm, hurt

He said that if he ever lays hands on the person who stole his car he will take him directly to the police.

lay hold of

- get possession of

If I can lay hold of a car this weekend we can go for a drive.

lay in

- store up a supply of something, get and keep for future use

They are trying to lay in as much food as possible before winter comes.

lay (light) into

- attack physically, do (eat) something with energy

He laid into the steak as soon as the waiter brought it to his table.

lay (light) into

- attack with words

As soon as I came into work this morning she laid (lit) into me about my poor sales performance last month.

lay it on the line

- say plainly so that there can be no doubt, tell truthfully

The librarian finally had to lay it on the line and told everyone not to bring drinks into the library.

lay it on thick

- praise someone too much

He really began to lay it on thick when he met me at the party.

lay low

- hide, keep out of sight for awhile

He decided to lay low for awhile until his friend forgot that he had damaged his car.

lay off (someone)

- get rid of workers when business is bad

Six hundred workers at the automobile factory were recently laid off.

lay off

- stop bothering, leave alone

The players were told by the coach to lay off teasing the new player so that he could relax before the game.

lay off

- stop using or taking (drugs/cigarettes)

I was told by my doctor to lay off smoking or I would be very sick in the future.

lay one's cards on the table

- let someone know one's position and feelings openly, deal honestly about something

He decided to lay his cards on the table and tell his boss about the job offer from the other company.

lay out

- spend or pay some money

He will have to lay out a lot of money for his new apartment.

lay out

- plan something

They will lay out their plan for the new building at the next meeting.

lay over

- arrive in one place and wait some time before continuing a journey

We were told that we will have to lay over in London for nine hours before we go on to Kenya.

lay to rest

- get rid of, put away permanently, stop

They have been trying to lay to rest the rumors about the financial problems in the company.

lay up

- take out of active service, put in a boat dock or a garage

The weather was getting cold so they decided to lay up their boat for the winter.

lay up

- collect a supply of something, save for future use, store

They are trying to lay up some canned fruit for the winter.

lay waste

- destroy and leave in ruins, wreck

The army troops laid waste to the enemy territory.

lead a dog's life

- live a hard life, work hard and be treated unkindly

He says that he has been leading a dog's life since he started his new job.

lead a merry chase

- delay or escape capture by someone, make a person work hard

He led the investigators on a merry chase before they finally arrested him.

lead by the nose

- have full control of, make or persuade someone to do anything you want

He isn't very aggressive and always lets his boss lead him by the nose.

lead off

- begin, start, open

The golfer was the first to lead off in the tournament.

lead on

- insincerely encourage

I think he was leading me on when he told me about the new job.

lead the way

- go before and show how to go somewhere, guide

I had to lead the way because nobody else knew where the new office was located.

lean on

- pressure someone by blackmailing or threats of physical violence to make the person comply with a request

The gang decided to lean on the small shop owner to get him to sell his property.

learn the ropes

- learn how to do a job

He is a new employee and is still learning the ropes.

leave a bad taste in one's mouth

- leave a bad impression, make one feel disgusted

The way that the company fired the workers left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

leave alone

- don't disturb someone

Please leave me alone so I can finish this essay.

leave behind

- leave something somewhere

I left my coat behind in the restaurant.

leave hanging (in the air)

- leave undecided or unsettled

Whether or not they will be leaving next year was left hanging in the air at the end of the meeting.

leave (someone) holding the bag

- leave someone else to take the blame

He left me holding the bag when he ran away from the accident.

leave in the lurch

- desert or leave alone and in trouble, refuse to help or support someone

He left me in the lurch when he didn't come over to help me although he had promised to earlier in the day.

leave no stone unturned

- try in every way, do everything possible

The police left no stone unturned when they were looking for the little girl who was lost.

leave out

- omit

He told me about the accident but he left out some of the main points.

leave (let) well enough alone

- be satisfied with something that is good enough

You should let well enough alone and be happy with your work schedule the way it is.

left-handed compliment

- an ambiguous compliment interpreted as offensive

He gave her a left-handed compliment when he said that her dyed hair looked nice.

leg man

- someone who performs messenger services, an errand boy

He was working as a leg man for the motion picture company.

leg to stand on

- a firm foundation of facts, facts to support one's claims

She doesn't have a leg to stand on as far as her excuses for not finishing her work goes.

leg work

- physical work

He was forced to do all of the leg work preparing for the meeting because his assistant was sick.

let alone

- certainly not

I don't have enough money to go to a movie let alone go on a holiday.

let bygones be bygones

- forget about problems that happened in the past

We need to let bygones be bygones and forget about our past differences.

let down

- fail to do as well as expected, disappoint

He let down his parents when he failed the university entrance exams.

let down easy

- refuse or say no to someone in a pleasant way

I will talk to her tomorrow and try and let her down easy about her not getting the promotion.

let down one's hair

- relax, act freely and naturally

Everybody at the party let down their hair and had a good time.

let (something) go

- pay no attention to, neglect

She seems to be letting her appearance go since she lost her job.

let go

- allow something to pass, do nothing about something

Although I was angry at his remark I decided to let it go.

let go

- discharge from a job, fire

The company has decided to let go several hundred workers in order to become profitable again.

let go of

- release

He let go of the rope and the suitcase fell from the bus.

let grass grow under one's feet

- be idle, be lazy, waste time

He is always working hard and is not the type of person to let grass grow under his feet.

let (someone) have it

- hit someone hard

He really let the other man have it when they got into a fight on the bus.

let it all hang out

- not to disguise anything, let the truth be known

She decided to let it all hang out and told her boss about the mistakes she had made with the new sales account.

let it lay

- forget it, leave it alone

You should let it lay and stop worrying about what she did to you last year.

let it rip

- become involved and make the most of something, really try to win

He let it rip and set off from the shore in the motorboat.

let loose

- set free, give up one's hold on something, release something being held

They decided to let loose the injured bird that they had found in the park.

let (someone) know

- tell, inform

Let me know when you are ready to go to the movie.

let off

- discharge (a gun), explode

The children let off many firecrackers during the festival.

let off steam

- get rid of your extra energy or strong feelings by doing some activity

He was very angry at first but he has let off a lot of steam and has calmed down now.

let (someone) off the hook

- excuse someone from a penalty or promise

He let me off the hook and I didn't have to stay after work and help clean the office.

let on

- reveal, inform

Please don't let on that you saw me at the movie last night.

let on

- try to make people believe something, pretend

He tried to let on that he didn't want the job but actually he does.

let out

- allow to go out or escape

I let out our dog this morning and he hasn't come home yet.

let out

- allow to be known, tell

They let out the details of the restructuring plan late last night so we haven't had time to talk about them yet.

let out

- make longer or looser (clothes), allow a rope to slip out little by little

I had to go to the tailors to have them let out my sports jacket.

let out

- dismiss or be dismissed (from class or practice etc.)

Everyone was let out from class early yesterday because of the bad weather.

let (something) ride

- continue without changing a situation

We should forget about his recent problems at work and just let the whole matter ride.

let sleeping dogs lie

- don't make trouble if you don't have to

You should let sleeping dogs lie and not worry about what she said to you last summer.

let the cat out of the bag

- reveal a secret

Don't let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party for the boss.

let the chips fall where they may

- don't worry about the results of your actions

I am not going to worry about whether or not the company will go broke or not. I will let the chips fall where they may.

let up

- become less or weaker, become slower or stop

The rain finally let up around noon so we were able to go back outside.

let up

- do less or go slower or stop, stop working too hard

He was told by his doctor to let up on his work schedule or he will become sick in the future.

lie in state

- after death a famous person lies in a state of honor (in an open coffin) so the public can see their body

The President lay in state for three days after his death.

lie in wait

- watch from hiding in order to attack or surprise someone

The police decided to lie in wait for the bank robbers to appear at the bank.

lie low

- stay quietly out of sight, try not to attract attention

He is very angry at you so I think that you should lie low for a few days until he calms down.

life of Riley

- a soft easy life, pleasant way of living

He has been living the life of Riley since he retired from his job last year.

lift a finger (hand)

- do something, do one's share, help

Although he is a nice person he will never lift a finger to help anyone else.

light up

- suddenly look pleased and happy

As soon as I told him about our summer holiday plans his face lit up and he started smiling.

like father, like son

- a son usually acts like his father

Like father, like son the man said as he watched the boy playing baseball exactly like his father.

like a ton of bricks

- strongly or forcefully

The news of his retirement hit me like a ton of bricks.

like crazy

- very fast, with great energy

They were running like crazy but still they couldn't catch up with their friend.

like hell

- with much effort and energy, not so, untrue

I had to run like hell this morning in order to catch the bus for work.

like mad

- very fast, with great energy

I worked like mad but I was unable to finish the project by noon as I had hoped.

like water off a duck's back

- without effect, without changing one's feelings or opinion

He always criticizes his friend who always ignores it so it falls away like water off a duck's back.

line up

- take places in line or formation, stand one behind another

We were forced to line up in front of the movie theater for over one hour.

line up

- adjust correctly

First he lined up the two pieces of wood before he nailed them together.

line up

- arrange, make ready for action

We were unable to line up a speaker for Sunday evening so we will cancel the meeting.

lip service

- support shown by words only and not by action

They paid lip service to the proposal but I don't think that they really support it.

little by little

- gradually

He broke his leg while skiing but little by little it is getting better.

little frog in a big pond

- an unimportant person in a large group or organization

He transferred to the headquarters branch but he is a little frog in a big pond and nobody knows him now.

little pitchers have big ears

- little children often overhear things that they are not supposed to hear

Little pitchers have big ears she said when she saw her daughter standing at the door listening to her talking to her husband.

live down

- remove blame or distrust by good conduct, cause to be forgiven by not repeating something

He is trying to live down his reputation of being a hard person to work for.

live from hand to mouth

- live on little money

Her brother is an artist and has to live from hand to mouth because he has no money.

live high off the hog

- live very luxuriously or comfortably

He has been living high off the hog since he won the money in the lottery.

live it up

- have a good time

He likes to live it up every weekend when he gets paid.

live out of a suitcase

- stay away from your home with only the belongings in your suitcase

I dislike this job because I am often on a business trip and must live out of my suitcase.

live up to

- come up to, agree with, act according to

He is trying very hard to live up to his reputation as a smart busnessman.

living end

- great, fantastic, the ultimate

She said that her new boyfriend was the living end.

loaded

- have lots of money

His new boss is really loaded.

lock the barn door after the horse is stolen

- be careful or try to make something safe when it is too late

If you try and prevent a flood after the rains have started it is like locking the barn door after the horse is stolen.

lock up

- to be assured of success

The candidate has already locked up the nomination to be a candidate for president in the next election.

long face

- a sad look, a disappointed look

He had a long face when he came into work this morning. What is the matter with him?

long haul

- a long distance or trip

He is a long-haul trucker and is always out of town working.

long haul

- a long period of time during which work continues or something is done

He has decided to stay here for the long haul and will not return to his home country for awhile.

long shot

- a bet or other risk taken though not likely to succeed

It was a long shot that he would get the job so he was very happy when he did get it.

look after someone

- take care or attend to someone

She has been looking after her mother since her recent illness.

look a gift horse in the mouth

- complain if a gift is not perfect

Even if you don't like the present from the company you shouldn't complain. Remember don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

look at the world through rose-colored glasses

- see only the good things about something, be too optimistic

I told him not to be so naive and always look at the world through rose-colored glasses.

look down one's nose at someone or something

- show your dislike of someone or something

He always looks down his nose at the other members of his class.

look down on someone

- regard with contempt or a feeling of superiority

She looks down on the activities and life of most small towns.

look for

- think likely, expect

They are looking for John to become the next sales director of the company.

look for

- try to find, search for, hunt

She has been looking for her credit card all morning but she can't find it.

look forward to something

- anticipate with pleasure

He's been looking forward to the concert for a long time.

look in on

- go to see, make a short visit with, make a call on

Could you please look in on the baby and see if she is sleeping.

look into

- investigate or check something

They have been looking into the cause of the accident for many months.

look like a million dollars

- look well and prosperous, appear healthy and happy

He was looking like a million dollars when I saw him at the party last weekend.

look like the cat that ate (swallowed) the canary

- seem very self-satisified like you have just had some kind of success

He looked like the cat that ate the canary when he came in with a smile on his face.

look on

- be a spectator

There were over a hundred people who gathered to look on after the accident.

look out

- take care, be careful, be on guard

Look out! There is a large truck coming down the highway.

look out

- be alert or watchful, keep looking for something

Could you please look out for any old Elvis Presley records that you may find.

look out

- provide protection and care

Please look out for my sister when she stays with you this summer.

look over something

- inspect, survey or examine

Please take some time to look over these documents before you sign them.

look to

- attend to, get ready for, take care of

She is a wonderful nurse and spends a great deal of time looking to the needs of her patients.

look to

- go for help to, depend on

He always looks to his mother for help when he has a problem.

look (something) up

- search for something in a dictionary or other book

I'll look up their name in the telephone book.

look (someone) up

- seek and find

When I was in New York I looked up my friend from university.

look up to

- think of someone as a good example to copy, respect someone

I always look up to the president of our company as someone I would like to be like.

loose ends

- without something definite to do

He has been at loose ends since he lost his job.

lord it over

- act as the superior and master of someone, be bossy over someone

She likes to lord it over the other members of the staff since she became a supervisor.

lose face

- be embarrassed or ashamed by an error or failure, lose dignity

He lost face when his employees decided not to support him during the meeting.

lose ground

- go backward, become weaker, not improve

The government has been losing ground in their fight against inflation.

lose heart

- become discouraged

She has begun to lose heart in her studies to learn the piano.

lose one's marbles

- go crazy or act irrationally

He seems to have lost his marbles and doesn't make any sense at all.

lose one's shirt

- lose a lot of money

I think he is going to lose his shirt on that new business venture.

lose one's way

- become lost

The first time she went to New York City she lost her way.

lose one's temper

- become angry

He lost his temper when the child broke the dish.

lose out

- fail to win, miss first place in a contest

He lost out on a chance to go to Mexico City because he was too busy with other things.

lose sight of

- forget, fail to see

Don't lose sight of the main reason that you are planning to go on the business trip.

lose touch with

- fail to keep in contact or communication with someone

I lost touch with everyone who I worked with at my summer job.

lose track of

- lose contact with someone (or something)

I've lost track of many of my friends from high school.

loudmouth

- a noisy, boastful or foolish talker

He is a loudmouth and nobody at work likes him.

louse up

- throw into confusion, make a mess of, spoil

She loused up her job interview and has no chance at all now to get the job.

lover's lane

- a hidden road or walkway where lovers walk or park in the evening

After the movie they drove to the local lover's lane.

lowdown

- the inside facts of a matter, the total truth

I met with him after the presentation and he gave me the lowdown on the new computer equipment.

luck out

- suddenly get lucky when it looks like you won't succeed

He lucked out with the concert tickets and was able to get four of them.

lucky star

- a certain star or planet which is thought to bring a person good luck and success in life

You should thank your lucky star that you don't have to go to work on a rainy day like today.

Our Selection for M

mad as a hornet

- very angry

He was mad as a hornet when I saw him at the meeting yesterday.

main drag

- the most important street in a town

We spent most of Saturday evening driving up and down the main drag of the town.

make a beeline for something

- hurry directly somewhere

When he enters the cafeteria he always makes a beeline for the dessert section.

make a bundle

- make a lot of money

My father made a bundle on the stock market in early 1998.

make a day of it

- do something all day

We decided to make a day of it and spend the day at the beach.

make a dent in

- make progress

We worked hard all day but we didn't seem to make a dent in the amount of work left to do.

make a difference

- cause a change in a situation

It doesn't make any difference whether he comes to the meeting or not.

make a go of

- succeed, produce good results

Although he tried hard he was never able to make a go of his business.

make a hit

- be successful

Her cake made a big hit at the party.

make a killing

- make a large amount of money

Her mother made a killing on the real estate market before she retired.

make a living

- earn enough money to live

He cannot make a living by only doing a part-time job.

make a mistake

- make an error

He made a mistake on the math test.

make a mountain out of a molehill

- make a big problem out of a small one

He is really making a mountain out of a molehill by worrying about his son's problems.

make a name for oneself

- become well-known or famous

He has made a name for himself in the field of computers.

make a pass at someone

- make romantic advances to a member of the opposite sex

He was fired because he made a pass at one of the women who he works with.

make a point of

- do or say something with a definite intent

He always makes a point of visiting his aunt when he is in town.

make a run for it

- dash for safety, make a speedy escape

He made a run for it as soon as the class finished.

make away with

- take, carry away

The cat made away with the fish that was sitting on top of the kitchen counter.

make believe

- act as if something is true while one knows that it is not, pretend

The children were playing make believe and pretended that they lived in a castle.

make do with something

- substitute one thing for another

If there is no cream for the coffee, we'll have to make do with milk.

make ends meet

- be able to live on the money one has

It's hard to make ends meet on his salary.

make eyes at

- flirt, look at a member of the opposite sex to try and attract them

The boy was making eyes at the girl in his history class.

make for

- go toward, start in the direction of

As soon as it began to become dark we decided to make for a quiet place to set up a camp.

make friends

- form friendships with people or animals

She is shy and isn't able to make friends easily.

make fun of

- ridicule

The students were making fun of the girl with the short hair.

make good

- do what one promised to do, make something come true

He made good on his promise to give everyone a raise in the new year.

make hay while the sun shines

- do something at the right time, not wait too long

You should make hay while the sun shines and paint the house while the weather is good.

(can't) make head nor tail of something

- understand, find meaning in something

We couldn't make head nor tail of what he was trying to say during his speech.

make it up to someone

- do something for someone to compensate for an unfulfilled promise or debt

I can't go with you to the game tonight but I will make it up to you later.

make light of

- treat as of little importance, minimize

My friend made light of my efforts to learn how to speak and write Chinese.

make of something

- interpret, think of

What do you make of the new manager in accounting.

make merry

- have fun, laugh and celebrate

We decided to go to a nice restaurant and make merry for the evening.

make no bones about something

- make no secret, not keep from talking about something

He has made no bones about the fact that he is not interested in applying for the supervisor's job.

make one's bed and lie in it

- be responsible for what one has done and then have to accept the bad results

You quit your job and now you have no money. You made your bed. Now you must lie in it.

make one's blood boil

- make someone very angry

Every time that I see him he makes my blood boil.

make one's hair stand on end

- frighten, horrify

The horror movie that we rented last week really made my hair stand on end.

make one's own way

- rely on one's own abilities

His father wants him to join the family business but he wants to make his own way in the world.

make one's mouth water

- want to eat something because of the thought or smell of the food

Looking at the menu made my mouth water.

make oneself at home

- act as if you were at home

She is able to make herself at home when she goes to visit her friends.

make oneself felt

- use one's authority

He was not able to make himself felt when trying to resolve the conflict.

make oneself scarce

- leave quickly, go away

I think that I will make myself scarce and go to the beach for the day.

make out

- do, progress

How did you make out at your job interview yesterday?

make out

- understand, interpret

I can never make out what he wants to say when he phones me.

make out

- distinguish, identify

The ship captain couldn't make out the other boat because of the fog.

make out

- make someone believe, show, prove

He made out that he was at the library last night but I know that he wasn't.

make over

- make something look different, change the style of

We decided to make over our living room because we were tired of the old style.

make room for someone or something

- arrange space for

He made room for the new computer in the spare room.

make sense

- seem reasonable

His proposal makes absolutely no sense.

make short work of something

- finish quickly

He made short work of the typing and has started working on the other documents.

make something out

- manage to see or read something

I was unable to make out the sign because I didn't have my glasses.

make something up

- invent (a story etc.)

