used to
do something
to have done some-
thing [customarily] in the past.
ᮀ We
used to go swimming in the lake before it
became polluted.
ᮀ I used to eat nuts, but
then I became allergic to them.
used to
someone or something
accustomed to
someone or something.
ᮀ I’m not used to
Jane yet. She’s a bit hard to get along with.
ᮀ How long does it take to get used to this
weather?
used to do something
424
vale of tears the earth; mortal life on
earth. (A “valley” of tears.)
ᮀ When it
comes time for me to leave this vale of
tears, I hope I can leave some worthwhile
memories behind.
ᮀ Uncle Fred left this
vale of tears early this morning.
vanish into thin air to disappear without
leaving a trace.
ᮀ My money gets spent
so fast. It seems to vanish into thin air.

it’s verging on pneumonia.
the
very last the end; an absolute end of
something.
ᮀ At the very last of the
movie, the hero gets killed.
ᮀ Bill stayed at
the party until the very last.
the
very thing the exact thing that is re-
quired.
ᮀ The vacuum cleaner is the very
thing for cleaning the stairs.
ᮀ I have the
very thing to remove that stain.
the
villain of the piece someone or some-
thing that is responsible for something
bad or wrong.
ᮀ I wondered who told the
newspapers about the local scandal. I dis-
covered that Joan was the villain of the
piece.
ᮀ We couldn’t think who had stolen
the meat. The dog next door turned out to
be the villain of the piece.
vim and vigor energy and enthusiasm. ᮀ
I just don’t seem to have the vim and vigor
that I had a few years ago.
ᮀ Alice ap-

vote of thanks a speech expressing ap-
preciation and thanks to a speaker, lec-
turer, organizer, etc., and inviting the au-
dience to applaud.
ᮀ John gave a vote of
thanks to Professor Jones for his talk.
ᮀ
Mary was given a vote of thanks for orga-
nizing the dance.
425
V
vote with
one’s
feet to express one’s dis-
satisfaction with something by leaving,
especially by walking away.
ᮀ I think that
the play is a total flop. Most of the audi-
ence voted with its feet during the second
act.
ᮀ I am prepared to vote with my feet
if the meeting appears to be a waste of
time.
vote with one’s feet
426
wade in(to
something
) to start in (doing)
something immediately. (Also literal.)
ᮀ

one to wait on me hand and foot. I can
take care of myself.
wait up (for
someone or something
) 1. to stay
up late waiting for someone to arrive or
something to happen.
ᮀ I’ll be home late.
Don’t wait up for me.
ᮀ We waited up for
the coming of the new year, and then we
went to bed.
2. and hold up (for
some-
one or something
) to wait for someone or
something to catch up.
ᮀ Hey! Don’t go
so fast. Wait up for me.
ᮀ Hold up! You’re
going too fast.
waiting in the wings ready or prepared
to do something, especially to take over
someone else’s job or position. (Refers to
a performer waiting at the side of the
stage to go on.)
ᮀ Mr. Smith retires as
manager next year, and Mr. Jones is just
waiting in the wings.
ᮀ Jane was waiting

something
1. to win something eas-
ily. (Informal.)
ᮀ John won the tennis
match with no difficulty. He walked away
with it.
ᮀ Our team walked away with
first place.
2. to take or steal something.
ᮀ I think somebody just walked off with
my purse!
ᮀ Somebody walked off with my
daughter’s bicycle.
walk off with
something
Go to walk away
with
something
.
walk on air to be very happy; to be eu-
phoric.
ᮀ Ann was walking on air when
she got the job.
ᮀ On the last day of school,
all the children are walking on air.
walk on eggs to be very cautious. (Infor-
mal.)
ᮀ The manager is very hard to deal
with. You really have to walk on eggs.
427

commit suicide by walking off the end of
a plank jutting out over the open sea.)
ᮀ
Fred may think he can make the members
of my department walk the plank, but we
will fight back.
ᮀ Tom thought he could
make John walk the plank, but John fought
back.
wall-to-wall with
something
covered with
something in all places. (From wall-to-
wall carpeting.)
ᮀ The hallway is wall-to-
wall with Jimmy’s toys.
ᮀ The beach was
wall-to-wall with tourists.
Walls have ears. We may be overheard.
(Proverb.)
ᮀ Let’s not discuss this matter
here. Walls have ears, you know.
ᮀ Shhh.
Walls have ears. Someone may be listening.
want for nothing to lack nothing; to have
everything one needs or wishes.
ᮀ The
Smiths don’t have much money, but their
children seem to want for nothing.
ᮀ Jean’s

