(a little) new to (all) this an apologetic
way of saying that one is experiencing
something new or participating in some-
thing new and is therefore ineffective or
inept. I’m sorry I’m slow. I’m a little
new to all this. She’s new to this. She
needs practice.
abide by something to follow the rules of
something; to obey someone’s orders.
John felt that he had to abide by his father’s
wishes. All drivers are expected to abide
by the rules of the road.
able to breathe (easily) again and able
to breathe (freely) again able to relax
and recover from a busy or stressful time;
able to catch one’s breath. (Also literal.
Able to can be replaced with can.) Now
that the lion has been caught, we’ll be able
to breathe freely again. Now that the an-
nual sale is over, the sales staff will be able
to breathe again. Final exams are over,
so I can breathe easily again.
able to breathe (freely) again Go to able
to breathe (easily) again.
able to do something blindfolded and able
to do something standing on one’s head
able to do something easily and quickly,
possibly without even looking. (Infor-
mal. Able to can be replaced with can.)
Bill boasted that he could pass his driver’s
test blindfolded. Mary is very good with
computers. She can program blindfolded.
Dr. Jones is a great surgeon. He can take
out an appendix standing on his head.
able to do something standing on one’s head
Go to able to do something blindfolded.
able to do something with one’s eyes closed
able to do something very easily, even
without having to think about it or look
at it. (Also literal. Also with can. Always
affirmative.) It’s easy. I can do it with
my eyes closed. I can clean the house
with my eyes closed! It’s easy!
able to fog a mirror alive, even if just
barely. (Usually jocular. Refers to the use
of a small mirror placed under one’s nose
to tell if one is breathing or not.) Look,
I don’t need an athlete to do this job. Any-
body able to fog a mirror will do fine!
I’m so tired this morning, I feel like I’m
hardly able to fog a mirror.
able to make something able to attend an
event. (Also literal. Informal. Able to can
be replaced with can.) I don’t think I’ll
be able to make your party, but thanks for
asking me. We are having another one
next month. We hope you can make it
then.
able to take a joke to be able to accept
ridicule good-naturedly; to be the object
or butt of a joke willingly. (Able to can
be replaced with can.) Let’s play a trick
on Bill and see if he’s able to take a joke.
Better not tease Ann. She can’t take a
joke.
able to take just so much able to endure
only a limited amount of discomfort.
(Able to can be replaced with can.)
Please stop hurting my feelings. I’m able to
take just so much before I get angry. I
can take just so much.
able to take something able to endure some-
thing; able to endure abuse. (Often in the
negative. Able to can be replaced with
can. See also the previous entry.) Stop
yelling like that. I’m not able to take it any-
more. Go ahead, hit me again. I can
take it.
above and beyond (something) more than
is required. Her efforts were above and
beyond. We appreciate her time. All this
extra time is above and beyond her regu-
lar hours.
(above and) beyond the call of duty in
addition to what is required; more than
is required in one’s job. We didn’t ex-
pect the police officer to drive us home.
That was above and beyond the call of
duty. The English teacher helped stu-
dents after school every day, even though
it was beyond the call of duty.
above average higher or better than the
average. Max’s grades are always above
average. His intelligence is clearly above
average
above reproach not deserving of blame or
criticism. Some politicians behave as
though they are above reproach. You
must accept your punishment. You are not
above reproach.
above suspicion honest enough that no
one would suspect you; to be in a posi-
tion where you could not be suspected.
The general is a fine old man, completely
above suspicion. Mary was at work at
the time of the accident, so she’s above
suspicion.
absent without leave and AWOL absent
from a military unit without permission;
absent from anything without permis-
sion. (AWOL is an abbreviation. This is
a serious offense in the military.) The
soldier was taken away by the military po-
lice because he was absent without leave.
John was AWOL from school and got
into a lot of trouble with his parents.
according to all accounts and by all
accounts from all the reports; everyone
is saying. According to all accounts,
the police were on the scene immediately.
According to all accounts, the meet-
ing broke up over a very minor matter.
By all accounts, it was a very poor
performance.
according to one’s own lights according to
the way one believes; according to the
way one’s conscience or inclinations lead
one. (Rarely used informally.) People
must act on this matter according to their
own lights. John may have been wrong,
but he did what he did according to his
own lights.
according to someone or something as said or
indicated by someone or something.
According to the weather forecast, this
should be a beautiful day. According to
my father, this is a very good car to buy.
It’s too cold to go for a walk, according
to the thermometer.
according to something in proportion to
something. You will get paid according
to the number of hours that you work.