He made up the story about his lost wallet.

make the best of

- do as well as possible in a bad situation

He has really made the best of his time since beginning his new job.

make the grade

- make good, succeed, meet a standard, qualify

He wasn't able to make the grade and join the football team.

make the most of

- use to the greatest advantage

He made the most of his time in Europe and visited many art galleries.

make the scene

- be present, go to a certain place or event

He decided to make the scene and go to the disco for the evening.

make time

- be successful in arriving at a destination in a short time

We made very good time yesterday and arrived home before it got dark.

make up

- make something by putting things or parts together

A car is made up of many different parts.

make up

- invent, think and say something that is new or not true

She made up the story about how she got lost in the mountains.

make up

- do or supply something that is lacking, regain, repay

I had to make up the time that I was sick by working on Saturday.

make up

- put on cosmetics

She always wants to make up her face before she goes to the store.

make up

- become friends again after a quarrel

They finally made up after their fight last week.

make up for something

- compensate for a loss or mistake

I have to work hard in order to make up for the loss from the poor sales.

make up one's mind

- decide

I haven't made up my mind yet about whether or not I will accept the new job.

make waves

- create a disturbance

He is very calm and quiet at work and doesn't like to make waves.

make way

- stand aside, move so someone can go through

The truck had to go to the side of the road to make way for the ambulance.

man in the street

- the average or ordinary person

According to what the man in the street is saying the government is not very popular.

man-to-man

- frank or direct

I had a man-to-man talk with him about the problem last night.

mark time

- move one's feet up and down to music

He was marking time to the music as he was driving his car.

mark time

- be idle, waiting for something to happen

He has been marking time for over a month now as he waits to hear about the new job.

matter

- be important

It doesn't matter if you can't come here tomorrow.

matter of course

- the usual way, habit, rule

It was done as a matter of course and nobody really thought about the results.

matter of fact

- something that is really true, something that can be proved

As a matter of fact I saw him last night and he asked me how you were.

matter-of-fact

- simply telling or showing the truth, seeming not to care much

The witness told about the murder in a matter-of-fact way.

mean business

- be serious, ready to take action

He is working very hard and really means business when he says he is going to get the office organized.

measure up

- be equal, be of high quality

The new accounting manager didn't measure up to the previous one so we had to ask him to leave.

meet someone half-way

- make a compromise with someone

He is very stubborn and is never willing to meet his friends half-way.

meet up with

- meet by accident, come upon without planning or expecting to

He met up with a nice group of people in Australia when he was travelling there.

melt in one's mouth

- taste very good, be delicious

The pastry that she made melted in my mouth.

mend one's fences

- do something to make people like you after a fight, strengthen one's friendship or influence

I made a big effort to mend my fences with my boss so that we could work together effectively.

mend one's ways

- improve one's habits

She has been forced to mend her ways in order to get along better at work.

mess around

- play around, engage in idle activity

The children were messing around in the school yard before the class began.

mess up

- cause trouble, spoil something

He messed up his chance to get a promotion by not making much of an effort last year.

middle of the road

- being halfway between two different ideas, seeing good on both sides of an issue

The president was elected because he was a person whose ideas were very middle of the road.

mind one's P's and Q's

- be very careful about what one does or says

You should mind your P's and Q's and not say anything to offend your aunt.

Mind you.

- I want you to notice and understand.

I don't want to work any more overtime. Mind you, if there is an emergency I will be able to work extra in that case.

miss out on

- lose an opportunity

He missed out on the new job because he was late for the interview.

miss the boat

- lose an opportunity

You had better hurry and get your application in or you will miss the boat on entering that new company.

might as well

- be somewhat preferable

We might as well go home now. I don't think he will come.

mix up

- confuse, make a mistake about

He mixed up the video tapes and played the wrong one in front of the class.

mix-up

- an error, some confusion

There was a mix-up at the airline ticket counter and I was given the wrong ticket.

(get or become) mixed up

- become confused

He gets all mixed up when he tries to speak French.

money to burn

- have very much money, have more than is needed

He has money to burn and never has to worry about working.

monkey business

- comical or silly actions, goofing off

The kids were involved in some kind of monkey business. That was when the window was broken.

monkey business

- unethical, illegal or objectionable activity, cheating

The company was involved in some monkey business with the tax department and have recently had to hire a lawyer to defend themselves.

more and more

- increasingly, increasing number

More and more people are buying computers for their homes.

more or less

- somewhat, to some extent

I like the new color more or less but it's not great.

more the merrier

- the more people who join in the fun the better it will be

The more the merrier he said as his sister's friends also decided to come to the beach.

morning after (the night before)

- a hangover

He's not feeling well. I think it's the morning after the night before.

(not) move a muscle

- don't move even a small amount

The doctor told him not to move a muscle when he was fixing his leg.

move heaven and earth

- try every way, do everything one can

I will move heaven and earth to help you get a job with our company.

move in on

- take over something that belongs to another

He was angry because the other salesman was moving in on his sales territory.

mum's the word

- say nothing of the secret you know

Don't worry mum's the word on the party. I won't tell anybody.

musical chairs

- the transfer of a number of officers in an organization into different jobs - especially each other's jobs

They seem to be playing a game of musical chairs at the company as many people move from one position to another position.

music to one's ears

- something one likes to hear

When he told me that I could go to the sales convention in the summer it was music to my ears.

my goodness (my God)

- used to express surprise or shock etc.

"My goodness," she said when she saw the small dog jump over the fence.

Our Selection for N

nail down

- make certain, make sure

I am trying to nail down the exact time that he will be able to meet with us.

name is mud

- a person's reputation becomes bad, one is in trouble

His name is mud now that he has been charged by the police with stealing money from his company.

name of the game

- the main part of a matter

The name of the game is for the salesmen to sell cars and not to worry about other things.

name someone after

- give someone another's name

He was named after his mother's grandfather.

narrow escape

- an escape with no chance of error

He had a narrow escape when he almost fell from his bicycle.

neck and neck

- equal or nearly equal in a race or contest

The two teams were neck and neck in the race to win the national championship.

neck of the woods

- an area or part of the country

He has never been down to my neck of the woods since he was a child.

needle in a haystack

- something that is very hard to find

Looking for the lost receipt among the thousands of other receipts is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

neither fish nor fowl

- something that does not belong to a definite group

I don't know where we should put those books in the library. They are neither fish nor fowl.

neither here nor there

- not relevant to the thing being discussed, off the subject

What you are saying is neither here nor there. We are talking about our plans to move this year - not 5 years in the future.

nervous Nellie

- a timid person who lacks determination and courage

He is a nervous Nellie and is afraid of most of the other students in the school.

nest egg

- money someone has saved up

He has a nice nest egg in the bank so he will have no financial problems if he leaves his company.

never mind

- don't worry, don't bother

If you don't have time to pick up my laundry, never mind I will get it tomorrow.

new blood

- fresh energy or power, something or someone that gives new life or vigor to something

She a great employee and helped us to inject new blood into our organization.

new broom sweeps clean

- a new person makes many changes

We discovered the truth to the expression "a new broom sweeps clean" when our new boss changed everything in our organization.

new deal

- a complete change, a fresh start, another chance

He was given a new deal by the team although the previous year he was not very good.

new person

- a person who has become very much better

He is a new person now that he has quit smoking and quit drinking.

nick of time

- at the very last moment

He was able to board the airplane just in the nick of time.

nip and tuck

- evenly matched, hard fought to the finish

They were going along nip and tuck but he finally won the race in the end.

nip in the bud

- prevent at the start

They found out about the computer problem but were able to nip the problem in the bud.

no bed of roses

- difficult or bad situation

It is no bed of roses to have no job and a large family to support.

nobody's home

- one's attention is somewhere else, having a simple mind

It looks like nobody's home, I thought as I tried to have a conversation with the strange man.

nobody's fool

- a smart person, a person who can take care of himself

She is nobody's fool. You will not have to worry about her at all when she goes to New York.

no cigar

- not agreed to, refused or useless, no, certainly not

I almost got the job but in the end it was no cigar.

no deal

- not agreed to, refused or useless, no, certainly not

It was no deal I realized as I left the meeting and the other members had all said no to my plan.

No dice.

- No. Certainly not.

No dice. I will never lend you that much money.

no doubt

- without doubt, surely, certainly

No doubt he will be the one to win the contest again this year.

no end

- almost without stopping, continually

The little girl cried no end when she couldn't find her favorite doll.

no end to (of)

- so many or so much of, to seem almost endless, very many or very much

He had no end of problems when he lived overseas for a year.

no go

- not agreed to, refused or useless, no, certainly not

It's no go for our plan to have three games this weekend. We can only have two of them.

no great shakes

- mediocre, unimportant

The hotel was no great shakes and I wouldn't recommend that you stay there if you go to Hawaii.

no love lost

- bad feelings, ill will

There is no love lost between my father and our next door neighbor.

no matter

- regardless of

No matter how hard that I try my tutor is never satisfied.

no picnic

- not pleasant, difficult

It was no picnic trying to drive to the lake during the storm.

nose around (about)

- look for something kept private or secret, pry

The secretary was nosing around in her boss's desk trying to discover what was going on.

nose down

- head down, bring down the nose of

The pilot began to nose down the plane as it neared the airport.

(have one's) nose in something

- unwelcome interest in something, impolite curiosity

He always has his nose in other people's private business where it doesn't belong.

nose out of joint

- upset about something

He was only joking; don't get your nose out of joint.

no-show

- a person who makes a reservation for something and then neither comes nor cancels it

There were several no-shows at the concert last night.

no sweat

- easily accomplished, uncomplicated

The work was no sweat. I finished it in about two hours.

no sweat

- no problem

No sweat. I will help you all day tomorrow if you need me.

not a leg to stand on

- no good proof or excuse, no good evidence or defence to offer someone

The company doesn't have a leg to stand on if they try to refuse to pay you the money that they owe you.

not for the world

- not at any price, not for anything

I wouldn't go out on a date with that woman for the world.

not give someone the time of day

- dislike someone so strongly that you totally ignore them

I hate her and would never even give her the time of day.

nothing doing

- I will not do it, certainly not, no indeed

Nothing doing. I am not going to stay and work late again this evening.

nothing if not

- without doubt, certainly

He is nothing if not punctual. He has never been late in his seven years with this company.

not much of

- rather bad

It's not much of a hotel but I guess it will be okay for one night.

Not on your life.

- definitely not.

"May I borrow your car"? "Not on your life".

not so hot

- not very good

I have been feeling not so hot lately as I had a cold last week.

nothing to sneeze at

- something you should take seriously

His new salary is nothing to sneeze at.

not touch something with a ten-foot pole

- consider something completely undesirable or uninteresting

That class may be alright but because I hate the professor I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole.

no wonder

- not surprising

No wonder he is so tired after staying up all night.

now and then

- occasionally

He likes to go to that restaurant now and then.

number one

- oneself, one's own interests

He is always looking out for number one and will never do anything for anyone else.

nurse a grudge

- keep a feeling of dislike toward some person

My old girlfriend is still nursing a grudge toward me even after three years.

nuts about

- enthusiastic about something

He has been nuts about cars ever since he was a little boy.

nutty as a fruitcake

- very crazy

The woman who lives next door to us is as nutty as a fruitcake.

Our Selection for O

oddball

- a person who doesn't act like everyone else

He is an oddball and nobody at his company likes to work with him.

odds and ends

- various items

We made games for the children from odds and ends from around the house.

of age

- old enough to be allowed to do something (vote,drink etc.)

When he came of age we had a big party for him to celebrate.

of age

- fully developed, mature

Fast transportation came of age when the first jets began to be used regularly.

of course

- as one would expect

Of course you can use my car if you want to.

off and on

- occasionally

He's been seeing the woman off and on but I don't think that their relationship is very serious.

off balance

- not prepared, unable to meet the unexpected

I was caught a little off balance when he asked me to deliver the speech instead of him.

off base

- inaccurate

He was really off base on his estimate of next year's budget.

offbeat

- nonconventional, different from the usual

The movie was very offbeat which is just the kind of movie that I like.

off-center

- different from the usual pattern, not quite like most others, odd

The picture was off-center and didn't really fit in with the rest of the photos.

off-color

- in bad taste, not polite, dirty

He likes to tell off-color jokes which most people don't like at all.

off duty

- not working, having free time

The police officer was off duty when he came across the bank robbery.

off guard

- not alert to the unexpected

It caught me off guard when she suddenly asked me to lend her $800.

off one's back

- stop from bothering someone

I wish he would get off my back and stop always asking me when I am going to look for another job.

off one's chest

- talk about a problem to someone so that it doesn't bother you anymore

I finally talked to my friend from work and was able to get some of my problems off my chest.

off one's hands

- no longer in one's care or possession

I sold my old computer and finally got it off my hands.

off one's high horse

- not acting proud and scornful

We got him off his high horse when he was forced to admit that he had made many mistakes related to the new product launch.

off one's rocker

- crazy

He must be off his rocker if he thinks that he can spend all that money and not have a problem.

off the beam

- wrong, mistaken

What he said about the new office was right off the beam and should be ignored by everyone.

off the beaten track

- not well known or often used, unusual

We went to a small restaurant off the beaten track last night and liked it very much.

off the cuff

- without preparing ahead of time what one will say, without preparation

He made a few remarks off the cuff but he has never really explained in full what he wants to do.

off the hook

- out of trouble or free from an embarrassing situation

I think that I am off the hook now and won't have to worry about the problem anymore.

off the record

- privately, unofficially

He told the reporters off the record about the problems with the budget estimate.

off the top of one's head

- from memory, spontaneously

He knew all of the team's members off the top of his head.

off the wagon

- begin to drink alcohol again after stopping for awhile

He seems to be off the wagon again. I saw him yesterday and I am sure that he had been drinking.

(as) old as the hills

- very old

The old building at the library is as old as the hills.

old hat

- old-fashioned, not new or different

The job has become old hat and I am becoming a little tired of it.

on a dime

- in a very small space

His new car has very powerful brakes and is able to stop on a dime.

on again, off again (off again, on again)

- not settled, changeable, uncertain

The plans for the fireworks display were on again, off again because of the rainy and windy weather.

on and off

- intermittently, now and then

It has been raining on and off since early this morning.

on and on

- continually, at tedious length

The speech continued on and on until we finally left the gathering.

on an even keel

- in a well-ordered way or condition

We finally got the new department running on an even keel although it took a long time.

on a shoestring

- with very little money

He started the new company on a shoestring.

on behalf of

- representing a person

The lawyer went to the meeting on behalf of his client.

on board

- on a ship, plane or similar form of transportation

We had to get on board the airplane before it was able to take off.

on call

- available to be called out on duty

He works as a computer repair man and is always on call which is very tiring.

once and for all

- permanently

I told him once and for all that I would not take the new job.

once in a blue moon

- rarely

I only go to that restaurant once in a blue moon.

once in a while

- occasionally

We like Japanese food so we go to that restaurant once in a while.

once or twice

- a few times

We went to that restaurant once or twice but we quickly became tired of it.

once-over

- a quick look or examination of someone or something

He gave the rental car a once-over before he signed the contract.

on cloud nine

- very happy

She has been on cloud nine ever since she decided to get married last month.

on easy street

- having enough money to live comfortably

He has been on easy street since he sold his house and invested the money.

on edge

- be nervous or irritable

He has really been on edge lately because of his exams.

on end

- seemingly endless

We worked for hours on end last night but we still never finished the job.

on faith

- without question or proof

I took it on faith that he would help me when I had a lot of extra work to do.

on guard

- careful, wary

He has been keeping on guard since the accident last month.

on hand

- available

I'm sorry but I don't have any aspirin on hand at the moment.

on hand

- nearby, within reach

Please keep your dictionary on hand in case we need to use it.

on hand

- present

The speaker will be on hand after the lecture if you have any questions that you want to ask her.

on ice

- away for safekeeping or later use, aside

The city decided to put the plans for a new stadium on ice until they can raise more money..

on one's back

- making insistent demands of someone, being an annoyance or bother

She has been on my back all week trying to get me to finish my monthly report.

on one's chest

- worrisome thoughts or feelings that one might need to share with someone else

I had a long talk with my friend last night and was able to get most of my problems off my chest.

on one's coat-tails

- along with someone else, as a result of someone else doing something

The mayor was elected on the coat-tails of his brother who was a famous singer.

on one's feet

- recovering from sickness or trouble

I was sick for a couple of weeks but now I am on my feet again.

on/upon one's head

- on one's self

He brought the anger on his own head and should not try and blame someone else.

on one's high horse

- acting as if one is better than others, being very proud and scornful

He is always up on his high horse and never bothers to think about how other people feel.

on one's/its last legs

- at the end of someone/something's strength or usefulness

I think that his old car is on its last legs.

on one's shoulders

- one's responsibility

Please don't try to put the failure of his marriage on my shoulders.

on one's toes

- be alert

He always asks the students many questions to keep them on their toes.

on pins and needles

- excited, nervous

Her daughter has been on pins and needles all day waiting for the contest to begin.

on purpose

- intentionally

I think that she spilled the drink on purpose.

on shaky ground

- unstable, not secure

His position at the company has been on shaky ground for quite some time.

on the air

- broadcasting or being broadcast on radio or TV

That television program has been on the air for over three years now.

on the ball

- intelligent, able to do things well

He is really on the ball and can usually get all of his work done quickly.

on the bandwagon

- the newest popular group or activity, joining something because many others are doing it

Everybody in our company is on the bandwagon now to try and eliminate smoking in the workplace

on the beam

- doing well, just right or correct

What he said about the tax problem was right on the beam. .

on the blink

- not working

My stereo has been on the blink for the last few months.

on the block

- to be sold, for sale

Our house has been on the block for over a month now.

on the button

- exactly on time

I arrived for the meeting right on the button.

on the dole

- receiving welfare

The area is very poor and there are many people on the dole.

on the dot

- right on time

He always arrives for his meetings on the dot.

on the edge of one's seat

- nervously and excitedly waiting

I have been on the edge of my seat all day while waiting for the contest to begin.

on the go

- busy running around

He has been on the go since early morning trying to get ready for the meeting.

on the house

- provided free by a business - especially a bar or restaurant

The room at the hotel was not ready when we arrived so they provided us with free drinks on the house.

on the level

- honest

He was really on the level with me when he told me about my job possibilities.

on the loose

- free to go, not shut in or stopped by anything

The animals at the zoo were on the loose for over three hours when the zookeeper discovered their escape.

on the make

- trying to get some advantage - money or sexual etc.

Be careful of him. He is on the make and will try and cheat you out of your money.

on the mend

- healing, becoming better

He broke his leg last week but it is on the mend now.

on the move

- moving around from place to place, in motion

She is in Europe and has been on the move for several months now.

on the nose

- just right, exactly

What he said about our new boss was right on the nose.

on the other hand

- looking at the opposite side of a matter

He is very intelligent but on the other hand he is very lazy and always gets low marks.

on the Q.T.

