NTCs thematic dictionary of american idioms

NTC's

Thematic
Dictionary
of

American
Idioms
Richard A. Spears, Ph.D.

JS^ NTC Publishing Group
N l C NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company


Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Spears, Richard A.
NTC's thematic dictionary of American idioms / Richard A. Spears.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-8442-0830-2
1. English language—United States—Idioms—Dictionaries.
2. Figures of speech—Dictionaries. 3. Americanisms—Dictionaries.
I. Title.

PE2839.S66
123'.1—dc21

1997
97-2440

CIP

Interior design by Terry Stone

Published by NTC Publishing Group
An imprint of NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company
4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood (Chicago), Illinois 60646-1975 U.S.A.
Copyright © 1998 by NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of
NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company.
Manufactured in the United States of America
International Standard Book Number: 0-8442-0830-2

7 8 9 0 BC 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1


Introduction
List of Themes

v
vii

Idioms, Thematically Arranged
Idioms Index

355

l

Most of the world's languages have phrases or sentences that cannot be understood literally. Even if you know all the words in a
phrase and understand all the grammar of the phrase completely, the
meaning may still be elusive. A phrase or sentence of this type is said
to be idiomatic. Many proverbs, informal phrases, and common sayings are idiomatic, and offer special problems to readers, writers, and
language learners. This dictionary is a collection of the idiomatic
phrases and sentences that occur frequently in American English.
The idiomatic expressions in this dictionary are arranged according to theme. There is a list of themes on page vii. Writers and
students seeking an idiomatic way of expressing something can easily find likely candidates by using the themes to locate a selection of
expressions.
There is an index on page 355 that allows the user to find a particular idiom by showing the theme under which the idiom is listed.

v



The following is a list of the 900 themes used to classify the idiomatic
expressions found in this dictionary. The themes are also used as
guide words at the top of each page in the dictionary. Use this list
to explore the various themes conveniently.
ABANDONMENT 1
ABILITY 1
ABILITY - LACKING 2
ABSENCE 2
ABUNDANCE 2
ABUSE 3
ACCEPTANCE 3
ACCIDENT 4

ACCOMPANIMENT 5
ACCOMPLISHMENT 5
ACCOUNTING 6
ACCURACY 6
ACHIEVEMENT 6
ACQUISITION 6
ACTIVITY 7
ACTUALLY 7
ADDITIONALLY 8
ADEQUACY 8
ADEQUACY - LACKING 8
ADMISSION 8
ADVANCEMENT 9
ADVANTAGE 9
ADVANTAGE - GAIN 10
ADVANTAGE -TAKE 10
AFFINITY 11
AGE 11
AGE - OLD 11
AGE - YOUTH 12
AGREEABLE 12
AGREEMENT 12
ALERTNESS 13
ALERTNESS - LACKING 14
ALMOST 14
ALONE 14
ALOOF 14
ALTERNATIVES 15
ALWAYS 15
AMAZING 16

AMOUNT 16
AMOUNT- LARGE 16
AMOUNT- MANY 17
AMOUNT- MAXIMUM 17
AMOUNT- MORE 17
AMOUNT- MUCH 17
AMOUNT-NONE 18

AMOUNT- RARE 18
AMOUNT- SMALL 18
ANGER 19
ANGER- RELEASE 19
ANNOYANCE 20
ANNOYANCE - DELIBERATE
22
ANNOYANCE - RIDDANCE 23
ANXIETY 23
ANXIETY - ANTICIPATION 24
ANXIETY - REPRESSED 24
ANXIETY - SEVERE 24
ANYWAY 24
APPEARANCE 24
APPEARANCE - EVIDENCE 24
APPEARANCE - IMPRESSION
25
APPEARANCE - LOOKS 25
APPEARANCE - PUBLIC 25
ARGUMENT 25
ARGUMENT - SETTLE 27
ARRANGEMENT 27

ARRANGEMENT - WRONG 28
ARREST 28
ARRIVAL 28
ARROGANCE 28
ASPIRATION 28
ASSISTANCE 29
ATTACK 30
ATTENDANCE 31
ATTENTION 32
ATTRACTION 32
AVAILABILITY 33
AVAILABILITY - LACKING
33
AVIATION 33
AVOIDANCE 33
AWAKEN 34
AWARENESS 35
AWARENESS - LACKING 35
AWKWARDNESS 35
BAD 36
BALANCE 36
BALANCE - PHYSICAL 37
BARGAIN 37

BASEBALL See SPORTS BASEBALL 306

BASIC 37
BATHROOM 37
BECAUSE 37
BEGINNINGS 38

BEGINNINGS - AGAIN 40
BEGINNINGS - ASSIST 40
BEGINNINGS - CAUTIOUS 40
BEGINNINGS - EARLY 40
BEGINNINGS - EFFORT 40
BEGINNINGS - FAST 41
BEGINNINGS - INITIAL 41
BEHAVIOR 41
BEHAVIOR - CHANGE 42
BEHAVIOR - IMPROPER 42
BEHAVIOR - IMPROVEMENT
43
BEHAVIOR - WILD 43
BELIEF 43
BELIEF - GULLIBILITY 44
BENEFIT 44
BEST 45
BETTER 45
BETTER - LOCATION 45
BETWEEN 45
BIRTH 45
BLAME 45
BOASTING 46
BOASTING - CONCEIT 46
BOREDOM 46
BOTHER See ANNOYANCE 20
BRAVERY See COURAGE 86

BREATH 47
BRIBERY 47

BROADCASTING 47
BUILDINGS 47
BUILDINGS - EXCAVATION 48
BURDEN 48
BUSINESS See COMMERCE 64

BUSY 49
CALCULATION 50
CALMNESS 50
CAREFREE 51
CARELESSNESS 51

VII


NTC'S THEMATIC DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN

CARING - LACKING 51
CASUAL 52
CATCHING 52
CAUSES 52
CAUTION 53
CELEBRATION 53
CERTAINTY 54
CERTAINTY - LACKING 55
CHALLENGE 55
CHANCE 56
CHANGE 57
CHANGE - LACKING 58
CHEAPNESS 58

CHILDHOOD 58
CHILDREN 58
CHOICE 58
CHOICE - LAST 59
CHOICE - TASTE 59
CLARITY 59
CLARITY - LACKING 60
CLEANING 60
CLEVERNESS 60
CLOSE See PROXIMITY 259
CLOTHING 61
CLOTHING - LAUNDRY 61
COERCION 62
COLDNESS 62
COLLAPSE 62
COLLECT 62
COLLEGE 62
COMBINATION 62
COMFORT 63
COMFORT - LACKING 63
COMMENTS 63
COMMERCE 64
COMMERCE - DEBT 66
COMMERCE - PROFIT 66
COMMUNICATION 66
COMMUNICATION KEYBOARD 68
COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES 68
COMMUNICATION - PUBLIC
68
COMMUNICATION - SWEAR

68
COMMUNICATION TELEPHONE 69
COMMUNICATION - VERBAL
69
COMMUNICATION - WRITTEN
71
COMPARISON 72
COMPASSION 73
COMPETITION 73
COMPLAINT 73
COMPLETELY 74
COMPLETION 74
COMPLIMENT 76

VIII

IDIOMS

COMPROMISE 77
CONCISENESS 7 7
CONFESSION 77
CONFIDENCE 77
CONFIDENCE - MUCH 77
CONFORMING 7 7
CONFRONTATION 77
CONFUSION 78
CONFUSION - EMOTIONAL
79
CONGESTION 80
CONSCIENCE 80

