An Asperger Dictionary of Everyday Expressions

also by Ian Stuart-Hamilton

The Psychology of AgeingAn Introduction, 4th EditionISBN-13: 978 1 84310 426 1 ISBN-10: 1 84310 426 1

of related interest

Asperger’s SyndromeA Guide for Parents and ProfessionalsTony AttwoodForeword by Lorna WingISBN-13: 978 1 85302 577 8 ISBN-10: 1 85302 577 1

The Complete Guide to Asperger’s SyndromeTony AttwoodISBN-13: 978 1 84310 495 7 ISBN-10: 1 84310 495 4

Pretending to be NormalLiving with Asperger’s SyndromeLiane Holliday WilleyForeword by Tony AttwoodISBN-13: 978 1 85302 749 9 ISBN-10: 1 85302 749 9

What Did You Say? What Do You Mean?An Illustrated Guide to Understanding MetaphorsJude WeltonIllustrated by Jane TelfordISBN-13: 978 1 84310 207 6 ISBN-10: 1 84310 207 2

An Asperger Dictionaryof Everyday Expressions

Second Edition

Ian Stuart-Hamilton

Jessica Kingsley PublishersLondon and Philadelphia

First edition published in 2004

This edition published in 2007by Jessica Kingsley Publishers

116 Pentonville RoadLondon N1 9JB, UK

and400 Market Street, Suite 400Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

www.jkp.com

Copyright © Ian Stuart-Hamilton 2007

The right of Ian Stuart-Hamilton to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him inaccordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (includingphotocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally

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Warning: The doing of an unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a civil claim fordamages and criminal prosecution.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Stuart-Hamilton, Ian.An Asperger dictionary of everyday expressions / Ian Stuart-Hamilton. -- 2nd ed.

p. cm.ISBN-13: 978-1-84310-518-3 (pbk.)ISBN-10: 1-84310-518-7 (pbk.)

1. Asperger's syndrome--Patients--Language--Dictionaries. 2. English language--Idioms--Dictionaries. I. Title.RC553.A88S865 2007616.85'8832003--dc22

2006034311

British Library Cataloguing in Publication DataA CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN-13: 978 1 84310 518 3ISBN-10: 1 84310 518 7

ISBN pdf eBook: 1 84642 578 6

Printed and bound in Great Britain byAthenaeum Press, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear

To Chirpy, Sunshine, Tikka,

Heimat, Flip and Flap

Introduction

It is well documented that people with Asperger’s syndrome and other autismspectrum disorders have difficulty interpreting everyday phrases that must beinterpreted symbolically rather than literally. For example, a little bird told me liter-ally implies that a bird assumed the powers of speech and gave information,whilst the symbolic meaning is of course rather different.1 However, it is worthnoting that everyone can have problems with dealing with phrases like this fromtime to time. In practical terms, the only difference between someone withAsperger’s syndrome and someone without it is the frequency with which thisoccurs.

Dealing with this problem is itself difficult. The most obvious solution is tonot interpret any phrase literally. However, not only is it the most obvious, it isalso the most stupid. This would make unambiguous language impossible tounderstand. Advising people to use context to interpret the symbolic meaning ofsomething that is nonsensical if interpreted literally is likewise unworkable, evenfor someone with very high linguistic skills.

Arguably the only practical solution is to use a dictionary such as this, whichgives definitions of at least the commoner everyday phrases. The phrases I havechosen for inclusion are ones that appear to be the most often used amongst UKEnglish speakers. There are a considerable number of common American Englishphrases, and some Australian phrases as well. Together, they cover the majority ofthe everyday phrases that are potentially confusing for English speakers in mostcountries. There are of course many other phrases that could have been included,but arguably this is a case of diminishing returns. In other words, it was either adictionary this size or a truly enormous one (at least four times the size) withmany of the phrases being very rare indeed. In making my selections, I chose notto include the following:

1. Contemporary slang, for the simple reason that most of it lasts a fewmonths and then is replaced by other slang.

7

1 The meaning of a little bird told me and other phrases used in the Introductionare given in the dictionary.

2. A lot of classical and literary references, on the grounds that thesecause everybody problems, and there is a large problem of where to stop.This is meant to be a dictionary of commonly used idiomatic phrases,not quotations. Where phrases that are in fact quotations (e.g. salt of theearth) are included, it is usually because they are such a part ofeveryday speech that most people are probably unaware that they arequotations.

3. Phrases that are largely historical and/or little used.

4. Specialist slang from occupations and professions, unless it is socommon that it has entered everyday speech (e.g. pyramid selling).

5. Phrases which really are self-evident (e.g. ‘fast as a hare’ simply meansfast).

6. Single ambiguous words (e.g. ‘gay’), for the simple reason that abouthalf the words in an ordinary dictionary fall into this category, and thisis intended to be a relatively portable book!

Inevitably there will be phrases that have been missed from this dictionary thatshould have been included. This is the fate of every dictionary compiler inhistory. Future editions will attempt to amend wrongs, but please do not contactme with suggestions. This is not because I do not value readers’ comments (farfrom it), but unsolicited suggestions create a difficult problem of copyright.

A detailed guide to using the dictionary is provided in the next section of thisbook. I have tried as far as possible to keep things simple and intuitive. Thus,phrases are usually listed as they are spoken, with key words from the phrase pro-viding references back to the phrase.

In finishing this Introduction, I hope that this book is of use to people withAsperger’s syndrome, or of course anyone else who is puzzled by an apparentlynonsensical phrase.

8 / AN ASPERGER DICTIONARY OF EVERYDAY EXPRESSIONS

A guide to using the dictionary

(1) Absence of definite and indefinite articles

Entries are without definite and indefinite articles (‘the’, ‘an’, etc.). For example,‘the real McCoy’ is entered as real McCoy.

(2) Phrases are usually listed as they are spoken

Entries are as far as possible done as they would be spoken. For example, ‘aftertheir blood’ is entered as after their blood, not blood, after their. Where I have feltthere could be difficulties in finding the phrase by this method, I have includeddirections to it using other key words (e.g. walk on air is also referenced under air).

(3) Key part of phrases

Where there are several similar variants of the same phrase, I have usually simplyentered the key part of the phrase; for example, there are various phrases like ‘aman after my own heart’, ‘a boy after their own heart’, etc. The key part of thephrase is after their own heart, and this is the phrase that is provided by this dictio-nary.

(4) Use of their

Phrases usually can be used to describe or apply to a variety of people. Forexample, the phrase ‘after their blood’ can be used in the forms ‘after his blood’,‘after our blood’, ‘after my blood’, ‘after their blood’, ‘after her blood’, ‘after itsblood’, ‘after one’s blood’ and ‘after your blood’. Rather than have entries foreach phrase, I have simply included one – namely, after their blood. In nearly allcases, I have used ‘their’ in preference to ‘one’, ‘his’, ‘her’, ‘its’, etc. This is because‘their’ is arguably the most ‘neutral’ form. However, when ‘their’ is used, ‘her’,‘his’, etc. can be substituted in. Where a phrase is given with something other than‘their’ (e.g. are you sitting comfortably?) then this is because the phrase is usually onlyheard in this form.

9

(5) Politeness ratings

‘Politeness’ refers to the extent to which a word is likely to offend. The more stars,the more it is likely to offend. The following is a rough guide:* Is unlikely to offend anyone in any situation.** May offend some people – be careful about using it.*** Will always offend or shock some people. Avoid if possible.The politeness ratings are deliberately cautious. They are not intended to judgeother people’s use of language, simply to provide guidance on what should beacceptable to the greatest number of people.

Where an entry has more than one definition and there is just a single polite-ness rating, then the same ratings apply to all the definitions. For example:

As good as (1) Of equivalent quality. (2) Almost (e.g. ‘as good as done’means ‘it has almost been completed’).*

In this case, definitions 1 and 2 of as good as have the same one star politenessrating. Where different definitions have different ratings, this is clearly indicated.

In addition to the politeness rating, I have included additional notes on someentries. This is because there are unusual features concerning these phrases thatshould be noted. For example:

All mouth (1) Talkative. (2) Promises or threatens a lot of things verbally,but never actually does anything.** or ***

Note: this phrase is usually far more insulting when a person is told directly that theyare ‘all mouth’ than when referring to someone who is not present at the time.

(6) Means the same as entries

Where a phrase in the dictionary is described as Means the same as, the phraseusually has the same politeness and formality ratings as the phrase it means thesame as. For example, consider the entry:

Add fuel to the fire Means the same as fan the flames.

The politeness rating for add fuel to the fire is the same as that for fan the flames.In some instances, a phrase may have a different politeness and formality ratingfrom the phrase it means the same as. In those instances, politeness ratings for thetwo phrases are given separately. This at first may appear complicated, but inpractice it is not! It also enables a reader to recognize similarities in phrases.

10 / AN ASPERGER DICTIONARY OF EVERYDAY EXPRESSIONS

(7) Emotional strength of phrases

It is sometimes difficult to judge how strongly a person feels about somethingfrom the way they speak. When I was planning this dictionary, I had hoped toinclude an ‘emotional content’ rating for each entry. The problem with it is that itjust isn’t feasible to do this. For example, suppose someone uses the phrase ‘getlost’ (meaning ‘go away’). At one extreme this could indicate a very serious loss oftemper, and at the other extreme it could be the mildest of rebukes. It depends onthe person saying it, the context in which they say it, and what their normal sortof language is. For example, a person who habitually swears may not be particu-larly angry when they swear, whereas someone who rarely swears might only doso when they are very angry. I have tried in the definitions to indicate when aphrase is likely to be an emotional one, but it is impossible to be more precise thanthis.

The following guide may be of some use, but it should not be depended uponto be always accurate:

(a) A person’s tone of voice can indicate a lot. If someone sounds angry,then chances are that they are indeed angry.

(b) A phrase that implies violence (e.g. ‘I’ll kill you’) is almost always anexpression of anger only, not intent to do real harm.

(c) A person who usually doesn’t swear but starts swearing may well beangry.

(d) Usually if someone is angry, they don’t just say phrases associated withanger, but also say why they are angry.

(8) About the definitions

Usually I have only given the idiomatic versions of phrases, and not their literalones as well. This is to save space. However, note that a large number of thesephrases can be used in a literal sense as well. For example, if someone says that‘John is out to lunch’ it might mean the idiomatic sense that ‘John is insane’ or that‘John has gone out to get his lunchtime meal’.

(9) Exaggeration in phrases

Please note that in providing definitions of phrases I have tried to give their mostliteral meaning. However, the actual meaning implied can vary. For example, outto lunch in its idiomatic use literally means ‘insane’. However, the phrase will oftenbe used in a much milder form. Thus, ‘you’re out to lunch’ more usually means‘your behaviour is unusual’.

A GUIDE TO USING THE DICTIONARY / 11

AA to Z Everything.*

A word The phrase ‘a word’ (sometimesaccompanied by a visual signal to ‘comehere’) means that the speaker wishes todiscuss something or provide informa-tion.*

Above board Legal, usually with theimplication of being honest and trust-worthy. The phrase comes from cardgames – any manipulating of the cardsunder the table (i.e. below board) is likelyto be an indication of cheating. Thus,keeping the hands and cards on the table(i.e. above board) is more likely toindicate an honest player.*

Above par Of good standard.*

Above their weight If someone performs‘above their weight’, then they are per-forming at a higher standard than waspredicted.*

Absence of mind Failure to rememberand/or pay attention.*

AC/DC Bisexual.*

Academic interest Something of ‘aca-demic interest’ is of limited usefulnessand may be considered an inconsequen-tial detail.*

Acceptable face of… The best example ofsomething that is generally seen as unat-tractive. The phrase can thus imply thatwhat is being discussed is not verypleasant, and only looks good whencompared to other members of the samecategory.*

Accident waiting to happen (1) A situa-tion or set of circumstances in which anaccident is far more likely to happen (e.g.waxing a wooden floor so it is veryslippery and then putting a rug on itmight be said to be ‘an accident waitingto happen’). (2) A derogatory term for aperson who through carelessness or lackof intelligence is likely to be the cause ofaccidents or other serious problems.*

Accidentally on purpose Somethingdone ‘accidentally on purpose’ is doneintentionally, but appears to be acciden-tal.*

According to Hoyle In keeping with therules and/or expectations. Hoyle wasauthor of a standard reference book oncard games, and the phrase spread fromcard players to the general public.*

Ace See ace in the hole, ace up their sleeve, holdall the aces, play the ace and within an ace.

Ace in the hole A hidden advantage; theterm comes from a variant of the cardgame of poker, in which one card calledthe ‘hole’ is hidden from the players’view until betting is completed. Since anace is a high-scoring card, finding an acein the hole would be an advantage.*

Ace up their sleeve A hidden advantage.The term is derived from the concept ofcheating at cards – keeping an extra acecard hidden to be added into a player’shand of cards at an advantageousmoment. The term ‘ace up my sleeve’usually does not imply cheating,however.*

Achilles heel A weakness in an otherwisestrong system – it often refers more spe-cifically to a character defect in an other-wise resilient person. The term derivesfrom the ancient Greek legend ofAchilles, who was immune to injury, savefor a tiny spot on his heel. Guess howsomeone killed him…*

Acid test The definitive method of assess-ment (e.g. an ‘acid test’ of a new drivingsafety system might be if more lives aresaved). The phrase is derived from thefact that gold is the only metal not todissolve in many types of acid. Thus,dipping a piece of metal of unknownorigin into acid is an acid test of whetherit is gold.*

Across the board (1) Totally. (2) Applyingto all areas rather than just some.*

ACROSS THE BOARD / 13

Act See entries below and: balancing act,catch in the act, class act, clean up their act, gettheir act together, hard act to follow and in onthe act.

Act the can Means the same as act the fool.

Act the fool Behave stupidly and/or play-fully.*

Act the goat Means the same as act the fool.

Act together See get their act together.

Act up To be awkward and/or refuse tocooperate.*

Action See action stations, actions speak louderthan words and piece of the action.

Action stations A command to beprepared to do something. The phrase isgenerally used jokingly when expectedvisitors are seen approaching (e.g. ‘actionstations! – Auntie Mabel is walking upthe drive’). The phrase was originally acommand given in the navy just beforebattle commenced.*

Actions speak louder than words Thishas two principal meanings. (1) It is moreeffective to do something than just talkabout it. Thus, a person is more likely toimpress others with how skilful they areat decorating by actually decorating aroom rather than just talking about how,one day, they will decorate a room. (2)People will be judged by what they dorather than what they say. Thus, anemployer who claims to be egalitarianbut who never actually employs peoplefrom ethnic minorities is likely to bejudged as being racially biased.*

Adam See don’t know from Adam.

Add fuel to the fire Means the same as fanthe flames.

Add fuel to the flames Means the same asfan the flames.

Add insult to injury Make a bad situationworse.*

Add up Be coherent and believable. Thephrase is usually heard in the negative(e.g. ‘it doesn’t add up’).*

Admirable Crichton A person who isgood at everything. Named after a char-acter of such attributes in a play by J.M.Barrie.*

Adrift See cast adrift.

Afraid of their own shadow Verynervous or cowardly.*

After a fashion To some extent. Thephrase is often used to describe some-thing that is recognisable as what it issupposed to be, but it is not done verywell.*

After all is said and done Means the sameas when all is said and done.

After doing it Be about to start to dosomething.*

After the fact After something hashappened. The phrase is often used todescribe the events after a crime hasoccurred.*

After their blood Angry and seeking tohave revenge and/or inflict punishment.*

After their head Means the same as aftertheir blood.

After their own heart Something thatpleases a person and is a good representa-tion of their own wishes or ideas;possessing similar attitudes.*

After their time Describes something orsomeone who worked or lived in a placeafter another person was there (e.g. ‘Inever met Jane Smith – she was after mytime in the office; I’d left and gone toanother job before she arrived’).*

Against the grain Against normal desiredpractice or inclination (e.g. if a personsays they are doing something but that ‘itgoes against the grain’ it means that theywould prefer to be doing it in a radicallydifferent manner).*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

14 / ACT

Against the stream Means the same asagainst the grain.

Against the tide Means the same as againstthe grain.

Against the wind Means the same asagainst the grain.

Against their religion Against theirbeliefs or principles (not necessarily reli-gious). The phrase is sometimes usedjokingly to describe something that aperson will not do because it would notbe typical of their behaviour (e.g. a lazyperson who will not do strenuous workbecause it is ‘against their religion’).*

Agony aunt A woman who acts as a coun-sellor or adviser in dealing with people’spersonal problems. The term originallyreferred to a person paid to run an adviceservice on personal problems in a news-paper. Originally all such people werewomen, but in recent times men have alsotaken on the role, and are known as agonyuncles.*

Agony uncle See agony aunt.

Agree to differ Agree to hold differentopinions on something and not argueabout it.*

Ahead of its time Highly innovative.There is often an implication that it is soinnovative that contemporaries have dif-ficulty understanding its true worth,which will only be properly appreciatedby later generations.*

Ahead of the game More advancedand/or foreseeing further than others.*

Air See air grievances, clear the air, hanging inthe air, hot air, in the air, into thin air, out ofthin air, up in the air and walk on air.

Air grievances To tell someone the com-plaints about them or the institution theyrepresent.*

Airs and graces A set of very formalmanners and behaviours indicative ofsomeone who is very ‘upper class’. Theterm is usually reserved for people whoare pretending to be socially superior and

are thus said to give themselves airs andgraces or put on airs and graces.*

Aladdin’s cave Any place that is full ofriches can be described as ‘an Aladdin’scave’. The phrase is a shortening of aslightly longer phrase (‘it’s like an Alad-din’s cave’) that makes reference to thefolk tale in which Aladdin found fabulousriches in a magically guarded cave.*

Alarm bells See set alarm bells ringing.

Alcohol talking Express opinions that areprobably the result of inebriation ratherthan an expression of something genu-inely believed or accurate.*

Alienate their affections Persuade some-one to lose affection for someone.*

Alive and kicking To be alive and healthy.The phrase is sometimes used to empha-size that someone presumed dead or ill isnot (e.g. ‘I thought he’d died’ – ‘No, he’svery much alive and kicking’).*

All around Means the same as all round.

All bets are off The phrase means that thesituation is unpredictable and it is impos-sible to foresee what will happen next.*

All-clear An indication that everything isall right and that something dangerousthat was a threat is no longer a threat. Theterm comes from World War II, when an‘all-clear’ signal was given after abombing raid was finished.*

All done with mirrors Done by deceptionand/or illusion.*

All ears Very attentive. Often used todescribe an attentive listener (e.g. ‘he wasall ears’).*

All ends up Totally.*

All eyes Very attentive. Often used todescribe someone who observes a lot (e.g.‘she was all eyes’).*

All fingers and thumbs Clumsy.*

All gas and gaiters Pompous.*

All Greek to me Incomprehensible.*

ALL GAS AND GAITERS / 15

All guns blazing See with all guns blazing.

All hands The total personnel working in aship. The phrase is sometimes used todescribe the total workforce in otherareas of work.*

All he [or she] wrote See that’s all he [or she]wrote.

All hell broke loose An exaggerated wayof saying that there was a loud distur-bance. The phrase is a quotation fromMilton’s poem Paradise Lost.*

All in a day’s work What can be expectedas part of the normal routine of a particu-lar occupation.*

All in good time A phrase indicating thatsomething will be done and that pester-ing about it is unnecessary.*

All mouth (1) Talkative. (2) Promises orthreatens a lot of things verbally, butnever actually does anything.** or ***

Note: this phrase is usually far moreinsulting when a person is told directly thatthey are ‘all mouth’ than when referring tosomeone who is not present at the time.

All mouth and no trousers Means thesame as all mouth (definition 2). Thephrase is often used to describe a boastfulman.* or **

Note: like all mouth, more insulting whentold to a person directly than when talkingabout someone not present at the time.

All of a dither In a confused and excitablestate.*

All of a doodah Means the same as all of adither.

All of a piece with… Consistent with… *

All over bar the shouting Almostfinished and with a very predictableoutcome.*

All over the lot Means the same as all overthe place.

All over the map Means the same as allover the place.

All over the place (1) In describing aphysical matter, ‘all over the place’ means

scattered all around, in a disorganizedmanner. (2) The phrase can also mean‘disorganized’ or ‘very bad, with littlecoordination’.*

All over the shop Means the same as allover the place.

All over the show Means the same as allover the place.

All packaging Something that is superfi-cially appealing but is in reality of poorquality.*

All roads lead to Rome A proverbexpressing the belief that seemingly dif-ferent events may have the same conclu-sion.*

All round (1) Fully comprehensive (e.g. ‘anall round good person’). (2) For everyone(e.g. ‘drinks all round’).*

All singing, all dancing Used jokingly todescribe any piece of equipment or tech-nology that is the latest model and haslots of extra features. The item inquestion does not necessarily have tosing and dance. The phrase is probablyderived from the rather exaggeratedprose used to advertise new plays andmovies (‘All singing! All dancing! Cast ofthousands!’ etc.).*

All talk Means the same as all mouth.* or **Note: generally less offensive than all mouth;level of politeness depends on context.

All that glistens The start of a proverb thatends ‘is not gold’. The phrase means thatnot everything that appears valuable isactually valuable.*

All that jazz And other similar things. Thephrase is often used in a dismissive senseto mean that the similar things arenonsense or of minor importance.*

All the rage Very fashionable.*

All the right buttons Someone whopresses or operates ‘all the right buttons’is competent at what they are doing.*

All their geese are swans People whobelieve that ‘all their geese are swans’

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

16 / ALL GREEK TO ME

have an unrealistically good opinion ofpeople or things. The phrase can denoteeither boasting or lack of critical facul-ties.*

All there Mentally sane and unimpeded byany intellectual handicap. Not all theremeans the opposite (though it is usuallyused to imply intellectual handicap ratherthan illness).*

All things being equal If nothing alters.Used to describe a calculation in which itis assumed that certain factors will notchange, thus simplifying the calcula-tion.*

All things to all people See be all things toall people.

All thumbs Means the same as all fingersand thumbs.

All to the good Good. Often used in theform ‘that’s all to the good, but’, meaning‘what has been stated is good, but thereare problems that have not been men-tioned’.*

All up with All finished with.*

Along about Approximately.*

Alpha and omega (1) The most importantaspects of something. (2) The first andthe last. The phrase comes from the first(alpha) and last (omega) letters in theGreek alphabet.*

Alright on the night As in ‘it’ll be alrighton the night’. The belief in theatricalworkers that a bad final rehearsal will befollowed by a successful first proper per-formance in front of a paying public.Thus, the belief that mishaps in rehears-ing or preparing for any big event willnot be repeated when the event itself isheld.*

Altogether See in the altogether.

Always the bridesmaid Start of a longerphrase that finishes with ‘but never thebride’. The phrase describes someone orsomething that is often the candidatefor something but ultimately is neverchosen.*

Always the way A phrase indicating thatthe outcome could have been predicted.The phrase nearly always expresses agloomy fatalism that no matter how hardsomeone has tried, a bad outcome wasinevitable because bad outcomes seem tobe the norm.*

Amateur night Something done ineptly.*

Ambulance chasing Making financialgain out of other people’s misery. Thephrase often specifically refers to lawyersmaking money from representingaccident victims in litigation cases.*

Ancient history Something that may oncehave been scandalous or exciting but thatis now such old news that it no longercreates any excitement or interest.*

And a happy birthday to you too A sar-castic response to someone who has justshown a display of bad temper.*

And a merry Christmas to you too Ifsaid sarcastically, the phrase can be usedas a response to a person who has justshown a display of bad temper. Thephrase is intended as sarcastic, since aresponse such as ‘and a merry Christmasto you too’ would be a normal responseto a pleasant greeting at Christmas time.*

And co. And the rest. The phrase is usuallyused after the name of one person – the‘and co.’ refers to the people usually asso-ciated with him or her (e.g. ‘John and co.were there’).*

And no mistake A phrase added on to theend of a statement intended to emphasizethe statement (e.g. ‘Hitler was a badperson and no mistake’).*

Angels See on the side of the angels.

Angry young man Phrase first used in the1950s to indicate a young, usually ideal-istic person who was dissatisfied with theexisting social and political system. Itdoes not mean that the person is neces-sarily angry with everything.*

Ankle biter A small child.*

ANGRY YOUNG MAN / 17

Another bite at the cherry Means thesame as second bite at the cherry.

Another thing coming See got anotherthing coming.

Ante See up the ante.

Ants in the pants To have ‘ants in thepants’ is to be restless and/or to fidget alot.*

Any day When following a statement ofpreference (e.g. ‘give me the old boss anyday’), a statement indicating that thestated preference is very stronglybelieved.*

Any day now Within a few days.*

Any minute now Soon.*

Any port in a storm The belief that in acrisis any source of relief and/or assis-tance is to be welcomed.*

Any time now Soon.*

Anyone’s guess Unknown.*

Anything goes No restraints or restric-tions.*

Ape (1) Copy. (2) A state of irrational rageor insanity (e.g. ‘when he sees whatyou’ve done to his car he’ll go ape’).*

Apeshit Means the same as ape, definition2, but not as polite.***

Apology for… A poor example of some-thing (e.g. ‘the meal Peter prepared wasan apology for home cooking’).*

Appeal from Philip drunk to Philipsober A request that someone reconsid-ers an earlier decision. It is usuallyimplied that the earlier decision wascapricious.*

Appeal to Caesar Make an appeal to themost important person or highest avail-able authority.*

Apple See entries below and: bad apple andupset the applecart.

Apple of their eye In other words, theirfavourite. It is usually used about people

rather than objects. The term is derivedfrom the fact that in the past ‘apple’meant the pupil of the eye.*

Apple pie bed A practical joke consistingof an arrangement of bed sheets thatmakes a bed appear normal, but whichare folded under the bed cover to preventa person lying at full length.*

Apple pie order Everything is correct andneat.*

Apple polisher A very sycophanticperson.*

Apple polishing Attempting to gainfavour with a person in a position ofseniority.*

Apple sauce Nonsense.*

Apples and oranges Means the same asapples and pears, definition 1.

Apples and pears (1) Describes an unfaircomparison because what are being con-sidered are too fundamentally differentfor the comparison to make sense. Thus,comparing apples and pears is a foolishthing – they taste different and whichone tastes nicer is a matter of personalopinion, not objective fact. (2) Thephrase is also used as Cockney rhymingslang for ‘stairs’ (e.g. ‘up the apples andpears to bed’).*

Apron strings See cut the apron strings andtied to the apron strings.

Are there any more at home like you?This is usually used as a chat-up line, andindicates that the person asking thequestion likes the person they areaddressing. If the tone of voice is sarcas-tic, however, it can be a mild rebuke tosomeone who is being a nuisance,meaning in essence, ‘please tell me therearen’t any more like you’.*

Are you sitting comfortably? This is typ-ically followed by the phrase ‘then I’llbegin’. The phrase is used jokingly tomean that someone is about to tell a(usually lengthy or complex) pieceof information. The phrase comes from

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

18 / ANKLE BITER

children’s TV and radio programmeswhere someone about to tell a story oftenbegins with this phrase.*

Argue the toss Argue about a decision thathas already been made.*

Ark See out of the ark and went out with the ark.

Arm and a leg See cost an arm and a leg.

Arm’s length The term is used to denotelack of friendliness rather than a literalphysical distance. Thus, keep at arm’s lengthmeans to avoid being too friendly orcommunicative with someone (e.g. ‘Paulremained polite to David but kept him atarm’s length, and never discussedpersonal matters with him’).*

Armchair critic A person who lacks anypractical or applied knowledge of asubject, but based on reading about itthey feel empowered to offer criticisms.The implication is that such a personknows too little about the subject, andinstead of criticising they should bequiet. A prime example of an armchaircritic is a physically unfit person whofeels they have the right to judge the per-formance of sportsmen and sports-women.*

Armed to the teeth (1) To possess a largequantity of weapons. (2) To be verywell-prepared for presenting an argu-ment. (3) To have a large quantity ofequipment.*

Armpits See up to the armpits.

Army See you and whose army?.

Army marches on its stomach Workersneed to be properly fed if they are tofunction efficiently.*

Around the clock Means the same asround the clock.

Arrow in the quiver A skill a person pos-sesses.*

Arse The word means ‘bottom’. It is rarelyused in American English. The word isconsidered moderately rude. Note that

most phrases containing ‘arse’ can substi-tute ass.***

Arse about face Back to front.***

Arse from their elbow See don’t know theirarse from their elbow.

Arse licking Means the same as ass licking.

Arse over tit To fall over. The phrase liter-ally means ‘bottom over chest’, but thephrase is used for anyone falling overrather than almost turning upside downwhilst falling.***

Art for art’s sake The belief that some-thing can be done just because it ispleasing, rather than for any practicalpurpose.*

Art form See developed into an art form.

Arthur Daley A tradesperson of dubiousmoral character, likely to sell goods thatare stolen and/or of much lower qualitythan advertised. The phrase is the nameof a fictional character in a British TVseries who was just such a tradesperson.*

Article of faith Something that is stronglybelieved and forms an important part of aperson’s general attitudes and behav-iour.*

As easy as ABC Very easy.*

As easy as pie Means the same as as easy asABC.

As every schoolchild knows Used todescribe a piece of very basic informa-tion.*

As far as it goes To its limits.*

As good as (1) Of equivalent quality. (2)Almost (e.g. ‘as good as done’ means ‘ithas almost been completed’).*

As much use as a chocolate fire screenOf no use.*

As much use as a chocolate teapot Of nouse.*

As near as damn it Slightly ruder versionof as near as makes no difference.**

AS NEAR AS DAMN IT / 19

As near as makes no difference Althoughnot exactly the same, it is close enough forall practical purposes.*

As nice as pie Very pleasant.*

As sure as eggs is eggs In other words,with absolute certainty.*

As the actress said to the bishop Thephrase is sometimes added after some-thing that could be construed as a doubleentendre. It either (1) indicates that theuse of the double entendre was deliber-ate and is highlighting it, or (2) indi-cates that the person realised as soon asthey made the double entendre that theyhad made a potential error and are nowjokingly apologising for it. The tone andcontext should indicate which meaningis intended.*

As the crow flies In a straight line.*

As you do A sarcastic comment on anextravagant claim or description (e.g. ‘wejust had to have a three week holiday inTibet this year’ leading to a reply of ‘asyou do’).* or **

Note: the phrase can be used as an insult aswell as a humorous comment. As an insult,it is implying that someone is beingpretentious or showing off.

Ask for it (1) To be deserving of punish-ment. Thus someone who gets bitten by adog after taunting the poor creature foran hour or so might be said to have beenasking for it. (2) There is an offensivesexist use of the term that ‘justifies’ rapeby saying that a woman ‘provocativelydressed’ is making a sexual display and‘must’ be ‘asking for it’ (i.e. wantingsex).* (1) or *** (2)

Ask for the moon Ask for something thatis impossible to attain.*

Ask me another A joking reply to aquestion, that means ‘I don’t know’.*

Asking for trouble Behaving in a mannerthat greatly increases the probability of aproblem or an argument being created.*

Asleep at the switch Means the same asasleep at the wheel.

Asleep at the wheel Inattentive to the jobthat is supposed to be done.*

Ass See ass licking, bet your…, bust their ass,chew their ass, don’t give a rat’s ass, drag ass, gettheir…into gear, haul ass, kick ass, kick theirass, kiss ass, licking ass, pain in the ass, piece ofass, put their ass in a sling, tear ass and whiptheir ass. Note that most phrases contain-ing arse can subsitute ‘ass’ for ‘arse’.

Ass licking Being obsequious to the pointof stupidity – e.g. being helpful beyondany reasonable expectation, being far toopolite and conciliatory and/or agreeingwith everything a person more powerfulin status says and does, regardless ofwhether it is correct. The phrase is mostoften used of someone behaving like thisin the hope of gaining promotion atwork.***

Ass on the line Ruder version of head on theline.***

At a canter Easily done.*

At a lick Rapidly.*

At a loose end Have nothing to do.*

At a low ebb In a poor condition. Thephrase is used quite commonly to mean‘depressed’.*

At a pinch Describes something that willjust about suffice for the task, but is notan ideal choice. See in a pinch.*

At a push Means the same as at a pinch.

At a rate of knots Moving rapidly.*

At a stretch (1) Something that can bedone ‘at a stretch’ can be done, but notwithout greater effort than usual. (2) In asingle period of time.*

At death’s door Seriously ill, with a highprobability of dying.*

At each other’s throats Constantlyattacking or criticising each other.*

At full cock With all strength and/orability.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

20 / AS NEAR AS MAKES NO DIFFERENCE

At half cock Inadequately prepared orinept.*

At hand What has to be done now (e.g. ‘thetask at hand’).*

At heel Under close supervision orcontrol.*

At loose ends Means the same as at a looseend.

At sea To be confused and/or incapable ofcoping with a situation.*

At sixes and sevens To be in a state of con-fusion.*

At the…face A description of being atwork within a particular profession (e.g.‘at the coalface’ means working as aminer, ‘at the chalkface’ working as ateacher, etc.) *

At the bottom of it To be the original ormost important cause (e.g. ‘althoughseveral people were behind the rebellion,Jack was at the bottom of it’).*

At the crossroads At a point of decidingbetween several options. The phrase gen-erally implies that these choices areimportant ones.*

At the double Quickly.*

At the drop of a hat Describes a willing-ness to do something with very littleencouragement.*

At the end of the day (1) Literally ‘at theend of the day’ or ‘at the end of a workshift’. (2) What needs to be done after allthings have been considered (e.g. ‘at theend of the day the decision is yours’).*

At the last minute With very little time tospare.*

At the touch of a button A phrase used toemphasize that an automated process ormachine is very easy to use (e.g. ‘you canhave hot water at the touch of a button’).*

At their beam-ends To be desperate; thephrase nearly always means that thecause of the desperation is a shortage ofresources.*

At their fingertips Easily accessed.*

At their wits’ end To have tried to dealwith a problem logically and calmly butfailed.*

Atmosphere that could be cut with aknife Describes the feeling of being in atense or dangerous situation.*

Auld lang syne See for auld lang syne.

Avenue See every avenue explored.

Away with the fairies Daydreaming orabsent-minded.*

Awkward age Adolescence; so calledbecause it as an age at which many peoplebehave awkwardly, question the rele-vance of society, etc., but also areawkward in performing adult tasks, suchas courtship, assuming more responsibil-ity and so forth.*

Awkward squad (1) A group of peoplewho require further training before theywill be competent to perform the tasksthey have been assigned to do. (2) Peoplewho are predisposed to be uncoopera-tive.*

Axe See axe to grind and given the axe.

Axe to grind This generally means one oftwo things: (1) being obsessed with aparticular cause or argument; or (2)having a secret reason for wanting some-thing as well as the reason givenpublicly.*

Ayes have it Meaning that the people whosupport a proposed change are in themajority, and thus the change will bemade. The phrase comes from a methodof voting (used in, e.g., the UK Parlia-ment) in which people for a motion arecalled ‘ayes’ and those against are called‘noes’. Hence, the noes have it means thatthe majority are against change, and sothings will stay as they are.*

AYES HAVE IT / 21

BBabes in the wood People who are

innocent of what is going on aroundthem. The phrase is often used of peoplewho become involved in something theylack the experience to handle.*

Baby bathed See won’t get the baby bathed.

Baby boomer Person born just after WorldWar II. So called because there was adramatic increase in the birth rate (a ‘babyboom’) in the late 1940s.*

Baby out with the bath water See throwthe baby out with the bath water.

Back burner See put on the back burner.

Back door An unofficial method. Also seein by the back door.*

Back down Allow something to happen oracknowledge an argument that had pre-viously been opposed.*

Back in harness Doing a particular taskonce more. The phrase is often used ofsomeone returning to their job after avacation or illness.*

Back in the swing of things Returned tonormality after a period of absence orillness.*

Back into it See put their back into it.

Back is turned See when a person’s back isturned.

Back number (1) An issue of a magazine ornewspaper that was issued before thecurrent issue. (2) A person whose skillsand/or knowledge are not up to date.*

Back of a cigarette packet Follows thesame meaning as back of an envelope.

Back of a fag packet Follows the samemeaning as back of an envelope. ‘Fagpacket’ means cigarette packet in UKEnglish.*

Back of a lorry See off the back of a lorry.

Back of an envelope See on the back of anenvelope.

Back of beyond Somewhere geographi-cally distant; there is usually an implica-tion that the place is also culturally unso-phisticated.*

Back of Bourke Australian slang: meansthe same as back of beyond.

Back of the mind Something that is beingthought about, but is not currently beingconcentrated upon.*

Back of their brain If a person says theyhave something ‘at the back of theirbrain’ then it means they feel they have afaint memory of something that theycannot quite recall.*

Back of their hand See like the back of theirhand.

Back of their head Means the same as backof their brain.

Back off (1) A warning to stop interferingand/or to physically move further away.(2) Retreat.* (2) or ** (1)

Note: this is a phrase that if used in thesense of definition 1 usually does indicatethat a person means it, no matter what theirnormal language is like.

Back out Withdraw from involvement insomething.*

Back seat See entry below and: take a backseat.

Back seat driver A person not in a positionof power who attempts to control theactions of a person in a position of powerby telling them what to do. The phraserefers to a passenger telling the driverhow he or she should be driving.*

Back story What has previously takenplace. The phrase is often used for moviesequels, where knowledge of the ‘backstory’ (i.e. what happened in the earliermovies) is necessary in order to under-stand fully the plot of the current movie.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

22 / BABES IN THE WOOD

Back the wrong horse Make an inappro-priate choice. The phrase often refers tochoosing to support the person whoturns out to be the loser in a struggle forpower. *

Back to basics To reject complicatedmethods or details and return to a simplermethod.*

Back to square one To go right back tothe start. The origin of the phrase mayrefer to games such as snakes and ladders,where an unfortunate throw of the dicelate in the game might result in landingon a snake and thus sending the playerback to the start (i.e. ‘square one’).Another explanation is that it refers to asystem of describing the layout of afootball field, and a ball sent back tosquare one was in essence the start of anew series of plays.*

Back to the drawing board To go rightback to the start. The phrase derives fromengineering designs that are so utterlywrong when put into practice that theyhave to be redesigned from the begin-ning (i.e. the point at which the first plansare produced on a drawing board). See onthe drawing board.*

Back to the jungle To return to a moreprimitive way of living. Based on theargument that our ancestors originallylived in jungles.*

Back to the wall To be in a difficult situa-tion with little obvious chance of help.*

Back up Support. Also see get their back up.

Backbone See put backbone into them.

Backroom deal Secret negotiations.*

Backs to the wall In a difficult situation.*

Bacon See bring home the bacon and save thebacon.

Bad apple An unpleasant or immoralperson. The term can be used to indicatethat such people are inevitable (e.g.‘there’s a bad apple in every bunch’). Itcan also imply that such a person is likelyto corrupt those around them (in the

same way that a bad apple stored withgood apples will pass a rotting fungus tothem and eventually destroy all thestored fruit).*

Bad blood Describes a state of hostilitybetween two people or groups (e.g. ‘therehad been bad blood between the neigh-bours since the argument over the newfence’).*

Bad business See business.

Bad form Something that is a breach of eti-quette.*

Bad hair day A day when everythingseems to be going wrong.*

Bad-mouthing Saying unpleasant thingsabout something or someone.*

Bad news A person is said to be ‘bad news’if they are likely to cause trouble or be ahindrance.*

Bad place See in a bad place.

Bad quarter of an hour A particularlyunpleasant short period of time.*

Bad taste in the mouth An unpleasantfeeling about an event or experience.*

Bad to the bone (1) Totally evil. (2)Lacking a sense of moral responsibility.*

Bag See bag of tricks, in the bag, mixed bag, notmy bag and pack their bags.

Bag and baggage Everything.*

Bag of tricks The term can either refer to aspecialist collection of equipment (e.g.‘the technician came along with her bagof tricks and soon mended the computer’)or the specialist skills of a person.*

Bail out (1) Abandon a failing enterprise(an analogy to bailing out of an aircraftabout to crash). (2) Rescue someoneand/or pay off their debts (an analogy tobailing a person out of jail).*

Bail up To physically corner someone.*

Baker’s dozen Thirteen.*

BAKER’S DOZEN / 23

Balanced personality Describes a personwith no unusual behaviours. The phrasecomes from the idea that some partof personality can be imagined to belike weights put on a balance. If onepartof a personality is over-imposing,then it would be like a too-heavyweight that would not balance with theother weights available. See unbalancedpersonality.*

Balancing act (1) The process of trying todo several tasks within the same space oftime (e.g. ‘Jenny had a busy day – she hadto do a tricky balancing act of taking thechildren to and from school, visiting thedentist’s, dealing with her correspon-dence, and checking in with her office’).(2) Attempting to please several people,often with conflicting demands.*

Ball See entries below and: behind the eightball, crystal ball, crystal ball gazing, drop theball, have a ball, have a lot on the ball, howlong is a ball of string?, keep balls in the air,keep the ball rolling, keep their eye on the ball,new ball game, on the ball, play ball, set theball rolling, pick up the ball and run with it,take the ball and run with it and whole ball ofwax.

Ball and chain A hindrance; somethingthat restricts movements or activities. Thephrase is sometimes used jokingly torefer to a husband or wife.*

Ball at their feet A person with the ‘ball attheir feet’ has the best chance they willget of achieving what they want to do.*

Ball-breaker A person who takes perversepleasure in giving work to someone elsethat is ball-breaking. To be called a‘ball-breaker’ is insulting and usuallyimplies the person is very angry with you,but in describing someone else the term(although very rude) may just indicatethat they demand high standards.***

Ball-breaking Something is said to beball-breaking if it is very troublesome,difficult and/or time-consuming. Seeball-breaker.***

Ball is in their court In other words, theresponsibility for doing something restswith them. The phrase comes from tennis– the ball cannot be played by someoneuntil it is in their part of the court.*

Ball of fire A lively person. The phrase isoften used sarcastically to mean someonewho is dull (e.g. ‘boy, he’s a ball of fire’said in a sarcastic tone means that theperson is boring).*

Ball of string See how long is a ball of string?

Ballistic See go ballistic.

Balloon’s gone up Something importanthas started. The phrase probably derivesfrom the twentieth-century use ofbarrage balloons (large balloons teth-ered to wires) that were raised as a primi-tive (but effective) defence against anincoming air attack.*

Ballpark See ballpark figure, in the ballparkand in the same ballpark.

Ballpark figure An estimate.*

Balls (1) Testicles. (2) An expression ofdisgust or denial (e.g. ‘that’s balls!’ or‘that’s a load of balls!’). (3) A synonym forcourage (e.g. ‘you’ve got a lot of balls todo something that brave’).***

Balls-up A serious mistake.***

Banana oil Nonsense.*

Banana republic (1) A country of minoreconomic importance (almost always inCentral America) whose economicfortunes depend on exporting a foodstuff(such as bananas). The term almostalways has an additional supposition thatthe country has a corrupt government,police force, judiciary, etc., and is techno-logically backward. (2) The phrase issometimes used to indicate a badly runcompany or office that is rife with cor-ruption and inefficiency. Both definitionsare insults.*

Note: For obvious reasons of politeness, thephrase ‘banana republic’ should not be usedwhen speaking or writing to a person froma banana republic (either definition).

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

24 / BALANCED PERSONALITY

Banana skin See slip on a banana skin.

Band See when the band begins to play.

Bandwagon See jump on the bandwagon.

Bang for the buck Value for money.*

Bang goes… The term means ‘this is theruination of…’ (e.g. ‘When we heardabout the opening of the toxic wasterecycling plant next to our home, all Icould think was “bang goes the neigh-bourhood”’).*

Bang heads together Tell a group ofpeople off. The phrase is usually used todescribe telling off a group of peoplewho have been arguing and squabblingbetween themselves.*

Bang on Absolutely correct.*

Bang their head against a brick wallEngage in a very frustrating task.*

Bang to rights An admission that an accu-sation is correct (as in ‘you’ve got mebang to rights’). The phrase derives froma slang expression by criminals caughtcommitting a crime. These days it is gen-erally used more lightly to indicate that aperson is admitting to making a milderror.*

Bank See entry below and: break the bank,cry all the way to the bank and laugh all theway to the bank.

Bank on it If a person feels that they can‘bank on it’ then they feel certain that itwill happen.*

Baptism of fire A first experience of some-thing that is far more difficult ordemanding than might be normallyexpected.*

Bar none With no alternatives or excep-tions (e.g. ‘she is the best bar none’).*

Bare bones The simplest possible form ofsomething which works or makes sense;in other words, something with no extra-neous details.*

Bargain basement (1) A store or part of astore selling very cheap goods (typically

slightly damaged goods or goods that areno longer fashionable). (2) Somethingthat is cheap. There is usually an implica-tion that it offers a very rudimentary per-formance when compared with moreexpensive versions.*

Bargepole See wouldn’t touch them with abargepole.

Bark at the moon Waste time on a protestthat has no effect. Named after the phe-nomenon that dogs will sometimes barkat the moon in the night sky.*

Bark is worse than their bite The actualpunishments a person makes are far lesssevere than their threats of punishmentwould have one expect. The phrase bite isworse than their bark means the opposite(i.e. their punishments are worse thantheir threats would suggest).*

Barking up the wrong tree To havearrived at an inaccurate conclusion. Thephrase is derived from hunting – a dogfollowing a scent trail that barked when ithad ‘found’ its target hiding in one treewhen it was in fact in another would ofcourse be barking up the wrong tree.*

Barnstorming performance A display ofgreat skill. The term is sometimes usedmore negatively to describe somethingnot very subtle.*

Barrack room lawyer A non-lawyer whoclaims to know everything about aperson’s legal rights and entitlements andby extension what is and is not permissi-ble. It is often implied that the personwho is a troublemaker is anxious toprovoke conflict over (often spurious)demands for ‘legitimate rights’.*

Barrel See barrel of laughs, give both barrels, onthe barrel and over a barrel.

Barrel of laughs Something very amusing.The phrase is more often used sarcasti-cally (e.g. ‘that funeral was a barrel oflaughs’).*

Base See first base, off base, touch all the basesand touch base.

BASE / 25

Bash See have a bash.

Basket case In a poor state of health (typi-cally the term describes mental illhealth).**

Bat See bat out of hell, go in to bat for them, notbat an eyelid, off their own bat, play with astraight bat and right off the bat.

Bat out of hell Describes somethingmoving very quickly (e.g. ‘it set off like abat out of hell and was soon out ofsight’).*

Baton See pass the baton and pick up the baton.

Bats in the belfry To be insane.*

Batten down the hatches Prepare for adifficult situation. The phrase refers tosealing hatches on a ship in preparationfor stormy weather.*

Battle lines are drawn The principalcauses of a conflict are established – i.e.all the sides in a conflict know what theywill consider a successful conclusion.*

Battle of the bulge The psychological andphysical effort involved in dieting andexercise in an attempt to lose weight. Thephrase is a punning reference to theBattle of the Bulge, a key battle of WorldWar II.*

Battle of the giants A contest betweentwo people or groups who are notablyskilful.*

Battle royal A vigorous (and often byimplication vicious) contest. The termprobably derives from a particularlybarbaric version of cock fighting.*

Battle stations A warning to prepare forimminent combat. The phrase is oftenused jokingly when faced with a difficultsituation (e.g. ‘battle stations, everyone –the boss is on her way and she’s in a badmood’).*

Bay See bay for the moon, baying for blood andkeep it at bay.

Bay for the moon Means the same as barkat the moon.

Baying for blood Demanding punish-ment or revenge.*

Be a devil An encouragement to do some-thing not quite correct, but which will beenjoyable or rewarding (e.g. encouragingsomeone on a diet to have a cream cake,saying ‘be a devil – one cake won’t harmyour diet’).*

Be all things to all people Be liked byeveryone. The phrase often implies thatthe reasons why some people express aliking may be different from the reasonswhy other people express a liking.*

Be-all and end-all The most perfect formsomething can take. Hence, if somethingis not the be-all and end-all then it is not theonly thing that might be of use.*

Be crook on Be angered by.*

Be expecting Be pregnant.*

Be in at the death Witness the end of anevent (not necessarily a death).*

Be in good company Hold the sameopinion as other, more exalted people(this does not guarantee that the opinionis correct, however).*

Be it on their head It is their responsibil-ity.*

Be laughing Be in a state of contentment(e.g. ‘you’ll be laughing once the con-tract’s accepted’).*

Be my guest A phrase indicating permis-sion to do something or to carry on doingsomething. The phrase is usually used asa reply to a question such as ‘do you mindif I do this?’*

Be real Means the same as get real.

Be seeing you Means the same as I’ll beseeing you.*

Be the death of … The cause of someone’sruination or death. The phrase is nearlyalways used in an exaggerated fashion toindicate that someone is being amusing.*

Be there for them Offer support and assis-tance for someone.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

26 / BASH

Be there or be square A now rather datedphrase meaning ‘unless you attend thisevent, you are very unfashionable’.*

Beach bum A person who spends most oftheir time lazing on a beach rather thanbeing constructively employed.*

Bead See take a bead on.

Beam-ends See at their beam-ends.

Bean See bean counting, full of beans, howmany beans make five?, not have a bean, notworth a hill of beans and spill the beans.

Bean counting Derogatory term for: (1)being concerned with the facts andfigures of something rather than its emo-tional consequences; (2) putting consid-erations of profit and business beforemoral or spiritual considerations; (3)occupations that involve working withnumbers, such as statistics or accoun-tancy.*

Bear See bear with a sore head, do bears crap inthe woods? and loaded for bear.

Bear fruit Be successful.*

Bear the brunt Endure the majority ofsomething unpleasant, such as a punish-ment.*

Bear with a sore head A person with abad temper.*

Beat See entries below and: chest beating, ifyou can’t beat them join them, miss a beat, notmiss a beat and off the beaten track.

Beat a path Make a journey with greatdetermination to reach the destination.*

Beat a path to their door Show greatinterest in a person. The phrase is usuallyused in the context of a group of peoplebeating a path to someone’s door afterthe person has done something thatmakes him or her famous.*

Beat a retreat Retreat or withdraw. Thephrase comes from the army, when at onetime the signal for troops to withdrawfrom the battlefield would be made by adrum beat.*

Beat about the bush Means the same asgoing round the houses.

Beat around the bush Means the same asgoing round the houses.

Beat at their own game Defeat a person atsomething they are skilled at doing.*

Beat swords into ploughshares Movefrom being aggressive to being peace-ful.*

Beat that An expression indicating that itwill be hard to do better than somethingjust done. Depending upon who says it,the expression can range from an expres-sion of admiration (e.g. from a neutralspectator) to one of defiance (e.g. if saidby the person who did the deed tosomeone about to attempt the sameaction as in e.g. an athletics field event).*

Beat the band Be better than everyoneelse.*

Beat the bejesus out Means the same asbeat the daylights out.

Beat the bushes Try hard to achieve some-thing.*

Beat the clock Work quickly.*

Beat the daylights out Physically assaultwith great severity.**

Beat the drum Actively and prominentlysupport a cause or person.*

Beat the living daylights out Means thesame as beat the daylights out.

Beat the meat Masturbate.***

Beat the pants off Prove to be far betterthan another person (e.g. ‘Peter beat thepants off Richard’).*

Beat the rap Evade punishment.*

Beat the system (1) Find a method ofdoing something that is supposedly for-bidden by a set of rules and/or regula-tions. The phrase is more often heard inthe form you can’t beat the system, thatargues that some regulations and institu-tions (particularly the legal system)

BEAT THE SYSTEM / 27

cannot be defeated. (2) Find a method ofdefeating something elaborately struc-tured and seemingly impossible todefeat.*

Beat them hollow Defeat decisively.*

Beat them to it Succeed in doing some-thing before another person.*

Beat to a pulp Inflict severe damage.*

Beat to the punch Anticipate someone’schoice of action.*

Beat to the world Means the same as deadto the world.

Beaten at the post Be defeated at the lastmoment.*

Beating the chest See chest beating.

Beautiful people People noted for theirgood looks, wealth, and belonging to afashionable part of society. The term isoften used sarcastically either aboutpeople who obviously aren’t beautiful,fashionable or rich, or otherwise may beused as a negative comment about peoplewho are beautiful, rich and fashionable,but are otherwise unappealing.*

Beaver away Work hard.*

Because it is there A reply given whenquestioned about the motivation to dosomething which is impractical and/ordangerous. The speaker is basically indi-cating that they want to do it simplybecause it is a challenge. The phrase wasfirst used by a mountaineer called GeorgeMallory, who was asked why he wantedto climb Mount Everest. It is perhapsworth noting that Mallory was killedtrying to climb Mount Everest.*

Bed See bed of nails, bed of roses, curiousbed-fellows, get into bed with them, get out ofbed on the wrong side, in bed with, put it to bedand they’ve made their bed they’d better lie in it.

Bed of nails A disagreeable situation.*

Bed of roses An agreeable situation withno problems.*

Bedclothes See born the wrong side of the bed-clothes.

Bedside manner A medical doctor’s orsurgeon’s skills at talking and listening topatients. The phrase usually is used in amore specific sense of how pleasant thepatient finds the experience (e.g. a doctorgood at diagnosing problems but who isrude to patients might be said to be ‘agood clinician with a bad bedsidemanner’). The phrase is sometimes usedto describe the communication skills ofnon-medical people.*

Bee in their bonnet Having a preoccupa-tion about something (generally, some-thing that is annoying rather thanpleasant) – e.g. ‘Sally has a bee in herbonnet about getting rid of the greenflyin the garden’.*

Bee’s knees Joking term meaning ‘thebest’.*

Beef about Complain about.*

Beeline See make a beeline.

Been around If a person has ‘been around’then they are experienced.*

Been in the wars Appearing damaged.*

Been there before Already have experi-ence of an identical or very similar itemor event.*

Been there, done that A jaded or con-temptuous dismissal of a proposal to dosomething, because the person hasalready done it.*

Beer and skittles See not all beer and skittles.

Beer talking Means the same as alcoholtalking.

Before the Flood A very long time ago.*

Before their time (1) Describing some-thing that happened before a person wasalive or before they were in a particularjob (e.g. ‘Smith worked here before mytime’). (2) Describing someone who hasideas too advanced or modern for themto be accepted by their contemporaries

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

28 / BEAT THEM HOLLOW

(e.g. ‘her ideas were before her time and itwas another 50 years before their worthwas appreciated’).*

Before they could say… Followed by aword or phrase (a common one is ‘JackRobinson’, but there are many others).Indicates that something happened veryquickly.* or ** or ***

Note: politeness rating depends on thewords used to finish the phrase. Mostversions are innocuous.

Beg the question Make an argumentwithout providing proof. Thus, a state-ment which ‘begs the question’ raises alogical point which needs an answer forthe statement to make complete sense(e.g. the phrase ‘I hate liver and onionsand I ate a whole plate of it’ begs thequestion ‘why eat so much of somethingyou hate?’).*

Beggar belief Be so incredible (in the strictsense of the word, meaning ‘beyond cre-dence’) that it is extremely difficult tobelieve it.*

Beggar on horseback A person who hasacquired riches or power and has alsobecome unpleasant.*

Begging See going begging.

Beginning of the end The start of aprocess that leads to the end of some-thing. The phrase is nearly always used todescribe something seen as the harbingerof something unpleasant.*

Behind closed doors In secret.*

Behind the eight ball To be in a difficultposition. The term comes from the gameof pool and refers to being in a positionwhere it is very difficult to play a shot.*

Behind the scenes Secretly, or withoutwidespread knowledge.*

Behind the times Lacking up-to-dateinformation.*

Behind their back If something is donebehind a person’s back, it is done withoutthem being aware of it. Usually it is

implied that this is done in order to harmthe person.*

Believe it or not The phrase indicates thatwhat follows, although sounding incred-ible, is in fact true (e.g. ‘believe it or not,people have gone to the Moon’).*

Believe you me A statement stressing thetruthfulness of what is being said (e.g.‘believe you me, this is an importantissue’).*

Bell See bell the cat, bells and whistles, ring abell, ring their bell, saved by the bell and setalarm bells ringing.

Bell the cat Undertake a dangerous job onbehalf of a group.*

Belle of the ball The most beautifulperson at a social gathering.*

Bells and whistles Describes extra facili-ties that are provided with a piece ofequipment or similar that generally areentertaining but provide no particularlyuseful practical purpose.*

Belly-up See go belly-up.

Bellyful See have a bellyful.

Below par Means the same as under par.

Below stairs (1) The area below street levelin houses so equipped. (2) The servants ina (rich) household. This use of the phrasecomes from the fact that the servants typ-ically did a lot of their work (e.g.cooking) in the below stairs area. (3) Themembers of staff considered least impor-tant by the management of a company (injoking reference to definition 2).*

Below the belt Describes behaviour that isunfair, often with an implied sadisticintention (e.g. ‘asking her about herrecently deceased mother at the inter-view was below the belt’). The phrasecomes from boxing – punches below thebelt (i.e. that could hurt the genitals) arenot allowed. Contrast with under the belt.*

Below the salt Inferior social status.*

BELOW THE SALT / 29

Belt and braces Having extra safetymeasures in place in case the primary setof safety measures fail. In other words,like wearing both a belt and braces (sus-penders in US English) to preventtrousers falling down.*

Bend over backwards To do everythingpossible. The phrase is usually used toemphasize how hard the work has been(e.g. ‘I’ve bent over backwards doing thisproject’).*

Bend the elbow Drink alcoholic bever-ages.*

Bend their ear Talk to someone. Thephrase usually indicates that this talkgoes on too long and is far fromrelaxing.*

Bend their ear back Means the same asbend their ear.

Bend with the wind (1) Alter opinions tosuit the prevailing mood. (2) Alter toadjust to changing conditions.*

Beneath them Describes something that issocially, intellectually and/or morally ofsuch inferior status that it cannot beimagined that the person being discussedwould do it.*

Benefit of the doubt See give them thebenefit of the doubt.

Benjamin’s mess Means the same asBenjamin’s portion.

Benjamin’s portion The largest share.The phrase is from the Old Testament, inwhich Benjamin ( Joseph’s brother)receives a substantially larger proportionof food servings than his brothers.*

Bent out of shape Irritated and bad-tempered.*

Berth See give them a wide berth.

Beside themselves with anger To be veryangry.*

Best bet The wisest option to choose (e.g.‘your best bet is to buy it now, becauseonce the sale is over it will cost a lotmore’.)*

Best bib and tucker The most formal,smartest clothes. The phrase does notimply baby clothes or overalls, butinstead refers to items of clothing thatwere once part of formal women’s wear.*

Best foot forward Make the best possibleattempt at something. The phrase isprobably an amendment of an earlierphrase ‘best foot foremost’, which wouldbe appropriate advice in adopting, e.g., afighting pose in facing an opponent incombat.*

Best of a bad lot Someone or somethingthat is not very good, but was better thanwhat else was available.*

Best of both worlds If something is the‘best of both worlds’ then it combines thebenefits of more than one thing.*

Best of British Short for ‘the best ofBritish luck’, which means simply ‘goodluck’.*

Best will in the world See with the best willin the world.

Bet See all bets are off, bet your…, best bet, don’tbet on it, good bet, hedge their bets, I bet andsafe bet.

Bet your… Followed by the name ofsomething precious to the person. Thisvaries in politeness: e.g. ‘you bet yourlife’, ‘you bet your bottom dollar’ or ‘youbet your last cent’ (the latter two mean‘bet everything you have’) are harmless.On the other hand, ‘you bet your ass’ isslightly ruder (the phrase refers to a partof the anatomy, not a donkey). The termmeans ‘it’s absolutely certain’, the impli-cation being that a person could wagersomething very precious to themselveson the outcome because it is an absolutecertainty.* or ** or ***

Note: politeness rating depends on theword or words used to finish the phrase.

Better dead than red The slogan ofright-wing members of NATO duringthe Cold War that it would be better toperish in a nuclear war than live undercommunist rule imposed by a victoriousWarsaw Pact. This led to the riposte from

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

30 / BELT AND BRACES

anti-nuclear war campaigners that is wasbetter red than dead, meaning that it wasbetter to live, albeit under an unpleasantregime, than suffer a nuclear war. Thephrases are sometimes more generallyapplied to situations where resistance tosomething unwelcome has considerablecosts.*

Better half Joking term for partner (partic-ularly husband or wife). The phrase wascreated by Sir Phillip Sydney, who meantit rather more seriously.*

Better late than never Phrase expressingthe argument that it is better that some-thing is done than it is not done at all(regardless of whether it is done punctu-ally).*

Better nature A person’s more gentle,accepting personality attributes.*

Better red than dead See better dead thanred.

Better safe than sorry Phrase expressingthe argument that it is better to becautious and avoid injury than to be hastyand get hurt. The phrase is often used as ajustification for doing something slowlybut carefully, even if it puts things behindschedule.*

Better than a poke in the eye with asharp stick Means that something,although not the best possible, is betterthan other far worse alternatives.*

Better the devil known Meaning that it ispreferable to deal with an unpleasantperson whose personality and tactics areknown rather than someone unknown,who may be nicer, but who could also befar nastier. There are several permutationsof this phrase.*

Betting is that It is anticipated that.*

Between a rock and a hard place Meansthe same as between the Devil and the deepblue sea.

Between the Devil and the deep bluesea Faced with choosing between two

alternatives, both equally unattractiveand dangerous.*

Between the eyes See right between the eyes.

Between the lines The true meaning ofsomething as opposed to its superficialappearance.*

Between you, me and the bedpostMeans the same as between you, me and thegatepost.

Between you, me and the gatepost Aphrase indicating that what follows isconfidential and should be told tonobody else.*

Between you, me and the wall Means thesame as between you, me and the gatepost.

Betwixt and between Of uncertainidentity.*

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts (1) Awarning to be wary of a gift or otherfriendly act that is given for no logicalreason. (2) A warning to be wary ofenemies who suddenly begin acting in aconciliatory fashion. The phrase isderived from the story of the TrojanHorse, which was a gift from the Greeksto the Trojans, and which resulted in thefall of Troy.*

Beyond me See it’s beyond me.

Beyond the black stump Lacking theamenities that are considered normal inan industrialized society.*

Beyond the grave If someone ‘reachesfrom beyond the grave’ it means that evenafter they have died, the effects of whatthey did whilst alive are still being expe-rienced.*

Beyond the pale Denotes behaviour that isunacceptable by normal standards. Thephrase derives from pales, which wereEnglish settlements in occupied coun-tries. Within the pales English law wasobeyed, but outside it was not. Hence,beyond the pale lay activities not con-trolled by English law and custom, which(in English eyes, if nobody else’s) ‘must’be uncivilized.*

BEYOND THE PALE / 31

Beyond their wildest dreams Somethingthat exceeds all expectations.*

Bib See best bib and tucker.

Bible thumping Having a strong zeal forexpounding Christian doctrine. Thephrase often infers a Christian whostrongly emphasises the punishmentsdirected at non-believers at the expenseof consideration of forgiveness and toler-ance.*

Big… A person described as ‘the big…’followed by a single word (e.g. ‘fish’,‘wheel’, ‘gun’, ‘noise’) is likely to be themost important person in a particulargroup or organisation. However, contextis vital in making this judgement. See bigcheese.*

Big ask (1) Something that is difficult toachieve. (2) A request to do somethingthat is demanding or onerous.*

Big bickies Australian colloquialismmeaning ‘lots of money’.*

Big boy (1) A man experienced enough tobe able to cope (e.g. ‘Brian is a big boynow, he can handle this problem byhimself ’). (2) A large muscular or fat man.There is often an innuendo that the manhas a large penis.* (1) or ** (2)

Big Brother is watching you In otherwords, somebody is checking up on whatyou are doing. The phrase nearly alwaysrefers to the government or anotherimportant organisation such as the policeforce or tax inspectors. It is derived from1984, a novel by George Orwell, in whicheveryone led a miserable life and whereevery activity was controlled by a govern-ment headed by a mysterious butever-present man called ‘Big Brother’.*

Big butter and egg man An insulting termdescribing a person who has become asuccess in a small town or country regionwho then moves to a big city to try toappear to be a big success there. There isusually an implication that such a persongets things hopelessly wrong, does notknow the right social moves, etc.*

Big cheese The most important person in agroup or organisation. The phrase is acorruption of an Urdu phrase meaning‘important thing’.*

Big Daddy The leader of a group.*

Big deal (1) An important event or thing.The phrase is often used in the questionwhat’s the big deal? (meaning, ‘what is soimportant?’), asked when someone ismaking a fuss over something the speakerthinks is unimportant. (2) The phrase canbe used in the negative (no big deal) toindicate that something is not important.(3) Used sarcastically, the phrase canmean ‘who cares?’ (e.g. ‘big deal! –nobody’s interested’).*

Big E See give the big E.

Big enchilada Means the same as big cheese.

Big fish in a small pond A person orgroup who dominate a small set of peopleor groups. The implication is that if therewere more people or groups, there wouldbe a good chance that there would beother people/groups who would bemore powerful.*

Big girl (1) A woman experienced enoughto be able to cope (e.g. ‘Berenice is a biggirl now, she can handle this problem byherself ’). (2) A woman with a curvaceous,muscular or fat figure. There is often aninnuendo that the woman has largebreasts.* (1) or ** (2)

Big girl’s blouse The phrase is usedto describe a male who is seen ascowardly.**

Big noise An important person.*

Big tick and a gold star A joking way ofoffering praise.*

Big time Fame, riches and/or success.*

Big white chief See great white chief.