- secretly, without anyone knowing

I don't want anyone to know about my plans so let's go over them on the Q.T.

on the road

- travelling (especially as a salesman or performer)

Her husband is a salesman and is often on the road.

on the rocks

- breaking up (relationship), ruined

He has been married for seven years but his relationship seems to be on the rocks now.

on the same wavelength

- thinking similarly about something

We have been on the same wavelength for months about the need for change in the company.

on the sly

- so that people won't know, secretly

We went to the restaurant on the sly so that nobody would know where we were.

on the spot

- in a difficult or embarrassing situation

He was really put on the spot when the reporter asked him about the campaign donations.

on the spur of the moment

- on a sudden wish or decision, suddenly

On the spur of the moment we went and bought some ice cream.

on the tip of one's tongue

- not quite able to remember something

The name of his latest movie is on the tip of my tongue.

on the up and up

- honest, trustworthy, sincere

I decided not to work for the company because I didn't think that it was on the up and up.

on the wagon

- not drinking alcohol

He has been on the wagon for over seven months now.

on the warpath

- very angry, looking for trouble

He is really on the warpath today so you should stay out of his way.

on the whole

- in general

On the whole I think it is a good idea but I would still like to study it further.

on time

- at the scheduled time

Our train arrived right on time.

on top

- in the lead

He was on top of his class in the economics department.

on top of

- in addition to, along with

On top of everything else he wants me to work on Sunday as well.

on top of

- managing very well, in control of

We are able to keep on top of our work now that we have someone in to help us.

on top of

- knowing all about something, up-to-date

He reads the newspaper every morning and is always on top of the latest news.

one-armed bandit

- a slot machine for gambling

He spent the weekend with a one-armed bandit and now has no money.

one foot in the grave

- near death

Her grandmother has one foot in the grave and is not expected to live much longer.

one for the books

- something very unusual or remarkable

His latest complaint about noise at work is one for the books and is very stupid.

one-track mind

- thinking about only one thing

He has a one-track mind. All he thinks about is money.

one-two

- any quick or decisive action that takes the opposition by surprise

The salesman gave them the one-two and before they knew it they had agreed to buy the product.

one up

- having an advantage, being one step ahead

His brother was one up on the other students because he had studied very hard.

one-upmanship

- ability to keep ahead of others, trying to keep an advantage

I get tired of his one-upmanship and his desire to always be better than everyone else.

open one's heart

- talk about one's feelings honestly, confide in someone

I opened my heart to my friend when I saw her at the restaurant last night.

open secret

- a secret that so many people know it is no longer a secret

It is an open secret that he will be leaving the company next month.

other fish to fry

- have more important things to do

I think he has other fish to fry and will not be content to continue with his current job.

out cold

- unconscious, in a faint

He was out cold when the nurse went into his room to check on him.

out in left field

- far from the right answer

What he said was totally out in left field. He has no idea what we were talking about.

out in the cold

- alone, not included

I was left out in the cold when the rest of the class went to the movie without me.

out like a light

- fall asleep very quickly

I was out like a light when I went to bed last night.

out of

- have none left

The restaurant was out of fish so we had meat instead.

out of breath

- be tired and breathing quickly.

He was out of breath after running from the station.

out of circulation

- not active, not joining in what others are doing

He has a new girlfriend so he will probably be out of circulation for awhile.

out-of-date

- no longer current or in style

Computers become out-of-date very quickly.

out of favor with someone

- not have a person's goodwill

They have been out of favor with their boss for a few months now.

out of kilter

- not balanced right, not in a straight line or lined up right

The door handle seems to be out of kilter and doesn't work well at all.

out of line

- unacceptable, not correct

His proposal to go to New York was out of line. We can never accept that.

out of one's element

- where one does not belong or fit in

He is out of his element teaching the computer course. He doesn't know anything at all about computers.

out of one's hair

- get rid of someone who is a nuisance

She finally got her children out her hair and was able to study for her exam.

out of one's shell

- out of one's silence or shyness, into friendly conversation

We got her out of her shell and she decided to join in with the rest of the group.

out of order

- not working

The public telephone was out of order.

out of order

- against the rules, not suitable

His question was ruled to be out of order by the judge so he wasn't able to ask it.

out of place

- in the wrong place or at the wrong time, improper

What he said at the party was totally out of place. He should talk about it at another time.

out of sorts

- in a bad mood

He is a little out of sorts today so maybe you should wait until tomorrow to speak to him.

out of step

- not in step, not keeping pace with someone

The soldiers were out of step when they were marching in the parade.

out of step

- out of harmony, not keeping up

He is out of step with the rest of the group and needs to think about what he should be doing.

out of the blue

- unexpectedly, from nowhere

From right out of the blue he asked her if she wanted to get married.

out of the frying pan and into the fire

- out of one trouble and into more trouble, from something bad to something worse

When he changed jobs he went out of the frying pan and into the fire. His new job is much worse.

out of the question

- impossible

You have no money so going to Hong Kong for your holiday is out of the question.

out of the way

- remote, no longer an obstacle

We went to an out of the way place for our first dinner together.

out of the woods

- out of danger, in the clear

His injury was very serious and I don't think he is out of the woods yet.

out of thin air

- out of nothing or from nowhere

The deer seemed to jump out of thin air and onto the road.

out of this world

- wonderful, fantastic

The new dessert that she made last weekend was right out of this world.

out of tune

- not in agreement, not going well together

They are out of tune with what the other members of the group think.

out on a limb

- in a dangerous or risky position

He really went out on a limb to offer his brother the job.

outside of

- other than, except for

Outside of the weather our vacation was really quite enjoyable.

out to lunch

- crazy, mad

He is totally out to lunch but is still a very nice person.

over a barrel

- in a helpless or trapped position

I think that we have them over a barrel and should be able to win the contract easily.

over and over

- repeated many times

I told him over and over that I do not want to go to that restaurant again.

over one's dead body

- never, under no circumstances

Over my dead body will I let him come to the party next week.

over one's head

- too difficult for someone to understand

The joke went over her head so we had to explain it to her.

over one's head

- go to a more important person in charge, go to a higher official

We didn't receive a good answer from the official so we went over his head to talk to his boss.

over the hill

- past one's prime, unable to function as one used to

He thought that his friend was over the hill and shouldn't be working so hard.

over the long run

- in the end, over a long period of time

Over the long run he plans to expand his business and then sell it and retire.

over with

- at the end of, finished with

When the game on television is over with we can eat dinner.

own up

- take the blame, admit one's guilt

The suspected murderer finally owned up to the murder of his wife.

Our Selection for P

pad the bill

- add false expenses

He always pads the bill when he goes on a business trip.

pain in the neck

- an annoying thing or person, bothersome

Dealing with my neighbor is always a pain in the neck.

paint oneself into a corner

- get oneself into a bad situation that is difficult or impossible to get out of

He has painted himself into a corner now that he has begun to fight with his supervisor.

paint the town red

- go out and party and have a good time

We decided to go out and paint the town red after we all passed our exams.

palm off

- deceive someone by a trick or a lie, sell or give by tricking

He palmed off his old television set as one that was new and reliable.

pan out

- end or finish favorably, work out well

I hope that your plans to go back to school pan out well.

par for the course

- just what was expected, nothing unusual

That was par for the course. He always comes late when there is a lot of work to do.

part and parcel

- a necessary or important part, something necessary to a larger thing

The house that he bought was part and parcel of a much larger piece of land.

pass away

- die

His father passed away when he was about 96 years old.

pass muster

- pass a test or checkup, be good enough

I wrote some of the instructions of the computer manual and will send them to my partner to see if they pass muster.

pass off

- sell or give something by false claims, offer something as genuine

The man passed off the diamond watch as a real one and received much more money than it was worth

pass off

- claim to be someone one is not, pretend to be someone else

He passed himself off as a reporter and was able to get into the concert.

pass on

- give away something that you don't use anymore

She always passes on her old clothes to her younger sister.

pass on

- die

Her grandmother passed on when she was 92 years old.

pass out

- faint

Three teenage girls passed out at the rock concert.

pass the buck

- shift responsibility to others

He always tries to pass the buck if someone tries to criticize his work.

pat on the back

- praise

He gave me a pat on the back after I finished the project.

patch up

- fix

I have been trying to patch up our differences for many months now.

pay attention

- look at or listen to with full attention

He never pays attention to what his supervisor tells him.

pay dirt

- dirt in which much gold is found, a valuable discovery

The company hit pay dirt when they invented the new Internet equipment.

pay off

- pay in full and be free from a debt, yield good results (the risk paid off)

She finally paid off her car so she has lots of extra money to spend.

pay-off

- results of one's work, a bribe

He expects to get a big pay-off from his education when he finally begins to look for a job.

pay through the nose

- pay a lot of money for something

My uncle always pays through the nose when he buys a new car.

pecking order

- the way people are ranked in relation to each other

The pecking order in his company is very difficult to understand for most of the workers.

peeping Tom

- someone who looks in people's windows

The police arrested a peeping Tom near our apartment building last week.

penny for one's thoughts

- Please tell me what you are thinking about.

"A penny for your thoughts," she said as she saw her boyfriend looking out of the window.

penny-wise and pound-foolish

- wise or careful in small things to the costly neglect of important things

He is penny-wise and pound-foolish and is always wasting his money on things that he doesn't need.

people who live in glass houses should not throw stones

- do not complain about other people if you are as bad as they are

You should not criticize other people so much. Remember, people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

pep talk

- a speech to encourage people to try harder and not give up

The coach gave his team a pep talk after they lost three games last month.

perk up

- become energetic or happy after being sad or tired

My sister began to perk up after she had a chance to rest for awhile.

peter out

- die down gradually, grow less strong

The large crowd from the football game has begun to peter out and the streets around the stadium are becoming quiet now.

pick-me-up

- food or a drink one takes when one feels tired or weak

I stopped at the restaurant on my way home from work for a quick pick-me-up.

pick a quarrel

- start a quarrel with someone on purpose

I don't like her because she is always trying to pick a quarrel with others.

pick on

- do or say bad things to someone

He always picked on his sister when they were children.

pick out

- choose or select

I tried to pick out a suitable necktie for my father.

pick someone's brains

- extract ideas or information from someone for one's own use

They are always picking his brains to get new ideas for their business.

pick up

- get, receive

I picked up my dry cleaning after I finished work yesterday.

pick up

- take on passengers, receive

The bus picked us up at about six o'clock in the morning.

pick up

- make neat and tidy

He decided to pick up his room before his friend came to visit.

pick up

- get without trying, accidentally

He picked up a lot of French when he lived in France for a year.

pick up

- catch or receive the sound of a radio etc.

We couldn't pick up the radio station when we were travelling through the mountains.

pick up

- take to the police station, arrest someone

The police picked up the man because they thought he had been drinking.

pick up

- pick up something that has fallen on the floor etc.

Could you please pick up my pen from the floor.

pick up

- start again after interruption, go on

It was getting late so we decided to stop work for the evening and pick up where we left off the next day..

pick up a trail/scent

- recognize the trail of a hunted person or animal

The tracking dogs were able to pick up the trail of the criminal easily.

pick up speed

- increase the speed of

The car picked up speed as it began to go down the hill.

pick up the tab

- pay the bill for someone else

He picked up the tab for the dinner at the restaurant.

piece of cake

- easy

That job was a piece of cake. It was the easiest thing I ever did.

piggyback

- sitting or being carried on the back and shoulders

The man was carrying his child around the room piggyback style.

piggy bank

- a small bank (sometimes in the shape of a pig) for saving coins

Her daughter put all of her spare money into her piggy bank.

pig in a poke

- something accepted or bought without looking at it carefully

The stereo system he bought was a pig in a poke. He has no idea if it will work well.

pile up

- accumulate, put things on top of each other

He piled up the magazines on top of the small table.

pinch pennies

- be careful with money, be thrifty

He has been pinching pennies for months in order to save money for his vacation.

pin down

- keep someone from moving, make someone stay in a place or position

The wrestler won the match after he pinned his opponent down for almost a minute.

pin down

- make someone tell the truth or make a commitment

I couldn't pin him down as to exactly when he would pay back the money that he owed me.

pink slip

- dismissal notice from a job

He received his pink slip yesterday and no longer has a job.

pipe dream

- an unrealistic plan

He always has a lot of pipe dreams about what he wants to do in the future.

pipe up

- speak louder

We asked the speaker to pipe up so that we could hear him.

pip-squeak

- a small, unimportant person

He called his friend a pip-squeak which made him very angry.

piss off

- bother or annoy someone, make someone angry

My supervisor pissed me off when he asked me to work late again last night.

pitch a tent

- put up a tent

We pitched the tent in a nice field beside a stream.

pitch in

- give help or money for something

They pitched in and helped him finish the job quickly.

play ball with someone

- cooperate fairly with someone

If you agree to play ball with the new manager things should go well for you.

play by ear

- play a musical instrument by remembering the tune and not by reading the music

Although she can't read music at all she can play by ear and is a great musician.

play cat and mouse with someone

- tease or fool someone by pretending to let him go free and then catching him again

The boxer was playing cat and mouse with his opponent although he could have won easily.

play down

- give less emphasis or make something seem less important

The politician played down the polls that showed that he was becoming less popular.

played out

- tired out, worn out, exhausted

I was totally played out last night so I went to bed early.

play footsie

- touch the feet of a member of the opposite sex under the table while flirting

The couple in the restaurant were playing footsie under the table during their dinner.

play footsie

- engage in any kind of collaboration or flirtation especially in a political situation

The opposition party was playing footsie with the government in order to have their opinions heard.

play (someone) for something

- treat someone as something, act toward someone as something

He was trying to play me for a fool but I could easily see what he was trying to do.

play hooky

- stay away from school or work without permission

When he was a student he often played hooky and didn't go to school.

play into someone's hands

- do something that gives someone else an advantage

If you walk out of the meeting in anger you will only be playing into his hands.

play it by ear

- decide on something according to the situation

Let's play it by ear and decide what to do after we see the movie.

play off

- match opposing persons, forces or interests for one's own gain

Nobody likes the supervisor because he is always trying to play off one group of workers against another.

play off

- settle a score between two teams or contestants by more play

We went to the game last night as our team had to play off against the other team.

play on/upon (something)

- cause an effect on, influence

They played on his feelings of loneliness to get him to come and buy them dinner every night.

play on words

- a humorous use of a word to suggest a different meaning

There are many cases of using a play on words in the newspaper headlines.

play one's cards right

- take advantage of your opportunities

If you play your cards right you will probably get a promotion soon.

play second fiddle to someone

- be second in importance to someone

He has been playing second fiddle to his boss for years and has finally decided to quit.

play the field

- date many different people, avoid steady dates with the same person

After my sister stopped seeing her boyfriend she decided to play the field until she met someone nice.

play up

- call attention to, emphasize

During the job interview he played up his experience as an experienced computer operator.

play up to someone

- flatter or please someone to try and gain some advantage

He is always playing up to his boss so he can leave work early.

play with fire

- invite danger or trouble

You are playing with fire if you get involved with those people.

plow into

- attack vigorously

We plowed into the food as soon as the waiter brought it to our table.

plow into

- crash into with force

The truck plowed into the group of people waiting for the bus.

pluck up

- make oneself have courage

He plucked up his courage and went and asked the woman for a date.

point out

- explain, call attention to

She was very kind when she pointed out the mistakes that I had made.

pointed remark

- a remark clearly aimed at a particular person or thing

He made a pointed remark during the meeting that was clearly designed to get my attention.

poke fun at

- joke about, laugh at, tease

She is always poking fun at the way her husband plays golf.

polish off

- finish completely, finish doing something quickly

We polished off the work early and went to the beach for the day.

polish the apple

- try to win favor by flattering someone

The teacher doesn't like students who are always trying to polish the apple with her.

pony up

- pay

It is time to pony up and pay for the equipment that he bought.

pooped out

- worn out, exhausted

We spent all day painting the house and were pooped out by the time we got home.

pop the question

- ask someone to marry you

He finally popped the question to her after they had been going out together for two years.

pop up

- appear suddenly or unexpectedly

I hadn't seen my friend for almost a year but suddenly he popped up for a visit last week.

pot calling the kettle black

- a person who is criticizing someone else is as guilty as the person he criticizes

I was joking to her about why she was afraid to look for another job but she said it was like the pot calling the kettle black as I also never tried to change jobs.

pound the pavement

- look for a job

He has been pounding the pavement for a few months now but still has not found a job.

pour it on thick

- flatter greatly

He has been pouring it on thick but she still doesn't like him.

pour oil on troubled waters

- calm down a quarrel, say something to lessen anger and bring peace to a situation

They tried to pour oil on troubled waters after they noticed the argument among the students.

pour out

- tell everything about something

She poured out her heart to her mother when she returned home from work.

pour out

- come out in great number or quantity, stream out

After the football game thousands of fans poured out of the stadium.

press (push) one's luck

- depend too much on luck, expect to continue to be lucky

He is pushing his luck if he thinks that he will continue to make a lot of money on the stock market.

pressed for time

- have barely enough time

He was pressed for time so I didn't have a chance to speak to him.

prey on (upon)

- catch for food, kill and eat

Cats usually prey on mice and small birds if they can catch them.

prey on (upon)

- cheat, rob

Criminals usually prey on people who are living in poor areas.

promise the moon

- mentally alert, ready to do something

Before the elections the politicians were promising everyone the moon but when they were elected they began to talk differently.

psyched up

- mentally alert, ready to do something

The team was psyched up for the game but they lost anyway.

psych out

- find out the real motives of (someone)

I tried to psych out the salesman to see what he really wanted to sell the car for.

pull a fast one

- cheat, deceive

They pulled a fast one on him when they sold him the used car.

pull (something) off

- accomplish something remarkable

He really is lucky in being able to pull off the new business merger with no problems.

pull one's socks up

- make a greater effort

You had better begin to pull your socks up or you will not be able to continue working here.

pull one's weight

- do one's fair share of the work

If everyone pulls their weight we can quickly finish and go home.

pull someone's leg

- trick or fool someone playfully

Her grandfather is always pulling her leg when he comes to visit.

pull out of a hat

- get as if by magic, invent, imagine

I didn't think that he was going to be able to find a dictionary but he suddenly pulled one out of a hat and gave it to me.

pull over

- drive to the side of the road and stop

The police pulled over the man because he had been drinking.

pull rank

- assert one's superior position or authority on a person of lower rank in order to get a privilege or favor

The navy officer pulled rank on the other officers and was able to stay in the best hotel during the trip.

pull strings

- secretly use influence and power

He was able to pull some strings and get his son a job for the summer.

pull the plug

- expose someone's secret activities

The company decided to pull the plug on the salesman and tell everyone about his illegal sales methods.

pull the plug

- quit a job

He suddenly decided to pull the plug and is no longer here.

pull the rug out from under

- spoil someone's plans, withdraw support

He pulled the rug out from under our plans to open a branch office in New York.

pull the wool over someone's eyes

- deceive or fool someone

Don't let him pull the wool over your eyes with his excuses.

pull through

- recover from an illness or misfortune

It looked like he was going to die from cancer but in the end he pulled through and is now doing very well.

pull up stakes

- move to another location

They decided to pull up stakes and move to London.

push (someone) around

- make someone do what you want

He is always pushing around his salesmen and saleswomen.

push off

- start, leave

The boat pushed off from the dock and started out to sea.

push the panic button

- become very frightened or excited at a time of danger or worry

At first he thought that his wallet had been stolen but before he pushed the panic button and told everyone he looked around again and found it.

put a damper on

- discourage, spoil a person's fun

The death of the president put a damper on the anniversary celebrations.

put across

- explain clearly, make oneself understood

He spends a lot of effort trying to put across clearly what he wants to say.

put all one's eggs in one basket

- place all one's efforts, interests or hopes in a single person or thing

You should not put all your eggs in one basket and invest all of your money in the stock market.

put away

- put an animal to death, kill

We had to have our dog put away because he tried to bite the small girl next door.

put down

- stop by force, crush

The government easily put down the rebellion by the militants.

put down

- write a record of something, write down

He was asked by his company to put down his request for a transfer in writing.

put down

- criticize, make someone look bad

He is always putting down his girlfriend in front of his friends.

put in

- plant flowers

We decided to put in some roses in our garden last year.

put in

- stop at a port on a journey by water

The ship put in at several ports during the cruise.

put in

- add to what has already been said

Suddenly he put in that he was tired and wanted to go home.

put in for something

- apply for something

I put in for a transfer to another department of our company but it was refused.

put in (time)

- spend time

He has put in a lot of time fixing up his house and now it looks beautiful.

put in one's two cents

- give one's opinion

She always wants to put in her two cents when she has a chance.

put off

- postpone

The game was put off because of the rain.

put off

- discourage, cause a bad feeling

He put me off with his complaints about the hotel room that I had reserved for him.

put on

- dress in and wear clothes

Please put on your jacket before you go out.

put on

- fool or joke with someone, tease, pretend

I think that he is putting me on. I don't believe that he will move to Rome.

put on

- produce or arrange a play etc.