disadvantages.
ᮀ Jim has many faults, but
Jean loves him, warts and all.
ᮀ The place
where we went on vacation had some dis-
mal aspects, but we liked it, warts and all.
wash a few things out to do a little bit of
laundry, such as socks and underclothing.
ᮀ I’m sorry I can’t go out tonight. I’ve got
to wash a few things out.
T I’ll be ready
to leave in just a minute. I’ve just got to
wash out a few things.
wash-and-wear referring to clothing made
out of a kind of cloth that looks pre-
sentable after washing without ironing.
ᮀ I always travel with wash-and-wear
clothing.
ᮀ All his shirts are wash-and-
wear, and this makes his life much easier
since he used to burn them when he ironed
them.
wash
one’s
dirty linen in public Go to air
one’s
dirty linen in public.
wash
one’s
hands of

waste
someone
to kill someone. (Slang, es-
pecially criminal slang.)
ᮀ The thief tried
to waste the bank guard after the bank
robbery.
ᮀ The crook said, “Try that
again, and I’ll waste you!”
watch
one’s
step to act with care and cau-
tion so as not to make a mistake or offend
someone. (Also literal.)
ᮀ John had bet-
ter watch his step with the new boss. He
won’t put up with his lateness.
ᮀ Mary
was told by the lecturer to watch her step
and stop missing classes.
watch out Go to watch out for
someone or
something
.
watch out for
someone or something
and look
out for
someone or something
1. [with some-

ᮀ I am looking for someone to
watch over my grandmother during the
day.
watch
someone or something
like a hawk to
watch someone very carefully.
ᮀ The
teacher watched the students like a hawk
to make sure they did not cheat on the
quiz.
ᮀ We have to watch our dog like a
hawk in case he runs away.
water
something
down 1. to dilute a liquid,
usually with water.
ᮀ The punch was good
until someone watered it down.
ᮀ This is
too strong! Water it down.
2. to make
something milder or less intense. (Refers
to diluting as in sense 1.)
ᮀ The language
in the script was rude but realistic until
someone watered it down.
T Professor
Jones sometimes waters down his lectures
so people can understand them better.

with raising money.)
ᮀ The suggestion
was referred to the ways and means com-
mittee for discussion at the next meeting.
ᮀ The proposed legislation is stalled in
ways and means.
We aim to please. We really try to make
people happy.
ᮀ We aim to please because
we want you to be our customer.
ᮀ I’m
glad you like our food. We aim to please.
weak as a baby Go to (as) weak as a baby.
weak as a kitten Go to (as) weak as a
kitten.
a wealth of
something
a large amount of
something.
ᮀ There’s a wealth of infor-
mation on parrots at the library.
ᮀ The
junkyard had a wealth of used car parts.
wear and tear (on
something
) the process of
wearing down or breaking down some-
thing.
ᮀ Driving in freezing weather
means lots of wear and tear on your car.

always has his heart on his sleeve so that
everyone knows how he feels.
ᮀ Because
she wears her heart on her sleeve, it’s easy
to hurt her feelings.
wear on
someone
to bother or annoy some-
one.
ᮀ We stayed with them only a short
time because my children seemed to wear
on them.
ᮀ Always being short of money
wears on a person after a while.
wear out
one’s
welcome to stay too long
(at an event to which one has been in-
vited); to visit somewhere too often.
ᮀ
Tom visited the Smiths so often that he
wore out his welcome.
ᮀ At about mid-
night, I decided that I had worn out my
welcome, so I went home.
wear
someone
down to overcome someone’s
objections; to persist until someone has
been persuaded.

weather permitting.
weave in and out (of
something
) to move,
drive, or walk in and out of something,
such as traffic, a line, etc.
ᮀ The car was
weaving in and out of traffic dangerously.
ᮀ The deer ran rapidly through the for-
est, weaving in and out of the trees.
wed(ded) to
someone
married to someone.
ᮀ The couple will have been wed to each
other for fifty years next June.
ᮀ Anne is
wed to one of my cousins.
wedded to
something
mentally attached to
something; firmly committed to some-
thing.
ᮀ The manager was wedded to the
idea of getting new computers.
ᮀ The
mayor was wedded to the new budget plan.
wee hours (of the night) Go to small
hours (of the night).
weed
someone or something