Bill and coo Show affection. The phrase isoften used of couples in the early stage ofa relationship. The phrase is derived fromthe courtship behaviour of pigeons anddoves.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

32 / BEYOND THEIR WILDEST DREAMS

Bind hand and foot Limit activitiesand/or freedom of movement.*

Bird See bird has flown, bird in the hand, bird ofpassage, bird’s-eye view, birds and the bees,birds of a feather, do bird, early bird, eat like abird, flip the bird, for the birds, get the bird,give them the bird, have a bird, kill two birdswith one stone, little bird told them and rarebird.

Bird has flown The statement ‘the bird hasflown’ means that someone has disap-peared or escaped.*

Bird in the hand The start of a saying – ‘abird in the hand is worth two in the bush’(i.e. a bird already captured is worth twobirds a person has yet to capture; if theonly place a captured bird can be kept isin the hand, chasing after more birdsmeans having to put down the birdalready caught, which would thenescape). The saying implies that it isbetter to be content with what one hasalready got, since going after somethingbetter may mean losing what is alreadyowned and without the guarantee ofgetting something else. Thus, a ‘bird inthe hand’ is something that may not bethe best available, but at least there is thecertainty of owning something.*

Bird of passage A person who rarely staysin one place or job for very long.*

Bird’s-eye view (1) The view from above(i.e. as a bird flying overhead would seeit). (2) The phrase is sometimes used tomean an overview or summary, typicallyfrom someone who can offer an impartialjudgement.*

Birds and the bees A euphemism for‘sexual intercourse’. Most often usedwhen describing teaching a child thebasic information about sex (e.g. ‘John’smother told him about the birds and thebees’).*

Birds of a feather People with similarinterests or opinions. Shortened form ofthe saying ‘birds of a feather sticktogether’ (meaning: people of similar

interests or opinions tend to be friendlywith each other).*

Birthday suit Nakedness.*

Biscuit See take the biscuit.

Bit See entries below and: champ at the bit, dotheir bit and get the bit between the teeth.

Bit of a do A party (e.g. ‘we’re having a bitof a do on Saturday night – would youlike to come?’).*

Bit of a to-do An argument (e.g. ‘Brian andCathy’s disagreement over the weddingplans led to a bit of a to-do between theirrespective families’).*

Bit of all right Something or someoneagreeable. A person considered ‘a bit ofall right’ is usually being referred to assexually desirable rather than for anyother aspect of themselves.**

Bit of crackling An attractive woman. Theterm is dated and offensive.***

Bit of fluff A derogatory term for awoman, typically a girlfriend seen asbeing attractive but unintelligent.Although once considered acceptable,the term is now thought to be offensiveand should be avoided.***

Bit of rough A person of coarse or unso-phisticated manners and appearance. Thephrase is nearly always used as a descrip-tion of a sexual partner who is appealingto people with certain tastes becausetheir coarseness and lack of sophistica-tion are found sexually exciting. Seerough trade.***

Bit of skirt Means the same as bit of fluff.

Bit of stuff Means the same as bit of fluff.

Bit on the side (1) Secretly having sexualrelations with someone other than anofficial partner. (2) A person who engagesin this activity (e.g. ‘he was her bit on theside’). (3) Money earned in addition to asalaried job (usually with the implicationthat this is illicit payment not beingdeclared to the tax authorities).**

BIT ON THE SIDE / 33

Bit rich A comment that someone is beinghypocritical (e.g. ‘it’s a bit rich him com-plaining like that about Sue when hisbehaviour was just as bad’).*

Bit thick (1) Slightly stupid. (2) Unfair. (3)Exaggerated or inaccurate.* (2 and 3) or** (1)

Bitch goddess A person who ‘worships thebitch goddess’ is obsessed with makingmoney and gaining status above consid-erations of friendship, compassion, etc.**

Bitch slap (1) A blow to the side of thehead. (2) A rebuke to a person to remindthem that they are of inferior status.**

Bite at the cherry An opportunity to dosomething. See second bite at the cherry.*

Bite is worse than their bark See bark isworse than their bite.

Bite me A general-purpose retort express-ing displeasure with someone.*

Bite off more than they can chew To beover-ambitious and attempt somethingthat is too difficult.*

Bite the big one Die.*

Bite the bullet Accept a punishment ordifficult situation without complaining.The phrase comes from the fact that inthe days before anaesthesia, soldiersbeing operated on on the battlefield weregiven a bullet to bite on, rather than cryout.*

Bite the dust Die, or be defeated. In spiteof being a staple phrase of Westerns, thephrase is probably English in origin.*

Bite the hand that feeds Show ingrati-tude by offending or hurting a personwho has shown kindness and/or offeredmonetary or other support.*

Bite their hand off Eagerly accept anoffer.*

Bite their head off Respond in anunpleasant or aggressive manner. Thephrase often implies an irrationally severeresponse.*

Bite their lip Suppress the urge to saysomething in the interests of keeping asecret or avoiding starting an argument.Refers to the action of pressing the teethinto the lower lip (without drawingblood) as a facial gesture indicating that aperson could say something on thesubject but is not going to.*

Bite their tongue Means the same as bitetheir lip.

Biter bit Describes a person coming toharm by the methods that he or sheusually uses to do harm to others.*

Bits and bobs A collection of unimportantthings.*

Bits and pieces Means the same as bits andbobs.

Bitten by the bug Gain a strong enthusi-asm for something (e.g. ‘she was bitten bythe stamp collecting bug at an earlyage’).*

Bitter end The very final section of some-thing. If a person did something ‘to thebitter end’ it generally is implied that heor she did all that it was possible to do.*

Bitter pill Something that is accepted withdifficulty. The phrase is nearly alwaysused in the larger phrase ‘a bitter pill toswallow’.*

Black See entries below and: beyond theblack stump, in the black and not as black asthey are painted.

Black and blue Severely bruised. Thus,‘beat someone black and blue’ and similarphrases mean to hit someone hard andrepeatedly.*

Black and white (1) Describes theopinions and thoughts of someone whothinks of things in terms of being totallyright or totally wrong, and who does notrecognize that some things are neitherwholly right nor wholly wrong (e.g. ‘hethinks of things in black and white –he can only perceive absolutes’). (2)Describes something that is very clearlydescribed with no possibility of doubt

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

34 / BIT RICH

(e.g. ‘the matter is a simple black andwhite issue’). (3) Describes somethingprinted or written so that there is nodoubt of its existence (e.g. ‘of course it’strue – there it is in black and white intoday’s newspaper’).*

Black books A list of people in disgrace, indebt, or similar. Hence to be in someone’sblack books is to be in disgrace. Not to beconfused with little black book.*

Black box (1) A device whose contents areunknown, but that given a particularinput is known to produce a particularoutput. More generally, any device thatclearly does something, but whoseinternal workings are either unknown orare known but are too difficult to under-stand by non-experts. (2) A device (e.g.on aircraft) that records the mechanicalperformance of an aircraft along withbearing, altitude, etc., and if the planecrashes, can provide valuable informationon what the plane was doing just before itcrashed. This device is not coloured black(it is usually a bright orange colour) butits name is derived from the fact thatpilots called it the ‘black box’ (using defi-nition 1) because they claimed not tounderstand how it worked.*

Black dog Depression.*

Black look An expression of disgust oranger.*

Black mark The phrase is often used in alarger phrase such as ‘a black markagainst their name’ or ‘a black markagainst someone’. It means that a personis noted for having done something thatis disapproved of by other people.*

Black market The trade in illegal or stolenproperty (e.g. ‘there is a thriving blackmarket trade in counterfeit goods’).*

Black sheep A person who differs from therest of a group or family, and who isusually considered to lead a shameful orembarrassing life. The phrase comes froma superstition that black sheep were moreaggressive or unpleasant than whitesheep.*

Black spot An area with a reputation forsomething unpleasant (e.g. an ‘accidentblack spot’ is an area where there is ahigher than usual proportion of acci-dents).*

Blank See blank cheque, blank look, draw ablank and fire blanks.

Blank cheque [or check] A promise topay anything. If person B has a blankcheque from person A, it means thatperson A has authorized person B to buywhatever person B thinks is appropriate,and that person A will pay the bill.*

Blank look A facial expression indicatingno recognition.*

Blanket See born the wrong side of the blanketand wet blanket.

Blarney stone See kissed the Blarney stone.

Blast from the past (1) Something capableof evoking clear memories of a past event.(2) Something that was very popular inthe past (particularly a pop song ormovie).*

Blaze See blaze a trail and like blazes.

Blaze a trail Be the first to do somethingthat other people can then imitate andimprove upon.*

Blaze a way Means the same as blaze a trail.

Bleed dry Make very weak. The phraseusually refers to someone who has to paysome large bills.*

Bleed white Means the same as bleed dry.

Bleeding hell Means the same as bloodyhell.

Bleeding obvious Very obvious. Thephrase usually denotes that something isso obvious that it did not have to bestated.**

Bless their little cotton socks A jokingphrase of praise.*

Blessing in disguise Something which atfirst appears bad, but which may in factbe good. For example, not winning anelephant in a raffle.*

BLESSING IN DISGUISE / 35

Blind See entries immediately followingthis one, and also effing and blinding, flyingblind, go it blind, play a blinder and rob themblind.

Blind alley A piece of thinking that iswrong and has to be rejected. The term isoften used in research and other forms ofinvestigation where people must examinea wide range of ideas and theories, someof which are useful and some of whichare ‘blind alleys’.*

Blind as a bat To have poor eyesight.*

Blind bit of… The phrase emphasizeswhat follows (e.g. ‘it won’t make a blindbit of difference’ emphasizes that it willhave no effect).*

Blind date An arranged meeting (usually a‘date’ in the sense of seeing someonewith romantic intentions) for two peoplewho do not know each other but whom amutual acquaintance believes will findeach other attractive.*

Blind leading the blind Poor leadershipwith underlings obediently followingbad commands. The phrase comes fromthe New Testament.*

Blind spot (1) An area in the field of visionwhere nothing can be seen. (2) An area ofknowledge of which a person is ignorant.The phrase is often used more specificallyto imply a failure to recognize somethingthat others can clearly understand (e.g.‘everyone else knows that Edmund is aliar, but Tony seems to have a blind spotabout him and cannot see this’).*

Blind test A situation in which people testthe worth of something withoutknowing important aspects of its identity(e.g. testing the tastes of different types ofcola without knowing the brand namesof the colas they are tasting).*

Blind with science Use superior knowl-edge of science or technology (especiallythrough use of jargon) to confuse anotherperson.*

Blink of an eye Something that happensin ‘the blink of an eye’ happens veryquickly.*

Blinkered vision Having only a limited oreven just a single opinion about some-thing, and being unwilling to change.The term is derived from horse racing;some horses are fitted with blinkers(hoods that partly cover the eyes) thatprevent them seeing much to either sideof them.*

Block See knock their block off, on the block,out of the blocks, put their head on the block,round the block and stumbling block.*

Blonde See entry below and: don’t be blonde.

Blonde moment A moment of lack ofintelligent thought. The phrase ispotentially offensive and should beavoided.***

Blood See entries below and: after theirblood, bad blood, baying for blood, coldblooded, first blood, hot blooded, in cold blood,in their blood, like getting blood out of a stone,make their blood boil, make their blood curdle,make their blood freeze, make their blood runcold, new blood, out for blood, scent blood,sweat blood and young blood.

Blood and iron Military power. Thephrase is often used to indicate the use offorce rather than persuasion.*

Blood and sand An exclamation ofannoyance.**

Blood and thunder (1) Violent or veryenergetic physical activity. (2) Exagger-ated claims or expressed feelings (e.g. ‘thepresident’s speech on the day war wasdeclared was full of blood and thunder’).*

Blood is thicker than water A saying thatclaims that loyalty to family members isgreater than loyalty to anything else.*

Blood is up A person whose ‘blood is up’ isin an argumentative mood.*

Blood money Money gained from thedeath of a person. The phrase can thusmean: (1) money paid as compensation torelatives of a dead person; (2) money paid

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

36 / BLIND

to someone to commit a murder; or (3)money paid to a person who providesinformation on where someone accusedof murder is hiding. The phrase can alsobe used contemptuously to denotemoney taken by a person for doing some-thing that involves betraying friends, col-leagues, and/or principles.*

Blood on the carpet Describes a seriousargument in a company or other institu-tion (e.g. ‘there was blood on the carpetduring the pay dispute’). The phrase is adeliberate exaggeration, and does notimply that blood has actually been spilt.*

Blood on their hands People who areresponsible for the death of someone aresaid to have ‘blood on their hands’. Thephrase can refer to murder, or to causing adeath by accident.*

Blood, sweat and tears A piece of workthat requires blood, sweat and tears is onethat requires a great deal of effort. Thephrase is an exaggeration, and does notimply that the task will in reality requireanyone to bleed, sweat or cry.*

Blood will out A phrase expressing thebelief that, eventually, a person’s geneti-cally inherited characteristics (particu-larly those affecting personality) willdisplay themselves, no matter how theyhave been raised.*

Blood’s worth bottling If someone’s‘blood’s worth bottling’, then they areseen as being a pleasant person and/or agood worker.*

Bloody but unbowed Still resolved on thesame course of action in spite of receivingserious disappointments or pain.*

Bloody hell An exclamation of annoyance,either used by itself as a one-off piece ofswearing, or in various grammatical per-mutations (e.g. ‘what the bloody hell’sgoing on here, then?’, ‘bloody hell, whatdo you think you’re doing?’, etc.). Thephrase was at one stage considered moreoffensive than it is these days, but thefrequency of its use in the media hasdesensitized people to it, and it is now

considered a relatively mild piece ofswearing by many people. Nonetheless,avoid using the phrase if possible.**

Bloody Norah An expletive.**

Bloom is off the rose Something is nolonger as novel or exciting as it was origi-nally.*

Blot on the landscape An ugly buildingor other artificial feature that mars theappearance of area in which it is located.By extension, anything that mars an oth-erwise agreeable situation.*

Blot on their copybook A poor piece ofwork or misbehaviour that harms aperson’s reputation. A copybook was aschool writing book used to practise pen-manship. Obviously, a blot of ink wouldmake a page of calligraphy look untidy.*

Blot on their escutcheon Something thatharms their reputation. An escutcheon isa heraldic shield.*

Blouse and skirt An exclamation ofsurprise (West Indian).**

Blow a fuse Be angry.*

Blow a gasket Means the same as blow afuse.

Blow a hole in Render useless.*

Blow away (1) Impress with a high level ofskill. (2) Kill.*

Blow away the cobwebs Gain a newoutlook on something or feel livelierafter a period of being relatively listless.The phrase often implies this is becauseof the rejection of old methods ofthinking and/or behaving.*

Blow-by-blow account An account ofeverything that happened (as opposed toa summary of what happened).*

Blow chunks Vomit.**

Blow high, blow low A phrase used todescribe something that is inevitable.*

Blow hot and cold To alternate betweenenthusiasm and apathy. See go hot andcold.*

BLOW HIGH, BLOW LOW / 37

Blow off course Cause a serious disrup-tion in plans.*

Blow off steam Release pent-up anger,energy or frustration.*

Blow out of the water Utterly refute anargument or claim.*

Blow sky-high (1) Completely refute anargument. (2) Utterly destroy somethingby an explosion.*

Blow the doors off Be considerably betterthan someone or something else.*

Blow the gaff Reveal a secret.*

Blow the lid off (1) Become uncontrolla-ble. (2) Reveal a secret.*

Blow the whistle Means the same as blowthe gaff.

Blow their cover Discover the trueidentity of someone who has been usinga false identity.*

Blow their mind Do something thatstrongly affects another person (typicallyby doing something that they thoughtwas impossible).*

Blow their own trumpet Be boastful.*

Blow their socks off (1) Impress them. (2)Have a profound impression because ofits strength. The phrase is usually appliedto a strong alcoholic drink or a very hotspicy meal such as a very hot curry. Notethat because of blow them’s definition (2),there is the potential for a doubleentendre with these phrases.*

Blow their top Become angry.*

Blow them (1) In UK English, the phrase isan expression of annoyance. (2) In USEnglish, the phrase means ‘to engage inoral sex’.* (1) or *** (2)

Blow them away Impress them. Note thatbecause of blow them’s definition (2), thereis the potential for a double entendrewith this phrase.*

Blow them off Sometimes used in thesame way as blow them, but morecommonly means ‘annoy them’.*

Blow up in their face If something‘blows up in a person’s face’, then a plan aperson has made has gone wrong and, inthe process of going wrong, has causedserious problems for the person.*

Blow with the wind Change opinions orplans according to what others are doingor what circumstances dictate. Thephrase is usually an accusation of failingto be resolute rather than praise for beingaccommodating and/or pragmatic.*

Blowing the money Spending largeamounts of money. The implication isusually that this is all the money a personhas or more money than they can affordto spend.*

Blown away Strongly impressed and/orpleased.*

Blue-arsed fly A busy person.**

Blue-eyed boy [or girl] An especiallyfavoured person.*

Blue movie Movie that gives a graphicdepiction of sexual activity.*

Blue pencil Censorship or censoring. Socalled because censors of wartime corre-spondence would often scribble outoffending passages of writing using ablue pencil.*

Blue sky research Research directed atnew areas of study without considerationof possible commercial benefits.*

Blue streak See talk a blue streak.

Blue touch-paper See light the blue touch-paper.

Blue yonder See wide blue yonder.

Bluff See call their bluff.

Blushes See spare their blushes.

Board See above board, across the board, backto the drawing board, bring on board, come onboard, go by the board, on board, on the

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

38 / BLOW HOT AND COLD

drawing board, sweep the board and take onboard.

Boat See float the boat, in the same boat, push theboat out and rock the boat.

Bob and weave Make ducking andside-to-side movements (akin to those ofa boxer in a fight).*

Bob’s your uncle A phrase which basi-cally means ‘there you have it!’ It isusually used after describing a process orplan, and carries the meaning that thingswill be easily achieved. Numeroustheories of the origin of this phrase havebeen made, but there is no single plausi-ble explanation.*

Body and soul The phrase means ‘bodyand mind’ and is used to emphasize thatthe speaker is working hard at somethingand is fully committed to the aims of theproject he or she is working on (e.g. ‘I’mgiving body and soul to this piece ofwork’). *

Body beautiful A body shape consideredto be attractive.*

Body blow A problem that causes seriousdifficulties.*

Bog off Impolite way of saying ‘goaway’.**

Bog standard Normal or unexceptionalquality.*

Boil See boil down to, come to the boil and offthe boil.

Boil down to Reduce to its basic compo-nents. Thus ‘boiling down’ a lengthystory means giving a summary of it.*

Bold as brass Outward-going and bravewithout apparent concern for whatothers might think of this behaviour. Thephrase may be derived from a Mr Brass(one time Mayor of London) noted forbehaviour of this type. Others haveargued that it is because brass, like allmetals, has no feelings and thus cannotcomprehend the comments made aboutit. Because it looks like gold, it might be

assumed to be more noticeable than othermetals.*

Bollocks (1) Testicles. (2) An expression ofdisgust or denial (e.g. ‘that’s a load ofbollocks!’). (3) A derivative – ‘bollocking’– means a severe reprimand (e.g. ‘he got abollocking for making that mistake’).***

Bolt See bolt from the blue, make a bolt for andshot the bolt.

Bolt from the blue Something completelyunexpected.*

Bomb See go like a bomb and put a bomb underit.

Bondi See give them bondi.

Bone See entries below and: bare bones, closeto the bone, cut to the bone, feel in the bones,make no bones about it and work their fingersto the bone.

Bone of contention The cause of anargument or a disagreement.*

Bone to pick Having a cause for anargument with someone.*

Bone up on Study.*

Book Used as a verb, the term can mean toreserve something (e.g. theatre tickets oran appointment) or to note somebodydown for punishment (e.g. ‘the refereebooked the soccer player’). See blackbooks, bring to book, can’t judge a book by itscover, close the book, closed book, cook thebooks, go by the book, in my book, in their badbooks, in their good books, little black book,little red book, make a book, on the books, openbook, read them like a book, suit their book andthrow the book at them.

Boom boom! Used after telling a joke toindicate that that is the end of the jokeand that it is funny. The phrase was origi-nally used by stand-up comedians, butthese days is usually used in a more ironicfashion to indicate that the joke isn’t allthat funny (which of course begs thequestion – why tell the joke in the firstplace?). A variant is I don’t wish to knowthat, kindly leave the stage, which was said

BOOM BOOM! / 39

by one of a pair of comedians on stageafter the other had told a joke.*

Boot See entries below and: died with theirboots on, fill their boots, given the boot, hangup their…, heart sinks into the boots, lick theirboots, pull themselves up by their bootstraps,put the boot in, quake in their boots, sevenleague boots, step into their boots, to boot, totheir bootstraps, too big for their boots andtough as old boots.

Boot is on the other foot The situation isreversed (e.g. if person A was dominantover person B but now person B isdominant over person A, then it could besaid that ‘the boot is on the other foot’.*

Boots and all Totally.*

Bootstraps See pull themselves up by theirbootstraps and to their bootstraps.

Bore the arse off Be very boring.***

Bore the backside off Be very boring.**

Bore the pants off Be very boring.*

Bored rigid Means the same as bored stiff.

Bored stiff To be very bored (though partsof the anatomy do not have to becomestiff ).*

Bored to death To be very bored. Thephrase is not literal.*

Bored to tears To be extremely bored(though crying is not necessary). Thephrase may refer to crying out of frustra-tion at being bored, or may refer to a stateof such boredom that a person forgets toblink and thus tears well up in their eyes.*

Born See entries below and: don’t know theyare born, not got the manners they were bornwith, there’s one born every minute and to themanner born.

Born and bred A person who is said to be a‘born and bred’ something (e.g. ‘a bornand bred academic’, ‘a born and breadbaker’) is felt to be so utterly suited forsomething by background and upbring-ing that it is difficult to imagine thembeing anything else.*

Born in the purple Born to wealthy andinfluential parents.*

Born the wrong side of the bedclothesMeans the same as born the wrong side of theblanket.

Born the wrong side of the blanketBorn to unmarried parents.*

Born with a silver spoon in theirmouth Describes a person born into arich family. Typically there is the addedimplication that the family, as well asbeing rich, has considerable influenceand is possibly aristocratic.*

Both feet on the ground Sensible andpractical and thus unlikely to be prone todaydreaming or impractical thoughts.*

Bottle out Lose courage.*

Bottom See entries below and: at the bottomof it and get to the bottom of it.

Bottom drawer Collection of basic house-hold items bought by an unattachedperson (usually woman) living in theparental home, in preparation for the daywhen they marry/cohabit and need thesaid items in a home of their own.*

Bottom falls out of it Typically describeshow a once-prosperous industry sudd-enly becomes unprofitable because con-sumers suddenly buy another product(e.g. ‘after an initial period of prosperity,the bottom fell out of the dot.commarket’). Can also describe a suddendecline in popularity in other things.*

Bottom line The most important facts in asituation (e.g. ‘forget the details – what’sthe bottom line?’). The phrase is oftenused to indicate the things that must bedone (rather than things that are desirablebut not essential).*

Bottom of the heap At the least powerfuland/or prestigious position.*

Bottom of the ladder Means the same asbottom of the heap.

Bottom of the pile Means the same asbottom of the heap.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

40 / BOOT

Bottom out Reach the lowest point (e.g. ofa line on a graph).*

Bottom rung Means the same as bottom ofthe heap.

Bottoms up A salutation before drinkingan alcoholic drink. The request is to tipthe bottom of the glass upwards in orderto drink the contents – it does not refer tothe drinkers’ bottoms.*

Bought it Died.*

Bought the farm Means the same as kickthe bucket.*

Bounce an idea off them Discuss an ideawith someone.*

Bouncing off the walls (1) Angry.*(2) Overexcited and lively.*

Bowing and scraping Being over-respectful to the extent that other peoplethink a person looks ridiculous. The termcomes from terms for polite gestures ofobedience.*

Bowl a googly Do something unexpected.The phrase usually carries the implica-tion that it is not only unexpected butalso presents difficulties.*

Bowl of cherries An agreeable situation orexperience.*

Box and cox Share accommodation with.*

Box clever Be skilful, but cautious.*

Box into a corner Force a person into aposition where they have a restrictedrange of options. The phrase comes fromboxing: a weaker opponent can bemanoeuvred by the tactics of the strongerboxer into a corner of the boxing ring,where he (or she) is more vulnerable toattack.*

Boy next door See girl next door.

Boys will be boys An argument thatapparently idiotic behaviour is to beexpected from young males because it is‘in their nature’. The argument has littlescientific merit and cannot be accepted asa valid reason for loutish behaviour.*

Brahms and Liszt Slang for ‘drunk’. Thephrase comes from Cockney rhymingslang.*

Brainstorming session A group meetingwhere ideas on how to solve a problem orattain a particular target are discussed.The implication is usually that discussionwill not be restricted by having to followa rigid agenda.*

Brass farthing Something of no worth.The phrase is usually used in a statementsuch as ‘I wouldn’t give a brass farthing’,and thus is used to indicate that whateveris being discussed is of little or no value –e.g. ‘I wouldn’t give a brass farthing fortheir chances’ (i.e. ‘I feel their chances arepoor’) or ‘I couldn’t give a brass farthing’(i.e. ‘I have no interest in the matter’).*

Brass hats Senior officers in the armedservices. Named after the brass ornamen-tation on the caps of their uniforms.*

Brass monkey weather Very coldweather. The term is derived from thephrase ‘it’s cold enough to freeze theballs off a brass monkey’. The origins ofthat rather colourful phrase are notknown for certain, though interestingtheories have been advanced.**

Brass neck Insolence.*

Brass ring A desirable prize (e.g. ‘the com-petitors tried hard as they were allreaching for the brass ring’).*

Brass tacks The most important parts of adiscussion. The phrase let’s get down tobrass tacks means ‘let’s talk about thereally important things we must discussrather than talk about minor details’.*

Brassed off Means the same as cheesed off.

Brazen it out Survive criticism or interro-gation by persisting in expressing anexplanation that is false, or at least notcompletely truthful. The inference is thata person continues to express their storyuntil the critics or interrogators give uptrying to disprove the story.*

BRAZEN IT OUT / 41

Bread and butter (1) The main or solesource of income (e.g. ‘I earn my breadand butter in a rather dull job’). (2) Theroutine parts of a job (e.g. ‘my bread andbutter work is a matter of checking thatforms are filled in correctly, but occasion-ally I get to do something rather moreunusual and exciting’). (3) A descriptionof a dull or unrewarding job (e.g. ‘it’sbread and butter work’).*

Bread and butter letter A letter written asa matter of routine, especially a letterfrom a guest thanking the host or hostessfor their hospitality during a visit.*

Bread and circuses A description of whatkeeps the majority of the populationhappy. The phrase comes from AncientRome, when it was said that most of thepopulation could be kept content with asteady supply of basic foodstuffs andregular entertainments such as theRoman circuses (i.e. gladiatorial combats,criminals being fed to wild animals, etc.).The phrase is sometimes used in a derog-atory sense to indicate either that a lot ofpeople can be satisfied with very basicthings and have few intellectually stimu-lating interests. It can also be used toimply that government or industry bossesare offering superficial forms of happi-ness to keep people happy rather thandealing with more serious problems.*

Bread is buttered See know which side thebread is buttered.

Bread upon the waters See cast bread uponthe waters.

Breadline See on the breadline.

Break a butterfly on a wheel Use exces-sive force to achieve something.*

Break a leg The phrase actually means‘good luck’. The phrase was originallyused amongst actors, where it is oftenconsidered unlucky to say things such as‘good luck’ before a performance.*

Break bread with Eat with.*

Break cover Become noticeable after aperiod of being hidden from view. The

phrase can refer to someone who literallywas hidden and can now be seen, or to aperson who appears in public after aperiod of being reclusive.*

Break fresh ground Means the same asbreak new ground.

Break new ground Do something innova-tive.*

Break of day Dawn.*

Break rank A person who ‘breaks rank’elects to do something that is notapproved of by the group to which theybelong.*

Break ship Fail to return to a job after avacation.*

Break the back (1) To weaken something(e.g. ‘I’ve broken the back of the struc-ture, so it should easily fall’). (2) To dealwith the hardest parts of a task, therebymaking the rest of the task easier (e.g. ‘hebroke the back of the problem’).*

Break the bank To spend more than ispossessed in savings. The phrase ‘it won’tbreak the bank’ means that a person canafford to buy it. It is sometimes used tosuggest that a person is being mean withtheir money and that their complaintsabout how expensive something is areunreasonable because they can easilyafford to buy it.*

Break the ice Use an ice breaker.

Break the mould Do something innova-tive.*

Break their back A phrase meaning towork very hard (e.g. ‘I’m breaking myback on this task’).*

Break their neck Means the same as breaktheir back.

Breast beating Means the same as chestbeating.

Breath See breath of fresh air, breath of life,hold their breath, in the same breath, save theirbreath, take the breath away, waste their breathand with bated breath.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

42 / BREAD AND BUTTER

Breath of fresh air (1) A welcome changefrom the usual activities. (2) A person issaid to act like a breath of fresh air if theirarrival creates an improvement on whatwas happening before they came.*

Breath of life (1) Something that is essen-tial for continued survival. (2) A revivingforce.*

Breathe down their neck Constantlyharass or scrutinize with unnecessarythoroughness.*

Breathe fire Be extremely angry.*

Bred in the bone See what’s bred in the bone.

Brewery See couldn’t organize a piss-up in abrewery.

Brick short of a load Insane or intellectu-ally ungifted.*

Brick wall See like banging their head against abrick wall.

Bricking it Means the same as shit bricks.

Bridesmaid See always the bridesmaid.

Bridge See bridge the gap, build bridges andcross that bridge when we come to it.

Bridge the gap Create a connectionbetween two things or people previouslythought to have nothing in common oreven to be hostile to each other (e.g. ‘real-ising that the merger would help both ofthem bridged the gap between thechairmen of the two companies’).*

Bridge too far Something that is justbeyond what is realistically attainable.Thus, someone attempting to reach abridge too far is destined to fail.*

Brief See hold a brief.

Bright as a button Intelligent and/orcheerful and/or lively.*

Bright-eyed and bushy tailed Means thesame as bright as a button.

Bright spark A clever person. The phraseis nearly always used sarcastically.*

Bright young thing An intelligent youngadult. The phrase is nearly always used todescribe someone who is not only intelli-gent but also attractive (and almostinvariably a young woman) with afriendly outgoing personality.*

Bring a plate On a party invitation, itmeans ‘bring food appropriate for a partywith you’.*

Bring down a peg or two To lower instatus, typically as punishment for arro-gance.*

Bring down about their ears (1) Ruin anactivity. (2) Create misfortune.*

Bring down the curtain Finish anactivity.*

Bring down to earth Forcibly remindsomebody with an unrealistic interpreta-tion of a situation of the true state ofaffairs.*

Bring home Make the importance ofsomething apparent.*

Bring home the bacon To be successfulor, more generally, to earn money. Thephrase probably derives from the ancientcustom of giving sides of bacon or ham asprizes in competitions.*

Bring in from the cold Revive someone’sor something’s popularity after a periodof unpopularity.*

Bring into play Introduce somethingnew.*

Bring on board Integrate into a plan orinclude in a group.*

Bring the house down Be a great successwith an audience.*

Bring them in on it Make someone part ofa plan or scheme.*

Bring to bay Capture. The term is fromhunting with packs of dogs – the ‘bay’refers to the baying of hounds that havetrapped the prey.*

Bring to book Punish in a court of law.*

BRING TO BAY / 43

Bring to heel Bring under close supervi-sion or control.*

Bring to their knees Considerablyweaken and/or defeat.*

Bring to their senses Make someoneadopt a more logical opinion or behav-iour.*

Bring up short Do something that forcessomeone to stop what they are doing.*

Bring up to code Renovate to makeacceptable to new standards of regula-tions.*

Bring up to speed Bring up to date:inform someone of all the relevant infor-mation.*

Broad as it’s long Describes the fact thattwo or more alternatives are equallydesirable (e.g. ‘it’s as broad as it’s longwhether you do A or B first’).*

Broad beamed Rather larger in the hipsand buttocks than might be deemed aes-thetically appealing.*

Broad church Any organisation or groupthat accepts people with a wide range ofbeliefs or methods of dealing with thesame situation.*

Brown study Daydream.*

Brown tonguing Means the same as asslicking.

Browned off To be bored.*

Brownie points Credit or praise for doinga particular task.*

Bubble See entry below and: on the bubbleand prick the bubble.

Bubble has burst A situation that was suc-cessful has suddenly and dramaticallybecome a failure. The phrase often carriesthe implication that the situation wasnever truly successful in the first place,and that much of the supposed successwas in fact illusory (e.g. ‘the dot.combubble has burst and shares have plum-meted’).*

Buck-passing Means the same as passingthe buck.

Buck stops here See passing the buck.

Buck up Show increased effort and/orliveliness.*

Buck up their ideas Show increased effortand quality of work.*

Bucketing down Raining heavily.*

Buckley’s chance Australian phrasedenoting no or little chance of success.*

Bug Can mean an irritating person (e.g.‘he’s an annoying little bug’), to annoy(e.g. ‘stop bugging me!’) or an illness (e.g.‘a lot of people have a nasty flu bug at themoment’). See also bitten by the bug.* or **

Note: a request to ‘stop bugging me’ israther less polite than a general statementthat, e.g., ‘work is bugging me’.

Bugger all Ruder version of damn all.**

Buggin’s turn A task which everyone inturn has to do, rather than one whichsomeone is chosen to do because of theirabilities. For example, in an officeeveryone may take turns to make themorning coffee.*

Bugs them Annoys them.*

Build a better mousetrap A phrase indi-cating that some inventions or innova-tions will have guaranteed success. Itderives from the old saying that if aperson invents a better mousetrap, theneveryone will beat a path to that person’sdoor (in other words, everyone will wantto buy the new mousetrap). At a timewhen household vermin were morecommon than today, this may have beentrue, but these days the phrase is prover-bial rather than a recipe for guaranteedcommercial success.*

Build bridges Persuade people or groupspreviously hostile towards each other tobecome friends, or at least to be lesshostile.*

Built like a brick shithouse Strong-looking.***

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

44 / BRING TO BOOK

Built on sand Created on insecure founda-tions and thus likely to collapse. Thephrase is used particularly of logicallyunsound arguments.*

Bulge See battle of the bulge and have the bulgeon.

Bull at a gate See charge like a bull at a gate.

Bull in a china shop A person who istactless or upsets people by not doingsomething with sufficient care and atten-tion.*

Bullshit Bertie A person who talks a lot ofnonsense but is under the delusion thatthey are an expert.***

Bully for… Followed by ‘you’ or ‘them’ or‘him’ or ‘her’ etc. The phrase means ‘welldone’ (e.g. ‘bully for you – you did reallywell in your exams’). The phrase is oftenused sarcastically.*

Bum In UK English, the word is slang for aperson’s bottom, and is consideredslightly rude. In US English, the wordmeans ‘of poor quality’ or ‘a hobo’ or ‘avagrant’ and is considered far less rude.*(USA) or ** (UK)

Bum bandit British abusive slang for amale homosexual. A very offensiveterm.***

Bum steer Misleading information.*

Bum’s rush To be ignored or rejected.*

Bump along the bottom Perform at aconsistently poor level.*

Bumper to bumper Close together.*

Bums on seats ‘Bottoms on seats’ – inother words, a theatre audience. Thephrase usually refers to the need to attracta large enough audience to make atheatre commercially viable (e.g. ‘thecritics hate him, but he’s good at gettingbums on seats’).*

Bundle of laughs Means the same as barrelof laughs.

Bunny See bunny boiler and happy bunny.

Bunny boiler A person with psychopathicor revengeful tendencies. The phrase isoften used jokingly of an ex-boyfriend orgirlfriend who was vindictive when therelationship finished. The phrase isderived from the film Fatal Attraction, inwhich a spurned woman revenges herselfon the man who rejected her by boilinghis daughter’s pet rabbit.*

Buried under… Unless a literal physicalburial is stated, then the term means‘overwhelmed by…’ (e.g. ‘buried underpaperwork’ means to have far too manyadministrative duties).*

Burn a hole in their pocket If a personfeels that their money is ‘burning a holein their pocket’, then they are anxious tospend money. The implication is usuallythat the person is being impulsive ratherthan prudent.*

Burn daylight Use artificial light when thedaylight from a window is more thanadequate for the task being done.*

Burn out Become exhausted. The phrase isoften used of people who are in demand-ing and stressful jobs who reach a pointwhere they are physically and/or psy-chologically incapable of continuing intheir profession.*

Burn out of their system Become tired ofdoing something.*

Burn rubber (1) Drive at high speedand/or recklessly. (2) Leave with greaturgency.*

Burn the candle at both ends Engage inan activity with too much energy, therebytiring oneself out. Typically there is theadded implication that the person con-cerned has been missing sleep, staying uptoo late, etc.*

Burn the floor Dance.*

Burn the midnight oil Work long hourson a project. Usually there is the implica-tion that such work is well beyond thelimits of normal working hours and thatthe work is difficult.*

BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL / 45

Burn their boats Means the same as burntheir bridges.

Burn their bridges Do something thatprevents a return to an earlier stage and ineffect commits to a particular plan orcourse of action (e.g. ‘having resignedfrom his job, John had burnt his bridges –he had to move’).*

Burn their fingers Fail badly in attempt-ing to do something. The phrase oftenrefers to a failed business or financialinvestment.*

Burning desire Strong desire.*

Burnt offerings Joking description ofcooked food.*

Burst the bubble Destroy an illusion.*

Bursting at the seams At or exceedingmaximum capacity.*

Burton See gone for a burton.

Bury the hatchet Make peace.*

Bury the tomahawk Means the same asbury the hatchet.

Bury their head in the sand The processof putting the head in the sand.*

Bush telegraph Information received fromgossip rather than an official source.*

Business Can mean ‘general situation’rather than ‘a commercial company’.Thus, bad business, for example, can meanthat the general situation is bad. Monkeybusiness means doing things ineptly or ina generally foolish way. See entries belowand: do the business, in business, like nobody’sbusiness and mean business.*

Business end The component of an appa-ratus that produces the finished product(e.g. the ‘business end’ of a rifle is the endof the barrel).*

Business is business A justification fordoing unpleasant things to people (e.g.firing people who are friends) because acommercial enterprise must pay attentionto profitability before emotional consid-erations.*

Busman’s holiday A holiday that is spentdoing an activity that is identical or verysimilar to that done at work (e.g. a literarycritic who spends her vacation readingnew books might be said to be taking abusman’s holiday). The phrase is derivedfrom bus drivers, who, in the days whenbuses were horse-drawn, were soattached to their horses that they wouldspend their holidays looking after theirhorses, or riding on the bus to ensuretheir horse was properly cared for by thesubstitute driver.*

Bust a gut Make a strenuous effort.*

Bust their ass (1) Can mean the same aswhip their ass. (2) Can also mean the sameas bust their balls, but slightly less rude.**

Bust their balls Work very hard.***

Busted flush Something that has failed toreach expected standards of performance.The phrase comes from the card game ofpoker (a flush is a high-scoring sequenceof cards of the same suit; a busted flushlacks a card necessary for a completesequence and is very low-scoring).*

Busy bee A person who always appears tobe busy, usually with the implication thatthey like being busy. Probably the phraseis derived from the observation that beesalways appear to be busy, industriousanimals.*

Butcher See fit as a butcher’s dog, have abutcher’s and more meat on a butcher’s pencil.

Butler did it A joking attribution ofresponsibility for something. The phraseis derived from a spate of murder mysterystories in the 1920s and 1930s where thebutler was the murderer.*

Butter-f ingered Prone to droppingthings.*

Butter up Flatter.*

Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouthMeaning that they appear innocent.There is usually the implication that thisappearance is deceptive and in fact theyare guilty of something.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

46 / BURN THEIR BOATS

Butterflies in the stomach Feelingnervous. The phrase comes from the ‘flut-tering’ sensation sometimes felt in thestomach area when nervous (in factcaused by muscular contractions andexcess stomach acid).*

Button See all the right buttons, at the touch ofa button, buttonhole, hot button, on the button,press the button and push their buttons.

Buttonhole To insist on telling someonesomething, often against their will. Thephrase is often used of people campaign-ing for a cause.*

Buy a pup Pay far more for something thanit is worth. By a similar reasoning, sell apup means to sell something for far morethan it is worth. Both phrases usuallyindicate that the seller was acting fraudu-lently.*

Buy time Delay activities in order to gainmore time for planning a response.*

Buzz off A request to go away.**Note: the phrase only just gets a ** ratherthan * rating – it is very mild, and usuallydoes not indicate a high level of anger.

By a canvas In a competition, if someonewins ‘by a canvas’ then they win by asmall distance or difference in scores. Thephrase is derived from rowing (‘canvas’ isthe distance between the front of the boatand the first rower). There are similarphrases from other sports which alsomean by a short distance or difference inscores – e.g. by a nose or by a head.*

By a head See by a canvas.

By a long chalk See not by a long chalk.

By a long shot By a considerable distance,quantity or margin.*

By a nose See by a canvas.

By a whisker By a very small margin.*

By an eyelash Means the same as by awhisker.

By and large Generally.*

By hook or by crook By any meanspossible.*

By no stretch of the imagination Anemphatic denial (e.g. ‘by no stretch of theimagination would we support this pro-posal’).*

By numbers In a mechanical fashionwithout any personal creative input. Thephrase has numerous shades of meaning:e.g. (1) Following a set of instructions. (2)Performing a task that has become asimple matter of routine. (3) Performing atask without enthusiasm and simplydoing things in a rote order fashion.*

By the book See go by the book.

By the dozen Means the same as by the ton.

By the gross Means the same as by the ton.

By the same token By the same reasoningprocess.*

By the score Means the same as by the ton.

By the seat of the pants Using intuitionrather than training to accomplish some-thing.*

By the sweat of their brow By their ownhard work.*

By the ton In large quantities. Like similarphrases (by the dozen/gross/score/yard) theprecise quantity is not indicated by thephrase – only a large quantity is implied.Generally, the dimension in whichquantity is being measured is indicatedby the last word in the phrase (e.g. ‘by theton’ indicates as measured by weight, ‘bythe yard’ as measured by length, etc.), butthis is not universally applied.*

By the yard Means the same as by the ton.

By their fingertips Only just attainable.*

By word of mouth Spoken (rather thanwritten) communication.*

BY WORD OF MOUTH / 47

CCaboodle See whole caboodle.

Caesar’s wife A person who must, becauseof the nature of their job or position, bemorally beyond reproach.*

Cage See who rattled its cage?

Caged lion A restless person.*

Cain See raise Cain.

Cake See cakes and ale and can’t have your cakeand eat it.

Cakes and ale A time of trouble-freeenjoyment.*

Call a spade a spade Speak in a directmanner.*

Call in a favour Suppose that person A didsomething for person B and at the timeasked for nothing in return. If at a laterdate person A asked person B to do some-thing for person A, then this would bedescribed as ‘calling in a favour’.*

Call in their chips Means the same as callin a favour.

Call it a day Stop doing something. Theterm can be used to describe eithercomplete abandonment of something, orsimply stopping work temporarily (e.g. atthe end of the working day).*

Call it a night Cease an activity takingplace at night and go home to sleep.*

Call it quits (1) Abandon an activity orplan. (2) Agree that a debt has been paidor a favour returned.*

Call of nature Need to excrete or urinate.*

Call of the wild An urge to experienceliving in a country rather than urbansetting.*

Call on the carpet Means the same as onthe carpet.

Call the shots Dictate how somethingshould be done.*

Call the tune Means the same as call theshots.

Call their bluff If I call your bluff, then itmeans that I don’t believe what you areclaiming, and I am asking you to prove it(e.g. ‘Harry didn’t believe that Jessicaowned five Rolls-Royces, so he called herbluff and asked her to show him thegarage where she kept them’).*

Call to arms Instructions to prepare forconflict or to join a campaign.*

Calling card An indication that someonehas visited. The original calling card wasliterally a small card with the name of theperson and their address that was left atthe house if the owner was not in.*

Calm before the storm A period of unnat-ural calm before the onset of somethingunpleasant, such as an argument.*

Came up Was mentioned.*

Camp follower An unimportant personwho declares allegiance to a group butplays no particularly important role inrunning or organising the group. Theterm originally described civilians whofollowed armies on the march, and whosold things to the soldiers.*

Can a duck swim? A sarcastic reply to aquestion to which the answer is obvious;for example, it might be the appropriatereply to the question ‘would you like tobe incredibly wealthy?’*

Can it A firm request for someone to bequiet.**

Can of worms See open a can of worms.

Candle See burn the candle at both ends, can’thold a candle, not worth a candle and notworth the candle.

Candy store See like a child in a candy store.

Canned laughter Artificial-soundinglaughter. The term originally specificallyreferred to laughter soundtracks added

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

48 / CABOODLE

on to (usually American) televisioncomedy shows from the 1950s throughto the 1970s. These sounded artificialand eventually were replaced with thesound of audiences who were watchingthe shows as they were made.*

Cannon fodder (1) Originally, a veryunpleasant term for soldiers consideredunimportant for the success of an army ina battle; their only use was seen as towaste enemy shells in killing them (i.e.‘cannon fodder’). (2) The term is nowsometimes used more generally forpeople considered unimportant and thusmost easily dispensed with (e.g. the firstto be made unemployed if a factory needsto lower the size of its workforce). (3)People assigned dangerous jobs or tasks.*

Can’t get a word in edgeways Cannot getanother person or people to listen towhat others have to say because they willnot let themselves be interrupted.*

Can’t have it both ways See have it bothways.

Can’t have your cake and eat it Meaningthat if there are two mutually exclusivechoices (i.e. you can have one or theother) you cannot have one and then theother. The phrase was originally ‘youcan’t eat your cake and then have it’,which makes a lot more sense than themodern version.*

Can’t hear themselves think Be unableto concentrate because the surroundingsare too noisy.*

Can’t hold a candle A judgement of com-parative worth (e.g. if A cannot hold acandle to B, then B is far better than A).*

Can’t judge a book by its cover A sayingmeaning that the true nature of someoneor something cannot be understood justfrom their appearance (i.e. what they havedone, their opinions, etc. have to beassessed).*

Can’t keep a good person down Thebelief that a person with skill and/orambition will recover from misfortune.*

Can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’sear It is impossible to make somethinggraceful and refined out of poor-qualityingredients.*

Can’t make head nor tail of it Cannotunderstand it.*

Can’t rewrite history See rewrite history.

Can’t see the wood for the trees Cannotsee the general findings or implicationsbecause of an over-concentration ondetails.*

Canter See at a canter.

Cap See entries below and: feather in theircap, if the cap fits, put on their thinking capand set their cap at them.

Cap in hand Someone who is ‘cap inhand’ is being obsequious and making arequest for money or other assistance.The phrase comes from a time when prac-tically everybody wore a cap or hat. Aperson asking for money would betalking to a social and/or financialsuperior, and thus out of politenesswould have taken off his cap or hat andheld it in their hands. The cap would notbe held out for money as done by, e.g.,some beggars.*

Cap it all Something that finishes a processor story. There is usually the implicationthat it is an event that is unexpected (e.g.‘to cap it all, whilst all this commotionwas going on, Sarah arrived with newsthat she was pregnant’).*

Capital See with a capital…

Carbon copy An exact duplicate. Thephrase comes from the (now diminish-ing) use of carbon paper to produce acopy of a typed letter.*

Card-carrying member of… A verykeen, almost fanatical supporter of…*

Cards close to the chest A person thatkeeps or plays their ‘cards close to thechest’ is a person who is unwilling todiscuss his or her plans or thoughts.*

CARDS CLOSE TO THE CHEST / 49

Cards on the table If someone puts theircards on the table, it means that they areexpressing clearly what their feelings andintentions are.*

Cark it Die.**

Carpeting See on the carpet.

Carriage trade The richest customers.*

Carried by an acclamation A law orproposal that is accepted with greatenthusiasm.*

Carried off by… Killed by… The phrasealmost invariably refers to death fromillness.*

Carrot See carrot and stick and dangle a carrot.

Carrot and stick A combination of bribe(carrot) and threat (stick) to persuade aperson to do something. The phrase isderived from the fact that animals such asdonkeys can be persuaded to follow aperson holding an attractive piece offood, such as a carrot, or can be made tomove by hitting a stick on to theirflanks.*

Carry a torch Be in love with someonewho does not love in return.*

Carry all before them Be completely vic-torious.*

Carry the can Take responsibility forsomething.*

Carry the day Win.*

Cart before the horse See put the cart beforethe horse.

Carved on tablets of stone Permanentand unalterable. There are various permu-tations of the phrase (e.g. ‘carved instone’, ‘set in tablets of stone’, etc.).*

Case the joint Examine the surroundings.The phrase is a cliché in gangster filmswhere lowlier members of a criminalgang are ordered to examine a buildingfor loot, hidden enemies, etc.*

Cash cow A very profitable venture thatrequires little work to keep profitable

over a long period of time. The phrase ismeant to create an image of a cow that,when milked, produces money ratherthan milk.*

Cash in hand Payment in notes and coins(rather than cheque, credit card, orsimilar).*

Cash in their chips (1) Stop gambling. (2)Sell a share in a business. (3) Die.*

Cast adrift Isolate from a group orabandon.*

Cast bread upon the waters Do some-thing (typically, something virtuous)without expecting anything in return.The phrase is from the Bible.*

Cast in bronze Means the same as set instone.

Cast-iron case An argument that cannotbe disproved.*

Cast-iron proof Irrefutable proof.*

Cast their mind back Attempt to remem-ber something from the past.*

Castles in Spain Means the same as castlesin the air.

Castles in the air An unrealistic set ofplans or expectations.*

Casual pick up See pick up.

Cat among the pigeons See put the catamong the pigeons.

Cat and mouse See play cat and mouse.

Cat dragged in See look like something the catdragged in and look what the cat dragged in.

Cat got their tongue Describes someonewho is silent. The phrase is more oftenused in question form (e.g. ‘has the cat gotyour tongue?’ – i.e. ‘why aren’t yousaying anything?’).*

Cat in hell’s chance No chance at all (e.g.‘with the present points deficit, theydon’t have a cat in hell’s chance ofwinning the championship’). The phrasedon’t have a cat in hell’s chance means ‘haveeven less chance than a cat in hell’ (i.e. the

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

50 / CARK IT

phrase emphasizes that there is nochance).*

Cat may look at a king A proverbexpressing the argument that everyone,no matter what their social status, has thefreedom and right to do certain things.*

Cat meat (1) Vulnerable to attack. (2) Introuble.*

Cat on a hot tin roof Means the same ascat on hot bricks.

Cat on hot bricks To be ‘like a cat on hotbricks’ is to be restless.*

Cat out of the bag See let the cat out of thebag.

Cat that ate the canary See like a cat that atethe canary.

Cat that got the cream See like a cat that gotthe cream.

Cat won’t jump A phrase used to indicatethat a plan is impractical.*

Cat’s away See when the cat’s away.

Cat’s meow Means the same as bee’s knees.

Cat’s paw A person forced or tricked intodoing something illegal or unpleasant forsomeone else.*

Cat’s pyjamas Means the same as bee’sknees.

Cat’s whiskers Means the same as bee’sknees.

Catbird seat See in the catbird seat.

Catch a cold (1) Become ill. (2) Encountera problem.*

Catch a Tartar Become involved with anuncontrollable person who refuses toleave.*

Catch cold Find unprepared.*

Catch fire Become more exciting.*

Catch in the act Find doing somethingwrong. Is a shortened form of a longerphrase such as ‘catch in the act of com-mitting a crime’, ‘catch in the act of bur-

glary’, etc. The phrase may indicate amisdeed of any level of seriousness.*

Catch in the crossfire Become a victim ofa dispute which one was not part of.*

Catch on the hop Find in an unpreparedstate.*

Catch red-handed Find in the act of doingsomething wrong. Supposedly derivedfrom poachers found with the blood ofthe killed animal on their hands.*

Catch some zs Sleep (‘zs’ is pronounced‘zees’).*

Catch the sun Be suntanned or sun-burned.*

Catch their death Sometimes used in thelonger form of ‘catch their death of cold’.Contract a serious cold.*

Catch their drift Understand their reason-ing. The phrase is often used to describeunderstanding something that has beenimplied rather than explicitly stated.*

Catch their eye Gain their attention.*

Catch their meaning Means the same ascatch their drift.

Catch them flat-footedSurprise someone.*

Catch them napping Means the same ascatch them flat-footed.

Catch them on their toes Fail to surprisesomeone.*

Catch 22 A situation in which whatever isdone is doomed to fail and/or cause suf-fering.*

Catch with chaff Easily deceive.*

Catch with their hand in the cookie jarFind stealing or committing anothermisdeed.*

Catch with their pants down Discoverdoing something embarrassing and/orwrong, typically of a sexual nature.*

Caught short (1) Need to urinate. There isusually an implication that there is no

CAUGHT SHORT / 51

lavatory conveniently near. (2) In a disad-vantageous position.*

Caviar to the general Something thatonly a person with refined tastes willappreciate and which is unappreciated oreven disliked by the general population.The phrase is a quotation from Hamlet.*

Central casting See straight from centralcasting.

Centre court Means the same as centre stage.The phrase is derived from ‘CentreCourt’ at Wimbledon, where some of themost important tennis matches are held.*

Centre stage The centre of attention. Thusa person who ‘takes centre stage’ is theone being attended to most of all. Thephrase comes from the theatre, where theleading actors generally are placed in thearea of the stage called ‘centre stage’ (i.e.the middle of the stage) for their mostimportant moments in a play.*

Chain of command The hierarchicalstructure of the various levels of leader-ship in a group or organisation.*

Chair’s action A decision-making processdelegated to the Chair of a committee tomake by him- or herself without the needto convene the committee to discuss thematter (i.e. basically the committee truststhe Chair to act on its behalf ).*

Chalk and cheese Describing two totallydissimilar things or people (e.g. ‘they areas alike as chalk and cheese’).*

Champ at the bit Display impatience. Thephrase is derived from a horse champing(i.e. biting down) on the bit (a piece ofmetal placed in the mouth and attachedto the reins) when tired of standing andanxious to be moving.*

Chance in hell Means the same as cat inhell’s chance.

Chance their arm Take a risk.*

Chance would be a fine thing A phrasenearly always used in reply to anover-optimistic statement by someoneelse. The phrase basically means ‘yes, it

would be nice if that happened, but theprobability is low, so other, more realisticalternatives must be found’.*

Change gear Means the same as shift gear.

Change horses in midstream Change theway of doing something. The implicationis that this is done after the first way ofdoing things was already established.*

Change of heart Change of feelings orattitude.*

Change of pace A change of lifestyle. Thephrase can mean either a more hectic ormore relaxed lifestyle – the contextshould indicate which meaning isintended.*

Change of scenery A change in jobsand/or home.*

Change the record A demand thatsomeone finds something new to talk orwrite about, because they are beingboring and/or annoying by only talkingor writing about a very limited range oftopics.*

Change their mind Alter their opinion.*

Change their tune Alter their opinions orprofessed beliefs.*

Chapter and verse The definitive infor-mation on a topic. The phrase comes fromgiving a precise reference to a passage inthe Bible by citing the number of thechapter and verse.*

Charge like a bull at a gate Be recklessand/or impulsive.*

Charge the Earth Charge a lot of money.There is often an implication of makingan excessive profit.*

Charity begins at home A saying thatadvises that a person should attend to theneeds of their own family before consid-ering being good to others. The phrase isless selfish than it may first appear. It isessentially arguing that people whoprofess an idealistic lifestyle but who areunkind to those who live with them are

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

52 / CAVIAR TO THE GENERAL

hardly being charitable. The saying is notintended to advocate selfishness.*

Charity fuck Having sex with someonebecause the person felt sorry for them(especially if they are considered physi-cally unattractive).***

Charley horse A painful cramp in the armor leg.*

Charm offensive A concerted effort to benice to people with the aim of winningthem over to an argument.*

Chase rainbows Have unrealistic aspira-tions.*

Chase the dragon Take heroin by heatingit and inhaling the fumes.*

Chase their own tail (1) Engage in apointless activity. (2) In a piece ofresearch or an investigation, become veryconfused, to the point where the objec-tives are no longer clear. (3) A piece ofresearch which examines the process ofresearch rather than a genuine phenome-non.*

Chat up Attempt to impress or seduce.*

Chat up line A conversational ployintended to begin a conversation leadingto seduction.*

Chattering classes A derogatory term for asection of the middle classes, character-ized by having more than enough leisuretime to discuss politics, fashion, the arts,the news, etc., but not quite enough intel-ligence for the results of their discussionsto be worth attending to.*

Cheap at half the price A deliberatelynonsensical expression which means thatwhatever is being discussed is cheap.*

Cheap at the price A good bargain.*

Check out There are several commonmeanings: (1) to examine (e.g. ‘check outthe new Ford’); (2) to pay one’s bill andleave a hotel or similar establishment; or(3) a place where items are paid for in ashop or supermarket.*

Cheek by jowl To be close together. ‘Jowl’means the same as ‘cheek’.*

Cheer to the echo Give great acclamationto.*

Cheesed off To be bored.*

Cherry See entry below and: bite at thecherry, bowl of cherries, lose their cherry, poptheir cherry and second bite at the cherry.

Cherry on the cake Something that is apleasing bonus, but not essential (e.g. ‘thesalary for the new job was sufficientincentive in itself to join the firm, but thecherry on the cake was the extra week ofvacation’). The phrase is sometimes usedsarcastically (typically indicated bycontext or tone of voice) to mean the finalstraw.*

Cheshire cat See grin like a Cheshire cat.

Chest beating A public show of anger: theimplication is that this is an insinceredisplay intended to impress, rather thanshowing genuine feelings.*

Chestnut See old chestnut and pull their chest-nuts from the fire.

Chew the carpet To be so annoyed aboutsomething as to become illogicallyangry.*

Chew the cud To think deeply aboutsomething.*

Chew the fat Means the same as chew therag.

Chew the rag To discuss something thor-oughly.*

Chew the scenery A style of acting charac-terised by exaggerated and otherwiseunsubtle behaviour. The phrase usuallyimplies a bad performance.*

Chew their ass Means the same as chewtheir ear, but ruder.***

Chew their balls Means the same as chewtheir ear, but far ruder.***

Chew their ear Tell someone off.*

CHEW THEIR EAR / 53

Chick flick A movie that will be primarilyenjoyed by women.*

Chick lit Literature that will be primarilyenjoyed by women.*

Chicken and egg A chicken and egg situa-tion occurs when it is impossible to deter-mine which of two things happened firstor which thing caused the other tohappen. The phrase is derived from theriddle ‘which came first – the chicken orthe egg?’ In other words, how can achicken exist without hatching from anegg, but equally, how can an egg exist if itis not hatched from a chicken? (Beingvery pedantic, the correct answer is ‘theegg’, since animals capable of laying eggsexisted a long time before chickensevolved.) *

Chicken feed (1) A small amount. (2) Aninsignificant person or group of people.*

Chicken left on the bone A task nottotally completed.*

Chicken out Fail to do something becauseof fear of the consequences.*

Chickens come home to roost Means thesame as come home to roost.

Chief cook and bottle washer A jokingterm for someone placed in generalcharge of things.*

Child’s play Describes any particularlyeasy task.*

Chill out Relax.*

Chinaman’s chance See not a Chinaman’schance.

Chinese whispers The phenomenon thatas a piece of news is told by a successionof people, the information becomes dis-torted. This has nothing to do with theChinese people or language, but refers toa children’s game of the same name thatused the term ‘Chinese whispers’ forreasons now lost.*

Chink in their armour Means the same asAchilles heel.

Chinless wonder A male member of theBritish upper classes with the stereotypi-cal behaviour and appearance and withlimited intellectual abilities. The term isderived from the observation that manysuch individuals have a chin that is notvery pronounced.*

Chip off the old block A child who is justlike their parent in looks and/or behav-iour.*

Chip on their shoulder Being persis-tently aggressive or argumentative.*

Chips are down The term is used todescribe a serious turn of events whenwhat happens next will almost certainlydecide the outcome.*

Chop See chop logic, chopping and changingand given the chop.

Chop logic Be pedantic.*

Chopping and changing Constantlychanging plans or ideas.*

Chuck a sickie Fake illness to take a dayoff work.**

Chuck it Usually used to advise someoneto abandon a particular line of reasoning.It can also mean get lost.**

Chuck it down Rain heavily.*

Chunks See blow chunks.

Circle the wagons Unite together todefend a common cause.*

Circling the airport Means the same as outof it.

Claim to fame The reason why someone isnoteworthy. The phrase is often usedjokingly of someone who is not particu-larly noteworthy (e.g. ‘her claim to fameis that she was in the same class at schoolas Elton John’).*

Clanger See drop a clanger.

Clap eyes on See.*

Clap hold of Grab.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

54 / CHICK FLICK

Class act Term of approval for somebodywho is skilled at their job.*

Claws into them If person A has theirclaws into person B, it means that personA is controlling what person B does.There is usually an implication that this isa bad thing.*

Clean as a whistle (1) Physically clean. (2)Free from any guilt or suspicion ofwrongdoing.*

Clean away If something is ‘clean away’then it has totally disappeared, leaving notrace behind.*

Clean bill of health A declaration that aperson is healthy or a machine or processis in a good state. The phrase is a maritimeone, and refers to a ship being declaredfree of any crew or passengers with infec-tious diseases.*

Clean break A total severance. Forexample, a person making a ‘clean break’in a relationship makes every effort not tomeet the other person again.*

Clean breast See make a clean breast of it.

Clean hands Used in a statement such as‘have clean hands’ the phrase means ‘freeof guilt’.*

Clean house Improve the running of anorganisation, particularly by abolishinginefficient and corrupt practices.*

Clean out (1) Take a lot of money offsomeone else (typically it is implied thisis by trickery or skill; e.g. ‘Sally cleanedJohn out at a game of poker’). (2)Describes a lack of something (e.g. ‘I’mclean out of fruit’).*

Clean sweep See make a clean sweep.

Clean their clock Utterly defeat some-one.*

Clean up Make a large profit.*

Clean up their act Make work or behav-iour more acceptable and/or to a higherstandard.*

Clear as a bell Totally clear or obvious.*

Clear as crystal Means the same as clear asa bell.*

Clear as day Means the same as clear asa bell.

Clear as mud Very hard to understand.There is usually the implication that it isthe description that is unclear rather thanwhat the description is describing (e.g.‘what you’re describing should be easy tounderstand, but your description hasmade it as clear as mud’).*

Clear-cut Something that is clear-cut iseasy to understand and is without doubtaccurate.*

Clear off A command to ‘go away’.**

Clear out (1) To leave, usually with theimplication of taking all belongings aswell. (2) Issued as a command, an order toleave.* (1) or ** (2)

Clear the air To discuss and settle anunsolved problem that had previouslycaused an emotionally uncomfortablestate by being unresolved.*

Clear the decks Prepare for an event byremoving or dealing with anything thatmight interfere with the event. Thephrase is derived from naval warfare,where the decks of a ship are cleared ofanything not essential to battle beforegoing into action.*

Clear up (1) Resolve or solve. (2) Maketidy.*

Cleft stick See in a cleft stick.

Click into place (1) Describes somethingor someone that is perfectly suited for thesituation (e.g. ‘the missing piece wasfound and it clicked into place in thespace in the jigsaw’). (2) Describes themoment when something is finallyfully comprehended (e.g. ‘I had beenworking at the problem for several dayswhen suddenly everything clicked intoplace’).*

Climbing the walls Be agitated orannoyed.*

CLIMBING THE WALLS / 55

Clip their wings Restrict a person’sfreedom of movement or powers. Namedafter the practice of clipping the wings ofprized pet birds to prevent them flyingaway.*

Cloak and dagger Refers to any secretactivity involving danger and spying.*

Clock has beaten them The time allo-cated for an activity has elapsed, so theactivity must stop.*

Clock is ticking A warning that there is alimited amount of time left in which tocomplete something and/or make adecision.*

Clock-watching Wanting an activity tofinish. The phrase is usually applied topeople who dislike their job and are con-stantly wondering when it will be timefor a break or to go home, rather thanattending to their work.*

Clocking off To finish work. The phrasecomes from a once-common practice thatworkers upon arriving would insert acard into a ‘clocking machine’ that wouldmark when they started and finishedwork on that day. It was used to check onpeople arriving late or leaving early.*

Clocking on To start work. See clockingoff.*

Close but no cigar Very close to thedesired target but nonetheless a miss. Theterm comes from fairground stalls wherethe prize for hitting a target was a cigar.The stall holder would cry out ‘close butno cigar’ when someone nearly hit thetarget.*

Close call An event that was nearly aserious accident but in fact passed suc-cessfully.*

Close ranks (1) Unite in a common cause.(2) The phrase is often used more specifi-cally when a group protects itself fromscrutiny by all its members refusing todivulge information and/or generallybeing obstructive.*

Close-run thing Means the same as closecall.

Close shave Means the same as close call.

Close the book Finish a task with nointention of returning to it.*

Close the case Means the same as close thebook.

Close their eyes to Deliberately ignore.*

Close their mind to Create a closed mind.*

Close thing Means the same thing as closecall.*

Close to home A remark that is ‘close tohome’ is accurate and makes an argumentthat a person finds uncomfortable tothink about.*

Close to the bone Describes somethingthat makes people feel uncomfortable orembarrassed because it deals with some-thing people would prefer was not dis-cussed.*

Close to the knuckle Can mean the sameas close to the bone. Can also be used todescribe something that is barely withinthe limits of what people would considersocially acceptable or polite.*

Close to the mark Almost correct.*

Close up shop Means the same as shut upshop.