My sister helped to put on the school play.

put on one's thinking cap

- think hard and long about something

I will put on my thinking cap and try and decide what to do about finding a new job.

put on the map

- make a place well known

The Woodstock rock concert really put the town of Woodstock on the map.

put on weight

- gain weight

He has put on a lot of weight since he stopped going to the gym.

put one's cards on the table

- be frank, tell everything

I put my cards on the table and told him everything about the plans for next year.

put one's finger on something

- locate precisely, remember exactly

I was unable to put my finger on the exact date of his arrival.

put one's foot down

- object strongly, take firm action

He put his foot down and didn't allow any more money to be spent on company entertainment.

put one's foot in one's mouth

- say something that is the wrong thing to say in a situation

He really put his foot in his mouth when he told her about the surprise party.

put one's own house in order

- organize one's own private affairs

He should put his own house in order before he tells others what to do.

put our heads together

- confer, discuss

We put our heads together and finally thought of a new name for the football team.

put out

- make a flame or light stop burning, extinguish

The man put out his cigarette on the theater carpet.

put out

- produce, make

The company decided to put out a newsletter to give news to the employees.

(be) put out

- be inconvenienced or irritated

She was a little put out that you didn't call her when you were in town.

put (someone) out

- inconvenience, bother,

She shouldn't put herself out so much when people come and visit her.

put someone in his or her place

- scold someone for rude or bad behavior

She was very angry and really put him in his place over the rude remark.

put someone in the picture

- tell someone what the situation is

They have finally decided to put me in the picture about the new work procedures.

put (something or someone) out of one's head (mind)

- try not to think about something

He has been trying to put his girlfriend out of his mind since they decided to stop seeing each other.

put (something) over on someone

- fool, trick

He was trying to put something over on his boss when he said that he was sick and couldn't come to work.

put (something) past someone (negative)

- be surprised by what someone does

I wouldn't put it past him to try and sell the main part of the company and leave the rest.

put the bite on someone

- ask for money or favors

He is always trying to put the bite on his friends to collect money for charity.

put the cart before the horse

- do things in the wrong order

I think that he is putting the cart before the horse by talking about fixing up the house before he even buys it.

put the screws to someone

- try to force someone to do or say what you want

The police were putting the screws to the criminal to try and get some information.

put through the wringer

- cause a lot of stress

He really put his wife through the wringer when he asked her for a divorce.

put two and two together

- understand or figure something out after learning the facts

I finally put two and two together and realized that she was his boyfriend.

put up

- provide money or something needed

The telephone company put up most of the money for the new stadium.

put up a good fight

- try hard

They put up a good fight but were unable to win the tournament.

put up a good front

- pretend to be happy, fool people about one's status

He always puts up a good front but actually he is very unhappy.

put up at a hotel etc.

- stay at a hotel or someone's home

We decided to put up at a hotel and continue our trip the next day.

put up or shut up

- prove something or stop saying it, bet money on what one says or stop saying it

The politician was forced to put up or shut up over the plans to build a new convention center.

put up to

- persuade or get someone to do something

His friend put him up to cheating on the examination.

put up with

- patiently accept, endure

He makes a great effort to put up with his wife's complaints.

put words in one's mouth

- say something for someone else

Her husband is always putting words in her mouth which makes her a little angry.

Our Selection for Q

quaking in his boots

- feel afraid, be scared

He was so afraid of the dog, that he was quaking in his boots.

quick on the draw

- quick to speak or shoot; get the drop on

Think before you speak. Don't be so quick on the draw.

quit this place

- leave, go away from here

I'm bored. Let's quit this place. Let's get out of here.

quit while you're ahead

- quit before you begin to lose, don't push your luck

If he lets you have the car, don't ask for his credit card. Quit while you're ahead.

quite a few

- many

He has quite a few videos at home.

quite frankly

- honestly; to be straightforward

Quite frankly, if it weren't for the extra benefits, I wouldn't want to work for this company.

Our Selection for R

rack one's brains

- try hard to think or remember something

I have been racking my brains all day trying to remember his name.

rain check

- a free ticket to an event in place of one cancelled because of rain

We received two rain checks to the baseball game after it was cancelled because of the rain.

rain check

- a promise to repeat an invitation at a later date

I didn't have time to go to the restaurant with my friend so I took a rain check instead.

raining cats and dogs

- raining very hard

It has been raining cats and dogs all morning.

raise a fuss

- make trouble, make a disturbance

The woman at the restaurant raised a fuss when her meal arrived late.

raise a hand

- do something, do one's share, help

Nobody likes him because he will never raise a hand to help his friends.

raise Cain

- create a disturbance, cause trouble

They began to raise Cain at the dance and were asked to leave.

raise eyebrows

- cause surprise or disapproval

It really raised eyebrows when she appeared at the party unannounced.

rake in the money

- make a lot of money

His new pizza franchise has been raking in the money since it first opened.

rake someone over the coals

- scold, reprimand

His boss raked him over the coals when he heard about the lost sales report.

ram (something) down one's throat

- force one to do or agree to something not wanted

She always tries to ram her ideas down our throats which makes us very angry.

rat out on

- desert or betray someone, leave at a critical time

His friend ratted out on him when he refused to support him in his fight with the neighborhood bully.

rat race

- endless hurried existence

He likes working for a major corporation although sometimes he finds it too much of a rat race.

raw deal

- unfair treatment

he got a raw deal when he was forced to resign from his company.

read between the lines

- find a hidden meaning in something

I know that he didn't say it but I can read between the lines so I know what he means.

read the riot act

- give someone a strong warning or scolding

The teacher read the riot act to her students when they began to misbehave in class.

real McCoy

- the genuine thing

That new camera is the real McCoy and will let you do everything that you want.

red herring

- something that draws attention away from the matter under consideration

The issue of the pay cut is a red herring and is not related to the main issues.

red letter day

- a day that is memorable because of some important event

Saturday was a red letter day when we finally won the championship.

red tape

- excessive formalities in official transactions

There was much red tape when we went to city hall to get a business license.

regular guy

- a friendly person who everyone gets along with

The former Prime Minister was a regular guy and was well liked by most people.

rest on one's laurels

- be satisfied with the success one has already won

He is always willing to work hard and is not the type of person to rest on his laurels.

rhyme or reason

- a good plan or reason, a reasonable purpose or explanation

Without rhyme or reason he suddenly decided to quit his job.

ride herd on

- watch closely and control

The new supervisor plans to ride herd on the people who work for him.

ride out

- survive safely, endure

We were able to easily ride out the storm at the small restaurant.

riding high

- attracting attention, enjoying great popularity

The new government has been riding high in the polls for several months now.

right away

- immediately

I forgot to bring the book today but I will go home and get it right away.

right off the bat

- immediately, from the beginning

I told him right off the bat that we didn't need a new computer for the office.

right on

- indicates approval, "that's right", "yes"

He called out "right on" every time that the politician promised a new program to help unemployed people.

right out

- plainly, in a way that hides nothing

He told the new supervisor right out that he did not like him.

right under one's nose

- in an obvious, nearby place

I found the calculator right under my nose after searching for it for an hour.

ring a bell

- remind one of something

The name doesn't ring a bell. I'm sure I have never heard of him.

ring up

- add and record on a cash register

I went to the cash register to have them ring up the things that I had bought.

ring up

- telephone someone

You should ring up the police if you see anybody strange around your house.

rip off

- cheat, rob

I was ripped off by the mechanics at that gas station.

road hog

- a car driver who takes up more than his share of the road

My father becomes very angry at the road hogs when he is driving.

rob Peter to pay Paul

- take from one person or thing to pay another

When the government began to take money from education to pay for the medical system it was like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

rob the cradle

- have dates with or marry a person much younger than oneself

Everyone said that my friend was robbing the cradle when he married the young woman at his company.

rock the boat

- upset the way things are

He is a very quiet worker and never likes to rock the boat at work.

roll around

- return at a regular or usual time, come back

Every time that his birthday rolls around he has a big party.

roll in

- arrive in great numbers or quantity

The money has been rolling in since they started the new franchise.

rolling stone

- a person who does not live or work in one place

He is a rolling stone and I never know where to find him.

roll out the red carpet

- welcome an important guest by putting a red carpet down for him or her to walk on

They rolled out the red carpet when the President of France came for a visit.

roll out the red carpet

- make a big effort to greet and entertain someone

Whenever I visit my aunt in New York City she rolls out the red carpet for me.

roll up one's sleeves

- prepare to work hard or seriously

Everyone in our club rolled up their sleeves to help prepare for the party.

rope into

- trick, persuade by pressuring someone

I didn't want to help with the dinner but I was roped into doing it by my best friend.

rough and ready

- rough or crude but effective

The boat is rough and ready so let's take it for a ride.

rough and tumble

- fighting or arguing in a very rough and reckless way

It was a rough and tumble meeting that we attended at the city planning office last night.

rough guess

- an approximate estimate

He made a rough guess as to how many people would come to the party.

rough up

- attack or hurt physically

The three men roughed up the bartender at the hotel and were arrested by the police.

round robin (letter)

- a letter written by a group of people with each person writing part of the letter

We sent a round robin letter to the librarian to ask for better opening hours for the library.

round robin (meeting or discussion)

- a meeting or discussion in which each person in a group takes part

We had a round robin panel discussion on what we could do to help save the environment.

round robin (tournament or contest)

- game or contest in which each player or team plays every other player or team in turn

The round robin tournament was held in order to choose the championship team for the city.

round up

- bring together, collect

We rounded up enough people to play a game of soccer last night.

rub elbows/shoulders

- be in the same place (with others), meet and mix

At the party we were able to rub elbows with many important people.

rub off

- remove or be removed by rubbing, erase

She rubbed off the writing on the whiteboard.

rub off

- pass to someone nearby, transmit to someone

Her bad habit of talking all the time has rubbed off on her husband as well.

rub out

- destroy completely, kill, eliminate

The government troops rubbed out the whole village.

rub someone the wrong way

- irritate others with something one says or does

Her lack of politeness always rubs me the wrong way.

rub something in

- continue to talk or joke about something someone said or did

I know that she made a mistake but you shouldn't rub it in.

rule out

- decide against, eliminate

They still haven't ruled out using him on the team for the tournament.

rule the roost

- be the dominant one in the family

She seems rather quiet but she really rules the roost in their family.

run a risk

- unprotected, open to danger or loss

You are running a great risk if you drive with him after he has been drinking.

run around

- go to different places for entertainment or to do things

We ran around all day and now we are very tired.

run around in circles

- act confused, do a lot but accomplish little

I have been running around all day but I can't seem to get anything done.

run away with

- take quickly and secretly - especially without permission or by stealing

Someone ran away with the dictionary so now we don't have one.

run away with

- take hold of

Their imagination ran away with them when they went to the circus. They decided that they actually wanted to join the circus.

run away with

- be much better than others, win easily

Our hometown team ran away with the football championship.

run down

- crash against and knock down

My dog was run down by a car last week.

run down

- say bad things about someone, criticize

She is always running down her friends. That is why nobody likes her.

run down

- get into poor health or condition, look bad

She has become run down since she started working at night.

run for it

- dash for safety, make a speedy escape

As soon as it started raining we ran for it and tried to get to the shelter.

run in

- make a brief visit

I ran in to see my sister at her office before I left for the weekend.

run (someone) in

- take to jail, arrest

The police ran the three boys in for questioning about the robbery.

run in the family/blood

- be a common family characteristic

Being a left-handed golfer and baseball hitter runs in our family.

run into

- add up to, total

If you decide to stay in nice hotels during your holiday it will run into a lot of money.

run into

- mix with, join with

During the hot weather the red paint on the roof ran into the white paint.

run into

- be affected by, get into

He ran into trouble when he tried to cross the border with no visa.

run into (something)

- hit something or crash into something

His car ran into the other car on the highway.

run into (someone)

- meet by chance

I ran into him when I was at the supermarket.

run into the ground

- use something more than is wanted or needed

He ran his car into the ground before he had to buy another one.

run off

- produce with a printing press or copy machine

We ran off hundreds of copies of the poster for the festival.

run off with (someone)

- go away with someone, elope

My sister ran off with her boyfriend and got married when she was quite young.

run-of-the-mill

- ordinary, usual

The restaurant was in a run-of-the-mill building but it was superb.

run out (of something)

- use up, come to an end

The car ran out of gas in the middle of the countryside.

run out

- force to leave, expel

The drug dealers were run out of town by the police.

run over

- be too full and flow over the edge

The water in the bathtub ran over the edge and got everything in the room wet.

run over

- try to go over something quickly, practice briefly

We can run over this material tomorrow before the meeting.

run over

- drive on top of, ride over

We ran over a small rabbit on the way to the meeting.

run ragged

- be tired or exhausted

She has been run ragged by her three children.

run scared

- try everything to avoid defeat as in a political campaign

The senator has been running scared in his attempt to win re-election.

run short

- not have enough, be not enough in quantity

We ran short of money during our trip to Europe.

run the gauntlet

- face a hard test or painful experience

He had to run the gauntlet of many interviews before he got the job.

run through

- spend recklessly, use up wastefully

We ran through a lot of money when we were looking for a new apartment.

run through

- read or practice from beginning to end without stopping

I usually try to run through my speech a couple of times before I have to give it.

run up

- add to the amount of something, increase

He ran up a large bill at the department store before he left for home.

run up

- pull something up on a rope

We ran up the flag early this morning before the parade started.

run up against (something)

- encounter

They ran up against many problems when they were building the freeway.

run wild

- be or go out of control

The crowd ran wild after the soccer game.

Russian roulette

- a game of chance in which one bullet is placed in a revolver, the cartridge is spun, and the player aims the gun at his head and pulls the trigger

The men in the movie played Russian roulette until one of them finally died.

Russian roulette

- a potentially dangerous situation

Putting the load of plutonium on the old ship was like playing a game of Russian roulette.

Our Selection for S

sacred cow

- something that is never criticized or laughed at even if it sometimes deserves to be

The medical insurance system is a sacred cow of the government and is never criticized by anyone.

(on the) safe side

- take no chances

It may rain so just to be on the safe side I think that I will bring my umbrella.

sail into

- scold or criticize very hard, attack

As soon as I came in the door she sailed into me for being late.

salt away

- save money

She has salted away a few thousand dollars from her new job.

save face

- save one's good reputation when something has happened to hurt it

Our boss was very embarrassed when he had to tell us that the company had lost a lot of money. However, he was able to save face when he showed that the problems were outside of his control.

save one's breath

- remain silent because talking will do no good

You may as well save your breath and not talk to her as she never believes you anyway.

save one's neck/skin

- save oneself from danger or trouble

He left the scene of the fire as soon as possible in order to save his own neck.

save the day

- bring about victory or success - esp. when defeat is likely

He saved the day for his team after he played his best game of the season.

say a mouthful

- say something of great importance or meaning or length

He really said a mouthful yesterday when he made the announcement about his new job.

say one's piece

- say openly what one thinks

He said his piece at the meeting and then left quietly by the back door.

say the word

- give a sign, show a wish

Just say the word and I will come and pick you up at the airport.

scare out of one's wits

- frighten very much

Her little girl was scared out of her wits after she saw the horror movie.

scare the daylights out of someone

- frighten very much

Falling off her bicycle scared the daylights out of her.

scare up

- find or gather something with some effort

We were able to scare up a couple of sleeping bags so that we could go camping.

scatter around

- carelessly put in different places

His papers are always scattered around his house so he is never able to find anything.

school of hard knocks

- ordinary experiences of life

He learned all about life in the school of hard knocks.

scrape the bottom of the barrel

- take whatever is left after the best has been taken

They are really scraping the bottom of the barrel if they must give him a job.

scrape together

- gather money etc. a little at a time

We managed to scrape together enough money to go to Disneyland even though business is very bad and we don't have much money.

scrape up

- find or gather something with some effort

His girlfriend scraped up some money and went to visit him during the summer.

scratch one's back

- do something nice for someone in the hope that they will do something for you

"You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours," he said when he offered to help me increase my sales.

scratch the surface

- make only a beginning to do or accomplish something

They have been gathering information about the planned merger but they have only scratched the surface of what is available.

screw around

- loaf about, hang around without doing anything

I spent the morning screwing around and didn't get anything done.

screw up

- make a mess of something

My travel agent screwed up our travel schedule so we had to stay at the airport overnight.

scrounge around

- look in many places for an item or items

We didn't have enough wood for the small building so we had to scrounge around the neighborhood to find some.

search me

- "I don't know.", "How should I know."