CONSEQUENCES 80
CONSIDER 80
CONSPICUOUS 81
CONSTRUCTION 81
CONSUME 81
CONTINUATION 81
CONTINUOUSLY 82
CONTROL 82
CONTROL - DIMINISH 84
CONTROL - END 84
CONTROL - LACKING 84
COOL 85
COOPERATION 85
CORE 85
CORRECTNESS 85
COUNTING 86
COURAGE 86
CRAZINESS 87
CREATION 88
CRIME 88
CRITICISM 89
CRUELTY 90
CRYING 90
CURRENT See FASHION 152,
NOW 2 3 1
DANGER 91
DARKNESS 91
DAYDREAM See IMAGINATION
186
DEATH 91

DEATH - KILLING 94
DECAY See DETERIORATION
104
DECEPTION 94
DECISION 98
DEED 98
DEFENSE 99
DEGRADATION 99
DELAY 99
DEMANDS 100
DEPART 100
DEPART- EXIT 101
DEPART- FAST 101
DEPENDABILITY 102
DEPRESSION 102
DEPTH 102
DESCRIPTION 102

DESIRE 103
DESTRUCTION 103
DETAILS 103
DETERIORATION 104
DETERMINATION 104
DEVELOPMENT 104
DIFFERENCE 105
DIFFICULTY 105
DIGESTION 107
DILUTION 107
DIMINISHING 107
DIRECTION 108

DIRECTION - DISTANCE 109
DIRECTION -WRONG 109
DISAGREEMENT 109
DISAPPEARANCE 110
DISBELIEF 1 1 0
DISCOURAGEMENT 1 1 0
DISCOVERY 110
DISCUSSION 1 1 1
DISGUST 1 1 2
DISLIKE 1 1 2
DISMISSAL 1 1 2
DISMISSAL- EJECT 1 1 2
DISMISSAL - EMPLOYMENT
113
DISORDER 1 1 3
DISPLAY 1 1 3
DISPLEASURE 1 1 3
DISPLEASURE- FROWN 1 1 3
DISPOSAL 1 1 3
DISREGARD 114
DISSUADE 114
DISTANCE 114
DISTRACTION 114
DISTURBANCE 114
DIVERSION 1 1 5
DIVISION 115
DOMINATION 1 1 5
DOMINATION - DIMINISH
116
DOMINATION - END 116

DOOM 1 1 6
DOUBT 1 1 7
DRINKING 1 1 7
DRUNK 1 1 7
DRYNESS 118
EAGERNESS 1 1 9
EARLY 120
EASY 120
EATING 122
EATING - DIET 123
EATING - ENTERTAINMENT
123
EATING - FAST 123
EATING - ILLNESS 123
EATING - LITTLE 123
EATING - M U C H 124
EATING - NIBBLE 124


LIST OF THEMES
EATING - PREPARATION 124
EFFORT 124
EFFORT- FUTILE 126
EJECT 126
ELECTRICITY 126
ELIMINATE 126
EMBARRASSMENT 126
EMOTION 127
EMPATHY 127
EMPHASIS 127

EMPLOYMENT 127
EMPLOYMENT - LACKING
128
ENCOUNTER 128
ENCOURAGEMENT 128
ENDINGS 128
ENDURANCE 131
ENEMY See ENMITY 133

ENJOYMENT 132
ENMITY 133
ENOUGH 134
ENTHUSIASM 134
ENTRANCE 134
ENTRAPMENT 134
ENVY 135
EQUAL 135
ERRAND 135
ERROR 135
ESCAPE 135
ESSENTIALLY - BASICALLY
137
ESTABLISHMENT 137
EVALUATION 137
EVEN 138
EVERY 138
EVERYONE 138
EVERYTHING 138
EVERYWHERE 139
EVIDENCE 139

EXACTNESS 139
EXAGGERATION 140
EXAMINATION 141
EXAMINATION INVESTIGATION 141
EXAMPLE 141
EXCEPTION 142
EXCITEMENT 142
EXCLUSION 143
EXCUSES 143
EXERCISE 144
EXHAUSTION 144
EXPECTATION 145
EXPECTATION - UNMET 145
EXPEDIENCE 145
EXPERIENCE 145
EXPLANATION 146
EXPLANATION - INEFFECTIVE
148
EXPLOITATION 148

EXPLORATION 148
EXTRAVAGANCE 148
FAILURE 149
FAINT 151
FAIRNESS 151
FAIRNESS- LACKING 151
FALLING 152
FAMILIARITY 152
FAREWELL 152
FASHION 152

FAVOR 153
FEAR 153
FEELING - LACKING 153
FEELING - RENEWAL 153
FIGHTING 153
FIGHTING -WAR 154
FINALITY 154
FINANCIAL 155
FINANCIAL- DEBT 155
FINANCIAL- LOSS 155
FINDING 155
FIRST 155
FITTING 156
FLATNESS 156
FLATTERY 156
FLEXIBILITY 156
FLIGHT 156
FLIRTATION 157
FOCUS 157
FOE See ENMITY 133

FOLLOWING 157
FONDNESS 157
FOOD 158
FOOD - COOKING 159
FOOD - GLUTTONY 1 59
FOOD - STORAGE 1 59
FOOLISHNESS 159
FOOTBALL See SPORTS FOOTBALL 306

FORBIDDEN See TABOO 319

FORCE 159
FORESIGHT 160
FORGETFULNESS 160
FORGIVENESS 161
FORMALITY 161
FRANKNESS 161
FRANKNESS - LACKING 162
FREEDOM 162
FREQUENCY 163
FRESHNESS 163
FRIENDS 163
FRIGHT 165
FRIGHT - SEVERE 165
FRUSTRATION 166
FULFILLMENT 166
FULLNESS 166
FUN See ENJOYMENT 132

FUNCTIONING 166
FUNNY 167

FUTILITY 167
FUTURE 168
GAMES See PLAY 250

GARDENING 169
GASOLINE 169
GENERALLY 169

GENEROSITY 169
GENTLENESS See KINDNESS

200
GENUINENESS 170
GET See OBTAIN 234

GIVING 170
GOALS 170
GOOD 170
GOOD-BYE See FAREWELL 152

GOSSIP 170
GRATITUDE 171
GRATITUDE- LACKING 171
GRAVITY See SERIOUSNESS

290
GREAT 171
GREED 171
GROUCHY 172
GROWTH 172
GUILT See BLAME 45

GUILTLESSNESS 172
HABITS 173
HABITS -ADDICTION 173
HALF 173
HANGOVER 173
HAPPENING 173

HAPPENING - FATE 174
HAPPENING - PAST 174
HAPPINESS 174
HARM 175
HARMONY 176
HARM - LACKING 176
HAUGHTINESS 176
HAUGHTINESS- PIETY 177
HAUGHTINESS - REDUCE
177
HEALTH 177
HEALTH - DISEASE 177
HEALTH - FIT 177
HEALTH - GOOD 178
HEALTH - IMPROVEMENT
178
HEALTH - INJURY 178
HEALTH - MENTAL 178
HEALTH - POOR 178
HEALTH - RECOVERY 178
HEAT 179
HEIGHT 179
HELPFULNESS 179
HELPFULNESS - LACKING
179
HEROISM 179
HIDING 180
HOBBIES 180

IX

NTC'S THEMATIC DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN IDIOMS
HOME 180
HONESTY 180
HOPE 181
HOPE- LACKING 181
HOUSEKEEPING 182
HOWEVER 182
HUMILIATION 182
HUMILITY 182
HUNGER 182
HUNTING 182
HURRY 182
IDEAS 184
IDENTIFICATION 184
IF 185
IGNITION 185
IGNORE 185
IGNORE- DISREGARD 186
IMAGINATION 186
IMPEDIMENT 187
IMPERTINENCE See RUDENESS

