từ vựng tiếng anh báo chí idioms in the news

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IdiomsintheNews


byPeterBengelsdorf
CopyrightPeterBengelsdorfFirstpublished:September,2012Updated:March,
2013;September,2013
Thisebookislicensedforyourpersonalenjoymentonly.Thisebookmaynotbe
re-soldorgivenawaytootherpeople.Ifyouwouldliketosharethisbookwith
anotherperson,pleasepurchaseanadditionalcopyforeachrecipient.Thankyou
forrespectingtheyearsofworkthattheauthordedicatedtothisbook.


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Contents
Introduction
WhyIWroteThisBook
IdiomaticPhrasesFromAtoZ
BewareofBadAdviceAboutUsingIdiomaticPhrases
AbouttheAuthor


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Introduction
Americanslovetouseidioms,phrasesthatarecolorfulandmysterious.Whether
youareanativeEnglishspeakerorlearningthelanguage,youwillfindthis
bookusefulandentertaining.IfyouteachEnglish,thisbookwillbeavaluable

resource.
Itexplainsphrases(combinationsofwords)thataredifficultorimpossibleto
understandbasedontheusualmeaningofthewords.Knowingtheusual
meaningofgreaseandpalmdoesn'thelpusunderstandthatgreasing
someone'spalmcanmeantippinggenerouslyorbribing.
Someofthephrasesareconsideredidiomaticbecausetheyincludeawordthatis
notoftenused.Anexampleishunkerinhunkerdown.
Inaphrasalverb,averbgetsaspecialmeaningwhencombinedwithanother
word.Forexample,actcanmean"dosomething"or"performinaplayor
movie."Butactupmeans"behavebadly,"andactoutmeans"havean
emotionaloutburst."Therearethousandsofphrasalverbs.Theonesinthisbook
havemeaningsthatyouwouldnotexpectbasedontheusualmeaningofthe
wordswhenusedseparately.


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WhyIWroteThisBook
YoucanfinddefinitionsofmanyidiomaticphrasesontheInternet.Such
definitionscanbehelpful.Butexamplesofthephrases,astheyareusedin
standardlanguage,oftengiveusabetterunderstandingoftheirmeaning.
ExplainingidiomsinmyEnglishclasseshasmadememoreawarethat
definitionsalonecanbemisleading.
Almostalltheentriesinthisbookareamongthemost-usedexpressionsin
AmericanEnglish.
Manyofthecitationsarefromnewsaccountsproducedbymajormedia
organizations,whichgenerallyuselanguageconsideredtobe"mainstream"or
"standard."Theexamplesarebrief—justlongenoughtohelpusunderstandthe
phrases.Theywillnothelpyouunderstandthenews.Ifoneofthecitationsfrom
anewsorganizationmentionsatopicthatinterestsyou,Isuggestvisitingthe

Websiteofthesource.


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IdiomaticPhrasesFromAtoZ

15minutesoffame
Therearethingsaboutmethatmygirlswillonlyknowfromthestoriestoldby
oldfriends:HowIearnedmy15minutesoffameastheeditorofmyhighschoolnewspaper,whichdecidedtodevotemostofits28pagestothetopicof
sex.—AustinAmerican-Statesman(11/18/2011)"Everythingthatheissayingis
falseandnonsense,"saysKardashian'slawyer,MartySinger."Thisguyisinitto
promotehimselfforhis15minutesoffame."—NewYorkPost(11/14/2011)
Winningbiddersgottheir15minutesoffamewithbitpartsinmoviesandTV
showsatauctionsbenefittingtheMake-A-WishFoundationofSouthernFlorida.
—TheMiamiHerald(11/12/2011)"Today,it'sallaboutyoursetfiveminutesof
fame,andthenit'soverforyou."—IanGillan,leadsingerfortheEnglishrock
bandDeepPurple(2/19/2013)15minutesoffamecomesfromAndyWarhol's
1968statement—asfamousashisart—that"inthefutureeverybodywillbe
worldfamousfor15minutes."
AsintheNewYorkPostexample,thephraseissometimesusedasaninsult,
accusingsomeoneofseekingpublicityforabadorselfishpurpose.Butinmost
usesitisneutral,assumingthere'snoharminpeoplewantingalittlebitoffame.
Gillanmadethisidiom10minutesshorter,orhewasmisquoted.Butthat
variationoftheexpressioniscommon.AsTVcommercialsandmoviescenes
getshorter,15minutesseemslongerthanitdidin1968.
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20-20hindsight
"Everybodyreportedtotheexecutivedirector,andwith20-20hindsight,thatis