someone
down [for a thought or
worry] to worry or depress someone.
(Also literal.)
ᮀ All these problems really
weigh me down.
T Financial problems
wear more than one hat
430
have been weighing down our entire
family.
weigh
someone’s
words 1. to consider care-
fully what someone says.
ᮀ I listened to
what he said, and I weighed his words very
carefully.
ᮀ Everyone was weighing his
words. None of us knew exactly what he
meant.
2. to consider one’s own words
carefully when speaking.
ᮀ I always
weigh my words when I speak in public.
ᮀ John was weighing his words with
great care because he didn’t want to be
misunderstood.
welcome
someone

well-off Go to well-heeled.
well-to-do wealthy and of good social po-
sition. (Often with quite, as in the exam-
ples below.)
ᮀ The Jones family is quite
well-to-do.
ᮀ There is a gentleman wait-
ing for you at the door. He appears quite
well-to-do.
well up in years aged; old. ᮀ Jane’s hus-
band is well up in years. He is nearly 75.
ᮀ Joan’s well up in years but healthy.
wet behind the ears and not dry behind
the ears
young and inexperienced. ᮀ
John’s too young to take on a job like this!
He’s still wet behind the ears!
ᮀ He may
be wet behind the ears, but he’s well
trained and totally competent.
ᮀ Tom is
going into business by himself ? Why, he’s
hardly dry behind the ears.
ᮀ That kid
isn’t dry behind the ears. He’ll go broke in
a month.
wet blanket a dull or depressing person
who spoils other people’s enjoyment.
ᮀ
Jack’s fun at parties, but his brother’s a wet

ᮀ What can I say? I never
meant it to end like this.
What do you want me to say? You c a u g h t
me and I’m sorry, and I don’t know what
more to say. (Informal.)
ᮀ What do you
want me to say? I apologized. There is
nothing more I can do.
ᮀ Okay, so I’m
wrong. What do you want me to say?
what for why?; for what reason? ᮀ “I want
you to clean your room.” “What for? It’s
clean enough.”
ᮀ What did you do that
for?
What goes around, comes around. The
results of things that one has done will
someday have an effect on the person
who started the events. (Proverb.)
ᮀ So
he finally gets to see the results of his ac-
tivities. Whatever goes around, comes
around.
ᮀ Now he is the victim of his own
policies. Whatever goes around comes
around.
What have you been up to? I haven’t seen
you for a long time, so tell me what you
have been doing? (Informal. In other
What have you been up to?

What
one
doesn’t know won’t hurt
one.
Unknown facts cannot worry or upset a
person. (Proverb.)
ᮀ Don’t tell me that I
have made a mistake. What I don’t know
won’t hurt me.
ᮀ Don’t tell him the truth
about his missing dog. What he doesn’t
know won’t hurt him.
Whatever will be, will be. Whatever will
happen will just happen and there is lit-
tle we can do about it. (Proverb.)
ᮀ There
is little I can do at this stage. Whatever will
be, will be.
ᮀ The doctors have done all
they can. Whatever will be, will be.
What’s done is done. It is final and in the
past. (Proverb.)
ᮀ It’s too late to change
it now. What’s done is done.
ᮀ What’s
done is done. The past cannot be altered.
What’s keeping you? What is taking you
so long?; Why are you still there and not
here?
ᮀ Dinner is ready, and you are still

ing wrong with me. What’s with you?
wheel and deal to take part in clever (but
sometimes dishonest or immoral) busi-
ness deals.
ᮀ John loves to wheel and deal
in the money markets.
ᮀ Jack got tired of
all the wheeling and dealing of big business
and retired to run a pub in the country.
when all is said and done when every-
thing is finished and settled; when every-
thing is considered. (See also
after all is
said and done
.) ᮀ When all is said and
done, this isn’t such a bad part of the coun-
try to live in after all.
ᮀ When all is said
and done, I believe I had a very enjoyable
time on my vacation.
when hell freezes over and until hell
freezes over
never. (The first entry is al-
ways affirmative and the second is always
negative.)
ᮀ I’ll say I’m sorry to you when
hell freezes over!
ᮀ I won’t apologize un-
til hell freezes over.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