279
IMPORTANCE 187
IMPORTANCE - LACKING 188
IMPOSSIBILITY 188
IMPROVEMENT 188
IMPROVEMENT - FINANCIAL

189
INACTION 189
INCITE 189
INCITE -ANGER 190
INDECISION 190
INDEPENDENCE 191
INFLUENCE 191
INFORMAL 192
INHERITANCE 192
INITIALLY See BEGINNINGS 38

INNOCENCE 192
INQUIRY 192
INQUIRY - CAUTIOUS 193
INSULT 193
INTELLIGENCE 193
INTELLIGENCE - LACKING
194
INTENTIONS 194
INTEREST 194
INTERROGATION 195
INTERRUPTION 195
INTIMACY 195
INTOXICATION ALCOHOL/DRUGS 195
INTOXICATION - DRUGS 195
INTRUSION 195
INVESTIGATION See
EXAMINATION 1 4 1

INVOLVEMENT 196

INVOLVEMENT - CURRENT
196
INVOLVEMENT - LACKING
196
X

IRRELEVANCE 197

MONEY - LACKING 223
MONEY - SPEND 223
MONITORING 223

IRRITATION See ANNOYANCE

20
ISOLATION See ALOOF 14

JOINING 198
JOKING 199
JUSTICE 199
KINDNESS 200
KINDNESS - LACKING 200
KINSHIP 200
KNOWLEDGE 201
KNOWLEDGE - LACKING 202
KNOWLEDGE - PRIVATE 203
LACKING 204
LATENESS 204
LAUGHTER 205
LEADERSHIP 206

LEARNING 206
LEGAL 206
LEGAL - COURTROOM 207
LEISURE 208
LIFE 208
LIFESTYLE 208
LIKELIHOOD 209
LIMITATION 209
LISTENING 210
LISTENING - DIFFICULT 210
LIVELIHOOD 210
LOCATION 211
LOCATION - KEEP 213
LOCATION - ORIGIN 213
LOCATION - WRONG 213
LODGING 213
LOSS 213
LOUDNESS 214
LOVE 214
LOVE - END 215
LUCK 215
LUCK- LACKING 216
LUXURY 216
LYING 216
MANAGE 217
MANIPULATION 217
MANY See ABUNDANCE 2

MISBEHAVIOR See BEHAVIOR -

NERVOUS See ANXIETY 23

NOBODY 230
NONETHELESS 230
NONFUNCTIONING 230
NONSENSE 231
NORMALITY 231
NOSTALGIA 231
NOTHING 231
NOVELTY 231
NOW 231
NUPTIALS See MARRIAGE 217

OBEDIENCE 233
OBLIGATION 233
OBSERVATION 233
OBSESSION 234
OBSOLETE 234
OBTAIN 234
OBVIOUSNESS 234
OCCASIONALLY 234
OFFENSIVE 235
OMISSION 235
OPINION 235
OPPORTUNITY 236
OPPOSITION 237
ORDER See ARRANGEMENT 27,

ORGANIZATION 238
OSTENTATION 239

OVERCOME 239
OVERWHELM 239
OWNERSHIP 239
OWNERSHIP - CLAIM 240
PARTIALLY 241
PARTICIPATION See
INVOLVEMENT 196

IMPROPER 4 2

MONEY 220
MONEY - CONTRIBUTION
223

MOTIVATION 224
MOVEMENT 224
MOVEMENT - LACKING 227
MURDER 227
MUSIC 227
NAKEDNESS 228
NAME 228
NAME - CLEAR 228
NEED 228
NEED - LACKING 229
NEGATION 229
NEGLECT 230

ORGANIZATION 238

MARRIAGE 217

MEANING 218
MEANING - LACKING 218
MEDDLE 218
MEDICAL 219
MEETING 219
MEMORY 219
MILITARY 219

MISTAKE See ERROR 135
MISUSE See ABUSE 3

MORE See AMOUNT - MORE 17

-

PATIENCE 241
PAYMENT 241
PEOPLE 242
PEOPLE - NEGATIVE 243
PEOPLE - POSITIVE 244
PEOPLE - PROUD 245
PERCEPTION 245
PERCEPTION - SELFISH 245


LIST OF THEMES
PERFORMANCE 245
PERMISSION 246
PERMISSION - LACKING 247
PERSISTENCE 247

PERSONAL 248
PERSONALITY 248
PERSUASION 248
PERSUASION - LACKING 249
PHOTOGRAPHY 249
PHYSICAL 249
PHYSICAL - IMPROVEMENT
249
PLANNING 249
PLANNING - LACKING 250
PLAY 250
PLEASING 251

QUALITY 263

PLENTY See ABUNDANCE 2
PLETHORA See ABUNDANCE 2

107
REFUSAL 267
REGARDING 267
REGARDLESS 267
REGRET 268
REJECTION 268
RELAXATION 269
RELEASE 269
RELIANCE 269
REMEMBER 270
REMOVAL 270
REPETITION 271

POLITENESS 251
POLITICS 251
POORNESS 252
PORTION 252
POSITION 252
POSITIVE 252
POSTAL 2533
POTENTIAL 253
POWER See FORCE 159

PRAISE 253
PRECISION 254
PREDICTION 254
PREDICTION - BETTING 254
PREDILECTION See DESIRE
103
PREFERENCE See CHOICE 58
PREGNANCY 254
PREOCCUPIED See
DISTRACTION 1 1 4

PREPARATION 255
PREPARATION - READY 256
PREVENTION 256
PREVENTION - FAILURE 257
PRIDE 257
PRIVACY 257
PROBLEM See DIFFICULTY
105, TROUBLE 3 3 0

PRODUCTION 257
PROGRESSIVE See
ADVANCEMENT 9

PROMISES 258
PROMISES - FAILURE 258
PROMOTION 258
PROOF 258
PROTECTION 259
PROTECTION - LACKING 259
PROXIMITY 259
PUNISHMENT 260
PUNISHMENT - LIGHT 261
PURPOSE 262
PURSUIT 262

QUARREL See ARGUMENT 25

RANDOMNESS 264
READINESS See PREPARATION

255
READING See EXAMINATION
1 4 1 , STUDY 3 1 0

REALISM 264
REALISM - LACKING 264
REASON 264
RECENTLY 265

RECIPROCITY 265
RECONCILIATION 266
RECOVERY 267
RECOVERY - FINANCIAL 267
REDUCTION See DIMINISHING

REPLY See RESPONSE 273

REPRODUCTION 271
REPUTATION 271
REQUESTING 271
RESCUED 272
RESENTMENT See ENMITY

133
RESERVING 272
RESOURCEFULNESS See
CLEVERNESS 60

RESPECT 272
RESPECT - HONOR 273
RESPECT - INSINCERE 273
RESPONSE 273
RESPONSIBILITY 273
RESTORE 275
RESTRAINT 275
RESULTS 275
RESUME See CONTINUATION

81

RETURN 276
REVELATION 276
REVERSAL 277
REWARDS 277
RIDICULE 277
RISK 278
ROBBERY See THEFT 320

ROMANCE 279
ROMANCE - END 279
RUDENESS 279
RUIN 279

RULES 281
SACRIFICE 282
SADNESS 282
SADNESS - CAUSE 282
SAFETY 282
SAKE 283
SALES 283
SALES - SECRET 283
SAMENESS 283
SATISFACTION 284
SATISFACTORY 284
SAVING 284
SCOLDING 284
SEA 286
SEARCHING 287
SECRECY 288
SECRET 289