notagoodsystem."—JackSchaffer,amemberoftheboarddirectorsofMetra,
Chicago'scommuterrailsystem(5/15/2010)"With20-20hindsightandallthat
hasfollowedIwouldnothaveofferedhimthejobandIexpecthewouldnot
havetakenit."—U.K.PrimeMinisterDavidCameron(7/20/2011)"Inthe
rearview,with20-20hindsight,wouldwehavechangedsomethings?Maybe."
—KevinHamilton,policechiefinFullerton,California(8/13/2011)"Hindsight


is20-20.Istillthinkwemadedecisionsthatwererightatthetime.It'sreally
easyforsomeonetobeanarmchairquarterback."—LindsayVonn,talking
aboutcompetingindownhillskiraces(3/7/2011)"Lookingback,ofcoursewith
20-20hindsight,Iwishwewouldhavedonemoretoencouragecompetition."—
JillSommers,formermemberoftheCommodityFuturesTradingCommission,
talkingaboutlargefinancialinstitutionsthatcontinuetodominatederivatives
trading(9/4/2013)Ifyouhave20-20vision,youcanseeclearly.20-20
hindsightmeansseeingthepastclearly.
Acommonexpression,"hindsightis20-20,"means,"It'seasytoseethings
clearlywhentheyareinthepast."
Inthenewsexamples,"with20-20hindsight"means"knowingwhatweknow
now."
LindsayVonn's"armchairquarterback"referredtopeoplewhoarenotinvolved
insomethingbutgivetheiropinionsaboutit,ormakejudgmentslongafterthe
eventisover.SeeMondaymorningquarterback.
20-20(sometimesspelled20/20or20:20)referstoameasuringsysteminwhich
thefirstnumberisthedistanceinfeetfromaneye-testchart,andthesecondis
relatedtothesizeofthesymbolsonthechart.Inplaceswheremetersareused
insteadoffeet,hindsightis6-6.
20-20datestothe1860'sand1870's,whenHermanSnellenwasdevelopingthe
eyechartsnamedafterhim."20-20hindsight"didnotbecomepopularuntilthe
mid-1950's.Theearliestexampleinmysearcheswasina1951statementtoa

SenatecommitteebySecretaryofStateDeanAcheson:"Itseemsbetter...toput
theseeventsthatwehavebeentalkingaboutinthecontextoftheirtimeinstead
oftryingtoviewthemwiththe20-20hindsightthatsomanyofour
distinguishedgentlemenseemtobegiftedwith."(6/8/1951)■■■■■■

800-poundgorilla
Seeelephantintheroom
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abirdinthehand
AlthoughRenaissanceLearningofficialsaretakingthe[new]offer"very
seriously"...boardmembersstillmustpursuethePermiradeal,Jamessaid..."It's
abirdinthehand."—WisconsinRapidsDailyTribune(8/26/2011)Barnes&
Noble'sfutureremainsuncertain.Sotheboardmayprefertotakethebirdinthe
handintheformoftheLibertyMediabid,particularlysincetheriskofBarnes&
Noble'sdigitalstrategyishigh.—TheNewYorkTimes(1/1/2011)InJanuary,
Mr.CymbalsoldthelandtoSweetVirginiaAcquisitionsLLC..."Myinitial
responsewasI'mnotsellingbecausethiswasmybaby.ButIkepthearingmy
mothersaying'abirdinthehandisworthtwointhebush,'"saysMr.Cymbal.—
TheWallStreetJournal(2/1/2012)Abirdinthehandisashortenedversionof
anoldsaying:abirdinthehandisworthtwointhebush.Itscurrentmeaning,
usually,ishavingsomethingnowismorevaluablethanthepossibilityofhaving
somethinggreaterinthefuture.
Theoldsaying,whichhasbeentracedtothe1500's,alludedtotheuseoftrained
falconstocatchsmallerbirds.Itwasbettertohaveafalconinone'shandthan
twosmallbirdscaughtinthebush.
Fewpeopleareawareoftheorigin.Asthenewsexamplesshow,themeaningof
theexpressionhaschanged.
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afarcry,farfromit
CarpeDiemCollegiateHighSchoolandMiddleSchoolisafarcryfromthe
schoolsthattoday'sparentsattended.—TheArizonaRepublic(3/6/2011)"I
thinkthosesongsarestillafarcryfromthefull-length[recording]thatwillbe
comingoutthisupcomingsummer..."—singerPhilipAnselmo(1/7/2013)"But
thatdoesn'tmeanSouthFlorida'sleadershipranksarefilled.Farfromit."—The
MiamiHerald(3/7/2011)"EPAhasseenoneofthemostproductivetimesinthe
agency'shistory...Itdoesn'tgetanybetterthanthat,butthatdoesn'tmeanthese
actionswerewithoutcontroversy;farfromit."—GinaMcCarthy,administrator
oftheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(7/30/2013)Afarcry,whichmeans
muchdifferent,usuallyiscombinedwith"from."
Farfromitmeansnotatall.
Inthepast,cryoftenmeantshout,andafarcrywasashoutoveralongdistance.