"Search me," he said when I asked him what had happened to the front of his car.

search one's soul

- study one's reasons and actions to see if one has been fair and honest

I have been searching my soul to see if I was responsible for the accident that destroyed my friend's car.

second-guess someone

- guess what someone else intends to do or would have done

You should never try to second-guess the firefighters in a dangerous situation.

second hand

- not new, used by someone else

He went to a second-hand bookstore to look for the books.

second thought

- after thinking about something again

On second thought maybe you should bring an extra coat.

second wind

- regaining your energy after being tired

After we got our second wind we continued on our hike up the mountain.

security blanket

- something one holds on to for reassurance or comfort (like a child and a blanket)

He uses his computer as his security blanket so that he doesn't have to go out and meet new people.

see about (something)

- check into something

I'll see about getting the book for you by next week.

see eye to eye

- agree

We don't always see eye to eye on everything but generally we get along.

see off

- go with someone to their point of departure

I went to the airport to see her off.

see one's way clear to do something

- feel able to do something

When you see your way clear to begin the project could you please come and tell me.

see out

- go with someone to an outer door

I went to the front door to see out our guests to their cars.

see out

- finish and not quit

I decided to stay with my company for awhile in order to see out the restructuring process.

see red

- become very angry

He saw red last night when I told him about the broken dishes.

see stars

- imagine one is seeing stars as a result of being hit on the head

When I was hit by the opposing football player I fell to the ground and began to see stars.

see the light

- realize your mistake, suddenly see how to proceed with something

He finally saw the light and began to do his work the same as everyone else.

see the light of day

- be born or begun

I don't believe that his plans to build a new house will ever see the light of day.

see the world (things) through rose-colored glasses

- see only the good things about something, be too optimistic

She is a little unrealistic and tends to see the world through rose-colored glasses.

see things

- imagine sights that are not real, think one sees what is not there

He is always daydreaming and imagining that he is seeing things.

see through

- understand someone's true character or motivation

I could easily see through his attempt to fire her from her job.

see to (something)

- attend to or do something

I will see to the rental car and you can see to the airplane tickets.

see to it

- take the responsibility to do something, make sure

Will you please see to it that the garbage is taken out in the morning.

sell like hotcakes

- sell quickly, sell rapidly

The tickets for the football game were selling like hotcakes when I inquired this morning.

sell out

- be disloyal, sell a secret, be unfaithful

He said that he was a socialist but as soon as he got a good job he sold out to the establishment.

sell oneself short

- underestimate oneself

He is selling himself short when he thinks that he can't do any other job.

send away for something

- write a letter asking for something

I sent away for some postage stamps but they haven't arrived yet.

send someone packing

- tell someone to leave, dismiss someone

He was sent packing because of his bad attitude to his job.

send up

- sentence someone to prison

He was sent up for seven years for robbing a bank.

serve one's purpose

- be useful to someone for a certain need

That tool should serve my purpose until I find the correct one.

serve someone right

- get the punishment or results that one deserves

He never studies at all so it serves him right to fail his exam.

serve time

- spend time in jail

He served time when he was young but now he is a model citizen.

set about

- begin, start

We set about preparing the office for the move to a bigger building.

set back

- cause to put off or get behind schedule, slow up

We were set back over a month when the floods destroyed the road to our farm.

set (one) back

- cost

How much did your new suit set you back?

set eyes on

- to see

I don't know if she is here or not. I haven't set eyes on her since yesterday.

set foot

- step, walk

I have never set foot in that restaurant and I never will in the future.

set forth

- explain exactly or clearly

He carefully set forth the terms of the rental contract.

set forth

- start to go somewhere, begin a trip

They set forth on their holiday about 7:00 this morning.

set in

- weather condition begins and will probably continue

The rain has set in and it looks like it won't stop for awhile.

set loose

- set free, release something that you are holding

The wildlife department decided to set loose the bear that it had captured.

set off

- decorate through contrast, balance by difference

He painted the trim of his house red in order to set off the light colors.

set off

- to cause to explode

The fire set off a large explosion on the ship.

set one's heart on

- want very much

I set my heart on a nice holiday this winter but I won't be able to go because I have no money.

set one's mind at rest

- free oneself from worry

I told him the reason we can't come in order to set his mind at rest.

set out

- leave on a journey

Marco Polo set out for China many years ago.

set out

- decide and begin to try, attempt

He set out to learn Spanish when he was transferred to Mexico.

set sail

- start sailing, begin a sea voyage

The three women set sail for Hawaii on a small sailboat.

set store on (by)

- like or value, want to keep

Our company sets great store on their ability to attract good people.

set the pace

- decide on a rate of speed to do something that others will follow

The manager of our section sets the pace for the employees under him.

set the world on fire

- do something outstanding or that makes one famous

He has not been able to set the world on fire with his writing but he is trying very hard.

settle for

- be satisfied with less, agree to

I settled for less than I originally wanted with my contract but still I am happy with it.

set up

- establish, provide the money for something

The newspaper company provided the money to set up the new travel magazine.

set up

- make something ready to use by putting the parts together

After we set up the gas barbecue we were able to cook dinner.

set (someone) up

- put someone in a position to be manipulated

I don't believe that I lost that money honestly. I believe that I was set up.

setup

- arrangement, management, circumstances

My uncle has a very nice setup at his office.

settle down

- live a quiet normal life

He settled down and started a family after he finished university.

settle a score with someone

- retaliate against someone, pay someone back for a past wrong

He always appears to be trying to settle the score with him and never treats him fairly.

seventh heaven

- a state of intense delight

She has been in seventh heaven since she got the music award.

sewed up

- won or arranged as one wishes, decided

The candidate for the nomination easily sewed up his victory last week.

shack up with

- live with someone of the opposite sex without marrying them

When his sister was younger she shacked up with her boyfriend for a couple of years.

shake a leg

- go fast, hurry

"You will have to shake a leg if you want to arrive at the movie on time."

shake down

- get money by threats

The gangsters shook down the small shop owners to get some money.

shake off (an illness)

- get rid of (an illness)

She has been unable to shake off her illness and can't come to the party.

shake up

- change the command or leadership of something

The president decided to shake up top management in order to bring new energy into the organization.

(be) shaken up

- be bothered or disturbed

I was a little shaken up after I heard about the fire at our new apartment building.

shape up

- begin to act and look right

He has finally begun to shape up and is doing his job much better.

shell out

- pay

I shelled out over a thousand dollars for the new stereo.

shine up to

- try to please, try to make friends with

He is always shining up to his boss in the hopes of getting a raise.

shoe is on the other foot

- opposite is true, places are changed

The shoe is on the other foot now that he has also bought a house and has to pay a lot of money every month for his mortgage.

shoo-in

- someone or something that is expected to win, a sure winner

The new president is a shoo-in to win another term in office.

shook up

- upset, worried

He was really shook up after the accident and has not been back to work since.

shoot one's wad

- spend all one's money, say everything that is on one's mind

He shot his wad on a vacation to the Caribbean last winter.

shoot straight

- act fairly, deal honestly

He always shoots straight when he is dealing with the police or the government.

shoot the breeze/bull

- talk idly

I met him at the supermarket so we decided to shoot the breeze for a few minutes.

shoot the works

- spare no expense or effort

They are planning to shoot the works when they plan the victory celebration for the Olympic medal winners.

shoot up

- grow quickly

His son really shot up quickly when he went away for the summer.

shoot up

- arise suddenly

The flames shot up over the top of the building when the wind started blowing.

shoot up

- shoot at recklessly

In many western movies the outlaws come into town and shoot up everybody.

shoot up

- take drugs by injecting them

We were going to a movie when we saw the heroin addict shooting up heroin in the alley.

shop around

- go to various stores to look for something

We shopped around for a month before we bought a new stereo system.

shore up

- add support to something which is weak

It was necessary to shore up the house after the mud slide damaged the foundation.

short and sweet

- brief and pleasant

His visit with his parents was short and sweet.

short end (of the stick)

- unfair, unequal treatment

He always gets the short end of the stick when he is at work.

short of

- not have enough of something

We are short of sugar so could you please buy some when you are at the store.

short shrift

- rude treatment

She received short shrift from her supervisor when she asked for a holiday.

shot in the arm

- something inspiring or encouraging

His job search got a shot in the arm when the company president called him in for an interview.

shot in the dark

- an attempt without much hope or chance of succeeding

The attempt to find the small boy who had fallen into the river was a shot in the dark.

shove down one's throat

- force someone to do or agree to something not wanted

I don't like him because he is always trying to shove his ideas down my throat.

shove off

- start, leave

I think that it is time for us to shove off. It is almost midnight.

show off

- try to attract attention, display

He has bought a lot of new clothes that recently he has been trying to show off.

show-off

- a person who brags a lot

He is a show-off and is always trying to impress other people.

show one's cards

- disclose one's plans

He hasn't really shown us his cards yet so I don't really know what he wants.

show one's (true) colors

- show what one is really like or is thinking

He has shown his true colors lately with his attempt to punish those who don't reach the sales target.

show someone the door

- ask someone to go away

When he started yelling in the restaurant he was quickly shown the door.

show up

- appear, arrive, be present

What time did your friend show up for the party?

show up

- become or make something easy to see

At first we couldn't see what was written on the vase but after a little effort to clean it up the design began to show up.

shrug off

- not be bothered or hurt by something, disregard

She is a little mean but we always just shrug off her comments.

shut off

- make something like water or electricity stop

We always shut off the gas when we leave the house for more than a few minutes.

shut off

- be apart, be separated from

The small town is shut off from the other towns in the valley.

shut out

- prevent the opposite team from scoring during a game

The national soccer team shut out the second place team three games in a row.

shut up

- stop talking

"Please shut up and let someone else speak for a change."

shut up

- close the doors and windows of a building for a period of time

We decided to shut up our cottage for the summer as we would not use it anymore.

shut up

- confine

We have to shut up our dog in the house when the mailman comes.

sick and tired

- dislike something, be annoyed with something

I am sick and tired of his constant complaining.

sick of (someone or something)

- bored with, dislike

I think that she is sick of working overtime every day.

side with

- favor, support a position in a dispute

Her mother always sides with her if they have an argument.

sight unseen

- before seeing a thing or person

He bought the car sight unseen and now he is having trouble with it.

sign over

- give something legally to someone by signing one's name

He signed over his car to his son on his 21st birthday.

sign up

- promise to do something by signing one's name, join

He signs up for tennis lessons every summer but his ability never improves.

simmer down

- become calm, quiet

He was very angry after the meeting but he has begun to simmer down a little now.

sing (whistle) a different tune

- contradict something said before, talk or act in the opposite way

Usually he doesn't care if he disturbs his neighbors at midnight but now that he has to get up early in the morning he is whistling a different tune.

sink in

- to penetrate, become understood

What he said hasn't really sunk in with the other members of the company.

sink one's teeth into

- go to work seriously

It's a difficult problem and is a little difficult to sink your teeth into.

sink or swim

- fail or succeed by your own efforts

He will have to sink or swim when he begins his new job.

sit back

- be built a distance away from a street

The large mansion sits back three or four hundred meters from the street.

sit back

- relax, rest, take time out

We decided to sit back for the day and not do anything.

sit idly by

- sit and watch or rest while others work

He sat idly by all morning while the others worked hard.

sit-in

- political demonstration where students or workers refuse to leave their classroom or job sites

The students held a sit-in demonstration to demand an end to the war.

sit in on

- attend or participate in a meeting

Our boss sat in on the meeting so that he could find out what was happening.

sit on

- be a member of a jury or board, etc.

The former Prime Minister is now sitting on the board of many corporations.

sit right (negative)

- be unacceptable

His idea seemed good at first but it doesn't seem to sit right with the president.

sit tight

- wait patiently for something

Please sit tight for a few minutes while I go and get a police officer.

sitting duck

- a non-moving target that is easily hit by a hunter

The hunter shot the sitting ducks easily and quickly.

sitting duck

- an unsuspecting person easily fooled - as if they are waiting to be attacked

The woman was a sitting duck when she sat on the bench with her purse beside her.

sitting pretty

- be in a favorable situation

He is sitting pretty with his new job and lots of money.

sit up

- stay awake instead of going to bed

My mother had to sit up all night as my younger sister was very sick.

sit well (with)

- please or find favor with someone

His decision to leave early for the weekend didn't sit well with the other members of the staff.

six feet under

- dead

He doesn't plan to move until he is six feet under.

(at) sixes and sevens

- in confusion or disagreement

They have been at sixes and sevens since they opened the new school.

six of one and half-a-dozen of the other

- two things the same, no difference

It was six of one or half-a-dozen of the other as to whether or not we should take the train or the airplane. They both arrived at the same time and cost the same.

(the) size of it

- the way it is

That's about the size of it he said as he finished telling her about the accident.

size up

- form an opinion, assess a situation

It took him a little time to size up the candidate before deciding to give him a job.

skate on thin ice

- take a chance, risk danger or disapproval

He has been skating on thin ice recently with regard to his job. He is causing many problems and may be fired.

skeleton in one's closet

- family secret

I heard that he has a lot of skeletons in his closet that he doesn't want to talk about.

skid row

- area of a city where many people live who have no money and drink a lot of alcohol

The skid row of our city is very depressing with the large number of drunk people around.

skin alive

- scold angrily, spank or beat

She told her son that if he was late for dinner she would skin him alive.

skin and bones

- very skinny

The cat which we found in the empty house was all skin and bones..

skin-deep

- only on the surface, not having any deep or honest meaning

Although beauty is said to be only skin-deep many people care about it too much.

(no) skin off one's nose

- matter of interest, concern or trouble to one

It is no skin off my nose whether or not she comes to the party.

(by the) skin of one's teeth

- only just, barely

We were able to arrive in time for the train by the skin of our teeth.

skip bail

- run away and not come to trial and therefore give up any money that you may have already paid the court

The man didn't want to go to jail so he skipped bail and went to another city.

skip it

- forget all about it

"Skip it", I said as she forgot to bring me the phone number after I had asked her three times.

slap in the face

- an insult

Not getting a promotion was a real slap in the face for her.

slap together

- make in a hurry and without care

We slapped together a picnic table for the company picnic.

sleep a wink

- get a moment's sleep

I didn't sleep a wink last night.

sleep on it

- think about something, consider, decide later

I will have to sleep on it tonight but I will give you an answer tomorrow.

slip of the tongue

- say the wrong thing at the wrong time

His insult to the customer was a major slip of the tongue.

slip one's mind

- be forgotten

I'm very sorry I didn't come and meet you last night. Our appointment totally slipped my mind.

slip up

- make a mistake

I slipped up when I said that I would not be able to go to the meeting next week.

slow down

- go more slowly than usual

You should slow down a little when you come to a bridge while driving.

slow-down

- a form of striking without coming to a complete stop

There was a slow-down at the post office last year.

smack into

- collide, hit

The first car ran smack into the car behind it.

small fry

- someone or something of little importance, young children

The police are trying to find some of the major criminals in the drug trade. They are not interested in the small fry.

smash hit

- a very successful performance, song, play, or movie

The series of Star War movies were all smash hits.

smell a rat

- become suspicious

I don't know what he is doing but something seems strange and I smell a rat.

smoke out

- force out with smoke

The rats were smoked out of their nests by the black smoke.

smoke out

- find out the facts about something

They were able to easily smoke out the real reasons for his decision to leave the company.

smooth something over

- make better or more pleasant

She tried to smooth over the problems between her boss and his sales staff.

snail's pace

- a very slow movement forward

The cars on the highway moved at a snail's pace.

snake in the grass

- an enemy who pretends to be a friend

You should be careful of her even if she seems very nice. She is like a snake in the grass.

(a) snap

- an easy task

The exam was a snap and I'm sure that I did very well.

snap out of it

- return to normal, stop being afraid

He finally snapped out of his depression and was able to return to work quickly.

snap up

- take or accept eagerly

The tickets to the concert were snapped up in three hours.

(not to be) sneezed at

- worth having, not to be despised

That new stereo system is not to be sneezed at.

(not a) snowball's chance in hell

- no chance at all

They don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning the game tomorrow.

snow job

- insincere or exaggerated talk designed to gain the favors of someone

His presentation at the interview was a total snow job.

snow job

- use technical vocabulary to seem like an expert in a field

The salesman gave us a snow job when he started to talk about the specifications of the machine.

snow under

- have or get so much of something that it can't be taken care of

I have been snowed under with paperwork during the last few weeks.

soak up

- take into oneself like a sponge takes up water

He was able to soak up a lot of knowledge when he went to the summer film seminar.

sob story

- a story that makes one feel pity or sorrow

My sister told me a sob story about how she had lost her job.

sock it to someone

- give everything one is capable of

The president socked it to the audience with his speech at the convention.

so far

- until now

So far no one has entered the speech contest at the television station.

so far, so good

- until now things have gone well

"So far, so good." she replied when he asked her how her new job was going.

soft spot for someone/something

- a feeling of affection toward a person or thing

She has a soft spot for the elderly lady in the store.

so help me

- I promise, I swear

"So help me, if you don't pay me back my money I will phone your company and ask them for help."

so long

- goodbye

"So long, I will see you next week."

somebody up there loves/hates me

- an expression meaning that an unseen power in heaven has been favorable/unfavorable to you

"Somebody up there loves me," he said as he found the money on the side of the road.

something else

- so good as to be beyond description

The movie was something else. It was the best movie I had seen in years.

something else again

- a different kind of thing

Working all day on Saturday is OK but working all day Sunday is something else again.

so much

- a large quantity of something

There was so much rain in the spring that our garden wouldn't grow well.

song and dance

- excuses

He gave me a song and dance about being busy but I never really believed him.

son of a gun/bitch

- a person, used as an exclamation

I wish that that son of a bitch would stop using my camera without asking me.

sooner or later

- eventually

Sooner or later you must pay me back the money so you should do it as soon as possible.

sore loser

- someone who gets angry when they lose

He is a sore loser when he doesn't win a game of tennis.

sort of

- almost, similar to, not quite

Did you finish cleaning the kitchen? Well, sort of, but not really.

sound off

- tell what one knows or thinks in a loud voice

He is always sounding off about why he doesn't like his job.

sound out

- try to find out how a person feels about something by asking questions

I have been sounding out my wife recently about whether or not she wants to move to a new house.

souped-up

- changing and adding something to make it more powerful or faster

He bought a souped-up car when he was a teenager.

spaced out

- confused, incoherent, resembling someone who is using drugs

He was totally spaced out when the professor asked him a question about the text.

speak for

- make a request for, ask for

He spoke for the comfortable chair as soon as he entered the room.

speak of the devil and he appears

- a person comes just when one is talking about him

"Speak of the devil and he appears," I said just as our colleague who we were talking about walked in the door.

speak one's piece

- say openly what one thinks

I think that it is time for me to speak my piece and tell them what I want to do about the plans for a new factory.

speak out

- speak in favor of or in support of something

My boss spoke out in favor of a promotion for me.

speak up

- speak in a loud or clear voice

I had to ask the teacher to speak up as I couldn't hear him at all.

spell out

- explain something in very simple words, explain very clearly

I spelled out our conditions for renting out our house very clearly.

spic and span

- very clean, very neat

The house was spic and span when we returned from our holiday.

spill the beans

- tell a secret, inform

He promised not to spill the beans about his plans to get married.

spitting image

- exact resemblance

He is a spitting image of his father.

split hairs

- make unnecessary distinctions

He makes a lot of good points but he also has a tendency to split hairs and waste a lot of our time.

split the difference

- settle a money disagreement by dividing the difference

We had to pay extra money for the car so we decided to split the difference.

split ticket

- vote for candidates from more than one political party

He always votes for a split ticket when he votes and never votes for only one party.

split up

- separate

They seemed like a nice couple but they suddenly decided to split up last month.

splurge on something

- spend a lot of money for something

He splurged on a beautiful present for his girlfriend.

spoon-feed

- make something very easy for someone

He is a very strict teacher and never likes to spoon-feed his students.

spread oneself too thin

- try to do too many things at one time

She has been spreading herself too thin lately and is not accomplishing very much of anything.

spring chicken

- a young person (usually negative)

She is no spring chicken. She is almost 96 years old.

spruce up

- clean, redecorate

They spruced up the community center for the summer holidays.

(on the) spur of the moment

- suddenly

He decided to go to Hong Kong on the spur of the moment.

square away

- put right for use or action

Have you squared away your plans for your holidays yet?

square one

- in the beginning

We had to go back to square one and start the project over.

square peg in a round hole

- a person who does not fit into a job or position

He is like a square peg in a round hole trying to do the job of an accountant.

squawk about

- complain about

He is always squawking about the bad service in that restaurant.

stab someone in the back

- betray someone

I dislike him because he tried to stab me in the back during the last meeting.

stack the cards

- arrange things (unfairly) for or against a person

They are stacking the cards against him with their constant demands for more and more qualifications for the job.

stamping grounds

- a place where a person spends much of his time

He went back to his old stamping grounds which he remembered as a teenager.

stamp out

- destroy completely and make disappear

The government is making a great effort to stamp out smoking among teenagers.