SECURITY See SAFETY 282

SENSE 289
SENSIBLE 289
SENSITIVE 290
SEPARATION 290
SEQUENCE See ARRANGEMENT
27, ORGANIZATION 238

SERIOUSNESS 290
SERVING 290
SEX 291
SHAME 291
SHARE 291
SHARPNESS 292
SHOCK 292
SHOPPING 293
SHORT 293
SHOUTING 293
SHYNESS 293
SICKNESS 293
SIGHT See VISIBILITY 341

SIGNIFY 294
SILENCE 294
SILLINESS 295
SIMILARITY 295
SIMILARITY - LACKING 296
SIMPLICITY 296
SIMULTANEOUSLY 297

SINCERITY 297
SINCERITY - LACKING 297
SIZE 297
SIZE - SMALL 297
SKEPTICISM 298
SKILL 298
SKILL - LACKING 298
SLEEP 298
SLEEP - LACKING 299
SLOWLY 299
SMOKING 299
SOBRIETY 299
SOCIAL 299
SOCIAL - ACCEPTABLE 300
SOCIAL - DATING 301
XI


NTC'S THEMATIC DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN IDIOMS
SOCIAL - DISTANCE 301
SOCIAL- FORMALITY 301
SOCIAL- GREETING 301
SOCIAL - IMPORTANCE 301
SOCIAL - INCLUSION 301
SOCIAL - INSINCERE 301
SOCIAL - SECONDARY 301
SOCIAL-TALK 301
SOCIAL - UPPER 301
SOFTNESS 301
SOLUTION 302

SOMEDAY 302
SOMEHOW 302
SOMEONE 302
SOMETHING 302
SOON 302
SORROW 303
SPACE 303
SPEECH See COMMUNICATION
- VERBAL 69

SPEED 303
SPEED - FAST 305
SPONTANEITY 306
SPORTS 306
SPORTS - BASEBALL 306
SPORTS - BOXING 306
SPORTS - FOOTBALL 306
STABILITY 307
STARTING 307
STATUS 307
STATUS - LOW 307
STEADINESS 307
STOP 307
STORAGE 309
STRANGENESS 309
STRATEGY 309
STRENGTH 310
STRUGGLE 310
STUBBORNNESS 310
STUDY 310

STUPIDITY 311
SUBSTITUTION 311
SUCCESS 312
SUDDENNESS 313
SUITABILITY 314
SUITABLE 314
SUMMARY 314
SUPERIORITY 314

XII

SUPERLATIVE 315
SUPERVISION See
MONITORING 2 2 3

SUPPORT 315
SURPRISE 316
SURRENDER See YIELDING

353
SURVIVAL 317
SUSPICION 318
TABOO 319
TASTE 319
TATTLE 319
TEST 319
TEST - EXPERIMENT
320
THANKS See GRATITUDE

171
THEFT 320
THICK 320
THIN 320
THINGS 320
THOROUGHNESS 320
THOUGHT 321
THREATENING 322
THRIFT 322
TIME 322
TIME - DURATION 326
TIME - FOREVER 327
TIME - PRECISE 327
TIME - SPECIFIC 328
TIME - SPEND 328
TIME - WASTE 328
TOGETHERNESS 328
TOTALLY 329
TOUGH 329
TRAINING 329
TRANSFER 329
TRANSPORTATION
329
TRAVEL 329
TROUBLE 330
TRUST 332
TRUTH 332
TRYING 332
TYPICAL 334
UNCONDITIONALLY 335

UNDERSTANDING 335
UNIVERSALITY 337

UNLUCKY See LUCK - LACKING

216
UNREASONABLE 337
UNUSUAL 337
URGENCY 337
USE 338
USEFULNESS 338
USELESSNESS 338
VALUE 339
VALUE - LACKING 340
VARIETY 340
VIEWPOINT 340
VIGOR 340
VIOLENCE 340
VISIBILITY 341
VISIBILITY- LACKING 341
VISION 341
VISITING 342
VOMIT 342
VOTING 342
VULNERABILITY 343
WAITING 344
WALKING 344
WASTE 345
WASTE - EFFORT 345
WEAKNESS 345

WEALTH 346
WEAPONS 346
WEAPONS - GUNS 346
WEATHER 346
WEIGHT 347
WELCOME 347
WETNESS 347
WHITENESS 347
WIDTH 347
WINNING 347
WISDOM 348
WITHDRAW 348
WORK 349
WORRY 350
WORSEN 351
WORST 352
WORTHLESSNESS 352
WRITING See COMMUNICATION
- WRITTEN 71

WRONG 352
WRONG - DEED 352
YIELDING 353


with him. • That car was a real headache.
ABANDONMENT
I washed my hands of it long ago.
desert a sinking ship AND leave a sinking ship to leave a place, a person, or a
ABILITY

situation when things become difficult
equal to someone or something able to
or unpleasant. (Rats are said to be the
handle or deal with someone or somefirst to leave a ship that is sinking.) • I
thing. • I'm afraid that I'm not equal to
hate to be the one to desert a sinking ship,
Mrs. Smith's problem right now. Please
but I can't stand it around here anymore.
ask her to come back later. • That's a very
• There goes Tom. Wouldn't you know
he'd leave a sinking ship rather than stay difficult task, but I'm sure Bill is equal
to it.
around and try to help?
hard
put (to do something) AND hard
leave someone for dead to abandon
pressed
(to do something) able to do
someone as being dead. (The abandoned
something only with great difficulty. •
person may actually be alive.) • He
I'm hard put to come up with enough
looked so bad that they almost left him for
money to pay the rent. • I get hard put
dead. D As the soldiers turned—leaving
the enemy captain for dead—the captain like that about once a month.
fired at them.
leave someone high and dry to leave
someone unsupported and unable to
maneuver; to leave someone helpless.

(Informal.) • All my workers quit and
left me high and dry. • All the children
ran away and left Billy high and dry to
take the blame for the broken window.
skip out (on someone or something) to
sneak away from someone; to leave
someone in secret. (Slang.) • I heard
that Bill skipped out on his wife. • I'm not
surprised. I thought he should have
skipped out long ago.
walk out on someone to abandon someone; to leave one's spouse. • Mr. Franklin walked out on Mrs. Franklin last week.
• Bob walked out on Jane without saying
good-bye.
wash one's hands of someone or something to end one's association with
someone or something. • I washed my
hands of Tom. I wanted no more to do

have a way with someone or something
to handle or deal well with someone or
something. • John has a way with hamburger. It's always delicious. D Mother has
a way with Father. She'll get him to paint
the house.
have something on the ball to be smart
and clever. (Slang.) • Both John and
Mary have a lot on the ball. They should
go far. • / think I'd do better in school if
I had more on the ball. I learn slowly.
have the Midas touch to have the ability to be successful, especially the ability to make money easily. (From the
name of a legendary king whose touch
turned everything to gold.) •• Bob is a

merchant banker and really has the Midas
touch. • The poverty-stricken boy turned
out to have the Midas touch and was a
millionaire by the time he was twentyfive.
have what it takes to have the courage
or stamina (to do something). • Bill has
what it takes. He can swim for miles. •

1


ABILITY - LACKING

Tom won't succeed. He doesn't have what
it takes.
to the best of one's ability as well as one
is able. • I did the work to the best of my
ability. • You should always work to the
best of your ability.
up to something capable of something;
fit enough for something. • John's not
up to doing a job of that kind. • Mary's
mother's been ill and is not up to traveling yet.
ABILITY - LACKING
beyond one's depth beyond one's understanding or capabilities. • I'm beyond my depth in algebra class. • Poor
John was involved in a problem that was
really beyond his depth.
ABSENCE
absent without leave AND AWOL absent
from a military unit without permission; absent from anything without permission. (AWOL is an abbreviation.