Theexpressionissimilarto"farfrom."Inmanysentences,includingthe
ArizonaRepublicexample,"afarcryfrom"couldbechangedto"farfrom"and
thesentencewouldhavethesamemeaning.
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about-face
Theannouncementisthelatestsignoftheabruptabout-faceMinnesotahas
executedonthelandmarkfederalcareoverhaulsinceGov.MarkDaytontook
office.—MinneapolisStarTribune(2/22/2011)Inanabout-face,Navistarthis
monthsaiditwouldpurchaseacompetitor'senginestomeetthestandards.—
ChicagoTribune(8/28/2012)...lawmakershavedoneanabout-faceonInternet
cafesbyseekingabaninsteadofmoreregulations.—TheMiamiHerald,
referringtoanargumentaboutInternetgambling(3/18/2013)About-faceisthe
commandthatmakessoldiersturnandfaceintheoppositedirection.Used

figuratively,anabout-faceisachangefromonedirectiontotheoppositeone.
Thephraseisshorterthanitusedtobe.Longago,thecommandandthe
idiomaticexpressionbothwere"right-about-face."Thisreferstoaradio
broadcastbyPresidentFranklinD.Roosevelt:"Butsincetheclarioncallfor
actionbythenewPresidentechoedintoeveryhomeSaturday,thenationalspirit
hasbecomeelectrified.NotsincetheArmisticehastherebeenthesuddenrightabout-facefrompessimismtooptimism."—BrooklynDailyEagle(3/7/1933)

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aboveandbeyond,beyondthecall
"You'llseeinourbudgetthatwe'regoingtohavenewsavingsaboveandbeyond
whatweproposedbefore,justlikewe'regoingtohavesomenewinitiatives
aboveandbeyondwhatweproposedbefore."—JasonFurman,deputydirector
ofPresidentObama'sNationalEconomicCouncil(2/13/2013)"Nabisavery
hardworker,andhe'salwayswillingtogoaboveandbeyond,"Mr.Henderson
said.—WorcesterTelegram&Gazette(7/31/2011)Ilovetheteacherswho
spendtheirownmoneyforclassroomsuppliesandgowaybeyondthecallto
reachouttotroubledkidsandfamilies.—BattleCreekEnquirer(7/31/2011)
Everyday,theygoaboveandbeyondthecallofdutytoprotectourbordersfrom
illegalentries...—BangorDailyNews(7/31/2011)Aboveandbeyondmeansin
additionto,ormorethanexpected,ormorethanrequired.Frequently,asinthe
Telegram&Gazetteexample,thephrasereferstoworkoractivitythatisbeing


praised.
Beyondthecallisashorteningof"beyondthecallofduty."Itreferstodoing
morethanrequired.
Thetwoexpressionsaresometimescombined,asintheBangorDailyNews
example.Thataddsemphasisbutusesmorewordsthannecessary.
Aboveandbeyondhasbeentracedtothe1500's.Beyondthecallofdutyhas
beeninuseatleastsincethe1800's.

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aceinthehole,ace(orcardortrick)upone'ssleeve
[TexasGovernorRick]Perrymayhaveanotherfinancialaceinthehole.The
U.S.SupremeCourt's2010rulingintheCitizensUnitedcaseempowerswealthy
individualsandbusinessestospendunlimitedamountsofmoneyoutsideofthe
formalcampaignstructuretohelpthecandidateoftheirchoice.—Houston
Chronicle(7/4/2011)"Iliketheexcitementofanewideaandthesurprise.Asa
comedian,that’souraceinthehole.Ajokeisasurprise."—RickyGervais,
comedian(9/12/2013)However,Amazonhasanaceupitssleevethatother
tabletmakersdonot,inthattheKindleFirewillofferAmazon'sfullspreadof
digitalcontent...—TheNewYorkTimes(9/28/2011)Theporthasanextracard
upitssleeve—ithasbuiltthenewfacilitywiththepotentialtodeepenthewater
to18m,incaseofthearrivalofyetanothernewclassofcontainerships.—
FinancialTimes(9/19/2011)"JimHarbaugh,hegotalittletrickuphissleeve,
huh?"—TerrellSuggs,linebackerfortheBaltimoreRavensfootballteam,
jokingthattheopposingteam'scoachtriedtoavoidlosingtheSuperBowlby
orderingapowerfailureattheNewOrleansSuperdome(2/4/2013)Anacein
theholeisapowerfuladvantagethatotherscannotsee,oriskeptsecret.The
phrasecomesfrompoker,inwhichcardsthatarekeptsecretfromotherplayers
are"inthehole."
However,theidiomissometimesused(ormisused,somemightsay)tomeanan
advantage—secretornot.IntheChroniclenewsexample,Gov.Perry's
advantageisnotasecret.Ifheiskeepingnosecrets,youcouldsayhiscardsare
onthetable,andhemaysucceedifheplayshiscardsright.
Examplesofaceintheholehavebeencitedfromasearlyasthelate1800's.
Havinganaceorcardortrickupone'ssleevealsomeansahiddenadvantage.
Inarealcardgame,keepingacardhiddeninashirtsleeveischeating,butthe