ᮀ An old car is likely
to give you trouble when least expected.
ᮀ
My pencil usually breaks when least
expected.
when
one
is good and ready when one is
completely ready. (Informal.)
ᮀ I’ll be
there when I’m good and ready.
ᮀ Ann
will finish the job when she’s good and
ready and not a minute sooner.
when push comes to shove when the sit-
uation becomes more difficult; when
matters escalate. (See also
if push comes
to shove.
) ᮀ When push comes to shove,
I will take a stronger position.
ᮀ When
push comes to shove, I will come up with
the money you need.
When the cat’s away, the mice will play.
Some people will get into mischief when
they are not being watched. (Proverb.)
ᮀ
The students behaved very badly for the
substitute teacher. When the cat’s away, the

you sent to us when the going got a little
rough last month.
when the time is ripe at exactly the right
time.
ᮀ I’ll tell her the good news when
the time is ripe.
ᮀ When the time is ripe,
I’ll bring up the subject again.
where
one
is coming from one’s point of
view. (Slang.)
ᮀ I think I know what you
mean. I know where you’re coming from.
ᮀ Man, you don’t know where I’m coming
from! You don’t understand a single word
I say.
where
one
lives Go to close to home.
Where there’s a will there’s a way. One
can do something if one really wants to.
(Proverb.)
ᮀ Don’t give up, Ann. You can
do it. Where there’s a will there’s a way.
ᮀ
They told John he’d never walk again af-
ter his accident. He worked at it, and he
was able to walk again! Where there’s a
will there’s a way.

very young.
whether or not either if something is the
case or if something is not the case; one
way or the other.
ᮀ I’ll drive to New York
tomorrow whether or not it rains.
T I’m
going to the mall whether you come with
me or not.
while away the time to spend or waste
time.
ᮀ I like to read to while away the
while away the time
433
time. T Jane whiles the time away by
daydreaming.
whip
something
into shape Go to lick
some-
thing
into shape.
whip
something
up to prepare, create, or put
something together quickly. (Informal.)
ᮀ I haven’t written my report yet, but I’ll
whip one up before the deadline.
T Come
in and sit down. I’ll go whip up something

you know the importance of the person
[me] you are talking to? (In other persons
also.)
ᮀ Who do you think you’re talking
to? I’m the boss here, you know!
ᮀ Don’t
talk to me that way! Who do you think you
are talking to?
Who would have thought? I would never
have guessed that something so surpris-
ing could happen.
ᮀ So he’s run off with
the maid. Who would have thought?
ᮀ It
turns out she robbed a bank when she was
18. Who would have thought?
the
whole ball of wax and the whole
shooting match
the whole thing; the
whole matter or affair; the entire affair or
organization.
ᮀ John is not a good man-
ager. Instead of delegating jobs to others,
he runs the whole shooting match himself.
ᮀ There’s not a hard worker in that whole
shooting match.
ᮀ I will be glad to be fin-
ished with this project. I want to be done
with the whole ball of wax.

ᮀ Bob doesn’t
know the whys and wherefores of his con-
tract. He just knows that it means he will
get a lot of money when he finishes the
work.
wide-awake completely awake. ᮀ After the
telephone rang, I was wide-awake for an
hour.
ᮀ I’m not very wide-awake at six
o’clock in the morning.
wide of the mark 1. far from the target.
ᮀ Tom’s shot was wide of the mark. ᮀ The
pitch was quite fast, but wide of the mark.
2. inadequate; far from what is required
or expected.
ᮀ Jane’s efforts were sincere,
but wide of the mark.
ᮀ He failed the
course because everything he did was wide
of the mark.
wild about
someone or something
enthusiastic
about someone or something.
ᮀ Bill is
wild about chocolate ice cream.
ᮀ Sally is
wild about Tom and his new car.
a
wild-goose chase a worthless hunt or

ᮀ I ran the fastest race
I could, but I only won by a nose.
ᮀ Sally
won the race, but she only won by a nose.
win out (over
someone or something
) to beat
someone or something in a race or a con-
test.
ᮀ My horse won out over yours, so
you lose your bet.
ᮀ I knew I could win out
if I just kept trying.
win
someone
over to succeed in gaining the
support and sympathy of someone.
ᮀ
Jane’s parents disapproved of her engage-
ment at first, but she won them over.
ᮀ
I’m trying to win the boss over and get him
to give us the day off.
win the day Go to carry the day.
wind down to decrease or diminish. ᮀ
Things are very busy now, but they’ll wind
down in about an hour.
ᮀ I hope business
winds down soon. I’m exhausted.
wind