(can't) stand

- can't tolerate, dislike

She can't stand the other people in her class.

stand a chance

- have a possibility

They stand a good chance of winning the game.

stand by

- be near, waiting to do something when needed

There is a doctor standing by in case there is a medical emergency.

stand by

- follow or keep (one's promise), be loyal to or support

She always stands by her husband when he has a problem.

stand clear of something

- keep away from something

Please stand clear of the door while we are moving the piano.

stand for

- be a sign of, make one think of

I didn't know what the letters stood for so I was not able to write the correct name of the company.

stand for

- speak in favor of something or show that one supports it

All of the candidates stand for a platform of law and order.

stand for

- allow to happen or be done, permit

He will not stand for anybody to come to his classes late.

stand in awe of

- look upon with wonder, feel respectful to

He stands in awe of the former coach in the football department.

stand in for someone

- be a substitute for someone else

The other actor stood in for her when she was sick.

stand (someone) in good stead

- be a great advantage to someone

It will stand you in good stead with the company if you do the extra work.

stand off

- stay at a distance, stay apart

He always stands off from the rest of the students in his class.

stand off

- keep someone or something from coming near or winning

There was a stand-off at the bank between the police and the bank robbers.

stand on ceremony

- be formal

You don't need to stand on ceremony. You can relax.

stand one's ground

- maintain and defend one's position

He stood his ground over his decision to fire the employee.

stand on one's own two feet

- be independent

He learned to stand on his own two feet when he was very young.

stand out

- be more noticeable in some way than those around one

He likes to wear clothes that make him stand out from the crowd.

stand over

- watch closely, keep checking all the time

He stood over his son all day to make sure that he was studying for his final exams.

stand pat

- be satisfied with things and be against a change

We should stand pat for awhile and not do anything to cause any problems with the negotiations.

stand to reason

- make sense, be logical

If he told a lie about that it stands to reason that he will probably lie to you about other things too.

stand up

- strong enough to use for a long time

The new carpet is able to stand up to the use of many people.

stand up and be counted

- be willing to say what one thinks in public

The union members thought it was time that they stood up and were counted before management took away their benefits.

stand (someone) up

- fail to keep an appointment or date with your boyfriend or girlfriend

He stood her up on a date last Saturday and now she won't talk to him.

stand up for

- defend against attack, fight for

The citizens of the town were ready to stand up for their rights,

stand up to someone

- be brave in confronting someone

He stood up to his boss during the meeting when his boss criticized his work.

stars in one's eyes

- an appearance or feeling of very great happiness

She had stars in her eyes when she saw the beautiful ring that her boyfriend had bought for her.

start in

- begin a career

He started in as a mailroom clerk but soon he began to have more and more important jobs in the company.

start the ball rolling

- begin to do something

He finally started the ball rolling on their plans to build a new house.

start up

- begin operating, begin to play

He started up a small business when he was 20 years old.

stay away from

- avoid

He has been staying away from salty foods for several months now.

stay put

- stay in one place, not leave

We decided to stay put for our holidays rather than go away.

steal one's thunder

- do or say something that another person had planned to say

He stole my thunder when he announced that he was leaving the company before me.

steal the show

- act or do so well in a performance that you get most of the attention

The little boy stole the show at the music festival.

steer clear of someone

- avoid

I have been steering clear of that person ever since our argument.

step by step

- gradually

He has made a great effort and step by step he has learned how to use a computer.

step down

- leave an important position

My father stepped down from his job as president of his company recently.

step on it

- go faster, hurry

"Step on it," he yelled as the taxi took him to the airport a little late.

step on one's toes

- do something that embarrasses or offends someone else

He stepped on a lot of people's toes at work and now has many enemies.

step on the gas

- go faster, hurry

I decided to step on the gas in order to get to work on time.

step up

- make something go faster or more actively

Recently we had to step up our effort to hire some new computer programmers for our company.

step up

- rise to a higher or more important position, be promoted

He stepped up to the position of manager after the old manager was fired.

stew in one's own juice

- suffer from something that one has caused to happen oneself

He is stewing in his own juice after he got into trouble for being late.

stick around

- stay or wait nearby

We decided to stick around after the game to talk for awhile.

stick-in-the-mud

- someone who is old-fashioned, someone who doesn't want to join in with others

He is a stick-in-the-mud and will never join in any of the activities at a party.

stick one's neck out

- take risks, support someone

He never sticks his neck out for anyone at work and therefore has few friends.

stick it out

- endure, continue

She doesn't like her new job but plans to stick it out until she saves enough money to go to Europe.

stick to (a story/the facts)

- remain faithful to something

Please stick to the facts when you tell the story to the police.

stick to one's guns

- defend an action or opinion despite an unfavorable reaction

He is sticking to his guns on his decision to fire the manager of the store.

stick up

- rob with a gun

A man with a gun tried to stick up my mother when I was a child.

stick up for

- defend, help, support

He always sticks up for the younger workers at his company.

stick with

- continue doing, not quit

He has been able to stick with his trumpet lessons since he was a child.

stick with

- stay with, not leave

If you stick with your job for a few years you will be able to save a lot of money.

stick (someone) with

- leave someone with something unpleasant

I was stuck with paying the bill when I went to the restaurant with my friends.

sticky fingers

- the habit of stealing things that one sees and wants

The young boy has sticky fingers and you must watch him all the time.

stink

- terrible, bad quality

Do you like that new policy at your company? No, I think it stinks.

stir up

- cause some action to occur, rouse

The man's angry words stirred up the crowd and made them very angry.

stir up a hornet's nest

- make many people angry, do something that many people don't like

He stirred up a hornet's nest when he began to talk about the problems with the bonus system at his job.

stone-broke

- having no money

He was stone-broke after he came back from his holiday in Greece.

stop by

- visit, pass by

Why don't you stop by my house on your way home?

stop dead/cold

- stop very quickly or with great force

He stopped dead when he saw the bear in the middle of the road.

stop in one's tracks

- stop very quickly or with great force

The elephant was forced to stop in its tracks by the electric fence.

stop off

- stop at a place for a short time while going somewhere

We decided to stop off in New York City on our way to Egypt.

stop over

- stay at a place overnight or for a short time while on a trip

The plane had to stop over in Alaska because one of the passengers had a heart attack.

straight from the horse's mouth

- directly from the person involved

I went over to my friend's house so that I could hear about her wedding straight from the horse's mouth.

straight from the shoulder

- open and honest way of speaking

He always speaks straight from the shoulder.

straight out

- plainly, in a way that hides nothing

He was told straight out by his boss that his work was not satisfactory.

straighten up

- put in order, clean up

He had to straighten up the house before inviting his parents over for dinner.

strapped for cash

- have no money available

I am a little strapped for cash so I won't be able to go away this summer.

straw in the wind

- a small sign of what may happen

When the company began to try and cut back on expenses it was a straw in the wind as to what would happen in the future.

straw that breaks the camel's back

- a small problem which follows other troubles that makes you lose patience and be unable to continue as before

Recently she has caused many problems in this company. However, when she lost the key to the front door of the office it was the straw that broke the camel's back and we decided to fire her.

stretch a point

- agree to something beyond the limit of what is normally allowed

I think it is stretching a point to think you can go and take a two-hour lunch break.

strike it rich

- become rich or successful suddenly

He struck it rich when he got a job at the computer company and was able to buy some stock very cheap.

strike out

- be put out of action through one's own errors

He struck out in his attempt to gather enough support to build a new cafeteria in the building.

strike while the iron is hot

- take advantage of an opportunity

He decided to strike while the iron was hot and quickly applied for the job.

string along

- deceive or fool

He tried to string me along with his story about his sick mother.

string out

- make something extend over a great distance or over a long period of time

The games of the soccer tournament were strung out over a period of about 3 weeks.

strings attached

- obligations, restraining conditions

He was able to borrow the money for the furniture with no strings attached.

stuck on

- very much in love with, crazy about

My niece has been stuck on the boy next door for several months now.

stuck up

- acting as if other people are not as good as one is, conceited

We don't like the new woman at work because she is very stuck up and thinks she is much better than the rest of us.

stuffed shirt

- a person who is too rigid or too formal

He is a stuffed shirt and I never feel comfortable to try and talk with him.

sucker list

- a list of easily-fooled people who are easily persuaded to buy something

The salesmen used a sucker list to try and get people to buy his new product.

sugar daddy

- a rich older man who gives money to a younger woman for her companionship

The woman went off on a nice winter holiday with her sugar daddy.

sum up

- put something into a few words, summarize

He summed up his presentation and asked for questions from the audience.

sunny-side up

- eggs fried on one side only

We asked for our eggs to be fried sunny-side up at the restaurant.

sure thing

- something sure to happen, something about which there is no doubt

His promotion to senior manager is a sure thing according to the president.

sure thing

- of course, certainly

"Sure thing, I would be glad to help you with your homework tonight."

swallow one's pride

- bring one's pride under control, become humble

I had to swallow my pride and go and ask my supervisor for some extra money.

swamped

- overwhelmed

I am a little swamped with work at the moment so I can't meet you tonight.

swan song

- final appearance

He was a big hit during his swan song at the party last week.

swear by

- use as the support or authority that what one is saying is truthful

The accused criminal was asked to swear on a bible at the trial.

swear by

- have complete confidence in , be sure of something

He swears by the walk that he takes every morning.

swear in

- have a person promise to do his duty as a member of an organization or government dept. etc.

The new Prime Minister was sworn in last night at the parliament.

swear off

- decide to give up something that you are in the habit of using

My friend swore off alcohol several years ago.

sweat bullets/blood

- be nervous, be very worried

I was sweating bullets during the interview but after it started I was able to calm down.

sweat out

- wait anxiously, worry while waiting

I spent the evening sweating out whether or not I would get the job or not.

sweep off one's feet

- overcome with strong feelings

We were swept off our feet over the excitement of the ceremony.

sweep under the rug

- hide or dismiss casually

They always sweep their problems under the rug and never want to discuss them.

sweetie pie

- darling, sweetheart

He always calls his wife sweetie pie. Even after they have been married for 30 years.

sweet on

- in love with, very fond of

He was sweet on his next door neighbor when he was a child.

sweet talk

- praise or flatter someone to get what you want

My sister tried to sweet talk our father into giving her the car but he said no.

swelled head

- a feeling that one is more important than one really is

He has a swelled head since he got the new position in his company.

swim against the tide/current

- do the opposite of what most people want to do

He is always swimming against the tide and never wants to do what his friends are doing.

switched on

- in tune with the latest fads, ideas and fashions

His aunt is really switched on and looks much younger than her age.

Our Selection for T

tail between one's legs

- feeling ashamed or beaten

He was forced to resign from his company with his tail between his legs after he was caught lying about his expense account.

take a back seat

- accept a poorer or lower position, be second to something or someone

I had to take a back seat to my partner when we went on the business trip.

take a bath

- come to financial ruin

She took a bath on the stock market last year and is afraid to invest in stocks now.

take a beating

- lose money

His father really took a beating on the stock market recently.

take a crack at

- try, attempt

Have you decided to take a crack at the entrance exam in June?

take a dim view of

- be against, disapprove

Our company takes a dim view of people who do not wear a suit and tie.

take advantage of

- use for one's own benefit

We took advantage of the beautiful weather and went to the beach.

take after

- resemble or act like a parent or relative

He is tall and handsome like his father and seems to take after him in other ways as well.

take a leak

- urinate

He stopped at the side of the road to take a leak when he was walking home last night.

take a powder

- leave quickly, run away

I don't know where he is but I think that he took a powder right after the meeting.

take a shine to

- have or show a quick liking for someone

Her daughter took a shine to her new teacher and is very happy at school now.

take a stand on something

- declare firmly that one is for or against something

The Prime Minister finally took a stand on the tax issue.

take a trip

- go for a journey

We plan to take a trip to Italy in November.

take back

- admit to making a wrong statement

He had to take back what he said about his boss in front of his co-workers.

take by storm

- capture by a sudden or very bold attack

The army took the town by storm and was easily able to capture all of the enemy troops.

take by storm

- win the favor of, become popular with a group of people

The rock band took the town by storm when they came to town.

take care of

- look after or give attention to someone or something

You should take care of your health or you will get sick.

take care of

- deal with something, do what is necessary to do something

Could you please take care of these letters while I make some phone calls.

take down

- write or record what is said

I took down many notes during the lecture last week.

take down

- take apart, pull to pieces

We took down our tent as soon as it began to rain.

take down a notch (peg)

- make someone less proud or sure of himself

He was taken down a notch by his boss because he was beginning to act in an arrogant manner.

take effect

- become legally right or operative

The new laws related to alcohol took effect early last month.

take exception to

- speak against, find fault with, be angered by

He took exception to the fact that everyone was able to go and play golf except for himself.

take for

- mistake someone for something

The man took the young boy for a robber and called the police.

take for a ride

- play a trick on or fool someone, take unfair advantage of someone

I was taken for a ride by the used car salesman. The car that I bought is not very good.

take for granted

- assume something is a certain way or is correct

I took it for granted that you knew him. Otherwise I would have introduced you.

take heart

- be encouraged, feel brave and want to try something

He took heart from his previous failure and decided to try again.

take ill/sick

- become sick

She took ill during her holiday and spent most of the time in her hotel.

take in

- go and see or visit

We decided to go and take in a movie last night.

take in

- make smaller

The tailor took in the waist of my suit pants and they now fit much better.

take in

- grasp with the mind

The course was very difficult but I tried to take in as much as possible.

take in (money)

- receive, get

We were able to take in a lot of money last night at the charity auction.

take in

- let someone come in, admit

The farmer took in the couple for the night after their car broke down.

take in stride

- accept good or bad luck and go on

The boxer took his loss in stride and began to prepare for his next fight.

take it

- endure trouble or criticism or abuse

He is quite sensitive and can never really take it if I make a joke about him.

take it

- get an idea or impression, understand from what is said or done

I take it that you are not going to come to the graduation ceremony next week.

take it easy

- relax

I've been working hard all month so I have decided to take it easy for a few days.

take it on the chin

- be badly beaten or hurt, accept trouble calmly

Our team took it on the chin at the baseball tournament last week.

take it out on

- be unpleasant or unkind to someone because one is angry or upset

Although he has much stress from work he is careful not to take it out on his friends or family.

take its toll

- cause loss or damage

His new job and the long hours have begun to take their toll on his health.

take kindly to

- be pleased by, like

He doesn't take kindly to people telling him how to run his business.

take leave of

- abandon, go away from or become separated from

I think that he has taken leave of his senses. He has been acting very strange lately.

take liberties

- act toward someone in too close or friendly a manner, use someone as one would a close friend or something of one's own

She is taking liberties with her friend by always borrowing her car.

taken aback

- unpleasantly surprised, suddenly puzzled or shocked

I was taken aback when she said that she didn't want to work with us any longer.

take off (clothes)

- remove clothes etc.

Please take off your shoes before you enter our house.

take off (time)

- be absent from work

He was sick and had to take off a week from work.

take off

- depart suddenly or quickly, run away

We decided to take off right after the concert ended.

take off

- leave on a flight

The flight took off right on time.

take on

- begin to handle, commit oneself to

Recently he has begun to take on too many things at work and has become very tired.

take on

- give a job to, hire, employ

The factory took on over fifty new employees last month.

take on

- begin to have the look of

He has begun to take on the look of a university professor although he has only been working at the university for a short time.

take on

- load

The ship took on most of its cargo the week before it left the port.

take one's hat off to someone

- admire, respect, praise

You really have to take your hat off to him. He has built up his company from almost nothing.

take one's own medicine

- accept punishment without complaining

He likes to criticize everyone but can never take his own medicine when others criticize him.

take one's time

- do something without hurrying

He took his time in returning the book he had borrowed.

take out

- escort or go on a date with someone

I finally had a chance to take out the new woman from work last week.

take over

- take control, take command

Our company was taken over by a foreign company last month.

take part in

- participate in

Are you planning to take part in the seminar next week?

take place

- happen, occur

The game took place on the coldest day of the year.

take sides

- support one side on the other

You should not take sides in the argument or both sides will hate you.

take someone for a ride

- cheat, swindle

I think that they really took him for a ride when he was visiting last year.

take someone to the cleaners

- take all of someone's money or cheat someone

He was taken to the cleaners when he decided to buy the series of books from the salesman.

take something into account

- remember and consider

Please take into account that she has only been studying French for a few weeks.

take something lying down

- suffer without a fight

I am very angry and won't take what he says lying down.

take something to heart

- consider seriously

You shouldn't really take what he says to heart. He is really very kind.

take something with a grain of salt

- not take seriously something someone has said

You can take everything that he says with a grain of salt.

take steps

- begin to make plans or arrangements, make preparations

The company has begun to take steps to stop people from smoking in the main office building.

take stock

- count items of merchandise or supplies in stock, take inventory

The store will be closed for three days next week while the company is taking stock.

take stock in (usually negative)

- have faith in, believe

She took no stock in the idea that women could not work as firefighters as well as men.

take stock of

- carefully study a situation or a number of possibilities or opportunities

After taking stock of the situation he decided that it would be difficult to continue working for the company.

take the bull by the horns

- take some kind of action

He finally decided to take the bull by the horns and started to plan their anniversary party.

take the edge off

- lessen, weaken, soften

We had a drink of hot chocolate in order to take the edge off the cold weather.

take the Fifth

- hide behind the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which guarantees any witness the right not to incriminate himself while testifying at a trial

He decided to take the Fifth rather than tell the truth at the trial.

take the plunge

- do something decisive (often used when you get married)

He finally decided to take the plunge and will get married next year.

take the rap

- receive punishment, be accused and punished

The owner of the restaurant was forced to take the rap over allowing underage workers to work at night.

take the words out of someone's mouth

- say something someone else was going to say

He took the words right out of my mouth when he answered your question.

take to

- begin the work or job of, learn easily, do well at

He took to the job of administrator very easily and was a great success.

take to

- to like at first meeting, be pleased by or attracted to, accept quickly

They took to the new coach immediately and did very well during the beginning of the season.

take to task

- scold for a fault or error

I was taken to task by the supervisor for not arriving at work on time.

take to the cleaners

- win all someone's money

He went to Las Vegas and was taken to the cleaners by the card dealers.

take to the woods

- run away and hide

He decided to take to the woods rather than wait to talk to his wife.

take turns

- do something alternately with others

We had to take turns using the dictionary as there was only one.

take (someone) under one's wing

- protect someone

He has taken the new employee under his wing and is teaching him about the company.

take up

- begin an activity or hobby

He has a lot of free time lately and has decided to take up fishing as a hobby.

take up

- fill a place or time, occupy

All of his evenings have been taken up by his hobby of building model airplanes.

take up

- gather together, collect

We decided to take up a collection in order to help repair the old building.

take up

- begin, start

We took up the lesson where we had finished last week.

take up

- pull and make tight

I went back to the department store to see if they could take up my suit pants.

take up arms

- get ready to fight or make war

The citizens were not willing to take up arms to try and change their government.

talk back

- answer rudely

She is very strict and never allows her children to talk back to her.

talk big

- talk boastfully, brag

He is always talking big but nobody believes what he says.

talk down to someone

- use words or ideas that are too simple

I don't really like her because she is always talking down to the people around her.

talk into

- get someone to agree to something, persuade someone to do something

She finally talked her father into lending her the family car.

talk out

- discuss until everything is agreed on, settle

We stayed up late last night and talked out the problem.

talk out of

- persuade not to, decide not to

I spent about an hour yesterday trying to talk my friend out of quitting his job.

talk over

- discuss

You had better talk over your plans with your parents before you decide what to do.

talk shop

- talk about things in one's work

Everyone at the restaurant decided that they would not talk shop during the dinner.

talk through one's hat

- make exaggerated or inaccurate statements

He is always talking through his hat and you never know if you can believe him or not.

talk turkey

- discuss seriously

Now you're talking turkey so let's finish and go home.

talk up

- speak in favor of

The manager was talking up the product as we entered the meeting.

tan someone's hide

- give a beating to, spank hard

The boy's mother threatened to tan his hide if he did not behave himself.

taper off

- come to an end little by little, become smaller toward the end

The rain began to taper off early in the afternoon.

tar and feather

- punish severely

The teacher said that she would tar and feather anyone who didn't do their homework.

tear down

- take down, destroy

The city decided to tear down the building because it was unsafe.

tear down

- say bad things about, criticize

The audience tore down his argument after he finished the lecture.

tear up

- tear something up into small pieces

The child tore up the new telephone book.

tell apart

- distinguish between two things or people

It is hard to tell the two sisters apart.

tell it like it is

- be honest, sincere, tell the truth

Although what he said was very difficult for everyone to believe he decided to tell it like it is anyway.

tell it to the marines (Sweeney)

- I don't believe you, stop trying to fool me

She said that she was going to start her own business but I told her to tell it to the marines as I didn't believe her.

tell (someone) off

- speak to angrily

He told his neighbor off after their music was too loud last night.

tell on someone

- reveal the activities or wrongdoings of someone by telling others

She told on her brother for eating the cake.

tempest in a teapot

- great excitement about something not important

The problem was really a tempest in a teapot and after a few days everyone had forgotten about it.

ten-four

- I understand you.