This is a serious offense in the military.)
• The soldier was taken away by the military police because he was absent without
leave. • John was AWOL from school and
got into a lot of trouble with his parents.

Wednesday. Now he's in a military prison.
• Tom went AWOL once too often.
Long time no see. not to have seen
someone for a long time. (Informal.) •
Hello, John. Long time no see. D When
John and Mary met on the street, they
both said, "Long time no see."
out of town temporarily not in one's
own town. • I'll be out of town next
week. I'm going to a conference. • I take
care of Mary's cat when she's out of town.
play hooky not to go to school or to
some important meeting. (Slang.) •
Why aren't you in school? Are you playing hooky? • I don't have time for the
sales meeting today, so I think I'll just play
hooky.
so much for someone or something
that is the last of someone or something;
there is no need to consider someone or
something anymore. • It just started
raining. So much for our picnic this afternoon. • So much for John. He just
called in sick and can't come to work today.

ABUNDANCE
See also AMOUNT.

away from one's desk not available for
alive with someone or something cova telephone conversation; not available
ered with, filled with, or active with
to be seen. (Sometimes said by the perpeople or things. • Look! Ants everyson who answers a telephone in an ofwhere. The floor is alive with ants! •
fice. It means that the person whom the
When we got to the ballroom, the place
caller wants is not immediately available
was alive with dancing. • The campdue to personal or business reasons.) •
ground was alive with campers from all
I'm sorry, but Ann is away from her desk
over the country.
just now. Can you come back later? •
and something to spare AND with
Tom is away from his desk, but if you leave
something to spare with extra left over;
your number, he will call you right back.
with more than is needed. {Something
can be used literally.) • / had as much
conspicuous by one's absence to have
flour as I needed with something to spare.
one's absence (from an event) noticed.
• We missed you last night. You were con- • Fred said he should have enough cash
spicuous by your absence. • How could
to last the week—with money to spare.
the bride's father miss the wedding? He
and then some and even more; more
was certainly conspicuous by his absence.
than has been mentioned. (Folksy.) •
cut class to skip going to class. (InforJohn is going to have to run like a deer and
mal.) • If Mary keeps cutting classes,

then some to win this race. • The cook put
she'll fail the course. • J cant cut that
the amount of salt called for into the soup
class. I've missed too many already.
and then some.
go AWOL to become absent without
leave. • Private Smith went AWOL last

2

any number of someone or something
a large number; a sufficiently large


ACCEPTANCE

number. (Used when the exact number
is not important.) • Any number of people can vouch for my honesty. • J can give
you any number of reasons why I should
join the army. • I ate there any number
of times and never became ill.
dime a dozen abundant; cheap and
common. • People who can write good
books are not a dime a dozen. • Romantic movies are a dime a dozen.
drug on the market on the market in
great abundance; a glut on the market.
• Right now, small computers are a drug
on the market. • Ten years ago, small
transistor radios were a drug on the market.
get the works to receive a lot of something. (Slang. The works can be a lot of

food, good treatment, bad treatment,
etc.) • BILL: Shall we order a snack or a
big meal? JANE: I'm hungry. Let's get the
works. • But, Your Honor. I shouldn't get
the works. I only drove too fast!

lousy with cops. • Our picnic table was
lousy with ants.
more someone or something than one
can shake a stick at a lot; too many to
count. (Folksy.) • There were more
snakes than you could shake a stick at. •
There are lots of flowers in the field—more
than one can shake a stick at.
no end of something lots of something.
(Informal.) • It was a wonderful banquet. They had no end of good food. •
Tom is a real problem. He's no end of
trouble.
rolling in something having large
amounts of something, usually money.
(Informal.) • That family is rolling in
money. • Jack doesn't need to earn
money. He's rolling in it.
to one's heart's content as much as one
wants. • John wanted a week's vacation
so he could go to the lake and fish to his
heart's content. • I just sat there, eating
chocolate to my heart's content.

give someone the works to give someone the full amount or the full treat- ABUSE

pick on someone your own size to
ment. (Slang.) • The judge gave her the
abuse someone who is big enough to
works for driving too fast. • J want everyfight back. • Go pick on somebody your
thing. Give me the works.
own size! • Max should learn to pick on
go overboard to do too much; to be exsomeone his own size.
travagant. • Look, Sally, let's have a nice
take liberties with someone or someparty, but don't go overboard. It doesn't
need to be fancy. • Okay, you can buy a thing AND make free with someone or
something to use or abuse someone or
big comfortable car, but don't go oversomething. • You are overly familiar
board.
with me, Mr. Jones. One might think you
go too far to do more than is acceptable.
were taking liberties with me. • J don't
• / didn't mind at first, but now you've
like it when you make free with my lawn
gone too far. • If you go too far, I'll slap
mower. You should at least ask when you
you.
want to borrow it.
have something to spare to have more
walk all over someone to treat someone
than enough of something. • Ask John
badly. • She's so mean to her children.
for some firewood. He has firewood to
She walks all over them. • The manager
spare. • Do you have any candy to spare?
had walked all over Ann for months. Finally she quit.

in short supply scarce. • Fresh vegetables are in short supply in the winter. • ACCEPTANCE
Yellow cars are in short supply because
eat one's words to have to take back
everyone likes them and buys them. • At
one's statements; to confess that one's
this time of the year, fresh vegetables go predictions were wrong. • You shouldn't
into short supply.
say that to me. I'll make you eat your
lousy with something with something
in abundance. (Slang.) • This place is

words. • John was wrong about the election and had to eat his words.
3


ACCIDENT

face the music to receive punishment;
to accept the unpleasant results of one's
actions. • Mary broke a dining-room
window and had to face the music when
her father got home. • After failing a
math test, Tom had to go home and face
the music.

report at face value and approved the suggested changes.

feel at home to feel as if one belongs; to
feel as if one were in one's home; to feel
accepted. • J liked my dormitory room.

I really felt at home there. • We will do
whatever we can to make you feel at home.

take something lying down to endure
something unpleasant without fighting
back. • He insulted me publicly. You don't
expect me to take that lying down, do you?
• I'm not the kind of person who'll take
something like that lying down.

go over big with someone to be very
much appreciated by someone. • Your
jokes did not exactly go over big with my
parents. • We hope that the musical will
go over big with the audience.
hold with something to accept or agree
with something. (Folksy. Usually in the
negative.) • My father doesn't hold with
fancy clothes. • I don't hold with too
many X rays.

take something in stride to accept
something as natural or expected. • The
argument surprised him, but he took it in
stride. • It was a very rude remark, but
Mary took it in stride.

take the bitter with the sweet to accept
the bad things along with the good
things. • We all have disappointments.