to treat someone to
an expensive meal of the type that in-
cludes fine wines; to entertain someone
lavishly.
ᮀ The lobbyists wined and dined
the senators one by one in order to influ-
ence them.
ᮀ We were wined and dined
every night and given the best hotel ac-
commodations in town.
wing it to do the best that one can in a sit-
uation, especially when one is not pre-
pared. (Compare this with
play
something
by ear.) ᮀ I lost my notes before my speech,
and I had to wing it.
ᮀ The professor, it
turned out, was winging it in every single
lecture.
wink at
something
to ignore something. (In-
formal.)
ᮀ Billy caused me a little trouble,
but I just winked at it.
ᮀ This is a serious
matter, and you can’t expect me just to
wink at it.
wipe

wipe it off.
T My shirt has catsup on it. I
must wipe off the catsup.
2. to tidy or
clean something by wiping (something
else) off.
ᮀ Please wipe the table off.
There’s water on it.
T Wipe off your shirt.
There’s catsup on it.
wipe the floor up with
someone
to beat or
physically abuse someone. (Slang. Usu-
ally said as a threat. See also
mop the
wipe the floor up with someone
435
floor up with
someone
.) ᮀ You say that to
me one more time, and I’ll wipe the floor
up with you.
T Oh, yeah! You’re not big
enough to wipe up the floor with anybody!
wise as an owl Go to (as) wise as an owl.
wise as Solomon Go to (as) wise as
Solomon.
wise up (to
someone or something

wishful thinking. Her boss is so mean.
with a heavy heart sadly. ᮀ With a heavy
heart, she said good-bye.
ᮀ We lef t school
on the last day with a heavy heart.
with all
one’s
heart and soul very sin-
cerely.
ᮀ Oh, Bill, I love you with all my
heart and soul, and I always will!
ᮀ She
thanked us with all her heart and soul for
the gift.
with all the fixings with all the condi-
ments that accompany a certain kind of
food.
ᮀ For $5.99 you get a turkey din-
ner with all the fixings.
ᮀ Max likes his
hamburgers with all the fixings.
with an eye to
doing something
Go to with a
view to
doing something
.
with a vengeance with determination and
eagerness, as if angry.
ᮀ The angry soldier

ing for me with bells on their toes.
with both hands tied behind
one’s
back
Go to with one hand tied behind
one’s
back.
with each passing day as days pass, one
by one; day by day.
ᮀ Things grow more
expensive with each passing day.
ᮀ We are
all growing older with each passing day.
with ease without effort. ᮀ The smart stu-
dent passed the test with ease.
ᮀ The gym-
nast did a back flip with ease.
with every (other) breath [saying some-
thing] repeatedly or continually.
ᮀ Bob
was out in the yard, raking leaves and curs-
ing with every other breath.
ᮀ The child
was so grateful that she was thanking me
with every breath.
with everything (on it) [of a sandwich]
ordered with everything available on it,
such as ketchup, mustard, onions, cheese,
peppers, chili, lettuce, tomato, etc., as ap-
propriate.

really with it tonight.
ᮀ Jean’s mother is
not really with it anymore. She’s going se-
nile.
ᮀ Peter’s not with it yet. He’s only just
come round from the anesthetic.
2. up-to-
date. (Slang.)
ᮀ My parents are so old-
fashioned. I’m sure they were never with
it.
ᮀ Why do you wear those baggy old
clothes? Why aren’t you with it?
with no strings attached and without
any strings attached
unconditionally;
with no obligations attached.
ᮀ My par-
ents gave me a computer without any
strings attached.
ᮀ I want this only if it
comes with no strings attached.
with one hand tied behind
one’s
back
and with both hands tied behind
one’s
back even under a severe handicap; eas-
ily.
ᮀ I could put an end to this argument

John ate his juicy hamburger with great
relish.
ᮀ We sampled the excellent food
with relish.
with respect to
someone or something
of or
about someone or something.
ᮀ With re-
spect to radiation, this power plant is very
safe.
ᮀ This article examines experiments
with respect to ethical issues.
with
something
to spare Go to and
something
to spare.
with the best will in the world however
much one wishes to do something or
however hard one tries to do something.
ᮀ With the best will in the world, Jack
won’t be able to help Mary get the job.
ᮀ
With the best will in the world, they won’t
finish the job in time.
wither on the vine and die on the vine
[for something] to decline or fade away
at an early stage of development. (Also
literal in reference to grapes or other

away.
ᮀ John saw Mary across the street,
just a stone’s throw away.
ᮀ Philadelphia
is a stone’s throw from New York City.
within bounds Go to within limits.
within calling distance Go to within hail-
ing distance.
within hailing distance and within
calling distance; within shouting
distance
close enough to hear someone
call out.
ᮀ When the boat came within
hailing distance, I asked if I could borrow
within hailing distance
437
some gasoline. ᮀ We weren’t within call-
ing distance, so I couldn’t hear what you
said to me.
within limits and within bounds up to a
certain point; with certain restrictions.
ᮀ
You’re free to do what you want—within
limits, of course.
ᮀ You must try to keep
behavior at the party within bounds.
within reason reasonable; reasonably. ᮀ
You can do anything you want within rea-
son.