phrasesareoftenusedwithoutimplyingwrongdoing,asintheNewYorkTimes
andFinancialTimesexamples.
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Achilles'heel
HealthcarereformissupposedtobeformerMassachusettsGov.MittRomney's
AchillesheelintheRepublicanprimary,anditmayverywellturnouttobe.—
Politico(8/7/2011)Forthefirsttimein14months,theWashingtonarealost
morejobsthanitgained...largelybecauseofjoblossesinthefederal
government..."WhatgaveusearlygrowthlastyearandmadeusthefastestgrowingmetroarealookslikeourAchilles'heelthisyear."—TheWashington
Post(8/3/2011)"ToyotarealizestheirAchilles'heelisdesign.Toyotadesign
needsamakeover."—JohnWolkonowicz,acarindustryexpertinBoston
(8/13/2013)InGreekmythology,thewarriorAchillescouldonlybekilledifhe
waswoundedintheheelofhisfoot,andthatishowhedied.Achilles'heelis
usedasametaphormeaningfatalweakness,butoftenitsmeaningisweakness,
notnecessarilyfatal.
InthePoliticoexample,theAchilles'heelmightbefataltoRomney'spolitical
goal.IntheWashingtonPostexample,thelossofgovernmentjobsisharming
thelocaleconomybutwillnotkillit,soAchilles'heelmeansweakness,notfatal
weakness.
SomepeopleusethepossessiveapostropheafterAchilles'.Somedon't.
ReferencestothestoryofAchilleswerecommoninearlyEnglishliterature.An
earlyexamplethathintsofthefutureuseofthephraseasametaphorisina
poempublishedin1705:Leavethen,saidhe,th'invulnerableKeel
We'llfindthey'refeeble,likeAchillesHeel.
—"DirectionstoaPainter"bySirJohnDehham(1705)
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acidtest,litmustest
Here'stheacidtestfortheCuomoadministration'splantoauthorizeexpanded

naturalgasdrillingupstate:Itabsolutely,positivelymustkeepNewYorkCity's
drinkingwatersafe.—NewYorkDailyNews(7/11/2011)"Thisisanacidtest.
Ifhedecidestosupportthesehorriblebills,thenweinNewHampshireare


goingtodoeverythingwecantotellourvotersnottovoteforhimintheNew
Hampshireprimary."—SamCohen,officerofagun-rightssupportgroup,
talkingaboutNewJerseyGovernorChrisChristie(8/2/2013)Bachmanndodged
twoquestionsaboutwhethershesawsame-sexmarriageasalitmustestin
nominatingjudges.—CBSNews(6/30/2011)"Ithinkourlitmustestis,'Isthere
apurposetoit?'ArewehelpingbuildHukkster?Arewehelpingtobuild
SumZero?"—CameronWinklevoss,talkingabouthowheandhistwinbrother
decidewhethertomakepublicappearances.HukksterandSunZeroare
companiesthatheandhistwinbrotherinvestedin.(3/24/2013)Anacidtest
makesasure,conclusivedetermination.
Publicawarenessofthephraseincreasedduringthemid-1800's,whenanacid
testcouldhelpmakesomeonewealthyifitconfirmedthattherockhepulled
fromaCaliforniastreamreallycontainedgold.Butitwasn'tuntilthe1900'sthat
theexpressionwascommonlyusedtodescribetestsnotinvolvingchemicals.
Likeanacidtest,alitmustestgivesadefiniteanswertoaquestion.In
chemistry,alitmustestusespaperthatturnsblueinalkalinesolutions,redin
acidicsolutions.ThephrasebecamepopularinAmericanpoliticsduringthe
1970's.Itmeantthatbasedontheiranswertoasinglequestion,politiciansor
judicialnomineescouldbelabeledasliberalorconservative,orjudged
acceptableornot.
ThequestionMicheleBachman"dodged"—avoidedansweringdirectly—was
whethershewouldmakedecisionsonnominatingjudgesbasedonalitmustest:
theirsupportfor,oroppositionto,gaymarriage.
Sometimeseitherofthephrasesisusedsimplytoaddemphasis,whentheword
testalonewouldhavethesamemeaning:Thesummerinternship,ariteof