You have to learn to take the bitter with
the sweet. • There are good days and bad
days, but every day you take the bitter
with the sweet. That's life.

turn thumbs up (on someone or something) to accept someone or something;
to approve someone or something. •
like it or lump it either accept it or drop
The board of directors turned thumbs up
dead. (Slang and fairly rude. Fixed oron my proposal and voted to fund the proder.) • / don't care whether you care for
my attitude or not. You can just like it or ject. • The committee turned thumbs up
lump it. • This is all the food you get. Like on Carl as the new manager. • When the
boss turned thumbs up, I knew everything
it or lump it!
was okay.
resign oneself to something to accept
something reluctantly. • J finally re- ACCIDENT
signed myself to going to Mexico even
have a blowout [for one's car tire] to
though I didn't want to. • Mary resigned
burst. • I had a blowout on the way here.
herself to her fate.
I nearly lost control of the car. • If you
have a blowout in one tire, you should
settle for something to agree to accept
check the other tires.
something (even though something else
would be better). • We wanted a red one,
hit-and-run an accident where the dribut settled for a blue one. • Ask your grover of a car strikes a person or another
cer for Wilson's canned corn—the best

vehicle and speeds away without admitcorn in cans. Don't settle for less.
ting to the deed or stopping to help.
(Fixed order.) • Fred was injured in a
take one's medicine to accept the punhit-and-run
accident. • The state passed
ishment or the bad fortune that one dea law making any kind of hit-and-run acserves. • I know I did wrong, and I know
cident a felony.
I have to take my medicine. • Billy knew
he was going to get spanked, and he didn't want to take his medicine.
take something at face value to accept
something exactly the way it appears to
be. • I don't know whether I can take her
story at face value, but I will assume that
she is not lying. • The committee took the

4

pile something up to crash or wreck
something. • Drive carefully if you don't
want to pile the car up. • The driver piled
up the car against a tree.
pile up to crash or wreck. • The car
piled up against the tree. • The bus piled
up on the curve.


ACCOMPLISHMENT

plow into someone or something to
crash into someone or something; to

bump hard into someone or something.
• The car plowed into the ditch. • The
runner plowed into another player.
take a spill to have a fall; to tip over.
(Also with bad, nasty, quite, etc. Also
with have.) • Ann tripped on the curb
and took a nasty spill. • John had quite
a spill when he fell off his bicycle.
trip someone up to trip someone. •
Bob tripped himself up on his own feet.
• The loose gravel beside the track tripped
up Bob, and he fell.
ACCOMPANIMENT
go along for the ride to accompany
(someone) for the pleasure of riding
along. • Join us. You can go along for the
ride. • / don't really need to go to the grocery store, but I'll go along for the ride.
see someone home to accompany someone home. • Bill agreed to see his aunt
home after the movie. • You don't need to
see me home. It's perfectly safe, and I can
get there on my own.
sit up with someone to stay with someone through the night, especially with
a sick or troubled person or with someone who is waiting for something. • I
had to sit up with my younger sister when
she was ill. • I sat up with Bill while he
waited for an overseas telephone call.
string along (with someone) to accompany someone; to run around with
someone. • Sally seemed to know where
she was going, so I decided to string along
with her. • She said it was okay if I strung

along.
ACCOMPLISHMENT
See also ACHIEVEMENT.

have come a long way to have accomplished much; to have advanced much.
• My, how famous you are. You've come
a long way. • Tom has come a long way
in a short time.
let well enough alone AND leave well
enough alone to leave things as they are
(and not try to improve them). • There
isn't much more you can accomplish here.
Why don't you just let well enough alone?

• This is as good as I can do. I'll stop and
leave well enough alone.
make a dent in something to begin to
consume or accomplish something. (Informal.) • Bob, you've hardly made a
dent in your dinner! • There is a lot of
rice left. We hardly made a dent in it all
week. • Get busy! You haven't even made
a dent in your work.
make a go of it to make something work
out all right. (Informal.) • It's a tough
situation, but Ann is trying to make a go
of it. • We dont like living here, but we
have to make a go of it.
make the grade to be satisfactory; to be
what is expected. (Informal.) • I'm
sorry, but your work doesn't exactly make

the grade. • This meal doesn't just make
the grade. It is excellent.
put something over to accomplish
something. • This is a very hard thing
to explain to a large audience. I hope I can
put it over. • This is a big request for
money. I go before the board of directors
this afternoon, and I hope I can put it
over.
reach one's stride AND hit one's stride
to do something at one's best level of
ability. • When I reach my stride, things
will go faster, and I'll be more efficient.
• Now that I've hit my stride, I can work
more efficiently.
square someone or something away to
get someone or something arranged or
properly taken care of. • See if you can
square Bob away in his new office. •
Please square away the problems we discussed earlier.
What's done is done. It is final and in
the past. • It's too late to change it now.
What's done is done. • What's done is
done. The past cannot be altered.
work (one's way) into something to
(literally or figuratively) squeeze into
something. • Ann worked her way into
the club, and now she's a member in good
standing. • The skunk worked its way
into the hollow log.

5


ACCOUNTING

ACCOUNTING
balance the accounts AND balance the
books to determine through accounting
that accounts are in balance, that all
money is accounted for. • Jane was up
all night balancing the accounts. • The
cashier was not allowed to leave the bank
until the manager balanced the books.
cook the accounts to cheat in bookkeeping; to make the accounts appear to
balance when they do not. • Jane was
sent to jail for cooking the accounts of her
mother's store. • It's hard to tell whether
she really cooked the accounts or just didn't know how to add.
ACCURACY
See EXACTNESS.

ACHIEVEMENT
See also ACCOMPLISHMENT, ADVANCEMENT, SUCCESS.

find one's own level to find the position
or rank to which one is best suited. (As
water "seeks its own level.") • You cannot force clerks to be ambitious. They will
all find their own level. • The new student is happier in the beginning class. It
was just a question of letting her find her
own level.

meet the requirements (for something)
to fulfill the requirements for something. • Sally was unable to meet the requirements for the job. • Jane met the
requirements and was told to report to
work the next day.
pay one's dues to have earned one's
right to something through hard work
or suffering. (Informal.) • He worked
hard to get to where he is today. He paid
his dues and did what he was told. • I
have every right to be here. I paid my
dues!
pull something off to manage to make
something happen. (Informal.) • Yes, I
can pull it off • Do you think you can
pull off this deal?
rest on one's laurels to enjoy one's success and not try to achieve more. •
Don't rest on your laurels. Try to continue
to do great things! • I think I'll rest on my
laurels for a time before attempting anything new.
run the good race to do the best that
one could; to live life as well and as fully
as possible. • He didn't get what he
wanted, but he ran the good race. • Joan
ran the good race, and she will be remembered by all of us.

get to first base (with someone or ACQUISITION
something) AND reach first base (with
See also OBTAIN.
someone or something) to make a macome by something to find or get somejor advance with someone or something.

thing. D How did you come by that hair(Informal. First base refers to baseball.)
cut? • Where did you come by that new
• I wish I could get to first base with this
business deal. • John adores Sally, but he shirt?
can't even reach first base with her. She
come by something honestly to inherit
won't even speak to him. • He smiles and
something—a character trait—from
acts friendly, but he can't get to first base.
one's parents. • I know I'm mean. I came
by it honestly, though. • She came by her
go a long way toward doing something
kindness
honestly.
AND go a long way in doing something
almost to satisfy specific conditions; to
be almost right. • This machine goes a
long way toward meeting our needs. •
Your plan went a long way in helping us
with our problem.
measure up (to someone's expectations) to be as good as one expects. •
This meal doesn't measure up to my expectations. • Why doesn't it measure up?
6

come in for something AND fall in for
something to receive something; to acquire something. • Mary came in for a
tremendous amount of money when her
aunt died. • Sally fell in for a lot of trouble when she bought a used car.
come into something to inherit something. • Jane came into a small fortune
when her aunt died. • Mary came into a

ACTUALLY

house and a new car when her rich uncle
died.

ter. Things get into high gear there in November.

come someone's way to come to someone. • / wish a large sum of money would
come my way. • / hope that no had luck
comes my way.

like a three-ring circus chaotic; exciting and busy. • Our household is like a
three-ring circus on Monday mornings. •
This meeting is like a three-ring circus.
Quiet down and listen!