without any strings attached Go to with
no strings attached.
without batting an eye casually; without
showing alarm or response.
ᮀ I knew I
had insulted her, but she turned to me and
asked me to leave without batting an eye.
ᮀ Right in the middle of the speech—
without batting an eye—the speaker
walked off the stage.
without fail for certain; absolutely. ᮀ I’ll
be there at noon without fail.
ᮀ The plane
leaves on time every day without fail.
without further ado without further talk.
(An overworked phrase usually heard in
public announcements.)
ᮀ And without
further ado, I would like to introduce Mr.
Bill Franklin!
ᮀ The time has come to
leave, so without further ado, good evening
and good-bye.
without question absolutely; certainly. ᮀ
She agreed to help without question. ᮀ She
said, “I stand ready to support you with-
out question.”
without rhyme or reason without pur-
pose, order, or reason.
ᮀ The teacher said

a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
ᮀ This proposal
seems harmless enough, but I think it’s a
wolf in sheep’s clothing.
woman to woman Go to man to man.
word by word one word at a time. ᮀ We
examined the contract word by word to
make sure everything was the way we
wanted.
ᮀ We compared the stories word
by word to see what made them different.
word for word in the exact words; verba-
tim.
ᮀ I memorized the speech, word for
word.
ᮀ I can’t recall word for word what
she told us.
a
word to the wise a good piece of advice;
a word of wisdom.
ᮀ If I can give you a
word to the wise, I would suggest going to
the courthouse about an hour before your
trial.
ᮀ Here is a word to the wise. Keep
your eyes open and your mouth shut.
words to that effect Go to something to
that effect.
[work is cut out for
one

ᮀ Ann worked her way into the
club, and now she’s a member in good
standing.
ᮀ Bob worked his way into the
top management of the company.
work
one’s
way through college to hold a
job that pays part of one’s college ex-
penses.
ᮀ Tom couldn’t get a loan, so he
had to work his way through college.
ᮀ I
worked my way through college, and that
made college seem more valuable to me.
work
one’s
way up to advance in one’s job
or position, from the beginning level to
a higher level.
ᮀ I haven’t always been
president of this bank. I started as a teller
and worked my way up.
ᮀ If I work my
way up, can I be president of the bank?
work on
someone or something
1. [with some-
one] to try to convince someone about
something. (Informal.)

ᮀ It seems bad
now, but it’ll work out for the best.
work
someone or something
in to insert some-
one or something (into a schedule or a
line).
ᮀ The doctor’s schedule was very
busy, but the nurse agreed to try to work
me in.
ᮀ The mechanic had many cars to
fix, but he said he’d work my car in.
T I’m
glad he could work in my car.
work
someone or something
up 1. [with some-
one] to get someone ready for something,
especially medical treatment.
T The
coach worked up the whole team before the
game.
ᮀ The doctor told the nurse to work
Mr. Franklin up for surgery.
2. [with
something] to create, cook, or arrange
something.
T Bob is in the kitchen work-
ing up dinner.
ᮀ Is there something

Bob put on weight on his vacation and is
trying to work it off by swimming regu-
larly.
T Jane tried to work off her depres-
sion by playing a game of tennis.
work
something
out to settle a problem.
(Also literal.)
ᮀ It was a serious problem,
but we managed to work it out.
T I’m glad
we can work out our problems without
fighting.
work through channels to try to get
something done by going through the
proper procedures and persons. (See also
go through channels.) ᮀ You can’t ac-
work through channels
439
complish anything around here if you don’t
work through channels.
ᮀ I tried working
through channels, but it takes too long.
This is an emergency.
work wonders (with
someone or something
)
to be surprisingly beneficial to someone
or something; to be very helpful with