"Ten-four", he said when his friend asked him if he understood the plan.

tenterhooks

- in a state of suspense or strain because of uncertainty

They have been on tenterhooks all week while waiting for the decision about the Olympics.

that will be the day

- that will never happen

That will be the day that he is willing to put you in charge of running the restaurant.

thick

- dumb, unreasonable

He is a little bit thick and never understands what I want to say.

think better of

- consider something again and make a better decision about something

I would think better of going to Europe in the winter if I have a chance to go again.

think little of

- think that something or someone is not important or valuable

She is not very happy and seems to think little of the people that she is working with.

think nothing of something

- not worry about something, forget it

When he goes drinking he thinks nothing of spending most of his money at one time.

think out

- think through to the end

I didn't really have time to think out the problem of where everyone would sleep before the guests arrived.

think out loud

- say what one is thinking

I am sorry. I was thinking out loud about the new system we have started.

think over

- consider carefully

He carefully thought over his plans before talking to his supervisor.

think twice about something

- think very carefully

You should think twice before you go ahead and quit your job.

think up

- invent, create

He has thought up a lot of interesting ideas for his company.

(the) third degree

- detailed questioning

His mother gave him the third degree when he came home late last night.

three sheets to the wind

- unsteady from too much liquor, drunk

I saw him walking down the street last night but he seemed to have three sheets to the wind.

through the grapevine

- hear from other people

I heard it through the grapevine that he was going to move to Paris next summer.

through the mill

- experience a difficult situation

He has really been through the mill after his divorce and loss of job.

through thick and thin

- through all difficulties and troubles, through good times and bad times

Her husband is always ready to help her and supports her through thick and thin.

throw a curve

- take someone by surprise in an unpleasant way

Everything was going well until he threw me a curve and told me that we would have to move to another office building next month.

throw a monkey wrench into

- cause something that is going smoothly to stop

He threw a monkey wrench into our plans to go to the lake for the summer.

throw away a chance or opportunity

- fail to make use of a chance or opportunity

He threw away a chance to get a good education when he began to work when he was very young.

throw cold water on

- discourage, forbid

My boss quickly threw cold water on my plan to go to New York on a field trip.

throw down the gauntlet

- challenge someone to a fight or something similar

The government threw down the gauntlet to the opposition party to either give an alternative or stop criticizing the government's plans.

throw in

- give or put in as an addition

When we bought the car the dealer threw in some new tires as a bonus.

throw in one's lot with

- join, take part in something

He decided to throw in his lot with the members of the company who were on strike.

throw in the towel

- surrender, give up

The boxer threw in the towel about half way through the match.

throw off

- get free from

I was able to throw off my cold and quickly recovered.

throw off

- mislead, confuse, fool

The criminals threw off the police and escaped into the subway.

throw one's weight around

- use one's influence in an aggressive way

He has been throwing his weight around ever since he got his new promotion.

throw out

- force to leave, dismiss

The umpire threw out the coach for arguing with him.

throw the baby out with the bathwater

- reject all of something because part of it is faulty

When they decided to get rid of all of the computers because one was broken it was like throwing the baby out with the bath water. They only needed one new computer.

throw the book at

- punish severely for breaking a rule or the law

The government threw the book at him after he was convicted of drunk driving.

throw together

- make in a hurry and without care

We didn't have much time last night so we threw together a quick meal and then went to the football game.

(be) thrown together

- be grouped with other people by chance

We were thrown together with some strange people when the storm forced the plane to delay its flight for a day.

throw to the wolves

- send into danger without protection

The small boy was thrown to the wolves when he was made to join the team of older players.

throw up

- vomit

He threw up two times after he got food poisoning from the seafood.

throw up one's hands

- give up trying, admit that one cannot succeed

He threw up his hands and decided to let the students go home early.

thumb a lift/ride

- hitchhike

Their car had a flat tire so they thumbed a lift to the nearest gas station.

thumb one's nose

- look with disfavor or dislike

The star player thumbed his nose at the fans when they began to boo him.

tickled pink

- very happy

He was tickled pink to be awarded a prize for growing the best flowers.

tide (someone) over

- help someone through a difficult situation

I lent him some money to tide him over until he gets paid.

tie the knot

- get married

They decided to tie the knot after seeing each other for over three years.

tie down

- keep someone from going somewhere or doing something

The project tied him down for over three months.

tied down

- have family or job responsibilities

I never see him anymore as he is tied down because of his busy schedule at work.

tie in

- to connect with something else

The merchandise was tied in with the movie and had very good sales.

tie up

- slow or stop the movement or action of

The highway traffic was tied up for over three hours last night.

tie up

- take all the time of someone

I was tied up this morning so I was unable to answer the phone.

tie up

- limit or prevent the use of

All of his money is tied up in real estate investments.

tie up

- enter into an association or partnership, join

Our company decided to tie up with a company from Sweden to make the pollution control equipment.

tie up

- dock (a ship)

The ship docked at the pier three days before it was ready to load.

tie up in knots

- make someone very nervous or worried

He was tied up in knots before the speech at the convention.

tighten one's belt

- economize, spend less

We will have to tighten our belts for awhile until the economy improves.

tight spot

- a difficult situation

They are in a very tight spot since the head salesman quit.

tight squeeze

- difficult financial situation

The company is in a tight squeeze now that sales are down from last year.

time after time

- repeatedly

I have told her time after time to be careful with her spelling.

time of one's life

- a wonderful time

She had the time of her life when she went to Rome last summer.

time out

- time when a game or something is temporarily stopped for some reason

During the game we took some time out to rest.

tip (someone) off

- warn, inform

The police were tipped off that there was going to be a robbery at the bank.

tip the balance

- have important or decisive influence, decide

His ability to speak French tipped the balance in his favor to get the job at the embassy.

tip the scales

- weigh

The sumo wrestler tipped the scales at over 200 kilograms.

tire out

- make very tired

My father was tired out after working hard all day.

tit for tat

- equal treatment in return, a fair exchange

The government policy was a tit for tat response to any attacks against its territory.

to a fault

- so very well that it is almost bad

He is honest to a fault and will not say anything unless it is the absolute truth.

to and fro

- forward and back again and again

They went to and fro between the two items trying to decide what to buy.

to a T

- perfectly, exactly

That new suit fits you to a T.

to be sure

- without a doubt, certainly

To be sure it would be better to talk to the president of the company in person.

to boot

- in addition, also

You will not only need a new video. You will need a new television to boot.

toe the line

- obey the rules and do one's duties

The children were forced to toe the line when the new teacher arrived.

to heel

- under control

The army brought the citizens to heel when they entered the town.

tone down

- make less harsh or strong, moderate

The union leader was forced to tone down his language after the strike began to grow violent.

too bad

- worthy of sorrow or regret

It is too bad that the university decided to close the bookstore last year.

too big for one's breeches/boots

- feeling more important than one really is

Our new boss is too big for his breeches and needs someone to tell him to change his behavior.

too many irons in the fire

- too many things you are trying to do

He has too many irons in the fire at the moment and has no time for other things.

to one's name

- in one's ownership

He is a very good dresser although he doesn't have a penny to his name.

to order

- according to directions given in an order in the way something is made or size wanted etc.

He had three suits made to order when he visited Hong Kong last year.

tooth and nail

- fiercely, as hard as possible

He decided to fight tooth and nail to get a transfer to another department of the company.

top-drawer

- of the best or most important kind

When he buys a new car he always buys a top-drawer model.

to pieces

- into broken pieces or fragments, destroyed, not working

His car fell to pieces during his recent trip to Alaska.

to pieces

- very much, greatly

He loves his little girl to pieces.

top-notch

- excellent, the best

They had a top-notch cook at the restaurant but he left last month.

top off

- come or bring to a special or unexpected ending, climax

The conference was topped off by a large dinner on the last day.

topsy-turvy

- upside down, in disarray

My apartment was topsy-turvy so I stayed home to clean up.

to speak of

- important, worth talking about

We didn't do anything to speak of during the summer vacation.

toss off

- drink rapidly

He tossed off a couple of drinks before he went home for the evening.

toss off

- make or say easily without trying or thinking hard

He was able to toss off the answer to the question easily when the teacher asked him.

toss out

- force to leave, dismiss

The boys was tossed out of the restaurant for their bad behavior.

to the bone

- thoroughly, entirely

He became wet to the bone when the sudden storm appeared.

to the eye

- as it is seen, apparently

To the eye it looked like a nice hotel but when we entered it was not very good at all.

to the full

- very much, fully

He always tries to live his life to the full.

to the hilt

- to the maximum amount, completely

He has been up to the hilt in debt since he bought that car.

to the letter

- exactly, precisely

The police officer always follows the law to the letter.

to the nth degree

- to the greatest degree possible, extremely

They made an effort to the nth degree but were unable to successfully complete the project.

to the tune of

- to the amount or extent of

The damage that he did to his car was to the tune of about $2000.

to the wall

- into a place from which there is no escape

The credit agency pushed him to the wall and he finally had to declare bankruptcy.

touch and go

- uncertain, dangerous situation

It was touch and go as to whether she was going to survive after the car accident.

touch off

- cause to fire or explode by lighting the fuse

The fire at the oil refinery touched off an explosion that destroyed many tanks.

touch off

- start something

The arrest of the labor leader touched off a riot among the citizens.

touch on (upon)

- speak of or write of briefly

The news article about the company touched upon their previous legal problems.

touch up

- paint over (small imperfections)

I decided to have the repair shop touch up several places on my car where the paint was bad.

touch up

- improve with small additions or changes

My essay will be done as soon as I touch up some of the weak spots.

tough break

- unlucky event, misfortune

He received a tough break when he became sick immediately before the music contest.

tourist trap

- place that is overpriced and attracts tourists

He thinks that Hawaii is a tourist trap and doesn't want to go there for his holiday.

tower of strength

- a person who gives strong and reliable support

He has been a real tower of strength to his sister since her husband died.

track down

- search for

I have been trying to track down an old Beatles album for many months.

trade something in

- exchange something old or used for something new

He traded in his old car for a new one.

travel light

- travel with very little luggage or with little to carry

We always travel very light when we go on a holiday.

tread on one's toes

- do something that offends someone

I don't want to tread on her toes because she is the most powerful supervisor in this company.

treat someone

- pay for someone else

He treated me to a dinner at the restaurant.

trial and error

- a way of solving problems by trying different possible solutions until one finds one that works

They worked by trial and error until they found a solution to the parking problems at the factory.

trial balloon

- a hint about a plan with the purpose of finding out what people think about the idea

We sent up a trial balloon to see who would support our plan to enlarge the factory.

trick of the trade

- a smart, quick or skillful way of doing something

He knows many of the tricks of the trade in the publishing business.

trip the light fantastic

- go dancing

It's Friday night so let's go downtown and trip the light fantastic.

trip up

- make a mistake

The teacher tripped up over the correct pronunciation of the president's name.

trump up

- make up, invent in the mind

He was arrested on trumped up charges of selling illegal CDs.

trump card

- something kept back to be used to win success if nothing else works

His trump card was his knowledge of the sales figures that nobody else knew..

try on

- put on clothes to see how they fit and look

You should try on that jacket before you buy it.

try one's hand

- make an inexperienced attempt at something

I have decided to try my hand at sailing a boat this summer.

try (something) out

- test

We were not allowed to try the computer out before we bought it.

try out for

- planning to join or take part in a team, competing for a place

Their son has decided to try out for the football team this summer.

tug-of-war

- a game in which two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope and try to pull the other team over a line marked on the ground

The children played tug-of-war at the summer camp.

tug-of-war

- a contest in which two sides try to defeat each other, a struggle

The two countries have been in a tug-of-war over the territory for many years.

tune in

- adjust a radio or television to pick up a certain station

We were able to tune in to the basketball game when we were driving to work this morning.

tune in

- get in touch with something important like one's own feelings, etc.

She is always going to workshops and taking short courses to help her tune in to her feelings.

tune up

- adjust a musical instrument to the right sound

The orchestra tuned up their instruments before the performance.

tune up

- adjust a car engine so that it will run properly

We took our car to the garage to be tuned up before we went on our holiday.

turn a deaf ear to

- pretend not to hear, refuse to hear

The company turned a deaf ear to our demands for more money and holidays.

turn down

- reduce the loudness, brightness or force of something

I went over to my next door neighbor and asked him to turn down his stereo.

turn down

- refuse to accept, reject

The union turned down the company offer of more money but no change in working conditions.

turn in

- give to someone, hand to someone

I turned in the wallet that I had found to the police.

turn in

- inform on, report

The department store turned in the shoplifter to the police.

turn in

- go to bed

We decided to turn in about 9:00 PM last night.

turn off

- shut off, stop

Please turn off the lights before you go out.

turn off

- leave by turning right or left onto another road or path

When we arrived at the small store we decided to turn off on the small road.

turn (someone) off

- disgust, irritate, repel someone

Her constant complaining always turns me off.

turn on

- open, start, let water or electricity flow

Please turn on the radio so we can hear the evening news.

turn (someone) on

- excite a person, become interested in an idea, person or undertaking

She was turned on by the idea of going to Spain for the summer.

turn on someone

- become suddenly hostile to someone

He used to be my friend but he suddenly turned on me last summer.

turn one's back on

- refuse to help someone in trouble or need

She turned her back on her friend when she asked for help writing the exam paper.

turn one's stomach

- make one feel sick

Seeing the car accident turned my stomach.

turn on one's heel

- turn around suddenly

The mailman turned on his heel when when he saw the large dog.

turn out

- make someone leave or go away

The man decided to turn his son out of the house when he refused to get a job.

turn out

- turn inside out, empty

He turned out his pockets when he was looking for his car keys.

turn out

- result, end, prove to be true

At first we thought the weather would be terrible but it actually turned out fine.

turn out

- make, produce

The car company is turning out over 8,000 cars a week now.

turn out

- come or go out to see or do something

Over 50.000 people turned out for the football game.

turn out

- make a light go out

He always turns out the light if he doesn't need it.

turn over

- roll over, upset

The ferry turned over during the winter storm.

turn over

- give to someone for use or care

I turned over the keys of my apartment to the landlord when I went away for a month.

turn over

- start an engine or motor

It was too cold in the morning so the car engine would not turn over.

turn over

- sell

We were able to turn over most of our stock of air conditioners during the summer.

turn over a new leaf

- make a fresh start

I'm going to turn over a new leaf and begin to practice the piano every day.

turn over in one's grave

- be so angry that one would not rest quietly in one's grave

My grandmother would turn over in her grave if she knew that I had lost my job and was not working.

turn tail

- run away from trouble or danger

The young boys turned tail when the farmer began to chase them from the field.

turn the clock back

- return to an earlier period

The politician wanted to turn the clock back to an earlier time but of course everyone knew it was impossible.

turn the other cheek

- let someone do something to you and not try to get revenge

He decided to turn the other cheek when the man tried to start a fight in the restaurant.

turn the tables

- reverse the situation

The opposing team were able to finally turn the tables and won the game.

turn the tide

- change what looks like defeat into victory

At the beginning of the game they were losing badly but they turned the tide and finally won the game.

turn the trick

- bring about the result one wants, succeed in what one plans to do

He wanted to win two prizes at the competition but was unable to turn the trick and only won one.

turn thumbs down

- disapprove or reject, say no

My supervisor turned thumb downs to my plan to work on a more flexible schedule.

turn to

- go to for help

He turned to his wife's parents for advice about buying a house.

turn up

- appear suddenly

They turned up when the party was almost over.

turn up

- find, discover

My wallet turned up in my suit jacket - just where I left it.

turn up one's nose at

- refuse as not being good enough for one

He turned up his nose at the offer of a job in another department of the company.

twiddle one's thumbs

- not busy, not working

He was sitting around twiddling his thumbs all day and didn't get any work done.

twist someone around one's little finger

- have complete control over someone and be able to make them do anything you want

She is able to easily twist her supervisor around her little finger and gets whatever she wants at work.

twist one's arm

- force someone or threaten someone to make them do something

He didn't have to twist my arm to get me to go to the movie. I wanted to go anyway.

two bits

- twenty-five cents, a quarter of a dollar

He bought several used books for two bits each.

two cents

- something not important or very small, almost nothing

Although his stereo works well I wouldn't give him two cents for it.

two cents worth

- something one wants to say, opinion

He is always talking and I never have a chance to put in my two cents worth.

two-faced

- disloyal, untrustworthy

I think he is two-faced and can never be trusted.