Close your eyes and think of EnglandSupposedly advice given to Englishbrides in the Victorian era about how to‘enjoy’ sexual intercourse. The term isnow used more humorously to refer toany event where one must endure some-thing unpleasant for a higher cause.**

Closed book Someone (or something)about whom little is known and who dis-courages enquiries about their personallife.*

Closed mind A refusal to change opinionon, or discuss, something. The phrase isoften used to indicate bigotry.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

56 / CLIP THEIR WINGS

Closed shop Workplace in which a personis compelled to belong to a specific tradesunion.*

Cloth ears Derogatory term for someonenot very intelligent or someone who isnot paying sufficient attention (e.g. ‘hey,cloth ears, why aren’t you listening towhat I’m saying?’).**

Cloud cuckoo land A place of impossibleideas; hence, someone said to be livingthere is a person with nonsensicalnotions. The term is derived from a playcalled The Birds by the Ancient Greekplaywright Aristophenes.*

Cloud nine A state of extreme euphoria.*

Cloven hoof Something evil (the Devil issaid to have cloven hoofs). The phrase isthese days likely to be used jokingly.*

Clued up To be knowledgeable.*

Clutch at straws Means the same as grasp atstraws.

Coach and horses See drive a coach andhorses through it.

Coals of fire See heap coals of fire on theirhead.

Coals to Newcastle A pointless activity.The phrase was invented at a time whenNewcastle was the centre of a thrivingcoal mining industry. Hence, taking‘coals to Newcastle’ would be takingsomething to Newcastle that the areaalready had in abundance. *

Coast is clear A phrase used to indicatethat nobody is watching and that some-thing can be done without fear of anyonewitnessing it. The phrase is derived fromsmuggling – smugglers would notattempt to land contraband unless theywere certain that the ‘coast was clear’ (i.e.that there were no law officers waiting toarrest them).*

Coat tails See on the coat tails of them.

Cob on See have a cob on.

Cobwebs See blow away the cobwebs.

Cock a snook To make a derisive gestureat someone. The phrase is only ever usedto describe what one person did toanother person. It is never used directlyas an insult (e.g. nobody ever says ‘I cocka snook at you’).*

Cock an ear Listen for something.*

Cock and bull story A lengthy ramblingstory which is usually utterly implausible.Many explanations for the origin of thephrase have been advanced.*

Cock of the walk The most important ordominant person in a group.*

Cock on the block Describes a situationin which a person places themselves in asituation in which if things go wrong, theconsequences will be highly disadvanta-geous. If the term is used in a businesscontext, the implication is often thatalthough the potential penalties aresevere (e.g. loss of job) the rewards will behigh if the plan is successful.***

Cocked hat See knock into a cocked hat.

Cockroach hotel A place with poor stan-dards of hygiene.*

Code See bring up to code.

Coffee table book A book that is primar-ily bought for its artistic appearancerather than intellectual content (it is oftenalso rather large). The phrase derivesfrom the habit of some pretentious mid-dle-class people of having a collection ofsuch books placed on a coffee table. Thephrase is generally used in a derogatorymanner to denote a book that is boughtfor display rather than serious reading.*

Coin a phrase To invent a phrase.*

Cold as charity Unpleasantly cold.*

Cold as ice In describing someone’s mood,the phrase means ‘unfriendly’ and/or‘without pity’.*

Cold blooded (1) Describes someone withno moral sense or remorse (e.g. ‘acold-blooded killer’). (2) Describes

COLD BLOODED / 57

someone who is unfriendly or seems toget little pleasure from a social life.*

Cold comfort A gesture or statement thatis intended to be comforting in a time ofdistress, but which does not ease thedistress and may even make it worse.*

Cold feet Reluctance to do something, orfear of doing something. The phraseusually implies that this follows an initialenthusiasm.*

Cold shoulder See get the cold shoulder.

Cold turkey See go cold turkey.

Collect dust Stay unused.*

Collision course (1) If someone sets outon a collision course, then they are inten-tionally planning to create a dispute. (2)A situation in which something unpleas-ant (e.g. an argument) is inevitably goingto happen.*

Colour of their money The financialprobity of what is being offered. If aperson asks to see the colour of some-one’s money, they doubt their honesty orability to pay.*

Colourful language Language containingan excessive proportion of swear words.*

Colours to the mast See nail the colours tothe mast.

Columbo question A final question that isunexpected and makes a person uneasyand/or forces them to admit somethingthey did not want to admit. Named afterthe eponymous detective hero of the TVseries Columbo, who habitually used thistechnique to extract admissions of guilt.*

Come a cropper Have a bad accident ormeet with serious misfortune.*

Come a gutser Means the same as come acropper.

Come a purler Means the same as come acropper.

Come across (1) Move from one group toanother (e.g. ‘he has come across fromtheir group to ours’). (2) Discover (e.g. ‘I

was searching in the library yesterdaywhen I came across this’). (3) Means thesame as ‘form a mental impression’ (e.g.‘how does he come across to you?’ means‘what does his appearance and behaviourmake you think he is really like?’).*

Come again? A request to repeat what hasjust been said.**

Come clean Confess to doing something.*

Come down (1) Become calmer. (2) Gain amore sensible, rather than idealistic orimpractical, opinion of the situation.*

Come down like a ton of bricks Useconsiderable strength. The phrase isoften used as a synonym for ‘showextreme anger’ (e.g. ‘I’ll come down onhim like a ton of bricks if he disobeys meone more time’).*

Come down off their high horseBecome calmer or more relaxed afterbeing angry or very moralistic.*

Come down to earth Become morerational and less emotional and/or unre-alistic.*

Come down to earth with a bumpReceive a rude awakening.*

Come easy Be easily acquired.*

Come full circle Return, after temporarychanges, to the way things were at thestart.*

Come hell or high water In other words,come what may. The term is usually usedas an assurance that the speaker will dowhat they have promised to do regardlessof barriers in their way. The phrase basi-cally means that even if the most awfulcalamities happen, the deed in questionwill be done.*

Come home to roost A problem that has‘come home to roost’ is one that a personhas created and hoped to avoid, but nowmust deal with.*

Come home to them Come to under-stand.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

58 / COLD COMFORT

Come in from the cold Be accepted by agroup after a period of being unpopular.*

Come into line Conform to a set of stan-dards, rules or regulations.*

Come into their own Begin working atwhat they are best suited.*

Come it strong Exaggerate.*

Come of age (1) Reach an age to be consid-ered an adult in the laws of the countrywhere a person is living (in the UK, 18years). (2) In describing a process, institu-tion or similar, reach a stage in develop-ment where it can be considered firmlyestablished.*

Come off it An expression of doubt aboutwhat has just been said (e.g. ‘come off it –that can’t be true!’).**

Come on (1) An expression meaning‘hurry up’ (e.g. ‘come on, we’ve got toleave soon or we’ll be late’). (2) Anexpression indicating disbelief (e.g.‘come on, that can’t be true!’).**

Come on board Join a group or begin tosupport a cause or argument.*

Come on in Means ‘come in’.*

Come on strong (1) Improve considerably.(2) Be very assertive or argumentative.*

Come on to Make amorous approachesto.*

Come out fighting In an argument orother confrontation, go immediately intoattack rather than spend time in prelimi-nary negotiations.*

Come out in the wash (1) Be solved. (2)Be explained or clarified.*

Come out of their shell Become less shyor cautious.*

Come out smelling of roses Emerge froma situation that was potentially damagingto the reputation with an unblemishedrecord, or even an enhanced reputation.*

Come rain or shine A phrase used todescribe something that is inevitable (e.g.

‘we will have to do this, come rain orshine’).*

Come the acid Be unpleasant (e.g.by making of fensive or sarcasticcomments).*

Come the old soldier Pretend to be ill inan attempt to avoid work.*

Come the raw prawn (1) Talk nonsense.(2) Lie.*

Come through for Succeed in doingsomething for someone. The phrase isusually applied to helping someone whohas a problem.*

Come to a bad end Means the same ascome to a sticky end.

Come to a boil Reach the point of greatestactivity (a stage known as being on theboil); there is usually the implication thatthis is the climax of the activity, whenmost things will be resolved.*

Come to a grinding halt Slow down andstop.*

Come to a pretty pass Become unpleasantand/or worthy of criticism.*

Come to a sticky end Die in an unpleasantmanner.*

Come to blows Become so angry in adispute that people are close to becomingphysically violent.*

Come to fruition (1) Reach a point wherean activity produces the rewards thatwere planned and/or hoped for. (2)Reach maturity.*

Come to grief Suffer misfortune.*

Come to grips with Comprehend.*

Come to the boil Means the same as cometo a boil.

Come to the crunch Reach a point wheresomething must be done.*

Come to their senses Change to a morelogical opinion or behaviour.*

COME TO THEIR SENSES / 59

Come to think of it A phrase that essen-tially means ‘having thought more care-fully’ (e.g. ‘although I dismissed yourargument earlier, come to think of ityou’re probably correct’).*

Come up against a brick wall Means thesame as hit a brick wall.

Come up and see me sometime A light-hearted request that a person should callon the speaker in the future. The phrasewas first used by a film actress called MaeWest as a chat-up line in her films.However, today the phrase does not nec-essarily have that intention.*

Come up and see my etchings A light-hearted request that a person should callon the speaker in the future. The phrasewas once used only as a euphemism foran invitation to have sexual intercourse,but it rarely has that implication thesedays (context should indicate whichmeaning is intended).*

Come up dry (1) Fail to find anything. (2)Fail.*

Come up roses Resolve in a fortuitousmanner.*

Come up smelling of roses A person who‘comes up smelling of roses’ emergesfrom a situation with no trace of scandalor wrongdoing being attributed to them.The phrase often indicates that it isstrongly suspected that they are in realityguilty of something, but it has not beenpossible to find enough evidence to proveit.*

Come up smiling Be happy and content atthe end of doing something. The phraseoften implies that this happiness followsa period of unhappiness.*

Come up to scratch Meet an acceptablestandard.*

Come up trumps Do something extreme-ly well.*

Come up with the goods Successfullyproduce what was required or hoped for.*

Comes with the territory If something‘comes with the territory’, then it is a dis-advantageous or unappealing aspect of asituation. There is usually an implicationthat it is tolerated, because the benefits ofthe situation as a whole outweigh theseconcerns.*

Comfort food Food that creates a feelingof psychological comfort.*

Coming from Refers to the reason for aperson’s behaviour (e.g. ‘where’s hecoming from?’ means ‘why is hebehaving like that?’).*

Coming out The process of coming out ofthe closet. The phrase is nearly alwaysrestricted to declarations of homosexual-ity.*

Coming out of their ears Possessing toomuch of something (e.g. a rich personmight be said to have ‘money coming outof their ears’).*

Common as muck Derogatory phrasedescribing someone with very vulgartastes and lacking in social etiquette orrefinement, or the sort of items that sucha person would consider acceptable ordesirable. The phrase is often used bysnobs to denote anyone who is workingclass, but the phrase can also be usedabout a nouveau riche person who haslots of money but very little aesthetictaste.**

Common or garden The most frequentlyencountered version of something, andby implication, uninteresting.*

Common touch The ability (particularlyin someone who is a member of a ‘higher’social class) to work or socialize with ‘or-dinary people’.*

Compare notes Exchange informationand ideas on a particular topic. Thephrase is often used when two or morepeople have been working independ-ently on the same problem and are thenbrought together to discuss what theyhave found.*

Compliments of the house Free.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

60 / COME TO THINK OF IT

Confucius says… The phrase is com-pleted with a brief piece of advice, oftenenigmatic or humorous. The overt claimis that this is an example of the wisdom ofthe Eastern philosopher Confucius. Onmany occasions, the saying offered willnot be by him, but instead is intendedsimply as a humorous observation (e.g.‘Confucius says no greater pleasure thanseeing old friend fall off roof ’). Thesayings are often delivered in an imita-tion of some Chinese speakers whohaven’t quite mastered English construc-tions (e.g. ‘Confucius he say…’ etc.).*

Conjure up Create. The phrase is oftenused to describe creating somethinggood from apparently meagre resources.*

Conjure with Contemplate.*

Conspicuous by their absence Absentfrom an event where they were expected.The phrase can refer to a person who hasshirked their duties or someone who hasdeliberately stayed away from an event asa form of protest.*

Conspiracy of silence Refers to a groupdeliberately keeping something secret orrefusing to comment on a particularmatter.*

Control freak A person who has an obses-sive or irrational need for everything tobe done the way they want it, and whothus denies other people the opportunityto express themselves freely.*

Conversation piece A topic or item that islikely to generate a lot of discussion.*

Cook the books Engage in creative account-ing.*

Cook their goose Make their life unpleas-ant, typically by punishing them orthwarting their plans.*

Cook with gas Perform very effectively.*

Cookie-cutter Describes something verypredictable or composed of clichédphrases and/or ideas.*

Cool as a cucumber Calm and withoutsigns of panicking.*

Cool off Become calmer.*

Coon’s age A long time (‘coon’ refers to aracoon).*

Cop a plea Try to negotiate.*

Cop hold of Grab.*

Cop it To receive punishment. See fair cop.*

Copybook See blot on their copybook.

Corn in Egypt Something that is plenti-ful.*

Corner See box into a corner, cut corners,defend their corner, four corners of the earth, ina corner, in their corner, round the corner andturn the corner.

Corridors of power Term describing theworkings of government.*

Cost an arm and a leg Cost a great deal ofmoney. Hence give an arm and a leg meansto spend a great deal of money.*

Cost the Earth Be very expensive.*

Cotton on Learn.*

Cotton wool See wrap in cotton wool.

Couch potato A person who leads a lazylife and whose leisure hours are spentwatching television, typically with theimplication that they watch programmesof little intellectual merit whilst consum-ing beer and snack foods.*

Cough up Pay what is owed.*

Could care less A phrase that is beingincreasingly commonly used to meancouldn’t care less. The context shouldindicate if this is the intended meaning ofthe speaker.*

Could eat a horse If someone says thatthey ‘could eat a horse’, then they arevery hungry. The phrase should not betaken literally.*

Could hear a pin drop It was very quiet.*

Could murder a… Show great eagernessto consume a … (e.g. ‘I could murder acup of tea’).*

COULD MURDER A… / 61

Couldn’t…their way out of a paper bagThe blank space is filled with a verb(common ones are ‘box’ and ‘fight’). Thephrase means that someone is too poor atthe skill described for them to be effec-tive (e.g. if someone ‘couldn’t box theirway out of a paper bag’ then they arephysically weak and/or a bad boxer).*

Couldn’t care less Have no interest orconcern.*

Couldn’t get arrested (1) Unknown andof little importance. The phrase is oftenused in show business to describe thetime of obscurity and struggle beforesomeone becomes famous. (2) The phraseis occasionally used to describe someoneso successful and well-liked that peoplerefuse to think ill of them, even whenthere is strong evidence of wrong-doing.*

Couldn’t give a… The phrase is followedby a single word or another phrase. Themeaning is that the speaker has nointerest in whatever is under discussion.The phrase varies enormously in polite-ness depending upon the precise wordsused. See couldn’t give a damn, couldn’t give afuck and couldn’t give a toss for examples.*or ** or ***

Couldn’t give a damn In other words, tohave no interest in whatever is being dis-cussed. The term might originally be‘couldn’t give a dam’ (the ‘dam’ being anIndian coin of low value).**

Couldn’t give a fig Means the same ascouldn’t give a damn, but slightly less rude.*

Couldn’t give a fuck Means the same ascouldn’t give a damn, but much ruder.***

Couldn’t give a monkey’s Means thesame as couldn’t give a damn.

Couldn’t give a tinker’s cuss Means thesame as couldn’t give a damn, but slightlyless rude.*

Couldn’t give a toss Means the same ascouldn’t give a damn.

Couldn’t hold a candle to… Of inferiorquality to…*

Couldn’t organize a piss-up in abrewery The phrase essentially means‘too stupid to do even the simplest task’.A ‘piss-up’ is a drinking party (see pissed).Since a brewery is by definition full ofalcoholic beverages, someone wouldhave to be uncommonly stupid not to beable to organize a drinking party in such alocation.***

Couldn’t run a whelk stall An insultaccusing someone of being too stupid todo a particular task. The implication isthat running a whelk stall is a very easytask (whether it is or not has never, to theauthor’s knowledge, been empiricallyexamined), and if someone couldn’t dothat, then they certainly couldn’t dowhatever the task is under discussion.*

Counsel of despair Something at-tempted with little hope of it succeedingafter everything else that could beattempted has failed.*

Counsel of perfection A solution thatwould work but is not pragmatic.*

Count on the fingers of one handDescribes something that is very rare (e.g.‘you can count on the fingers of one handhow often that has happened’).*

Count sheep A method of inducing sleep(repetit ively counting individualmembers of an imaginary flock issupposed to have a soothing effect).*

Count the cost Calculate the expense.Typically, this is the expense of repairingdamage resulting from something goingwrong or an unexpected accident.*

Count the pennies Be cautious inspending money.*

Count to ten Intentionally wait beforesaying something, so that what is said isconsidered rather than rash. The phrase isoften given as advice when someone is indanger of losing their temper when aboutto make a reply.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

62 / COULDN’T…THEIR WAY OUT OF A PAPER BAG

Count your chickens See don’t count yourchickens.

Courage in both hands See take courage inboth hands.

Courage of their convictions See have thecourage of their convictions.

Cover all the bases Means the same astouch all the bases.

Cover the costs Pay what is owed.*

Cover their back Protect against criti-cism.*

Cover their tracks To remove evidence ofbeing responsible for something.*

Cover up Hide. The phrase generally refersto attempts to hide errors or misdoings.*

Cows come home See until the cows comehome.

Crack a book Engage in study.*

Crack a bottle Open a bottle of an alco-holic drink (and by implication, have adrink).*

Crack heads together Means the same asbang heads together.

Crack of dawn Very early morning, whenthe sky is just becoming light.*

Crack of doom An ominous and/or loudnoise. The phrase is derived from thenoise which, according to the Bible, willbe heard on the Day of Judgement.*

Crack of the whip See fair crack of the whip.

Crack up (1) Burst into laughter. (2) Suffera nervous breakdown or experiencesevere mental distress.*

Cracked up to be See not all it’s cracked up tobe.

Cradle snatching Choosing a sexual ormarital partner considerably younger.Note that there is no implication ofpaedophilia – the issue is the age differ-ence, not the absolute age of the youngerperson.*

Cramp their style Make it difficult foranother person to perform at their best.*

Crash and burn Fail.*

Crash course A rapid course of instructionthat covers basic information and littleelse.*

Crash out (1) Sleep or fall asleep. (2)Become unconscious.*

Crawl out of the woodwork Someonewho ‘crawls out of the woodwork’ is anunpleasant person who appears whenthere are opportunities for personalgain.*

Crawling with… If a place is crawlingwith ants, then there are a lot of ants; if aplace is crawling with people, then thereare a lot of people. The image presumablycomes from the fact that insects crawl,and thus something infested with insectsmight be said to be crawling with them.From this the image has extended totalking about places crowded withpeople.*

Crazy like a fox Describing someone whoappears to be doing something insane,but who in reality is acting with greatcunning.*

Creative accounting Accountancy proce-dures designed to hide the true state ofaffairs. The term originally meant actionsthat were illegal, but can also mean pro-ducing a set of figures which, whilst notactually illegal, are not as forthright asthey might be.*

Creature of habit Someone who has a setroutine for doing things and thus howthey will behave in certain situations iseasily predicted. There is sometimes theimplication that a person who is acreature of habit will be annoyed if theirroutine is altered.*

Credibility gap The difference betweenwhat is claimed to be true and what isactually true.*

Credit where credit is due Praise shouldbe given where it is merited. The phrase is

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE / 63

often used to describe a good deed bysomeone who is generally seen in anegative light (e.g. ‘although Brian wasusually incompetent, credit where creditis due – he did plan the party very well’).*

Crest of a wave See on the crest of a wave.

Crimp See put a crimp in.

Crocodile tears An insincere display ofsorrow or regret.*

Crook See be crook on and go crook.

Cross as two sticks Annoyed.*

Cross my heart and hope to die A phraseused to indicate the sincerity of apromise. The phrase is likely to be used ina joking manner these days, but whenoriginally used, was a more serious oath.*

Cross purposes Two people or groups are‘at cross purposes’ when either side mis-understands what the other side is tryingto say. The phrase is often used todescribe two groups or people who, ifthey had communicated accurately witheach other, would be in agreement.However, because they have misunder-stood each other, they are arguing.*

Cross swords Argue.*

Cross that bridge when we come to itRecognize that there is a problem thatwill need to be solved in the future, butdecide not to spend time either worryingabout it or making plans on how to dealwith it until the time when it has to bedealt with (e.g. ‘at some point in thefuture we would have to deal with theproblem of how to tell our parents;however, we decided that for the momentwe would enjoy ourselves and cross thatbridge when we came to it’).*

Cross the floor Change allegiance to agroup previously opposed.*

Cross the Rubicon Make a decision thatcommits to a particular course of action.*

Cross their fingers Hope that a plan issuccessful.*

Cross their palm with silver Pay money.*

Cross to bear A burden or difficulty that isa constant feature of a person’s daily life.The phrase is derived from Christianity,and is heard in the longer phrase ‘we allhave our crosses to bear’ (or similar). Thephrase is often used as a mild rebuke tosomeone who has been complainingabout their misfortunes, since there is animplication that everyone has problemsthat have to be dealt with withoutmaking a fuss.*

Crowning glory The supreme achieve-ment or feature amongst a collection ofimpressive or praiseworthy things.*

Cruel to be kind Something that appearsunpleasant in the immediate term, but inthe long term will be beneficial.*

Cruising for a bruising Behaving in amanner likely to result in problems (e.g.being physically attacked).*

Crumbs from the table An inappropri-ately small share.*

Cry all the way to the bank To be rich inspite of being criticized for what onedoes. The origin of the phrase is in theidea that an artist who produces workwhich the public adores (and buys) butwhich the critics hate may cry at thecritics’ comments, but they will cry all theway to the bank where they will depositlots and lots of money.*

Cry for the moon Be illogically upsetbecause something unattainable cannotbe had.*

Cry foul Protest that something is unjust.*

Cry from the heart A request or plea thatexpresses a deeply held emotion.*

Cry their eyes out Be extremely upset.*

Cry wolf Make a protest or warning that isignored because previous protests orwarnings have been false or inaccurate.*

Crying over spilt milk Protest or cry oversomething that has happened and cannotbe repaired or rectified. The phrase is

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

64 / CREST OF A WAVE

often heard in the form no use crying overspilt milk, which means that it is pointlesscrying or protesting about somethingbad that has happened, because this willnot solve the problem.*

Crystal ball Any method of trying to antic-ipate what will happen in the future.*

Crystal ball gazing Speculating on whatwill happen in the future. Usually it isimplied that this is a forlorn task.*

Cuckoo in the nest An unwelcome inter-loper.*

Cudgel their brains Work hard at solvinga problem.*

Cultivate their garden Deal withpersonal matters.*

Cultural baggage A set of preconceptionscreated by being raised in a particularculture. These preconceptions may maror distort understanding.*

Culture shock Feeling of stress or bewil-derment caused by being unable to com-prehend or react appropriately to aradical change in environment orculture.*

Culture vulture A person who is keen onthe arts.*

Cunning plan See I have a cunning plan.

Cup runneth over A Biblical phrasemeaning that someone is overwhelmedwith happiness and riches.*

Cups See in their cups.

Curate’s egg Something which is good inparts, bad in others. The phrase is derivedfrom a cartoon in the (now defunct)magazine Punch, in which a sycophanticcurate, rather than reject a bad egg (acci-dentally) given to him by a bishop at thebreakfast table, declares that parts of itare quite excellent.*

Curious bed-fellows People who are onfriendly terms with each other whom onewould not predict would be such,because of different personalities, inter-

ests, etc. The term does not necessarilyimply a sexual relationship.*

Curry favour Attempt to win favour. Thephrase is often used disparaginglyto describe someone who is beingobsequious.*

Curtain twitcher A person who is obses-sively interested in the activities of theirneighbours.*

Cushion the blow Something that ‘cush-ions the blow’ reduces the pain orunpleasantness of unwelcome informa-tion (e.g. ‘news that she had beenaccepted by Oxford cushioned the blowthat she had been rejected by Har-vard’).*

Cut a dash Dress and/or behave in a verystylish manner likely to attract attention.*

Cut a deal Make an agreement.*

Cut a long story short Summarize a storyor piece of information, or only providethe conclusion or other important infor-mation. The phrase is nearly always usedwhen a speaker has spent too longdescribing something and now wants tohurry through the rest of it.*

Cut a rug Dance energetically.*

Cut a swathe through Comprehensivelydefeat or refute.*

Cut above Of higher quality.*

Cut and dried Completely settled.*

Cut and run Escape. The phrase is derivedfrom nautical terminology – it hasnothing to do with stabbing or similar.*

Cut and thrust Describes a situationwhich is highly competitive.*

Cut bait Means the same as cut the cackle.

Cut both ways Something that ‘cuts bothways’ has advantages and disadvantagesand/or favours more than one side in adispute.*

CUT BOTH WAYS / 65

Cut corners Do a less thorough job thanoriginally planned in order to save time,cost and/or energy.*

Cut dead Totally ignore a person in situa-tions where they might have expectedsome attention to be paid to them.*

Cut down to size Make a person with anoverly high opinion of themselves awareof their true status.*

Cut from a different cloth Very differentin personality.*

Cut from the same cloth Very similar inpersonality.*

Cut it (1) Be of acceptable quality. (2) Anabbreviated form of cut it out.*

Cut it fine Do something with little allow-ance made for error or time. The phrasenormally is used to indicate that some-thing was done with very little time tospare.*

Cut it out A demand that someone stopsdoing something. The phrase is usuallyused to try to stop people doing some-thing annoying or irritating.*

Cut loose (1) Begin to think and/or actindependently. (2) Exhibit unrestrainedbehaviour.*

Cut losses Abandon a project even thoughit will mean losing money and/or effort,because it is clear that the project will notsucceed, even if more money and/oreffort is put into it (i.e. losses are inevita-ble so stopping now will at least keep thelosses as small as possible).*

Cut no ice Have no influence.*

Cut of his/her jib What someone appearsto be like. The phrase nearly always ispreceded with ‘I don’t like the…’,meaning that the speaker doesn’t like theappearance of the person in question.The term is a nautical one, referring to thesurmised state of a vessel based on theappearance of the jib (one of the mainsails).*

Cut off at the pass To intercept. Thephrase is derived from western films,where a cliché command was to ‘cut themoff at the pass’ (i.e. intercept them at thepass).*

Cut off in their prime Prevented fromcontinuing working when exhibitingtheir greatest period of productivity.*

Cut off their nose to spite their face Aperson who would ‘cut off their nose tospite their face’ would damage them-selves in their attempts to harm or disad-vantage someone else.*

Cut out for Be ideally suited for a particu-lar task or occupation.*

Cut some slack Be less demanding.*

Cut the… followed by a word or phrase(e.g. cut the cackle). Used by a listenerinterrupting a speaker, it means that thelistener is bored with the speaker tellingirrelevant or dull things, and wants thespeaker to cut to the chase.** or ***

Note: politeness varies according to theword used at the end of the phrase.

Cut the apron strings To become inde-pendent of one’s parents.*

Cut the cackle A demand to cut to thechase.**

Cut the cord Means the same as cut theumbilical cord.

Cut the Gordian knot Solve a problem ina direct manner without getting side-tracked by niceties. The phrase is derivedfrom the ancient legend that whoevercould unravel the Gordian knot (a veryintricate knotted rope) would conquerAsia. Alexander the Great took thesimple expedient of severing the knotwith his sword (and went on to conquerAsia Minor).*

Cut the ground from under their feetConclusively demonstrate that the rea-soning or justification for an opponent’sarguments or actions is false or illogical.*

Cut the mustard Be of acceptable qualityand/or vigour.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

66 / CUT CORNERS

Cut the umbilical cord Can mean thesame as cut the apron strings, but is also usedto denote becoming independent ofanyone or anything that one has previ-ously relied upon for help.*

Cut their teeth on Describes the firstthing a person gains experience of in aparticular area of work (e.g. ‘I cut myteeth on lecturing to sociology stu-dents’).*

Cut to ribbons Means the same as cut toshreds.

Cut to shreds (1) Comprehensivelydisprove an argument. (2) Humiliate.*

Cut to the bone Reduce to the bareminimum necessary. Often used of finan-cial cutbacks when a company is in diffi-culties.*

Cut to the chase Move to the importantpart of the story, missing out unnecessarydetail. The phrase can be used by aperson impatient to hear the importantpart of the story (in which case, thephrase has a higher emotional level).Alternatively, the phrase can be used by aspeaker to indicate that they are going toomit irrelevant details and just concen-trate on the important bits of their story.The phrase is derived from movies, wherethe change from one scene to the next canbe called a ‘cut’. Hence, a ‘cut to thechase’ is a move to an exciting chasescene.* or **

Cut to the quick Make someone upset by aparticularly unpleasant insult or tactlessremark.*

Cut up nasty Means the same as cut uprough.

Cut up rough Be aggressive or awkward.*

Cut with a knife See atmosphere that could becut with a knife.

Cut your cloth Means the same as cut yourcoat according to your cloth.

Cut your coat according to your clothMake the best use of what has been givento you.*

Note: the phrase can be used in other forms(e.g. ‘he must cut his coat according to hiscloth’), but the ‘your’ form is thecommonest.

Cuts both ways If something ‘cuts bothways’ then it applies to two people orgroups, rather than just one person orgroup. The phrase is usually used toindicate that if person or group A has todo something to please person or groupB, then person or group B has to dosomething to please person or group A aswell.*

Cutting edge The most advanced form ofsomething (typically technology orresearch). Thus, ‘cutting edge stuff ’ issomething that is technologically highlyadvanced.*

DD-Day A day when an important decision

will be made or an important project willbe initiated. The term is a reference to theAllied invasion of Normandy in WorldWar II, which was coded ‘D-Day’.*

Dab hand Expert.*

Daft as a brush The term simply meansbeing silly. The words are deliberatelynonsensical.*

Daft on the right side Behave in an appar-ently eccentric or insane manner butwhich serves the self-interest of theperson concerned.*

Daggers drawn Describes a situation inwhich two sides are bitter enemies.*

Damage control Activity designed tominimize the adverse reaction to a pieceof scandal or unfavourable news.*

Damn all Nothing.**

Damn all to show for it Describes a situa-tion where after a lengthy period of

DAMN ALL TO SHOW FOR IT / 67

activity, nothing worthwhile has beenproduced.**

Damn straight Absolutely true.**

Damn with faint praise Describe some-thing in such a lacklustre fashion that itimplies criticism (e.g. describing some-thing as ‘alright, I suppose’).*

Damned if you do, damned if you don’tA description of a no-win situation.*

Damp squib Something that promisesmuch, but fails to impress.*

Damsel in distress A woman in need ofhelp. The phrase is derived from fairystories and similar of a young, helpless(and attractive) woman in need ofrescuing by a brave (and handsome)knight in shining armour. The phrase is usedsarcastically and, given its connotations,might in some circumstances be seen assexist.*

Dance attendance on Be extremelyhelpful.*

Dance on their grave Show disrespect forthe memory of a dead person.*

Dance to their tune Obey someone else’swishes.*

Dancing in the streets An exuberantlyfavourable reaction.*

Dangle a carrot Offer a person a reward toentice them into doing something or asan incentive to work harder. See carrot andstick.*

Dare See I dare you.

Dark horse Someone about whom toolittle is known for an accurate descriptionto be made.*

Darken their door Visit someone. Thephrase is these days often used jokingly.In early usage of the phrase, ‘neverdarken my door again’ was meant as aserious warning to someone not to visitagain.*

Davy Jones’s locker Underwater. Thus,someone who is ‘in Davy Jones’s locker’has drowned.*

Day in, day out Describes a regularlyoccurring event, often with the implica-tion that a monotonous activity is beingdescribed.*

Day of reckoning (1) The day when aperson is made to answer for an error orsinful act. (2) The day when a person dis-covers if they have succeeded (or failed)at something.*

Daylight robbery A rather exaggeratedway of saying that something is expen-sive (e.g. ‘five pounds for a bottle oflemonade? – that’s daylight robbery’).*

Daylights See beat the daylights out and scarethe daylights.

Days are numbered A person or itemwhose ‘days are numbered’ has not longto last before death, destruction or beingmade obsolete.*

Dead and buried Absolutely finished withno prospect of being returned to.*

Dead as a dodo (1) Absolutely certainlydead. (2) Of no further interest. The dodois an extinct species of bird.*

Dead as a doornail Absolutely certainlydead. A doornail is a component of adoor knocker.*

Dead cat bounce Misleading signs ofactivity or promise in something that inreality is of no further use. The phrase isused in stocks and shares trading. Sharesin a company heading for bankruptcywill show a dramatic fall followed by aslight rise. This may look like the start ofa revival in fortunes, but more probablythe rise will be small and temporary (‘thedead cat bounce’). The analogy is that if adead cat is dropped from a high building,it will bounce when it hits the pavement,but it’s still a dead cat, and will notsuddenly bounce back up to the top ofthe building. (Whether empirical proofof this has been attempted is uncertain.) *

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

68 / DAMN STRAIGHT

Dead end Means the same as blind alley.

Dead from the neck down Intelligent,but with no discernible emotions.*

Dead from the neck up Stupid.*

Dead in the water Incapable of function-ing effectively. Hence, an easy target forattack.*

Dead letter Something that is no longerdone. The phrase is often used to describedefunct laws or outmoded practices.*

Dead man’s shoes Describes an organisa-tion where the only way to gain promo-tion is for someone more senior to die orleave, whereupon a more junior personwill be promoted to fill their shoes. Theimplication is that being clever or innova-tive in such an organisation will not berewarded with rapid promotion.*

Dead meat Vulnerable to attack.*

Dead of night In the early hours of themorning, when the majority of peopleare asleep. *

Dead of winter The coldest period ofwinter.*

Dead on their feet Exhausted.*

Dead ringer An exact copy or double ofsomething. ‘Dead’ means in this sense‘absolute’.*

Dead to the world Very deeply asleep.*

Dead weight Something that affords noassistance in carrying it.*

Dead wrong Absolutely wrong. ‘Dead’ inthis sense means ‘absolutely’.*

Deadlier than the male A shortening of aquotation from a poem by RudyardKipling which argues that the female ofthe species is deadlier than the male. Thephrase is generally used when a womanhas done something particularly vicious.The phrase is potentially sexist, andcaution should be applied in using it.*

Death on… An unpleasant or dangerousexample of the category cited in the next

word or phrase – e.g. ‘death on two legs’is an unpleasant person.*

Death warmed up See like death warmed up.

Decisions, decisions Said by someonewhen overworked and having to make adifficult choice. The phrase can also beused ironically (e.g. when there are nodifficult decisions to be made).*

Deep doo-doo Slightly ruder version ofdeep trouble.**

Deep pockets A person with ‘deeppockets’ is wealthy.*

Deep trouble Very serious trouble.*

Deep waters Something very complexand/or problematic.*

Deeply engrained Means the same as dyedin the wool.

Default option The choice that is taken ifother options prove unsatisfactory.*

Defend their corner Vigorously defendan argument or point of view.*

Del Boy A tradesperson of dubious moralcharacter, likely to sell goods that arestolen and/or of much lower quality thanadvertised. The phrase is the name of afictional character in a British TV serieswho was just such a tradesperson. Thephrase is very similar to Arthur Daley,except that typically a ‘Del Boy’ is finan-cially less successful.*

Deliver the goods Do what is hoped for.*

Demon drink Alcoholic beverage.*

Deserts See just deserts.

Deuce of a… A very difficult… (e.g. ‘adeuce of a problem’ is ‘a very difficultproblem’).*

Deuce to pay Trouble (e.g. ‘there’ll bedeuce to pay about this mess’).*

Developed into an art form Means thesame as got it down to a fine art.

Devil See entries below and: be a devil,between the Devil and the deep blue sea, play

DEVIL / 69

Devil’s advocate, play silly devils, raise theDevil, sell soul to the Devil, sup with the Deviland talk of the Devil.

Devil-may-care Describes the behaviourof a person apparently unconcerned withthe consequences of their actions.*

Devil of a… Means the same as deuce ofa…

Devil to pay Means the same as deuce to pay.

Devil’s own Something that is an extremeversion of something.*

Diamond in the rough Means the same asrough diamond.

Dice with death Do something danger-ous.*

Did the Earth move for you? (1) Thephrase originally meant ‘did you have anorgasm?’ after an unintentionally risibleline in a novel by Hemingway. It is stillsometimes used in a sexual context. (2)More recently, the phrase has been usedin a wider context, to mean ‘did you findsomething highly enjoyable?’**

Diddly squat See got diddly squat.

Didn’t come down in the last shower ofrain Is not naïve.*

Didn’t just fall off a turnip truck Meansthe same as didn’t come down in the lastshower of rain.

Die See entries below and: cross my heart andhope to die, do or die, straight as a die and todie for.

Die hard Be difficult to get rid of.*

Die in bed Die from disease or another‘natural’ cause.*

Die in harness Die whilst still in paidemployment.*

Die is cast Something is decided. Thephrase refers to a die used in a game(often erroneously called ‘a dice’ whichin fact is the plural of ‘die’) – once the diehas been cast (i.e. thrown) the outcome isknown.*

Die laughing To laugh a great deal (e.g.‘you’ll die laughing at the new comedyshow’). The phrase is an exaggeration.Although there are recorded cases ofpeople dying after an extended bout oflaughing, this is extremely rare.*

Die like flies Die in large numbers.*

Die of boredom The phrase is usually inthe longer form of ‘I could die ofboredom’, and is used to express a state ofextreme boredom. The phrase is a delib-erate exaggeration; boredom is not notedas a major cause of death, otherwise theinhabitants of several English towns (e.g.Barrow-in-Furness) would have a veryhigh mortality rate.*

Die on the vine Fail at an early stage.*

Died with their boots on Died whilst stillemployed. The phrase originally referredto soldiers who died in battle (‘They DiedWith Their Boots On’ was the title of afilm about Custer’s last stand).*

Different ball game Means the same asnew ball game.

Different kettle of fish Radically differ-ent. See pretty kettle of fish.*

Dig a hole for themselves Work ineffec-tively, making the situation worse than itwas before.*

Dig a pit for Prepare a trap.*

Dig deep Use a large amount of (e.g. ‘hedug deep into his reserves of strength andlifted the heavy weight’).*

Dig in (1) Prepare to be attacked. (2) Eat.(3) In the phrase ‘get a dig in’ or similar, itmeans to criticize or insult someone orsomething.*

Dig in the ribs Poke another person in theribs with an elbow. The action is done toeither warn of danger or alert them tosomething funny.*

Dig in their heels Be obstinate.*

Dig their own grave A person who ‘digstheir own grave’ does something that

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

70 / DEVIL-MAY-CARE

damages themselves. The phrase is gener-ally used to describe something doneunwittingly.*

Dig up Discover.*

Dig up dirt Through investigation, finddamaging information that the peopleaffected had hoped would not be discov-ered.*

Dim view See take a dim view.

Dime a dozen Commonplace.*

Diminishing returns (1) The principlethat the more a person has of something,the less attractive each additional quan-tity becomes. For example, a starvingman might rate a plate of cake veryhighly, but having eaten ten plates ofcake, it is doubtful if the eleventh platehas the same appeal as the first. (2) Simi-larly, the principle that the reward gainedfrom extra effort diminishes the moreeffort that is applied.*

Dingo’s breakfast Nothing.*

Dip their toes in Make a tentative firstattempt at something.*

Dirty linen See wash dirty linen in public.

Dirty weekend A weekend holiday that isprincipally for the purpose of having sexwith a partner. The phrase originallyimplied that one or both partners werecommitting adultery and/or were un-married (when sex outside marriage was abigger societal taboo than it is now).*

Disappear down a crack in the floorMeans the same as let the earth swallow meup.

Disappear up their own backsideSlightly ruder version of disappear up theirown fundament.***

Disappear up their own fundament Acontemptuous phrase describing thebehaviour of someone who displaysintelligence but lacks the ability to makeany practical use of their skills.**

Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells A UKphrase that is intended to describesomeone of very conservative opinionswho finds any innovation (e.g. popmusic) something to get cross about. Thephrase comes from a habit of signingletters to newspapers and magazines withpseudonyms such as ‘disgusted’, ‘angrytaxpayer’ etc. Tunbridge Wells is a small,inoffensive town, but is often usedjokingly as a place where the sort ofperson who enjoys writing angry lettersto newspapers might live.*

Dish it out Provide something. The phraseis often used to describe providing gossipor insults.*

Dish the dirt Gossip.*

Distant shores (1) A geographicallyremote place. (2) Something conceptu-ally and/or intellectually radically differ-ent.*

Disturb a hornets’ nest See stir up ahornets’ nest.

Divide and rule Maintaining supremacyover opponents by encouraging them tofight amongst themselves rather thanuniting in opposition.*

Do a disappearing act (1) Escape. (2)Make oneself hard to find when there is adifficult situation to be faced and/orhard work to be done.*

Do a number on Treat badly.*

Do a runner Escape (particularly from thepolice).*

Do bears crap in the woods? Means thesame as can a duck swim?***

Do bird Spend time in prison.*

Do for Work for. The phrase is particularlyused of cleaning personnel. See done for.*

Do it in their sleep Means the same as do itstanding on their head.

Do it standing on their head Do some-thing with little effort because the task isto them an easy one.*

DO IT STANDING ON THEIR HEAD / 71

Do it with a hand tied behind theirback Means the same as do it standing ontheir head.

Do justice to Do something that is ofsuitable quality.*

Do or die (1) Describes a situation wheresomething must be done or somethingvery unpleasant will happen. (2) De-scribes an heroic attitude to being willingto do something dangerous even if itresults in death.*

Do porridge Means the same as do bird.

Do the business (1) Do what is expected inthe situation. (2) Have sexual inter-course.* (1) or *** (2)

Do the dirty (1) Behave badly towardssomeone. (2) Have sexual intercourse.*(1) or *** (2)

Do the honours Do a task for or on behalfof a group (e.g. carve the turkey at Christ-mas dinner, give a speech on behalf of agroup, etc.).*

Do the rounds Be disseminated widely.*

Do the trick Achieve the desired out-come.*

Do their bit Contribute to something.There is usually the implication that aperson who has ‘done their bit’ hasalready contributed or done as much ascan be reasonably expected of them.*

Do their damnedest Try very hard.**

Do their head in (1) Become hopelesslyconfused (e.g. ‘the problem’s so hard it’senough to do your head in’). (2)Physically assault someone (e.g. ‘if youdon’t watch it I’ll do your head in’). (3)Become angry.* (1 and 3) or ** (2)

Do their lolly Means the same as do theirnut.

Do their nut Become very angry.

Do their worst Enact their most extrememeasures or something which showstheir abilities to their full extent.*

Do them proud Do something that wouldmake others proud of you. The phrase isoften said to describe a well-run funeral(e.g. ‘you did Aunt Gladys proud’).*

Do themselves a mischief Cause injury tothemselves.*

Do themselves justice If a person ‘doesthemselves justice’ then they do some-thing that accurately exhibits theirskills.*

Do to death Repeat a performance or actso many times that it loses all entertain-ment value and becomes boring.*

Do you want a medal? A sarcasticquestion implying someone is makingtoo much fuss over doing somethingworthwhile but trivial.*

Dob them Inform on someone.*

Doctor ordered See just what the doctorordered.

Doctors and nurses See play doctors andnurses.

Dodge the column Malinger or otherwiseavoid work.*

Doesn’t know Christmas from BourkeStreet Australian phrase used to describea not very intelligent person (Christmastraditionally has brightly lit trees, deco-rations, etc.; Bourke Street in Melbourneis noted for its lighting, displays, etc.).Names of other brightly lit streets may beused instead.*

Dog The term has two very different collo-quial meanings. (1) When referring to aman, it is a term of joking approval forrather daring or risqué behaviour (e.g.‘you dog, sir’). (2) However, whenapplied to a woman, it is an insultingremark, meaning that she is ugly. See alsolife in the old dog yet.* (1) or *** (2)

Dog and bone Phone.*

Dog and pony show A visually attractivedisplay.*

Dog days The hottest days of the year.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

72 / DO IT WITH A HAND TIED BEHIND THEIR BACK

Dog eat dog Vicious competition.*

Dog in the manger A person who doesn’tneed or want something, but makes surethat nobody else gets it (even thoughthey may have a genuine need for it).*

Dog my cats An expression of astonish-ment.*

Dog tired Exhausted.*

Dog’s age A long time.*

Dog’s bollocks Curiously, given thenormal use of the word ‘bollocks’ (seebollocks), this is an expression of praise(albeit not a very polite one). Forexample, ‘this is the best computer avail-able – it’s the dog’s bollocks’. The originsof the phrase are obscure, but it maycome from a longer saying ‘it’s as clear asthe bollocks on a dog that this is thebest’.**

Dog’s breakfast Means the same as dog’sdinner.

Dog’s dinner (1) An incoherent mixture ofmismatching things. (2) A visually unap-pealing and over-ostentatious manner ofdress (hence, dressed like a dog’s dinner).Named after the assortment of leftoversfrom human meals that get fed to somedogs.*

Dog’s life A life of hardship and unpleas-antness.*

Dogs of war Mercenaries.*

Done and dusted Absolutely finished.*

Done deal Something already settled.*

Done for Destined for an unpleasant fate.The phrase nearly always means destinedto die or become irreparably damaged.See do for.*

Done in (1) Murdered. (2) Very tired.*

Donkey See entries below and: like giving adonkey strawberries.

Donkey work Physically demandingand/or laborious work that is relativelyuninteresting.*

Donkey’s years A long period of time.*

Don’t ask me The phrase is used as areply to a question and indicates thatthe person does not know the answer.There is usually the implication that itwas illogical to ask the question (e.g.‘don’t ask me – you know that I wasn’tthere, so how could I possibly tell youwhat happened?’).*

Don’t be a stranger A phrase in generalsocial use meaning that the personshould stay in contact with the speaker.*

Don’t be blonde Don’t be stupid. Thephrase is potentially offensive and careshould be taken in using it.***

Don’t bet on it Meaning ‘it’s not certain’.*

Don’t call us, we’ll call you A traditionalresponse by theatre managers and similardismissing poor quality performers afteran audition. The term is now generallyused as a relatively mild criticism.*

Don’t come crying to me Means the sameas don’t come running to me.

Don’t come running to me A warningthat something is inevitably going toproduce problems, and that the speakerwill have no sympathy when thishappens, because the problems couldhave been foreseen and thus avoided.*

Don’t count your chickens The start of alonger saying – ‘don’t count yourchickens until they’re hatched’. Thephrase advises a person not to anticipatesomething and make plans based on thisanticipated outcome, but instead to waitto see what actually happens. Thus, countyour chickens is to assume optimisticallyand perhaps mistakenly that something isgoing to happen the way it was planned.*

Don’t get mad, get even Instead of justcomplaining about something, do some-thing to resolve the problem.*

Don’t get your knickers in a twistMeans ‘don’t get over-excited’ or ‘don’tget so annoyed’.**

DON’T GET YOUR KNICKERS IN A TWIST / 73

Don’t give a… See entries beginningcouldn’t give a…

Don’t give a rat’s ass Have no interest orconcern.***

Don’t give up the day job A negativecomment about the quality of somethinga person produces in pursuing a hobby. Ineffect, the comment means ‘don’t give upyour full-time job, because if you tried toearn money from what you produce as ahobby, you’d never get anyone to buy it’.The phrase is often used jokingly, ratherthan as a deeply felt insult.*

Don’t go there (1) Don’t enquire in toomuch detail. (2) Don’t try to imagine thesituation described.*

Don’t have a cat in hell’s chance See catin hell’s chance.

Don’t have a hope in hell Means thesame as don’t have a cat in hell’s chance.

Don’t hide your light under a bushelSee hide their light under a bushel.

Don’t hold your breath See hold theirbreath.

Don’t know from Adam To fail to recog-nize (e.g. ‘Do you know this person?’ –‘I’ve never seen him before; I don’t knowhim from Adam’).*

Don’t know the half of it See half of it.

Don’t know their arse from their elbowA phrase used to describe a person who isnot intellectually gifted or lacks theknowledge required in a particular situa-tion.***

Don’t know they are born A rather con-temptuous phrase indicating that somepeople do not realize how fortunate theirlives have been and lack experience ofhardship or difficulties.*

Don’t lay a finger on… A warning not tophysically harm someone.*

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouthSee look a gift horse in the mouth.

Don’t mince words A demand that some-thing is said clearly and directly.*

Don’t pay the ferryman Don’t paysomeone until they have completed thetask.*

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket Inother words, don’t rely on just one thingor spend all your time on just one projector activity. The implication is that if aperson relies on just one thing and it fails,then they have nothing else. For example,in investment, it’s unwise to invest in justone company’s shares. The phrase origi-nates with the idea that if a person has alot of eggs, what happens if he or she putsthem all in one basket and that basketgets dropped? *

Don’t shoot the messenger See shoot themessenger.

Don’t start A request not to start com-plaining and/or raising an issue likely tocause an argument, etc.*

Don’t take no for an answer See no for ananswer.

Don’t tell me The phrase is used before thespeaker says something that is an obviouslogical conclusion from what has justbeen said. For example, if someone says‘Harry came into the room balancing abox of eggs on top of a pile of papers hewas carrying’, another person mightreply ‘don’t tell me – he dropped every-thing and broke the eggs’.*

Don’t waste your breath See waste theirbreath.

Doom and gloom A pervading feeling ofunavoidable misery.*

Door to door (1) Visiting all houses in adistrict. (2) The complete journey fromone place to another.*

Dos and don’ts Rules.*

Dose of their own medicine Means thesame as taste of their own medicine.

Dot the i’s and cross the t’s Make surethat everything is correct. The phrase is

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

74 / DON’T GIVE A…

particularly used for checking docu-ments.*

Double bind A difficult situation in whichany solution is likely to create furtherproblems.*

Double dip Do the same thing twice. Thephrase can be used in a more specificsense of buying what is ostensibly thesame product or service twice because ofrelatively minor improvements.*

Double-edged sword Something thatconfers advantages but also carries disad-vantages.*

Double jeopardy (1) The principle that aperson cannot be tried twice for the samecrime. (2) Facing two problems, oftenwith the implication that solving oneproblem makes the other problemworse.*

Double or nothing Means the same asdouble or quits.

Double or quits A gamble in which aperson who already owes money agreesto take a further gamble or engage in acompetition. If the person wins, thenthey no longer owe any money. If theylose, then they owe double the moneythey previously owed.*

Doubting Thomas A person who refusesto accept something without very strongproof. Named after Jesus’s disciple of thesame name who refused to accept theResurrection until he had seen Christ’swounds with his own eyes.*

Down and dirty (1) Sexually explicit. (2)Unappealing.**

Down and out (1) A homeless person,often by implication with an addictionproblem as well. (2) Utterly defeated.*

Down at heel Looking unkempt. It isusually implied that this appearance isdue to poverty rather than choice.*

Down in the dumps Miserable.*

Down in the mouth Depressed.*

Down in the world Lowered socio-economic status.*

Down on their luck In a state of misfor-tune.*

Down the drain Wasted. The phrase isoften used of money that has been fool-ishly spent on something useless.*

Down the pan Failed.**

Down the river See sell down the river.

Down the road (1) In the future. (2) At alocation nearby.*

Down to a fine art See got it down to a fineart.

Down to earth Realistic and unpreten-tious.*

Down to the ground Completely.*

Down to the line Describes a race or othercompetition where the competitors areevenly matched and the result cannot bepredicted until the competitors cross thefinishing line/the event is finished.*

Down to the wire Means the same as downto the line.

Downwardly mobile Declining insocio-economic status.*

Drag ass Move quickly.**

Drag on Be tedious.*

Drag their feet Be unwilling; typically,displaying this lack of enthusiasm bydoing things slowly or constantlydelaying starting something.*

Drag their heels Means the same as dragtheir feet.

Drag their name through the mudMeans the same as drag through the dirt.

Drag through the dirt Publicly attacksomeone or something, typically publi-cising unpleasant or embarrassing infor-mation.*

Drama queen Someone who tends to beover-dramatic in their behaviour andexaggerates problems and successes.*

DRAMA QUEEN / 75

Draw a blank To fail to find or attain whatwas hoped for. For example, fail to recog-nize (e.g. ‘I’d like to help you but I’vedrawn a blank; I’ve no recollection of theevent at all’); fail to find (e.g. ‘althoughthey searched everywhere they drew ablank and the bracelet was not found’);fail to win (e.g. ‘although they hoped towin what should have been an easymatch, they drew a blank’).*

Draw a line under If a line is drawn undersomething, it indicates that it is finished,and something new has begun.*

Draw first blood See first blood.

Draw in their horns Show more re-strained behaviour.*

Draw stumps Stop doing something.*

Draw the line Establish what constitutesthe limits of acceptable behaviour.*

Draw the short straw (1) Be selected to dosomething unpleasant that would not bedone voluntarily. (2) Be unlucky.*

Draw their fire Cause a person to attacksomething other than their originalintended target.*

Drawing board See back to the drawingboard.

Dress down (1) Verbally reprimand. Theterm is usually used for a situation wheresomeone in a senior position rebukessomeone in a more junior position. (2)Wear casual rather than smart clothes.*

Dress rehearsal A practice of an event rep-licating, as far as possible, the actual con-ditions of the event itself.*

Dressed like a dog’s dinner See dog’sdinner.

Dressed to kill Being attractively dressed.There is typically an implication thatwhat is being worn emphasizes theperson’s sexual attractiveness.*

Dressed to the nines In very glamorousand/or smart clothes.*

Dressed up to the nines Very smartlydressed.*

Drill down Examine in very great detail.*

Drink like a fish Drink excessively.*

Drink under the table Drink morealcohol than another person or personswithout passing out, being sick, orsimilar.*

Drink with the flies Drink alone.*

Drinking in the last chance saloonMaking one final attempt to do some-thing properly.*

Drinks are on them They will pay for thedrinks.*

Drive a coach and horses through itDisprove an argument that is logically orfactually weak (e.g. ‘that’s ridiculous – Icould drive a coach and horses throughthat’).*

Drive home Ensure that something is fullyunderstood through the use of forcefulargument.*

Drive up the wall Annoy.*

Driving at See what are they driving at?

Drop a bombshell Provide a piece ofunexpected information. It is usuallyimplied that the information is unpleas-ant.*

Drop a brick Means the same as drop aclanger.

Drop a clanger To make a mistake, usuallywith the implication that it is an embar-rassing one. The phrase often is used todescribe making an embarrassingremark.*

Drop a hint Make a hint or suggestion.*

Drop a line Write a letter or note tosomeone.*

Drop a word in their ear Informally tellsomeone. The phrase is generally used insituations where the person being toldholds a position of power, and is being

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

76 / DRAW A BLANK

approached informally rather than viaofficial procedures.*

Drop dead (1) Die suddenly. (2) An offen-sive remark indicating displeasure atsomeone. The phrase is often used as avigorous denial or response to some-thing.* (1) or ** (2)

Drop everything Abandon all ongoingactivity. The phrase is usually used todescribe appropriate behaviour in anemergency, when a very serious problemneeds to be tackled immediately.*

Drop in Pay a visit.*

Drop in it Get someone into trouble. Thiscan be deliberate (e.g. informing anauthority figure of someone’s misdeeds)or accidental (e.g. a chance remark impli-cating someone in a misdeed). Sometimesthe phrase indicates a situation where aperson accidentally gets themselves intotrouble by accident (more commonly thephrase in this circumstance will be dropthemselves in it).*

Drop in the… Followed by a word ofvarying levels of politeness (e.g. ‘soup’,which is polite, or ‘shit’, which is not).The phrase means the same as drop in it.*or ** or ***

Note: politeness depends on word used atend of the phrase.

Drop in the ocean A tiny fraction of thetotal. In other words, a minute amount.*

Drop into their lap Obtain effortlessly.*

Drop it Cease discussing something. Usedas a command (‘drop it!’) is a request thatsomeone stops discussing somethingbecause the subject is annoying orunpleasant.*

Drop like a hot potato (1) Literally dropas if it were too painful to hold. (2)Rapidly and decisively sever social orworking relations with someone.*

Drop like flies Die or collapse in largenumbers.*

Drop names Engage in name dropping.*

Drop the ball Make a mistake and/or failto complete a task.*

Drop the bundle If a person ‘drops thebundle’ they stop doing something theyare not very good at.*

Drop the dime on Inform on someone.*

Drop the pilot Do something without thehelp usually employed (e.g. ‘after acouple of successful attempts with Maryto assist, Sue decided to drop the pilotand try doing it by herself ’).*

Drop the sprog Give birth.**

Drop their aitches Fail to pronounce theletter aitch at the beginning of wordsbeginning with ‘h’ (e.g. ‘’urry up withdinner, I’m ’ungry’). The phrase some-times refers specifically to a failure topronounce the initial letter aitch.However, more generally it is used bysnobs as a general indicator that (fromtheir viewpoint) a person has poor pro-nunciation and is ill-educated or workingclass.*

Drop their guard Become less defensive.*

Drown their sorrows Attempt to remedya depressed feeling by drinking alcohol.*

Drop them (1) Terminate a relationship(the term usually implies that this is donein an unnecessarily brutal and callousmanner). (2) Remove someone from asports team.*

Drop themselves in it See drop in it.

Drowned rat Someone looking like a‘drowned rat’ is soaking wet and dishev-elled.*

Drug on the market (1) Of no value. (2)Impossible to sell.*

Drunk as a… The phrase almost inevita-bly means ‘very drunk’ . Wordscommonly used to finish the phraseinclude ‘skunk’, ‘lord’ and ‘newt’.* or **or ***

Note: politeness level depends on word atend of phrase.

DRUNK AS A… / 77

Dry as dust (1) Lacking water. (2) Boring.(3) Very cerebral, with no obvious emo-tionality. *

Dry eye in the house See not a dry eye in thehouse.

Dry run A practice session.*

Dry spell Period of relatively low produc-tivity and/or creativity.*

Dry up (1) A command to be quiet. (2)Become silent (typically after a period ofbeing talkative). (3) Cease being produc-tive (typically after a period of being veryproductive).*

Duck See entry below and: do ducks swim?,dying duck in a thunderstorm, have their ducksin a row, lame duck, like a duck to water, likewater off a duck’s back, play ducks and drakeswith and weather for ducks.

Duck and dive Avoid attack by beingflexible and/or using mental agility.*

Due deserts Means the same as just desserts.

Duke it out Fight.*

Dukes up To raise fists at someone.*

Dull as dishwater Very uninteresting.*

Dull as ditchwater Means the same as dullas dishwater.

Dull the edge Make less. The phrase canrefer to level of interest, sensation, pain orother things, depending upon context.*

Dump them (1) Terminate a relationship(the term usually implies that this is donein an unnecessarily brutal and callousmanner). (2) Remove someone from agroup.*

Dust away the cobwebs Means the sameas blow away the cobwebs.

Dust settles See when the dust settles.

Dusty answer A response that is brief anduninformative.*

Dusty Miller Men with the surname‘Miller’ often are nicknamed ‘Dusty’ (it isunlikely that this is their real first name).

The nickname derives from the observa-tion that millers generally get dusty fromflour whilst working.*

Dutch courage Gaining courage bydrinking alcohol. The phrase probablyderives from earlier centuries when theNetherlands and Britain were at war, andthe Dutch were seen in negative terms,including the (utterly false) idea that theyhad no real ‘fighting spirit’ and had to getdrunk to fight.*

Dutch treat A ‘treat’ for someone in whichthey pay for all or some of the costs.*

Dutch uncle Someone who acts as anadviser or counsellor on an informalbasis.*

Dutchman See I’m a Dutchman.

Duty bound Compelled to behave in aparticular way because of regulations orthe duties associated with a particular job.For example, a police officer may person-ally feel that a person caught committinga crime should be let free but, because ofthe requirements of being a police officer,is ‘duty bound’ to arrest the person.*

Dyed in the wool If an attitude or behav-iour is said to be ‘dyed in the wool’ then itis possessed very firmly, and it will be dif-ficult to change through persuasion ortraining.*

Dying duck in a thunderstorm To have aforlorn or miserable expression.*

EEager beaver A keen, enthusiastic person.*

Ear See entry below and: bend their ear, can’tmake a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, cock an ear,chew their ear, drop a word in their ear, easy onthe ear, flea in their ear, have the ear, in one earand out the other, incline an ear, keep an ear outfor, lend an ear, listen with half an ear, make apig’s ear, play by ear, prick up their ears, tin ear,turn a deaf ear to and word in their ear.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

78 / DRY AS DUST

Ear to the ground Having an especiallygood level of knowledge. The phrase isgenerally reserved for someone who hasintensively studied a situation and canforesee future developments.*

Early bath See take an early bath.

Early bird A person who gets up and isactive earlier in the morning than mostpeople. There may also be an implicationof being active and more likely tosucceed. The saying ‘the early birdcatches the worm’ argues that those whostart early on a project and are generallylively (i.e. aren’t lazy and sleep until late)are more likely to succeed.*

Early days The initial stages of something,when it is too soon to be certain of theoutcome.*

Earn a crust Earn money. The phrase origi-nally meant ‘earn barely enough tosurvive’, but these days is often used sar-castically to describe a very rich person.*

Earn a living Have paid employment.There is usually an implication that thesalary is not excessively large.*

Earn an honest crust Means the same asearn an honest penny.

Earn an honest penny Earn money in amorally respectable way.*

Earn their corn Work hard and wellenough to justify the salary.*

Earn their keep (1) Be a productivemember of a household. (2) Be a usefulhousehold appliance. (3) Be a guest in ahousehold who does household choresor similar in exchange for board andlodging.*

Earn their moccasins Prove worthy ofsomething.*

Earn their spurs Means the same as earntheir moccasins.

Earn their stripes Prove worthy of some-thing. The phrase refers to gaining pro-motion in the police, armed forces, etc.,where advancement through the lower

ranks is marked by white chevron stripeson the sleeves of the uniform.*

Ears are burning A person’s ears are saidto be burning if someone has beentalking about them when they were notthere.*

Ears flapping Describes the state of aperson who is eavesdropping on a con-versation.*

Earth-shaking Something that is ‘earth-shaking’ is of great importance. Thephrase is often used in the negative (e.g.‘nothing earth-shaking’) meaning some-thing that is unimportant or is used sar-castically.*

Earth-shattering Means the same asearth-shaking.

Earth swallow me up See let the earthswallow me up.

Earth to… A joking phrase imitating theradio calls of ground control to astro-nauts. The implication is that someone isnot paying attention and might as well beon another planet because they are sounresponsive (e.g. ‘Earth to Mark – haveyou heard anything I’ve said?’).*

Earthly See not have an Earthly.

Easy as pie Easy.*

Easy come, easy go (1) The belief thatsomething easily gained can be easilylost. (2) A relaxed view of a situation.*

Easy does it A command to do somethinggently and with care.*

Easy listening Rather bland music thatrequires no great intellectual analysis toappreciate and lacks a particularlyforceful or aggressive rhythmic struc-ture.*

Easy money Money that is easily earned.*

Easy on the ear Agreeable to hear.*

Easy on the eye Agreeable to see.*

Easy on the pocket Affordable.*

Easy ride A trouble-free experience.*

EASY ON THE EAR / 79

Easy Street A lifestyle characterised byriches and no hard work.*

Easy tiger A very mild rebuke to someonewho is over-keen to do something.*

Easy touch Means the same as soft touch.

Easy virtue Promiscuity.*

Easy way See hard way.

Eat a horse See could eat a horse.

Eat alive This has several distinct mean-ings. (1) A person threatening to eatsomeone else alive is very annoyed withthem (the threat is not of course literal).(2) A person repeatedly bitten by insectscan claim to be being ‘eaten alive’. (3) Aperson who is worried by something tothe point that it preoccupies theirthoughts and possibly makes them feel illcan be said to be ‘eaten alive’ withworry.*

Eat crow (1) To be made to do somethingunpleasant. (2) Be humiliated.*

Eat dirt Be humiliated.*

Eat humble pie To be made to do some-thing humiliating or admit to being inthe wrong. ‘Humble pie’ is made from thegiblets of deer and was traditionallygiven to the ‘lower orders’. Thus anobleman made to eat humble pie ratherthan venison was being deliberatelyhumiliated.*

Eat like a bird Eat very little. The excep-tion to this is eat like a gannet.*

Eat like a gannet Eat large amounts(contrast with eat like a bird). Gannets arebirds famed for their voracious appe-tites.*

Eat like a horse Eat large amounts.*

Eat like a pig Eat large amounts with badtable manners. There is often an implica-tion that food is being eaten simplybecause it is edible, and the person isinsensible to the quality of what they areeating. Pigs are famed for voracious

appetites and their capacity to eat practi-cally anything.*

Eat me Means the same as bite me.

Eat my shorts A rude reply, indicatingrejection of what has just been said. Thephrase was popularized by the TV showThe Simpsons.**

Eat out of house and home Consumelarge amounts of a host’s food, beyondthe bounds of what would be consideredpolite behaviour.*

Eat their dust Be considerably behindanother competitor in a race or othercompetition. *

Eat their heart out (1) Experience longingfor someone or something. (2) Beenvious. (3) Eat large quantities withoutrestraint. See eat your heart out…*

Eat this A verbal reply that precedes doingor saying something unpleasant (e.g.saying ‘eat this’ before hitting some-one).**

Eat your heart out… The phrase is typi-cally followed by the name of a famousperson who is a noted exponent ofwhatever is under discussion, with theimplication that what is being discussedis better than the named person is or wascapable of. Thus, after a piano recital, aperson might say ‘eat your heart outAnton Rubinstein’. The phrase can beused with serious intent (i.e. the speakerreally thinks that what is being discussedis good) or with ironic intent (i.e. thespeaker thinks that what is being dis-cussed is poor). See eat their heart out.*

Eaten all the pies Is fat. Offensive, andshould not be used.***

Eating out of their hand See have themeating out of their hand.