passageforgenerationsofMBAstudents,isformanyofusthefirsttruelitmus
testofwhetherthesacrificeswe'dmadeandmonthsofhardworkwe'dendured
wereleadingusinthedirectionwe'dhoped.—BloombergBusinessweek
(7/11/2011)■■■■■■


acrosstheboard
HavascouldspendbetweenEUR700millionandEUR750millionon
acquisitionsoverthenextthreeyearstostrengthenthegroupacrosstheboard
andparticularlyindigital,Bolloresaid.—TheWallStreetJournal(3/8/2011)
"Thereasonwehavebeeninsuchanenormouseconomiccrisiswasprompted
byrecklessbehavioracrosstheboard."—BarackObama(presidentialdebate,
10/3/2012)"Ithinktherealestatemarketreallyhasbottomed...there'sdifferent
sectorsinrealestatebutgenerallyIthinkacrosstheboardithasbottomed."—
HankMcLarty,president,GratusCapitalManagement(5/19/2012)"Inamatter
ofdays,across-the-boardcutsaregoingtotakeplace,anditwillaffectdefense
tothetuneofsixhundredbilliondollars."—SenatorHarryReid,criticizing
RepublicansfordelayingapprovalofChuckHagelassecretaryofdefense
(2/14/2013)Acrosstheboardmeansincludingallpartsorcategories,withno
exceptions.Theidiomcamefromhorseracingmorethanacenturyago.
Gamblerscouldbetonahorsetowin,placeorshow(finishfirst,secondor
third),orbetacrosstheboardonallthreepossibilities.
"E.R.Thomasissaidtohavewagered$10,000onLadyAmeliainthesecond
raceand$5,000acrosstheboardonButtonsintheLongIslandHandicap."—
NewYorkSun(July,1904)■■■■■■


actoffaith
"It'sanactoffaithbecauseyou'resayingI'mgoingtogowithoutfoodand
spendingtimewithGodismoreimportantthatfood,"PastorBaxterStanleysaid.

—TheAugustaChronicle(7/21/2011)Asanactoffaithtorestorerelationswith
Pakistan,U.S.intelligenceinrecentweekssharedthelocationoftwosuch
compounds[bomb-makingfacilities]inPakistan'stribalareas.—Associated
Press(7/13/2011)"Ifyoutrustthemusic,andstaywithintheparameters,within
thatframework,you’llgethome.Samewithwriting.That’swhyIsaywritingis
anactoffaith."—JamesMcBride,writerandmusician(8/1/2013)Ifsomething
youdoisanactoffaith,youdoitbecauseyoubelieveinsomethingoryouare
testingyourbeliefinsomething—suchasreligion,anidea,apersonorgroup.
Anactoffaithusuallyinvolvestakingariskordoingsomethingdifficult.
ActoffaithappearsintheBiblepublishedinRheims,France,in1582,a
translationoftheNewTestamentfromLatintoEnglish.
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actofGod,actofnature
MarylandBankersAssociationPresidentKathleenMurphysaysbanks,too,are
willingtoworkone-on-onewithcustomersdealingwithafinancialcrisisfrom
an"actofGodorinactivityofCongress."—TheBaltimoreSun(8/1/2011)"The
behaviorofthatfirewasverypredictable.YoucancallitanactofGod,butit
wasapredictableactofGod."—PeterMorrison,executivedirectorofthe
PacificBiodiversityInstitute,talkingaboutthefirethatchangeddirectionand
killed19firefightersinArizona(8/11/2013)"Barringanysignificantactof
nature,wewillfinishtheprojectonorbeforeDec.31."—TampaBayTribune
(8/2/2011)"TheOakHillCC[CountryClub]groundsstaffdidamagnificentjob
inmanagingthisactofnature."—SteveMartin,alocalbankvicepresident,
talkingaboutheavyrainbeforeagolftournamentinRochester,NewYork
(8/16/2013)AnactofGodisapowerfuleventthatcannotbeavoidedor
controlled.Itoftenreferstosevereweather,floods,earthquakesandvolcanic
eruptions,whicharealsocalledactsofnature.
ActofGodisalegaltermandisoftenusedininsurancedocuments.
ActofGod,withameaningclosetoitsmodernmeaning,hasbeeninusesince