it, but one day she hit him. The worm
turned all right.
ᮀ Tom used to let the
other boys bully him on the playground,
but one day the worm turned and he’s now
leader of their gang.
worm
one’s
way out of
something
to squeeze
or wiggle out of a problem or a respon-
sibility. (Informal.)
ᮀ This is your job,
and you can’t worm your way out of it!
ᮀ
I’m not trying to worm my way out of
anything!
worm
something
out of
someone
to get some
kind of information out of someone. (In-
formal.)
ᮀ He didn’t want to tell me the
truth, but I finally wormed it out of him.
ᮀ She succeeded in worming the secret out
of me. I didn’t mean to tell it.
worth its weight in gold very valuable. ᮀ

would (just) as soon
do something
Go to
had (just) as soon
do something
.
would give
one’s
right arm (for
someone or
something
) would be willing to give some-
thing of great value in exchange for
someone or something.
ᮀ I’d give my
right arm for a nice cool drink.
ᮀ I’d give
my right arm to be there.
would like (to have)
someone or something
to
want someone or something; to prefer
someone or something.
ᮀ I would like to
have three cookies.
ᮀ I would like a piece
of cake.
would rather would prefer [something]
more willingly; would prefer [something]
more readily.

440
wrap
something
up to terminate something;
to bring something to an end. (Also lit-
eral. Informal. See also
get
something
sewed up.) ᮀ It’s time to wrap this pro-
ject up and move on to something else.
T
Let’s wrap up this discussion. It’s time to
go home.
wrapped up in
someone or something
con-
cerned and involved with someone or
something.
ᮀ Sally is wrapped up in her
work.
ᮀ Ann is all wrapped up in her chil-
dren and their activities.
wreak havoc with
something
to cause a lot
of trouble with something; to ruin or
damage something.
ᮀ Your attitude will
wreak havoc with my project.
ᮀ The

write
someone or something
up 1. [with some-
thing] to prepare a bill, order, or state-
ment.
ᮀ Please write the order up and
send me a copy.
T As soon as I finish writ-
ing up your check, I’ll bring you some more
coffee.
2. to write an article about some-
one or something.
ᮀ A reporter wrote me
up for the Sunday paper.
ᮀ I wrote up a
local factory and sent the story to a mag-
azine, but they didn’t buy the story.
write
something
down to write something;
to make a note of something. (Also with-
out down.)
ᮀ If I write it down, I won’t
forget it.
T I wrote down everything she
said.
write
something
out to spell or write a num-
ber or an abbreviation.

This is where the rock struck my car—X
marks the spot.
ᮀ Now, please move that
table over here. Yes, right here—X marks
the spot.
442
X
year after year for many years, one after
another.
ᮀ We go to the same place for our
vacation year after year.
ᮀ I seem to earn
the same salary year after year.
year in, year out year after year, all year
long.
ᮀ I seem to have hay fever year in,
year out. I never get over it.
ᮀ John wears
the same old suit, year in, year out.
year round Go to (all) year round.
years running Go to days running.
yield the right-of-way to give the right to
turn or move forward to another person
or vehicle. (See also
have the right-of-
way
.) ᮀ When you’re driving, it’s better
to yield the right-of-way than to have a
wreck.
ᮀ You must always yield the right-

has pointed out a flaw that cannot be
fixed.)
ᮀ When Jean complained about
the choices on the dinner menu, the waiter
said, “Sorry. You can’t please everyone.”
ᮀ
Jerry reported that many of his friends had
noticed that the colors of the walls in the
living room clashed. His mother said, “Oh,
well. You can’t please everyone.”
You can’t take it with you. Yo u s h ou l d u s e
your money now, because it is no good
when you’re dead. (Proverb.)
ᮀ My un-
cle is a wealthy miser. I keep telling him,
“You can’t take it with you.”
ᮀ If you have
money, you should make out a will. You
can’t take it with you, you know!
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
Old people cannot learn anything new.
(Proverb. Also used literally of dogs.)
ᮀ
“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.
You got me there. I do not know the an-

to
You scared the hell out of me.
You scared the hell out of me. and You
scared the crap out of me.; You
scared the dickens out of me.; You
scared the devil out of me.; You
scared me out of my wits.; You scared
the pants off (of) me.
You f r i g h te n e d
me very badly. (In other persons also.)
ᮀ He scared the hell out of all of us. ᮀ
She really scared the pants off of me.
You scared the pants off (of) me. Go to
You scared the hell out of me.
You scratch my back and I’ll scratch
yours.
You do a favor for me and I’ll do
a favor for you.; If you do something for
me that I cannot do for myself, I will do
something for you that you cannot do for
yourself. (Also literal.)
ᮀ I’ll grab the box
on the top shelf if you will creep under the
table and pick up my pen. You scratch my
back, and I’ll scratch yours.
ᮀ Politicians
are always saying to one another, “You
scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”
You think you’re so smart! You act as if
you knew far more than you do! (In other