Eclipsed by Made less important and/orhigh-ranking by (e.g. ‘the Zog Model IVwas considered very good until it waseclipsed by the arrival of the Zog ModelV’).*

Economical with the truth Lying.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

80 / EASY ON THE EYE

Edge out Defeat or replace by relativelyunobtrusive methods.*

Effing and blinding Swearing.*

Egg See entries below and: as sure as eggs iseggs, big butter and egg man, chicken and egg,curate’s egg, don’t put all your eggs in onebasket, go suck an egg, kill the goose that laysthe golden egg, lay an egg, over-egg thepudding, teach granny to suck eggs and walkon eggshells.

Egg on Encourage.*

Egg on their face Be embarrassed orhumiliated.*

Egg on your chin Your flies are undone.*

Electric soup An alcoholic drink.*

Elementary, my dear Watson A jokingphrase indicating that the speaker hassolved a problem that others have foundbaffling with great ease. The phrase is a(supposed) quotation of SherlockHolmes, the famous fictional detective (inreality, he never says this exact phrase inany of the books or short stories, but it isa good paraphrase of several very similarquotations).*

Elephant never forgets Said by a personwhen claiming that they have a goodmemory. Elephants proverbially havegood memories and the speaker is com-paring their memory skills to this. Theyare not otherwise claiming to beelephant-like.*

Eleventh hour The latest possible timethat something could be done.*

Elvis has left the building The personwho is of interest is no longer there. Thephrase is derived from the heyday of rockand roll, when to persuade fans to leaveafter an Elvis Presley concert, it would beannounced that ‘Elvis has left the build-ing’ (i.e. there was no purpose to remain-ing there, because the person they wereinterested in was no longer there).*

Emerge from the ashes Means the same asrise from the ashes.

Emotional rollercoaster A series of expe-riences that create a series of very differ-ent emotional responses.*

Emperor’s new clothes Something that isridiculous or of no worth that manypeople know is ridiculous or of no worth,but feel they cannot say this because(supposed) experts have said it is praise-worthy (e.g. the status of some modernart liked by art critics).*

Empty nest syndrome Feeling of loneli-ness in middle-aged parents created bytheir children having reached adulthoodand moved out of the family home.*

Empty nester Person experiencing emptynest syndrome.*

Empty of ideas (1) Having no ideas orimagination. (2) Question someone untilthey run out of anything new to sayand/or suggest.*

End in tears See it’ll end in tears.

End it all Commit suicide.*

End of civilisation as we know it (1) Theliteral end of a way of living that is char-acteristic of ‘civilized life’. The term hasbeen used to describe the state of a oncecivilized country after it has been takenover by a totalitarian, repressive regime(e.g. ‘after the dictator took over, it wasthe end of civilisation as we know it forthe people of that country’), and also indescribing the threat to civilisation fromenemy forces (e.g. ‘if they invade, thenit’ll be the end of civilisation as we knowit ’). (2) Because the term has beenoverused in bad melodramas, and partic-ularly bad science fiction movies (e.g. ‘ifthe giant ants from Planet Zog take over,it’ll be the end of civilisation as we knowit’), it is now used jokingly as a responseto any bad news, no matter how trivial(e.g. ‘the photocopier is broken andwon’t be repaired until tomorrow – thiscould be the end of civilisation as weknow it’).*

END OF CIVILISATION AS WE KNOW IT / 81

End of story A phrase used at the end of a(usually spoken) description to indicatethat that is all there is to relate.*

End of the line Means the same as end ofthe road.

End of the rainbow A non-existent place,signifying something that is desirable buthighly unlikely.*

End of the road The limit beyond whichsomething cannot continue.*

End of the world A serious (but not neces-sarily literally world-ending) problem orsituation. See it’s not the end of the world.*

End of their tether The most annoyedsomeone can be without actually losingtheir temper.*

End up (1) Upside down. (2) Another wayof saying the verb ‘end’ (e.g. ‘how did weend up here?’).*

Enemy See how’s the enemy?

Engraved in stone Means the same as set instone.*

Enough is enough (1) A statement ofwarning to cease an activity (typically, anargument). (2) Similarly, a statement ofexasperation that an activity has gone ontoo long.*

Enough said A statement indicating thatenough information has been given. Thephrase is used in several contrastingways: e.g. (1) to compliment a speakerthat they have efficiently summarized asituation in a few words; (2) to indicatethat what the speaker is saying is distaste-ful and no more should be said; (3) toindicate that what is being said is irritat-ing; or (4) to indicate that what is beingsaid may provoke an argument and itwould be politic to stop speaking.*

Enough to make a cat laugh Somethingthat is very funny.*

Enough to sink a battleship A largequantity.*

Enter into the spirit Adopt the sameattitude and emotional mood as others.*

Envelope See push the envelope.

Err on the right side Make a mistake thatin fact is advantageous.*

Err on the side of… Behave in a mannerthat favours one thing over another. Thecommonest use of the phrase is probably‘err on the side of caution’, meaning thatthe action taken is more careful thanreckless.*

Etchings See come up and see my etchings.

Eternal triangle An emotional problem inwhich there are three people. The conflictis about which two of the three willbecome the permanent partners and,accordingly, who will be rejected. This isa staple plot for romantic stories.*

Even break A fair opportunity. See nevergive a sucker an even break.*

Even keel See keep on an even keel.

Even stevens Evenly balanced.*

Ever and anon the way Always the same.*

Ever-decreasing circles To go round in‘ever-decreasing circles’ is to work onproblems that never seem to be solvedand in which over time less and lessworthwhile output is produced.*

Every avenue explored Means the sameas no stone unturned.

Every last one Every member of a group orset.*

Every man for himself Every person isresponsible for their own survival. Theterm is used in two common ways. (1) Asa call to escape a dangerous situation (e.g.‘the building is on fire – every man forhimself !’) in which people are urged toescape rather than attempt to be heroicand rescue others. (2) As a description ofa situation in which everybody wasselfish (e.g. ‘it was every man for himselfin that office’).*

Every man Jack Everybody.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

82 / END OF STORY

Every person for themselves A gender-neutral version of every man for himself.

Every picture tells a story In other words,something can be deduced from anyvisual scene. The term is sometimes usedjokingly when someone enters a roomwearing an unusual facial expression.*

Every trick in the book Every possibleoption.*

Every which way In all possible direc-tions. The phrase often denotes a state ofconfusion or a difficult problem (e.g. ‘I’vetried every which way to solve it’).*

Everyone has a price Expresses the beliefthat everyone can be bribed or coerced.*

Everyone’s lips See word on everyone’s lips.

Everything but the kitchen sink Ajoking expression meaning that every-thing that could be included has been.There is usually the implication that a lotof what has been included is unneces-sary.*

Everything in the garden is… Thephrase nearly always ends with a positiveterm such as ‘blooming’, ‘rosy’ or ‘lovely’.The phrase simply denotes that the situa-tion is agreeable. Occasionally the phraseis used for ironic effect and ends with anegative word such as ‘rotten’, in whichcase the phrase means that the situation isdisagreeable.*

Everything’s coming up roses Every-thing is well.*

Exception that proves the rule Some-thing unusual that will test whether agenerally held belief is correct. The word‘prove’ is used in its older sense of ‘test’.The phrase does not mean that excep-tions must automatically support a gener-ally held belief.*

Excuse my French Means the same aspardon my French.*

Exhibit A The most important part of anargument or most important evidence.The term comes from the practice oflabelling items of evidence used in law

courts by the names ‘Exhibit A’, ‘ExhibitB’, etc.*

Extra mile See go the extra mile.

Eye See entries below and: all eyes, apple oftheir eye, better than a poke in the eye with asharp stick, bird’s-eye view, blink of an eye,blue-eyed boy [or girl], bright-eyed and bushytailed, by an eyelash, clap eyes on, close theireyes to, close your eyes and think of England,easy on the eye, feast their eyes on, flutter theireyelashes, get their eye in, give their eye teeth,give them the glad eye, green-eyed monster, halfan eye, have an eye for, in a pig’s eye, in thepublic eye, keep an eye on, keep an eye out for,keep half an eye on, keep their eye in, keep theireye on the ball, keep their eyes open, keep theireyes peeled, leap to the eye, make eyes at, mind’seye, mote in their eye, my eye, not a dry eye inthe house, not bat an eyelid, one in the eye, opentheir eyes, pass their eye over, public eye, pullthe wool over their eyes, raise their eyebrows,raised eyebrows, right between the eyes, scalesfall from their eyes, see eye to eye, sheep’s eyes,shut their eyes to, sight for sore eyes, smack inthe eye, spit in the eye, square eyes, stars in theireyes, take their eye off the ball, turn a blind eyeto, twinkle in their eye, up the boo-eye, up to theeyeballs, when Nelson gets his eye back, witheyes closed, with eyes open and worm’s eyeview.

Eye candy Something or someone thatlooks attractive; there is usually the impli-cation that the something or someone inquestion is also of low intellectualworth.*

Eye-catching Visually appealing and/ornoticeable.*

Eye for an eye Part of a longer Biblicalphrase that finishes with ‘and a tooth fora tooth’. It expresses the view thatwrongdoing should be met with retalia-tory action. The phrase is often inter-preted as justifying any sort of revenge,but this is a misreading of the orig-inal phrase, which argued that revengeshould never go further than an act ofequivalent severity.*

Eye of a needle A tiny opening.*

EYE FOR AN EYE / 83

Eye of the hurricane Means the same aseye of the storm.

Eye of the storm (1) The essential part ofan emotional argument. (2) The mostemotionally upsetting part of anargument. (3) The phenomenon thatduring a complex situation (such as aserious and complex argument) there canbe a period of time when everythingseems unnaturally calm, which gives anuneasy and illusory sense that everythinghas been resolved (like a still pocket of airat the centre of some hurricanes).*

Eye on the main chance A person with an‘eye on the main chance’ is constantlysearching for methods of becoming rich,gaining promotion or otherwise gainingsuccess.*

Eyeball to eyeball Very close to each other– the term is nearly always reserved fordescribing a hostile situation.*

Eyeballing (1) To look at something in anot very thorough manner to gain aninitial idea of what it is about (e.g. ‘fromeyeballing the data I’d say things lookpromising, but I’ll have to examine itmore carefully before deciding firmly onanything’). (2) To try to out-staresomeone (i.e. if two people stare at eachother’s eyes, see which one loses bylooking away first).*

Eyeballs See up to the eyeballs.

Eyes are smiling If a person’s ‘eyes aresmiling’ then they have a happy or con-tented expression.*

Eyes bigger than their stomach Eating(or attempting to eat) more than can becomfortably digested.*

Eyes in the back of their head Beingvery observant and/or well-informed.*

Eyes out on stalks Expressing extremesurprise or interest.*

Eyes wide open Fully aware of the situa-tion; showing a high level of attention.*

FFace as long as a fiddle Means the same

as long face.

Face fits If someone’s ‘face fits’, then theirattributes make them acceptable for aparticular position or task.*

Face like a wet weekend Means the sameas long face.

Face off Decide the outcome through con-frontation.*

Face the music Accept punishment for amisdeed.*

Face time Time allocated for a meetingwith someone (as opposed to time spentconversing with them via emails, tele-phone calls, etc.).*

Facts of life (1) Information about sexualintercourse and reproduction. (2) Basicinformation about the way in whichpeople behave and what can be expectedin the course of daily living.*

Faint hearted Timid.*

Fair The term can mean ‘reasonable’, but insome situations it may also mean ‘large’(e.g. ‘he inherited a fair-sized fortune’ or‘the dog was a fair size’).*

Fair and square (1) Honest. (2) Accurate.*

Fair cop Means the same as bang to rightsand again derived from slang (as in ‘it’s afair cop’, supposedly said by criminalscaught in the act of committing a crime).See cop it.*

Fair crack of the whip A reasonableopportunity to attempt to do some-thing.*

Fair dinkum (1) Okay. (2) Real.*

Fair dos (1) Reasonable treatment orbehaviour. The phrase is generally usedas a request for reasonable treatment. (2)The phrase can also be used in the sameway as credit where credit is due.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

84 / EYE OF A NEEDLE

Fair field and no favour A contest withno favouritism shown.*

Fair-haired boy [or girl] Means the sameas blue-eyed boy [or girl].

Fair suck of the pineapple An expressionof disbelief or grievance that someonehas done something unfair, such as takenmore than their fair share of something.*

Fair suck of the sav Means the same as fairsuck of the pineapple. A ‘sav’ is Australianslang for a saveloy sausage.

Fair weather friend (1) A person who isonly friendly when the situation istrouble-free. (2) A person who cannot berelied upon in times of difficulty.*

Fair’s fair A request for reasonable treat-ment.*

Fall apart at the seams (1) Fail compre-hensively. (2) Have a nervous breakdown.(3) Collapse or disintegrate.*

Fall between two stools Fail to support orsatisfy either of two alternative oropposing arguments or positions.*

Fall flat Fail. The phrase often specificallymeans ‘anticlimax’.*

Fall flat on their face Fail, and because ofthe failure suffer loss of reputation.*

Fall for (1) Be deceived by. (2) Fall in lovewith.*

Fall from grace Be no longer liked orregarded as important.*

Fall into line Begin to follow ordersand/or work as part of a team rather thanfollowing individual whims.*

Fall into place (1) Become understand-able. (2) Means the same as fall into line.

Fall into their lap Obtain effortlessly.*

Fall on deaf ears Be ignored or have noeffect on emotions.*

Fall on stony ground Means the same asfall on deaf ears.

Fall on their feet Become involved in arewarding and/or pleasant situation.There is often an implication that this wasmore by luck than intent.*

Fall prey to Be a victim of, or be broughtinto decline by.*

Fall short of Fail to meet the desiredstandard.*

Fall through the net Escape detection.*

Falling apart (1) When used to describe anemotional state (e.g. ‘I’m so upset it feelslike I’m falling apart’) then it refers to astate in which a person feels as if theycannot cope. See pull yourself together forfurther discussion of this. (2) Whendescribing a relationship, it means thatthe relationship has serious problems andmay not last.*

False colours See show their true colours.

False dawn An apparently optimistic signthat is in fact illusory.*

Family jewels (1) Treasured possessions.(2) The male genitals.* (1) or ** (2)

Family silver See sell the family silver.

Family tree Record of a family’s ancestors.The ‘tree’ refers to the tree-like patternthat a visual representation of a person’slineage can resemble.*

Famous for fifteen minutes A short-lived phenomenon or fashion. Like a ninedays’ wonder, the precise length of fame isnot indicated by the phrase. A personwho has been famous for a brief period oftime is said to have had their fifteen minutesof fame.*

Famous last words The term can of courserefer to notable phrases made by peoplewhen dying. However, it is usually usedironically to comment on somebody’sover-optimistic or otherwise incautiousremarks.*

Fan the flames Make an argument moreintense by use of provocative language orbehaviour. This may be done deliberatelyor accidentally.*

FAMOUS LAST WORDS / 85

Fancy their chances Be hopeful ofsuccess.*

Far and away A method of emphasising‘far’. Thus ‘far and away better’ meansbetter by a larger margin than ‘farbetter’.*

Far be it from me to… Strictly speaking,the phrase means ‘I am reluctant to…’(e.g. ‘far be it from me to criticize you’means ‘I am reluctant to criticize you’).The phrase is usually used when someonewants to say something unpleasant butwishes to make it sound less aggressive.*

Far cry from Utterly distinct from.*

Far-fetched Implausible.*

Far-flung A long distance away.*

Fashion victim A person who slavishlyfollows fashion trends and wears clothesthat look ridiculous in the mistaken beliefthat they are f ashionable andtrend-setting (e.g. ‘Michelle thought thather clothes were the last word in hautecouture, but in reality she was a fashionvictim’).*

Fast girl A now rather dated expressionindicating a woman who is consideredsexually promiscuous. *

Fat cat A person who has too much wealthand/or privilege. The phrase is oftenused to describe senior managers inbusiness who can award themselves out-rageously large salaries and bonuses withapparent impunity.*

Fat chance Highly unlikely.*

Fat in the fire The cause of a problem.*

Fat lady sings See it isn’t over until the fat ladysings.

Fat of the land See live off the fat of the land.

Fate in their hands An outcome that isdependent on others.*

Fate worse than death The term origi-nally referred to a woman’s loss of virgin-ity before marriage (seen at the time as agreat moral crime). Today it is generally

used humorously to refer to somethingunpleasant a person would prefer toavoid.*

Fatted calf See kill the fatted calf.

Favourite daughter A famous womanespecially liked in the country or regionshe was born.*

Favourite son Male equivalent of favouritedaughter.

Fear Greeks bearing gifts Means thesame as beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

Feast of reason Erudite conversation.*

Feast or famine A situation in which thereis either too much or too little, and neverthe correct amount.*

Feast their eyes on Admire.*

Feather in their cap A praiseworthyachievement.*

Feather their nest Accumulate riches,usually by illicit means, such as stealingfrom their employers.*

Fed up To be bored to the point of lethargy.The term derives from hawking – a birdof prey after eating will usually beunwilling to hunt and is said to be ‘fedup’.*

Fed up to the back teeth (1) Very irritatedby something; the phrase usually refers toannoyance at something that has beengoing on for some time. (2) Extremely fedup.*

Feed them a line Mislead them.*

Feel free An expression of permission to dosomething (e.g. ‘feel free to look aroundthe house’).*

Feel in the bones Intuitively sense some-thing without being able to give a logicalexplanation for it.*

Feel like death Feel very ill or tired.*

Feel like shit Feel ill.***

Feel the draught Experience problems.The phrase is especially used to describe

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

86 / FAN THE FLAMES

a severe worsening in a person’sfinances.*

Feel the pinch Experience financialproblems.*

Feel their age A person who says that they‘feel their age’ means that they feel theyare growing old because they are physi-cally tired or otherwise enfeebled.*

Feel their collar Arrest them.*

Feeling oneself See not feeling oneself.

Feeling seedy Feeling unwell.*

Feet of clay A single defect in an otherwisepraiseworthy personality. The phrase isused especially to someone who is madevulnerable by this defect.*

Feet under the table If a person has their‘feet under the table’, then they have beenaccepted into a family in which they arenot a relative by genes or marriage. Theterm often implies that the person hasdone this because the family has wealthor influence.*

Fell off the back of a lorry Stolen or oth-erwise improperly obtained.*

Fender bender An automobile accident.*

Fetch and carry Act as a menial servantcarrying things at someone’s orders.*

Few and far between Rare.*

Fiddle the accounts Engage in dishonestaccounting procedures. The phrase isoften used in two specific circumstances.(1) Where a person has stolen money andthen attempted to disguise the theftthrough fraudulent accounting. (2)Where the financial accounts of a firm aremade to look far better than they actuallyare.*

Fiddling while Rome burns To do some-thing trivial while more important thingsneed to be done. The term originateswith Emperor Nero, who reputedlyplayed on the fiddle whilst a sizeable partof his capital burnt down.*

Fifteen minutes of fame See famous forfifteen minutes.

Fifth columnists Traitors working withina country or group with the purpose ofweakening it and aiding the enemy.*

Fifth wheel Something superfluous.*

Fifty-fifty Describes something shared orapportioned equally (‘fifty’ refers to50%).*

Fight a losing battle Be engaged in a taskthat is inevitably going to fail.*

Fight fire with fire Defend or counter-attack using the same methods as theoriginal attack.*

Fight shy of Avoid.*

Fight the good fight Be engaged in anarduous task that is for a high moralcause. The phrase is often used jokinglyto indicate a task that is tedious but nec-essary.*

Fight to the finish A contest that is foughtwith great vigour. The phrase oftencarries the meaning that the contest willcontinue until one side is utterlydefeated.*

Fight tooth and nail Fight vigorously.*

Fighting fit In good physical health andfitness.*

Figure of fun A person who is predomi-nantly regarded as somebody to ridiculeor laugh at.*

Fill their boots (1) Take as much aspossible. (2) Means the same as fill theirshoes.

Fill their shoes Take over from someoneelse and succeed in this attempt (e.g. ‘doyou think you are experienced enough tofill the boss’s shoes?’). More generally,the term can mean ‘to be a replacement ofadequate quality’.*

Filthy rich Very affluent.*

Final say The ultimate decision. Forexample, the person with the ‘final say’ is

FILTHY RICH / 87

the person who will decide what will bedone.*

Final straw The last in a series of annoy-ances that is the immediate cause of aperson losing their temper. The implica-tion is that the person has been patientbut the ‘final straw’ was something thatprovided an irresistible impulse tobecome angry.*

Find God Acquire a religious faith.*

Find it in their heart Decide to do some-thing. The phrase sometimes is used todescribe a decision based upon compas-sion rather than logic.*

Find their feet Become capable of doingsomething. The phrase is often used todescribe the process of learning how towork effectively in a new job.*

Finders keepers The start of a phrase thatends ‘and losers weepers’. Expresses theprinciple that whoever finds somethinghas the right to keep it. A dubious moraland legal principle, but the guiding phi-losophy of unpleasant children (andadults) the world over.*

Fine balance A problematic distinctionbetween the membership criteria of twocategories.*

Fine kettle of fish Means the same as prettykettle of fish.

Fine line If there is a ‘fine line’ betweentwo categories, then it only requires aminute change in the features of some-thing for it to change from being classi-fied as being in one category to beingclassified as belonging in anothercategory.*

Fine points Details.*

Fine-tooth comb See go through with afine-tooth comb.

Finest hour Greatest success.*

Finger in the pie Be involved in. Thephrase usually implies that this involve-ment is for personal gain.*

Finger on the pulse Be fully aware of thesituation.*

Fingers to the bone See wear their fingers tothe bone.

Fingertips See at their fingertips and by theirfingertips.

Finish it off Finish doing something.Compare with finish them off.*

Finish off Depending on the context, thephrase can mean finish it off, finish them off,or polish off.

Finish them off (1) Do something thatkills or defeats them. (2) Complete acourse of treatment. Compare with finishit off.*

Fire and brimstone Describes a sternmoralistic approach, often based upon apuritanical Christian doctrine.*

Fire and forget A process that once initi-ated needs no more attention in order forit to succeed.*

Fire away In a conversation, ‘fire away’means ‘proceed’. The phrase is often usedto indicate that it is permissible to askquestions (e.g. ‘may I ask you some ques-tions?’ may be met with a reply of ‘fireaway’).*

Fire blanks Try to do something but fail.The phrase is sometimes used to describea man who is sterile (e.g. ‘Sue and Tomwould like to have a baby, but Tom onlyfires blanks’).*

Fire from the hip Respond rapidlywithout much thought.*

Fire in their belly Strongly determined.*

Fired up and ready to go To be in a highstate of readiness to do something.*

Firing on all cylinders Working effi-ciently.*

Firing on all six Means the same as firingon all cylinders.

Firm hand Sometimes followed by either‘on the reins’ or ‘on the tiller’. Having

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

88 / FINAL SAY

good control over something orsomeone. The phrase often implies thatthis control involves the use of disci-pline.*

First among equals The best of a groupand/or the leader.*

First base (1) The first stage in a plan oractivity; unless this is reached, nothingelse can be done. (2) The early stages ofsexual activity (‘second base’, ‘third base’and ‘fourth base’ describe increasinglevels of intimacy). (3) The most basicstate (e.g. ‘before we discuss refinementsof this plan, let’s establish first base’).* (1and 3) or ** (2)

First blood The first success in a competi-tion, contest or conflict (e.g. ‘the hometeam drew first blood when they scoredafter twenty minutes’).*

First come, first served The principle thatthe earliest people to apply for somethingin short supply will be given it, whilstlatecomers will not get anything becausesupplies have run out.*

First light (1) Dawn or very early in themorning. (2) Initial appearance or initialimpression.*

First magnitude Means the same as firstorder.

First off First.*

First order (1) A very good example ofsomething. (2) Most important.*

First past the post A contest in which thewinner is decided by whoever is first tofinish or, alternatively, has the best pointsscore. The phrase is sometimes used indiscussions of elections, in contrast to therather more complex proportional repre-sentation system.*

First thing At the start. The phrase usuallyindicates that something should havepriority at the start of a forthcomingsession/working day (e.g. ‘I want thisdone first thing tomorrow morning’).*

First things first The most importantand/or urgent things should be givenpriority.*

First up The first thing in a list.*

First water Highest quality or the mostextreme form of something. The term isderived from a method of gradingdiamonds.*

Fish for compliments Behave in a mannerthat invites others to pay compliments.*

Fish in the sea See more fish in the sea.

Fish in troubled waters Benefit from atroubled situation.*

Fish or cut bait A command to do some-thing rather than just talk about it.*

Fish out of water A person who is in a sit-uation for which their skills are totallyunsuited and which may even place themat a disadvantage.*

Fish to fry Interests or commitments.Often heard in the phrase ‘they haveother fish to fry’, indicating that they arenot solely interested in one thing.*

Fishing expedition An enquiry that hopesto find information but has no precon-ceived, specific ideas about what thatinformation will be.*

Fit a quart into a pint pot Means thesame as get a quart in a pint pot.

Fit as a butcher’s dog Very healthy. Thephrase probably comes from the observa-tion that a butcher’s dog will be well-fedon meat.*

Fit as a fiddle Very healthy.*

Fit as a flea Healthy.*

Fit for the gods Of high quality.*

Fit like a glove Be a precise fit.*

Fit the bill Be what is required (e.g. inlooking for a new lecturer, someone witha PhD and a list of research publicationswill ‘fit the bill’).*

Fit to a T To fit exactly.*

FIT THE BILL / 89

Fit to be tied Annoyed.*

Fit to bust With excessive force or energy.*

Fits and starts Sporadic.*

Fix their wagon (1) Cause their downfall.(2) Ruin their plans.*

Flagpole See run it up the flagpole.

Flash in the pan Transient. The phrase isoften used to describe a person who doessomething successful or noteworthy onone occasion and then cannot repeat it.The phrase comes from the use ofmuskets: if they misfired, they wouldproduce a bright flash (a ‘flash in thepan’) but not fire anything.*

Flat out (1) As fast as possible. (2) Withoutquestion.*

Flavour of the month (1) The currentfavourite. (2) The current fashion. Thenegative of this (not flavour of the month)means ‘unpopular’.*

Flea in their ear A rebuke.*

Flea pit A movie theatre or other entertain-ment venue that is shabby and unfashion-able.*

Flesh and blood Relatives.*

Flesh creep See make flesh creep.

Flesh nor fish See neither flesh nor fish norfowl.

Flex their muscles Do something thatindicates power (and thus, level of poten-tial threat).*

Flip the bird Make an offensive one-fingered gesture.**

Flip their lid Become angry or lose anormal sense of reason.*

Flip their wig Means the same as flip theirlid.

Float the boat If something floats aperson’s boat, then they find it interest-ing and/or attractive.*

Flog a dead horse Waste time and energyon a hopeless activity.*

Flower of… The best examples of.*

Fluff See bit of fluff.

Fluffy bunny Derogatory term forsomeone who is naive or not intellectu-ally gifted.*

Flushed with success In a euphoric moodfollowing a success.*

Flutter the dovecotes Cause a distur-bance.*

Flutter their eyelashes Show a sexualinterest in. The phrase is nearly alwaysused of women.*

Fly a kite Test something or gaugeopinion.*

Fly high Prosper.*

Fly in the face of Behave in a manneropposed to.*

Fly in the ointment Something that marsan otherwise acceptable or pleasant situa-tion.*

Fly off the handle Become angry. Thephrase normally indicates that thistemper loss is sudden and irrational.*

Fly on the wall A spy or unobtrusiveobserver.*

Fly on the wheel A person who is far lessimportant than they think they are.*

Fly the coop Escape.*

Fly the flag (1) Represent a particulargroup or belief. (2) Be identified asbelonging to a particular group orcountry.*

Fly the nest Leave. The phrase is often usedto describe leaving the parental home tolive independently.*

Flying blind Doing something withoutany guidance or assistance.*

Flying colours See with flying colours.

Foaming at the mouth In a state of excite-ment or anger.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

90 / FIT TO A T

Fob them off Deter. There is usually animplication that this is done by using aweak excuse or failing to provideadequate reasons.*

Follow in their footsteps Choose a careeror journey identical to someone else’s.*

Follow suit Behave in a similar way.*

Follow their nose (1) Obey instinct ratherthan logic. (2) Move forwards. (3) Use asense of smell to locate something.*

Food for thought Something thatrequires consideration.*

Fool around Behave in a foolish, unpro-ductive manner.*

Fool’s errand A pointless task which willyield nothing worthwhile. There is oftenthe implication that the task is a demand-ing or boring one.*

Fool’s gold Something that superficiallyappears valuable or useful, but is in factworthless.*

Fool’s paradise See living in a fool’s paradise.

Foot in both camps Have allies and inter-ests in more than one group. There isoften the implication that the groups inquestion are opposed to each other.*

Foot in it See put their foot in it.

Foot in mouth The state of having saidsomething highly inappropriate.*

Foot in the door Gained access. Theimplication is usually that access has beengained to something that is not easilyentered, such as a prestigious organisa-tion.*

Foot the bill Pay what is owed.*

Foot wrong See never put a foot wrong.

Footloose and fancy free Having nocommitments.*

For a song Cheaply.*

For all that In spite of that.*

For all they know The phrase expressesthe fact that someone’s knowledge is

limited (e.g. ‘for all they know thesolution might never be found’).*

For auld lang syne Scottish Gaelicmeaning ‘for a long time ago’, which isprobably best expressed as for old times’sake (i.e. because it was done in the past, itshould be respected now). The phrase isfrom a song by Robert Burns.*

For crying out loud An expression ofexasperation.**

For dear life With determination.*

For good measure In addition. The phraseoften implies that what is being added issuperfluous or is there simply to reinforcethe argument.*

For grim death Means the same as for dearlife.

For it (1) In favour of something. (2) Belikely to be punished (e.g. ‘you’ll be for itwhen Mum catches you’).*

For my money An expression of prefer-ence (e.g. ‘for my money, Chopin was abetter composer than Schumann’).*

For old times’ sake An argument thatbecause something was done in the past,it should be respected now. The phrase isoften used to persuade a reluctant personto do something because it would remindanother person of happy times in thepast.*

For real (1) True. (2) Telling the truth. (3)Used as a question, it means ‘is that reallytrue?’*

For the birds A matter of so little impor-tance it is not worth attention or fuss. Aphrase originally used to describe horsemanure that contains seeds that smallbirds may pick at, but is otherwise of littleuse.*

For the hell of it For enjoyment or no veryobvious reason.*

For the high jump Destined to receivepunishment.*

FOR THE HELL OF IT / 91

For the life of them A phrase expressingthat every effort has been made. It isusually said in conjunction with anadmission of failure (e.g. ‘for the life ofme I can’t remember where I put it’).*

For the record The truth. The phrase isoften used before issuing a denial of anallegation (e.g. ‘for the record, I did notdo that’).*

For the ride If someone is along ‘for theride’ then they have no serious interest inthe activity.*

For their sins As punishment. The phraseis often used in a self-deprecating mannerto describe something actually gainedthrough merit (e.g. ‘I’m chief engineer,for my sins’).*

For toffee Usually seen in the form‘can’t…for toffee’, meaning that theactivity described is done badly (e.g.‘you’re useless at soccer – you can’t playfor toffee’).*

For two pins With very little encourage-ment.*

For what it’s worth A remark intended toapologize that the information conveyedmay not be of great interest or value, butshould be mentioned. The phrase canindicate that something is genuinely oflimited value, or it can be used disparag-ingly (e.g. ‘for what it’s worth, I won theNobel Prize last week’).*

For yonks For a long time.*

Forbidden fruit Something desirable thatis not permitted. The phrase usuallyimplies that the fact that something isforbidden is a large part of its attraction.*

Force down their throat Repeatedlypresent something (e.g. an argument).*

Force the issue Compel a decision to betaken and/or action to be taken.*

Force their hand Compel someone to dosomething.*

Forget it A command not to take furtheraction or interest in something. Depend-

ing upon the context and tone of voice,the statement can range from e.g. a politerefusal to accept payment for doingsomething to a harsh command to stopinterfering.*

Fork out To pay.*

Forked tongue Someone with a ‘forkedtongue’ is lying.*

Form See bad form, good form and got form.

Forty winks A brief sleep.*

Foul play Deliberate wrongdoing. Thephrase is nearly always used as asynonym of ‘murder’.*

Foul their own nest Inflict damage onthemselves.*

Founding father The originator of some-thing, or a member of a group that origi-nated something. The phrase is oftenused of the original members of politicalor intellectual groups, or people whofounded an institution.*

Four corners of the earth From all partsof the earth.*

Four letter word A swear word.*

Frankenstein’s monster (1) Somethingthat can no longer be controlled by theperson who created it. (2) Somethingunappealing created from spare parts.*

Free and easy Lacking formality or pom-posity.*

Free lunch See no such thing as a free lunch.

Freeze the blood Frighten.*

French leave (1) Unauthorized absence.(2) Departing without providing anexplanation. (3) At a social gathering,leaving without saying goodbye to thehost and/or hostess.*

Fresh blood Means the same as new blood.

Fresh out of… Recently used or sold thelast of something (e.g. ‘we’re fresh out ofmilk’ means ‘we have no more milk’).*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

92 / FOR THE HIGH JUMP

Friday afternoon job Something done ina slipshod manner. The phrase refers tothe concept of workers on a Friday after-noon thinking too much about theweekend rather than the job they aresupposed to be doing, and thus produc-ing work of poorer quality.*

Friend at court A friend who has usefulsocial contacts.*

Friend in need Part of a longer proverb –‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’ –meaning that someone who is willing tohelp during times of difficulty is a truefriend.*

Friend of Dorothy Slang name for ahomosexual. The term is derived fromthe homosexual workers on the set of themovie The Wizard of Oz who befriendedJudy Garland, who played the part ofDorothy in the movie.**

Friends in high places A person with‘friends in high places’ is on friendlyterms with people who have powerfuland/or influential jobs.*

Fries See you want fries with that?

Frighten the life out of Give a severefright.*

Frighten to death Give a severe fright.*

Frog in the throat Hoarse voice.*

From day one From the very beginning.*

From hell Something ‘from hell’ is a veryunpleasant or badly working example ofsomething (e.g. ‘the car from hell’ is a carthat breaks down a great deal). Thephrase is usually used in a joking fashion.The term is sometimes used to denote anespecially formidable opponent.*

From here to next week (1) For a longperiod of time. (2) In an extrememanner.*

From scratch From the beginning, startingwith the most basic materials (i.e.nothing was pre-prepared).*

From the bottom of their heart Sin-cerely meant.*

From the dead (1) Returning to promi-nence after a period of not being noticed.(2) From a state of death or being verynear to death.*

From the floor Describes something doneby a member of an audience at a meeting.The phrase is often used to describe aspeech by an attendee rather than a com-mittee member at an important formalmeeting such as a political rally orcompany annual general meeting.*

From the heart Means the same as from thebottom of their heart.

From the off From the beginning.*

From the same neck of the woods Seeneck of the woods.

From the shoulder Forthright.*

From the sidelines Means the same as onthe sidelines.

From the sublime to the ridiculous (1)This phrase was originally somewhatlonger, and finished with the words‘there is but one step’. The phrase in thiscontext thus means that the differencebetween something sublime or wonder-ful and something of poor or ridiculousquality is often very small. (2) The phrasecan also be used to describe moving froma serious topic to a less intellectual one(e.g. ‘the TV news last night moved fromthe sublime to the ridiculous: it had astory about famine followed by oneabout a skateboarding duck’).*

From the top From the start. Often refersto starting from the beginning of a pieceof music.*

From the word go From the beginning.*

Frosting on the cake Means the same ascherry on the cake.

Fruits of labour The rewarding aspects ofwork.*

FRUITS OF LABOUR / 93

Fuck A swear word which can be used injust about every grammatical context. Ithas numerous meanings, only the mainones of which are listed here. (1) Theterm originally referred to sexual inter-course, and still has this meaning (e.g. ‘I’dlike to fuck him’). (2) It can be used toemphasise a point, to mean that theperson feels strongly about something(e.g. ‘of course I’m fucking angry’). (3) Asa simple swear word (e.g. ‘oh fuck!’ – seethe first few minutes of the movie FourWeddings and a Funeral for further illustra-tion). (4) To mean that something isbroken (e.g. talking about a brokenmachine – ‘it’s fucked’). (5) Used in theform ‘fuck off ’ it means the same as ‘pissoff ’ (see pissed). (6) As a term of abuse (e.g.‘you fucker’ or, alternatively, ‘fuck you’ or‘go fuck yourself ’). (7) As an expressionof exasperation (e.g. ‘fucked if I know’).(8) As an expression of surprise (e.g. ‘fuckme’ – note this is not a literal request).Several different usages can be combinedin one sentence. Hence, the phraseoft-quoted by linguists about two carmechanics discussing a broken engine –‘the fucking fucker’s fucked’. Whichmeaning is intended is heavily dependentupon context. None of them is consid-ered polite, however.***

Note: the frequency with which this wordis used varies enormously between people.Generally, if a person rarely uses the word,then its use indicates a strong emotion orsurprise.

Fuck all Nothing. See sweet FannyAdams.***

Fudge factor (1) A manipulation of data togive a desired, rather than truthful, result.(2) The degree to which such manipula-tion has taken place (e.g. ‘a high fudgefactor’ would indicate considerablemanipulation of the data).*

Full as a goog Drunk.*

Full circle See wheel has come full circle. Thephrase is also used to mean that after aperiod of change, the situation is as it wasbefore any change took place (e.g. ‘we’ve

come full circle but nothing has reallychanged’).*

Full fig The ensemble of clothes appropri-ate for the occasion.*

Full marks Utterly correct or successful.*

Full Monty The complete thing.*

Full of beans To be lively and energetic.*

Full of it An insult. The phrase varies inprecise meaning between contexts andspeakers. However, it is generally impliedthat a person who is ‘full of it’ has an(inaccurately) inflated idea of their ownworth and is largely inaccurate in theirviews. The ‘it’ is usually taken to mean‘bullshit’.**

Full of life Vigorous.*

Full of the joys of spring Cheerful to thepoint of being exuberant.*

Full of themselves Very self-satisfied.*

Full pelt As rapidly as possible.*

Full steam ahead Proceed with greatenergy.*

Full stretch Maximum effort.*

Full tilt Means the same as full pelt.

Fullness of time A period of time. Thephrase does not specify how long thiswill be, but there is usually an implicationthat it will be a quite lengthy period. Thephrase is often used in the form in thefullness of time, as a reply to a questionabout when something will happen. Inthis context, the phrase means ‘at somepoint in the future’ without being anymore specific.*

Fully paid up member A totally commit-ted supporter.*

Funny as hell Very funny. The phrase is,however, often used sarcastically (i.e.meaning ‘not funny’). The only indica-tions of which meaning is intended arecontext and (if spoken) the intonation ofthe voice.**

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

94 / FUCK

Funny old world Unusual things canhappen in daily life. The phrase is oftenused as a comment upon hearing aboutsomething unusual.*

Funny thing Something unusual.*

Fur will fly There will be trouble.*

Future shock Feeling of stress or bewil-derment caused by being unable to com-prehend technological and culturalchanges.*

GGagging for it Very anxious to have sexual

intercourse. There is often the implica-tion that a person is so desperate for sexthat they are undignified in their behav-iour.**

Gaius publicus Means the same as person inthe street.

Gallery See play to the gallery.

Game is up A secret is revealed or a plotexposed.*

Game over Something has ended orfailed.*

Game’s afoot In other words, let’s getstarted on the task in question. Thephrase was often used by SherlockHolmes (who in turn was quoting Shake-speare’s Henry V).*

Garbage in, garbage out The principlethat something is only as good as itsingredients, and that if poor qualitymaterials are used, the end product willlikewise be of poor quality.*

Garden path See lead up the garden path.

Gather dust Stay unused.*

Gather steam Prepare.*

Gauntlet See run the gauntlet, take up thegauntlet and throw down the gauntlet.

Gave me the willies In other words, ‘itmade me frightened’. Note for Americanreaders: ‘willy’ is one of the numerousUK slang words for the penis, so use ofthe word in anything but this (respect-able) context can cause amusement toBritish listeners.*

Genie See let the genie out of the bottle.

Gentleman of leisure A man with noemployment. The phrase is often used forsomeone who is retired or is so rich thatthey do not need to work.*

Gentleman’s agreement An agreementbound by a code of honour rather thanone with any legal standing. The phraseis arguably sexist and should be usedwith care.*

Genuine article An authentic example ofsomething.*

Get a bang Gain enjoyment.*

Get a fix on (1) Physically locate. (2) Com-prehend.*

Get a grip on yourself Often shortened to‘get a grip’. (1) The phrase can mean thesame as pull yourself together. (2) It can alsomean that a person should try harder tounderstand what’s going on.*

Get a kick Enjoy.*

Get a life A demand to stop wasting timeon something seen as frivolous, and dosomething more useful.**

Get a line on Learn about.*

Get a lot of stick Be criticized.*

Get a move on Hurry up. The phrase canbe used as a command by itself (‘get amove on!’) where it generally meanssomething more urgent than where thephrase is within a sentence (e.g. ‘I reallydo think we should get a move on’).*

Get a quart in a pint pot Attempt animpossible task. The phrase often refersspecifically to attempting to fit an objectinto a space too small to accommodateit.*

GET A QUART IN A PINT POT / 95

Get a rise out of Annoy.*

Get a room A term of admonishment that acouple of people are being too sexuallyexplicit in their behaviour in public andshould go somewhere private. The phraseis usually meant kindly.*

Get a shift on Means the same as get a moveon.

Get across Explain something.*

Get ahead Become successful.*

Get along (1) Have amicable relations. (2)A request to leave. (3) Move, especially inthe sense of leaving (e.g. ‘we’d better bemoving along’ means ‘we had better begoing’). (4) Cope.*

Get away The phrase generally means oneof two things, depending upon the into-nation of the voice of the speaker: (1) goaway; (2) an expression of amazement atwhat has just been said. The context ofthe conversation should usually indicatewhich was intended.*

Get away from it all Leave a stressful orunpleasant situation. The phrase is oftenused to describe going on holiday.*

Get away with… The phrase is followedwith a word indicating what the person‘got away with’ (i.e. escaped punishmentfor). It usually is a deliberate exaggera-tion indicating that a person escapedpunishment (e.g. the phrase ‘get awaywith murder’ rarely literally means this).*

Get away with it Do something deservingpunishment, but avoid the punishment.*

Get bent A rude reply, indicating rejectionof what has just been said.**

Get butterflies Get butterflies in the stomach.

Get by Exist in reasonably tolerable cir-cumstances. The implication is that thesituation could be better or worse than itis.*

Get cracking Start working on somethingenergetically.*

Get down to it Begin work.*

Get down to the nitty gritty To get to thereally important part of the discussion orto get to the important facts. For manyyears considered respectable, in recenttimes the term has been considered to bepolitically incorrect by some people sincethey argue its origins are in an old slaveowners’ term for the least valuable slaves.Other authorities have said that the termis derived from a term for an unwashedanus. Since neither origin of the term isvery pleasant, caution over use is accord-ingly advised.* or **

Get even Achieve revenge.*

Get ideas (1) Have plans to do somethingthat is utterly impractical. (2) Developfeelings of a sexual nature.*

Get in on the act See in on the act.

Get in on the ground floor Be involvedwith something from the earliest stages.*

Get into (1) Become enthusiastic about. (2)Gain an understanding of.*

Get into bed with them Enter into abusiness agreement or pact withsomeone. The phrase does not necessar-ily imply a sexual relationship.*

Get into shape Become physically fit.*

Get it (1) Understand (2) Have sexual inter-course on a regular basis.* (1) or ** (2)

Get it in the neck Receive punishment orverbal abuse.*

Get it off their chest If a person ‘getssomething off their chest’, then they talkabout something that has been worryingor angering them for some time.*

Get it together (1) Become organized. (2)Cease being confused.*

Get laid Have sex.**

Get lines crossed Means the same as getwires crossed.

Get lost Usually means ‘go away’, with theimplication that the person being toldthis is being a nuisance or is not wanted.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

96 / GET A RISE OUT OF

It can also be a rather forceful rejection ofan argument or an accusation.**

Get lucky (1) Have good fortune. (2) Havesex – usually the implication thatthe sexual encounter was notexpected.*(1) or **(2)

Get no change out of them Receive nohelp or fail to get a hoped-for responsefrom someone.*

Get off (1) Have sexual relations with. (2)The same meanings as get away. See tellthem where to get off.*(2) or *** (1)

Get off my back A request that someonestops pestering or making unreasonabledemands.**

Get off on the wrong foot Start a rela-tionship in a manner that leads to misun-derstandings or discord.*

Get off the dime Be decisive.*

Get off the ground Successfully startsomething (e.g. a project or plan).*

Get off the mark Begin.*

Get off their bike Become angry.*

Get off with Have sexual relations with.**

Get on the right side Become favourablyregarded.*

Get on their nerves Be annoying or irri-tating.*

Get on their tits Less polite version of geton their nerves.***

Get on with To live or work in harmonywith. The implication is that the relation-ship is one of toleration rather thanfriendship.*

Get on with it (1) Do something. (2) Acommand to do something promptlyrather than delaying.* (1) or ** (2)

Get out more See they should get out more.

Get out of bed on the wrong side To beangry or irritable for no obvious reason.The phrase probably derives from thesuperstition that putting the left foot on

the floor first in the morning would bringbad luck.*

Get out of it (1) An aggressive way ofsaying ‘go away’. (2) A way of expressingdoubt about what has just been said (e.g.‘Camilla is having an affair with Edward?– Get out of it, that’s impossible!’).**

Get out of their face Cease pestering orirritating someone.*

Get out of town Expression of amazementor doubt about what has just been said.*

Get over it (1) Recover. (2) A command tostop fussing or worrying about some-thing.*

Get physical (1) Become sexually active.(2) Become aggressive. (3) Become physi-cally fit.* (2 and 3) or ** (1)

Get real An exhortation to think and actmore sensibly and contemplate the real,rather than an imagined, situation.**

Get some Have sex.**

Get stiffed Be given unsatisfactory treat-ment.*

Get stuck into Become very interested in.*

Get stuffed A term of abuse meaning ‘goaway’ or emphatically rejecting a sugges-tion.**

Get the… See entries below: the phrasebeing looked for may be under giventhe…

Get the bird To be a failure. Usuallydescribes a stage act that proves unpopu-lar with an audience.*

Get the bit between the teeth Becomeexcited about doing something. It isoften implied that someone is so keen todo something that they are unlikely to bedissuaded from their chosen course ofaction. The term derives from horseriding – a horse with the bit (the metalsection of the reins that should be in theback of the horse’s mouth) between theteeth, is excitable and hard to control.*

GET THE BIT BETWEEN THE TEETH / 97

Get the cold shoulder To be made to feelunwelcome. The phrase derives from themedieval habit of giving a guest coldshoulder of mutton (which is fairlyunappetising and was normally reservedfor the most junior of servants) when theyhad out-stayed their welcome.*

Get the fuck out Ruder version of get thehell out.***

Get the goods on Obtain informationabout.*

Get the green light Receive encourage-ment or permission to do something.*

Get the hand of Attain mastery and/orunderstanding of.*

Get the hang of Learn.*

Get the heck out Politer version of get thehell out.*

Get the hell out (1) Escape quickly. (2)Used as a command, an impolite way oftelling someone to leave.**

Get the jump on Come into an advanta-geous position.*

Get the measure Understand.*

Get the message Means the same as get themeasure.

Get the nod Be approved.*

Get the picture Comprehend.*

Get the show on the road Begin a projector journey.*

Get the wind up Annoy or unsettle.*

Get their act together Begin workingproperly.*

Get their back up Cause annoyance.*

Get their dander up Means the same as gettheir back up.

Get their end away Means the same as havetheir end away.

Get their eye in Acquire an ability.*

Get their fingers burnt Means the same asburn their fingers.

Get their goat Annoy.*

Get their hands dirty (1) Be directlyinvolved in an illicit or immoral activity.(2) Be engaged in manual labour.*

Get their head down (1) Start work (thephrase generally refers to scholasticwork). (2) Sleep.*

Get their head round… Comprehendsomething.*

Get their hooks into Gain control of.*

Get their…into gear A request to work ormove faster. The two commonest uses ofthe phrase are probably ‘get their assesinto gear’ and ‘get their arses into gear’.Politeness varies according to the wordused.* or ** or ***

Get their mitts on Gain access to, or pos-session of.*

Get their oats Have sexual intercourse.**

Get their own back Obtain revenge.*

Get their rocks off Have sexual inter-course.***

Get their sea legs Get used to something.*

Get their shit together Ruder version ofget their act together.***

Get their skates on Become more activeand lively. The phrase is often used as acommand (e.g. ‘get your skates on! – wemust be out of here in five minutes’).*

Get their socks on Move faster.*

Get their zs Sleep. ‘Zs’ is pronounced‘zees’.*

Get them up (1) Wake someone (usually bywaking them with a phone call or callingat their house). (2) In Australian slang, theterm means to tell someone off.*

Get this show on the road (1) Commencea journey.* (2) Launch into a plannedaction.*

Get to an art form Become very skilled.*

Get to grips with Comprehend.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

98 / GET THE COLD SHOULDER

Get to the bottom of it Discover the causeof something (e.g. ‘Sarah declared thatshe would get to the bottom of theproblem’).*

Get to the point A demand that a speakerannounces the point of the story. The termis usually used when people are irritatedwith a speaker who is taking too long toimpart his or her message, giving unnec-essary details, etc.**

Get up and go A high level of energy orenthusiasm.*

Get up steam Prepare to do something.There is usually an implication that atfirst progress will be slow, but will accel-erate and/or get more efficient.*

Get up their nose Annoy.*

Get wind of Learn that. The phrase usuallyapplies to a situation where someonelearns about something they were notsupposed to know about.*

Get wires crossed Be confused aboutsomething.*

Get you An exclamation of mild criticism,implying that what has been said is unfairor inaccurate.*

Get your act together Means the same aspull yourself together.

Ghost at the feast A person who spoils theenjoyment of what should be a happyoccasion by being depressing.*

Ghost in the machine The mind (asdistinct from the brain).*

Ghost of a chance A remote possibility.Most often heard in the form not a ghost ofa chance, meaning no possibility at all.*

Ghost walks A theatrical expressionmeaning that people are about to be paidtheir salaries.*

Gift of the gab The skill of being a persua-sive speaker. The phrase is sometimesused rather more loosely to mean ‘talk-ative’.*

GIGO Abbreviation of garbage in, garbageout.

Gild the lily Spoil something attractive byadding supposed ‘improvements’.*

Ginger group A group that motivatesothers into being more active or enthusi-astic.*

Gird the loins Prepare to do something.*

Girl next door A woman of average attrac-tiveness, from a similar social back-ground, seen as a realistic prospect as apartner (as opposed to a fantasy figure ofa very beautiful woman with a fabulouslylarge income who in reality would beunattainable). The male version of the‘girl next door’ is (not surprisingly) theboy next door.*

Give a dog a bad name Proverbial expres-sion, meaning that a bad reputation ishard to lose.*

Give a gobful Means the same as give amouthful.**

Give a mouthful Verbally abuse some-one.*

Give an arm and a leg See cost an arm anda leg.

Give and take (1) Accepting each other’sneeds and wishes. (2) Peaceful co-exis-tence in which nobody dominates agroup and everyone is willing to makeallowances for others’ needs and wishes.Do not confuse with give or take.*

Give as good as they get Respond to anattack with an equally effective level offorce.*

Give both barrels To use a very strongverbal attack.*

Give colour to Means the same as lendcolour to.

Give it a go Make an attempt at some-thing.*

Give it a miss Forego.*

GIVE IT A MISS / 99

Give it a rest A relatively forceful requestthat an activity is stopped. For example, ifsomeone has been nagging about some-thing or talking about the same thingincessantly, the phrase ‘give it a rest!’means ‘please stop, you’re being annoy-ing’.*

Give it a whirl Means the same as give ita go.

Give it houseroom Be willing to usesomething or be associated with it.*

Give it some welly Do something ener-getically.*

Give it to (1) Punish or do somethingviolent towards. (2) Have sexual inter-course with.* (1) or ** (2)

Give it up Cease.*

Give it up for… Applaud.*

Give me a break (1) A forceful request tostop something annoying (normally,criticising or nagging): e.g. ‘give me abreak – I’m doing the best I can’. (2) Astatement of disbelief on hearing some-thing that sounds improbable (e.g. ‘giveme a break – that’s just too stupid to bebelieved’).**

Give me strength An expression of exas-peration.**

Give or take (1) Approximately. (2) Withina range of error of (e.g. ‘the room is fivemetres long, give or take a couple ofcentimetres’). Do not confuse with giveand take.*

Give over A request to stop doing some-thing (e.g. ‘all that noise! – give over!’).**

Give the big E Reject or dismiss a personwith considerable insensitivity for theirfeelings.*

Give the elbow Reject or dismiss. Thephrase is often used of dismissingsomeone from employment or ending arelationship.*

Give the finger Means the same as givethem the bird, Definition 2. The phrase is

(just about) polite, but the gesture itdescribes would be considered offen-sive.*

Give the game away (1) Tell a secret thatexplains how something works. Theimplication is usually that people havebeen baffled or entertained by somethingbecause they cannot understand how itwas happening. When the game has beengiven away, the bafflement or entertain-ment goes with it. (2) Play so badly thatthe opposing side wins. The implicationis that if play had been to the normalstandard expected, then the opposingside would have been unlikely to win.*

Give the green light Encourage or permitsomething to be done.*

Give the lead Indicate to other peoplehow they should behave.*

Give the nod Approve.*

Give their eye teeth Means the same asgive their right arm.

Give their right arm Indicates that theperson in question would be prepared togive up a lot in order to do something(e.g. ‘I’d give my right arm to get ticketsfor the Final’). The offer to have theirright arm amputated is not literal.*

Give them a bloody nose Inflict a seriousdefeat or setback on someone.*

Give them a break A request to someoneto stop pestering or nagging anotherperson (e.g. ‘give her a break – can’t yousee she’s finding things hard enoughwithout you pestering her?’).**

Give them a fit Annoy.*

Give them a mouthful Attack verbally.*

Give them a piece of their mind Verballycriticize someone (e.g. ‘John gave Mary apiece of his mind’).*

Give them a thick ear Physically punish.*

Give them a wide berth Avoid contactwith.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

100 / GIVE IT A REST

Give them an even break Providesomeone with an opportunity to dosomething. The term often refers to anopportunity to work or to prove thatsomeone can do a particular task.*

Give them an inch Part of a longerproverb that finishes with ‘and they’lltake a mile’. An argument that showingweakness or a concessionary nature willlead to people taking advantage andgaining far more than they are entitledto.*

Give them bondi Physically assaultsomeone.*

Give them enough rope A saying thatfinishes with ‘and they’ll hang them-selves’. The argument that some individ-uals given sufficient opportunity willbring harm on themselves.*

Give them grief (1) Annoy. (2) Stronglycriticize.*

Give them gyp Annoy and/or be painful.*

Give them hell (1) Reprimand. (2) Maketheir lives unpleasant.*

Give them one To have sexual intercoursewith someone (e.g. ‘I’d like to give herone’). The phrase is nearly always used bya man about a woman. Use of the phraseis not recommended.***

Give them something to cry about Aphrase used as a threat to someone who ismaking an unnecessarily vociferousprotest about something trivial. Thethreat is that if they don’t stop protesting,then a punishment that will give them alegitimate reason for protest will beadministered.*

Give them the benefit of… If the phraseis finished with a phrase such as ‘mywisdom’, ‘his experience’ or similar, thenit is usually intended as a sarcasticcomment. For example, ‘Helen gaveChris the benefit of her experience’ maymean that Helen taught Chris somethinggenuinely useful, but it probably meansthat Helen was telling Chris things healready knew, and that Helen was being

patronising. Whether the phrase isintended to be sarcastic is dependent onthe context. Give them the benefit of thedoubt is unrelated to this phrase.*

Give them the benefit of the doubtMake a conclusion that favours someonewhen the evidence is ambiguous (e.g. ‘thecase against her was not absolutely con-clusive, so the jury gave her the benefit ofthe doubt and decided she was notguilty’).*

Give them the bird (1) To shout abuse at aperformer or sports player. (2) To makean offensive hand gesture by raising themiddle finger and keeping the otherfingers in a clenched fist. The phrase inboth senses is polite, but performing thegesture described in definition 2 wouldbe considered offensive.*

Give them the creeps Make someone feelnervous or revolted.*

Give them the flick Reject.*

Give them the glad eye Indicate aromantic or sexual interest in anotherperson.*

Give them the pip Annoy them.*

Give them the shove Fire them from ajob.*

Give them the slip (1) Avoid. (2) Escape.*

Give them the time of day Spend at leasta short amount of time with someone.The phrase is often heard in the negativeform – wouldn’t give them the time of day –indicating that they would not evenspend a tiny amount of time with anotherperson. See owe them the time of day.*

Give them the willies Frighten them ormake them feel uneasy.*

Give them their head Allow them to dosomething as they choose, withoutattempting to control them.*

Give them what for Punish. The phrase isoften used in the form ‘I’ll give you whatfor’.*

GIVE THEM WHAT FOR / 101

Give themselves airs and graces See airsand graces.

Give up (1) Surrender. (2) Cease workingon a problem or task because it hasproved to be too difficult.*

Give up the ghost (1) Die or becomebeyond repair. (2) Lose all hope.*

Given away with… Followed by a nameor phrase describing something com-monplace (e.g. ‘cornflakes’). Denotessomething commonplace that can beeasily attained.*

Given the axe Can mean the same as giventhe sack. Can also refer to the ending of aprocess (e.g. ‘after ten years of broadcasts,the soap opera was given the axe’).*

Given the boot Means the same as given thesack. The term may come from an imageof a cross employer kicking a sackedworker off the premises. However, theterm can simply mean to be made redun-dant where the employee has not misbe-haved.**

Given the bullet Means the same as giventhe sack.

Given the chop Can mean the same asgiven the sack. Can also refer to a productor similar on which production will bediscontinued.*

Given the hook Means the same as giventhe sack.

Given the sack To be fired from a job. Theterm refers to an employee leaving a jobbeing given a sack to carry away theirpersonal belongings.*

Glad hand Insincere, over-exuberantgreeting.*

Glad rags Best or most glamorous clothes,particularly the sort of clothing worn to aparty.*

Glad to see the back of… Be glad thatsomeone or something has gone.*

Glass ceiling An unacknowledged barrierpreventing the promotion of women

employees. The phrase is sometimesapplied to members of minority groups.*

Glass houses See people in glass houses.

Gloves are off A contest or dispute isbecoming increasingly vicious.*

Glutton for punishment A person whoseems to become involved in difficult ordangerous situations to a perverseextent.*

Gnash their teeth Show angry behav-iour.*

Gnomes of Zurich The people in chargeof the Swiss banking system. The phrasederives from a period when it was felt thatbanks based in Switzerland were specu-lating on the money markets andadversely affecting economic conditions.The term is meant to be a joking one.*

Go a bundle Be very enthusiastic.*

Go ahead, make my day The phrase basi-cally means ‘do what you are intendingand I will make you regret it’. The phrasewas originally said by Clint Eastwood ina film in which he played a tough detec-tive facing a criminal who was planningto shoot him – the implication was that ifthe criminal had tried to shoot, Eastwoodwould have shot him before he couldreach his gun.*

Go ape Means the same as go apeshit, butmore polite.*

Go apeshit (1) Become very angry. (2)Become very excited.***

Go as you please Unrestricted.*

Go at it like a rabbit Be sexually promis-cuous.**

Go back a long way If people ‘go back along way’, then they have known eachother for a considerable period of time.*

Go ballistic To become very angry.*

Go bananas (1) Become very annoyed. (2)Go insane.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

102 / GIVE THEMSELVES AIRS AND GRACES

Go behind their back To do somethingsecretly. The phrase can imply that this isdone in order to harm that person (seebehind their back), but it can also imply thatif one person refuses to do something,another person is approached in secret tosee if they will do the same thing (e.g.‘Tom refused to do this for them, so theywent behind his back and they secretlyasked Harry if he would be willing to doit’).*

Go belly-up (1) To fail catastrophically. (2)To die or fail past the point of recovery.The term is derived from the fact that afish, when it dies, will float to the surfacebelly upwards.*

Go Buddha Become enigmatic and hard tounderstand.*

Go bung (1) Fail. (2) Die. (3) Becomebankrupt.*

Go bush Reject formality and adopt asimpler way of life.*

Go by the board Describes an activitysuch as a project abandoned because it isno longer feasible.*

Go by the boards Means the same as go bythe board.

Go by the book Perform a procedureexactly as described in official guidelinesor rules.*

Go cold turkey Experience withdrawalsymptoms after stopping taking addic-tive drugs. Can be used jokingly todescribe a craving following giving upsomething pleasurable but non-addictive(e.g. a craving for watching soap operashaving vowed to stop watching poorquality television programmes).*

Go commando Not wear underwearunderneath clothes. The phrase waspopularised by the TV comedy Friends.*

Go crackers (1) Become insane. (2)Become very excited.*

Go crook (1) Fall ill. (2) Become annoyed.*

Go down A phrase with some surprisinglydifferent meanings: (1) Be imprisoned fora crime. (2) Engage in oral sex. (3) Leaveuniversity at the end of a term orsemester. (4) Be received (especially withreference to a talk or other presenta-tion).* (1, 3 and 4) or ***(2)

Go down a bomb Be very popular.*

Go down badly Be badly received.*

Go down fighting Showing defianceeven when faced with inevitable defeat.*

Go down like… Followed by a phraseindicating an unpopular thing, an unpop-ular activity or something that is boundto fail. The commonest form is go downlike a lead balloon, but there are manyothers varying in politeness (e.g. ‘godown like a bucket of cold sick’, ‘godown like a comedian in a funeralparlour’, ‘go down like Glasgow Empireon a wet Monday night’, etc.). All mean‘to fail badly’, usually with the addedimplication of becoming unpopular.* or** or ***

Go down like a lead balloon Fail igno-miniously.*

Go down well Be well received.*

Go down with all guns blazing Meansthe same as go down fighting.

Go down with all hands Suffer a seriousdefeat or loss.*

Go downhill Decline.*

Go Dutch Share the cost.*

Go easy on them (1) Give a less harsh pun-ishment than might have logically beenexpected. (2) A request that a punishmentbe made less harsh (e.g. ‘I think youshould go easy on them, since they didn’tfully realize what they were doing’).*

Go faster stripes Decorative stripespainted on the side of a car in a similarmanner to the decoration seen on racingcars. The phrase usually implies that thedecoration is inappropriate and the car’sowner has an unrealistically high

GO FASTER STRIPES / 103

opinion of their car’s and their drivingperformance.*

Go fifty-fifty Means the same as go halves.

Go figure An expression of bemusement,typically said after someone has donesomething that does not seem logical orfair (e.g. ‘nobody was cross with him andhe said there was nothing troubling him,but he spent the day looking and actingdepressed – go figure’).*

Go for broke Risk everything on oneaction that will either bring spectacularrewards or produce ruination.*

Go for it A phrase exhorting people towork hard for a particular goal. Duringthe 1980s it became synonymous withsuccess-obsessed people who seemed tovalue money and power above friendshipand trust. Accordingly, it is sometimesused ironically to parody such a person.*

Go for the jugular Make a very aggressiveattack or criticism.*

Go forth and multiply The phrase (a quo-tation from the Bible) is sometimes usedas a euphemism for fuck off.**

Go gold Attain success.*

Go great guns Do something with greatenthusiasm and/or energy.*

Go halves Divide or share equally (typi-cally, share the cost of something).*

Go head to head Have a confrontation.*

Go hot and cold Feel embarrassed orshocked.*

Go in to bat for them To support some-one’s cause.*

Go it alone Work alone.*

Go it blind Behave carelessly withoutprior thought.*

Go like a bomb Move extremely quickly.*

Go like gangbusters Behave in an ener-getic manner.*

Go mad (1) Become insane. (2) Becomeangry. (3) Have (usually boisterous) fun.(4) Enjoy. (5) An instruction to enjoysomething (e.g. a person giving anotherperson a toy or something frivolousmight say ‘go mad’, meaning ‘enjoy it’).*

Go native A contemptuous phrase used byVictorian colonialists to describe a whitecolonialist settler who rejected the valuesof white European society and insteadadopted the lifestyle of the indigenouspopulation. By extension, the phrasedescribes anyone who rejects officiallysanctioned norms of behaviour in favourof the norms of another culture.*

Go nuclear Become very angry.*

Go nuts Means the same as go mad.