the1600's,andasalegalterm,alongwithactofnature,sincethe1800's.
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actup,actout
Itisonlywhenmarketsactup—plungeandlanguishformonthsonend—that
ourtruestomachforriskisrevealed.—TheBaltimoreSun(8/6/2011)Jurors
whodon'tshowandattorneyswhoactupalsomayfacecontemptcharges.—
TheVirginian-Pilot(7/30/2011)Shehadbeenclosetoherfatherand,inhis
absence,begantoactout,gettingintofights,distrustingothersandlosing
friends.—TheIndianapolisStar(8/7/2011)"Peopleseemtofeelentitledtoact
outonotherpeople,whatevertheirangermightbe."—Dr.DrewPinsky,radio
andtelevisionshowhost(4/19/2013)Actupmeansbehavebadlyorcause
trouble.
Otherexamplesofthingsthatcanactupareamedicalconditionthatgetsworse,
andamachinethatstopsworking.
Apersonwhoactsoutusesdisruptivebehaviortoexpressangerorunhappiness.
Itisbasedonanolderbutstillcommonmeaningofactout:toputsomething
intoaction,likeascenefromaplay,orafantasy.
Actoutinitsoriginalmeaninghasbeentracedbacktothe1600's;withthe
meaningbehavingbadly,itwasnotinuseuntilthe1900's.
Actuphasbeentracedtothelate1800'sbutwasnotinfrequentusewithits
currentmeaninguntilthe1900's.
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adnauseam
"Washingtonisaverydividedtown,asthecountryhasseenadnauseam,"he

said.—HartfordCourant(8/2/2011)Formorethanamonth,Democratsand
Republicanshavespokenadnauseamabouttheneedfor"compromise"and
"mutualsacrifice."—PhiladelphiaDailyNews(8/3/2011)"Thisguyhasalready
confessedadnauseum."—FrankHolthaus,defenseattorneyinBatonRouge,
Louisiana(8/16/2013)Adnauseummeanscontinuingalongtime,orrepeatedly
—somuchthatitmightmakeussick.
AdnauseumisoneofmanyLatinphrasesusedinEnglish.Latinisalsothe
sourceofnauseous:sicktoone'sstomach.
ExamplesofadnauseuminprintedEnglishhavebeenfoundinbooksfromas
earlyasthe1600's.
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addfueltothefire,pourgasolineonthefire
Themarkets,theEuropeancrisis,andthepoliticalbattlesarewreakinghavocon
oursummervacation.Addingmorefueltothefire,theS&Pjustloweredtheir
long-termsovereigncreditratingontheUnitedStatesofAmerica...—Seeking
Alpha(8/7/2011)"IthinktheabilitytospreadthewordaboutitviatheInternet
isaddingsomefueltothefire.IfyouwatchedthekidsdoingitonYouTube,
you'dthinkitwasthemostfunthingpeoplehaveeverdone."—W.Hobart
Davies,apsychologistattheUniversityofWisconsininMilwaukee,referringto
adangerouschokinggameplayedbychildren(8/16/2012)PeterGioia,senior
economistfortheConnecticutBusinessandIndustryAssociation,whocalledthe
[S&P]downgrade"pouringgasolineonthefire,"saidMonday'sWallStreetdrop
alsoreflectedglobalconcernsovertheEuropeanCentralBank'sdecisiontobuy
ItalianandSpanishdebt,relationswithChina,andhowWashingtonandthe
FederalReservewilldealwiththesluggishU.S.economy.—Meriden,Conn.,
Record-Journal(8/8/2011)"Oneofthebiggestdragsonthestockhavebeen
questionsaboutsuccession.Thisdefinitelypoursgasolineonthefire."—Joe
Magyer,afinancialanalyst,afterBerkshireHathawayannouncedthatitsleader,
WarrenBuffett,hadprostatecancer(8/17/2012)Addingfueltothefireor

pouringgasolineonthefireismakingabadproblemworse.
Addfueltothefirehasbeenusedwithsimilarmeaningatleastsincethe1700's.
Inher1785autobiography,GeorgeAnnBellamy,apopularEnglishactress,