get (a)hold of something to obtain
something. • Vm trying to get hold of a
glass jar. I need it for school. • Does anyone know where I can get ahold of a spare
tire? • / have hold of a very large piece
of land.
get one's hands on someone or something AND lay one's hands on someone
or something to get (a)hold of someone
or something; to get someone or something in one's grasp. (Informal. Sometimes said in anger, as if one may wish
to do harm.) • Just wait until I get my
hands on Tom. I'll really give him something to think about. Û When I lay my
hands on my book again, I'll never lend
it to anyone.

get one's hooks into someone or something to grasp someone or something;
to acquire someone or something; to get
someone or something in one's grasp.
(Said of someone who is grasping and
acquisitive and who will not let go easily. Usually said about a person or about
something that is small enough to grasp
in one's hand.) • / want to get my hooks
into a copy of that book. • She cant wait
until she gets her hooks into George.

like crazy AND like mad furiously; very
much, fast, many, or actively. (Slang.) •
People are coming in here like crazy. There
isn't enough room for them all. • We sold
ice cream like crazy. It was a very hot day.
• When she stubbed her toe, she started
screaming like mad.
make as if to do something to act as if
one were about to do something. • The
thief made as if to run away but changed
his mind. • Jane made as if to smack the
child.
rough-and-tumble rough; overly active.
(In reference to physical activity.) • The
game got sort of rough-and-tumble, so I
stopped playing. • Jane runs with a
rough-and-tumble crowd that's always involved in some sort of sport.
strike while the iron is hot to do something at the best possible time; to do
something when the time is ripe. • He
was in a good mood, so I asked for a loan

of $200. I thought I'd better strike while
the iron was hot. • Please go to the bank
and settle this matter now! They are willing to be reasonable. You've got to strike
while the iron is hot.

pick something up to find, purchase, or ACTUALLY
acquire something. • Where did you pick
as a matter of fact actually; in addition
that up? • J picked up this tool at the
to what has been said; in reference to
hardware store.
what has been said. • As a matter of fact,
John came into the room while you were
ACTIVITY
talking about him. • I'm not a poor
be about something to get busy doing
worker. As a matter of fact, I'm very effisomething, especially doing one's busicient.
ness. • It's eight o'clock, and it's time I
was about my homework. • Good-bye,
Jane. I must be about my business.
get into full swing AND get into high
gear to move into the peak of activity;
to start moving fast or efficiently. (Informal.) • In the summer months, things
really get into full swing around here. •
We go skiing in the mountains each win-

in the flesh really present; in person. •
I've heard that the queen is coming here
in the flesh. • Is she really here? In the
flesh? D I've wanted a color television for

years, and now I've got one right here in
the flesh.
so be it this is the way it will be. • If you
insist on running off and marrying her, so
7


ADDITIONALLY

be it. Only don't say I didn't warn you! •
Mary has decided that this is what she
wants. So be it.

top something off to add to the difficulty of something. • Jane lost her job,
and to top that off, she caught the flu. •
I had a bad day, and to top it off, I have
to go to a meeting tonight.

such as it is in the imperfect state that
one sees it; in the less-than-perfect condition in which one sees it. • This is ADEQUACY
where I live. This is my glorious home—
See also SATISFACTORY.
such as it is. • I've worked for days on this after a fashion in a manner that is just
report, and I've done the best that I can
barely adequate. • He thanked me—
do. It's my supreme effort—such as it is.
after a fashion—for my help. • Oh, yes,
ADDITIONALLY
by the way incidentally; in addition;
while I think of it. • By the way, I'm not

going to the bank today. • Oh, by the way,
your shoes need polishing.
for good measure as extra; (adding) a
little more to make sure there is enough.
• When I bought a pound of nails, the
clerk threw in a few extra nails for good
measure. • J always put a little extra salt
in the soup for good measure.
for that matter besides; in addition. •
If you're hungry, take one of my doughnuts. For that matter, take two. • I don't
like this house. The roof leaks. For that
matter, the whole place is falling apart. •
Tom is quite arrogant. So is his sister, for
that matter.

I can swim, after a fashion.
good enough for someone or something adequate for someone or something. • This seat is good enough for me.
I don't want to move. • I'm happy. It's
good enough for me. • That table is good
enough for my office.
not half bad okay; pretty good. (Folksy.)
• Say, this roast beef isn't half bad. •
Hey, Sally! You're not half bad!
tide someone over [for a portion of
something] to last until someone can get
some more. • / don't get paid until next
Wednesday. Could you lend me thirty dollars to tide me over? • Could I borrow
some coffee to tide me over until I can get
to the store tomorrow?

ADEQUACY - LACKING
not up to scratch AND not up to snuff
not adequate. (Informal.) • Sorry, your
paper isn't up to scratch. Please do it over
again. • The performance was not up to
snuff.
wide of the mark inadequate; far from
what is required or expected. • Jane's efforts were sincere, but wide of the mark.
in(to) the bargain in addition to what
D He failed the course because everything
was agreed on. • I bought a car, and they
he did was wide of the mark.
threw an air conditioner into the bargain.
• When I bought a house, I asked the
won't hold water to be inadequate, inseller to include the furniture in the barsubstantial, or ill-conceived. (Informal.)
gain.
• Sorry, your ideas won't hold water. Nice
try, though. • The lawyer's case wouldon top of something in addition to
n't hold water, so the defendant was resomething. • Jane told Bill he was dull.
On top of that, she said he was unfriendly. leased.
• On top of being dull, he's unfriendly.
ADMISSION
to boot in addition; besides. (Informal.)
acknowledge someone to be right to
• For breakfast I had my usual two eggs
admit or state that someone is correct
and a slice of ham to boot. • When I left
about something. • Mary acknowledged
for school, my parents gave me an airplane Bill to be right about the name of the store.
ticket and fifty dollars to boot.

• Bill said that the car was useless, and
in the second place secondly; in addition. (Usually said after one has said in
the first place.) • In the first place, you
don't have enough money to buy one. In
the second place, you don't need one. • In
thefirstplace, I don't have the time. In the
second place, I'm not interested.

8


ADVANTAGE

the mechanic acknowledged him to be
right.
stand corrected to admit that one has
been wrong. • / realize that I accused
him wrongly. I stand corrected. • We appreciate now that our conclusions were
wrong. We stand corrected.
ADVANCEMENT
at the bottom of the ladder at the lowest level of pay and status. • Most people start work at the bottom of the ladder.
• When Ann got fired, she had to start
all over again at the bottom of the ladder.

be the teacher's pet to be the teacher's
favorite student. • Sally is the teacher's
pet. She always gets special treatment. •
The other students don't like the teacher's
pet.
blessing in disguise something that

turns out to be fortunate and advantageous after seeming to be the opposite
at first. • Our missing the train was a
blessing in disguise. It was involved in a
crash. • It was a blessing in disguise that
I didn't get the job. I was offered a better
one the next day.

come up in the world to improve one's
status or situation in life. • Since Mary
got her new job, she has really come up in
the world. D A good education helped my
brother come up in the world.

born with a silver spoon in one's
mouth born with many advantages;
born to a wealthy family. • Sally was
born with a silver spoon in her mouth. •
I'm glad I was not born with a silver spoon
in my mouth.

gain ground to make progress; to advance; to become more important or
popular. • Our new product is gaining
ground against that of our competitor. D
Since the government announced the new
policies, the stock market is gaining
ground.