Go off the deep end React in an extremeway. There is often the implication thatthis reaction is illogically extreme.*

Go off with a bang Be a great success.*

Go on Depending upon the intonation ofthe speaker’s voice and the context of theconversation, this may mean severalthings, but most commonly: (1) it is arequest to carry on with what the personwas talking about before an interruptionor (2) it is an expression of amazement atwhat the speaker has just been told.*

Go on about Excessively talk about some-thing.*

Go one better Do something better thansomeone else. The phrase is often used toimply that something has been done outof an obsessive urge to be better thaneveryone else (e.g. ‘you just have to goone better than everyone else, don’tyou?’).*

Go overboard Be overenthusiastic.*

Go pear-shaped Go seriously wrong.*

Go places Be successful.*

Go platinum Attain success.*

Go postal The phrase originally meant‘become homicidal’, but more generally

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

104 / GO FIFTY-FIFTY

means ‘become very angry’. The phraseoriginated in the USA after a spate ofmass murders in which disgruntled postalworkers killed their colleagues.*

Go public (1) Reveal a secret. The phraseusually describes revealing a secret byinforming the news media. (2) Go frombeing a private to a public company.*

Go round in circles Perform a task thatseems to accomplish nothing exceptincrease the level of frustration. There isusually the implication that any attemptto find a solution leads back to theoriginal problem.*

Go round the houses See round the houses.

Go south Means the same as go west, defini-tion (1).

Go spare (1) Become enraged. (2) Becomesuperfluous to requirements.*

Go steady Have a long-term relationshipwith a sexual or romantic partner. Thephrase is usually reserved for relation-ships that do not involve cohabitation.*

Go suck an egg A forceful request to stopinterfering and/or to leave.**

Go the distance Last the full length of anarduous event.*

Go the extra mile Make an especiallystrenuous effort.*

Go the rounds Be disseminated widely.*

Go their own way Act independently.*

Go their separate ways (1) If people ‘gotheir separate ways’ then after a period ofbeing united by belonging to the samegroup, they move away from the group(e.g. through changed ideologies,changed jobs, etc.). (2) Cease a friendshipor relationship.*

Go through hell Endure great hardshipand/or suffering.*

Go through the ceiling Means the sameas go through the roof.

Go through the hoops Endure difficul-ties. The phrase is often used for havingto undertake a difficult series of tests or adifficult training course.*

Go through the motions Perform a taskwith no real enthusiasm or thorough-ness.*

Go through the roof (1) Become veryangry (e.g. ‘she went through the roofwhen she heard the news’). (2) Increase invalue or size at a great rate (e.g. ‘houseprices have gone through the roof in thelast two years’).*

Go through with a fine-tooth comb Toexamine in minute detail.*

Go to blazes An expression of angry rejec-tion or dismissal.*

Go to earth Hide.*

Go to glory Be destroyed.*

Go to ground Means the same as go to earth.

Go to hell An impolite way of tellingsomeone to go away or vigorously reject-ing what they have said.**

Go to hell and back Endure greathardship and/or suffering.*

Go to hell in a handbasket Means thesame as go to hell in a handcart.

Go to hell in a handcart Deteriorate.**

Go to it (1) Do something briskly. (2) Acommand to do something without anyfurther delay.*

Go to pieces Become upset and/oranxious to the extent of being incapableof functioning normally.*

Go to pot Means the same as go to the dogs.

Go to the country In politics, the phrasemeans ‘call a general election’.*

Go to the dogs Show a severe decline.*

Go to the pack Means the same as go to thedogs.

Go to the wall Fail.*

GO TO THE WALL / 105

Go to their head Something that ‘goes totheir head’ predominates their thoughts.The phrase is generally used in twocontexts: (1) if alcohol goes to a person’shead, then they are drunk; and (2) ifsuccess goes to a person’s head, then theybecome conceited and/or arrogant.*

Go to town (1) Do something very thor-oughly. (2) Do something in an extrava-gant manner.*

Go too far Means the same as overstep themark.

Go up in smoke Utterly fail.*

Go west (1) Become damaged or unusable(there is often an implication that this isthe result of extensive use and/orageing). (2) Seek out a better lifestyle.The context usually unambiguously indi-cates which meaning is intended.*

Go with a bang Means the same as go offwith a bang.

Go with the flow Copy or accept the pre-vailing mood and/or behaviour.*

Go without saying It is expected.*

God’s gift to… Strictly speaking, some-thing that is very good for the namedrecipient. However, the phrase is nearlyalways used ironically (e.g. ‘God’s gift towomen’ describes someone whomwomen do not usually find desirable).*

Goes with the territory Something that isan inevitable feature of a situation.*

Going begging Something that is ‘goingbegging’ is available because nobody hasso far claimed it. There is sometimes theimplication that if nobody takes it, it willbe thrown away.*

Going, going, gone The phrase tradition-ally marks the end of an auction item,meaning that the item can no longer bebid for. The phrase is sometimes usedjokingly to indicate that an offer forsomething is about to be withdrawnunless there is a response.*

Going off (1) In British colloquial lang-uage, something that is either becomingrotten or going off the boil. (2) Beginningto dislike. (3) In Australian colloquiallanguage, a term of praise for a socialgathering that is enjoyable.*

Going places Becoming successful (butnot necessarily yet successful).*

Going strong Doing well. The phrase isoften used in the form ‘still going strong’,indicating that the original quality is stillpreserved.*

Going to the dogs Getting progressivelyworse.*

Gold digger A derogatory phrase describ-ing someone who feigns affection for arich person but is principally interested intheir wealth.*

Golden calf Something admired for mate-rialistic or greedy reasons.*

Golden egg See kill the goose that lays thegolden egg.

Golden handcuffs A substantial paymentgiven on starting a new job with theproviso that the new employee agrees tostay with the new employers for at least afixed period of time.*

Golden handshake A payment given to aperson on retiring or leaving anemployer.*

Gone coon Something or someone whosefate (usually death) is a foregone conclu-sion (‘coon’ refers to a racoon).*

Gone for a burton The phrase when orig-inally used in World War II meant ‘tohave died’. However, it is now used moregenerally about machinery and planswhich are so faulty that they must beabandoned.*

Gone loco Gone insane.*

Gone to seed To have reached a stagewhere a person is considered too infirmto continue in their job or, less drastically,a stage where a person is doing a job as amatter of routine without being particu-

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

106 / GO TO THEIR HEAD

larly energetic or innovative. The phrasecomes from gardening – some plants,particularly vegetables, need to be pickedbefore they have a chance to grow seedpods (i.e. ‘go to seed’) because after thispoint they are generally unusable.**

Gone to the great…in the sky To havedied. The blank is filled in with a termassociated with an activity of thedeceased’s (e.g. a dead teacher might besaid to have ‘gone to the great classroomin the sky’).*

Gone west Broken.*

Good and… The phrase is intended toemphasize the meaning of the word orwords that follow. For example, ‘goodand dead’ means that something (orsomeone) is definitely dead. Theemphasis is usually unnecessary.*

Good as new (1) Something old that isindistinguishable from something new.(2) Something that has been successfullyrestored to its original state.*

Good bet A wise choice that is unlikely toprove wrong.*

Good for a laugh Entertaining. Thephrase is sometimes used to describesomething that is of little value except toprovide an amusing diversion.*

Good form (1) Correct etiquette. (2) Agood physical condition. (3) Good pros-pects.*

Good innings Successful life and/orcareer.*

Good nick Good condition.*

Good offices Assistance.*

Good run for their money See run fortheir money.

Good Samaritan Someone who offersassistance without expectation ofreward.*

Good screw (1) Large salary or profit. (2)An enjoyable sexual partner or sexualencounter.* (1) or *** (2)

Good spread A plentiful and varied supplyof food provided for a meal. The phrase isgenerally used to describe a buffet-typemeal at a party, wedding reception orsimilar.*

Goof around Behave in a foolish, unpro-ductive manner.*

Goose See goose is cooked, kill the goose thatlays the golden egg and wouldn’t say boo to agoose.

Goose is cooked In trouble.*

Gory details Joking phrase that means theinformation that might be censored ifsomeone prudish or sensitive was listen-ing.*

Gospel truth The truth.*

Got another thing coming If someonehas ‘got another thing coming’, then theyare about to receive something unpleas-ant that they did not expect.*

Got diddly squat Means the same as gotsquat.

Got form Have a criminal record.*

Got it down to a fine art Be very skilful.*

Got it in for… Have a vindictive attitudetowards.*

Got it in one Comprehended at once.*

Got it in them Have the ability.*

Got squat To have or to know nothing.*

Got their hallmark Means the same as gottheir signature.

Got their name written all over it Beabsolutely characteristic of something aspecific person would do or be capable ofdoing. The phrase is often used in one oftwo ways – either to denote somethingthat a person is not admitting to doingbut is almost certainly by them (e.g. ‘denyit all you will, but it’s got your namewritten all over it’) or to describe some-thing that is ideally suited to a person(e.g. ‘the job that’s been advertised hasyour name written all over it’).*

GOT THEIR NAME WRITTEN ALL OVER IT / 107

Got their number Means the same as havetheir number.

Got their signature Be absolutely charac-teristic of something a specific personwould do.*

Got what it takes Have the necessary abili-ties.*

Got you (1) An exclamation upon captur-ing or finding someone. (2) An exclama-tion indicating that a person finallyunderstands what someone has beentrying to explain.*

Grab the bull by the horns Means thesame as take the bull by the horns.

Grab the headlines Be the most discussedpiece of news.*

Grab the limelight Means the same as grabthe headlines.

Grab with both hands Accept eagerly.*

Grand old man Revered older person whois a noted exponent in their field ofexpertise.*

Grandstand finish An exciting conclu-sion.*

Grasp at straws In a situation where asolution to a problem is being sought,and so far every possible solution hasfailed, a person might be said to ‘grasp atstraws’ if they place hope in an implausi-ble solution which an unbiased observercan see is hopelessly wrong.*

Grasp the nettle Deal directly with a diffi-cult situation or problem.*

Grass is always greener The start of alonger phrase that ends ‘on the otherside’. The phrase ostensibly expresses thebelief that conditions must be morefavourable somewhere else. However, thephrase is usually used as a warning topeople who are dissatisfied with theircurrent situation and who want a changeto consider the fact that practicallyeveryone believes that another situationwould be preferable, and merely thinkingthis does not mean that it is actually the

case. Thus, the phrase means ‘peoplealways think that the grass is alwaysgreener on the other side’. For example, aperson working for Company A mightbelieve that someone working inCompany B has a better job. However, bythe same argument, someone working forCompany B might believe that someoneworking in Company A has a better job.*

Grass grow under their feet See not let thegrass grow under their feet.

Grass roots The ‘ordinary’ members of thepublic or a group (e.g. ‘grass rootsopinion’ is what ‘ordinary’ people thinkabout something).*

Grave See turn in their grave.

Graven image Something or someone thatis the subject of misplaced over-rever-ence.*

Gravy train A system that offers highfinancial rewards in exchange for dispro-portionately easy work. The phrase isoften used to describe jobs that seemunduly easy for the high salariesawarded, and that appear to be unfairlyawarded.*

Gray area American spelling of grey area.

Grease the wheels Ensure that somethingworks efficiently. There is sometimes animplication that bribes are used to ensurethat something works efficiently.*

Grease their palm Bribe or persuade.*

Greased lightning Something very fast-moving.*

Greasy spoon A café with low standards ofcleanliness, service and cuisine.*

Great and the good Rich and famouspeople.*

Great one for… A person who is noted fora particular activity or behaviour.*

Great outdoors A phrase usually intendedsarcastically, denoting an enjoyment ofactivities that take place out of doors,

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

108 / GOT THEIR NUMBER

such as hiking, camping and manysports.*

Great stuff Excellent.*

Great unwashed Ordinary people or,more specifically, working-class people.The phrase is usually used jokingly, but isconsidered unpleasant by some peopleand so should be avoided.**

Great white chief The person in charge.Care should be used in using this phrasesince it is potentially racist on two counts:(a) the assumption that the most impor-tant person is white, and (b) the phrase isa supposed imitation of Native Americanuse of English.**

Greatest thing since sliced bread Ahumorous way of saying that somethingis a useful invention. The phrase is alsoused ironically to indicate that what isunder discussion is useless.*

Greeks bearing gifts See beware of Greeksbearing gifts.

Green around the gills Lookingnauseous.*

Green-eyed monster Jealousy.*

Green fingers Ability to do gardening orhorticulture.*

Green light An indication or command tobegin.*

Green welly brigade Members of theBritish upper classes (named after thegreen wellington boots many of thema few years ago wore when in thecountry).*

Grey area Something about which there isuncertainty. This can refer to doubtsabout whether something belongs to onecategory or another (e.g. ‘the issue ofwhat is pornographic and what is not is agrey area’) or, more generally, to an issuewhere a definitive answer has not beenfound (e.g. ‘whether time travel will everbe possible is still something of a greyarea for scientists’).*

Grey matter The brain cells and hence, byassociation, the intellect. For example, ifsomething ‘exercises the grey matter’ it isintellectually demanding.*

Grin and bear it Tolerate somethingunpleasant or unwelcome without com-plaint. The phrase is often used in theform ‘you’d better grin and bear it’ or‘you’ll have to grin and bear it’, meaningthat not only must something beaccepted as inevitable, but complaintswill not be welcome.*

Grin like a Cheshire cat Have a very biggrin. The phrase comes from theCheshire cat, a character in Alice in Won-derland, who would slowly disappear –the last part of his image that disappearedwas his grin.*

Grind to a halt Slow down and stop.*

Grindstone See keep nose to the grindstone.

Grip See get a grip on yourself.

Grist to the mill Experience. The phrase isoften used to describe something that initself is not very rewarding or interesting,but which cumulatively with other expe-riences will increase a person’s knowl-edge and skills.*

Ground Zero (1) The epicentre of a bombblast (particularly a nuclear bomb). (2)More generally, the most importanttarget or aim.*

Grounds for… The phrase is usuallyfollowed by ‘argument’, ‘discussion’ or‘divorce’, though many other words orphrases are possible. The phrase means‘basis for’ or ‘reasons for’. Thus ifsomeone has ‘grounds for an argument’they have reasons for being angry.‘Ground’ can mean ‘basis’ or ‘root’.*

Grow on trees See it doesn’t grow on trees.

Grow up A demand that someone behavessensibly.**

Grown grey [or gray] Become ill.*

Grub’s up The food is ready for eating.*

GRUB’S UP / 109

Gun to their head Someone with a ‘gun totheir head’ feels compelled to do some-thing because of threats of punishment orsomething unpleasant.*

Gunning for Show hostility towards.*

Guns at dawn The phrase originallyreferred to fighting a duel with pistols(traditionally held at dawn). The phrase isnow usually used jokingly to describe adispute that has become too emotionallyserious.*

Gut instinct Intuition.*

Gutful of piss Drunk.***

Gutter press Newspapers characterised bysensationalist stories, little intellectualcontemplation and with scant regard forpropriety.*

HHackles See raise their hackles.

Had a few In a state of intoxication ornear-intoxication.*

Had it (1) Damaged, ill or worn out beyondhope of recovery. (2) Means the same ashad it up to here. (3) In a situation wheredeath, defeat or destruction is inevitable.*

Had it up to here To be tired to the pointof anger of hearing about or dealing witha particular person or situation (e.g. ‘I’vehad it up to here with answering ques-tions about when the new photocopierwill arrive’). The phrase can also be usedin other forms (e.g. ‘I’ve had it up to theeyeballs’ – see up to the eyeballs).*

Had their chips Completely failed. Thephrase is derived from gambling incasinos, where a gambler can only gamblefor as long as they have gambling chips toplay with. Once they have lost all theirchips (i.e. had all their chips) then theymust stop playing.*

Had their day (1) Be no longer of use. (2)Be no longer fashionable.*

Hail fellow well met An over-effusivegreeting.*

Hair of the dog Sometimes followed bythe words ‘that bit you’. The phrasedescribes a (supposed) hangover cure inwhich a small quantity of alcohol isdrunk.*

Hair-splitting Being pedantic.*

Half a chance A weak opportunity. Thephrase is often used to describe how keena person is to do something (e.g. ‘givenhalf a chance, she’ll make an attempt todo it’). *

Half a loaf Something that is not all that isneeded, but is nonetheless better thannothing at all.*

Half a minute Means the same as half amoment.

Half a mo Means the same as half a moment.

Half a moment (1) A brief period of time.(2) A request that someone briefly stopswhat they are doing (e.g. ‘half a moment,I’d like a word with you’).*

Half an eye Attend to something in a lack-lustre fashion.*

Half-baked Not properly prepared.*

Half cut Inebriated.*

Half inch Steal. From Cockney rhymingslang for ‘pinch’.*

Half measures (1) Little enthusiasm orcommitment. (2) Poor quality and/orinadequate.*

Half of it The most important features. Thephrase is most often used in the form don’tknow the half of it, meaning that the mostimportant piece of information has notbeen revealed.*

Halfway house (1) The midpoint in ajourney or activity. (2) A compromise. (3)A hostel for long-term patients and pris-

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

110 / GUN TO THEIR HEAD

oners being rehabilitated into the com-munity.*

Halt, who goes there? The traditionalchallenge of a military sentry. The phraseis sometimes used jokingly as a greeting.*

Halves See not by halves.

Ham actor A poor actor.*

Ham it up In acting, a bad performancecharacterized by ridiculously exagger-ated emotions.*

Hamlet without the prince An eventwhere the person who should have beenthe most important person there ismissing.*

Hammer and tongs Vigorously.*

Hammer home Ensure that something isfully understood through the use offorceful argument.*

Hand in glove In close association. Thephrase usually refers to an illicit activity.*

Hand in the dinner pail Die.*

Hand it to them Congratulate or praisethem.*

Hand on the tiller The person with their‘hand on the tiller’ is in control.*

Hand on the torch (1) Teach someone. (2)Pass the responsibility for something(particularly something with a long tradi-tion) on to someone else.*

Hand over fist Recklessly and/or rapidly.The phrase is usually heard in the longerphrases of spend money hand over fist andmake money hand over fist.*

Hand them in (1) Return something. (2)Present someone to the police or similarorganisation so that they can bearrested.*

Hand tied behind their back See do itwith a hand tied behind their back.

Hand to mouth Only the basic necessities.For example, a ‘hand to mouth existence’is one in which there is only money avail-able for essential foodstuffs, shelter, etc.,

with no money available for luxuries orentertainment.*

Handbags at dawn A joking phrasedescribing a state of disagreementbetween two women.*

Handed on a plate Provided with some-thing without exhibiting the effort orskill normally expected to attain it.*

Hands down Without doubt.*

Hands off (1) Do not touch. (2) Do notapproach. (3) Do not interfere with.*

Hands-on (1) A ‘hands-on’ activity is onethat requires a person to take part in theactivity (i.e. it is not done automatically).(2) A ‘hands-on’ approach is one in whicha person becomes involved in the activity,rather than delegating the work tosomeone else.*

Hands-on knowledge Knowledge acqu-ired through practical experience ratherthan solely from theory.*

Handsome is as handsome does Aproverb expressing the view that what aperson does is more important than whatthey appear to be.*

Hang a left Go to the left.*

Hang a right Go to the right.*

Hang about This can mean the same ashang around, but in British slang it canalso be used to indicate that a person hasjust realized that something is wrong(e.g. ‘hang about! – there’s somethingwrong about this’).*

Hang an idea on Use something toexamine the worth and/or substance ofan argument or idea.*

Hang around Wait. There is often animplication of rather aimless behaviourwith no real purpose.*

Hang fire Wait.*

Hang in there (1) Show determination. (2)Manage to preserve something eventhough experiencing strong opposition.*

HANG IN THERE / 111

Hang loose Relax.*

Hang of a… A large quantity of.*

Hang on Has all the same meanings as hangabout. It can also mean hold it. The precisemeaning is conveyed by context.*

Hang on in there Encouragement to per-severe at a difficult or unpleasant task.*

Hang on their lips Listen with great atten-tion.*

Hang out with Spend time socially with.*

Hang them out to dry Leave them in adifficult situation.*

Hang tough Be resolute.*

Hang up (1) Terminate a telephone call. (2)A phobia or other irrational fear ordislike.*

Hang up their… Followed by the name ofan item associated with an occupation(e.g. ‘hang up their boots’). Retire frompaid employment.*

Hanged, drawn and quartered The termoriginally referred to a particularlygruesome form of execution. It tends tobe used today more jocularly to indicatebeing told off or punished.*

Hanging in the air Unresolved (e.g. ‘thecommittee members failed to reachagreement and the issue was left hangingin the air’).*

Hanging offence Originally a seriouscriminal offence that carried the deathpenalty. The phrase is often used in ajoking manner to describe practically anytype of transgression (the less serious thetransgression, the greater the irony withwhich the phrase is being used). Thephrase can also be used in the form ‘Ididn’t realize it was a hanging offence’,where the speaker is implying that thereaction to a transgression the speaker isaccused of is far too extreme for thenature of the transgression.*

Hanging over them Threatening.*

Happy as a clam Extremely happy.*

Happy as a pig in muck Means the sameas happy as a clam.

Happy as a pig in shit Means the same ashappy as a clam.***

Happy as a sandboy Means the same ashappy as a clam.

Happy as Larry Means the same as happy asa clam.

Happy bunny Means the same as happycamper.

Happy camper Joking term for someonewho is happy or at least content withwhat they have received. The term isoften used in the negative (e.g. ‘followingher announcement that there would beno Christmas bonus this year, theworkers were not happy campers’).*

Happy hunting ground Native Americanterm for a paradise in the after-life.*

Hard act to follow Someone or some-thing who has been very good and whomit will be difficult to match in ability. Thephrase is often used of a good workerwhen they retire (e.g. ‘Harry retirestomorrow – he was such a good worker,he’ll be a hard act to follow’).*

Hard as nails (1) A harsh personality withan absence of emotional warmth. (2)Physically hard.*

Hard at it Working energetically.*

Hard boiled Resilient and experienced.*

Hard case A resilient and aggressive personprone to violence.*

Hard cheese Bad luck.*

Hard nosed A harsh personality with anabsence of emotional warmth.*

Hard put Finding it difficult.*

Hard way The difficult or painful way todo something. Often contrasted with theeasy way, which is the relatively easierand/or less painful way of achieving thesame ends. Having accomplished some-thing the ‘hard way’ is often presented as

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

112 / HANG LOOSE

being more fulfilling and praiseworthythan having reached the same ends usingthe ‘easy way’. The exception is duringan interrogation or an enquiry, whensomeone states ‘this can be done the easyway or the hard way’ (or similar). Thephrase then means that the truth willinevitably be found, and this can be doneby a quick confession (the easy way) orafter prolonged questioning, possiblyinvolving physical violence (the hardway).*

Hat See at the drop of a hat.

Hat in hand Means the same as cap in hand.

Hatches, matches and despatchesHumorous description of the section of anewspaper listing births (‘hatches’),engagements and weddings (‘matches’),and obituaries (‘despatches’).*

Hate their guts Strongly dislike.*

Hats off to… Show praise or thanks to…*

Haul ass Move quickly.**

Haul over the coals Give a severetelling-off. The phrase comes from amedieval form of punishment.*

Have a ball Have a very enjoyable time.*

Have a bash (1) Make an attempt to dosomething. The phrase usually indicatesthat the attempt is likely to be not veryskilful. It should be noted that in BritishEnglish, the phrase is often used bysomeone being modest about theirefforts. (2) Host a party*

Have a belly Have a tantrum.*

Have a bellyful Have so much of some-thing that it feels unpleasant. The phrasecan refer to over-eating or over- drinking,or can mean that a person has heard morethan they want about something (e.g.‘I’ve had a bellyful of your complaints’).*

Have a bird Lose one’s temper or other-wise lose a sense of calmness.*

Have a butcher’s Have a look. The phraseis derived from Cockney rhyming slang(‘butcher’s hook – look’).*

Have a cadenza Be agitated.*

Have a cob on Be angry.*

Have a cow Lose their temper. Not, assome people suppose, invented by thescriptwriters of the television show TheSimpsons, but certainly popularized bythat programme.*

Have a dig Insult or criticize.*

Have a down on Dislike.*

Have a field day Have an enjoyableand/or successful time. The phrase ismost often used to describe an easyvictory over opponents, but it is used inother situations as well.*

Have a go Attempt.*

Have a go at Criticize or nag.*

Have a good mind to… Be seriouslyintending to.*

Have a heart A plea to have more compas-sion.*

Have a lend of Australian term meaning totake advantage of a person’s gulliblenature (e.g. ‘can’t you see that she’shaving a lend of you?’).*

Have a lot on the ball Be very skilful.*

Have a mind of their own Be capable ofmaking a decision independent of otherpeople’s advice or opinions.*

Have a mountain to climb Have some-thing difficult to do.*

Have a naughty Australian slang for ‘havesex’.**

Have a nice day Usually said on ending aconversation, the term is simply a politeway of terminating what is being said. Itin effect means the same as ‘farewell’(‘fare well’ – i.e. ‘do well in what you areabout to do’). However, for some reasonthe term annoys some individuals (partic-ularly the British), who see the phrase as

HAVE A NICE DAY / 113

insincere, and some Britons may say it ina deliberately exaggerated Americanaccent to denote an insincere business-person.*

Have a pop at Attack or criticize.*

Have a seat Sit down.*

Have a shot at Attempt.*

Have a thing about Have an unnaturalpreoccupation about.*

Have a tiger by the tail Be responsible forcompleting a task that, once started,cannot easily be abandoned or given tosomeone else, and which has proven to beunexpectedly problematic.*

Have an eye for Have an appreciation of.The phrase is often used to describe anability to identify good works of art ortalent.*

Have another thing coming Means thesame as have another think coming.

Have another think coming A personwho ‘has another think coming’ needs toreconsider their plans or expectations.The phrase is often used as a rebuke (e.g.‘if you think you’re going out of thishouse dressed like that, then you’veanother think coming’).*

Have bottle Possess courage and/orcommon sense.*

Have designs on Plan to do something tothe person or item in question. There isusually an implication that this will bedone either illegally or at least in amorally questionable manner.*

Have I got news for you A phrase indicat-ing that the speaker is about to tell some-thing very surprising.*

Have it away Have sexual intercourse.**

Have it both ways Manage to gain thebenefits from two seemingly contradic-tory things. The phrase is often heard inthe negative form can’t have it both ways,meaning that a person can either haveone thing or another, but not both.*

Have it coming to them Be likely to bepunished for past misdeeds.*

Have it easy Have a less demanding expe-rience than might normally be ex-pected.*

Have it in for Have feelings of animositytowards.*

Have it off Have sexual intercourse.***

Have it your way A response that in effectmeans ‘I don’t believe your argument, butI can’t be bothered to persuade you oth-erwise, so carry on believing it’ (e.g.‘okay, have it your way – John and Sarahare having an affair. However, I don’tbelieve it’).*

Have its moments Be good or enjoyable inparts.*

Have kittens Be apprehensive.*

Have no truck with Have no dealingswith.*

Have nothing on them (1) Have noincriminating evidence against some-one. (2) Be less able than someone else(e.g. ‘you may think you’re good, but youhave nothing on Brian’). (3) Possess noexamples of a desired item. The desireditem is usually money (e.g. ‘I’d like to giveyou some money, but I’ve nothing onme’).*

Have other fish to fry Have other mattersto attend to. The phrase is often used toindicate that a person has more importantthings to do than deal with the problembeing discussed (e.g. ‘I can’t be botheredwith this – I’ve other fish to fry’).*

Have the bulge on Have an advantage oversomeone else.*

Have the courage of their convictionsBeing prepared to put their beliefs to thetest (e.g. ‘if you really think your car isfaster than mine, then you should havethe courage of your convictions and raceme at the local track’).*

Have the drop on Be in an advantageousposition over someone.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

114 / HAVE A POP AT

Have the ear To be favoured by someoneand to be able to gain access to themwhen others might find it difficult (e.g.‘the minister will get what he wants as hehas the ear of the King’).*

Have the guts Possess the courage.*

Have the heart Have the level of compas-sion necessary to do something. Thephrase nearly always means ‘have a lowenough level of compassion’. Thus, ‘hedidn’t have the heart to do it’ means hehad too much compassion and could notdo something which required a sterner,less sentimental attitude.*

Have the history Be capable of doingsomething.*

Have the hots for Find sexually desir-able.**

Have the jump on Means the same as havethe drop on.

Have the last laugh Be proven correctafter opposing arguments initiallyseemed more plausible.*

Have the last word Have the final judge-ment or pronouncement on something.*

Have their ass in a sling Means the sameas put their ass in a sling.

Have their ducks in a row (1) Be orga-nized. (2) Have a clear plan or memory ofsomething.*

Have their end away Have sexual inter-course.**

Have their guts for garters An indicationthat someone is cross with someone else.The threat expressed is not literal.**

Have their number Understand them.*

Have their wings clipped (2) Have theirinfluence or status reduced. (2) Berestricted in what they can do.*

Have their work cut out To have a diffi-cult task to do.*

Have them cold Have the power to decidetheir fate.*

Have them down as… Have a firmopinion of.*

Have them eating out of their handHave someone doing exactly what iswanted (e.g. ‘I’ll get her so well trainedthat she’ll be eating out of my hand’).*

Have them going Successfully deceivethem.*

Have to their name Own.*

Have your cake and eat it See can’t haveyour cake and eat it.

He who lives by the sword A proverb thatfinishes with ‘dies by the sword’. In otherwords, someone who uses violent orunpleasant methods is likely to havethem used against themselves.*

Head and shoulders above Considerablybetter than.*

Head around See get their head round.

Head hunting Recruiting a person for ajob with a rival employer.*

Head in the clouds Absent-minded ordaydreaming, rather than attending tothe task that is supposed to be done.*

Head in the sand Behaving irrationally byignoring problems that should be dealtwith. Named after the ostrich’s fabledhabit of sticking its head in the sandwhen it senses danger.*

Head on the block See put their head on theblock.

Head on the line See put their head on theline.

Head or tail of it See can’t make head nor tailof it.

Head over heels Turned upside down.The phrase is generally used to describethe initial feeling of being in love.*

Head screwed on the right way Sensible.*

Head the bill Be the most importantperson. The phrase is typically used ofthe star of a show, but can be used

HEAD THE BILL / 115

jokingly to describe the most importantmember of an organisation.*

Head to head See go head to head.

Headless chicken See like a headless chicken.

Heads up (1) A warning or alert to look outfor something. (2) A contest between twopeople. (3) Alert or competent.*

Heads will roll There will be trouble. Thephrase generally refers to situationswhere people are likely to be sacked forpoor performance or mismanagement.*

Heap coals of fire on their head Makesomeone feel remorseful.*

Heaps of… A large quantity of… *

Hear them out Listen to what they have tosay.*

Heart and soul If a person is described asputting ‘heart and soul’ into something,then they have worked very hard.*

Heart bleeds for them A phrase that orig-inally sincerely meant sympathy foranother person. The phrase is now oftenused ironically to indicate complete lackof sympathy.*

Heart in the mouth A very nervous orapprehensive state.*

Heart in the right place Have well-meaning intentions.*

Heart of gold Kindly and well-inten-tioned.*

Heart of hearts The beliefs and attitudesthat a person truly believes (which maydiffer from the beliefs that they claim tohave when talking to other people).*

Heart of ice Unaffected by emotional con-siderations.*

Heart of oak Brave.*

Heart of stone Cruel and/or unfeeling.*

Heart of the matter The fundamentalcause or most important features ofsomething.*

Heart on their sleeve See wear their heart ontheir sleeve.

Heart sinks into the boots Describes asudden onset of feelings of depression(e.g. ‘my heart sank into my boots onhearing the news’).*

Heart to heart A discussion about emo-tional or personal issues between twopeople. The phrase generally implies thatone person has an emotional problemthat the other person is trying to helpsolve.*

Heart’s content See to the heart’s content.

Heart’s desire The most wished-for thingor person.*

Heartbeat away (1) A short distance away.(2) A short period of time away.*

Heat of the moment Something done inthe ‘heat of the moment’ is done withoutforethought during a busy activity whenthere is not time for contemplationbefore doing something. The implicationis that something done in the heat of themoment is probably not what would bedone if there were time for planningbeforehand.*

Heave-ho Rejection. Thus, ‘give theheave-ho to’ means ‘reject’.*

Heave into view Become visible.*

Heavens above An expression of surprise.*

Heavens opened It rained.*

Heavy going Intellectually difficult and/or boring to comprehend.*

Heavy on… A large quantity of….*

Heavy on their feet Moving clumsilyand/or slowly. This is contrasted withlight on their feet, describing someone whois nimble (and also usually assumed to befast-moving).*

Heavy weather See make heavy weather of it.

Heck of a… (1) A lot of a … (2) An excel-lent example of… (3) A high magnitudeof….*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

116 / HEAD TO HEAD

Hedge their bets Avoid committing to justone thing (e.g. ‘the man was uncertainwho would win and hedged his bets,saying that the first candidate was mostlikely, but the second still had a chance’).The term can be used in a derogatorysense, implying that someone does notshow dedication to a particular cause orcannot decide. It can also imply sensiblecaution. The term comes from betting – aperson ‘hedging a bet’ would place a betin the opposite direction to lessen thelosses if the first bet failed. For example,suppose a woman bets 100,000 dollars at10 to 1 on Team A to beat Team B. If shewins, she gets 1,000,000 dollars, but ifshe loses, she loses 100,000 dollars.Suppose that she now puts a second betof 20,000 dollars at 5 to 1 on Team B tobeat Team A. If Team A wins, she wins1,000,000 less the 20,000 lost bet,giving her a net gain of 980,000 dollars.If Team B wins, she wins 100,000 dollarsfrom the second bet, and loses 100,000dollars from the first bet – in other words,she comes out without loss (but withoutthe second bet, remember she wouldhave lost 100,000 dollars). Thus, thesecond, ‘hedging’ bet has a small effect ifthe big bet wins but makes the loss farless serious if the big bet loses.*

Heffalump trap A misfortune that aperson brings upon themselves throughtheir own foolishness. The phrase isderived from the stories of Winnie thePooh.*

Heir and a spare Two children of the sameparents (sometimes specifically twobrothers). The phrase is derived frommarried couples in various royal familiesand the nobility who would carry on pro-ducing children until they had at leasttwo sons – the eldest to inherit the titleand another son who would inherit ifanything untoward happened to theeldest son.*

Hell for leather Very quickly.*

Hell freezes over See until hell freezes over.

Hell hath no fury The start of a quotationthat finishes with ‘like a woman scorned’.The phrase is used when a woman exactsrevenge for something done to her. Theterm is potentially sexist, and use of it iscautioned against.*

Hell of a… Means the same as heck ofa….**

Hell on… (1) An unpleasant example ofthe category cited in the next word orphrase (e.g. ‘hell on two legs’ is anunpleasant person). (2) Has a damagingor unpleasant effect (e.g. ‘these shoeslook nice but they’re hell on my feet’).*

Hell to pay Trouble (e.g. ‘there’ll be hell topay’ means ‘there’ll be trouble’).*

Hell’s half acre A long distance.*

Helping hand Assistance.*

Hen pecked Pestered and nagged by awoman. The phrase can cause offence, socaution is advised.**

Her indoors Joking term for ‘wife’ orfemale partner. Likewise, him indoorsmeans husband or male partner.*

Her Majesty’s Pleasure Prison.*

Here today, gone tomorrow Transitory.*

Here’s looking at you A salutation beforedrinking an alcoholic drink. The phrasewas used by Humphrey Bogart in themovie Casablanca (more accurately, hesaid ‘here’s looking at you, kid’). Thisexplains why the phrase is often said inan execrable accent which is supposed tobe Humphrey Bogart, but spoken by anEnglishman is usually simply embarrass-ing.*

Hero to zero A person whose statusdeclines to a point of being dislikedand/or being considered of insignificantstatus.*

Hewers of wood and drawers of waterMembers of the general workforce con-sidered unimportant and interchange-able.*

HEWERS OF WOOD AND DRAWERS OF WATER / 117

Hidden agenda The secretly intendedoutcome of an activity that is not thesame as the aim that is publicly claimed.The term is often used to describecompany managers who tell the workersthey are working for one set of outcomes,but who are in secret really working foranother set that will benefit them but bedetrimental to the rest of the workforce.*

Hide their light under a bushel Describessomeone who is modest about theirskills or achievements. The phrase is oftenheard in the form don’t hide your light undera bushel, which means ‘don’t be somodest’. The phrase is from the New Tes-tament.*

Hiding to nothing If someone is on ahiding to nothing, then they are engagedon a task which will not yield anythinguseful.*

High and dry In a difficult situation.*

High and low Everywhere.*

High as a kite Intoxicated.*

High days and feast days Special occa-sions. The phrase is sometimes used in itsoriginal Christian sense of days in theChristian calendar that are marked byspecial religious services.*

High days and holidays Special occa-sions.*

High dudgeon Anger.*

High end Expensive and/or highestquality.*

High five A gesture involving two peopleslapping raised palms together. Thegesture is used as a greeting/congratula-tion. Thus, someone calling for a ‘highfive’ is asking for the listener to use thisgesture.*

High flyer Successful person.*

High ground The person or group whopossess the ‘high ground’ are at an advan-tage.*

High heaven See smell to high heaven.

High jump See for the high jump.

High maintenance Someone who is inmany respects desirable, but who hasexpensive tastes and a demanding per-sonality.*

High old… Especially noteworthy.*

High on the hog Luxurious living.*

High spots (1) Most noteworthy things.(2) Most enjoyable things. (3) Places ofentertainment.*

High street (1) The principal district foreveryday shopping needs in a town orcity. (2) Used as an adjective, the typicalfeatures of something bought in shops inthis area (e.g. ‘if you shop on the Internet,things are cheaper than high streetprices’).*

High, wide and handsome Of impres-sive, aesthetically pleasing appearance.*

Highly strung Permanently anxious.*

Hilt See up to the hilt.

Him indoors See her indoors.

His Nibs Strictly speaking, a facetious termfor someone who has a too high opinionof their own importance. However, thephrase seems to be mellowing to meansimply ‘him’.*

Hit a brick wall Discover a difficulty witha plan that is either impossible or verydifficult to solve.*

Hit and miss Imprecise. The phrase isoften confused with hit or miss.*

Hit and run (1) A ‘hit and run’ accident iswhere a driver hits someone (usually apedestrian) and drives off in an attempt toevade arrest. (2) The damage caused by anaccident of this type.*

Hit for six (1) Have a profound effect onsomeone. (2) Be profoundly affected.*

Hit home (1) Be accurate. (2) Make aremark that is accurate and makes anargument that a person finds uncomfort-

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

118 / HIDDEN AGENDA

able to think about. (3) Make the impor-tance of something apparent.*

Hit it off Form a friendly relationship.*

Hit on Indicate a sexual interest in.**

Hit on an idea Have an idea.*

Hit or miss Of variable quality. The phraseis often confused with hit and miss.*

Hit paydirt Discover something verylucrative or informative.*

Hit the big time Become successful,famous and/or rich.*

Hit the bottle Drink alcohol excessively.The term can describe a single bout ofdrinking or long-term alcohol abuse (e.g.‘he’s been hitting the bottle for years’).*

Hit the buffers Fail.*

Hit the ceiling Means the same as gothrough the roof.

Hit the deck Dive to the ground.*

Hit the ground running Be ready-prepared to start a job or, alternatively, tobe suitably qualified for a job. The impli-cation is that a person so equipped willget the job in question done quickly andefficiently.*

Hit the hay Go to bed.*

Hit the jackpot (1) Win a major prize. (2)Do something that has unexpectedlybeneficial and/or successful results.*

Hit the mark (1) Make a correct judgementor answer. (2) Succeed.*

Hit the nail on the head Give an answeror judgement that is exactly right.*

Hit the road (1) Begin a journey. (2) A dis-missive statement indicating that some-one is no longer welcome.*

Hit the roof Means the same as go throughthe roof.

Hit the sack Go to bed.*

Hit the skids Decline severely.*

Hit the town Enjoy an evening of socialis-ing in a town or city. There is usually theimplication that this involves consump-tion of alcohol and not very cerebralentertainment.*

Hit the trail Means the same as hit the road.

Hit the turps Means the same as hit thebottle. It does not mean that a person is lit-erally drinking turps.*

Hitch horses together Work amicably.*

Hitch their wagon to a star Make use ofcontacts with a more powerful and/orsuccessful person to advance one’scareer.*

Hobson’s choice No option. Named aftera seventeenth-century stable owner whohired horses and, instead of the usualpractice of allowing customers to choosetheir horses, made them take whicheverwas the next available on the rota.*

Hog the limelight Means the same as stealthe limelight.*

Hoist by their own petard To fall victimto their own plans. A petard was a primi-tive explosive device – thus, the phraseoriginally meant ‘blown up by their ownbomb’. *

Hold a brief Represent or support a partic-ular argument or cause. Conversely, holdno brief means ‘does not represent orsupport a particular argument or cause’.*

Hold a gun to their head Force a personto do something they would not havevoluntarily done.*

Hold all the aces To have all the advan-tages available.*

Hold all the cards Means the same as holdall the aces.

Hold court Be the dominant person in agroup. The phrase nearly always refers toa person who dominates a group offriends.*

Hold in contempt Have strong feelings ofdislike towards someone or something.*

HOLD IN CONTEMPT / 119

Hold it A demand to stop so that what hasjust been said or done can be thoughtabout and/or discussed.*

Hold no brief See hold a brief.

Hold on Means the same as hang on.

Hold on to themselves Show self-reliance (i.e. rather than relying on othersfor help).*

Hold the… The phase often means ‘do notuse the…’ (e.g. ‘hold the mayo on myburger’). However, there are exceptions(e.g. see the definitions below).*

Hold the field Remain undefeated.*

Hold the front page (1) A phrase used bynewspaper editors instructing printers tostop printing because a new story has justbeen reported that will necessitatechanging what goes on the front page (i.e.there is some exciting news). (2) Thephrase is more often used jokingly toannounce that something new or unex-pected has happened.*

Hold the fort Can mean the same as holdthe shop or may mean that a person shouldcarry on for the moment with a difficultjob and that help is going to be providedsoon.*

Hold the line (1) Remain on the telephonewhilst the person on the other end istemporarily absent. (2) Maintain anexpressed belief or argument in spite ofcriticism.*

Hold the phone (1) Means the same ashold it. (2) An expression indicating thatthere is important information that needsto be attended to.*

Hold the purse strings Control thefinances.*

Hold the shop To look after things for awhile. The phrase was used by a seniorshop or store assistant who would tell ajunior member of staff that they were incharge of things whilst the senior assis-tant went out for a while. From this usagethe phrase has spread to any situation inwhich someone is told that they are tem-

porarily in charge. The ‘hold’ in thephrase is probably derived from the sameidea as using ‘grip’ in get a grip on yourself.*

Hold the stage Be the most dominantperson in a situation.*

Hold their breath Wait anxiously forsomething to happen. Conversely, ifsomeone says don’t hold your breath, thenthey mean that it is unlikely thatanything will happen.*

Hold their hand (1) Offer support when aperson is feeling sad or insecure. (2)Instruct someone in a new skill at aslower rate than would normally be con-sidered appropriate because the person isfeeling insecure or uncertain of their abil-ities.*

Hold their horses A forceful method ofasking someone to wait.*

Hold their own Successfully maintaintheir position in a competition orargument.*

Hold their tongue Say nothing.*

Hold them to it Make them fulfil apromise they have made.*

Hold themselves Means the same as holdon to themselves.

Hold to ransom Threaten to do some-thing unpleasant unless demands aremet.*

Hold up (1) A delay. (2) A demand for apause.*

Hold water Be plausible.*

Holding the baby See left holding the baby.

Hole in the head Phrase denoting anundesirable state of affairs. The phrase‘I’d sooner have a hole in the head’denotes that the person thinks what isbeing offered is unattractive – it isdoubtful if they honestly would preferthis.*

Holier than thou Unattractive, sanctimo-nious behaviour. The phrase often referscontemptuously to a person who uses

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

120 / HOLD IT

outwardly pious behaviour to attempt todemonstrate that they are morallysuperior.*

Holy grail Something that is highlysought-after and elusive. This can be aphysical object or something abstract(e.g. ‘a true grand unifying theory is theholy grail of physics’). It does not have tohave religious connotations.*

Holy of holies (1) The most sacred part ofa place of worship. (2) A place of especialimportance.*

Home and dry Successfully completed.*

Home and hosed Means the same as homeand dry.

Home free Means the same as home and dry.

Home from home A place that is as com-fortable or desirable as one’s true home.*

Home, James The phrase is often followedwith ‘and don’t spare the horses’. Ajocular phrase told to a driver (whether ornot they are called James or indeed male)on starting a journey home. The phrase isa reference to the instruction given by arich person to their driver in the dayswhen the horse and carriage was the pre-ferred method of travel for rich people.*

Home run A decisive act that is unambigu-ously advantageous. Named after themost direct method of scoring a point inbaseball.*

Homeward o’er the lea Travel in thedirection of home. The phrase is a mis-quotation from Thomas Gray’s ElegyWritten in a Country Churchyard and isintended as an ironic or comical phrase. Ajourney that actually requires traversing alea (i.e. pasture land) is not literallyimplied.*

Hone the idea Develop an idea into a logi-cally more satisfying form.*

Honest broker An impartial mediator.*

Honest injun An expression of sincerity.Currently seen as somewhat old-fash-

ioned, and potentially politically incor-rect.**

Honest penny Money earned by honestmeans.*

Honour among thieves The concept thateven amongst otherwise dishonestgroups of people, there may be a code ofbasic conduct and decency. The phraseoften specifically refers to thievesrefusing to aid the police in capturing afellow criminal.*

Honour bound Compelled to do some-thing out of a sense of moral obligation.*

Honours are even No difference in per-formance.*

Hook, line and sinker The entire thing.The term is derived from fishing (thehook, line and sinker are in effect the bitsof the fishing tackle which the fish couldpotentially swallow – usually only thehook is taken in).*

Hook up (1) Meet. (2) Provide.*

Hoops See go through the hoops and putthrough the hoops.

Hop in Get in.*

Hop it A request to go away (actuallyhopping away is not necessary).**

Hop the twig (1) Die. (2) Leave.*

Hope against hope Maintain faith insomething in spite of strong evidence infavour of a contrary position.*

Hope chest Means the same as bottomdrawer.

Hope in hell See don’t have a hope in hell.

Hope springs eternal A phrase (actuallyan adaptation of a line of poetry by Alex-ander Pope) expressing the argumentthat people can be optimistic even in dif-ficult situations.*

Hornets’ nest A problematic situation that,like a real hornets’ nest, is normally bestleft undisturbed. See stir up a hornets’ nest.*

Horse apiece Evenly matched.*

HORSE APIECE / 121

Horse of another colour Something thatis radically different.*

Horse opera A story (typically a movie) setin the American ‘wild west’.*

Horse sense Common sense.*

Horse’s mouth The definitive source ofinformation. Hence, straight from the horse’smouth means information that is com-pletely reliable.*

Horses for courses People differ in theirskills; thus, one person will have the bestskills to tackle one sort of problem, whilsta different person would be best atdealing with another type of problem.*

Hostage to fortune (1) A foolish or incau-tious remark that incriminates or createsproblems for the person who said orwrote it. (2) A promise that is impossibleto fulfil.*

Hot air A derogatory term for a lot oftalking without any practical resultscoming from it. The phrase is often usedof political candidates at election timemaking plenty of promises about howthey will improve the electorate’s livesbut then failing to change anything onceelected.*

Hot and cold running… Readily avail-able….*

Hot blooded Passionate. Contrast withcold blooded.*

Hot button A controversial topic.*

Hot off the press The latest news orgossip.*

Hot on the heels Closely following. Thephrase can literally mean that someone isphysically close to a person ahead ofthem, or it can mean that there is littledifference between two competitors orcandidates.*

Hot potato A troublesome situation that itwould be wise to avoid being involvedwith.*

Hot seat See in the hot seat.

Hot ticket A very popular theatrical per-formance or concert.*

Hot to trot Ready for action.*

Hot under the collar Angry about some-thing.*

Hothouse flower A person who is overlysensitive and/or incapable of dealingwith even slightly difficult or demandingsituations.*

House divided against itself An organi-sation that fails to work effectivelybecause of disputes between its members.The implication is that the organisation islikely to fail because of this.*

House of cards An over-ambitious planthat is almost certain to fail.*

Houseroom See give it houseroom.

How far can they go? What are the limita-tions on their activities? The phrase issometimes used to describe the limits onthe extent of sexual activity that a personis willing to allow.*

How long is a ball of string? Means thesame as how many beans make five?*

How many beans make five? The phraseis obviously nonsensical – when given asan answer to a question it means ‘I don’tknow’. There is often an implication thatthe question itself is either pointless orsilly. However, note that the phrase knowhow many beans make five means ‘intelli-gent’.*

How the land lies The current situation.*

How the other half lives The lifestyles ofanother socio-economic group. Thephrase nearly always refers to the extrav-agant lifestyles of some wealthy people.*

How’s the enemy? Another way of asking‘what’s the time?’ Given that we live in aworld in which so many things have to bedone to deadlines, it’s perhaps not sur-prising that some people see time as ‘theenemy’.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

122 / HORSE OF ANOTHER COLOUR

How’s your father The phrase is not usedas a question, but rather is used todescribe something unseemly, liable toprovoke embarrassment, or fraught withcomplications or trouble. For example,‘the whole affair was a right how’s yourfather’ might be taken to mean that theaffair in question was complicated andunseemly. The phrase may also be used asa euphemism for ‘sexual intercourse’.*

Howl at the moon Means the same as barkat the moon.

Hug a tree Derogatory term for a rathernaive love of counter-culture.*

Hum and haw Be indecisive.*

Humble pie See eat humble pie.

Hundred and one reasons Lots ofreasons.*

Hung, drawn and quartered A corrup-tion of hanged, drawn and quartered (aperson who is executed by hanging is‘hanged’, not ‘hung’).*

Hung like a… Possessing a penis of a sizecommensurate with the animal named inthe rest of the phrase (e.g. ‘hung like ahorse’ indicates a large penis).***

Hurl chunks Vomit.*

Hustle their ass Means the same as movetheir ass.

Hustle their butt Means the same as movetheir ass.

II am not worthy A sarcastic or humorous

response to an invitation, an offer, or acompliment. The phrase imitates theresponse of an overly obsequious servantgiven a reward by the head of the house-hold (e.g. ‘I am not worthy of such benef-icence, oh great one’).*

I ask you An expression of disgust. Thephrase is usually intended to elicit

sympathy or agreement from the listener(e.g. ‘well, I ask you, what was I supposedto do?’).*

I bet This has two principal meanings. (1)At the start of a phrase it means ‘given theinformation I have, I predict the follow-ing will happen’ (e.g. ‘I bet they’ll bemarried within twelve months’). (2) As aresponse to something, an expression ofdisbelief (e.g. ‘it says in the paper thattaxes will come down next year – huh! Ibet!’).*

I dare you The phrase has two very differ-ent meanings depending upon thecontext and the tone of voice. (1) Thephrase can mean that the speaker isdaring someone to do something. (2) Itcan also mean ‘do not dare to do it’.Typically, the first is followed by adescription of what the speaker wants tohappen (e.g. ‘I dare you to throw asnowball at the teacher’), whilst thesecond is said by itself or is repeated foremphasis (e.g. ‘I dare you, I just dareyou’).*

I don’t wish to know that, kindly leavethe stage See boom boom.*

I for one A phrase emphasising thestrength of belief in the statement (e.g. ‘Ifor one don’t believe it’).*

I have a cunning plan A joking phraseused as an introduction to a plan orproposal. It is a quotation from a popularBritish TV comedy series Blackadder, inwhich a well-meaning but intellectuallyungifted dogsbody called Baldrickwould regularly announce that he had ‘acunning plan’ before expounding a com-ically impractical proposal.*

I tell a lie Phrase said immediately aftersomeone has realized they have just saidsomething that is incorrect (e.g. ‘Brian isolder than Sue. No wait, I tell a lie – it’sthe other way round’).*

I want your babies Joking statement(often made by a man) indicating grati-tude for something that someone hasdone for them.*

I WANT YOUR BABIES / 123

I’d sooner…than… The phrase sets anunattractive (and usually implausible)action against the action being discussed(e.g. ‘I’d sooner mud wrestle my grand-mother than see that film’). The phrasevaries in politeness dependent upon howpolite (or rude) the first action in thephrase is. The phrase should not be takenliterally – what the speaker is indicatingis that they find the action being dis-cussed unattractive.* or ** or ***

Ice breaker (1) Something done deliber-ately to initiate conversation betweenpeople who do not know each other. Thiscan vary from starting a simple discussion(e.g. ‘isn’t the weather nice at this time ofyear?’) to a party (e.g. an ‘ice breaker’party for new students). (2) Somethingthat attempts to reconcile people who arenot communicating with each other fol-lowing a disagreement.*

Icing on the cake Means the same as cherryon the cake.

If it kills them If someone says that theywill do something even ‘if it kills them’ itmeans that they will make a considerableeffort.*

If it looks like a duck This is actually thestart of a much longer phrase – ‘if itlooks like a duck, walks like a duck andquacks like a duck, it’s a duck’. Thephrase simply expresses the view that ifsomething or someone looks and acts likeit’s supposed to, then it is what it appearsto be.*

If looks could kill Describes a very hostileexpression.*

If the cap fits The start of a longer saying –‘if the cap fits, wear it’. It means that acriticism that has been made is probablyan accurate one. The implication is thateither the person should accept the criti-cism or do something about makingchanges so the criticism no longerapplies.*

If the mountain won’t come toMohammed The rest of the phrase is‘then Mohammed must go to the moun-

tain’. The argument that, if problemsarise, often the only way to solve them isto make an extra effort and/or compro-mise.*

If the shoe fits Means the same as if the capfits.

If wishes were horses The start of alonger proverb, which ends ‘then foolswould ride’. The proverb argues thatmerely hoping for something will notmake it happen.*

If you can’t beat them join them A pieceof advice that argues that if an enemycannot be defeated, then it might bepragmatically sensible to join with theenemy. The phrase is usually used in ahumorous way.*

If you can’t lick them join them Meansthe same as if you can’t beat them join them.

I’ll be a monkey’s uncle An expression ofsurprise.*

I’ll be seeing you A phrase said on partingthat indicates that the person speakinghopes that they and the person they aretalking to will meet again in the future. Itshould usually be taken as a friendlygesture.*

I’ll get you A threat of punishment orrevenge.*

I’ll go to the foot of our stairs An expres-sion from the North West of Englandindicating total amazement.*

I’ll kill you Almost invariably a threat ofpunishment or revenge rather than actualmurder.*

Ill wind See it’s an ill wind.

I’m a Dutchman A phrase added on to theend of a statement the speaker does notbelieve (e.g. ‘if he’s a graduate of Harvardthen I’m a Dutchman’). The phrase canalso be used in the form ‘or I’m a Dutch-man’, where it follows a statement ofwhat the speaker does believe (e.g. ‘it’s afake or I’m a Dutchman’).*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

124 / I’D SOONER…THAN…

I’m all right, Jack An accusation thatsomeone is being selfish; because theirinterests are protected, they have nointerest in helping others. The phrase isoften used of someone who has a well-(or over-) paid job who can cause miseryto others through either inaction (e.g. aworker not fulfilling a contract on time)or action (e.g. a government ministerissuing ludicrous policies) but whoseown position is seemingly utterlyimpregnable and unaffected by the con-sequences of their actions.*

Impression management Attempting tocreate a favourable impression.*

Improve the shining hour Make optimaluse of the situation and/or time allo-cated.*

In a bad place Feeling depressed, bur-dened with problems and vulnerable.*

In a cleft stick In a difficult situationwhere any possible solution is far fromsatisfactory.*

In a corner In a difficult position or situa-tion. Thus, out of a corner (or out of a tightcorner) refers to an escape from a difficultsituation.*

In a fog Baffled.*

In a hole In a difficult situation.*

In a huff In a bad mood.*

In a jiffy In a short period of time.*

In a nutshell In summary.*

In a pig’s eye An expression of disbelief.*

In a pinch Means the same as in a tight spot.See at a pinch.

In a rut In a boring, uninspiring, depress-ing situation that is difficult to escape.The phrase usually describes an unap-pealing job or lifestyle.*

In a tight corner Means the same as in acorner.

In a tight spot In a difficult situation.*

In Abraham’s bosom Dead; in Heaven.*

In all but name Functioning exactly likesomething or someone with an officialtitle or label, but without the title orlabel. For example, at various times inhistory weak monarchs have been toldeverything they should do and say byadvisers, who might thus be said to rulethe country ‘in all but name’.*

In at the death Means the same as in at thekill.

In at the kill Be present at the conclusion.There is often an implication that thisproves rewarding or profitable.*

In bad odour Not favoured.*

In bed with (1) Formed a close alliancewith. (2) Having sexual relations with.*

In business Means ‘everything is pre-pared, so we can start work’. It is used inconversation more than writing (e.g.‘we’ve got everything we need, so nowwe’re in business’).*

In by the back door To gain admission oracceptance by unconventional means.The phrase is frequently used to meangaining admission or acceptance byillegal methods.*

In cahoots In conspiracy.*

In clover In a state of great contentment.The phrase comes from the fact that cowsprefer pasture with a high content ofclover.*

In cold blood Something done in coldblood is done deliberately and withoutthe excuse of being angry and tempo-rarily incapable of controlling one’sactions. A murder in cold blood is onethat was carefully planned rather than,for example, the unfortunate result of anargument that became violent.*

In deep Involved in a situation to a greatextent. If the situation is an illegal one,then a person ‘in deep’ is in seriousdanger of criminal prosecution ifcaught.*

In deep do-do Slightly ruder version of indeep water.**

IN DEEP DO-DO / 125

In deep shit Ruder version of in deepwater.***

In deep water In serious trouble.*

In dock Being repaired. Do not confusewith in the dock.*

In Dutch Encountering problems.*

In evidence Something ‘in evidence’ issomething that can be noticed. Thephrase usually implies that what can benoticed is important or unusual.*

In fine feather In a good mood.*

In fine fettle In good condition.*

In first flush In the early stages, whenshowing the greatest promise andenergy.*

In fits In a state of great amusement.*

In for a penny, in for a pound Describesa situation in which any commitment orinterest makes someone irredeemablypart of something.*

In for it Expecting to receive punishment.*

In for the chase Ready for action.*

In force In large quantities.*

In full cry Describes a forceful protest.*

In full flight Escaping as quickly aspossible.*

In full flood Displaying a high level ofenergy.*

In full flow Can mean the same as in fullflood, but also can mean talking withouthesitation.*

In full swing At the maximum level ofactivity.*

In funds (1) Financially solvent. (2) Pos-sessing money.*

In germ At a preparatory stage.*

In good nick To be in good condition.*

In good odour Favoured.*

In good time (1) Eventually. (2) On time orahead of schedule. Context shouldindicate which meaning is intended.*

In harness (1) At work. (2) Workingtogether.*

In hock In debt.*

In hot water In trouble.*

In kilter Balanced or harmonious.*

In like Flynn The term means to perform aquick and successful seduction. It origi-nated from tales of the supposed successof the film star Errol Flynn in suchmatters.**

In midstream In the middle of a process.*

In mothballs Not being used. There isusually an implication that, although notbeing used, it may be used on futureoccasions.*

In my book A phrase that means ‘in mypersonal opinion’ (e.g. ‘in my book it’sokay to do that’).*

In on it Means the same as in on the act.

In on the act To have knowledge of what’sgoing on. Hence, get in on the act means togain knowledge of what’s going on.There is often an added implication thatto be ‘in on the act’ is to be aware ofsomething being kept secret from mostpeople.*

In one ear and out the other If a person istold something and it’s said that it’s ‘inone ear and out the other’, then it isimplied that either (1) the person was notpaying attention or (2) the person lackedthe intellectual ability to understandwhat they were told.*

In one piece Unharmed.*

In over their head Means the same as outof their depth.

In parentheses (1) Pertinent to what isbeing discussed, but not essential. (2) Anadditional piece of information.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

126 / IN DEEP SHIT

In passing Describes something donewithout any importance or emphasisbeing attached to it. The phrase is usuallyused to describe something that is said.*

In perspective Considered objectively.*

In pocket Having made a profit or at leastnot made a loss.*

In pod Pregnant.**

In pop At the pawnbroker’s.*

In purdah Barred from contact withothers. The phrase originally referred toIndian women kept hidden from strang-ers.*

In shirtsleeves A shirt or blouse is the out-ermost garment on the upper half of thebody (i.e. other things are being worn aswell). The phrase denotes that theweather is warm or hot.*

In stitches In a state of great amusement.*

In the air The phrase can mean hanging inthe air, but it may also mean ‘promised’ or‘likely to happen soon’.*

In the altogether Naked.*

In the bag (1) If something is ‘in the bag’then it is almost certain that it will beachieved (e.g. ‘are you sure you can dothis job?’ – ‘don’t worry, it’s in the bag’).(2) In a state of drunkenness.*

In the balance In other words, undecided.For example, if it is unsure if a very sickperson is likely to live or die, it is said thattheir life is ‘in the balance’.*

In the ballpark To be approximatelycorrect.*

In the black To have a bank account incredit.*

In the buff Naked.*

In the can Already completed. The phrasecomes from movie-making – developedfilm is kept in circular cans.*

In the cards Means the same as on the cards.

In the catbird seat In a position of impor-tance or power.*

In the clear (1) No longer in danger. (2)Free from blame. (3) In a sports competi-tion, a long way ahead of opponents inpoints or distance.*

In the club Pregnant.**

In the dark Aware of a problem, butlacking sufficient information to form anadequate opinion.*

In the dock (1) Being accused of wrong-doing. (2) Being a defendant in a trial. Donot confuse with in dock.*

In the doghouse In disgrace.*

In the driving seat In control.*

In the end (1) The final outcome of aprocess. (2) What something actuallymeans when all the details are reduced tothe most basic issues.*

In the family way Pregnant.*

In the first place Initially.*

In the flesh Physically present. The phraseis often used in describing meeting afamous person who has previously onlybeen seen on television, at the movies,etc., or, alternatively, meeting a personwith whom one has corresponded, talkedto on the telephone, etc., but never physi-cally met.*

In the frame (1) Suspected of having donesomething. (2) The centre of attention.*

In the fullness of time See fullness of time.

In the Gazette Have a bankruptcy publi-cized.*

In the gift of… Something that the personnamed in the phrase has the power togrant (e.g. ‘the prize is in the gift ofSimon’ means that Simon will decide towhom the prize will be given).*

In the hole Owe money.*

In the hot seat Be responsible for a crucialdecision. The phrase is often used for theperson in charge of something.*

IN THE HOT SEAT / 127

In the know Means the same as in on the act.

In the lap of the gods If something is ‘inthe lap of the gods’ then its outcome canno longer be influenced, and things mustbe allowed to take their course.*

In the limelight To be the centre of atten-tion. The phrase is derived from the dayswhen theatre spotlights were called‘limelights’, and the star of the showwould be lit especially strongly by them.*

In the long run In other words, in thefuture. The phrase nearly always isapplied in situations where the immedi-ate value of something is compared withits long-term usefulness (e.g. ‘in the longrun buying a more expensive hi-fi will beworth it, because it will need repairingless often’).*

In the loop (1) Part of a group or process.(2) Privy to information known only to alimited few people. The opposite is out ofthe loop.*

In the lurch In a problematic situation.*

In the money Rich.*

In the nick of time Just in time.*

In the open (1) Not secret. (2) Outdoors.*

In the palm of their hand In theircontrol.*

In the picture Comprehending.*

In the pink Healthy.*

In the pipeline In preparation.*

In the public eye A person ‘in the publiceye’ is well known and their activities arereported with considerable frequency bythe news media.*

In the pudding club Pregnant.**

In the raw (1) Naked. (2) In very coldweather. (3) In its most basic form.*

In the red Have a bank account in debit, ormore generally be in debt.*

In the road Being an obstruction.*

In the round A play or concert in whichthe audience surrounds the whole of thestage.*

In the running A plausible candidate forsomething. The phrase is usually used indescribing applicants for a job or poten-tial prize-winners. Someone who haslittle or no chance of being chosen is saidto be out of the running.*

In the saddle In control.*

In the same ballpark Means the same as inthe same league.

In the same boat Have the same problemsand advantages as another person (e.g.‘we’re in the same boat – you and I bothneed to find a solution to this problem orwe’re both in equal trouble’).*

In the same breath Refers to a situationwhere someone says one thing and thenfollows it with another statement thatapparently contradicts the first (e.g. ‘inthe same breath he promised greaterspending power and higher taxation’).*

In the same league To be of approxi-mately equivalent quality or ability.*

In the shit Less polite version of in thesoup.***

In the soup Experiencing a seriousproblem.*

In the sticks In a remote rural location.The phrase is a relative one, and generallydenotes somewhere that the speakerthinks is obscure, rather than beingobscure by a more objective measure.*

In the tent pissing out There are variousversions of this phrase, which in itslongest form is something like ‘I’d soonerhave them in the tent pissing out thanoutside the tent and pissing in’. Thephrase expresses the view that it is betterto have an unpleasant person as an allythan as an enemy.***

In the thick of it In the most demandingand/or busiest part of something.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

128 / IN THE KNOW

In the twinkling of an eye Somethingthat happens ‘in the twinkling of an eye’happens very quickly.*

In the wrong box (1) In a difficult situa-tion. (2) Misclassified.*

In the zone In a position to finish some-thing successfully.*

In their bad books In disgrace.*

In their bad graces Not liked.*

In their blood Genetically inherited.*

In their corner Offering support andencouragement.*

In their cups Drunk.*

In their dreams A response indicating thatwhat has just been said is hopelesslybeyond what the speaker is capable ofaccomplishing (e.g. ‘when I’m a million-aire’ leading to the reply ‘in yourdreams!’).*

In their element In a situation for whichthey are ideally suited.*

In their face Very direct and confronta-tional. See in your face.*

In their good books In favour.*

In their good graces Liked.*

In their grip In their control or capable ofcoming under their control.*

In their hair Being irritating.*

In their hip pocket Means the same as intheir pocket.