The doctor charges patients according to
their ability to pay.
accustomed to someone or something used to
or comfortable with someone or some-
thing; accepting of someone or some-
thing as common and usual. We were
accustomed to wearing shoes. They
aren’t accustomed to paying a visit with-
out bringing a gift. I’ll never become ac-
customed to you.
[ace in the hole] Go to someone’s ace in the
hole.
an aching heart the feeling of distress be-
cause of love that is lost or has faded
away, described as being in the heart,
where love is said to reside. I try to tell
my aching heart that I don’t love him.
There is no medicine for an aching heart.
acid test a test whose findings are beyond
doubt or dispute. (Refers to a chemical
test that shows whether a metal is gold.)
Her new husband seems generous, but
the acid test will be if he lets her mother
stay with them. The senator isn’t very
popular just now, but the acid test will be
if he gets reelected.
acknowledge receipt (of something) to in-
form the sender that what was sent was
received. (Commonly used in business
correspondence.) In a letter to a shoe
company, Mary wrote, “I’m happy to ac-
knowledge receipt of four dozen pairs of
shoes.” John acknowledged receipt of the
bill. The package hasn’t arrived, so I’m
unable to acknowledge receipt.
acknowledge someone to be right to admit
or state that someone is correct about
something. Mary acknowledged Bill to
be right about the name of the store. Bill
said that the car was useless, and the me-
chanic acknowledged him to be right.
across the board equally for everyone or
everything. The school board raised the
pay of all the teachers across the board.
Congress cut the budget by reducing the
money for each department 10 percent
across the board.
act as someone to perform in the capacity of
someone, temporarily or permanently.
I’ll act as your supervisor until Mrs. Brown
returns from vacation. This is Mr.
Smith. He’ll act as manager from now on.
act high-and-mighty to act proud and
powerful. (Informal.) Why does the
doctor always have to act so high-and-
mighty? If Sally wouldn’t act so high-
and-mighty, she’d have more friends.
an act of faith an act or deed demonstrat-
ing religious faith; an act or deed show-
ing trust in someone or something. He
lit candles in church as an act of faith.
For him to trust you with his safety was a
real act of faith.
an act of God an occurrence (usually an
accident) for which no human is respon-
sible; a dramatic act of nature such as a
storm, an earthquake, or a windstorm.
My insurance company wouldn’t pay for
the damage because it was an act of God.
The thief tried to convince the judge that
the diamonds were in his pocket due to an
act of God.
an act of war an international act of vio-
lence for which war is considered a suit-
able response; any hostile act between
two people. To bomb a ship is an act
of war. Can spying be considered an act
of war? “You just broke my stereo,”
yelled John. “That’s an act of war!”
act one’s age to behave more maturely; to
act as grown-up as one really is. (This is
frequently said to a child.) Come on,
John, act your age. Stop throwing rocks.
Mary! Stop picking on your little brother.
Act your age!
act up to misbehave; to run or act badly.
John, why do you always have to act up
when your father and I take you out to eat?
My arthritis is acting up. It really hurts.
My car is acting up. I could hardly get
it started this morning.
Actions speak louder than words. It is
better to do something about a problem
than just talk about it. (Proverb.) Mary
kept promising to get a job. John finally
looked her in the eye and said, “Actions
against quitting work early. Lisa always
advises against hasty actions.
advise someone against doing something to
supply someone with a suggestion of not
doing something. I advised Bill against
speak louder than words!” After listen-
quitting his job.
Lisa advised Tom
ing to the senator promising to cut federal
spending, Ann wrote a simple note saying,
“Actions speak louder than words.”
add fuel to the fire and add fuel to the
flame to make a problem worse; to say
or do something that makes a bad situa-
tion worse; to make an angry person even
more angry. (Also literal.) To spank a
crying child just adds fuel to the fire. Bill
was shouting angrily, and Bob tried to get
him to stop by laughing at him. Of course,
that was just adding fuel to the flame.
add fuel to the flame Go to add fuel to
the fire.
add insult to injury to make a bad situa-
tion worse; to hurt the feelings of a per-
son who has already been hurt. First,
the basement flooded, and then, to add in-
sult to injury, a pipe burst in the kitchen.