wrotethatwhenaperson'sreputationisharmedunfairly,seekingdamagesin
courtdoesnogood;"itonlyaddsfueltothefire."
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addinsulttoinjury
"Iftheyareleavingthingsinplainview,theymightaswellleavethevehicle
unlocked,"OfficerMarkWolfbergsaid."Isthatgoodadvice?No.Butwe'vehad
peoplewhohadtheircarslockedandtoaddinsulttoinjury,theyhadtheiritems
stolenandtheirwindowsbroken."—The(Sunbury,Pa.)DailyItem(8/4/2011)
UraniumtailingshavealreadypollutedlargestretchesoftheColoradoRiver...
Toaddinsulttoinjury,multinationalminingcompanieswouldbeabletoget
newhardrockminingleasesonpubliclandswithouthavingtopayroyalties.—
SacramentoBee(8/4/2011)"Thisregionhasalreadybeenhitinrecentweeksby
twoprevioustyphoons...TyphoonUtorcouldaddinsulttoinjury,withthe
potentialforsevereflooding."—TomYulsman,sciencewriter(8/12/2013)
Wheninsultisaddedtoinjury,someonesuffersanindignityoractof
disrespect(aninsult)afterbeingharmed(injured)insomeotherway.
Addinsulttoinjuryisacliché,usedfrequentlyandoftenthoughtlessly.Inmost
oftheotherexamplesIanalyzed,themeaningwas,"anotherthingthat'sbad(or
annoying,oroutrageous)."
Printedexamplesofaddinsulttoinjuryhavebeenfoundfromasearlyasthe
1740's.
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addup
ShariaPettifordisagoodmotherandwouldneverabandonher8-month-old
babysoninacar,hercousin,DanielePettifordsaidtoday...Therearesomany
people,auntsandunclesandcousins,shecouldleavethechildwith;something
doesn'taddup."—TheJerseyJournal(8/5/2011)Asitstands,theschool
leadershipissayingwemightchargetoplaysportsorforextra-curriculars,but
wewon'tletstudentswithinthetwo-milelimitrideabus,eveniftheywantto
pay.Thatdoesn'taddup.—TheSun-Chronicle(Attleboro,Mass.,8/6/2011)"I
wasalsoveryfarfrombeingtheonlyjournalisttonoticethattheBush
administration'scaseforSaddamHussein'simaginary'weaponsofmass
destruction'didn'taddup."—GeneLyons,newspapercolumnist(3/22/2013)If
youwritethecorrecttotalunderalistofnumbers,yourtotaladdsup.Ifyour
totalisincorrect,someonemightsay:"Thisdoesnotaddup."Whenused
figuratively,itdoesnotaddupmeansitdoesnotmakesense;somethingabout
itiscontradictory.
Thisexpressionisusuallyinthenegative,butnotalways:"Withthisnewpiece
ofinformation,it'sallstartingtoaddupmeansit'sstartingtomakesense."
Usingadditionasametaphorgoesbackatleasttotheearly1900's.Thisexample
isfromanarticleaboutpainting:Wacikputsawhitehouseintoapatchof
sunlightanditblazeswhiterthananyhousecouldoutsideofaBohemian
picture,andhisshadowsarefullofhotcolor.Itdoesn'tadduptechnically,
perhaps,butthereitisforthosewhocareforcolorthatblazesandsunthat
shines.—TheNewYorkTimes(11/21/1913)■■■■■■


afterall
"NooneknowsbetterthanAlgeriahowruthlessthesegroupsare.Afterall,they
foughtaveryterriblewaragainstthemforanumberofyears,withgreatlossof
life."—SecretaryofStateHillaryClinton(1/18/2013)Manybusinessleaders

saidtheyhavealreadyadjustedtothatnewreality,wellbeforethelatestrough
patch[periodoftime].Afterall,economictroubles—risingoilprices,anemic
globalgrowthandshakyconsumerconfidence—haveplaguedthemarketfor
months.—TheWashingtonPost(8/21/2011)Lovewasconfinedtoprivatelife,
whereonlywomenandnovelistsandpsychoanalystsweresupposedtopay
muchattentiontoit.Then,alittlemorethanhalfacenturyago,biologistsand
economistsandpsychologistsdecidedthatlovematteredafterall,andbegan
conductingexperimentstodeterminehowmuch.—TheNewYorkTimes
(8/12/2011)IntheClintonquotationandWashingtonPostexample,afterall
meansconsideringeverythingthathashappened.IntheNewYorkTimes
example,afterallmeansdespitewhathappened,orwhatwasthought,before.
Whenitisattheendofasentence,afterallusuallyexpressessurprise,indicating
thatsomethingwasunexpected.Forexample:"Whatacharmingamusementfor
youngpeoplethisis,Mr.Darcy!Thereisnothinglikedancingafterall."—Pride
andPrejudicebyJaneAusten(1853)Aphrasewithsimilarmeaninginsome
contextsiswhenallissaidanddone.
■■■■■■