In their pocket Under another person’scontrol.*

In their range Means the same as in theirreach.

In their reach Capable of being attained.*

In their shell-like The full phrase is ‘intheir shell-like ear’, an overly poeticphrase said for comic effect. The phraseessentially means that the speaker wants a

private chat or needs to convey a piece ofinformation in a more private setting.*

In their sights Describes something that iswanted or desired and is likely to beattained. *

In their veins If someone has something intheir veins, then they are very gifted at it.*

In tow If someone is ‘in tow’ then they areaccompanying someone else, usually in aposition of inferiority.*

In trim In good condition.*

In two minds Undecided.*

In with Friendly with.*

In with a shout Has a reasonable chance.*

In your face (1) Describes a person who istoo strident or unsubtle. (2) A term ofabuse indicating that something has beenachieved that an opponent did notexpect.* (1) or ** (2)

Incline an ear Be favourable towards.*

Indian file A group of people followingeach other in a single line (i.e. rather thanwalking side-by-side).*

Indian giver Someone who gives a presentonly to take it back at a later date. Thephrase is potentially racist and should beused with caution.**

Indian summer (1) A period of warmweather towards the end of the summerseason when normally the first signs ofautumn would be expected. (2) A periodof unusually high productivity and/orsuccess in later life.*

Industrial action A strike by a labour force– in other words, industrial inaction.*

Industrial strength Very powerful.*

Ins and outs The full details of some-thing.*

Inside information Information that issupposed to be kept secret. The phrasenearly always refers to confidential plansdealing with strategy or similar.*

INSIDE INFORMATION / 129

Inside out If someone knows something‘inside out’ then they know everythingthere is to know about it.*

Into orbit To a greater level of magnitude.*

Into the bargain Something ‘into thebargain’ is something extra. The termgenerally implies that it is an unwelcomeand/or unexpected addition to some-thing unpleasant.*

Into the dumper Into an even worse situa-tion.*

Into the groove In a state of happinessand/or enjoyment.*

Into thin air The state into which some-thing goes if it disappears (e.g. ‘itvanished into thin air’).*

Invent themselves Permanently alter per-sonality and/or behaviour to convey aparticular impression.*

Iron entering the soul (1) Becomingsterner about something, having previ-ously been more prepared to attend toemotional considerations. (2) Becomingless emotionally accommodating due toill-treatment.*

Iron fist in a velvet glove Describes aregime that is outwardly pleasant andpolite, but is in reality run by fear andrepression.*

Iron out the wrinkles Deal with minorirritations or problems. The phrase isgenerally used to describe the resolutionof minor problems before a large-scaleproject or piece of work is finished.*

Iron rations Basic provisions.*

Irons in the fire The range of options orongoing activities a person has.*

Is the Pope Catholic? Means the same ascan a duck swim?.*

It doesn’t grow on trees It is not plentiful.The phrase is often used as a gentlerebuke if someone is naively supposingthat a particular item or commodity can

be used liberally. See money doesn’t grow ontrees.*

It figures It appears logically plausible.*

It isn’t over until the fat lady sings Awarning that a situation might stillchange (i.e. don’t presume too soon). Thephrase refers to the observation thatseveral famous operas reach their climaxwith an aria from the lead female charac-ter. Since in popular imagination (but notall that frequently in reality) female operasingers are rather buxom and overweight,the phrase expresses the belief that untilthe fat lady sings, the opera isn’tfinished.*

It never rains but it pours A phraseexpressing the belief that some thingsnever occur in small quantities.*

It takes two to tango A phrase expressingthe belief that in a dispute the fault isnever all on one side.*

It’ll come out in the wash In other words,over time something that feels unpleasantnow will stop feeling quite as bad. Alter-natively, over time something will sortitself out without needing to take muchaction now.*

It’ll end in tears A prediction that some-thing will not end happily.*

It’ll mean changing the light bulb Aphrase that means ‘it will be considerablework for little effect’. The phrase comesfrom the British television series RedDwarf, a science fiction comedy series. Inone episode, one of the charactersdemands that the space ship goes fromyellow to red alert, prompting the replyfrom another crew member that this willmean changing the light bulb.*

It’ll play in Peoria Meaning that it will beacceptable to people with unsophisti-cated tastes. The phrase is American the-atrical slang (and a rather unfair judge-ment on the citizens of Peoria). The nameof another place is sometimes used.*

It’s a free country An argument thatsomething is permissible. The phrase is

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

130 / INSIDE OUT

used in several ways, among the com-monest of which are the following. (1) Asa reply to an attempt to prevent anintended action (e.g. ‘it’s a free country, Ican do what I like’). The argument beingmade is that certain human freedoms areprotected by law, including the right tobehave in a wide variety of ways. Thus,‘it’s a free country’ in this instance isclaiming that something is perfectlylegal. (2) As a humorous granting of per-mission (e.g. ‘do you mind if I smoke?’might get the reply ‘it’s a free country’).In this context, the phrase sometimesindicates that the person saying ‘it’s a freecountry’ is not very keen to give permis-sion but feels they must because there areno sound grounds for objecting otherthan personal preference. (3) As a protestagainst an attempted infringement ofpersonal freedoms (e.g. ‘it ’s a freecountry, they can’t do that’).*

It’s an ill wind A proverb that finisheswith ‘that blows no good’. In otherwords, it is very unusual for a situation tobe so bad that nobody benefits from it.*

It’s beyond me It is something that cannotbe understood.*

It’s not rocket science See rocket science.

It’s not the end of the world Words ofconsolation indicating that althoughsomething seems bad, it is not as bad as itmight be (in other words, it’s not the endof the world, which is about the most cat-astrophic thing people might imagine).*

It’s only rock ’n’ roll In other words, it’snot meant to be taken too seriously.*

It’s their funeral The phrase can beparaphrased as ‘they are about to dosomething foolish and it will result insomething unpleasant, but it is their owndecision to do this, and only they willexperience anything unpleasant as aresult of their actions, so let them get onwith it’.*

It’s their lookout Means the same as it’stheir funeral.

It’s their show It is their responsibility.*

Itching palm A strong desire for money.The phrase usually indicates that thereare few scruples about how the money isobtained.*

Itching to Having a strong urge to.*

Itchy feet A restless desire for change.*

Ivory tower A person said to be living orworking in an ivory tower is one who issheltered from the unpleasantness ofeveryday life. The phrase is often used bynon-academics of university lecturersunder the (erroneous) assumption thatdoing research and teaching are easyactivities.*

JJack of all trades Someone who is adept at

a wide range of tasks. The phrase is some-times completed with ‘and master ofnone’, indicating that although a personis adept at many things, he or she is ulti-mately not an expert in anything.*

Jam tomorrow The promise of somethingpleasant or rewarding that never in factarrives. A fuller version of the phrase is‘jam tomorrow and jam yesterday butnever jam today’. Thus, the phrasedescribes a promise that is never going tobe fulfilled.*

Jeeze Louise An expression given inresponse to something unreasonable orunfair.**

Jekyll and Hyde A person who alternatesbetween two radically different personal-ities (typically, one is pleasant, the othernot). The phrase derives from the bookby Robert Louis Stevenson whichdescribed a ‘mad scientist’ who radicallychanged personalities after taking apotion.*

Jesus wept The phrase is in fact the shortestverse in the the Bible, but has become

JESUS WEPT / 131

used (and generally is interpreted) as anexpletive.***

Jewel in the crown The most attractivefeature and/or biggest accomplishment.*

Jewish mother A person who is unneces-sarily fussy and neurotic both aboutthemselves and those they care for. Thephrase is a racial stereotype and shouldbe avoided.***

Jiffy See in a jiffy.

Job for the Marines A difficult task. Thephrase is often used sarcastically.*

Job’s comforter A person who tries tocomfort someone else but actually makesthings worse, either deliberately or acci-dentally.*

Job’s worth A person who would ratherobey the letter rather than the spirit ofthe regulations governing their employ-ment. It thus describes every miserablecurmudgeon of a shop assistant orsecurity guard who will do nothing tohelp customers because it’s not in theirjob description. The phrase is derivedfrom the phrase ‘it’s more than my job’sworth to do that’, frequently uttered bysuch individuals.*

Jobs for the boys Sinecures fromnepotism. In other words, lucrative (andcomparatively undemanding) jobs whichare provided for friends of influentialpeople such as politicians and senior civilservants and which the general publicnever gain the opportunity to apply for.*

Joe [or Jo] Public Means the same as personin the street.*

Joe Six-Pack Means the same as person inthe street, or sometimes more specifically aperson of limited aesthetic sensibilitiesand a rather crass attitude to intellectualaccomplishments.*

John Hancock Signature. Named after theextravagantly large signature of JohnHancock on the American Declaration ofIndependence.*

Johnny Foreigner British term for anyonenot British, though generally specificallyused to describe anyone who does nothave English as their native language.The term is often used these daysjokingly to imitate the terminology of anow bygone age, but care should be usedwith the phrase in case it gives offence.**

Join the choirs invisible Die. The phraseis nearly always used jokingly. If a personpronounces ‘invisible’ as ‘invisibyool’they are imitating the pronunciation ofthe phrase by a character in the MontyPython ‘dead parrot sketch’.*

Join the club If person A describes some-thing that happened to them, and personB replies ‘join the club’, then person B isindicating that the same thing hashappened to them.*

Join the dots Make sense of something bycombining the available pieces ofevidence.*

Join the great majority Die.*

Joke is on them If the joke is on a person,then they have been made to look foolishor have failed in their plans. The phrase isoften used to denote someone whoplanned to make someone else lookfoolish, but has ended up being thevictim themselves.*

Joker in the pack (1) An unpredictablemember of a group. (2) A term of milddisapproval for the member of a groupmost likely to do or say somethingfoolish.*

Judas kiss Betrayal.*

Juggle balls in the air Means the same askeep balls in the air.

Jump down their throat Respond withunnecessary aggression. The phrase isoften used to describe someone whoresponds with irrational bad temper to aninnocuous statement.*

Jump in (1) Interrupt. (2) Get in.*

Jump in line Means the same as jump thequeue.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

132 / JEWEL IN THE CROWN

Jump in with both feet Show a whole-hearted commitment.*

Jump on the bandwagon Join a popularcause or activity. The phrase usuallyimplies that someone joins because it ispopular and other people are doing it,rather than because they have a genuineinterest.*

Jump out of their skin Be very frightenedand/or surprised.*

Jump ship (1) Describes a sailor deserting aship (when in port). (2) Resign from ajob.*

Jump the gun Begin to do somethingbefore the correct time. The phrase isderived from athletics races – a runnerwho ‘jumps the gun’ sets off before thestarting pistol has been fired.*

Jump the queue (1) Join a queue otherthan at the end of the queue (i.e. actunfairly). (2) Get the opportunity to dosomething before others who were seem-ingly more entitled. The phrase oftenimplies that this is done through unfairmeans.*

Jump the rails Fail to follow the expectedplan.*

Jump the shark Move from being enter-taining to being of indifferent or poorquality. The phrase is often used oflong-running television shows at thepoint where they begin to lose audienceinterest. The phrase comes from the1970s situation comedy Happy Days – inone episode (considered by many criticsto mark the start of the decline) one of thecharacters water skis over a shark.*

Jump the track Means the same as jump therails.

Jump their bones Have sexual intercoursewith.**

Jump through hoops Be required to dounnecessarily irksome tasks in order toattain a desired outcome.*

Jump to conclusions Means the same asleap to conclusions.

Jump to it (1) Show some liveliness. (2)Respond promptly to a request or order.*

Jumping up and down Very angry.*

Jury is out The issue is undecided.*

Jury rig (1) Bribe or threaten members of ajury to return a particular verdict. (2)Adjust or alter components to perform atask for which they were not specificallydesigned.*

Just about Approximately.*

Just deserts A punishment that matches theseverity of the misdeed.*

Just kill me Means the same as just shoot me.

Just shoot me A joking expression ofapology after making a mistake.*

Just shout A request to ask for help in thefuture (e.g. ‘if you need help in the future,just shout’). There is no literal implica-tion that the request has to be shouted.*

Just what the doctor ordered Somethingthat gives the optimal benefit. The phraseis usually used jokingly to describe some-thing the speaker finds pleasurable, suchas an alcoholic drink.*

KKangaroo court Self-appointed group of

people who decide if a person is guilty ofsomething. The phrase is usually used asa condemnatory phrase of groups ofworkers who decide they are the fitjudges of other workers and what is anappropriate reward or punishment forother people’s actions.*

Kangaroos loose in the top paddockInsane, eccentric or intellectually un-gifted.*

Keen as mustard Eager.*

Keep a dog and bark yourself See youdon’t keep a dog and bark yourself.

KEEP A DOG AND BARK YOURSELF / 133

Keep a lid on (1) Keep under control. (2)Keep secret.*

Keep a straight face Maintain a facialexpression and demeanour of calmnessalthough having a strong need to laughor smile.*

Keep an ear out for Listen for a specifiedevent to happen (e.g. ‘keep an ear out forthe doorbell ringing’).*

Keep an eye on Watch and/or attend to.*

Keep an eye out for Watch for a specifiedevent to happen (e.g. ‘keep an eye out fortheir car arriving’).*

Keep at arm’s length See arm’s length.

Keep at bay Prevent someone or some-thing having an effect by preventingthem from doing something. The originof the phrase is probably similar to thatfor bring to bay.*

Keep balls in the air To run several tasks atthe same time.*

Keep cave Keep lookout.*

Keep half an eye on Watch and/or attendto whilst concurrently doing somethingelse. The phrase is often used to indicatethat something is not being done withsufficient attention.*

Keep in shape Maintain physical fitness.*

Keep in shoe leather Have a subsistencewage.*

Keep in the dark Withhold informationfrom.*

Keep in touch Maintain regular communi-cation.*

Keep it at bay Prevent something fromattacking or otherwise having an effector influence.*

Keep mum To remain silent, or to keep asecret. See mum’s the word.*

Keep nose to the grindstone Keepworking hard. The phrase may implyworking hard at a difficult or boring job,or may be used jokingly to describe work

that is either undemanding or only ofaverage difficulty.*

Keep on an even keel Keep things rela-tively safe and secure.*

Keep open house Be hospitable.*

Keep options open Means the same asleave options open.

Keep out of their hair (1) Avoid. (2) Notannoy.*

Keep passing the open windows Don’tdo anything foolish. The phrase origi-nated as advice to dissuade people con-templating suicide by jumping from ahigh window.*

Keep regular hours Be predictable in theirbehaviour.*

Keep tabs on Follow or keep informedabout.*

Keep taking the tablets Joking commentimplying that someone is behaving in aneccentric or illogical manner (i.e. thatthey are acting as if insane and should beon medication).*

Keep the ball rolling Keep an activitygoing; the phrase is often used todescribe keeping a conversation going byintroducing new things to talk aboutwhen people are tired of the topic beingdiscussed.*

Keep the flag flying Maintain support for,or representation of, something orsomeone in spite of difficulties.*

Keep the pot boiling Maintain interest insomething.*

Keep the wolf from the door Haveenough money and possessions to avoidbeing homeless, suffer effects of poverty,hunger, etc. The phrase is often used face-tiously.*

Keep their cool Remain calm.*

Keep their end up Manage to do anallotted task under difficult circum-stances.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

134 / KEEP A LID ON

Keep their eye in Maintain an ability.*

Keep their eye on the ball (1) Keepwatching the movement of a ball in asports match. (2) Monitor events care-fully. If people take their eye off the ball,then they fail to watch the movement ofthe ball or fail to monitor events with suf-ficient care.*

Keep their eyes open Means the same askeep their eyes peeled.

Keep their eyes peeled Remain obser-vant.*

Keep their eyes skinned Means the sameas keep their eyes peeled.

Keep their feet (1) Physically retain theirbalance. (2) Fail to be deterred.*

Keep their feet on the ground Have bothfeet on the ground.*

Keep their hair Have not gone bald.*

Keep their hair on Remain calm. Thephrase is often used in the form ‘keepyour hair on!’ which is given in reply tosomeone expressing anxiety or agita-tion.*

Keep their hand in Practise a skill.*

Keep their head Remain calm andlogical.*

Keep their head above water Survive.The phrase is often used to denoteremaining solvent in times of financialproblems.*

Keep their head down Remain inconspic-uous.*

Keep their nose clean Avoid punish-ment.*

Keep their nose out (1) When describinganother person (e.g. ‘they kept their noseout’) it means refraining from beingnosey. (2) When issued as a command(e.g. ‘keep your nose out of my busi-ness!’) it is more aggressive and is acommand for someone to stop interfer-ing and/or being nosey.* (1) or ** (2)

Keep their pecker up (1) In UK English,the phrase means ‘remain resolvedand/or optimistic’. (2) In US English, thephrase means ‘maintain a penile erec-tion’. Caution in use is thus advised.* (1)or *** (2)

Keep their powder dry Be prepared.*

Keep their shirt on Do not lose theirtemper. The phrase is nearly always usedas a command or a response to someonewho looks as if they are about to losetheir temper.*

Keep them dangling Keep someonefeeling uncertain.*

Keep them posted Keep them informed.*

Keep them sweet Keep them contented.

Keep themselves to themselves Be secre-tive or avoid providing much personalinformation.*

Keep under their hat Keep secret.*

Keep up with the Joneses Strive for socialrespectability by copying the behaviourof typical members of the desired socialclass. The phrase is often used to describerather pathetic individuals who strive tohave the same lifestyles as richer neigh-bours.*

Keep your chin up Advice to maintain acheerful, positive attitude, even thoughthe situation may be a difficult one todeal with.*

Kettle of fish See different kettle of fish andpretty kettle of fish.

Key moment A turning point or, more gen-erally, a time in development wheresomething of great importance happens(e.g. a key moment in a married person’slife might be the first time they met theirfuture spouse).*

Kibosh on… To put the kibosh on some-thing is to either spoil it or to stop it.*

Kick around (1) Discuss. (2) Abuse. Thecontext should indicate which meaningis intended.*

KICK AROUND / 135

Kick ass (1) Be commanding and authori-tative and get things done. (2) Powerfuland appealing (e.g. ‘the track has a kickass rhythm’).* (2) or ** (1)

Kick at the cat An opportunity.*

Kick butt Means the same as kick ass(though generally restricted to definition1).

Kick down the ladder (1) A person who‘kicks down the ladder’ prevents othersfrom using the same methods to attainsuccess that he or she used. (2) Dis-owning former friends and/or col-leagues.*

Kick in the pants A stimulant to inducegreater effort.*

Kick in the teeth Severe disappointment.The phrase usually implies that this is theresult of betrayal or a failure to honour apromise.*

Kick into touch Reject or declare unim-portant.*

Kick off Begin.*

Kick out of bed See wouldn’t kick out of bed.

Kick over the traces Reject or refuse toacknowledge rules and regulations.*

Kick the bucket Die.*

Kick the habit Stop doing something thatuntil now has been done regularly. Theword ‘habit’ does not in this case neces-sarily indicate an addiction.*

Kick their ass Dominate or punishsomeone.**

Kick their butt Means the same as kick theirass.

Kick their heels Wait to be told what todo. The implication is that people‘kicking their heels’ could and should begainfully employed but instead arewasting their time. Compare with kick uptheir heels.*

Kick them when they’re down Dosomething unpleasant to a person when

they are already in a weakened and/orvulnerable position.*

Kick up a fuss Means the same as kick up astink.

Kick up a stink Make a strong complaint.*

Kick up dust Make a fuss.*

Kick up the arse Means the same as kick inthe pants, but less polite.**

Kick up the backside Means the same askick in the pants, but less polite.**

Kick up their heels Enjoy. Compare withkick their heels.*

Kick upstairs Remove someone from aposition in which they are incompetentand/or causing harm by apparentlygiving them a promotion. The promotionis almost invariably to a job that carrieslittle real influence.*

Kid gloves Gentle treatment.*

Kid’s stuff Means the same as child’s play.

Kill me See just kill me.

Kill or cure A method that will either com-pletely succeed or completely fail.*

Kill the fatted calf Have a lavish celebra-tion to celebrate meeting someone notseen in a long time. The phrase is from theNew Testament and refers to the parableof the prodigal son. These days it is oftenused sarcastically to indicate thatsomeone seen frequently will be given amodest form of refreshment.*

Kill the golden goose Means the same askill the goose that lays the golden egg.

Kill the goose that lays the golden eggDestroy a successful and/or lucrativescheme.*

Kill the messenger Means the same asshoot the messenger.

Kill them A joking remark made whenthere are a group of people and someonehas just said something ridiculous orimpractical.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

136 / KICK ASS

Kill themselves laughing Be greatlyamused.*

Kill two birds with one stone Fulfil twoaims with a single act (e.g. ‘by taking hisdaughter to the movies, Charles gave hiswife a few hours’ rest and also pleased hisdaughter, thereby killing two birds withone stone’).*

Kill with kindness Harm or destroy bybeing over-indulgent (e.g. giving anobese person a present of a large box ofchocolates).*

Kill you See I ’ll kill you.

Killing See make a killing.

King is dead, long live the king Thephrase is used upon announcing thedeath of a British monarch and the imme-diate succession of the next monarch(there are of course variants, e.g. ‘theKing is dead, long live the Queen’, etc.,depending upon the genders of thepeople involved). The phrase is usedmore generally to indicate that althougha person in a particular position of powermay go, another will immediately taketheir place.*

King’s ransom A large amount of money.*

Kingdom come Eternally.*

Kiss and make up Make amends after adisagreement. There is not necessarily arequirement to kiss.*

Kiss and tell Provide details of a sexual oramorous encounter. The phrase is oftenused to describe stories sold to tabloidnewspapers in which a sexual encounterwith a famous person is recounted (and inwhich kissing seems usually to be theleast of it).*

Kiss ass Engage in ass licking.***

Kiss it goodbye Admit that something isirretrievably lost.*

Kiss of death The modern use of thephrase is derived from the Mafia’ssupposed habit of kissing an intendedvictim, indicating that they are to be

killed (in turn derived from Judas betray-ing Jesus by kissing him). The phraseusually means that a particular individualact is the final and sure sign that some-thing will fail. It is thus nearly synony-mous with some meanings of the strawthat broke the camel’s back.*

Kiss the rod Accept punishment.*

Kissed the Blarney stone A person whohas ‘kissed the Blarney stone’ is very talk-ative and persuasive. The phrase comesfrom the legend that kissing a particularstone on the ramparts of Blarney Castle(near Cork in Eire) gives a person thepowers of verbal persuasion.*

Knee high to a grasshopper Very small.The phrase is nearly always used todescribe someone very young.*

Knee-jerk reaction A rapid response thatis made automatically without any appre-ciable contemplation of its appropriate-ness.*

Knickers in a twist A state of agitation.**

Knight in shining armour A person whosolves a problem, gets others out of diffi-culty, or commits a similar praiseworthyaction. The phrase is derived from fairystories and similar tales where a brave andhandsome knight rescues the damsel indistress, kills the terrifying monster, etc.*

Knight of the road A person who travelson roads a great deal as part of theiremployment.*

Knock for a loop Astonish.*

Knock for six (1) Utterly defeat. (2)Strongly affect.*

Knock heads together Means the same asbang heads together.

Knock into a cocked hat Be far betterthan (e.g. ‘the new model knocks the oldone into a cocked hat’).*

Knock into shape Improve performance.The phrase often implies that this will bedone using harsh methods.*

KNOCK INTO SHAPE / 137

Knock into the middle of next week Hitvery hard.*

Knock it off A demand to stop doingsomething.*

Knock me down with a feather Anexpression of total amazement (e.g. ‘I wasso surprised you could have knocked medown with a feather’).*

Knock off (1) Sell. (2) Kill.*

Knock off their perch (1) Supplant. (2)Surprise.*

Knock on the door Apply to join.*

Knock on the head Find the definitiveanswer.*

Knock out (1) Render unconscious. (2)Produce (e.g. ‘this is a small piece of workthat I knocked out in a couple of hours’).*

Knock spots off Be considerably betterthan.*

Knock the crap out Ruder version ofknock the stuffing out.***

Knock the shit out Ruder version of knockthe stuffing out.***

Knock the stuffing out Weaken.*

Knock their block off A slang expressionmeaning ‘knock their head off ’. A threatto do physical harm to someone (e.g. ‘I’llknock your block off !’). The phrase is nota literal threat of decapitation.**

Knock their socks off Means the same asknock them dead.

Knock them dead Greatly impress with ahigh quality performance.*

Knock them in the aisles Means the sameas knock them dead.

Knock them sideways Shock or surprisesomeone.*

Knock themselves out Work very hard.See knock yourself out.*

Knock yourself out Means the same as gomad, definition 5.

Knock up (1) To awaken by knocking on aperson’s door. (2) To make pregnant. Thefirst meaning is almost exclusivelyBritish. British readers are accordinglyadvised to use the phrase with caution(e.g. ‘I called round early and knockedher up’ may create an unfortunate impres-sion in an American listener).*

Know how many beans make five Seehow many beans make five?

Know in the biblical sense Having sexualrelations with. The phrase derives fromthe Bible’s use of ‘know’ to mean ‘havingsex with’.*

Know it backwards To know somethingvery well.*

Know Jack Have no or an inadequateknowledge about something.**

Know shit Have no or an inadequateknowledge about something.***

Know the ropes Be familiar with, andcompetent in, what is required.*

Know the score Have a competent knowl-edge of the situation.*

Know the way the wind blows Be fullyaware of the situation and be able topredict what will happen next.*

Know their onions Be knowledgeable.*

Know what to charge Describes a retaileror other commercial enterprise thatcharges high prices.*

Know what’s what Possess an adequatelevel of information.*

Know where the bodies are buriedKnow some important information thatother people are anxious should be keptsecret.*

Know which side the bread is butteredBe loyal to those who pay the most oroffer other kinds of reward.*

Know who’s who Know the identity andimportance of people involved in a par-ticular situation.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

138 / KNOCK INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK

Knuckle down Begin to behave sensiblyafter a period of lax behaviour and/orlaziness. *

Knuckle under Means the same as knuckledown.

LLabour of Hercules A demanding task.*

Labour of love Something done for thesimple pleasure of doing the task or toplease someone else.*

Ladies who lunch Women with sufficientincome who can afford not to work, andspend their time socialising, shoppingand having lengthy lunches at expensiverestaurants (i.e. whilst others have towork). The term is often used disparag-ingly.*

Lady killer A man who is especially suc-cessful at seducing women.*

Lady of leisure A woman with no employ-ment. The phrase is often used forsomeone who is retired or is so rich thatthey do not need to work.*

Lair it up Be vulgar or ostentatious.*

Lamb to the slaughter A person almostcertain to fail or have unpleasant experi-ences. The phrase is often used of peoplewho are too unskilled or inexperiencedfor a situation in which they will face farmore skilful and dangerous opponents.*

Lame duck A person handicapped in somemanner. More generally, a person who isnot particularly good at something.*

Land of Nod Sleep.*

Land of the living Wakefulness.*

Land on their feet Means the same as fallon their feet.

Land this baby Successfully complete atask.*

Landslide victory Overwhelming victory.*

Large as life Undeniably there. The phraseis often used to emphasize that a personreally was present at an event.*

Larger than life Describes a person orthing that is very conspicuous and thusattracts a disproportionate amount ofattention.*

Last chance saloon See drinking in the lastchance saloon.

Last chicken in the shop The male geni-talia.**

Last ditch effort A final attempt to dosomething. Usually the implication isthat more orthodox methods have failedand the final attempt is something donein desperation.*

Last resort An option to be used only if allelse has failed.*

Last shower of rain See didn’t come down inthe last shower of rain.

Last straw Means the same as final straw.

Last thing (1) Literally, the last thing that isdone in a sequence. (2) Late at night.*

Last word (1) The final judgement or pro-nouncement on something. (2) The mostfashionable.*

Late in the day Towards the end of anactivity. The phrase often indicates thatsomething is of no value because it hasappeared too late (e.g. ‘it’s a bit late in theday to be proposing changes, isn’t it?’).*

Late in the game Means the same as late inthe day.

Lathered up (1) Excited. (2) Over-excited.*

Laugh a minute Very funny. The phrase isnearly always used sarcastically to des-cribe something that is very depressing.*

Laugh all the way to the bank Becomerich easily.*

Laugh in their face Mock or show scorn.*

Laugh is on them The side that hadappeared victorious is now defeated.*

LAUGH IS ON THEM / 139

Laugh like a drain Laugh loudly.*

Laugh out of court Reject as ridiculous.The phrase is often used to describe anillogical argument.*

Laugh the other side of their face Expe-rience the emotional feelings of beingpunished after experiencing pleasurefrom committing a misdeed.*

Laugh themselves sick Laugh for a longtime.*

Laugh themselves silly Means the same aslaugh themselves sick.

Laugh up their sleeve Hide their amuse-ment.*

Law of the jungle The belief that thosewho are strongest and most aggressive arepredestined (and indeed deserve) to win.*

Law unto themselves Capable of doingwhat they please with little regard forother opinions, conventions or even thelaw of the land.*

Lay a finger on… See don’t lay a finger on…

Lay a ghost to rest Settle a troublesome orworrying issue.*

Lay an egg Fail spectacularly.*

Lay at their door Identify the person orgroup responsible.*

Lay down the law Issue commands abouthow things should be done.*

Lay it on the line Give straightforward,unambiguous information.*

Lay it on thick Exaggerate and/or be veryvoluble.*

Lay it on with a trowel Exaggerate.*

Lay it straight Means the same as lay on thetable (definition 1).

Lay low (1) Reduce to a state of misfortune.(2) Hide.*

Lay off (1) An expression indicating that aperson has been pestered too much aboutsomething (e.g. ‘lay off ! – I want achange of subject’). (2) To make a person

unemployed (e.g. ‘because of the worsen-ing economic situation, AmalgamatedWidgets had to lay off half its workforcetoday’).* (2) or ** (1)

Lay on the table (1) In UK English, thephrase means to present a piece ofhonest, straightforward information. (2)In US English, the phrase means topostpone something. See table a motion.*

Lay on their oars Means the same as rest ontheir oars.

Lay to rest Resolve something.*

Lead a merry dance Create trouble.*

Lead by the nose Have complete controlover someone.*

Lead down the garden path Means thesame as lead up the garden path.

Lead in their pencil Energy and/orenthusiasm. The phrase often refers tosexual drive.*

Lead up the garden path Deceive. Therehave been several theories of the origin ofthe phrase, including: (a) the argumentthat it refers to leading an animal toslaughter and, (b) in notable contrast, theargument that it refers to taking someoneinto the garden with the aim of seduc-tion.*

Lead with the chin Be aggressive. Thephrase refers to a stance in boxing.*

Leap down their throat Means the sameas jump down their throat.

Leap in the dark A speculative or riskyaction.*

Leap to conclusions Make a decisionbefore all the evidence has been heard,usually based on emotions and prejudicerather than logical reasoning.*

Leap to the eye Be very noticeable.*

Learn the ropes Acquire the skills neces-sary to fulfil the requirements of a partic-ular job or task.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

140 / LAUGH LIKE A DRAIN

Leave no stone unturned Do somethingthoroughly. The phrase usually refers to asearch or an investigation.*

Leave options open Not commit to a par-ticular course of action that wouldexclude other courses of action beingtaken.*

Leave the door open Provide an opportu-nity. The phrase is often used to describea plan that allows for amendments.*

Leave the motor running Anticipatebeing only a short time at a task beforedoing something else.*

Leave the nest Means the same as fly thenest.

Leave their mark Have a long-lastingeffect.*

Leave them cold Leave people feelingunimpressed.*

Leave them standing Be far better than.*

Leave under a cloud Depart in disgrace orwith a suspicion of wrongdoing.*

Left at the post Failed to compete orprovided very poor competition.*

Left field Unexpected.*

Left footer Roman Catholic.*

Left holding the baby To be given a diffi-cult situation to deal with, usually withlittle prospect of help. In other words, likea woman left to look after a baby after thefather of the child has deserted them.*

Left holding the bag Means the same asleft holding the baby.

Leg over Sexual intercourse.*

Leg up Assistance in starting something.*

Lend a hand Assist.*

Lend an ear Listen.*

Lend colour to Make a tale more plausibleby adding details to it.*

Less is more Originally the phrase wasused in architecture, to mean that an envi-

ronment with less detail is more aestheti-cally satisfying. The term is now usedmore generally to mean that if somethingis used sparingly, it may have a morepleasing effect than if its presence is over-whelming (e.g. garlic in cookery).*

Less than no time Rapidly.*

Let bygones be bygones Forget pastgrievances and attempt to be morefriendly.*

Let down Disappoint.*

Let down gently Inform someone of bador upsetting news in a sensitive manner.*

Let down their guard Be less defensive.*

Let it all hang out Means the same as lettheir hair down.*

Let it drop (1) Reveal a piece of informa-tion in a casual manner. The phrase isnearly always used for a piece of informa-tion that is scandalous or of great impor-tance that might not normally beexpected to be announced simply in apassing remark. (2) Cease discussingsomething.*

Let it lie Avoid drawing attention to some-thing (typically, something that is likelyto cause arguments if attention is drawnto it).*

Let it ride Do not act upon something, atleast for the moment. Note that there isno implication that the matter will not bereturned to later.*

Let it rip Proceed without restraint.*

Let off steam Release pent-up anger,energy or frustration.*

Let rip Proceed without restraint. Thephrase often refers to verbally attackingsomeone.*

Let sleeping dogs lie Leave somethingalone, because to do anything may causea disproportionate amount of trouble.*

Let slip Reveal something in conversa-tion.*

LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE / 141

Let the cat out of the bag To reveal asecret. There are several theories aboutthe origin of this phrase.*

Let the dog see the rabbit Permit theperson delegated to do a task to get onwith it.*

Let the earth swallow me up An expres-sion of embarrassment – the person isfeeling emotionally uncomfortable and isexpressing a strong need to escape thesituation they find themselves in.*

Let the genie out of the bottle Initiatesomething that is hard to control. Thus,put the genie back in the bottle refers tomanaging to control something that isdifficult to control.*

Let the side down A person who ‘lets theside down’ disappoints the group towhich he or she belongs through his orher actions. The implication is usuallythat, as a result, other members of thegroup will have more problems thanbefore.*

Let their hair down Relax and/or act inan unrestrained manner.*

Let themselves go Become unconcernedabout appearance, health or normal stan-dards of decorum.*

Let up Relief or cessation (e.g. ‘they ques-tioned us for two hours without let up’).*

Let’s be having you (1) A demand to workor move faster. (2) A request to startsomething (e.g. ‘I’d like to see the firstgroup – let’s be having you’).*

Let’s get down to brass tacks See brasstacks.

Level best The highest standards that canbe attained when making a genuineeffort.*

Level playing field Showing no favourit-ism.*

Level with them Be truthful with them.*

Licence to print money A lucrativeprocess.*

Lick and a promise Hastily and poorlydone job.*

Lick into shape Improve performance.*

Lick their boots Means the same as asslicking (only politer).*

Lick their lips Hopefully expect.*

Lick their shoes Means the same as licktheir boots.

Lick their wounds Brood upon, andrepair damage resulting from, defeat.*

Licking ass Means the same as ass licking.

Lie back and think of England Meansthe same as close your eyes and think ofEngland.**

Lie doggo Remain very still.*

Lie low Hide.*

Lie of the land What something is like.The phrase is generally used to describethe current state of a problem or project.*

Lie through their teeth Lie with no justi-fiable moral reason for doing so.*

Lie to their face Tell a lie with no discern-ible sign of guilt.*

Life after… The phrase is followed by aword or another phrase indicating theevent in question (e.g. ‘retirement’, ‘beingmade redundant’, ‘colostomy’, etc.). Thephrase refers to the lifestyle of a personrather than simply the issue of whetherthey are living or dead.*

Life and soul of the party A person whois especially lively and agreeable atparties and thus helps others enjoyparties. The phrase is sometimes usedas a euphemism for someone who gotembarrassingly drunk or sarcastically todescribe a person who is miserable andmakes parties less enjoyable.*

Life in the fast lane The lifestyle of rich,famous and fashionable people.*

Life in the old dog yet Phrase expressingsurprise or approval that, in spite ofappearances to the contrary, an older

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

142 / LET SLIP

adult is capable of performing well at theactivity under discussion.*

Life of Riley To have an easy, stress-freelife with either no work or an easy job todo.*

Life under… The typical living and/orworking conditions when a particularperson or group was in power. Thephrase can be used to describe an histori-cal epoch (e.g. ‘life under the Romans’) ora contemporary setting (e.g. ‘life underthe current President’).*

Life with a capital L The realities of anormal lifestyle, rather than a shelteredlifestyle where one may be protectedfrom learning too many unpleasantthings.*

Lift a finger Do the bare minimum ofactivity. The phrase is often used in thenegative form (e.g. ‘you won’t lift a fingerto help’) indicating that someone is lazyor unwilling to help others.*

Lift the elbow Drink alcohol.*

Light a fire under Make more activeand/or motivated.*

Light bulb See it’ll mean changing the lightbulb.

Light of their life The person most loved.*

Light on… Followed by a word or phraseindicating what a person is ‘light on’. Thephrase means ‘lacking’ (e.g. ‘light onexperience’ means ‘lacking experience’).An exception to this is light on their feet.*

Light on their feet See heavy on their feet.

Light the blue touch-paper To annoysomeone. The phrase is generally used forspecific occasions when someone says asingle phrase that is sufficient to start afierce argument. The phrase comes fromthe instructions on a firework to ‘lightthe blue touchpaper and stand back’.*

Light the fuse Initiate a problem or situa-tion.*

Light the touchpaper Means the same aslight the fuse.

Lighten up Become more relaxed aboutsomething.*

Lightning never strikes twice The (sta-tistically dubious) belief that havingexperienced one rare event, there is nopossibility of another rare event occur-ring.*

Lights are on Start of a longer phrase, thatusually ends ‘but there’s nobody home’(or similar). A description of a personwho appears alert but in reality is slow torespond and/or lacking in intellectualgiftedness.*

Lights their candle See whatever lights theircandle.

Like The word can be used to mean thesame as ‘as if ’ (e.g. ‘like you’ll really dothat’). Used in this sense, the word gener-ally expresses doubts that what isdescribed will occur (e.g. ‘like that’sreally going to happen’) or that what hasjust been said is true (e.g. ‘like you care’).*

Like a cat that ate the canary Means thesame as like a cat that got the cream.

Like a cat that got the cream A phraseused to describe someone who is lookingvery pleased or smug.*

Like a child in a candy store Means thesame as like a child in a sweet shop.

Like a child in a sweet shop Being free todo something personally enjoyablewithout restraint.*

Like a dog with two dicks Ruder versionof like a dog with two tails.***

Like a dog with two tails Describing avery happy person.*

Like a dose of salts Rapidly.*

Like a dream Successfully.*

Like a duck to water A person who learnsa new skill ‘like a duck to water’ learnsvery quickly, as if they are naturally suitedto the task.*

LIKE A DREAM / 143

Like a headless chicken A personbehaving ‘like a headless chicken’ isbehaving illogically. There is usually theimplication that they are panicking aboutsomething that could be easily solved ifthey dealt with the problem in a logicalway.*

Like a scalded cat Something that ismoving ‘like a scalded cat’ is moving veryquickly.*

Like a Trojan (1) Hard-working. (2) Hon-ourable.*

Like banging their head against a brickwall The phrase sometimes continueswith ‘ – it’s nice when it stops’. Thephrase describes the frustration ofengaging in an effortful task that seemsdestined to fail.*

Like billy-o The phrase means ‘at anextreme’ (e.g. a person running quicklymight be described as ‘running likebilly-o’).*

Like blazes Means the same as like billy-o.

Like death warmed up Describing thestate of feeling ill. It is usually meant tosound humorous.*

Like father like son The principle thatsomeone is likely to resemble their parentin behaviour.*

Like fury Vigorously.*

Like getting blood out of a stone Ifsomething is ‘like getting blood out of astone’, then it is very difficult or evenimpossible.*

Like getting blood out of a turnipMeans the same as like getting blood out of astone.

Like giving a donkey strawberries Anever-ending task.*

Like grim death With determination.*

Like lightning Rapidly.*

Like mother like daughter Means thesame as like father like son.

Like nobody’s business Means ‘very well’or ‘very expertly ’ (e.g. ‘he’s goingthrough this work like nobody’s busi-ness’).*

Like nothing on Earth Unusual. Thephrase does not literally mean ‘extrater-restrial’, however.*

Like sardines Packed closely together.*

Like shit off a shovel Very quickly.***

Like shooting fish in a barrel Means thesame as like taking candy from a baby.

Like someone possessed With a highlevel of agitation and activity.*

Like stink With great vigour.*

Like taking candy from a baby Some-thing done with ease.*

Like talking to a brick wall Describes thefrustration of talking or writing tosomeone who is unresponsive. Thephrase is often used to describe attempt-ing to give a person instructions that theythen ignore.*

Like the back of their hand If someonesays that they know something ‘like theback of their hand’, it means they know itvery well.*

Like the clappers Very quickly.*

Like water off a duck’s back (1) Havingno effect. (2) Failing to adhere.*

Likely story A sarcastic phrase expressingdisbelief in something.*

Limb of Beelzebub The phrase was origi-nally a very serious accusation thatsomeone was acting in an evil or sinfulmanner. These days the phrase is morelikely to be used rather less seriously toindicate that someone or something isdispleasing (e.g. ‘this photocopier isalways going wrong – I swear it’s a limbof Beelzebub’).*

Limelight See in the limelight and steal thelimelight.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

144 / LIKE A DUCK TO WATER

Line in the sand A firm limit to whata person is prepared to do and/orapprove.*

Line of country Area of specialist knowl-edge.*

Line of least resistance The methodlikely to prove least difficult.*

Line their pockets (1) Bribe. (2) Gainmoney dishonestly. The phrase is oftenused to describe a person who abusestheir job to gain money by unfair means(e.g. by accepting bribes).*

Lion’s share The largest proportion.*

Lips are sealed A promise to keep a secret(e.g. ‘my lips are sealed – I won’t tellanyone else what you told me’).*

Liquid lunch Alcoholic drink consumed atlunchtime in lieu of food.*

Listen with half an ear Listen for some-thing whilst concurrently doing anothertask. The phrase is often used to indicatenot listening for something with suffi-cient attention.*

Lit up (1) A facial expression of greatpleasure or hope. (2) Drunk. (3) Lit a cig-arette, cigar or pipe.*

Little bird told them A joking explana-tion of how someone learnt about some-thing. The intention is to avoid revealingthe name of the person who provided theinformation.*

Little black book A list (often in a smalladdress book) kept by a sexually activeperson with a list of addresses of sexualpartners.*

Little black dress A dress of simple designand black in colour suitable for mostsocial occasions (for women, obviously;it is difficult to think of any conventionalsocial occasion where a man wearing alittle black dress would be consideredsuitably attired). The term is sometimesused to indicate an item that is suitable fora wide range of occasions.*

Little escapes them They are very obser-vant and/or well-informed.*

Little ray of sunshine A person who canmake others cheerful. Nearly always usedsarcastically.*

Little red book A collection of phrases byChairman Mao in Communist China,which was used as a propaganda tool.The term is sometimes used to denote anypublication which is felt to contain pro-paganda rather than facts or reasonedargument.*

Little tin god Someone undeserving ofveneration. The phrase is often used ofpeople who have too high an opinion ofthemselves.*

Live a lie A person ‘living a lie’ is consis-tently behaving in a manner that requiresthem to repress their true nature (e.g. amarried man who is homosexual).*

Live a little Do something frivolous ordaring.*

Live and breathe… Followed by the nameof an activity. Someone who ‘lives andbreathes’ something has an almost fanati-cal interest in it.*

Live high on the hog Enjoy a luxuriouslifestyle.*

Live in the past Be excessively preoccu-pied with reviving old memories or ofusing outmoded methods and values.*

Live it up Have a hedonistic lifestyle.*

Live life to the full See to the full.

Live off the fat of the land Have the bestor most desirable things.*

Live off the land Exist on what can befound.*

Live on borrowed time Literally, a personwho is living on borrowed time is aliveafter a date when they were expected todie. By extension, the phrase is used todescribe anyone or anything that contin-ues to function after a point when it wasexpected they would be made to stop.*

LIVE ON BORROWED TIME / 145

Live on their hump (1) Be self-sufficient.(2) Survive on reserve supplies, usualsupplies having been severed orexhausted.*

Live on their nerves Be in a neuroticstate.*

Live one A person acting in an eccentricmanner (e.g. ‘we’ve got a live one here’).*

Live out of a suitcase Lack a permanenthome and live at a succession of tempo-rary addresses.*

Live their own life Have a lifestyle thatmatches their own wishes rather thanattempting to please others.*

Live to fight another day Survive anunpleasant experience (the term is oftenused in an exaggerated fashion, and doesnot necessarily mean that there was athreat of death).*

Live under (1) Live somewhere governedby a particular person or regime (e.g. ‘shelived under the rule of Mussolini’). (2)Possess a particular attitude or belief (e.g.‘she lived under the impression thateveryone was basically good’). (3)Possess a particular identity (e.g. ‘Helived under the name of Mr Saunders’).*

Living daylights See beat the living daylightsout and scare the living daylights.

Living in a fool’s paradise Having unre-alistically optimistic opinions.*

Living large Living well and enjoyably.*

Living memory If something occurredwithin ‘living memory’ then some peoplewho are alive today were alive when theevent happened.*

Living off the backs of people Earningmoney by taking money off others andnot giving anything in return.*

Living rough Being in a state of extremepoverty and homeless.*

Load of balls See balls.

Load the dice against Make somethingharder than it would normally be.*

Loaded for bear To be prepared for anysort of challenge. The phrase comes fromhunting: the ammunition for hunting asmall animal such as a rabbit will not bevery effective against a bear, but theammunition for hunting a bear will alsobe effective against a rabbit (rather tooeffective, perhaps). Therefore, a huntergoing ‘loaded for bear’ is usingbear-shooting ammunition that will alsosuffice for killing other animals he or shemight encounter.*

Loan shark A person who loans money atan extortionate rate of interest (typicallyto people who cannot obtain loans frommore respectable sources such as banksbecause they are illegal immigrants, aretoo poor, etc.). There is usually the impli-cation that a loan shark will use illegaland violent means to retrieve money frombad debtors.*

Lock and load Prepare for a conflict orargument.*

Lock horns Enter into an argument orother form of confrontation.*

Lock, stock and barrel The entire thing.The term is derived from gunmaking(lock, stock and barrel are the principalcomponents of a gun).*

London to a brick Australian phrasemeaning ‘absolutely certain’ (e.g. ‘it’sLondon to a brick he’ll be here’).*

Lone voice A single person or groupexpressing an opinion that is differentfrom that of the majority.*

Long and the short of it All that ulti-mately matters.*

Long arm of coincidence The phraserefers to the fact that sometimes coinci-dence can link very different and seem-ingly unrelated things, events or people.*

Long arm of the law The phrase is anobservation that the power of the policeto detect criminal activity and arrestpeople can be strong.*

Long chalk See not by a long chalk.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

146 / LIVE ON THEIR HUMP

Long face A miserable facial expression.*

Long game The long-term perspective.*

Long in the tooth To be old (can refer tohumans, machines or indeed any sort ofprocess or activity). The term probablyderives from the phenomenon that somemammals have receding gums as they getolder, which makes their teeth looklonger. The term is not very polite ifreferring to a human.* or **

Long run See in the long run.

Long story The phrase is used in severalways in a description of a series of events.However, in all instances the intention isto indicate that there is a logical justifica-tion for something, but in order to savetime the full reasons will not be given(e.g. ‘long story, but may I have extra timeto complete this task?’ or ‘long story, butthe archbishop and I were stuck in the liftwith an amorous gorilla’).*

Long-winded Using too many words todescribe something. Usually an implica-tion of pomposity as well.*

Look a fright Have an unattractive appear-ance.*

Look a gift horse in the mouth Showingratitude or an illogical level of suspi-cion of a gift or offer of help. The phraseis often heard in the negative form of don’tlook a gift horse in the mouth, which advisesthat gifts or offers of help should beaccepted gracefully without quibbling.*

Look after number one Be selfish and putpersonal interests before those of others.*

Look as if seen a ghost Have a frightenedexpression.*

Look down on Be snobbish about and/orregard as inferior.*

Look down their noses at Means thesame as look down on.

Look high and low Search thoroughly.*

Look like a million dollars Appear to bein excellent and/or praiseworthy condi-tion.*

Look like a tornado hit it Have a veryuntidy appearance.*

Look like it Appear to be so.*

Look like shit Look ill and/or un-kempt.***

Look like something the cat dragged inLook very untidy.*

Look lively Means the same as look sharp.

Look over their shoulder In a state ofanxiety or apprehension.*

Look sharp Be alert and/or quick.*

Look smart Means the same as look sharp.

Look the other way Means the same asturn a blind eye to.

Look to their laurels Be aware of the needto keep working to preserve theirpre-eminence at something.*

Look up (1) Find some information from abook, the Internet or similar. (2) Visitsomeone.*

Look up to Admire.*

Look what the cat dragged in Depend-ing upon the context and tone of voice,this can be an insult or a sarcastic butfriendly greeting.*(greeting) or ** (insult)

Loose cannon A person whose behaviouris unpredictable and uncontrollable, andis likely to be as much a danger to thegroup to which he or she belongs as anasset.*

Lord Lucan A UK lord who fled thecountry in the 1970s following themurder of the family nanny, and who inspite of extensive efforts, has never beenfound. A phrase implying that LordLucan has been found is often used todenote something utterly improbable orunbelievable (e.g. ‘Jane passing herdriving test is as likely as Lord Lucanbeing found’).*

LORD LUCAN / 147

Lose caste Move from a higher to a lowersocial status.*

Lose face Lose some authority or socialstanding as a result of being discovered tohave made a mistake or to have behavedbadly.*

Lose it (1) Become incapable of continuingsomething. (2) Become angry. (3) As acommand, ‘lose it’ means to take some-thing off or to hide it.*

Lose sleep Worry excessively.*

Lose the plot (1) Become incapable of con-tinuing something. (2) No longer able tocomprehend something.*

Lose the thread No longer able to compre-hend something.*

Lose the will to live Sometimes usedjovially to indicate feeling extremeboredom.*

Lose their bottle Lose their courage orresolve to do something.*

Lose their cherry Do something for thefirst time. The phrase originally referredto loss of virginity and is still mainly usedin this way.***

Lose their cool Means the same as lose theirrag, but slightly politer.*

Lose their head Lose a sense of calm andbecome illogical.*

Lose their marbles Become insane.*

Lose their rag Lose their temper.*

Lose their shirt Lose a large amount ofmoney. The phrase usually implies thatthe loss reduces a person to extremepoverty.*

Losing battle A task doomed to failure.*

Lost cause Doomed to fail.*

Lost for words Utterly amazed to thepoint of being incapable of producing acoherent statement.*

Lost on them If something is lost on aperson, then they fail to appreciateand/or understand it.*

Lost soul A person who appears ratherpathetic and incapable of looking afterthemselves. *

Loud clothing Clothing with a very pro-nounced pattern and/or colour. Thephrase usually means that the clothing isinappropriately garish.*

Loud colour A colour that is very strongand conspicuous.*

Lounge lizard A person who seems toserve no purpose other than permanentlyattending parties and socialising.**

Love a duck A general expression indicat-ing surprise or sympathy.*

Love me, love my dog This may refer tothe speaker’s canine companion, butmore usually simply means ‘tolerate myways and lifestyle or don’t try to befriends with me’.*

Low maintenance When referring to aperson, the phrase refers to someone whois undemanding and easy to live with.*

Lower their guard Be less defensive.*

Lower their sights Become less ambi-tious.*

Lowest of the low The most immoral orunworthy.*

Luck of the draw The result of chance,rather than deliberate planning.*

Lull before the storm A period of unnatu-ral calm before the onset of somethingunpleasant, such as an argument.*

Lump in the throat A feeling of extremeemotion. The phrase nearly always refersto a feeling of great sorrow.*

Luxury! In my day… The phrase is usedas an ironic response to a description ofdeprivation and/or hardship. The phrasecomes from a comedy sketch called ‘theFour Yorkshiremen’ performed by theMonty Python cast during a stage show

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

148 / LOSE CASTE

and subsequently released as an audiorecording. It involves four Yorkshirementelling increasingly improbable talesabout hardships during childhood.Several of these tales are met with a con-temptuous response of ‘luxury! In myday…’ before commencing upon an evenmore improbable and surreal story ofhardship.*

MMad The term can mean ‘insane’, but in

certain contexts it can mean ‘very angry’.Common examples of the latter include‘mad as hell’, ‘mad as anything’, ‘madbeyond belief ’ and ‘mad at you’. See madabout (or on) something.*

Mad about (or on) something (1) Verykeen or interested about something. (2)Very annoyed about something (seemad).*

Mad as a hatter Insane or eccentric.*

Made of marble Able to resist temptationand/or emotional considerations.*

Made of money Rich. Often heard in thereverse form – not made of money, meaning‘not rich’.*

Made their bed See they’ve made their bedthey’d better lie in it.

Magic carpet Joking term for any methodof fast travel.*

Magic circle The term can refer to the(entirely respectable) Magic Circle, anorganisation for stage conjurors. Theterm is also sometimes used to describesarcastically a (real or imagined) secretivegroup believed to be the ‘real power’ inan organisation.*

Make a bad fist of… Do it badly.*

Make a beeline Strictly speaking, to travelin a straight line. In practice, the phrasemeans ‘to travel by the shortest possibleroute’.*

Make a bolt for Attempt to escape byrunning towards something (e.g. ‘shemade a bolt for the door’).*

Make a boob Make a mistake.*

Make a book Accept wagers or bets onsomething.*

Make a break Attempt to escape.*

Make a clean breast of it Make a full con-fession to a wrongdoing.*

Make a clean sweep (1) Win everything.(2) Remove unnecessary or unproductivepeople, items and/or practices in anattempt to revitalize something.*

Make a day of it Spend a whole day doingsomething. The phrase is typically usedto describe choosing to spend time doingsomething enjoyable rather than doing itin a rushed manner.*

Make a drama out of… Exaggerate aminor problem so that it appears practi-cally insurmountable.*

Make a fast buck Earn money quickly.The job done is by implication temporaryrather than permanent employment.*

Make a go of Succeed.*

Make a good fist of… Do it well.*

Make a hash of Fail badly at doing some-thing.*

Make a killing Make a large profit.*

Make a long story short See cut a longstory short.

Make a mark Do something noteworthy.*

Make a meal of (1) Exaggerate. (2) Be toofussy about, and/or expend too muchenergy on, something. (3) Eat.*

Make a mint Earn a large amount ofmoney.*

Make a mockery of Reduce to a farcicaland/or weakened state. This can be donedeliberately or through ineptitude.*

Make a monkey of Make appear foolish.*

MAKE A MINT / 149

Make a mountain out of a molehillExaggerate. The phrase is typically usedto describe exaggerating a tiny probleminto a catastrophe.*

Make a move Begin to do something.*

Make a move on Indicate sexual interestin someone.*

Make a name for themselves Becomefamous and/or respected in their field ofwork.*

Make a night of it Spend a whole eveningor night doing something.*

Make a noise Do something in a mannerlikely to attract attention.*

Make a packet Become wealthy.*

Make a pass at Express a sexual orromantic interest in.*

Make a pig of themselves Behave in agluttonous manner.*

Make a pig’s ear Make a mess of some-thing.*

Make a pile Means the same as make apacket.

Make a pitch for Attempt to gain.*

Make a play for Attempt to gain, persuadeor impress.*

Make a quid Have paid employment.*

Make a rod for their own back Createdifficulties for themselves.*

Make a thing of (1) Be unreasonably fussyabout. (2) Regard as vital.*

Make advances towards Begin to declarean interest in. The phrase usuallydescribes a sexual and/or romanticinterest.*

Make an effort Try.*

Make an honest man of him Marry him.The phrase is derived from make an honestwoman of her.*

Make an honest woman of her Marryher. The phrase originally referred to

marrying a pregnant woman (at a timewhen a baby born out of wedlock wasregarded far less favourably). However, itis now generally used without this con-notation.*

Make both ends meet Means the same asmake ends meet.

Make bricks without straw Try to do ajob without all the necessary equip-ment.*

Make do Cope with inadequate resources.*

Make ends meet Earn enough money toprovide enough for at least the basicnecessities of living.*

Make eyes at Look at someone withobvious sexual intent.*

Make faces Make ridiculous or grotesquefacial expressions.*

Make flesh creep Create a feeling ofdisgust.*

Make free of Treat without an appropriatelevel of respect.*

Make good (1) Succeed. (2) Restore. (3)Make financial reparations.*

Make good their escape Escape.*

Make great play Elaborate upon, or drawattention to.*

Make hair curl Create a feeling of fright.Usually the phrase is used jokingly.*

Make hair stand on end Create a feelingof fright.*

Make hay Do something whilst an advan-tageous situation lasts.*

Make head or tail of it Understand. Thephrase is often used in the form can’t makehead nor tail of it, meaning a failure tounderstand.*

Make heavy weather of it Behave as ifsomething is far more difficult and/orlaborious than it actually is.*

Make it big Be successful. The phrase isoften used in a derogatory fashion to

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

150 / MAKE A MOCKERY OF

denote someone who has become finan-cially successful but has little culturalsophistication.*

Make it hot for them Make somethingdifficult and/or unpleasant for them.*

Make it snappy Do it quickly.*

Make light of (1) Do easily. (2) Dismiss astrivial.*

Make like Imitate.*

Make mincemeat of Decisively defeat.*

Make money hand over fist Earn moneyat a fast rate.*

Make mountains out of molehillsUnreasonably exaggerate. The phrase isoften used of someone who perceives aproblem as being far worse than itactually is.*

Make music together Be romanticallycompatible.*

Make nice Be sociable.*

Make no bones about it (1) To say some-thing directly without attempting to hideanything. (2) In a derivation of the firstmeaning, the phrase may be used to tellsomeone that the speaker is very seriousabout something (e.g. ‘make no bonesabout it, you’ll be in trouble if you followthis plan’).*

Make or break Something that is ‘make orbreak’ will either completely succeed orcompletely fail.*

Make the best of Make the optimal use ofwhat is provided.*

Make the cut Reach an acceptablestandard. The phrase is often used insporting events to describe the bestplayers who are the only ones allowed tocompete in the latter stages of a competi-tion.*

Make the grade Reach the requiredstandard.*

Make their blood boil Make very angry.*

Make their blood curdle Create a feelingof terror or extreme fright.*

Make their blood freeze Means the sameas make their blood run cold.

Make their blood run cold Shock orfrighten.*

Make their bow Make their first appear-ance in a new job.*

Make their day Please someone. Thephrase usually implies that this pleasurewill be the best emotion felt on that day.*

Make their mark Have a long-lastingeffect.*

Make their mind up To make a decision.The phrase often implies that making thedecision has not been easy.*

Make their mouth water Induce feelingsof hunger or interest.*

Make their own luck Succeed througheffort and taking advantage of the situa-tion rather than assistance from others.*

Make their toes curl (1) Create a feelingof embarrassment. (2) Create a strongreaction.*

Make tracks Leave.*

Make up for lost time (1) Over-indulge inan activity because of not having theopportunity to do it earlier. (2) After aperiod of being behind schedule, workharder or move faster so that now thingsare on schedule.*

Make up leeway Recover from a poorposition (e.g. from being behindschedule).*

Make waves (1) Complain and/or makedifficulties. (2) Create excitement orinterest.*

Making of them If something is ‘themaking of someone’ then it is the factorwhich is crucial in producing a personal-ity or skill seen as advantageous.*

Man about town A now rather datedphrase describing a man who has an

MAKING OF THEM / 151

active social life, is well-liked, has goodfashion sense, and knows the fashionableplaces to go.*

Man for all seasons A person who canadapt to any situation.*

Man in the street See person in the street.

Man of leisure A man with no employ-ment. The phrase is often used forsomeone who is retired or is so rich thatthey do not need to work.*

Man of letters An educated man.*

Man of straw Means the same as straw man.

Man on the Clapham omnibus Termfirst used in the 1900s that means thesame as person in the street. The sort ofperson who would regularly travel on thebus service to and from Clapham (adistrict of London) was believed to berepresentative of an average Britishinhabitant. Since then, people havebegun to realize that (a) using ‘man’ inphrases excludes half the human race and(b) districts of London are not particu-larly representative of the rest of the UK.Accordingly, the phrase should beavoided.*

Man’s best friend A dog.*

Manner born See to the manner born.

Manners they were born with See not gotthe manners they were born with.

Many a good tune played on an oldfiddle Proverb expressing the view thatan older person may be just as accom-plished and skilful as a younger person.*

Many a slip The start of a proverb thatfinishes ‘between the cup and the lip’(there are variants). The phrase expressesthe view that a lot of things can go unex-pectedly wrong in any undertaking, andaccordingly, vigilance is required.*

Many moons ago A long time ago.*

Map See entry below and: put on the map.

Map on to (1) Concur or match with. (2)Integrate with.*

March to a different beat Do things dif-ferently. The phrase often denotessomeone who consciously does things ina manner opposed to, or radically differ-ent from, the prevailing system of beliefsand practices.*

March to a different tune Means thesame as march to a different beat.

Mare’s nest Something that appears ofgreat interest but is illusory.*

Mark my words Attend carefully to what Isay. The phrase is often used before aperson makes a prediction that they feelis important.*

Mark of Cain A sign of disgrace. Thephrase originally meant the sign ofhaving committed murder, after theBiblical character Cain.*

Mark their card Provide information.*

Mark time Engage in a boring or unexcit-ing activity whilst waiting for the oppor-tunity to do something more interestingand/or rewarding.*

Marriage of convenience A marriage oralliance in which the people or groupsinvolved have no real affection for eachother, but who benefit in other ways fromthe arrangement.*

Marry money Marry someone wealthy.*

Massaging the figures Means the same ascreative accounting.*

Matter of form (1) Correct etiquette. (2)Commonplace or routine.*

Matter of life and death A very importantmatter.*

Matter of record Something that is unde-niably true and for which documentaryor other proof can be produced.*

Matter of report Means the same as matterof record.

Matter of time If something is a ‘matter oftime’, then it is believed that it will cer-tainly happen at some point in thefuture.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

152 / MAN ABOUT TOWN

Mean business Be serious about some-thing.*

Meanwhile back at the ranch The phraseis sometimes used to indicate a change inwho or what is being talked about in alengthy story. The term is meant as a joke.The phrase was originally used as acaption in early silent movies when theaction moved back to a scene at theranch.*

Meat and two veg (1) Wholesome butunimaginative cooking. (2) The malegenitalia.* (1) or ** (2)

Medal See do you want a medal?

Media tart A person with a strong drive toappear in the popular news media.*

Meet half way Be conciliatory and agree-able to a compromise.*

Meet the case Be of the requiredstandard.*

Meet the costs Pay what is owed.*

Meet their maker Die.*

Meet their match Strictly speaking,meeting someone of equal ability. Thephrase is usually used inaccurately, tomean meeting someone of superiorability.*

Men from the boys See sort out the men fromthe boys.

Men in suits Business managers. Thephrase is often used disparagingly to referto people who put profitability beforemorals or who fail to think of the effectstheir policies have on workers’ welfare.*

Men in white coats Medical personnel.The phrase is often used more specificallyto refer to psychiatrists.*

Mend fences Reconcile after an argu-ment.*

Mentioned in dispatches Praised.*

Merry Christmas See and a merry Christmasto you too.

Mess around Engage in frivolous, unpro-ductive activity.*

Mess them around Annoy them bycreating confusion or failing to fulfil apromise.*

Mess with their head Annoy or confuse.*

Meter is running A fast response isneeded, because time and/or energyand/or resources are being wasted.*

Methinks the lady doth protest toomuch A misquotation of a line fromShakespeare’s Hamlet, used to indicatethat a person seems suspiciously keen ondenying something (which suggests thatthey in fact are guilty of what they aredenying).*

Method in their madness Behaviour thatappears insane or eccentric, but in fact hasa cunning purpose.*

Mickey Finn A covertly drugged drink.*

Mickey Mouse When used as an adjectiveand without obvious reference to theDisney organisation (e.g. ‘a MickeyMouse operation’) it describes somethingdone in a shambolic, unskilled manner(presumably after the rather chaoticbehaviour of Mickey Mouse in some ofhis cartoons).*

Midas touch The ability to be financiallysuccessful.*

Middle course A procedure that is lessextreme than some other options.*

Middle of nowhere Remote.*

Middle way Means the same as middlecourse.

Mile a minute Rapidly.*

Mile off See see it a mile off.

Mileage may vary See your mileage mayvary.

Miles away Daydreaming or absent-minded.*

Milk and honey Comfort and riches.*

MILE OFF / 153

Milk and water Feeble.*

Milk in the coconut Something that isdifficult to explain.*

Milk of human kindness Kindness toothers.*

Milking the system Taking unfair and/orunethical advantage of a set of regula-tions.*

Million and one reasons Lots ofreasons.*

Million to one shot A remote possibility.*

Millstone round their neck A severeannoyance that hampers progress.*

Mince matters (1) Means the same as mincewords. (2) Make something unnecessarilyconfusing.*

Mince words Use language that fails tostate something clearly.*

Mind over matter A mental process tri-umphing over an opposing physical one.The phrase is used in a wide variety ofpermutations (e.g. a clever but physicallyweak person defeating a stronger but lessintelligent opponent; a person commit-ting a physically demanding feat throughstrong willpower when by physicalmeasures alone they should have failed).*

Mind the shop Means the same as hold theshop.