My car barely started this morning, and
to add insult to injury, I got a f lat tire in
the driveway.
add up (to something) 1. to total up to a par-
ticular amount. The bill added up to
$200. These groceries will add up to al-
most sixty dollars. These numbers just
won’t add up. 2. to mean something; to
signify or represent something; to result
in something. All this adds up to trou-
ble! I don’t understand. What does all
this add up to? If you think about it
carefully, these facts add up perfectly.
an affinity for someone or something a strong
preference for something; a strong liking
for something. Cats have an affinity for
seafood. Mary’s affinity for classical
music accounts for her large collection of
recordings.
afraid of one’s own shadow easily fright-
ened; always frightened, timid, or suspi-
cious. After Tom was robbed, he was
even afraid of his own shadow. Jane has
always been a shy child. She has been
afraid of her own shadow since she was
three.
after a fashion in a manner that is just
barely adequate; poorly. He thanked
me—after a fashion—for my help. Oh,
yes, I can swim, after a fashion.
after all 1. anyway; in spite of what had
been decided. (Often refers to a change
in plans or a reversal of plans.) Mary
had planned to go to the bank first, but she
came here after all. It looks like Tom will
go to law school after all. 2. remember;
consider the fact that. Don’t punish
Tommy! After all, he’s only three years old!
After all, we really didn’t hurt anyone!
after all is said and done when every-
thing is settled or concluded; finally. (See
also when all is said and done.) After
all was said and done, it was a lovely party.
After all is said and done, it will turn
out just as I said.
after the fact after something has hap-
pened; after something, especially a
crime, has taken place. (Primarily a le-
gal phrase.) John is always making ex-
cuses after the fact. Remember to lock
your car whenever you leave it. If it’s
stolen, there is nothing you can do after the
fact.
after the fashion of someone or something in
the manner or style of someone or some-
thing. (See also after a fashion.) She
walks down the street after the fashion of
a grand lady. The church was built af-
ter the fashion of an English cathedral.
again and again repeatedly; again and
even more. I like going to the beach, and
I will go back again and again. He
knocked on the door again and again un-
til I finally answered.
against someone’s will without a person’s
consent or agreement. You cannot force
me to come with you against my will!
Against their will, the men were made to
stand up against the wall and be searched.
against the clock in a race with time; in
a great hurry to get something done be-
fore a particular time. (See also race
against time.) Bill set a new track
record, running against the clock. He lost
the actual race, however. In a race
against the clock, they rushed the special
medicine to the hospital.
ahead of one’s time having ideas or atti-
tudes that are too advanced to be ac-
ceptable to or appreciated by the society
in which one is living. People buy that
artist’s work now, but his paintings were
laughed at when he was alive. He was
ahead of his time. Mary’s grandmother
was ahead of her time in wanting to study
medicine.
ahead of schedule having done some-
thing before the time listed on the sched-
ule. I want to be able to finish the job
ahead of schedule. We don’t have to rush
because we are ahead of schedule.
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.
ahead of time beforehand; before the an-
nounced time. If you show up ahead of
time, you will have to wait. Be there
ahead of time if you want to get a good
aid and abet someone to help someone; to
incite someone to do something that is
wrong. He was scolded for aiding and
abetting the boys who were fighting. It’s
illegal to aid and abet a thief.
aim to do something to mean to do some-
thing; to intend to do something in the
future. (Folksy.) I aim to paint the
house as soon as I can find a brush. He
aims to take a few days off and go fishing.
Ain’t it the truth? Isn’t that just the way it
is?; I agree with you completely. (Infor-
mal.) A: Things aren’t the way they used
to be in the good old days. B: Ain’t it the
truth? A: You just can’t buy good shoes
anymore. B: Ain’t it the truth?
air one’s dirty linen in public and wash
one’s dirty linen in public to discuss pri-
vate or embarrassing matters in public,
especially when quarreling. (This linen
refers to sheets and tablecloths or other
soiled cloth.) John’s mother had asked
him repeatedly not to air the family’s dirty
linen in public. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson
are arguing again. Why must they always
air their dirty linen in public? Jean will
talk to anyone about her financial prob-
lems. Why does she wash her dirty linen in
public?
air one’s grievances to complain; to make
a public complaint. I know how you
feel, John, but it isn’t necessary to air your
grievances over and over. I know you’re
busy, sir, but I must air my grievances. This
matter is very serious.
air something out to freshen up something
by placing it in the open air; to freshen
a room by letting air move through it.
It’s so stale in here. Mary, please open a
window and air this place out. Please
take this pillow outside and air it out.
T I’ll have to air out the car. Someone has
been smoking in it.
alive and well Go to alive and kicking.
alive with someone or something covered with,
filled with, or active with people or
things. Look! Ants everywhere. The
f loor is alive with ants! When we got to
the ballroom, the place was alive with
dancing. The campground was alive
with campers from all over the country.
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