Our Selection for U

ugly duckling

- an ugly or plain child who grows up to be pretty and attractive

She was an ugly duckling when she was a child but now she is very beautiful.

under a cloud

- under suspicion, not trusted

The politician has been under a cloud over the possibility of taking bribes.

under a cloud

- depressed, sad

She has been under a cloud of depression since her cat died.

under cover

- hidden, concealed

The police officer went under cover to look for the drug dealers.

under fire

- being shot at or attacked, under (verbal) attack

The owner of the company is under fire for not paying his employees a fair salary.

under one's belt

- in one's experience, memory or possession

When he has more experience as a cook under his belt he will begin to look for a job.

under one's belt

- in one's stomach

After he has a big breakfast under his belt he is ready for work.

under one's breath

- in a whisper, with a low voice

He was talking under his breath in the movie theater and someone complained.

under one's nose

- in sight of, in an easily seen or noticeable place

He found his driver's license right under his nose where he had left it.

under one's own steam

- by one's own efforts, without help

He was able to go home under his own steam even though he was feeling very sick.

under one's thumb

- obedient to someone, controlled by someone

He is only an assistant salesman but he has his boss under his thumb.

under one's wing

- under the care or protection of

He took the new employee under his wing to help him in the new job.

under the counter

- secretly bought or sold

The drugs are being sold under the counter although the government has not given its approval.

under the hammer

- up for sale at an auction

The painting went under the hammer and sold for a very high price.

under the table

- in secret and usually illegal

He paid some money under the table in order to get his product exported into the country.

under the weather

- feel ill (but not seriously ill)

He is feeling under the weather so he is going to bed early tonight.

under wraps

- not allowed to be seen until the right time, in secrecy

The new car was still under wraps when the auto show started.

unearthly hour

- absurdly early or inconvenient

We got up at an unearthly hour this morning so we could get ready to go camping.

until hell freezes over

- forever, for an eternity

He said that he would not talk to his girlfriend again until hell freezes over.

up against

- close to

The ladder was standing up against the tree in the yard.

up against

- confronted with

He was up against a lot of problems when he went to university but recently he is doing very well.

up and about

- recovered from an illness

He has been up and about for a couple of days since he left the hospital.

up for grabs

- available for anyone to try to get, ready to be competed for

The new championship of the city is up for grabs.

up front

- honestly, correctly

He was very up front when giving me the information about the new office.

up in arms

- equipped with guns or weapons and ready to fight, very angry and ready to fight

The villagers were up in arms over the proposal to take some of their land away from them.

up in the air

- not settled, undecided

Whether or not I will be able to go to London is still up in the air.

up one's alley

- something one is good at or enjoys

Computer programming is right up his alley and he is very good at it.

up one's sleeve

- kept secretly ready for the right time or for a time when needed

He probably has something up his sleeve and will be able to get a job when he needs one.

upper crust

- richest, most famous or important people in a certain place, the highest class

The private club was full of what looked like the upper crust of the city.

upper hand

- controlling power, advantage

The union members have the upper hand in the negotiations with the company.

ups and downs

- alternate good and bad fortune

He is having a few ups and downs but generally he is doing well.

upset the applecart

- ruin or spoil a plan or idea

Try not to upset the applecart as we have spent a lot of time working on this project.

up the creek

- in trouble

She is up the creek now that she has lost her passport.

up the river/creek with no paddle

- in trouble and unable to do anything about it

I think that we are up the river with no paddle now that our car has run out of gasoline.

uptight

- worried, irritated, excessively eager or anxious

My sister has been uptight all week because of her exams.

up to

- as far as, as deep or as high as, close to, approaching

The water in the swimming pool came up to my waist.

up to

- doing or planning secretly, ready for mischief

I don't know what he was up to last night but it was probably something bad.

up to

- depending on

It is up to his wife whether or not he goes to the movie.

up to it/the job

- capable of, fit for, equal to

If he is up to it we should let him drive the truck to the new office.

up to/till/until

- until

Up until last week he had never been inside of a bowling alley.

up to here with

- sick of someone's continual bad or irritating behavior

I have had it up to here with his always coming late to work.

up to one's ears in work

- have a lot of work to do

I'd like to go with you but I'm up to my ears in work at the moment.

up to par/scratch/snuff/the mark

- meeting normal standards, equal to the usual level or quality

His work was not up to par and he was asked to leave and look for another job.

up to someone to do something

- be responsible to take care of something

It is up to her to decide when the meeting will start.

(in) up to the chin

- very busy with, deeply involved in something, guilty of

He has been in up to the chin in the project to build a new convention center.

used to

- accustomed to

He is not used to living in such a big city.

use one's head/bean/noodle/noggin

- think carefully about

You should use your head a little more and try not to make the same mistake again.

use up

- use until nothing is left, spend or consume completely

They used up all of the paper in the copy machine this morning.

Our Selection for V

vale of tears (valley of tears)

- a place of trials and troubles, life on earth, this mortal coil

Brothers and sisters, our burden is heavy tonight - heavy with the passing of dear Jesse, who has departed this vale of tears.

vamoose

- leave quickly, go, get going, hit the road

We better vamoose, my friend, or we'll be late for our appointment.

variety is the spice of life

- a variety of experiences makes life interesting, to each his own

On the sign above the door were these words: GENERAL STORE Variety is the spice of life!

vegetate (veg out)

- not do anything, be a couch potato

After work he just vegetates - just sits there and says nothing.

very well

- agreed, all right

Very well, if you want to go I will go with you.

vicious circle

- unbroken sequence of cause and effect with bad results

He had fallen into a vicious circle of drinking too much and then losing his job and then drinking even more.

VIP

- Very Important Person, big boys, big wig

Only the VIP's - the president, and members of the board - are invited to the dinner.

virgin territory

- untouched or unexplored area

The island was virgin territory. There were no signs of humans.

virtual reality

- a "real" experience created on a computer

Virtual reality allowed me to experience space travel.

visit a spell

- visit for awhile, set a spell

Well hello, Charlie. Come in and visit a spell.

vote down

- defeat in a vote

The proposal to extend the opening hours of bars was voted down in the election.

vote of thanks

- an expression of thanks from a group, tip of the hat

When our president spoke, she gave a vote of thanks to the volunteers.

Our Selection for W

wade into

- attack, join in

The football player waded into the fight to protect his teammates.

wait on (someone) hand and foot

- serve in every possible way, do everything for someone

He always waits on his wife hand and foot.

wait table

- serve food

He spent the summer waiting tables at the resort.

wait up for

- not go to bed until someone arrives or something happens

The woman waited up for her daughter to come home.

walk all over someone

- take advantage of someone, win a game easily

They walked all over the other team at the football tournament.

walk away/off with

- take and go away with, take away, steal

Someone walked away with the computer from the library last night.

walking papers

- a statement that one is fired from one's job, dismissal

He was given his walking papers from his company last week.

walk of life

- way of living, manner in which people live

People from every walk of life came to the concert in the park.

walk on air

- feel happy and excited

She has been walking on air all morning since she heard that she had passed her exams.

walk out

- go on strike

More than half of the workers at the factory decided to walk out on strike this morning.

walk out

- leave suddenly

Three people walked out of the meeting yesterday.

walk (all) over

- make someone do whatever one wishes, make selfish use of

He tried to walk all over me when I began the job but after I became used to the company he stopped.

walk the floor

- walk back and forth across the floor, pace

He spent the night in the hospital walking the floor while waiting for his wife to have a baby.

walk the plank

- be forced to resign from a job

The vice-president was forced to walk the plank when the new president joined the company.

walk the plank

- be forced by pirates to walk a long plank from the ship out over the water to your death

The pirates seized the small ship and forced the captain to walk the plank.

waltz off with

- to take, get or win easily

My favorite team waltzed off with the championship again last night.

warm one's blood/heart

- make one feel warm or excited

The sight of the small boy looking after his dog warmed the heart of the people on the street.

warm up

- become friendly or interested

His wife finally warmed up to the idea of going to Italy for a holiday.

warm up

- get ready for a game or other event by exercising or practising

We spent two hours warming up for the game on Saturday.

wash one's hands of

- abandon, refuse responsibility for

He washed his hands of the problem after they refused to deal with it.

washed up

- no longer successful or needed

The boxer was all washed up and had to retire last year.

waste one's breath

- speak pointlessly without the desired results

He is very stubborn and you are wasting your breath to try and argue with him.

watch it

- be careful (usually used as a command)

"Watch it! That truck is going very fast and may hit you."

watch/mind one's P's and Q's

- be well-behaved, be careful

The boy was told to watch his P's and Q's by his teacher after he caused too many problems at school.

water down

- make weak, dilute

The new policy was a watered down version of the earlier one.

water under the bridge

- something that happened in the past and can't be changed

It was terrible that your house was robbed but it is water under the bridge now and you must move on.

way the wind blows

- direction or course something may go, what may happen

We will have to see which way the wind blows as far as our plans to go to London or not.

wear and tear

- damage as a result of ordinary use

They put a lot of wear and tear on their car during their long holiday.

wear down

- make something become less useful or smaller or weaker by wearing or aging

Little by little the water wore down the rocks at the edge of the river.

wear down

- exhaust or tire someone out

He was worn down after the meeting that took seven hours.

wear off/away

- remove or disappear little by little by use, time or weather

The name on the front of my passport has worn off from using it too much.

wear on

- anger or annoy, tire

His constant complaining is beginning to wear on my nerves.

wear one's heart on one's sleeve

- show one's feelings openly

He was wearing his heart on his sleeve after the meeting with his boss.

wear out

- use or wear something until it becomes useless

My shoes wore out during my trip to Paris.

wear out one's welcome

- visit somewhere too long or come back too often so that one is not welcome anymore

My friend has worn out his welcome at our house as he always comes to visit us without calling first.

wear the pants in a family

- be the boss in a family

She is very strong and seems to be the one who wears the pants in her family.

wear thin

- become thin from use or the passing of time

The silver dollar had begun to wear thin after it was in use for many years.

wear thin

- grow less or less interesting or believable

His excuses have begun to wear thin after he keeps using the same ones over and over.

weed out

- remove what is unwanted, get rid of

I spent the morning weeding out the clothes that I didn't need anymore.

weigh on/upon

- be a weight or pressure on someone or something, worry or upset someone

The pressure of her exams has begun to weigh upon my sister.

weigh one's words

- be careful of what one says

You should weigh your words carefully before you tell him your decision to quit.

well and good

- good, satisfactory

It is well and good that he will go and talk to his supervisor about the problem.

well-heeled

- rich

He seems rather well-heeled and is always wearing expensive clothes and driving a nice car.

well-off

- wealthy

Her parents are well-off and don't need to worry about money during their retirement.

well-to-do

- having or making enough money to live comfortably

He comes from a rather well-to-do family.

wet behind the ears

- inexperienced, immature

He is a little wet behind the ears and doesn't know much about the company yet.

wet blanket

- person who discourages others from having fun

He is a wet blanket so we never invite him to any parties.

wet one's whistle

- have a drink, especially alcohol

They decided to stop at a bar on the way home from work to wet their whistle.

what about

- about or concerning something

I know that he wants to borrow my tent but what about my sleeping bag.

what have you

- whatever one likes or wants

"I'll have a blueberry ice cream cone or what have you."

(have) what it takes

- ability for a job, courage

He really has what it takes to be a success at his job.

what's the big idea

- what is the purpose, what do you have in mind

"What's the big idea. Why are you using my bicycle?"

what's up/cooking/doing

- what is happening, what is planned, what is wrong

"What's up ", he said as he entered the room.

what's what

- what each thing is in a group, one thing from another

It is hard to tell what's what at an auction of old furniture.

what's (up) with

- what is happening/wrong, how is everything

"What's with the new supervisor? He seems very angry this morning."

what with

- because, as a result of

We wanted to go away for a holiday but what with the move to a new building and the expansion we are too busy to go anywhere.

wheel and deal

- take part in political or commercial scheming

There was a lot of wheeling and dealing going on before they built the new convention center.

when hell freezes over

- never

He said that he would come to an office party when hell freezes over.

when the chips are down

- at the most important or dangerous time, when the winner and loser of a bet or a game will be decided

When the chips are down he will always come and help his friends.

while away the time

- make time go by pleasantly

We spent the afternoon whiling away the time by the river.

(a) while back

- several weeks or months in the past

I saw him a while back but recently I have no idea where he is.

whip up

- make or do quickly or easily

It was very late when we got home last night so we whipped up something to eat very quickly.

whip up

- make active, stir to action

The union leader whipped up the crowd with his speech.

whistle a different tune

- change one's attitude, contradict previous ideas

He is whistling a different tune now that he has been promoted and has responsibility for the office.

whistle in the dark

- try to stay brave and forget one's fear

Although he felt very frightened he began to whistle in the dark which helped to calm him down.

white elephant

- a useless possession

They are having a white elephant sale at the school next week.

white lie

- a harmless lie (eg. told for the sake of politeness)

I told her a white lie when I said that I would be too busy to meet her.

white sale

- selling at reduced prices of towels, linens, etc.

We went to the white sale at the department store last Saturday.

whole show

- everything

The new boss always tries to run the whole show.

wide of the mark

- far from the target or the thing aimed at, incorrect

His ideas for the new company were wide of the mark from what everyone expected.

wildcat strike

- a strike not ordered by a labor union but spontaneously by a group of workers

There was a wildcat strike at the factory last night.

will not hear of

- will not allow or consider

My aunt said that she will not hear of us staying at a hotel when we come to see her.

wild goose chase

- absurd or hopeless search

He led them all on a wild goose chase when he told them about the sale at the computer store.

will power

- strength of mind

He has very strong will power and was able to quit smoking easily.

wind up

- end, finish, settle

Let's wind things up now and then we can all go home.

wind up

- tighten the spring of a machine to make it work or run

Every night before he goes to bed my grandfather winds up his alarm clock.

wind up

- make very excited, nervous or upset

I was really wound up yesterday after work so I couldn't get to sleep easily.

wing it

- act without preparation

He wasn't prepared for the examination so he had to wing it.

wink at

- allow and pretend not to know about something (a law or rule being broken)

The librarian always winks at the rule about borrowing a maximum of three books.

winning streak

- a series of several wins one after the other

Our baseball team has been on a winning streak for several weeks now.

win out

- be victorious or successful after hard work or difficulty

We have had a lot of problems with our boss recently but finally we won out and he agreed to listen to our complaints.

wipe out

- remove, kill or destroy completely

The city spends a lot of money trying to wipe out rats near the river.

wipe-out

- a disaster, a calamity

My exams were a total wipe-out. I think that I failed all of them.

wisecrack

- sarcastic or nasty remark

She made a funny wisecrack during the speech which caused the audience to start laughing.

wise guy

- a person who acts as if he were smarter than other people

He always acts like a wise guy when he is in a big group.

wise up to

- finally understand what is really going on after a period of ignorance

He finally wised up to the fact that he was never going to get a promotion in his company.

wishy-washy

- unable to decide, have no definite opinion

He is very wishy-washy and can never make up his mind what he wants to do.

with child

- pregnant, going to have a baby

I think that the new teacher at our school is with child.

with flying colors

- with great or total success

I was able to pass my final exams with flying colors.

within an inch of one's life

- until one is almost dead

The elderly man was beaten to within an inch of his life.

within reason

- sensible, reasonable

I think that, within reason, you should be able to take as much time off as you want to go to school.

with open arms

- greet someone warmly or eagerly

My aunt and uncle were at the airport to greet us with open arms.

with the best of them

- as well as anyone

He can play soccer with the best of them when he makes the effort.

wit's end

- not knowing what to do, at the end of one's mental resources

I have been at my wit's end all week trying to decide what to wear to the party.

wolf in sheep's clothing

- a person who pretends to be good but really is bad

He is a wolf in sheep's clothing and you should be very careful when you have to deal with him.

word for word

- in exactly the same words

I told her word for word exactly what had happened before the accident.

word of mouth

- passing information orally from one person to another

He heard about the new restaurant by word of mouth.

worked up

- feeling excited, angry, worried

He is all worked up about the fact that he wasn't invited to the party.

work in

- rub in

We spent a long time trying to work the softening cream into the leather.

work in

- slip in, mix in, put in

I was able to work in a part in the play for my best friend.

work into

- force into little by little

He was able to work his foot into his boot but it was still very tight.

work off

- make something go away - especially by working

He was able to work off his hangover and is now feeling much better.

work on/upon

- have an effect on, try to influence or convince

I am working on my boss to let me have some time off this summer.

work one's fingers to the bone

- work very hard

She has been working her fingers to the bone for years trying to raise her three children.

work out

- end successfully, be efficient

I hope that everything will work out for her when she moves to London next week.

work out

- solve, find an answer to

I was unable to work out the math problem on the final examination.

work out

- accomplish, arrange, plan

Recently we worked out a unique system for filling out our expenses at work.

work out

- exercise

He spends most weekends working out at the health club.

work over

- beat someone up very roughly in order to intimidate them or get money

The gang worked over the storeowner in order to get some money from him.

work up

- stir up, arouse, excite

He really likes to work up a sweat when he does his exercises.

world is one's oyster

- everything is possible for one, one can get anything

The world is her oyster now that she has received her MBA from Harvard University.

worse for wear

- not as good as new, worn out

I borrowed my friend's canoe for a month and it is now beginning to look the worse for wear.

worth a cent

- worth anything, of any value

His new car is broken down and not worth a cent.

worth one's salt

- worth what one is paid

He is definitely worth his salt in our company and is one of our best employees.

would just as soon

- prefer to do one thing rather than another

She would just as soon stay at home as go to the movie.

wrap around one's finger

- have complete control over someone and be able to make them do anything you want

She has her boss wrapped around her finger and can do anything that she wants.

wrapped up in

- thinking only of, interested only in

He is always wrapped up in playing with his computer.

wrap up

- put on warm clothes, dress warmly

She wrapped herself up in her warm clothes and went out.

write off

- remove (an amount) from a business record, cancel (a debt)

The bank was forced to write off a large amount of its debt.

write off

- accept (a loss or trouble) and not worry any more about it

He was forced to write off his bad experience at his old job.

write up

- write or describe in writing, give a full account of

After our trip to Vietnam I spent a couple of weeks trying to write it up for a magazine.

wrong side of the tracks

- the poor side of town

He married a girl who everyone said was from the wrong side of the tracks because he loved her.

Our Selection for X

X marks the spot

- begin at X, look for X, it can be found at X

The pirate said to his crew, "X marks the spot".

x-rated

- for adults, for a mature audience

Born Loose is an x-rated video. It contains nudity and sex.

XL

- extra large or very large, extra luxury or extra power; shirt - size XL, car - 300XL

This shirt is marked XL. What does that mean? It means extra large.
On cars, XL means extra luxury or power.

Our Selection for Y

yakety-yak

- a lot of talk about little things

We spent the whole evening in a yakety-yak session at my friends.

year-round

- operating all year

We usually spend all summer at a year-round resort in California.

yellow-bellied

- extremely timid, cowardly

He is a yellow-bellied person who is not good to have as a friend.

yellow streak

- cowardice in a person's character

He has a real yellow streak and will not say anything to defend his friends.

yes-man

- a person who tries to be liked by agreeing with everything said (especially by a boss)

He is a yes-man who will do anything that his boss asks him to do.

you bet/you bet your boots/you bet your life

- most certainly, yes, without any doubt

You bet your life I will be attending the conference next year.

you don't say

- used to show surprise at what is said

"You don't say", he said when he heard about the accident on the highway.

you said it/you can say that again

- used to show strong agreement with what another person has said

"You can say that again," I answered when the woman mentioned how hot it was out in the sun.

you're telling me

- used to show that a thing is so clear that it need not be said

"This restaurant is very expensive and the food is not so good."
"You're telling me."

You tell'em

- used to agree with or encourage someone in what they are saying

"You tell'em," I yelled out to the politician who was making the speech.

Our Selection for Z

zero hour

- the exact time when an attack or other military action will start

The air force planes waited until zero hour in order to start out on their bombing mission.

zero hour

- the time when an important decision or change is supposed to come

We waited for zero hour and the time when the new computer system was supposed to begin operating.

zero in on

- adjust a gun so that it will hit a target, aim at

The soldiers zeroed in on the target and began to fire their guns.

zero in on

- give one's full attention to

We spent the morning zeroing in on the problem of what to do with the excess space in our office.

zonk out

- fall asleep very quickly

As soon as I got home last night I immediately zonked out.