to pay the bill.
You scared me out of my wits.
444
zero in on
something
to aim or focus directly
on something. (Informal.)
ᮀ “Now,” said
Mr. Smith, “I would like to zero in on an-
other important point.”
ᮀ Mary is very
good about zeroing in on the most impor-
tant and helpful ideas.
zonk out to pass out; to fall asleep. (Slang.)
ᮀ I was so tired after playing football that
I almost zonked out on the floor.
ᮀ I had
a cup of coffee before the test to keep from
zonking out in the middle of it.
zoom in (on
someone or something
) 1. to fly
or move rapidly at someone or some-
thing. (Slang.)
ᮀ The hawk zoomed in on
the sparrow.
ᮀ The angry bees zoomed in
on Jane and stung her.
ᮀ When the door
opened, the cat zoomed in.

do something
blindfolded
able able to
do something
standing on
one’s
head
able able to
do something
with
one’s
eyes closed
able able to fog a mirror
able able to make
something
able able to take a joke
able able to take just so much
able able to take
something
able not able to call
one’s
time
one’s
own
able not able to go on
able not able to help
something
able not able to make anything out of
someone or
something

about crazy about
someone or something
about create a stink (about
something
)
about do an about-face
about fall out (with
someone
about
something
)
about fiddle about (with
someone or something
)
about get a rough idea (about
something
)
about get a thing about
someone or something
about get
one’s
wits about
one
about get second thoughts about
someone or something
about get worked up (about
something
)
about give
someone

someone or something
)
about have second thoughts about
someone or something
about in a stew (about
someone or something
)
about in the dark (about
someone or something
)
about It’s about time!
about keen about
someone or something
about keep
one’s
mouth shut (about
someone or
something
)
about keep
one’s
wits about
one
about keep quiet (about
someone or something
)
about keep still (about
someone or something
)
about knock about (

someone or something
)
about millstone about
one’s
neck
about much ado about nothing
about no buts about it
about no ifs, ands, or buts about it
about nose about
about not breathe a word (about
someone or something
)
Phrase-Finder Index
Use this index to find the form of a phrase that you want to look up in
the dictionary. To use this index, pick out any major word in the phrase
you are seeking, then look up that word in this index to find the form of
the phrase that appears in the dictionary. Finally, look up the phrase in
the main body of the dictionary. Words such as
someone or something
that
are variable words in the dictionary entries are not indexed here.
McGraw-Hill's Terms of Use
about not care two hoots (about
someone or something
)
about not give a hang (about
someone or something
)
about not give a hoot (about
someone or something

)
about put out (about
someone or something
)
about rail at
someone
(about
something
)
about raise a stink (about
something
)
about ramble on (about
someone or something
)
about rant and rave (about
someone or something
)
about rant (at
someone
) about
someone or something
about religious about
doing something
about see about
something
about see a man about a dog
about see eye to eye (with
someone
) (about

about worked up (about
something
)
above above and beyond (
something
)
above (above and) beyond the call of duty
above above average
above above par
above above reproach
above above suspicion
above get
one’s
head above water
above head and shoulders above
someone or something
above keep
one’s
head above water
above over and above
something
above a cut above
someone or something
aboveboard aboveboard
aboveboard honest and aboveboard
aboveboard open and aboveboard
abreast keep abreast (of
something
)
absence conspicuous by

account take
someone or something
into account
account turn
something
to good account
accounting There’s no accounting for taste.
accounts according to all accounts
accounts balance the accounts
accounts by all accounts
accounts cook the accounts
accounts square accounts (with
someone
)
accustomed accustomed to
someone or something
ace ace in the hole
ace (as) black as the ace of spades
ace black as the ace of spades
ace come within an ace of
doing something
ace have an ace up
one’s
sleeve
ace
someone’s
ace in the hole
aces hold all the aces
aching an aching heart
acid acid test

act act high-and-mighty
act act
one’s
age
act act
something
out
act act up
act catch
someone
in the act (of
doing something
)
act caught in the act
act clean up
one’s
act
act get into the act
act get
one’s
act together
act in the act (of
doing something
)
act keep up an act
act keep up
one’s
act
act put on an act
act read