give someone a head start (on someone) to allow someone to start (something) earlier than someone else. • They
gave Bill a head start on everyone else, so
he arrived early. • Please give me a head

start on Charles. He is too fasti

go places to have a good future. (Informal.) • Sally shows great promise as a
scholar. She's really going to go places. •
Tom is as good as we thought. He's certainly going places now.
move up (in the world) to advance
(oneself) and become successful. • The
harder I work, the more I move up in the
world. • Keep your eye on John. He's really moving up.
work one's way up to advance in one's
job or position, from the beginning level
to a higher level. • J haven't always been
president of this bank. I started as a teller
and worked my way up. d If I work my
way up, can I be president of the bank?
ADVANTAGE
ahead of the game being early; having
an advantage over a situation; having
done more than necessary. (Informal or
slang.) • Whenever we go to a movie, we
show up ahead of the game and have to
wait. • Bill has to study math very hard
to keep ahead of the game. • Bob does extra work so he's always ahead of the game.

have a good thing going to have something arranged for one's benefit. (Informal.) • Sally paints pictures and sells
them at art fairs. She has a good thing going, and she makes good money. • John
inherited a fortune and doesn't have to
work for a living anymore. He's got a good
thing going.
have a lot going (for one) to have many

things working to one's benefit. • Jane
is so lucky. She has a lot going for her. •
She has a good job and a nice family. She
has a lot going.
(have) never had it so good have never
had so much good fortune. (Informal.)
• No, I'm not complaining. I've never had
it so good. • Mary is pleased with her new
job. She's never had it so good.
have the Midas touch to have the ability to be successful, especially the ability to make money easily. (From the
name of a legendary king whose touch
turned everything to gold.) • Bob is a
merchant banker and really has the Midas
touch. • The poverty-stricken boy turned
out to have the Midas touch and was a
9


ADVANTAGE - GAIN

millionaire by the time he was twentyfive.
have the right-of-way to possess the legal right to occupy a particular space on
a public roadway. • I had a traffic accident yesterday, but it wasn't my fault. I
had the right-of-way. • Don't pull out
onto a highway if you don't have the rightof-way.
hold all the aces to be in a favorable position; to be in a controlling position.
(Slang. Refers to having possession of all
four aces in a card game.) • How can I
advance in my job when my enemy holds
all the aces? D If I held all the aces, I'd be

able to do great things.
in one's (own) (best) interest(s) to
one's advantage; as a benefit to oneself.
• It is not in your own interests to share
your ideas with Jack. He will say that they
are his. • Jane thought it was in the best
interest of her friend to tell his mother
about his illness.
in someone's favor to someone's advantage or credit. (Especially in sports
scores, as in the examples.) • The score
was ten to twelve in our favor. • At the
end of the second half, the score was forty
to three in the other team's favor.
know which side one's bread is buttered on to know what is most advantageous for one. • He'll do it if his boss
tells him to. He knows which side his
bread is buttered on. • Since John knows
which side his bread is buttered on, he'll
be there on time.

get the advantage of someone AND get
the advantage over someone; get the
edge on someone; get the edge over
someone to achieve a position superior
to someone else. (The word the can be
replaced with an.) • Toward the end of
the race, I got the advantage over Mary. •
She'd had an advantage over me since the
start of the competition. • J got an edge
on Sally, too, and she came in second. •
It's speed that counts. You can have the

edge over everyone, but if you don't have
speed, you lose.
get the inside track to get the advantage
(over someone) because of special connections, special knowledge, or favoritism. • If I could get the inside track,
I could win the contract. • The boss likes
me. Since I have the inside track, I'll probably be the new office manager.
get the jump on someone to do something before someone; to get ahead of
someone. • I got the jump on Tom and
got a place in line ahead of him. • We'll
have to work hard to get the contract, because they have the jump on us.
get the upper hand (on someone) to get
into a position superior to someone; to
get the advantage of someone. • John
is always trying to get the upper hand on
someone. • He never ends up having the
upper hand, though.
jockey for position to try to push or
maneuver one's way into an advantageous position at the expense of others.
• All the workers in the company are
jockeying for position. They all want the
manager's job. • It is unpleasant working
for a company where people are always
jockeying for position.

one up (on someone) ahead of someone; with an advantage over someone.
• Tom is one up on Sally because he got
a job and she didn't. • Yes, it sounds like ADVANTAGE - TAKE
Tom is one up.
take someone up on something to take
advantage of someone's offer of someADVANTAGE - GAIN

thing. (Informal.) • I'd like to take you
get one's foot in the door to achieve a
up on your offer to help. • We took up
favorable position (for further action);
the Browns on their invitation to come to
to take the first step in a process. • /
dinner.
think I could get the job if I could only get
my foot in the door. • It pays to get your
trade on something to use a fact or a
foot in the door. Try to get an appointment situation to one's advantage. • Tom was
with the boss. • / have a better chance
able to trade on the fact that he had once
now that I have my foot in the door.
been in the Army. • John traded on his

10


AGE - OLD

poor eyesight to get a seat closer to the
stage.
turn something to good account to use
something in such a way that it is to
one's advantage; to make good use of a
situation, experience, etc. • Pam turned
her illness to good account and did a lot of
reading. • Many people turn their retirement time to good account and take up interesting hobbies.
turn something to one's advantage to

make an advantage for oneself out of
something (which might otherwise be
a disadvantage). • Sally found a way to
turn the problem to her advantage. • The
ice cream store manager was able to turn
the hot weather to her advantage.

come of age to reach an age when one is
old enough to own property, get married, and sign legal contracts. • When
Jane comes of age, she will buy her own
car. • Sally, who came of age last month,
entered into an agreement to purchase a
house.
past someone's or something's prime
beyond the most useful or productive
period. • Joan was a wonderful singer,
but she's past her prime now. D This old
car's past its prime. I'll need to get a new
one.
You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
a proverb meaning that old people cannot learn anything new. • "Of course I
can learn," bellowed Uncle John. "Who
says you can't teach an old dog new
tricks?" • I'm sorry. I can't seem to learn
to do it right. Oh, well. You can't teach an
old dog new tricks.

AFFINITY
come with the territory to be expected
under circumstances like this. (Refers to

the details and difficulties attendant to
something like the assignment of a spe- AGE - OLD
(as) old as the hills very old. • The chilcific sales territory to a salesperson.
dren think their mother's as old as the
When one accepts the assignment, one
hills, but she's only forty. • That song's
accepts the problems.) • There is a lot of
not new. It's old as the hills.
paperwork in this job. Oh, well, I guess it
comes with the territory. D There are
get along (in years) to grow older. •
problems, but that comes with the terriGrandfather is getting along in years. •
tory.
Yes, he's really getting along.
in the blood AND in one's blood built
late in life when one is old. • She ininto one's personality or character. •
jured her hip running. She's exercising
Johns a great runner. It's in his blood. •
rather late in life. • Isn't it rather late in
The whole family is very athletic. It's in
life to buy a house?
the blood.
no spring chicken not young (anymade for each other [for two people] to
more). (Informal.) • I don't get around
be very well suited romantically. • Bill
very well anymore. I'm no spring chicken,
and Jane were made for each other. • Mr. you know. • Even though John is no
and Mrs. Smith were not exactly made for
spring chicken, he still plays tennis twice
each other. They really don't get along.

a week.
not one's cup of tea not the kind of
old enough to be someone's mother
thing that one is interested in. • I turned
AND old enough to be someone's father
down an invitation to the opera. It's just
as old as someone's parents. (Usually a
not my cup of tea. • It's not that I find
way of saying that a person is too old.)
historical novels unpleasant. They're just
• You can't go out with Bill. He's old
not my cup of tea.
enough to be your father! • He married
a woman who is old enough to be his
AGE
mother.
be of age to be old enough to marry or
over the hill overage; too old to do
to sign legal agreements. • When I'm of
something. (Informal.) • Now that
age, I'm going to get married and move
Mary's forty, she thinks she's over the hill.
to the city.

11