Mind their p’s and q’s See p’s and q’s.

Mind your back A warning that some-thing capable of inflicting injury isapproaching from behind.*

Mind’s eye The internal mental state. Thephrase is often used as a synonym ofimagination.*

Minor key Unless specifically referring tomusic, the phrase means ‘subdued’.*

Mint condition Unspoilt; the phrase isusually used to describe an old item thatappears brand new.*

Mirror image An exact copy.*

Miss a beat Hesitate.*

Miss the boat Fail to do something. Thephrase generally refers to a failure to takeadvantage of an opportunity.*

Miss the bus Means the same as miss theboat.

Miss the cut Fail to reach an acceptablestandard. See make the cut.*

Miss the point Fail to understand.*

Missing link (1) A person or thing that isrequired for a procedure to work. (2) Inevolutionary theory, the species that linkshumans to apes. Thus, someone whoappears uncouth and ill-mannered maybe referred to as ‘the missing link’.*

Mixed bag Something that is a ‘mixed bag’is varied. This can refer to, for example,different physical features (e.g. ‘are theyall the same colour?’ – ‘no, they’re amixed bag’) or quality (e.g. ‘is the CD anygood?’ – ‘it’s a mixed bag: some tracks areexcellent, others are quite poor’).*

Mixed blessing Something that is partlybeneficial but also has disadvantages.*

Mixed press A set of opinions that varyfrom very favourable to very unfavour-able.*

Mohammed must go to the mountainSee if the mountain won’t come to Mohammed.

Moment of truth The time when thesuccess or failure of a plan is revealed, or,more broadly, an important turning point.*

Monday morning quarterback A personfull of opinions about how somethingshould have been done better after theevent has taken place.*

Money burning a hole in their pocketHaving an irresistible urge to spendmoney.*

Money doesn’t grow on trees A (usuallygentle) rebuke if someone is asking forsomething too expensive. The phrasebasically means that money is not easilyobtained and that, accordingly, some

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

154 / MILEAGE MAY VARY

things cannot be afforded. See it doesn’tgrow on trees.*

Money for jam Means the same as moneyfor old rope.

Money for old rope Something lucrativeand easy to do.*

Money no object See no object.

Money to burn Sufficient finances to beable to afford lavish spending.*

Monkey business See business.

Monkey on a stick A restless and/oragitated person.*

Monkey on their back An annoyance.*

Monkey suit Evening dress for a man (i.e.black dinner jacket and trousers, blackbow tie, etc.).*

Month of Sundays A long time. Oftenheard in the phrase ‘never in a month ofSundays’, indicating that something ishighly improbable.*

Moonlight flit (1) Escape creditors byleaving secretly at night. (2) Escape thefamily house at night to run away with alover.*

Mop up Complete a task. The phrase oftendenotes sorting out minor difficultiesthat remain after the accomplishment ofthe major goals in a larger task. Thus, thephrase can be used to describe e.g.dealing with minor problems at the endof a business deal or the defeating of theremnants of a defeated army after themain battle is over.*

More bang for the buck Better value.*

More fish in the sea Words of consolationoffered when a person has lost a boy-friend or girlfriend (e.g. ‘never mind –there are plenty more fish in the sea’). Thephrase means that there are plenty morepotential partners in the world.*

More fool… A rebuke meaning thatgreater thought or care should have beentaken, and then a problem would nothave been created.*

More haste, less speed Advice to slowdown the rate at which a task is beingperformed, because going too quickly islikely to result in errors. The proverbmakes far more sense if one remembersthat ‘speed’ can also mean ‘success’ (e.g. ifthe proverb is rewritten as ‘more haste,less success’ it is rather easier to under-stand).*

More meat on a butcher’s pencil Ajoking way of saying that someone isthin.*

More power to their elbow Morestrength and/or health. The phrase isoften used as a term of praise, expressingthe hope that someone will enjoy betterstrength and/or health.*

More than one way to skin a cat There ismore than one way to do something. Thephrase is often used when a conventionalmethod is being rejected (e.g. ‘the usualmethod of doing this seems unwise inthis case, but don’t worry, because there’smore than one way to skin a cat’).*

More than one way to skin a rabbitMeans the same as more than one way to skina cat.

More the merrier The opinion that themore people are involved, the better it is.*

More’s the pity An expression of regret.*

Morning after the night before Ahangover or other feeling of malaise afteran evening of enjoyment lacking inprudence.*

Morning, noon and night Constantly.*

Morton’s fork A situation in which anychoice that is made will lead to unattrac-tive consequences.*

Mote in their eye A trivial fault. Theimplication is usually that a personfinding faults in others usually has muchbigger faults of their own.*

Moth-eaten Looking rather tatty throughage or overuse.*

MORTON’S FORK / 155

Moth to a flame A person who is like a‘moth to a flame’ has a strong urge to dosomething. There is sometimes the impli-cation that this urge will harm them.*

Mother of all… The most extreme formof….*

Motor mouth A very talkative person whohas little concept of when it would beappropriate to keep quiet.**

Mould-breaking Innovative.*

Mountain to climb See have a mountain toclimb.

Mountains out of molehills See makemountains out of molehills.

Mousetrap See build a better mousetrap.

Movable feast Something that does nothave to be done on a particular date ortime. The phrase is derived from Easterand other Christian festivals which areheld on different dates each year accord-ing to a complex formula (in contrast to,say, Christmas Day, which is always fixedon 25 December).*

Move Heaven and Earth Work extremelyhard.*

Move in for the kill Prepare to concludesomething.*

Move it A strong command to do some-thing (the implication is that someone iscurrently too inactive).**

Move mountains Make considerableeffort.*

Move the goalposts To change the rules ordesired outcomes after a piece of workhas begun. The phrase is an analogy – ifduring a soccer game someone moved thegoalposts every time someone kicked aball at the goal area, the game would bevery frustrating. Similarly, telling peopleto work to attain a particular set ofoutcomes, and then changing the set ofoutcomes, creates frustration and annoy-ance. The term is often used of (UK) gov-ernment education policy.*

Move their arse Means the same as movetheir backside.***

Move their ass Means the same as movetheir backside.**

Move their backside (1) Show someeffort. (2) The phrase is often used as animpolite way to mean ‘move’ (e.g. ‘I wishthey would move their backside’).**

Move with the times Have a modern,rather than old-fashioned, set of atti-tudes.*

Mover and shaker A person who is instru-mental in getting things done.*

Much of a muchness Describes two ormore things that are of approximatelyequal quality.*

Muck in Give assistance.*

Muck raking Searching for scandalousinformation. The phrase often impliesthat this is done for vindictive reasons orto gain profit (e.g. by selling the informa-tion to a newspaper) rather than from apublic-spirited desire to uncover thetruth.*

Mud in your eye A traditional informaltoast upon having a drink.*

Mud slinging Spreading rumours ormaking scandalous accusations. See nameis mud.*

Muddy the waters Make more compli-cated.*

Mug’s game An activity that is dangerousand/or foolish.*

Mum’s the word To keep a secret aboutsomething. The word ‘mum’ means ‘nospeech’ rather than ‘mother’.*

Murphy’s law The fatalistic argument thatin any activity something is bound to gowrong.*

Music to their ears Received withpleasure.*

Mutton dressed as lamb Something (orsomeone) made to appear younger than it

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

156 / MOTE IN THEIR EYE

actually is. The phrase is often used in aderogatory fashion of an older womandressed in clothes felt more suitable for ayounger age group.*

My ball If a person says ‘my ball’ he or sheis indicating that they will deal with whatis being discussed (e.g. if a question isasked to a panel of people, the personsaying ‘my ball’ is declaring that they willanswer it). The phrase comes from tennisdoubles, where if a ball looks as if it willbe within reach of both players on oneside, a player might call out ‘my ball’ tomake sure that he or she will have clearaccess to it and that the partner playerwill get out of the way.*

My eye An expression of disbelief (e.g. ‘myeye! – I’ve never heard such nonsense’).*

My foot Means the same as my eye.

My pigeon Means the same as my ball.

NNaff off An impolite way of saying ‘go

away’.**

Nail a lie Uncover a lie.*

Nail-biting Describes something thatcreates a feeling of nervousness or appre-hension.*

Nail in the coffin Something that adds tothe decline of someone or something.*

Nail the colours to the mast Make a firmdeclaration of opinions or belief. There isoften the implication that such a declara-tion will not be totally popular and mayattract criticism. The phrase is derivedfrom naval battles in sailing ships. Since asign of surrender was to lower the identi-fying flags (or colours), nailing thecolours to the mast meant they couldn’tbe lowered, and hence declared the intentto win or die in the attempt.*

Naked truth The truth. The phrase impliesthat the truth may be simpler and less

appealing than a complex set of lies andhalf-truths that are commonly believedto be accurate.*

Name dropping Deliberately and boast-fully making mention of famous or influ-ential people who are personal acquain-tances.*

Name is mud If someone’s name is mud,then they are in disgrace.*

Name of the game The features of the sit-uation that are the most important, and inparticular the desired outcome of the sit-uation.*

Name to conjure with (1) The name of animportant person. (2) A name that isunusual or unintentionally humorous.*

Name written all over it See got their namewritten all over it.

Nasty piece of goods An unpleasantperson.*

Nasty piece of work Means the same asnasty piece of goods.

Native tongue The language mostcommonly spoken in a country or sectionof a country.*

Nature of the beast The basic characteris-tics of a problem or situation.*

Near the knuckle Means the same as closeto the knuckle.

Near the mark Almost correct.*

Necessary evil Something that in itself isunpleasant but unavoidable if somethingthat is desired is to be gained (e.g.unpleasant in-laws).*

Neck and neck In a competition or race, asituation in which competitors are verysimilar in performance.*

Neck of the woods A small geographicalregion. The phrase is often heard in theform from the same neck of the woods,meaning that things or people originatefrom homes that are very close to eachother.*

NECESSARY EVIL / 157

Need a hand? If a person asks ‘need ahand?’ they are asking if assistance isrequired.*

Need to get out more A (usually mild)insult implying that someone lackscommon sense or knowledge that wouldbe known by anyone who did not lead atoo-insular social life.*

Needle in a haystack Somethingextremely difficult to find.*

Needs must A justification for doing some-thing normally considered unpleasant orundesirable because the pragmatic natureof the situation demanded it.*

Neither flesh nor fish nor fowl Some-thing that cannot be categorized.*

Neither flesh nor fish nor good redherring Means the same as neither fleshnor fish nor fowl.

Neither hair nor hide No sign or indica-tion at all.*

Neither here nor there An expressionindicating that something is not veryimportant or is uninteresting (e.g. ‘it’sneither here nor there whether we watchthe rest of this play, since neither of us areenjoying it’).*

Neither hide nor hair Means the same asneither hair nor hide.

Nerves of steel Impervious to shock oranxiety.*

Nest of vipers (1) An unpleasant situation.(2) A group of people who are noted forbeing unpleasant by being scheming and‘bitchy’.*

Never give a sucker an even breakNever give someone who is poor or oth-erwise unfortunate the opportunity toimprove their position. The phrase isoften meant ironically.*

Never hear the end of it Means the sameas never hear the last of it.

Never hear the last of it Be nagged orconstantly reminded about something.*

Never-never A credit scheme. Thus, some-thing bought on ‘the never-never’ hasbeen bought on credit.*

Never-never land An imaginary place.The phrase is often used in describing animpractical or impossible proposition.*

Never put a foot wrong Never make amistake.*

Never rains but it pours A proverbexpressing the view that problems neveroccur in isolation but in groups.*

Never see daylight again Never again bereleased or revealed.*

Never the twain shall meet Two groupsof people who are so radically different inpersonalities or opinions that there is nopossibility that they would ever happilyor peacefully co-exist with each other.*

New ball game Something completely dif-ferent.*

New black If something is ‘the new black’,then it is a new fashion that is likely tobecome ubiquitous. The phrase is derivedfrom the fashion industry, where black isoften regarded as the ‘standard’ colourfor dresses (see little black dress). See newrock and roll. *

New blood New people introduced intoan organisation with the intention ofintroducing some new approaches andideas.*

New broom A newly appointed personexpected to make radical changes toworking practices.*

New kid on the block A new arrival. Thephrase comes from the US term ‘block’,meaning a set of buildings between theintersections created by two streetsjoining the street on which the buildingsare situated. Hence, the term means ‘newkid in the neighbourhood’.*

New money See old money.

New one on them Something previouslyunknown to them.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

158 / NECK AND NECK

New rock and roll A new form of enter-tainment that is currently very popular oris predicted will become very popular.The phrase is derived from the immensepopularity rock and roll music enjoyed inthe 1950s. See new black.*

Nice little earner Used to describe abusiness venture that produces acceptableprofits, usually with the implication thatit is easy to run.*

Nice touch A pleasing detail.*

Nigger in the woodpile Something unex-pected and unpleasant. The phrase is nowconsidered offensive and should not beused.***

Night of the long knives A revengeattack (often by devious means) on a col-lection of people. The phrase originallyreferred to assassinations, but now oftenrefers to relatively milder (though stillunpleasant) actions such as widespreaddismissals from jobs.*

NIMBY See not in my back yard.

Nine days’ wonder A short-lived phe-nomenon or fashion. It does not neces-sarily have to last precisely nine days.*

Nine to five Dull routine. The phrase isderived from the typical working hoursfor most workers.*

Nineteen to the dozen Continuously andrapidly.*

Nip in the bud Stop something before itcan develop (typically, the phrase refersto preventing something mildly un-pleasant from developing into somethingextremely unpleasant). The phrase isderived from gardening – by controllingthe buds that develop on a plant, agardener can control the plant’s develop-ment.*

Nit pick Find fault by finding trivial errorsin details that have no real importance.*

Nitty gritty See get down to the nitty gritty.

No better than they should be A personwho is ‘no better than they should be’ has

a poor sense of sexual propriety ormorality. The phrase is nearly alwaysapplied to a woman.*

No big deal See big deal.

No-brainer A very obvious decision.*

No can do It cannot be done.*

No cigar See close but no cigar.

No comment A phrase indicating that thespeaker will not discuss something. It ishabitually used by people when asked tospeak about something where they areaccused of an illegal or at least morallydubious activity. The phrase can also beused jokingly as an admission of respon-sibility for a minor misdemeanour (e.g.‘did you eat the last cup cake?’ – ‘nocomment’). See plead the fifth.*

No contest (1) A competition in which theopponents are unevenly matched to theextent that the result is a foregone con-clusion. (2) In US law, a plea by thedefence to accept punishment withoutformally admitting guilt.*

No dice Means the same as no way.

No end of… A large quantity of.*

No flies on… Indicates that someonecannot be easily deceived, and is intelli-gent.*

No for an answer The phrase has twoprincipal forms. (1) Won’t take no for ananswer describes a person who refuses toaccept that someone is refusing their sug-gestion or offer. This can be used todescribe another person (e.g. ‘she isstubborn – she won’t take no for ananswer’) or to describe oneself (e.g. ‘Iinsist on paying for this, and I won’t takeno for an answer). (2) Don’t take no for ananswer is advice to someone to be resoluteand get what they are sent for (e.g. ‘youmust get an interview with Mr Smith –don’t let anybody put you off and don’ttake no for an answer’).*

No-go area Means the same as no-go zone.

NO FOR AN ANSWER / 159

No-go zone A place or an activity that itwould be unwise to enter into because itis dangerous.*

No great shakes Of no especial worth.*

No holding them If there is ‘no holding’ aperson, then they are very keen to dosomething.*

No holds barred No restriction on themethods that may be used. The phrasegenerally refers to particularly viciousfighting or arguing.*

No kidding (1) A statement that what isbeing said is true, implausible as it maysound (e.g. ‘no kidding, that’s what reallyhappened’). (2) Used as a response, itmeans ‘I believe you, even though itsounds implausible’ (e.g. ‘have you heardthat Eric is dating Jane?’ – ‘no kidding’).*

No law against it An argument that what isbeing done is not illegal. However, thereis usually an implication that althoughstrictly speaking what is being done isnot illegal, it is also not very pleasant orpolite.*

No love lost between them There is afeeling of animosity between them.*

No man’s land An area of uncertainty.*

No mean… Followed by a word (usually‘feat’ but others are possible). The phrasemeans ‘good’ or ‘praiseworthy’.*

No more Mr Nice Guy An indication thatthe speaker has had enough of trying tobe pleasant and reasonable and will nowhave to be more unpleasant with peoplein order to get the results he or sheneeds.*

No names, no pack drill A phrase derivedfrom army life, meaning that if the namesof the perpetrators of a breach of regula-tions aren’t known, then individualscannot be punished.*

No object Does not matter. The phrase ismost often used in the longer phrasemoney no object, meaning that financialconsiderations will be of no relevance.*

No oil painting Ugly.*

No picnic Difficult and/or dangerous.*

No pockets in a shroud Means the sameas you can’t take it with you.

No pot to piss in Be very poor.***

No problem Not difficult. The phrase canbe used as a descriptive phrase (e.g. ‘thereis no problem with this’) or as a reply to aquestion indicating that something willbe done, or has been done, without diffi-culty.*

No room to swing a cat Describing aroom or other place that is very small.The phrase is probably derived from thecat o’nine tails (a type of whip) ratherthan a live cat.*

No saying It is impossible to judge.*

No shit (1) A phrase emphasizing the truthof something (e.g. ‘no shit, that’s reallywhat happened’). (2) A response to astatement indicating surprise at what wassaid but also indicating acceptance of thetruth of the statement (e.g. ‘Jack told methat he and Mary are getting divorced’ –‘No shit’).***

No shit, Sherlock A sarcastic commentmeaning that what has just been said isvery obvious.***

No side Lack of pretensions or snobbish-ness.*

No skin off their nose It has no apprecia-ble effect on them.*

No smoke without fire The belief thatambiguous evidence or rumours amountto tangible proof of something.*

No stone unturned Nothing has beenignored, everything has been explored.The phrase is often used of a piece ofresearch or an investigation.*

No strings attached See strings attached.

No such animal It does not exist. Thephrase can be applied to a non-humananimal, a human or to a concept.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

160 / NO-GO AREA

No such luck Regrettably not (e.g. ‘didyour team win today?’ might get a replyof ‘no such luck’ from a disappointedfan).*

No such thing as a free lunch Meaningthat, for everything, something is alwaysexpected in return; or alternatively, thateverything that is received has to beworked for.*

No sweat Easy.*

No time like the present If something isto be done, it is best done at once.*

No two ways about it It is unambiguous.*

No use crying over spilt milk See cryingover spilt milk.

No use to man or beast In other words,completely useless.*

No way A strong expression of denial (e.g.‘no way will I do that’).*

No way, Jose (‘Jose ’ is pronounced‘Ho-say’) Means the same as no way. Theword ‘Jose’ makes a rhyming sound – thephrase can be directed at anyone of eithergender (i.e. not just people called Jose).*

No-win situation A situation in whichwhatever a person does they cannot win,and most probably will end up worse offthan when they started.*

No worries Australian phrase meaningapproximately the same as ‘that’s alright’or ‘it’s okay’.*

Nobby Clark Men with the surname‘Clark’ (or the alternative spellings) oftenare nicknamed ‘Nobby’ (it is unlikely thatthis is their real first name). Thenickname derives from the nineteenthcentury, when clerks were seen as beingmore ‘genteel’ than manual workers, andnicknamed ‘nobby’ (loosely, meaning‘upper class’).*

Nobody’s fool Intelligent.*

Nod’s as good as a wink No more expla-nation is necessary and the implication ofwhat was said is understood.*

Nodding acquaintance Someone who isknown slightly, but not well.*

Nodding terms In a state of knowingslightly, but not well.*

Noes have it See ayes have it.

Non-linear Angry.*

Non-U Not within the code of etiquetteadopted by the upper classes. The phraseis sometimes used snobbishly to refer toworking-class taste or customs.*

Nose in the air Having a snobbishattitude.*

Nose to derrière Means the same as noseto tail.

Nose to tail Closely packed together.*

Not a chance in hell No chance at all.*

Not a Chinaman’s chance No hopewhatsoever of a happy outcome. Thephrase derives from late nineteenth/early twentieth century USA, whenChinese immigrant workers werefrequent victims of violence and murder,with seemingly no protection from the(supposed) law enforcement agencies.*

Not a clue (1) An admission of ignorance(e.g. a person not knowing the answer toa question might say ‘not a clue’). (2)Lack of knowledge (e.g. ‘you’ve not a cluehow to do this, have you?’).*

Not a dicky bird Nothing.*

Not a dog’s chance No chance.*

Not a dry eye in the house Describes amovie or stage performance that has astrong emotional effect on the audience.The phrase can be used seriously orhumorously.*

Not a full… A phrase usually followed byeither ‘quid’ or ‘shilling’. The phraseindicates insanity or lack of intelligence.*

Not a ghost of a chance See ghost of achance.

Not a hope in hell No hope at all.*

NOT A DRY EYE IN THE HOUSE / 161

Not a patch on Of poorer quality than.*

Not a penny No money at all. The phrasecan be used to indicate lack of paymentthat someone thinks is rightfully theirs(see not one red cent). It can also be used toindicate extreme poverty (e.g. ‘I’ve not apenny in the world’).*

Not a sausage Absolutely nothing.*

Not all beer and skittles A phrase used toexpress the fact that things are not alwayspleasant or easy.*

Not all it’s cracked up to be Cracked up tobe means ‘what it is claimed to be’. Thus,‘not all it’s cracked up to be’ indicates thatsomething is not what it is claimed. Thephrase is usually used to indicate thatsomething is disappointing.*

Not all there See all there.

Not as black as they are painted In otherwords, not as unpleasant or nasty as theyare usually supposed to be. The term isconsidered offensive by some people(who think the phrase is linking skincolour with offensiveness). Accordingly,caution should be used.**

Not bat an eyelid Show no emotion orsurprise.*

Not by a long chalk The expression ineffect means ‘not very accurate’ or ‘not byany means’. The term is generally usedwhen a speaker wants to indicate that thegap between a desired and an actual stateof something is very big. For example,‘did you finish first in the race?’ might getthe reply ‘not by a long chalk’ if theperson finished in a very poor position.*

Not by halves If something is done ‘not byhalves’ then it is done thoroughly.*

Not care a hoot Have no interest orconcern.*

Not care two hoots Means the same as notcare a hoot.

Not cricket Unfair. Derives from the beliefof some English people that cricket is theepitome of sportsmanship.*

Not feeling oneself Feeling ill. Thus,feeling oneself is feeling well. However,given the possible double entendre in theterm (‘feeling oneself ’ could, in the sortof mind alert to double meanings, be con-strued as meaning ‘masturbation’) a littlecaution should be taken over its use.*

Not flavour of the month See flavour ofthe month.

Not for all the tea in China An emphaticrefusal.*

Not give a… See entries beginning couldn’tgive a….

Not give a hoot Have no interest orconcern.*

Not give two hoots Means the same as notgive a hoot.

Not got the manners they were bornwith Very rude and/or uncouth.*

Not half (1) Of much lower magnitude (e.g.‘Sue is not half as good as Jane at sprint-ing’). (2) Absolutely (usually heard as anexclamation – e.g. ‘was Hitler a badperson?’ might get the response ‘nothalf !’).*

Not have a bean Be very poor.*

Not have a clue Have no knowledge ofsomething.*

Not have a leg to stand on Have no rea-sonable justification.*

Not have a pot to piss in Be very poor.***

Not have a prayer Means the same as nothave an Earthly.

Not have an Earthly Not have even theremotest chance.*

Not have any of it Refuse to cooperate.*

Not have the faintest Have no under-standing or memory of something.*

Not have the foggiest Means the same asnot have the faintest.

Not have two pennies to rub togetherBe poor.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

162 / NOT A FULL…

Not in my back yard An attitude of oppo-sition to anything bad happening in thelocal neighbourhood. There is usually anadditional attitude that although some-thing cannot be allowed to happen in thelocal neighbourhood, it is perfectlyacceptable if it happens elsewhere. Thephrase is often used to describe middle-class protestors objecting to, for example,a new road being built near their (expen-sive) houses, but who will happily driveon new roads built near other people’shouses. The phrase thus more generallymeans ‘selfishness disguised as righteousindignation’. The phrase is sometimesshortened to NIMBY, and people with a‘not in my back yard’ attitude are oftendescribed as ‘NIMBYs’.*

Not just a pretty face Not only physicallyattractive, but clever as well. The phrase isoften used jokingly.*

Not know if coming or going In a stateof confusion.*

Not know the meaning of the wordAppear to have no understanding of theconcept being described.*

Not know what hit them Be utterly sur-prised.*

Not know what to do with themselvesBe bored because of lack of potentialactivities or amusements.*

Not know where to put themselves Feelembarrassed.*

Not let the grass grow under their feet(1) Be active. (2) Respond quickly.*

Not long for this world Limited lifeexpectancy. The phrase is sometimes usedseriously, and sometimes jokingly. Thetone of voice and/or context shouldindicate which meaning is intended.*

Not made of money See made of money.

Not miss a beat A person who does notmiss a beat is someone who does notallow anything to interfere with whatthey are doing. The phrase is most oftenused to describe a person who does not

pause after receiving an unexpectedreply, but continues to speak fluently andmaintains his or her argument.*

Not miss a trick Make optimum use ofeverything.*

Not much cop Of poor quality.*

Not my bag In other words, ‘not some-thing I feel competent to do or discuss’.*

Not my pigeon Means the same as not mybag.

Not on Unacceptable.*

Not on my watch An emphatic rejection,meaning ‘not whilst I am in charge’.*

Not on their watch A statement of resolvethat something will not happen whilstthey are in charge.*

Not on your life An emphatic rejection ofa suggestion.*

Not on your Nellie An emphatic rejectionof a suggestion (e.g. ‘will you come to thedance with me?’ – ‘not on yourNellie’).**

Not one red cent No money at all. Thephrase is usually used to describe lack ofpayment when a person feels theydeserve to have been paid.*

Not playing with a full deck Stupid.*

Not put it past them Believe that they arecapable of doing it.*

Not see for dust Leave with speed anddetermination.*

Not the be-all and end-all See be-all andend-all.

Not the full quid Not particularly intellec-tually gifted.*

Not the full shilling Means the same as notthe full quid.

Not the only fish in the sea Expresses thesame sentiment as more fish in the sea.*

Not the only pebble on the beach Canmean the same as not the only fish in the sea,

NOT SEE FOR DUST / 163

or more generally expresses the opinionthat someone is not irreplaceable.*

Not their cup of tea Not something theyfind appealing and/or entertaining.*

Not their day A day which seems to bringnothing but misfortune.*

Not their scene Means the same as not theircup of tea.

Not to be sneezed at Not to be dis-counted.*

Not to put too fine a point on it Tospeak candidly.*

Not turn a hair Show no emotion orsurprise.*

Not waving but drowning Appearing tobe alright, but in fact in difficulty.*

Not within coo-ee Australian version ofnot within striking distance.

Not within striking distance To be along distance away. The phrase oftenrefers to not being close to achievingsomething rather than physical distance(e.g. ‘they were not within strikingdistance of winning’).*

Not worth a candle Of little or no value.*

Not worth a hill of beans In other words,worthless.*

Not worth the candle Not worth theexpense and/or effort involved.*

Not worthy See I am not worthy.

Nothing by halves A person who does‘nothing by halves’ does a thoroughpiece of work.*

Nothing daunted Unafraid.*

Nothing doing (1) An expression ofrefusal (e.g. a request to do somethingunpleasant might be met with a responseof ‘nothing doing’). (2) Nothing happen-ing.*

Nothing further from their mind Notbeing considered. The phrase is oftenused as a protestation of innocence that

something is not being thought of and isnot a motivation behind a questionableaction (e.g. the accusation that ‘you onlywant to go because Justine will be there’may be met with the reply ‘nothing couldbe further from my mind’). The phrasemay be used in a humorous or sarcasticmanner, usually revealed either bycontext or the tone of voice.*

Nothing new under the sun The opinionthat nothing ‘new’ is truly new, since it ismade of elements that pre-existed. Thephrase is generally used in a more cynicalor jaded form to indicate that a fashionthat its practitioners think is original issimply an amended version of somethingthat has been done before.*

Nothing on them (1) Be of lesser qualitythan them. (2) Have no incriminatoryevidence against them.*

Nothing to write home about Of littleinterest or worth.*

Now, now A mild admonishment.*

Nowt as queer as folk There is nothingthat offers as many surprises and varietyas human behaviour. The word ‘queer’denotes ‘unusual’ and the phrase predatesthe use of the word as slang for ‘homo-sexual’.*

Nuclear See go nuclear.

Nudge nudge, wink wink Said after astatement with a sexual double-meaning,meant to signal that a double entendreshould be looked for in the statement,rather than accepting it literally.*

Number is up Something is inevitablygoing to happen. The phrase oftenimplies that this will be either death orsomething very unpleasant.*

Nuts Insane.*

Nuts about [or on] something Very keenor interested about something.*

Nuts and bolts The basic and/or mostimportant details.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

164 / NOT THE BE-ALL AND END-ALL

Nutty as a fruitcake (1) Insane. (2) Eccen-tric.*

OOar See poke their oar in and rest on their oars.

Occam’s razor The principle that if thereis more than one explanation for some-thing, always choose the simplest one.*

Odour of sanctity Unattractive level ofpiety.*

Of the blood Genetically related.*

Of the essence Essential.*

Of their dreams E.g. man of their dreams,house of their dreams, etc. Somethingthat conforms to a person’s ideal.*

Of two minds Undecided.*

Off and on (1) Alternate between twostates (e.g. a relationship in which acouple vary between being friendly andargumentative can be said to be ‘off andon’). (2) Occasionally.*

Off base Means ‘incorrect’ (e.g. ‘yourjudgement is hopelessly off base on thisissue’).*

Off beam Means the same as off base.

Off colour To feel unwell or to performbelow the expected standard. The phraseprobably comes from the fact that (white)people’s skin colour may change notice-ably if they are ill with some medical con-ditions, such as jaundice.*

Off form Doing less well than would benormally expected.*

Off pat Perfectly.*

Off target Unsuccessful.*

Off the air See on the air.

Off the back of a lorry Something ‘offthe back of a lorry’ is stolen, and thusbuying it is in itself a crime.*

Off the beaten track Remote; usuallyused to describe a pleasant place or areathat is not visited by many tourists.*

Off the blocks Means the same as out of theblocks.

Off the boat Originally described a recentimmigrant to a country, and was oftenused offensively. The phrase is sometimesused to describe someone who hasrecently joined a group.**

Off the boil Less successful or interestingthan previously.*

Off the case No longer working on a par-ticular project or activity.*

Off the cuff Describes something donewithout any prior preparation.*

Off the cuff remark A remark made inpassing, and which the speaker did notintend to be taken seriously.*

Off the hook (1) Escape punishment. (2) Atelephone handset not properly replacedon its base unit (so that calls cannot bereceived) is ‘off the hook’.*

Off the mark Inaccurate.*

Off the pace (1) Behind the leading group.(2) Of a lower standard than the bestexamples.*

Off the peg Ready prepared and ready touse. The phrase is particularly applied toclothing.*

Off the rack Means the same as off the peg.

Off the rail Means the same as off the peg.

Off the rails Insane.*

Off the record A person who says thatthey want to say something ‘off therecord’ means that they cannot beformally attributed as having said it.*

Off the shelf Ready prepared and ready touse. The phrase implies that it was notcustom-designed for the job, and there-fore if it proves satisfactory it may be for-tuitous. Note that off the peg (or one of its

OFF THE RAIL / 165

synonyms) is usually used when the itemin question is clothing.*

Off the top of their head A guess orinitial thoughts.*

Off the wall Eccentric or unusual.*

Off their chump Insane or severelylacking in sensible judgement.*

Off their face Drunk.*

Off their feed Not interested in food in amanner that suggests illness as the cause.*

Off their game Doing badly.*

Off their hands Something that is nolonger their responsibility.*

Off their head (1) Insane. (2) Intoxicated.*

Off their oats Feeling unwell or devoid ofenergy or appetite.*

Off their own bat Do something by them-selves without being prompted or told.*

Off their rocker Insane.*

Off their trolley Insane.**

Offer they can’t refuse The phrase can lit-erally mean an offer that is so good that aperson would be foolish to refuse it. Italso may mean a threat that a personcannot refuse for fear of (often violent)punishment. The latter form was popu-larized by the movie The Godfather.*

Office telegraph Information receivedfrom gossip amongst members of anoffice or company rather than fromofficial sources.*

Oil and water Describes two people orviewpoints that cannot be easily recon-ciled.*

Oil the wheels Make something operatemore efficiently.*

Old Adam ‘Primitive’ behaviour withoutmoral sense.*

Old as the hills Very old.*

Old boy network A group of men unitedin identity by coming from a similar

social and educational background, andwho will tend to favour each other ratherthan use unbiased judgement. The phraseis most often used as an explanation ofwhy someone with low abilities gets agood job when there were much betteralternative candidates (because theemployer comes from the same socialgroup), but it can be applied to otherexamples of unfair preferment. Generally,an ‘old boy network’ is understood torefer to rich white males, but the term canbe applied to other social groups wherethere is similar unfair preferment.*

Old chestnut A story or piece of informa-tion that has been heard repeated so oftenthat it is uninteresting or even boring.There is sometimes the implication thatthe story or piece of information is falseor at least inaccurate, but by being regu-larly repeated it has been accepted asfact.*

Old days The past. The temporal distancethis indicates varies enormously. Mostcommonly, it refers to a time before anold person was born. However, muchlonger or shorter temporal distances maybe meant, and these can only be gainedfrom context.*

Old flame A previous girlfriend or boy-friend.*

Old girl network Female version of theold boy network.

Old hat Already known and thus no longercapable of raising interest or excitement.*

Old money Wealth accumulated throughseveral generations of inheritance. Insome class systems, there is a snobbishimplication that people with such wealthare ‘superior’ to people from new moneybackgrounds, where the wealth has beenaccumulated by them personally orwithin one or two generations. There isoften the added implication that peoplefrom old money backgrounds havegreater command of social etiquette thanpeople from new money backgrounds.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

166 / OFF THE RAILS

Old school The traditional method; theremay be an implication of this beingrather old-fashioned but nonethelessrespected.*

Old school tie A symbol of belonging tothe old boy network.*

Old soldier See come the old soldier.

Old trout An old person (particularly anold woman) of unattractive appearanceand hostile attitudes. The phrase shouldbe avoided.***

Old wives’ tale A fanciful or inaccuratestory or piece of information that iswidely (but erroneously) believed to betrue.*

Oldest profession Prostitution.*

Oldest trick in the book A well-knownmethod. The phrase usually means amethod of deception that should be wellknown. Thus, if someone ‘falls for theoldest trick in the book’, then they havebeen surprisingly lacking in judgement.*

Olive branch An offer of peace or recon-ciliation.*

On a dime Means the same as on a sixpence.

On a hiding to nothing Engaged in anactivity almost certain to fail.*

On a high In a very good mood.*

On a knife edge Describes a situation inwhich the outcome is highly uncertainand accordingly has generated a feelingof tension.*

On a mission Have something to do andbe resolutely determined to do it.*

On a plate Something given ‘on a plate’ issomething easily obtained. See on theirplate.*

On a promise Very confident of receivingsomething. The phrase is nearly alwaysused to describe the secure expectation ofsexual intercourse.*

On a razor’s edge Means the same as on aknife edge.

On a roll Enjoying a period of especiallygood luck or good performance.*

On a short fuse Easily annoyed.*

On a silver platter Means the same as on aplate.

On a sixpence Something that can bedone ‘on a sixpence’ can be done easily ina confined space. The phrase is often usedof the turning circle of cars.*

On a string If someone is ‘on a string’ thenthey are controlled or influenced bysomeone else.*

On about If someone is ‘on about’ some-thing, then they are talking about it.*

On all fours On hands and knees.*

On at them Pestering.*

On bended knee The phrase describes akneeling position. The phrase is oftenused to describe a very emotional plea forhelp (e.g. ‘on bended knee I beg you tohelp me’). A person does not literallyhave to adopt a kneeling position.*

On board A person who is ‘on board’ is amember of a team and/or is willing tosupport a particular cause or argument.*

On cue At the right time and place.*

On deck Already prepared for the task tobe done.*

On different wavelengths See on the samewavelength.

On edge In a nervous or easily agitatedstate.*

On fire Excited or aroused.*

On firm ground Describes a piece of rea-soning that cannot be faulted.*

On form Doing well.*

On paper Two rather contrasting mean-ings: (1) Potentially feasible (e.g. ‘onpaper, it should work, but it’s yet to betried out’). (2) Available in a tangiblewritten or printed form, and thus provid-

ON DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS / 167

ing more definite proof than a spokenreport.*

On reflection After a period of contempla-tion.*

On side (1) Concurring. (2) Legitimateand/or cannot be discounted.*

On stream Currently available or opera-tional.*

On tap Readily available.*

On target Successful.*

On tenterhooks In a state of anxiety oranticipation.*

On the air Describes a programme that iscurrently being broadcast on televisionor radio, or is in the schedules (i.e. is regu-larly broadcast). A programme that is notcurrently being broadcast or that is not inthe schedules is off the air.*

On the back of a fag packet Means thesame as on the back of an envelope.

On the back of a postage stamp Usuallypart of a longer phrase such as ‘you couldwrite all they know on the subject on theback of a postage stamp’. Since postagestamps are quite small, what is meant isthat the person knows very little aboutthe subject in question.*

On the back of an envelope Refers tosomething roughly planned or estimated,that needs refinement before it will bereliable. The phrase comes from theimage of a person making a preliminaryplan by writing on anything available,such as the back of an envelope.*

On the ball Alert and aware of what isgoing on, and able to respond promptlyand sensibly to things.*

On the barrel To pay for it at the point ofpurchase (i.e. not to use credit).*

On the barrelhead Means the same as onthe barrel.

On the blink Describes a piece of machin-ery that is faulty.*

On the block If something is ‘on theblock’ then it is being sold at auction.*

On the blower On the phone.*

On the boil See come to a boil.

On the books (1) Describes a person whois formally registered as a member of aworkforce, club, etc. (2) Describes a jobthat is scheduled to be done.*

On the bottle Drinking alcohol to excess.*

On the brain A person who has something‘on the brain’ is obsessed with it. Theexception to this is ‘water on the brain’,which usually indicates a disease (specifi-cally, an inflammation of the brain).*

On the breadline To be very poor. Thephrase is derived from ‘the breadlines’,i.e. queues for bread and basic foodstuffsoffered by various government and chari-table organisations in areas of extremeeconomic deprivation.*

On the broo Claiming social welfarebenefits.*

On the bubble To be in a difficult and/ordangerous situation.*

On the button Means ‘exactly correct’.*

On the cards Very likely to happen.*

On the carpet In serious trouble. Hence, toreceive a carpeting is to receive a severetelling-off.*

On the case To be working on a particularproblem or piece of work. Contrast withon their case.*

On the coat tails of them Gain success orwealth through being associated withanother, more important person, ratherthan through any personal skills.*

On the crest of a wave (1) Very successful.(2) More generally, in good spirits.*

On the cusp About to happen.*

On the doorstep Within a short distance.*

On the dot Utterly punctual.*

On the downgraded Worsening.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

168 / ON EDGE

On the drawing board At a preparatorystage. See back to the drawing board.*

On the edge of their seat Excited. Thephrase is often used to describe anaudience excited by a movie or stage per-formance, particularly one where theending is uncertain.*

On the fiddle Engaged in a fraudulentactivity.*

On the fly Something done ‘on the fly’ isperformed whilst doing another activitysimultaneously.*

On the fritz Means the same as on the blink.

On the game Being a prostitute.*

On the go Energetic.*

On the grapevine Rumour.*

On the ground Reality, as opposed tofanciful ideas.*

On the hoof (1) Without lengthy priorplanning. The phrase is often used todescribe how well a person can deal withproblems and/or questions which theyhave not anticipated. (2) Still alive.*

On the hook Having responsibility.*

On the hop Surprised or unprepared.*

On the horizon Describes something thatis strongly anticipated will happen in thefuture.*

On the horns of a dilemma In a difficultsituation in which all options appearunattractive.*

On the house Free.*

On the job (1) Currently engaged in a task.(2) Having sexual intercourse.* (1) or** (2)

On the knocker Selling products or can-vassing for political parties from door todoor (i.e. making unsolicited calls tohouses).*

On the lam Attempting to avoid beingcaptured (typically by the police).*

On the level Honest.*

On the lookout (1) Alert to signs ofdanger. (2) Constantly searching forsomething.*

On the make Looking for opportunitiesfor advancement and/or profit. Thephrase usually implies that a person whois ‘on the make’ is also unscrupulous.*

On the mat Severely reprimanded.*

On the mend Recovering.*

On the money Correct.*

On the nail (1) Means the same as on thebarrel. (2) Accurate.

On the nod Agreed without debate.*

On the nose Accurate.*

On the off chance In the unlikely event.*

On the pull Seeking a sexual partner. Thephrase may imply rather shameless andblatant behaviour.*

On the Q.T. Means the same as on the quiet.‘Q.T.’ is meant to represent the pronunci-ation of ‘quiet’.

On the quiet Something done ‘on thequiet’ is done secretly.*

On the rag Having a period.***

On the razzle Having an enjoyable time.*

On the rebound In a period after ceasing arelationship with a sexual or romanticpartner. The phrase is often used todescribe meeting a new partner duringthis phase (e.g. ‘I met Emma on therebound from Charlotte’).*

On the receiving end Being the recipientof something unpleasant.*

On the record (1) True, since there isundeniable proof that the matter inquestion occurred. (2) Something thatcan be attributed to the person saying it(as opposed to off the record).*

On the rocks (1) In difficulties. (2) A drinkwith ice.*

On the ropes In a difficult situation, facingalmost certain misfortune.*

ON THE REBOUND / 169

On the safe side Being cautious ratherthan daring.*

On the same page (1) On the same side.(2) Having similar ideas/knowledge.*

On the same wavelength If people are ‘onthe same wavelength’, then they under-stand each other. If people do not under-stand each other, then they are on differentwavelengths.*

On the scent Have a realistic prospect offinding something or someone.*

On the shelf (1) No longer wanted. (2)Without a partner.*

On the side of the angels To do what ismorally correct. Although of religiousorigin, the phrase is not restricted to reli-gious matters.*

On the sidelines A person observing ‘onthe sidelines’ cannot take part in whatthey are observing.*

On the skids In a pronounced state ofdecline.*

On the slate On credit.*

On the sly Surreptitiously.*

On the spot (1) In a difficult situation. (2)Present at the event (e.g. ‘the reporter onthe spot where the event is taking place’).(3) At the location where somethinghappened.*

On the take Obtaining money illegally.The phrase usually describes takingbribes or committing petty thefts from anemployer.*

On the town Socialising, particularlyvisiting attractions in a city, such as res-taurants, nightclubs and similar.*

On the up and up Improving in status.*

On the wagon To be teetotal.*

On the warpath In a bad mood, lookingfor a confrontation with someone.*

On their back (1) A person who is ‘ontheir back’ is ill. (2) A person who is ‘on

the back’ of another person is being anuisance.*

On their case Be very annoying tosomeone. Contrast with on the case.*

On their game Doing well.*

On their hands Something that must bedealt with.*

On their head Their responsibility.*

On their hind legs Standing. The phrasenearly always also means ‘speaking’.*

On their last legs Near death or obsoles-cence.*

On their mind If something is ‘on aperson’s mind’ then it is preoccupyingthem.*

On their nerves Annoying or irritatingthem.*

On their own ground (1) Physically intheir own neighbourhood. (2) In theirown area of expertise.*

On their plate Their workload. See on aplate.*

On their tod On their own.*

On their toes Alert.*

On their uppers Have little or no moneyor resources.*

On their wavelength Means the same ason the same wavelength.

On tick On credit.*

On to something Have a high probabilityof discovering something of impor-tance.*

On toast In a vulnerable position.*

On top do In a state of great excitement.*

On top of the world In a very goodmood.*

On your bike (1) Slang expressionmeaning ‘go away’. (2) Slang expressionmeaning ‘do something’.**

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

170 / ON THE RECEIVING END

On your marks An instruction to racecompetitors that the race is about tobegin. Accordingly, in a wider sense, awarning that something important isabout to happen.*

Once bitten The start of a saying – ‘oncebitten, twice shy’. This means that ifdoing something results in being emo-tionally or physically hurt or otherwiseends in failure, a person will be lesswilling to try to do the same thingagain.*

Once every… If the phrase is followed bythe name of an obscure event (e.g. ‘onceevery Preston guild’) then it means thesame as once in a blue moon.*

Once in a blue moon Indicating a veryrare event (under very exceptional cir-cumstances, the moon can appear blue).*

One and the same The identical thing orperson. The phrase is nearly always usedto confirm an identity (e.g. ‘is it reallyyou?’ might get the reply ‘the one and thesame’).*

One big… Emphasizes the magnitude ofwhatever is described in the followingphrase (e.g. ‘it’s been one big waste oftime’).*

One born every minute See there’s one bornevery minute.

One door closes The start of a proverbthat finishes ‘another opens’. In otherwords, if something has come to an end,there are other new things that can bedone instead.*

One fell swoop A single action that com-pletely accomplishes its aim.*

One fine day At some time in the future.*

One foot in the grave Have a life-threat-ening illness. The phrase is often usedjokingly to describe later life.*

One for the road A final drink beforeparting.*

One good turn The start of a proverb thatfinishes with ‘deserves another’. In other

words, if person A does something forperson B, then person B should feelobliged to do something for person A.*

One in the eye An annoyance, or some-thing that at least temporarily thwarts aplan.*

One jump ahead Further ahead thansomeone else in the planning or execu-tion of something and thus holding anadvantage.*

One man [or woman] band An organisa-tion or business that is either literally justone person, or that would fail but for thework of a particular person.*

One man [or woman] show Means thesame as one man [or woman] band.

One night stand (1) A person with whomone has sexual relations on only oneoccasion. (2) A concert or theatrical per-formance given in a particular place onlyonce. The implication is that the per-former is either of poor quality or rela-tively unknown, and thus only gets towork sporadically.*

One of the boys Means the same as one ofthe lads.

One of the lads Belonging and acceptedby a group of men who have a commoninterest in stereotypical masculinepursuits such as drinking, sport and nevertalking about anything requiring emo-tional considerations. This is either theacme of success or a damning indictment,depending upon one’s point of view.*

One of those days A day when everythingseems to be going wrong.*

One of those nights A night when every-thing seems to be going wrong. Gen-erally specifically describes an eveningout that goes wrong.*

One over the eight To be drunk.*

One step forward, two steps back Aderogatory description of any policy orway of working in which nothing seemsto be accomplished in spite of a lot ofactivity. Alternatively, a description of an

ONE OF THE LADS / 171

action that makes things worse thanbefore.*

One swallow doesn’t make a summer Aminor symptom of something does notguarantee that something exists. Forexample, seeing one swallow flyingaround does not mean that hot summerweather is guaranteed.*

One that got away Something that couldnot be attained and which has grownmore desirable in memory and/or tellingto others.*

One too many Excess alcoholic drink tothe point where inebriation has beeninduced. The phrase is often used as aeuphemism for very, rather than justmildly, excessive drinking.*

One way ticket A situation with only onepossible outcome.*

Only game in town The most importantthing.*

Only obeying orders The phrase is usedin a derogatory sense to mean thatsomeone did what they were told to dowithout questioning whether theiractions were moral. The implication isthat if they had followed their consciencerather than orders, then they would neverhave done what they did. The phrasecame to have its current implication afterthe statement ‘I was only obeying orders’was used by many senior Nazis as adefence argument in the Nuremberg warcrimes trials.*

Open a can of worms Discover or create aserious and complex problem.*

Open and shut case Something in whichthe conclusion is so obvious right fromthe start that the end result is nosurprise.*

Open arms See with open arms.

Open book Someone (or something)about whom everything is known, withno attempt to hide any secrets.*

Open door See push at an open door.*

Open door policy (1) Be always availableto receive visitors or listen to complaintsor enquiries. (2) Have allocated timeswhen a person is available to see visitors(i.e. no other events are scheduled tooverlap with this time).*

Open sesame A means of gaining access tosomething normally difficult to enter.*

Open the door to Permit something to bedone.*

Open their eyes Make a person aware ofsomething they previously did not knowor adequately appreciate.*

Open their mind Typically means thesame as open their eyes, but can also meanmore generally making someone morereceptive to new ideas.

Open with them Honest with them.*

Opportunity knocks A chance forsuccess.*

Opposite sides of the same coin Meansthe same as two sides of the same coin.

Order of the boot (1) Dismissal fromemployment. (2) Cease using because it isconsidered inadequate for the task.*

Orders See only obeying orders and orders isorders.

Orders is orders Meaning ‘if an order hasbeen given, it must be obeyed, no matterhow strange or ridiculous you may per-sonally feel it is’.*

Other half Means the same as better half.

Other side of the coin An argument pre-senting an opposite point of view.*

Other things being equal Means thesame as all things being equal.

Out and about Having an unexceptionalnormal lifestyle.*

Out at the elbows Ragged or worn out.*

Out cold Unconscious.*

Out for blood Describes people who aredetermined to make someone suffer.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

172 / ONE OF THOSE DAYS

Out for the count (1) Unconscious. (2)Utterly defeated. The phrase comes fromboxing – a boxer who is ‘out for thecount’ is one who, having been knockeddown, fails to stand up by the time thereferee has counted to ten, and thus losesthe contest.*

Out in the cold A person left ‘out in thecold’ is being excluded from a group oractivity.*

Out in the open No longer secret.*

Out like a light Quickly asleep or uncon-scious.*

Out of a corner See in a corner.

Out of a tight corner See in a corner.

Out of bounds Something that must notbe visited and/or discussed.*

Out of harm’s way Safe.*

Out of it To be insensible. The phrase isoften used of someone who is too tired orinebriated to think logically. It can alsobe used jokingly of someone who seemsintellectually incapable of understandingan argument.*

Out of joint Disorientated or not correctlyintegrated.*

Out of keeping Uncharacteristic.*

Out of kilter Out of balance or lackingharmony.*

Out of line A state of disobedience.*

Out of order (1) Against regulations orexpected standards. (2) Broken.*

Out of pocket Made a financial loss.

Out of pocket expenses Expensesincurred that were paid with a person’sown money and which can be subse-quently claimed back from a fund,because they were a necessary expenseduring a business trip or similar.*

Out of sight (1) Hidden from scrutiny. (2)In 1960s hippy slang, a term of highpraise (e.g. ‘Hendrix’s guitar playing wasout of sight’).*

Out of sight, out of mind A proverbexpressing the opinion that something orsomeone not encountered regularly islikely to be forgotten or appreciated less.*

Out of sorts Feel unwell or to be in a badmood.*

Out of the ark Joking term meaning thatsomething is very old and accordingly isunlikely to function as well as somethingmore recent (e.g. ‘he drove an old car thatwas like something out of the ark’).**

Out of the blocks Describes how quicklysomeone starts to do something (e.g. ‘firstout of the blocks’ means they were thefastest to start, ‘last out of the blocks’means they were slowest, etc.). Thephrase is derived from athletics sprintraces, where runners use starting blocks.*

Out of the blue Unexpectedly (e.g. ‘thenews of the promotion was completelyunexpected and came like a bolt out ofthe blue’).*

Out of the box (1) Something that can beused ‘out of the box’ is ready to usewithout further assembly being required.(2) In a phrase including an indication oforder (e.g. ‘first out of the box’, ‘third outof the box’ etc.) the phrase simply meansthe same as the stated order (e.g. ‘first outof the box’ simply means ‘first’). (3) Thephrase describes how a person willbehave on first meeting them (e.g. ‘he willcome out of the box bad-tempered’). (4)In Australian slang, the phrase can mean‘good’. Do not confuse with out of theirbox.*

Out of the closet A person coming out ofthe closet is admitting to something thatthey have previously hidden. The phrasewas originally used to describe gay menand women declaring publicly that theywere homosexual. However, the phrase isnow used more generally for any type ofadmission of a previously kept secret.*

Out of the frame (1) Not suspected ofhaving done something. (2) Not attendedto.*

OUT OF THE BOX / 173

Out of the frying pan Often followed bythe rest of the phrase – ‘and into the fire’.To escape from one unattractive situationonly to immediately be placed in anotherunattractive situation.*

Out of the loop See in the loop.

Out of the picture No longer relevant.*

Out of the road A demand to stop causingan obstruction.**

Out of the running See in the running.

Out of the window Rejected.*

Out of the woods No longer in danger.*

Out of their box Drunk or affected bydrugs. Do not confuse with out of the box.*

Out of their depth In a situation whichthey lack the ability to deal with.*

Out of their gourd Behaving in an irratio-nal manner. The phrase often implies thatthis is due to intoxication.*

Out of their hair No longer beingannoying.*

Out of their head To be intoxicated orinsane.*

Out of their league In a situation beyondtheir level of skill.*

Out of their mind (1) Insane. (2) Severelymistaken.*

Out of their skull Means the same as out oftheir head.

Out of their tree Means the same as out oftheir head.

Out of thin air Used to describe some-thing or someone that appears unexpect-edly (e.g. ‘he suddenly appeared out ofthin air’).*

Out of this world Extremely good. Thephrase does not literally mean ‘extrater-restrial’, however.*

Out of touch (1) No longer in communica-tion. (2) No longer conversant withcurrent trends.*

Out on a limb Isolated and/or withoutaid.*

Out to get them Wanting to inflict punish-ment.*

Out to lunch Insane.*

Out with it Means the same as spit it out.

Outside the box Innovative, unconven-tional or eccentric.*

Over a barrel A person who is ‘over abarrel’ cannot win or escape punishmentno matter what they do.*

Over-egg the pudding Spoil the effect ofsomething by including too much.*

Over my dead body An expression ofopposition to something (e.g. ‘you’ll dothat over my dead body’).*

Over the counter (1) Legitimately pur-chased without subterfuge. In contrast,under the counter refers to something pur-chased illegally. (2) Describes a medicinethat can be bought without a doctor’sprescription.*

Over the fence (1) Australian termmeaning ‘unacceptable’. (2) From theneighbours.*

Over the hill To have reached a stagewhere a person is considered to beincompetent at a particular task. Moregenerally, to be considered ‘too old’.**

Over the hump Finished with the mostunpleasant and/or difficult parts ofsomething.*

Over the limit Drunk.*

Over the moon A state of great happi-ness.*

Over the odds Too expensive or otherwisebeyond expectations of what is reason-able.*

Over the road The phrase can mean‘across the other side of the road’ but canalso mean ‘over there’ (e.g. which couldbe across a room, the other side of the

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

174 / OUT OF THE CLOSET

corridor). The context should indicatewhich meaning is intended.*

Over the top An exaggeration to the pointof being ridiculous. Used to describeanything that is too extreme to be plausi-ble, such as melodramatic plays and films,or reactions to events that are too extreme(e.g. having a temper tantrum over a lostpaper clip).*

Over the top of their head Means thesame as over their head.

Over their head (1) Too difficult to beunderstood. (2) Something done withoutconsulting a person who should havebeen consulted (and by implication,would probably have objected).*

Over yonder Over there.*

Overplay their hand Try to achieve toomuch with the resources available.*

Overshoot the mark Means the same asoverstep the mark, though sometimes withan implication that what has been donehas been accidental.*

Overstep the mark Do something that isbeyond the limits of what is consideredpermissible and/or acceptable. There isoften the implication that this was doneknowingly. See overshoot the mark.*

Overturn the applecart Means the sameas upset the applecart.

Owe them a living A person who feelsthat someone or something ‘owes them aliving’ feels that they are automaticallyentitled to a job or financial and/ormaterial support. The phrase is often usedin the negative form ‘the world doesn’t owethem a living’, expressing the belief thatpeople are not automatically entitled toanything and should work for what theyreceive.*

Owe them one Feel obliged to repay adebt or favour.*

Owe them the time of day Be obligedthrough friendship, genetic relatednessor feelings of commitment to spend atleast some time listening to a person. The

term is often used to indicate thatsomeone has an obligation at least tolisten to a request (even if they will notnecessarily grant it). See give them the timeof day.*

Own goal In soccer, an own goal is scoredwhen a person accidentally strikes a ballinto their own goal (i.e. they score a goalfor their opponents). More generally, thephrase describes a mistake that createsextra problems for the person who madeit.*

Own up Confess.*

Own worst enemy See their own worstenemy.

PPack a punch Have a strong effect.*

Pack it in Stop doing something. Used as adescription (e.g. ‘they packed it in’) it isfairly mild, but used as a command (e.g.‘pack it in’) it is more forceful and lesspolite.* or ** (if used as a command)

Pack their bags Prepare to leave. If used asa command, it is rather more emotionallyforceful (and is similar to sling their hook).For example, ‘have you packed your bagsyet?’ is a polite question. However, ‘packyour bags!’ is a command to go and indi-cates that the speaker is not pleased.* or** (if used as a command)

Packing heat Carrying a gun.*

Paddle their own canoe Work withoutany assistance.*

Page Three girl A female model whoappears topless. The phrase derives fromthe UK tabloid newspaper The Sun, whichintroduced a picture of such a model on adaily basis, always on page three. Themodels are generally stereotyped aslarge-chested with few intellectualaccomplishments.*

PACK THEIR BAGS / 175

Pain in the arse Ruder version of pain in theneck.***

Pain in the ass Means the same as pain inthe arse.***

Pain in the backside Means the same aspain in the neck, but ruder.**

Pain in the elbow Means the same as painin the neck.

Pain in the neck An annoyance; there isoften the implication that this is a long-standing rather than short-lived annoy-ance.*

Pain in the nether regions Means thesame as pain in the neck, but slightlyruder.**

Pain in the proverbial Means the same aspain in the neck.

Pain in the rear end Means the same aspain in the neck, but slightly ruder.**

Paint into a corner Means the same as boxinto a corner. The image comes from aperson foolish enough to paint a floor insuch a way that they end in the corner ofthe room, incapable of getting out of theroom without walking on wet paint, andthus doomed to stay in the corner of theroom until the paint dries.*

Paint the Forth bridge A never-endingtask. The Forth road and rail bridges inScotland are large structures and demandcontinuous repairs (including repaint-ing).*

Paint the town red To have a good nightout, usually with the implication ofdrinking too much and generally notbeing on best behaviour.*

Pale See beyond the pale.

Pandora’s box Something that is harmlessif left alone, but once disturbed createshavoc and/or considerable problems.*

Panic button See push the panic button.

Pants down See catch with their pants down.

Paper bag See couldn’t…their way out of apaper bag.

Paper over the cracks Attempt to dealwith a problem by disguising its effects,rather than deal with the causes of theproblem.*

Paper tiger An apparently threateningperson or thing who in fact is harmless.*

Par See entry below and: above par, belowpar, under par and up to par.

Par for the course What would normallybe expected.*

Parachute in Bring in to solve a seriousproblem. The term is often used todescribe a person recruited to helpresolve problems in a company experi-encing difficulties.*

Pardon my French Please excuse myswearing.*

Pare to the bone Means the same as cut tothe bone.

Park it Postpone completion of a task.*

Part and parcel An integral component.*

Part of the furniture A person who hasbecome accepted into a group of peopleso that his or her presence is notremarked upon.*

Parting of the ways A separation. Thephrase can be used in several ways: e.g. (a)a disagreement after a period of agree-ment; (b) people following differentcareers after shared time together (e.g.after working on a common project).*

Party’s over The phrase can be used toindicate that a period of enjoyment hascome to an end and that now someserious work must be done, but it is alsoused more generally simply to indicatethat something has finished.*

Pass by on the other side Avoid.*

Pass current Be accepted as true.*

Pass muster Be of an acceptable standard.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

176 / PACKING HEAT

Pass the baton Give someone else theresponsibility for a particular task.*

Pass the buck See passing the buck.

Pass the hat round Request voluntarypayments for something.*

Pass the sick bucket A joking or facetiousremark indicating displeasure in some-thing just witnessed. The phrase is oftenused as a comment on something that isover-sentimental or insincere.*

Pass their eye over Examine not verythoroughly.*

Passing acquaintance Means the same asnodding acquaintance.

Passing the buck (1) Giving the responsi-bility for something unpleasant tosomeone else. (2) More generally,refusing to accept responsibility. Thephrase is said to originate from cardgames in the American ‘wild west’ wherethe ‘buck’ (originally a type of knife, sub-sequently a silver dollar or counter) wasplaced in front of the person whoseresponsibility was to deal the cards. Sincethe dealer was nearly always the personblamed if anything went wrong, this wasnot the most pleasant of tasks. Hence,passing the buck (i.e. getting someoneelse to deal the cards) was givingsomeone else the responsibility for a dis-agreeable task. If someone declares thatthe buck stops here, he or she is saying thatthey will take responsibility.*

Past it A derogatory term for someoneassumed to be too old to be capable ofdoing anything useful or important.**

Past its sell-by date Outmoded.*

Pat on the back Expression of approval.*

Paths have crossed Have met before.*

Patter of tiny feet The presence of a childor children.*

Pave the way Make something possible bydoing the initial work necessary for it tooccur. *

Pay for itself If an item ‘pays for itself ’,then the amount of money it earns orsaves is equal to or greater than itspurchase and maintenance costs.*

Pay its way Be useful and worth the cost ofbuying and maintaining.*

Pay lip service Do something without anysincerity or particular effort.*

Pay the Earth Pay a lot of money.*

Pay the piper Pay the bill for something.*

Pay the price Suffer as a consequence ofattempting to do something. The phraseimplies that the suffering is a highlyprobable consequence of the activitybeing done. There is usually (though notinevitably) an added implication thatwhat is being done has a desirableoutcome, so the suffering can be seen assomething that should be endured.*

Pay their dues Do what is expected andappropriate.*

Pay their respects Visit someone.*

Pay their way Be useful and worth the costof employing.*

Pay through the nose To pay an excessiveamount for something. Probably derivedfrom a Viking form of extortion, in whichpeople were threatened with mutilationof their nose unless they paid money.*

Pays to… It is worthwhile to… *

Peach of a… A very good and/or desir-able example of a… *

Peaches and cream A pale, unblemishedskin with pale, pink cheeks.*

Pear-shaped See go pear-shaped.

Pearls before swine Something of highquality presented to people incapable ofappreciating it.*

Peas in a pod Very similar.*

Pedal to the metal Accelerating hard in acar.*

PAY THROUGH THE NOSE / 177

Peed off Has the same meanings as pissedoff. Is very slightly less rude, but use isstill cautioned against.***

Peel me a grape The phrase is used sarcas-tically to denote somebody who is sowealthy, lazy and/or decadent that itcould be imagined that they would, giventhe chance, have a servant peel grapes forthem rather than eat the skin of thegrapes like anyone else. By extension, thephrase is used sarcastically as a retortwhen somebody asks for something thatthey are apparently too lazy to do forthemselves.*

Peel out Leave or quit.*

Peg See bring down a peg or two.

Penis on wheels An expensive fast carowned by a (typically middle-aged orolder) man. The phrase derives from theargument that such a car is being used(consciously or subconsciously) as anexpression of virility, and may be com-pensating for a lack of, or decline in,virility in the owner.***

Pennies from Heaven Unexpected advan-tages or pleasures.*

Penny drops Realisation is attained.*

Penny for them Means the same as pennyfor your thoughts.

Penny for your thoughts A jokingremark to a person who appears to bedaydreaming.*

Penny wise, pound foolish Being obses-sive about minor savings of money,thereby incurring bigger expenses as aresult. For example, refusing to spendmoney on repairing a broken gardengate, then getting sued when a visitorgashes their hand on it.*

People in glass houses The start of aproverb, the rest of which is ‘shouldn’tthrow stones’. In other words, peoplewho themselves can be criticized shouldnot vociferously criticize others.*

Perish the thought An expression ofrejection of support for an idea or

prospect. The phrase can be used inseveral ways, such as an expression of dis-approval of an idea (e.g. ‘do you thinkBrian might be made Chairman?’ mightbe met with ‘perish the thought!’ if Brianis an unpopular or implausible candidate)or as a qualifying statement beforeraising an unwelcome prognosis (e.g.‘perish the thought, but what would wedo if Brian became Chairman?’).*

Person in the street A recent (and non-sexist) form of man in the street. The termrefers to the average person and is gener-ally used when discussing public opinion(e.g. ‘what does the person in the streetthink about the new governmentpolicy?’).*

Person of the cloth A Christian minister.*

Person of the moment A person who iscurrently considered important or who istemporarily famous.*

Phone in Do in a lacklustre way. Thephrase is often used of mediocre perfor-mances by usually good actors (e.g. ‘hephoned in his performance’).*

Pick holes Criticize.*

Pick nits Means the same as nit pick.

Pick of the crop The best.*

Pick on Choose from a range of alterna-tives. The phrase is often used to describesomeone chosen unfairly for punishmentor to be treated unfairly.*

Pick out of a hat Choose randomly.*

Pick their brains Ask for advice or infor-mation (e.g. ‘I’d like to pick your brainsabout this problem because I know youhave some expertise in these matters’).*

Pick to pieces Heavily criticize.*

Pick up (1) Understand. (2) Adopt (as inpick up the ball and run with it). (3) Offer alift in a car or taxi, or someone who isgiven a lift in a car or taxi. (4) A personencountered on a social occasion withwhom one has sexual relations with noemotional commitment, usually only on

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

178 / PAYS TO…

one occasion (often described as a casualpick up).*

Pick up on Learn about. The phrase oftenrefers to learning something by chance.*

Pick up some slack Means the same astake up the slack.