afterhours
[Thestore]Poshboastsseveraltalentswhocreateone-of-a-kindjewelryitemsat
variousprices,Dittrichsaid.Theyalsoofferprivateafter-hoursparties,which
theyarealreadybookingthroughfall.—TulsaWorld(8/9/2011)Afterhours,
ArrayBioPharma(ARRY)saiditsignedadealworthupto$685millionwith
Genentech...—SeekingAlpha(8/9/2011)Furlancouldn'tbereachedfor
commentafter-hoursMonday.—BurlingtonFreePress(8/8/2011)
Afterhoursmeansafterthenormallyscheduledhours.
IntheTulsaWorldexample,thestorePoshwillbeavailableforpartieswhenit
isclosedtocustomers.TheSeekingAlphaexamplereferstoanannouncement
madeafterthestockmarketclosed.TheBurlingtonFreePressmentionsafter

hourstobefairtoFurlan,alawyer.Itisabriefwaytosaythatthenewspaper
triedtocontactthelawyerafterhisnormalbusinesshours.
Shorteningphraseslike"afternormalbusinesshours"toafterhoursbegan
aroundthe1850's.
■■■■■■

afterone'sownheart,kindredspirit
Hesayshecangetplentyofbooksontape(orCD)fromlocallibraries,thereby
savingbucketsofcash.Acheapskateaftermyownheart.—SanJoseMercury
News(7/30/2011)IfeltakindredspiritwithCocoa—wewerebothwounded
andneededtimeandspaceandcompassion.—SantaBarbaraIndependent
(8/17/2011)"InWashington,shefoundakindredspiritinPresidentRonald
Reagan,sharinghisharderlinetowardtheSovietUnionintheclimacticfinal
yearsoftheColdWar."—MargaretWarner,televisionnewsreporter,talking
aboutMargaretThatcher(4/8/2013)Ifsomeoneisafteryourownheart,heor
sheisakindredspirit—someonewhosharesyourideas,feelings,personalityor
experience.
Afterone'sownheartisintheKingJamesversionoftheBible(firstprintedin
1611)andlaterversionsoftheBible.(See1Samuel13:14andActs13:22.)
Kindred,seldomusedinAmericanEnglishexceptinthephrasekindredspirit,
originallymeanthavingafamilyrelationship.Examplesofkindredspiritused
withthemodernmeaning(notreferringtospiritsorghosts)appearasearlyas
1800.
■■■■■■


■■■■■■


againstthegrain

"Lidcombegoesagainstthegrainofconventionaltherapy,whichseeksto
addressthestutteringindirectlyandtoavoidmakingstutterersself-conscious."
—BurlingtonFreePress(3/13/2011)HisvotesinCongresshavegoneagainst
thegrainattimes.WhenRepublicanshaveattemptedtorepealfederalwage
protectionlawsforunions,RyanhassidedwithDemocratsinopposition.—
AssociatedPress(8/12/2012)"...asafictionwriter,Iamalwayslookingtogo
againstthegrain,foryougetmoreinterestingmaterialthatway."—Elizabeth
Strout,novelist(3/23/2013)Againstthegrainisopposingaforceortendency.
Theideaisconsistentwithcuttingorsandingwood,whichiseasierinthe
directionofthegrain(linesinthewood)thanagainstit.Buttheidiomis
centuriesoldanditsoriginisunknown.
Thephraseisoften(butnotalways)usedaftertheverbgo.
Anearlyexample,fromanessaybyJohnFoster,publishedin1846,aboutthe
difficultyofwriting:"And,unhappily,anymentallabouristomeahard
business.Itisalwaysagainstthegrain,andabusinessofdoggedself-denial..."
■■■■■■

aheadofone'stime
ThesonandgrandsonofQuakerabolitionists,hewasaheadofhistimeasan
advocateoffairtreatmentforAfricanAmericans...—Pittsburg(Kansas)
MorningSun(8/11/2011)ThethreeessaysonPicassowereaheadoftheirtime
inseeingtheartist'scareerasaunityofmotifs,themesandobsessionsspread
acrosseightdecades,ratherthan,ashadlongbeenthepractice,innarrowly
stylisticterms—"Cubism-and-everything-else."—TheWallStreetJournal
(3/24/2011)Lewiswasaheadofhistimeinvariousways.HerecruitedHayes
andDonChaneyin1964,givingUHitsfirstblackplayersbeforeanyschoolin
theSWC.—HoustonChronicle(3/30/2011)"It'sinmanywaysaheadofitstime,
bothintermsofmusicaltheateraswellaswhatitwastryingtosay."—Gabriel
Barre,stagedirector,talkingaboutthemusical"SouthPacific"(7/31/2013)A
personaheadofhistimedoesthingsorhasideasthatarenewandnotyet

acceptedorsuccessful.Sometimesanideaissaidtobeaheadofitstime.
Anearlyexampleisinthetranscriptofapoliticalspeech:
PossiblyMr.VanBurenisaheadofhistime.SowasJefferson,whoseplansof
emancipationandeducationwerelongpostponed...—Proceedingsanddebates