Pick up the ball and run with it Meansthe same as take the ball and run with it.

Pick up the baton Accept the responsibil-ity for something previously the respon-sibility of someone else.*

Pick up the bill Pay a debt.*

Pick up the pieces Attempt to return a sit-uation to a state of relative normality afteran argument or disturbance.*

Pick up the tab Means the same as pick upthe bill.

Pick up the thread Come to a state ofcomprehension.*

Pick you up A medicine or other substancedesigned to make a sick or depressedperson feel less sick or depressed.*

Pie eyed Inebriated.*

Pie in the sky Something unrealisticallyoptimistic.*

Piece of ass A sexually desirable person.The phrase can be used of either gender,but tends to be used of women. It isoffensive to many people and use of theterm should be avoided.***

Piece of cake Something very easy.*

Piece of piss Less polite form of piece ofcake.***

Piece of the action A person wanting a‘piece of the action’ wishes to share in anactivity that he or she thinks is going tobe rewarding by being financiallyrewarding and/or exciting. The term wasused by American gangsters to describetheir share in profits from illegal activi-ties.*

Piece of the pie Means the same as piece ofthe action.

Pierce their heart Cause a feeling ofstrong emotion.*

Pig in a poke Something bought oracquired whose identity and/or value isunknown until after purchase or acquisi-tion.*

Pig in the middle A person who findsthemselves involved in a disagreementwhere they belong to neither side butfind themselves affected adversely by thesituation.*

Pig sick Annoyed about a topic because ithas been mentioned too many times andhas gone beyond being merely boring tobeing irritating.*

Piggy in the middle Means the same as pigin the middle.

Pigs might fly An expression of disbelief.Usually used in reply to an improbablestatement (e.g. ‘I might win the lottery’might get a reply of ‘yes, and pigs mightfly’).*

Pile it on Over-elaborate.*

Pile on the agony Make things increas-ingly unpleasant.*

Pillar of society A person highlyrespected in their community.*

Pillar of strength A person who can berelied upon to offer assistance andsupport.*

Pillar to post The whole length.*

Pin back their ears Listen attentively.*

Pin it on Attribute responsibility to.*

Pin money A small amount of money.*

Pinch See at a pinch and that’s the pinch.

Pins and needles (1) The tingling sensa-tion as a numb part of the body regainsfeeling. (2) A person on ‘pins and needles’is very anxious or in a state of expectationthat something is going to happen.*

Pip to the post (1) Win by a narrowmargin. (2) Win at the last moment.*

PILE ON THE AGONY / 179

Piping hot Extremely hot.*

Pipped at the post Defeated at the lastmoment.*

Piss artist (1) Someone who is constantlydrunk. The term does not necessarilyindicate an alcoholic. (2) Someone who isgenerally considered useless at what theydo.***

Piss in the same pot If two or more peopleare said to ‘piss in the same pot’ it meansthey have interests in common and/orwork together.***

Piss in the wind Engage in somethingfutile.***

Piss it down Rain heavily.***

Piss on their parade Ruder version of rainon their parade.***

Piss or get off the pot A strong demand toeither do something or leave – the impli-cation being that something should havealready been done.***

Pissed The term has several meaningsdepending upon context and culture. Inall meanings, however, the term is slangand considered offensive. (1) The termliterally refers to urination. Thus, ‘I havehad a piss’ means ‘I have urinated’. (2) InUK slang, the term usually refers to beingdrunk (e.g. ‘he went to the pub and gotpissed’). (3) In US slang, the phrasemeans ‘angry’(e.g. ‘damaging his videomade him really pissed at you’). (4) In UKslang, the term can also mean ‘angry’ if inthe phrase pissed off (e.g. ‘damaging hisvideo made him really pissed off at you’).However, note that the phrase ‘pissedoff ’ can also mean ‘ran away’ (e.g. ‘assoon as he saw there was trouble hepissed off out of here’). (5) The phrase‘piss off ’ commonly either means ‘goaway’ or is a strong refutation of an accu-sation (e.g. ‘did you steal it?’ – ‘piss off ’).(6) Take the piss is a less polite version oftake the mickey. See couldn’t organize a piss-upin a brewery, no pot to piss in, piece of piss, pissin the wind, pissed as a newt and piss or get offthe pot.***

Pissed as a newt To be very drunk. Theorigins of the phrase are unknown; cer-tainly, newts are not noted inebriates. Seepissed.***

Pissed off See pissed.

Piss-up in a brewery See couldn’t organize apiss-up in a brewery.

Pit of the stomach If an emotion is felt ‘inthe pit of the stomach’ then it is feltstrongly.*

Pity fuck Means the same as charity fuck.

Place at the table Status as an acceptedmember of a group. The phrase generallyrefers to a powerful and/or influentialgroup.*

Place in the sun An advantageousposition.*

Plain as a pikestaff (1) Obvious. (2) Unat-tractive.*

Plain Jane (1) An unattractive woman. (2)A woman who is habitually soberlydressed, avoids make-up, etc.*

Plain sailing Easy.*

Plan B An alternative plan. The phrase isusually applied to a plan that is usedwhen the first plan fails.*

Plant dragon’s teeth Means the same assow dragon’s teeth.

Plates of meat Feet. The phrase comesfrom Cockney rhyming slang.*

Play a blinder Do something extremelywell.*

Play a hunch Guess.*

Play ball To ‘play ball’ is to cooperate.*

Play both ends against the middleSupport all the opposing sides in anargument.*

Play by ear (1) Do something unrehearsed.(2) Adjust behaviour and actions inresponse to the situation (rather thanrigidly following a pre- arranged plan).*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

180 / PILLAR OF SOCIETY

Play by the rules Behave in a legal andmorally correct manner.*

Play cat and mouse Instead of immedi-ately defeating an opponent, repeatedlytrick and then disillusion them that theyhave a chance to win or escape. Thephrase is derived from the way in which acat will play with a captured mousebefore finally killing it.*

Play catch-up Attempt to draw level withsomeone currently in a better position.*

Play Devil with Damage.*

Play Devil’s advocate Present the argu-ment for the opposite case without neces-sarily believing it. The term is derivedfrom the title of ‘Devil’s Advocate’ givento a cardinal in the Vatican who, in theprocess of deciding if a person is suitablefor canonisation, is assigned the task offinding evidence against a person beingmade into a saint.*

Play dirty Act in an unfair manner.*

Play doctors and nurses Engage in sexualactivity.*

Play ducks and drakes with Fail tobehave seriously.*

Play fast and loose (1) Be irresponsible.(2) Be sexually promiscuous.*

Play footsie (1) Engage in flirtatiousbehaviour by gently rubbing a footagainst a partner’s foot in a formal setting,such as when seated at a restaurant table.(2) Be engaged in a covert business deal.*

Play for keeps Have long-term plans.*

Play for time Deliberately delay proceed-ings in the hope that this will be advanta-geous.*

Play games (1) Behave in an inappropri-ately frivolous manner. (2) Do somethingthat shows lack of respect or evenmalice.*

Play God (1) Behave in an arrogantmanner. (2) Make decisions about thefates of people. There is usually an impli-

cation that this is done through animproper use of power. (3) As a medicalpractitioner, decide who should be givena life-saving treatment and who shouldnot, and thus who should live and whoshould die.*

Play hard to get Feign lack of interest inthe approach of a potential suitor or newemployer to encourage them to make amore attractive offer.*

Play hardball Be very firm and decisive,and generally be uncompromising.*

Play hell Complain.*

Play hell with (1) Disrupt. (2) Complain.*

Play hookey Be absent without permis-sion. The phrase especially applies topupils avoiding school.*

Play into their hands Unwittingly dosomething that is advantageous to anopponent.*

Play it cool Be nonchalant.*

Play it safe Be cautious.*

Play it straight Behave honestly.*

Play kissy-kissy Be overly friendly in thehope of gaining favour.*

Play merry hell Complain.*

Play politics Do something to attain anadvantage, rather than out of genuinebelief.*

Play possum (1) When under attack, pre-tending to be unconscious or dead. (2)Pretending to know nothing about thematter being discussed.*

Play second fiddle Have a less importantrole or status. The phrase is often used inthe form ‘play second fiddle to…’,followed by the name of a person who isof higher status.*

Play silly buggers Means the same as playsilly devils, but less polite.**

Play silly devils Behave in a stupid, irritat-ing manner.*

PLAY IT SAFE / 181

Play the ace To do something that demon-strates great skill. There is often theimplication that what was done wasunexpected.*

Play the can Means the same as play thefool.

Play the field Engage in casual relation-ships without making a serious attemptto commit to a longer-lasting relation-ship. The phrase often implies that aperson enjoys sex with their partners butis too selfish or immature to offer adeeper emotional bond.*

Play the fool To behave stupidly and/orplayfully.*

Play the game Obey the rules and behavein a courteous manner.*

Play the goat Means the same as act the fool.

Play the market Engage in financial spec-ulation.*

Play the old soldier Means the same ascome the old soldier.

Play the percentages Use a cautiousapproach in a plan that involves probablerather than certain outcomes, carefullycalculating the odds of something hap-pening, contingencies if somethingunwelcome happens, etc.*

Play the person, not the ball Attempt todefeat an opponent by finding weak-nesses in their personality and exploitingthem.*

Play the white man A demand thatsomeone behaves fairly. The phrase canbe interpreted as racist (i.e. that whitepeople are seen as fair and, by extrapola-tion, that people of other skin colours areunfair) and thus should be avoided.***

Play their cards right Perform skilfully(can be at anything, not just cards). Thephrase is often used in the form ‘if youplay your cards right, then…’, indicatingthat an attractive reward is available to aperson if they perform well (e.g. ‘if youplay your cards right and work hard, thenone day you will be promoted’).*

Play their game Do what someone elseexpects or hopes will be done.*

Play them at their own game Use thesame tactics and methods as an op-ponent.*

Play them false Deceive and/or betray.*

Play themselves in Become used to theprevailing conditions.*

Play things by the book Means the sameas go by the book.

Play to the gallery Seek popular acclaimwithout regard for other considerations.The phrase derives from actors whowould (depending on the play) either tryfor quick laughs or produce an over-emotional performance which appealedto the (supposedly) less sophisticatedmembers of the audience seated in thegallery part of the theatre (i.e. in thecheaper seats), but which left the con-noisseurs in the more expensive seatsfeeling that they were seeing a poor per-formance.*

Play up To be awkward and/or refuse tocooperate.*

Play with a straight bat Do somethingfairly and honestly without attempting totrick or intimidate.*

Play with fire Engage in a dangerousactivity.*

Plead the fifth The ‘fifth’ is the FifthAmendment to the Constitution of theUSA. The phrase means that someonereserves the right to remain silent to par-ticular questions, because answeringthem might be incriminating (e.g. ‘Didyou rob the store?’ – ‘I plead the fifth’).The comment can be used jokingly toavoid answering an embarrassing orawkward question. It thus can have a rolesimilar to that of no comment.*

Pleased as Punch In other words, verypleased. The phrase probably derivesfrom the Punch puppet, which has a per-manent smile on its face.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

182 / PLAY IT STRAIGHT

Plot thickens The situation has becomemore complicated.*

Plough a lonely furrow Work at a taskwithout assistance.*

Ploughing away Working hard at some-thing.*

Plum in their mouth Having an upper-class British accent.*

Plumb the depths (1) Reach a low level ofquality. (2) Be especially depressed. (3)Enquire deeply.*

Poach on their territory Do somethingthat is more properly another person’sright and privilege to do.*

Poacher turned gamekeeper A personwho changes from being against some-thing to representing its interests.*

Poetic justice Punishment for misdeedsthat is particularly appropriate (e.g. apoisoner who dies from food poison-ing).*

Poetic licence Describing something inac-curately because it is artistically prefera-ble.*

Point a gun at their head Force a personto do something they would not havevoluntarily done.*

Point blank Directly, with no attempt todisguise.*

Point of no return (1) The moment whenany further action makes an irrevocablecommitment to something. (2) The stagein a journey or activity where it becomesless wasteful of time and energy tocontinue to the end rather than turnback.*

Point of the story The message that astory is intended to convey. For example,the point of the story of the three littlepigs can be argued to be to makeadequate preparations against possiblethreats. See get to the point.*

Point of view Can mean the view thatsomeone sees, but more usually refers to

what someone thinks and feels about aparticular issue. Thus, if a person has a‘different point of view’ then they thinkand feel differently about something.*

Point out To indicate or show.*

Point scoring Attempting to prove superi-ority by winning arguments over trivialmatters.*

Point the finger Accuse.*

Point up Make note of (usually refers tothe identification of a problem).*

Points scoring Debating in a petty waywhere minor arguments are won whilstignoring the more substantial issues.*

Poisoned chalice Something that appearsattractive but in reality is far less appeal-ing or even is dangerous. The phraseprobably comes from the various folktales where a person is tricked intodrinking a poison or evil magical potionfrom an attractive-looking chalice (a typeof drinking vessel).*

Poke borak at Make fun of.*

Poke fun at Make fun of or insult.*

Poke in the ribs Means the same as dig inthe ribs.

Poke their bib in Interfere.*

Poke their nose in Interfere or be over-inquisitive.*

Poke their oar in Interfere.*

Poker faced Expressionless.*

Pole position The top-ranking position.*

Poles apart Very different from eachother.*

Polish off Complete a task. The phraseusually refers just to the final phase of atask (i.e. the person who ‘polishes off ’ atask may not have done the earlier stagesof the task).*

Polished performance A skilful perfor-mance with no evidence of awkwardnessor mistakes.*

POISONED CHALICE / 183

Politically correct Satisfying currentmoral standards. The phrase is generallyused in the context of something that isnow considered offensive when in earliertimes it was not (e.g. ‘that’s not politicallycorrect these days’).*

Pony up Pay what is owed.*

Poor little rich boy A wealthy man whogets no satisfaction from his wealth andlifestyle. The phrase is often used con-temptuously, to indicate someone whohas the resources to agonize over howunhappy they are whilst living in greatluxury.*

Poor little rich girl Female version of poorlittle rich boy.*

Poor relation An inferior version.*

Pop out (1) To appear suddenly. (2) To goout, generally with the implication of itbeing a brief journey (e.g. ‘I’ll just popout to the store for some milk’).*

Pop the question Propose marriage.*

Pop their cherry Have sexual intercoursewith a person who was until that time avirgin. The phrase is sometimes used torefer to introducing a person to a newnon-sexual activity.***

Pop their clogs Die.*

Pork pies Lies. The phrase is Cockneyrhyming slang.*

Porridge See do porridge.

Port of call A place to visit.*

Postage stamp See on the back of a postagestamp.

Pot boiler A work of fiction that is full ofexcitement and surprises. There is usuallyan implication that it is of low artisticquality.*

Pot calling the kettle black Someonewho makes a criticism that just as muchapplies to themselves (e.g. like Pol Potcalling Hitler a vicious dictator).*

Pot luck (1) Chance. (2) A situation wherewhat is offered is all that is available (fre-quently used in this meaning of thephrase with regard to the range of foodavailable to an unexpected guest).*

Pot to piss in See not have a pot to piss in.

Pots of… A large quantity of….*

Pound of flesh Something that can bedemanded by a strict interpretation of thelaw or other regulations, but which is, bya more universal moral code, an unrea-sonable or even abhorrent thing todemand.*

Pound the pavement Means the same aspound the streets.

Pound the streets Walk the streets.*

Pour cold water on Be disparagingabout.*

Pour petrol on the flames Means thesame as fan the flames.

Powder their nose A euphemism forgoing to the lavatory. Chiefly used bywomen.*

Power dressing Wearing clothes designedto impress with their elegance and for-mality, and which are not necessarily par-ticularly comfortable.*

Powers that be People in charge.*

Practise what they preach Behave intheir own lives as they exhort others todo in theirs. The phrase is nearly alwaysused to indicate a person who does not‘practise what they preach’ (i.e. is a hypo-crite).*

Praise the Lord and pass the ammuni-tion A pragmatic acceptance that at timesunpleasant things must be done for amorally just reason.*

Prawn See come the raw prawn.

Preach to the choir Means the same aspreach to the converted.*

Preach to the converted Make an unnec-essary effort by trying to persuade people

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

184 / POKE BORAK AT

to adopt a cause or set of beliefs that theyalready follow.*

Precious little Very little.*

Pregnant pause A period of silence that ismeaningful, simply because it is silent.The phrase is often used to describe asilence following a surprising revelationas people ponder its implications.*

Prepare the ground Make subsequentwork in the same area easier.*

Presence of mind The ability to behaverationally.*

Present company excepted With theexception of the people present at thetime of speaking.*

Press home Ensure that something is fullyunderstood through the use of forcefulargument.*

Press home the advantage Make use ofan advantage to ensure that victory isgained.*

Press the button Start something.*

Press the flesh Shake hands. The phrase isnearly always used of politicians andfamous people greeting other people at areception or other social or public-ity-raising event.*

Press the tit Can mean the same as press thebutton or, more simply, mean to press abutton.*

Pretty kettle of fish A muddle. See differ-ent kettle of fish.*

Pretty penny A large amount of money.*

Pretty please (1) A joking way of saying‘please’. (2) A ‘pretty please’ can be arequest for something that will requiremore work or effort than usual (e.g. ‘thisis a pretty please – could you work half anhour later tomorrow night?’). The phraseis an imitation of a child asking for anespecially big favour.*

Previous incarnation Means the same asprevious life.

Previous life Unless the speaker is talkingabout a belief in reincarnation, then ‘pre-vious life’ refers to a previous career orlifestyle.*

Price on their head (1) The value of areward for the capture of a criminal. (2)More generally, someone with a ‘price ontheir head’ is sought for punishment.This latter use can be used jokingly.*

Prick the bubble Destroy an illusion (e.g.be the cause of a situation in which thebubble has burst).*

Prick up their ears Listen carefully.*

Pricking of their thumbs A sense ofsomething about to happen.*

Pride comes before a fall Meaning that ifsomeone is proud then eventually theywill experience a worsening of theirfortunes. The phrase has the implicationthat being too proud about personalaccomplishments is to tempt fate.*

Pride of place The highest status.*

Prime the pump Engage in pump priming.*

Primrose path A course of action thatappears attractive but will ultimately beruinous.*

Proclaim from the rooftops Makeknown. The phrase is often used todescribe someone who is keen for asmany people as possible to know some-thing.*

Prodigal son A person who squandersmoney left or given to them by parents ona dissolute lifestyle. The phrase is derivedfrom the parable by Jesus about one suchindividual who, having spent all hismoney, was welcomed back by hisfather.*

Prolong the agony Make an unpleasantsituation last longer than necessary.*

Promise the Earth Make an extravagantpromise that is unrealistic.*

Promise the Moon Means the same aspromise the Earth.

PRIME THE PUMP / 185

Promises, promises A retort indicatingthat although something is promised, it isunlikely ever to be done.*

Proof of the pudding Shortened formof the longer saying ‘the proof ofthe pudding is in the eating’. ‘Proof ’ inthis instance means ‘test ’ (from thesame origin as, for example, ‘provinggrounds’).*

Prop up the bar Be a regular drinker in abar.*

P’s and q’s Refers to etiquette. Hence, mindtheir p’s and q’s is advice to behave welland, more generally, to be careful. Thereare many suggestions for the phrase’sorigins, none unanimously convincing.*

Public enemy number one (1) A notori-ous criminal wanted by the police. (2) Aperson who is deeply unpopular with thegeneral public.*

Public eye The popular media (TV, news-papers, etc.).*

Publish or perish A guiding principle ofmany universities is that unless anacademic consistently publishes inlearned journals, then he or she will befired or (possibly worse) be forced toattend numerous administrative commit-tees.*

Pull a fast one Deceive.*

Pull faces Means the same as make faces.

Pull in their horns Show more restrainedbehaviour.*

Pull out all the stops Make a considerableeffort.*

Pull rank Use the authority of having ahigher rank or status to ensure that some-thing is done. The phrase is often used todenote an unfair situation where a subor-dinate’s better ideas are ignored becausesomeone in a higher position of authoritywants things to be done differently.*

Pull strings Unfairly affect events by usinginfluence by means other than those offi-cially sanctioned. See pull the strings.*

Pull the other one The start of a saying –‘pull the other one, it’s got bells on’. Anexpression of disbelief in what has justbeen said.*

Pull the plug Abandon or stop a project orcourse of action.*

Pull the rug The phrase nearly alwaysfinishes with ‘from under them’. Dosomething surprising that places some-one else at a disadvantage.*

Pull the strings Influence what othersthink and do. See pull strings.*

Pull the wool over their eyes Deceive.The phrase refers to the fact that whenwig-wearing was a gentleman’s fashion,pulling the wig (nicknamed a ‘wool’)over someone’s eyes stopped them seeinganything.*

Pull their chestnuts from the fire Solve aperson’s problems for them.*

Pull their finger out Do something ratherthan debate what should be donewithout actually doing anything.*

Pull their leg Tease someone.*

Pull their socks up A demand to tryharder. The phrase comes from the imageof a schoolchild looking untidy becausetheir knee-length socks have saggeddown and need to be pulled up.*

Pull their weight Work at the levelexpected of them.*

Pull themselves up by their bootstrapsImprove through personal efforts ratherthan relying on other people’s help.*

Pull themselves up by their shoelacesMeans the same as pull themselves up bytheir bootstraps.

Pull to pieces Means the same as pick topieces.

Pull up stakes Move somewhere else.*

Pull up stumps Cease doing something.*

Pull yourself together A demand to bemore rational and less emotional. It is

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

186 / PRIMROSE PATH

usually used about a person who ismaking a fuss when a bit of calm thoughtwould solve the problem. People some-times imagine that personalities are madeup of a set of components such askindness, sense of humour, etc., and thatthese are joined together in a stablepackage. If someone becomes too emo-tional or distressed about something,then it is thought that it is as if part oftheir personality has moved away fromthis package (i.e. they are falling apart),and so they need to ‘pull themselvestogether’.*

Pulling it in To make money hand over fist.*

Pulling power Skill at attracting potentialsexual partners.*

Pulling teeth Describes work that requiresa great deal of effort to achieve even thesmallest effect.*

Pulling the chain Means the same asyanking the chain.

Pump iron Do weight training.*

Pump priming Enable something to workby doing initial preparations that make itpossible (e.g. ‘pump priming’ grants touniversities that enable the establishmentof infrastructure so that research can thentake place).*

Punch the clock Have paid employment.Generally the phrase refers to employ-ment in a job with a set routine.*

Punt at Attempt.*

Pup See buy a pup.

Pure and simple In its most basic form.*

Pure as… The phrase is generally followedby a word or phrase denoting purity (e.g.‘the driven snow’) and thus the phrasemeans ‘pure’. However, sometimes thephrase is followed by a word or phrasethat is palpably impure (e.g. ‘slush’), inwhich case it is being used jokingly toindicate something (or someone)impure.*

Purple prose Language that is too elabo-rate and uses over-dramatic phrases.*

Push at an open door Exert far moreeffort than should be necessary to get asimple task done.*

Push off Means the same as shove off.

Push-button response A very predictableand rapid response.*

Push the boat out Spend far more thanusual on entertaining yourself or others.*

Push the button (1) Kill. (2) Order to bekilled.*

Push the envelope Test the limits of whatcan be done.*

Push the panic button A panickingresponse.*

Push their buttons Stimulate or arousesomeone.*

Push their luck Risk punishment orsomething else unpleasant by moreextreme behaviour and/or activity thanusual.*

Push their oar in Make uninvitedcomments.*

Push under their nose Show someonesomething for approval.*

Pushing up daisies Dead.*

Pussy magnet Something that is attractiveto women. The phrase is often used bythe sort of male who genuinely believesthat all women are irresistibly attracted toostentatious displays of wealth such as asports car. The phrase is potentiallyoffensive and should be avoided.***

Put a bomb under it Utterly destroysomething in the hope that when rebuiltit will be more efficient. The phrase isoften used to describe wanting to dosomething with an inefficient institutionor practice (e.g. ‘I’d like to put a bombunder it and start again’).*

Put a cork in it Means the same as put asock in it.

PUSH THEIR LUCK / 187

Put a crimp in Spoil or lessen the enjoy-ment of something.*

Put a damper on Make less exciting.*

Put a finger in the dyke Prevent a seriousproblem by acting promptly. The phraseis derived from a Dutch story of a boywho put his finger in a hole in a dyke,thus preventing the hole getting biggerand a serious flood starting.*

Put a finger on it Identify it.*

Put a name to Recall the name of some-thing or someone.*

Put a rocket under it Can mean the sameas put a bomb under it. Can also mean tospeed a process up, often with the impli-cation that this is done by telling workersto be more efficient and less lazy.*

Put a seal on Make something definite.*

Put a seal to Indicate approval or accep-tance.*

Put a sock in it A forceful request to bequiet. Probably derived from a method ofmaking early gramophone record playersquieter by stuffing a piece of cloth (suchas a sock) in the horn of the player.**

Put a spoke in a wheel To sabotage orotherwise spoil a plan. The phraseprobably refers to a type of brake used onsome types of cart.*

Put a stopper in Curtail activity.*

Put across (1) Explain something. (2) Bevery willing to have sexual intercourse.*(1) or ** (2)

Put back the clock Means the same as turnthe clock back.

Put backbone into them Make someonebehave in a more decisive, firm manner.*

Put behind them Form the belief thatsomething unpleasant that happened inthe past will not be allowed to influencepresent or future activities or beliefs.* Seeput it behind them.

Put down roots Become an establishedpart of the local community.*

Put flesh on Provide details.*

Put hair on their chest A joking claimthat a strong-tasting food or drink (typi-cally an alcoholic drink) will have restor-ative powers. The claim is not meant to betaken seriously.*

Put heads together Work on a problemtogether.*

Put into their head Create an idea inanother person.*

Put it about (1) Spread a rumour. (2) Besexually promiscuous.* (1) or ** (2)

Put it behind them Forget or discount apast unpleasant event.*

Put it like this Present in a particular way.The phrase is often used before present-ing a more easily comprehended versionof an argument.*

Put it to Present an argument or allegationto someone.*

Put it to bed Finish a project or piece ofwork.*

Put money on (1) Place a bet. (2) Make afirm prediction.*

Put off the evil day Avoid doing some-thing unpleasant.*

Put off the scent Prevent from finding.*

Put off their stroke Worsen the quality ofsomeone’s work.*

Put on a shorter leash Place greaterrestraints on activities and/or behav-iour.*

Put on airs and graces See airs and graces.

Put on hold Means the same as put on theback burner.

Put on ice Means the same as put on the backburner.

Put on notice Warn of something about tohappen. This is usually something

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

188 / PUSH THEIR OAR IN

unpleasant (e.g. dismissal if a furtherinfringement of contract).*

Put on the back burner To temporarilystop work on something, typically withthe intention of returning to it at a laterdate.*

Put on the front burner To restart workon something, or to give something ahigher priority.*

Put on the map Make famous.*

Put on the Ritz Behave in an ostentatiousmanner.*

Put on their thinking cap Think with agreat deal of effort about something.*

Put one over on Deceive.*

Put out (1) Extinguish or stop. (2) Be verywilling to have sexual intercourse. Thephrase is relatively old-fashioned, andwas primarily used of women.* (1) or** (2)

Put out of its misery End suffering. Thephrase is often used of killing a woundedanimal that is beyond curing. See put outof their misery.*

Put out of their misery End suffering.The phrase can refer to killing an injuredanimal, but may also refer to tellingsomeone information that they arelonging to know (obviously the relevantuse will be provided by the context inwhich the phrase is used). See put out of itsmisery.*

Put out to grass Retire from employmentor make redundant.*

Put out to pasture Means the same as putout to grass.

Put right Amend an error.*

Put spin on Distort the facts to strengthenan argument.*

Put stock in Trust in.*

Put that in their pipe and smoke it Aphrase added at the end of a replyintended to express the strength of

feeling on the matter, and indicate thatwhat has been said should be accepted.*

Put the acid on Attempt to persuadesomeone to lend money.*

Put the arm on Attempt to force someoneto do something through force or thethreat of force.*

Put the bite on Attempt to persuadesomeone to lend money. There is usuallythe implication of applying threats (e.g.violence or blackmail).*

Put the blocks on Prevent somethinghappening.*

Put the boot in (1) Physically attacksomeone with considerable violence. (2)Verbally attack someone with greatferocity.*

Put the cart before the horse Do thingsin the wrong sequence. The phrase canalso sometimes mean having a wrong setof priorities (i.e. that things that are trivialare treated as very important and viceversa).*

Put the cat among the pigeons Create adisturbance or consternation by announ-cing some unexpected information.*

Put the clock back Can mean the same asturn the clock back. Can also mean to adjustthe clock by putting the hour hand backone hour to allow for seasonal timeadjustments.*

Put the fear of God into Frighten; thephrase often implies that this is done bythreats or arguments rather than shocks.*

Put the finger on Inform against.*

Put the flags out Celebrate.*

Put the frighteners on Threaten.*

Put the genie back in the bottle See letthe genie out of the bottle.

Put the lid on Stop, or bring somethingunder control.*

Put the mockers on Prevent or damage.*

PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE / 189

Put the moves on Means the same as makea move on.

Put the record straight Correct the errorsand/or misconceptions in a descriptionof an event.*

Put the screws on Force someone to dosomething. The phrase refers to the use ofthumbscrews (torture instruments usedto extract confessions).*

Put the skids under Worsen.*

Put the squeeze on Threaten.*

Put their ass in a sling Get someone intotrouble.**

Put their back into it A demand to workharder.*

Put their feet up Take a rest.*

Put their foot down (1) Impose authority.(2) Make a car accelerate.*

Put their foot in it Make an embarrassingmistake.*

Put their hand to the plough Beginwork.*

Put their hands in their pocket Pay.*

Put their hands together Applaud.*

Put their hands up (1) Surrender. (2)Admit to something.*

Put their head in a noose Means the sameas put their head on the block.

Put their head on the block (1) Risktheir reputation by supporting a particu-lar argument. The phrase is often used todescribe experts who risk losing theirreputation as experts by making a predic-tion about the outcome of an event (e.g.‘Professor Smith put her head on theblock and predicted that the pottery waslate Etruscan’). The phrase comes fromexecution by beheading, where thevictim placed their head on a specialchopping block. (2) Do something likelyto attract punishment, annoy someone, orprovoke something else unpleasant.*

Put their head on the line Means thesame as put their head on the block.

Put their heart into it Worked with greatenthusiasm and determination.*

Put their house in order (1) Restore tonormality after disorder. (2) Amend anundesirable state of affairs throughreforms.*

Put their mind to Think about.*

Put their money where their mouth isDo something, rather than just talk aboutdoing it.*

Put their nose out of joint Annoy ormake to appear foolish.*

Put their shirt on Bet a large amount ofmoney on. The phrase literally impliesbetting all possessions and money on.*

Put through the hoops Make someoneendure difficulties. The phrase oftendescribes administering a difficult seriesof tests or a difficult training course.*

Put through the wringer Subject to agruelling and/or emotionally upsettingexperience.*

Put through their paces Give them ademanding task to assess their abilities.*

Put to bed (1) Completely finish. (2) Solvea troublesome problem.*

Put to shame (1) Be considerably superiorto whatever is described in connectionwith the phrase (e.g. ‘this performanceputs all previous performances to shame’means that this performance is betterthan previous performances). (2) Be amore extreme than whatever is describedin connection with the phrase (e.g. ‘herbad behaviour put that of the otherill-behaved children to shame’).*

Put to sleep Kill an animal that is too badlyinjured to be nursed back to health.*

Put to the sword Kill.*

Put two and two together Draw thecorrect inference from the availableevidence. The phrase sometimes ends

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

190 / PUT THE CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS

with ‘and make four’. See put two and twotogether and make five.*

Put two and two together and makefive Draw conclusions from the availableevidence that are speculative rather thanbased solely on the available evidence.The phrase in itself does not indicatewhether the speculations are correct orwrong, but usually the context in whichthe phrase is placed will indicate this. Seeput two and two together.*

Put up This has three rather distinctmeanings. (1) The literal meaning ofphysically installing or raising some-thing. (2) As a prefix in put up job, it meansthat something was rigged or fixed tohave a particular outcome. (3) It can meanto tolerate something (e.g. ‘I don’t knowhow you put up with his rudeness’).*

Put up job A fraudulent situation.*

Put up or shut up A demand to not justtalk about something, but actually doit.**

Put years on Feel and/or look far olderthan the actual age.*

Put yourself in my shoes A request thatsomeone tries to understand how thespeaker thinks and feels about some-thing. There is usually an added implica-tion that a person has been unreasonablein expecting the speaker to do some-thing, and if they properly understoodwhat the speaker thought, felt and wascapable of doing, they wouldn’t haveasked the question.*

Put words into their mouth (1) Inducesomeone to say something. (2) Make afalse account of what someone else saidor wrote.*

Putty in their hands Easily persuaded orcontrolled.*

Pyramid selling (1) A business practice inwhich profit is made by selling to peoplewho then sell the goods on to otherpeople at a higher price, who in turn sellto others at an even higher price (e.g. Asells to B at 1 dollar per unit, B sells to C

at 1.50 dollars per unit, C sells to D at 2dollars per unit, and so forth). Each levelof transaction is to more people (thus, adiagram of the transactions can look likea pyramid, as the transactions spread outfrom the original source). Done in anhonest manner, this is the basis of mostcapitalist economies. (2) A fraudulentpractice in which people are tricked intobuying goods to sell on to other peopleon the promise that a large profit can bemade. However, the goods are usually notworth the money paid for them, and thuscan only be sold at a loss (whilst thepeople who originally sold the goodshave made a dishonest profit). It is usuallythis latter definition which most peopleunderstand, and ‘pyramid selling’ is usedas a synonym for dishonest commercialpractices.*

QQuake in their boots Be very afraid.*

Quality time A period of time duringwhich an activity can be undertakenwithout interruptions or distractions.The phrase is often used to denote timespent with family or friends withoutwork demands interfering.*

Quart in a pint pot See get a quart in a pintpot.

Queensberry Rules The original ‘Queens-berry Rules’ governed boxing (they werecreated by a group headed by theMarquess of Queensberry in the nine-teenth century), and were felt by manypeople to codify fair play and honour incompetition. By extension, ‘QueensberryRules’ can be used to describe anystandard of ‘respectable’ or polite behav-iour. Thus, someone who ‘doesn’t play byQueensberry Rules’ is dishonourable orlacks a sense of fairness.*

Queer as folk See nowt as queer as folk.

QUAKE IN THEIR BOOTS / 191

Queer Street Being in debt or, more gener-ally, to be in serious trouble. The phrase isunrelated to the use of ‘queer’ as an offen-sive term for ‘homosexual’.*

Queering the pitch Altering things sothat conditions become appreciablyworse. The phrase is unrelated to the useof ‘queer’ as an offensive term for ‘homo-sexual’.*

Question of time Means the same as matterof time.

Quick and dirty Something that is rapidlycompleted, provides an appropriatesolution to a problem, but could not bejudged intellectually or aesthetically sat-isfying.*

Quick as a flash Quick.*

Quick off the mark Means the same asquick on the draw.

Quick on the draw Having fast reac-tions.*

Quick on the uptake Capable of under-standing something quickly.*

Quids in Considerable profit from a trans-action.*

Quiet as a tomb Means the same as quiet asthe grave.

Quiet as the grave Silent.*

Quite a handful Difficult to control.*

Quite the little… Followed by a word orphrase describing a person. The phrase isusually used in a sarcastic manner (e.g.‘quite the little chatterbox’ used sarcasti-cally means that someone should bequiet).*

Quote – unquote Indicates that some-thing said is a quotation of what someoneelse said.*

RRabbit boiler Means the same as bunny

boiler.

Race against time An activity in whichthere is a limited amount of time in whichto complete it. The phrase often denotesthat something calamitous will happen ifthe activity is not completed by then.*

Rack off Forceful way of saying ‘goaway.’**

Rack their brains Think very hard aboutsomething. The phrase is usually used aspart of an admission of failure (e.g. ‘I’veracked my brains on this matter, but Icannot think of a solution’).*

Raft of… A large quantity of….*

Rag trade The clothing industry.*

Raging bull (1) A powerful and aggressiveperson. (2) A person who talks a lot ofnonsense but is under the delusion thatthey are an expert. The phrase is a pun –‘Raging Bull’ is a movie title, but ‘bull’can also mean ‘bullshit’ (meaning ‘non-sense’).* (1) or ** (2)

Rags to riches Move from poverty towealth.*

Rain cats and dogs Rain heavily (notethat some people use the term to describemore specifically heavy rain with a strongwind). There are numerous explanationsof the phrase, but in no instance is itimplied that either cats or dogs areactually falling from the sky.*

Rain cheque [or check] See take a raincheck.

Rain on their parade To spoil enjoymentof something (typically, something theyhave spent a long time planning). This isakin to planning a big parade or carnivaland then having torrential rain ruin theevent.*

Rain or shine Inveitably.*

Rainbow See end of the rainbow.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

192 / QUALITY TIME

Rainy day A problematic time. The phraseusually implies that the problems arecaused by the need for money. Hencephrases such as ‘rainy day fund’ or savingfor a rainy day indicating prudent saving asan insurance against such an eventuality.*

Raise Cain To make trouble or to cause adisturbance. Cain was the first murderermentioned in the Bible, and thussomeone ‘raising Cain’ is imagined to beraising the spirit or ghost of Cain.*

Raise hell (1) Complain. (2) Create a dis-turbance.*

Raise the ante Means the same as up theante.

Raise the bar (1) Raise standards. (2) Makethe task harder.*

Raise the Devil Means the same as raiseCain.

Raise the roof Make a loud noise.*

Raise the stakes This can mean the same asup the ante. However, it usually means thatsomething has become more dangerousor that more now depends on a particularoutcome (e.g. ‘by quitting her old jobbefore going to the interview, Sally hadraised the stakes; if she didn’t get a newjob, she would be in serious financialtrouble’).*

Raise their eyebrows Express disapprovalor surprise.*

Raise their hackles Annoy.*

Raise their hat Indicate approval.*

Raise their sights Become more ambi-tious.*

Raised eyebrows Disapproval or surprise.*

Rake over the coals Examine or talkabout something that happened in thepast and which should now have beenforgotten.*

Rake them over the coals Means thesame as haul over the coals.

Rake’s progress A life that becomesincreasingly morally degenerate and endsin destitution.*

Raking it in To make money hand over fist.*

Ram home Ensure that something is fullyunderstood through the use of forcefulargument.*

Ram it in Means the same as ram home.

Ramping up Increasing.*

Rap over the knuckles Rebuke.*

Rara avis Latin phrase meaning the same asrare bird.

Rare as hens’ teeth Extremely rare.*

Rare as rocking horse droppings Meansthe same as rare as hens’ teeth.**

Rare as rocking horse shit Means thesame as rare as hens’ teeth.***

Rare bird An unusual person; the term canindicate someone with desirable qualities(e.g. ‘a very gifted musician is a rare bird’)or undesirable qualities (e.g. ‘thankfullypeople as evil as Hitler are rare birds’).*

Rat burger Meat product of dubiousquality. It is not literally true that itcontains rat meat.*

Rat on Betray.*

Rat run A faster route between two pointsthat is circuitous but avoids traffichold-ups.*

Rat’s ass See don’t give a rat’s ass.

Rats deserting a sinking ship The fullphrase is ‘like rats deserting a sinkingship’. A nautical superstition is that ratsliving in an old ship would leave it beforeit left port if they sensed that it was due tosink on the voyage ahead. The phrasemight thus logically be taken to mean ‘tohave forewarning of disaster’. However,it is usually used to describe people ofquestionable loyalty who desert acompany or other group when it gets intodifficulties.*

Rattle sabres Threaten aggression.*

RARE BIRD / 193

Rattle their cage See who rattled its cage?

Rattle their dags Make haste.**

Raw See come the raw prawn, in the raw, touch araw nerve and touch on the raw.

Raw deal Unfair treatment.*

Reach for the stars Be ambitious.*

Read between the lines Discover throughanalysis what something really meansrather than accepting its superficialappearance. The implication is typicallythat the surface appearance presents arather less sinister meaning.*

Read like a book Easily interpret.*

Read my lips A speaker saying this isemphasising that what follows should beattended to because he or she is adamantabout it (e.g. ‘read my lips – you are notgoing to the party dressed like that’).*

Read the entrails Means the same as readthe signs.

Read the Riot Act To command that anundesirable activity is stopped. Or moregenerally, to tell off. The phrase comesfrom the Riot Act, a British law nowrepealed, but widely used in the eigh-teenth and nineteenth centuries. Crowdsof protestors who appeared to beplanning to riot would be confronted byan officer of the law or other official whowould read out the contents of the RiotAct. In essence, this informed the crowdthat any misbehaviour would bebreaking the law.*

Read the signs Interpret the situation.*

Read them like a book If someone can be‘read like a book’ then it is very easy tounderstand from their behaviour whatthey are planning to do and theirthinking.*

Read up Study.*

Ready for the off Prepared to begin some-thing (almost always the phrase is usedwith reference to starting a journey).*

Ready to roll Means the same as ready forthe off.

Real McCoy The genuine thing or person(as opposed to a fake or an impostor).There are numerous explanations of thephrase, most involving an historicalfigure called McCoy who did somethingto prove he was ‘the real McCoy’.*

Reality bites (1) The truth can sometimesbe unpleasant. (2) Describing themoment when a person realizes that thetrue situation is much worse than theyhad thought.*

Reap the harvest Be affected by theproducts of a project or piece of work.*

Reap what they sow Be affected by theresults of their own actions.*

Rear its head Appear.*

Rebel without a cause A person (usuallyin their teens or early twenties) who isdisaffected with their life but who doesnot subscribe to a particular beliefsystem, and does not belong to a protestgroup concerned with a specific moral,religious or political issue.*

Receiving end See on the receiving end.

Recharge the batteries Recuperate.*

Recipe for disaster A situation that has ahigh probability of producing misfor-tune.*

Red card A prohibition preventing contin-uation of an activity. The phrase isderived from soccer, where a refereeshowing a red card to a player is sendingthem off the pitch.*

Red carpet Special treatment reserved for avery important guest. Hence to roll out thered carpet is to offer such treatment. Thephrase comes from the custom of puttingdown a strip of red carpet for importantguests to walk on as they enter abuilding.*

Red cent See not one red cent.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

194 / RAT BURGER

Red flag before a bull Means the samething as red rag to a bull.

Red-handed See catch red-handed.

Red herring A misleading argument orpiece of evidence in an investigation.*

Red in tooth and claw The phrase origi-nally referred to the more hostile aspectsof the natural world, but is now moregenerally applied to any aggressive situa-tion where little pity is likely to beshown.*

Red letter day A day on which somethingnoteworthy occurs.*

Red light A signal or command to stop.*

Red light district An area with a high levelof prostitution.*

Red rag to a bull Something that can beguaranteed to annoy a particular person.The phrase comes from the belief that thecolour red annoys bulls.*

Red tape Unnecessary bureaucracy; theterm is often used for laws and regula-tions which prevent an ordinary persongetting justice or getting somethingdone, and which seem to protect civilservants, local government officers andsimilar from ever facing the conse-quences of their mistakes (e.g. ‘trying toget planning permission involves aperson in so much red tape it’s a wonderthat anything ever gets built in thiscountry’). The term is derived from thered tape and ribbons traditionally used tobind legal documents.*

Redress the balance Restore to equilib-rium.*

Reds under the bed A paranoid fear ofsecret communist incursion into a coun-try’s infrastructure as a prelude to a com-munist take-over.*

Reduced circumstances Financiallypoorer than before.*

Reinvent the wheel (1) Waste time andenergy preparing something that isalready easily available. (2) Waste time

and energy contemplating basic theoreti-cal issues when there are more immediatepractical concerns.*

Relieve their feelings Swear or otherwisebehave in an aggressive manner as ameans of expressing anger.*

Remains to be seen Yet to be decided.*

Remote shores Means the same as distantshores.

Report from the front line The latestnews on something; usually an implica-tion that the news is an accurate report ofwhat’s going on, rather than an interpre-tation.*

Rest is history What follows after thispoint is already well known and does notneed to be repeated.*

Rest on their laurels Be complacent aftera period of work has attained success.*

Rest on their oars Relax after a period ofactivity.*

Rest their case (1) Finish presenting anargument. (2) A comment indicating thatwhat has just been presented is an irrefut-able argument. This can also be usedwhen a person unwittingly says or writessomething that supports their opponent’sargument; in which case their opponentmight retort ‘I rest my case’.*

Return the compliment (1) Reply to acompliment with a similar pleasantry. (2)Respond to an insult or attack withanother insult or attack.*

Reverse of the coin Means the same asother side of the coin.

Revolve around Be wholly or principallydependent upon.*

Rewrite history Attempt to alter the inter-pretation of events that have alreadyhappened. The phrase can’t rewrite historyindicates that although interpretations ofan event can alter, the fundamental factscannot change.*

REST THEIR CASE / 195

Rewrite the record books A hyperbolicphrase beloved of sports commentatorsthat means that a sportsperson has beatena sporting record (e.g. reduced a recordrace time by a couple of hundredths of asecond).*

Rhyme or reason See without rhyme orreason.

Rich and famous The words ‘rich’ and‘famous’ by themselves are adjectives, butthe phrase ‘rich and famous’ is often usedas a noun, denoting people who are (logi-cally enough) rich and famous.*

Ride bodkin Travel in a railway carriage,aeroplane or similar, in a squashedposition between other people.*

Ride for a fall Behave in a manner that islikely to result in something unpleasanthappening.*

Ride off into the sunset End happily. Theterm, usually used ironically, refers to aclichéd ending in Westerns, where thehero and his girl would ride off out oftown in a landscape lit golden by aglorious sunset.*

Ride roughshod over Disregard otherpeople’s arguments or emotional needs.*

Ride shotgun Be in the front passengerseat of a car.*

Riding on Depending on.*

Right arm See give their right arm.

Right as rain In good condition.*

Right away Immediately.*

Right between the eyes Describes some-thing that makes a very strong impact(either a literal physical strike or a strongmental impression).*

Right hand doesn’t know what the lefthand is doing Describes an organisa-tion or group in which the activities ofone section are in contradiction to theactivities of another section.*

Right off the bat Describes somethingthat happens at or close to the beginning

(e.g. ‘right off the bat he was askingawkward questions and didn’t stop untilthe end’).*

Right one A person behaving irrationallyor misguidedly.*

Right up their alley Means the same asright up their street.

Right up their street Something whichappeals to their tastes and/or is some-thing they know a lot about or are skilfulin.*

Ring a bell Stimulate a faint memory. Ifsomething ‘rings a bell’, a person thinksthey’ve heard about it before, but cannotbe absolutely certain.*

Ring alarm bells Indicate somethingominous. The phrase is often used todescribe a situation where someone sayssomething and is unaware of its implica-tions which are only apparent tosomeone listening who has the experi-ence to recognise potential danger.*

Ring off the hook Describes a phone thatrings constantly.*

Ring the changes Make alterations. Thephrase comes from bell-ringing, where‘ringing the changes’ means to ring a setof bells in every possible sequence.*

Ring the knell Proclaim the end orimminent end of something.*

Ring their bell Arouse someone’s interest(usually, but not necessarily, sexual).*

Rip-off (1) A deception or fraudulentpractice. (2) Something that whilst legalis very over-priced.*

Rip off (1) A cheat or the act of cheating.(2) A dishonest copy or the act of makinga dishonest copy. (3) Something that isnot worth its cost by a large margin.*

Rip to shreds Means the same as cut toshreds.

Ripe for the plucking In a state wheresomething happening seems an inevita-ble consequence. The phrase is often used

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

196 / RETURN THE COMPLIMENT

to denote a young woman who has devel-oped to a stage of sexual desirability (NB:the phrase should be used with caution asit can be construed as offensive) or avaluable piece of merchandise that couldbe easily stolen.*

Rise and shine A demand to get out of bedand be cheerful about it.*

Rise from the ashes Recover from aserious setback or loss. The phrase comesfrom the legend of the phoenix, amythical bird that burst into flames whenit died, and then regenerated from theashes of the fire.*

Rise through the ranks Attain promotionto a high level of status, having started ata very lowly position.*

Rise to the bait Become annoyed by a pro-vocative remark or action.*

Rising star A person who is in the processof becoming famous or well respected fortheir work.*

Rite of passage An occasion held to marka transition between one status andanother (e.g. marriage, first job, etc.).*

Road to nowhere Something that has noprospect of producing anything of use orvalue. *

Roaring trade A large number of custom-ers.*

Rob Peter to pay Paul Take from oneperson and give to another.*

Rob them blind Steal, extort or cheat aperson out of a large quantity of money.*

Rock back on their heels Surprise.*

Rock solid Secure, safe and/or reliable.*

Rock the boat Make a situation more diffi-cult by creating new problems. There isoften the implication that the situationwas initially peaceful and that thecreation of new problems was donebecause either a person wanted to createtrouble or did not have the wisdom to seethat they would create problems.*

Rocket science Joking term for any topicconsidered to be too intellectually diffi-cult. The phrase it’s not rocket sciencemeans ‘it’s actually not as difficult as itappears’.*

Rocky road to… A difficult method ofattaining something.*

Rod of iron A harsh system of rule.*

Roll in the hay Have sexual intercourse.**

Roll in the sack Means the same as roll inthe hay.

Roll out the red carpet See red carpet.

Roll over and have their tummiestickled If people want to ‘roll over andhave their tummies tickled’ then they aretotally in agreement with a proposal orplan.*

Roll their own Do something for them-selves.*

Roll up their sleeves Prepare to do somework.*

Roll with the punches Avoid or get usedto the unpleasant aspects of a situation.*

Rolled into one All part of one integralunit.*

Rollercoaster ride (1) Something veryexciting. (2) A series of events that alter-nate between different levels of excite-ment or between elation and depression.*

Rolling drunk Very inebriated.*

Rolling in it Rich.*

Rolling in money Means the same asrolling in it.

Rolling in the aisles Finding somethingextremely funny. The image is drawnfrom the idea of audience members at atheatre finding what is on stage so funnythat they are helpless with laughter to thepoint that some of them fall out of theirseats and roll around in the aisles.*

Rolling stone A person incapable of com-mitment who feels a continuous need toexplore new places and experiences.*

ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES / 197

Roman holiday An ‘entertainment ’derived from watching other peoplesuffer.*

Rome See entry below and: all roads lead toRome, Roman holiday and when in Rome.

Rome wasn’t built in a day A proverbexpressing the view that notable achieve-ments can take considerable time andeffort to achieve.*

Roof falls in A very unpleasant eventoccurs.*

Room at the top The opportunity for pro-motion to the top levels of an organisa-tion.*

Room for doubt Meaning that somethingis not absolutely certain and that theevidence leaves the possibility that thereis more than one plausible explanation(e.g. ‘the evidence leaves room for doubtthat Oswald was the only assassin’).*

Room to swing a cat See no room to swing acat.

Root and branch (1) At all levels. (2)Thorough.*

Root cause The most important and/ororiginal cause of something.*

Rooting for Supporting.*

Rosa Klebb A humourless older womanwith sadistic or malevolent tendencies.Named after a memorable villain in theJames Bond film From Russia with Love.*

Roses See come up roses, come up smelling ofroses and everything’s coming up roses.

Rot sets in Problems start.*

Rotten apple Means the same as bad apple.

Rotten to the core Bad, with few or noredeeming qualities.*

Rough and ready Not very elegant or aes-thetically pleasing, but sufficient for thetask.*

Rough around the edges Not totallycompleted or trained. The phrase usuallyindicates that, although imperfect, some-

thing or someone ‘rough around theedges’ will nonetheless be suitable.*

Rough diamond A pleasant person,though lacking in ‘refined’ manners.*

Rough edge of their tongue A verbalattack.*

Rough end of the pineapple Harsh orunpleasant.*

Rough end of the stick Means the sameas rough end of the pineapple.

Rough ride An unpleasant experience.*

Rough trade The phrase means the sameas bit of rough, sometimes with the addedimplication that the person is a prostitutewho cultivates an appearance of coarse-ness in order to appeal to a particular typeof client who finds this sexually stimulat-ing.***

Roughing it Means the same as slumming it.

Round figure An approximation (e.g.1,230,786.11762 in a round figure is1.2 million).*

Round the bend To be insane. The phraseis often used jokingly to describe unusualrather than truly insane behaviour (e.g.‘you like liver and onions and Brusselssprouts? You must be round the bend’).**

Round the block Around the immediateneighbourhood (e.g. ‘I’ll go for a walkround the block’). The phrase is some-times used in the same sense as round thehouses.*

Round the clock Continuously (e.g. ‘theykept watch on him round the clock’).*

Round the corner (1) If something is‘round the corner’ it can be found bygoing round the corner (i.e. not bymaking the angular edge of a cornerrounded). (2) If talking about time, then ifsomething is ‘round the corner’ it is dueto happen soon.*

Round the houses If someone goes ‘roundthe houses’, they use excessive detail indescribing something.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

198 / ROLLED INTO ONE

Round the twist Means the same as roundthe bend.

Rounds of the kitchen Someone whogets the rounds of the kitchen is given asevere telling-off. The phrase is usuallyused about arguments within a family.*

Rub it in Make something unpleasant evenmore unpleasant.*

Rub noses Greet. A literal rubbing of noses(i.e. one person rubs their nose againstanother’s) is only expected in someaboriginal cultures.*

Rub salt in the wound Can mean thesame as twist the knife. It can also refer to aperson who, in trying to be pleasant tosomeone who is upset, actually makesthings worse. The term refers to an oldremedy for treating cuts or abrasions byrubbing salt into the wound. This sup-posedly helped the healing process, butat the time made the wound far morepainful.*

Rub shoulders Be in regular close proxim-ity.*

Rub their hands Express excitement orhopeful anticipation.*

Rub their nose in it Humiliate by makingsomething unpleasant or embarrassingeven more unpleasant or embarrassing.*

Rub up against Meet.*

Rub up the wrong way Annoy. The impli-cation is that a different choice of actionsor words would not have caused annoy-ance. There are several variants of thephrase (e.g. ‘rub them up the wrong way’,‘rub their fur the wrong way’, etc.).*

Rubber hits the road See where the rubberhits the road.

Rubber neck Stare intrusively at some-thing. The phrase is generally used todescribe the behaviour of people whostop to look at a crime scene or accident.*

Rude awakening A sudden shock. Theterm usually describes a person’s discov-ery that in reality things are not as

pleasant as they thought, and that untilnow they have been too complacent (e.g.‘Tom had enjoyed using his credit cardfor shopping, but had a rude awakeningwhen the bill arrived in the mail’).*

Ruffle feathers Annoy.*

Rule of thumb A method that will give anapproximate answer that will nearlyalways be acceptably accurate for thepurpose intended.*

Rule the roost Be leader of a group. Thereis often the implication that this is a smallgroup. The term probably derives fromone cockrel being the dominant bird in agroup of chickens.*

Rumour has it It is rumoured.*

Run a mile An expression of panic (e.g. ‘if Isaw a rat in the bath I’d run a mile’). Theexpression is hyperbole.*

Run a tight ship Be in charge of some-thing that is run with strong disciplineand a rigid obedience of regulations.*

Run-around If someone is being given the‘run-around’ then they are being deliber-ately delayed and/or deceived.*

Run before they can walkOver-ambitious.*

Run down (1) Cease operations in agradual manner (e.g. ‘work at the factoryis gradually being run down prior toclosure next year’). (2) Tired (e.g. ‘all thisextra work is making him look rundown’). (3) A summary (e.g. ‘thank youfor giving me a run down of the reportand saving me the bother of reading all ofit’).*

Run dry Use up all resources.*

Run for it Escape.*

Run for their money (1) If someone orsomething ‘gives a run for their money’then they are of a good standard. (2) Ifsomeone has had ‘a run for their money’then they feel they have had a worth-while experience. The phrase is some-

RUN A MILE / 199

times used in the form good run for theirmoney.*

Run high Strongly.*

Run interference Protect someone fromattack by providing a distraction.*

Run into (1) Meet by chance. (2) Collidewith.*

Run it past Present something for assess-ment.*

Run it up the flagpole Part of a longerphrase – ‘let’s run it up the flagpole andsee who salutes it’. It essentially meansthat a description of a plan should begiven to a group of people to see ifanyone likes the plan. The image isderived from flag-raising ceremonieswhere dignitaries salute a flag as it israised up the flagpole.*

Run of the mill Ordinary; usually theimplication is that if something orsomeone is ‘run of the mill’ then it doesnot deserve much discussion.*

Run off their feet A person who is ‘run offtheir feet’ is working hard at somethingand is finding it difficult to cope with theworkload. The phrase usually impliesthat the workload is excessive.*

Run out of steam (1) Become exhausted.(2) Lose enthusiasm or drive.*

Run out of town (1) Eject or remove. (2)Comprehensively defeat.*

Run past Present for inspection and/orapproval.*

Run ragged Make exhausted.*

Run rings round them If person A ‘runsrings round’ person B, then it means thatperson A is far more gifted or intelligentthan person B.*

Run round in circles Can mean go round incircles. Can also mean to work hard butachieve little because the hard work hasnot been directed into sensibly plannedactivity.*

Run the gamut Consider or experienceeverything.*

Run the gauntlet Endure a punishment.The term is derived from a Swedishmilitary punishment called a ‘gatlopp’rather than anything to do with gauntletsor gloves.*

Run them close Be almost as good atsomething as someone else.*

Run to earth Find someone or somethingthat has been hunted for.*

Run to ground Means the same as run toearth.

Run with the hare and hunt with thehounds Maintain cordial links with bothsides in a dispute.*

Runners and riders The entrants in ahorse race. Also, a joking way of describ-ing a set of candidates for a job or otherposition.*

Running battle A conflict which goes onfor a long time with neither side willingto concede.*

Running on empty Exhausted of energyand/or other resources.*

Running sore A long-standing grievanceor cause of annoyance.*

Rush of blood A sudden, irrational changein mood or thought.*

Rush their fences Be unnecessarily hasty.*

SS-H-ONE-T An attempt to say the word

‘shit’ politely. Spoken out loud it soundsquite inoffensive, but written down(‘SH1T’) it looks like the word ‘shit’.**

Sabre rattling Acting in an aggressivemanner without necessarily intending tofollow this with actual aggression.*

Sack See given the sack.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

200 / RUN A TIGHT SHIP

Sackcloth and ashes Extreme repen-tence.*

Sacred cow Something or someone so ven-erated that nobody dares contemplatecriticism.*

Sacrifice on the altar of… Cause suffer-ing (or even death) because it suits thepurposes of a particular cause or belief(e.g. ‘the manager was sacked because histeam had lost five games and gate receiptswere falling: another person sacrificed onthe altar of commercial interests’).*

Sad The term can of course mean ‘un-happy’. However, it may also be used toindicate that someone is behaving in away that is considered a waste of time orrather pathetic. Whether someone isreally ‘sad’ is often a matter of opinion,rather than an absolute judgement.*

Saddled with a problem To be given aproblem that cannot be passed on tosomeone else. This is likened to a horsewith a saddle strapped on to it which noamount of kicking or wriggling willremove.*

Safe as houses Very safe and/or reliable.*

Safe bet A wise choice. The implication isthat the choice is the one most likely tosucceed, but may not give as high areward as other, riskier choices (e.g. ‘in-vestments in foreign markets may bringhigher returns but also higher risks; forthose who are more cautious, a safe bet isTreasury stock’).*

Safe pair of hands A person who can betrusted to do something efficiently.*

Sail close to the wind Take risks in thehope that this will bring a more favour-able outcome than a more cautiousapproach.*

Sail under false colours See show their truecolours.

Salmonella van A van selling burgers,kebabs, etc., of dubious quality, typicallyto late-night revellers returning frompubs.*

Salt of the earth A phrase derived from theNew Testament, usually interpreted aspraise. It generally means ‘the best typeof people’, and is often used to refer tounpretentious people.*

Salt the books Means the same as cook thebooks.

Salt the mine Fraudulently make some-thing appear more appealing than itactually is. The phrase comes from theconfidence trick of scattering particles ofprecious metal around a worthless mine,making the prospective buyer think themine contains a rich, untapped seam.*

Same but different Means the same as twosides of the same coin.

Same difference A phrase indicating thattwo or more things have the same basicmeaning, even though they may appeardifferent.*

Sandwich short of a picnic Insane orintellectually ungifted.*

Sauce for the goose Often finished withthe rest of the proverb, which is ‘is saucefor the gander’. In other words, what issuitable for one person or situation issuitable for another as well.*

Save face Retain dignity and/or reputa-tion.*

Save shoe leather Do something thatavoids walking and general physicaleffort.*

Save the bacon To solve a problem or torescue someone from a problem they arehaving.*

Save the day Successfully resolve aproblem.*

Save their ass Means the same as save theirskin, only ruder.***

Save their bacon Means the same as savetheir skin.

Save their blushes Means the same as sparetheir blushes.

SAME DIFFERENCE / 201

Save their breath Stop arguing because itwill have no effect.*

Save their hide Means the same as save theirskin.

Save their neck Means the same as savetheir skin.

Save their skin Rescue someone from aproblem they are having.*

Save time Reduce the time taken tocomplete a task.*

Saved by the bell Rescued from defeat orsomething unpleasant by intervention(intentional or otherwise) at the lastmoment. The phrase is derived fromboxing – a boxer doing badly might besaved from being knocked out by thesound of the bell signalling the end of theround.*

Saving for a rainy day See rainy day.

Say a mouthful Say something notewor-thy.*

Say the word Issue a command.*

Say their piece Present a pre-preparedstatement or complaint.*

Say when In serving drinks, a request bysomeone pouring an alcoholic drink orcocktail that the recipient indicates whenan acceptable quantity of alcoholic drinkor mixer has been poured out.*

Scales fall from their eyes Becomeaware.*

Scandal sheets Means the same as gutterpress.

Scare the bejesus Means the same as scarethe daylights.

Scare the daylights Give a severe shock.*

Scare the living daylights Means thesame as scare the daylights.

Scared of their own shadow Verynervous.*

Scared shitless Very frightened.***

Scaredy cat A very nervous person.*

Scenery chewing A style of acting charac-terised by exaggerated and otherwiseunsubtle behaviour. The phrase usuallyimplies a bad performance.*

Scent blood Detect a weakness in some-one. The phrase usually describesdetecting a weakness in an opponent.*

School of hard knocks A phrase used bysomeone to indicate that they think theyhave had an unfortunate life (e.g. ‘I wasbrought up without privileges – I wasbrought up in the school of hardknocks’). The phrase is considered ratherself-pitying and should be avoided.*

School of thought A method of thinkingabout something. The phrase may referto an academic theory or more generallyto an accepted opinion.*

Schoolboy humour An immature sense ofhumour predominantly based on findingdouble entendres and jokes about excre-tion and lavatories funny.*

Schoolchild See as every schoolchild knows.

Score an own goal Produce an own goal.*

Score points Make cleverer or moreforceful arguments than another person.The phrase is often used to describesomeone who is deliberately trying tomake another person appear intellectu-ally inferior in a rather petty manner.*

Scotch mist Usually heard in a phrase suchas ‘what do you think that is – Scotchmist?’ It means that someone has failed tonotice something that is very obviouslythere in front of them.*

Scout’s honour Truthfully.*

Scrape an acquaintance Get to knowsomeone.*

Scrape the barrel Means the same as scrapethe bottom of the barrel.

Scrape the bottom of the barrel Take theworst possible from the range of choices.It is usually implied that this is notthrough choice, and that the betterchoices have already been taken. The

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

202 / SANDWICH SHORT OF A PICNIC

phrase is often used to describe amediocre team or group (e.g. ‘she wasscraping the bottom of the barrel whenshe selected this team’).*

Scratch the surface Attain only a rudi-mentary level of achievement.*

Scratch their head Be baffled.*

Scream bloody murder Means the sameas scream blue murder.

Scream blue murder Loudly protest.*

Screw loose Insane or eccentric.*

Screw the arse off Have sex with.***

Sea See at sea, get their sea legs and worse thingshappen at sea.

Seal of approval An indication that some-thing has been approved by someone.The indication can be spoken or written –it does not necessarily have to be a seal.The phrase comes from the fact thatdocuments used to have a wax seal,imprinted with an official symbol, placedupon them to indicate legality. Morerecently, the wax seal was replaced by apostage stamp. Hence stamp of approval,which means the same as ‘seal ofapproval’.*

Seal their fate Ensure that they will experi-ence something unpleasant.*

Seams See bursting at the seams and fall apartat the seams.

Search high and low Search thoroughly.*

Search me An expression of personal igno-rance or mystification.*

Second banana Second-in-command.*

Second bite at the cherry A secondopportunity to attempt to do something.The implication is that the first attemptfailed or was not perfect.*

Second childhood (1) Dementia. (2) Afeeling of rejuvenation and a renewedinterest in simple, enjoyable pleasuresexperienced by some people in middle orold age.*

Second hand Pre-owned.*

Second string to their bow An additionalskill or resource.*

Second to none The best.*

See a man about a dog (1) Keep anappointment. The phrase is used toindicate that the precise nature of theappointment is not going to be disclosed.(2) Euphemism for going to the lavatory.Chiefly used by men.*

See daylight Acquire insight.*

See eye to eye Agree.*

See in (1) Experience something (e.g. ‘willyou see in the New Year with me?’). (2)Enjoy something (e.g. ‘I don’t know whatyou see in modern art’).*

See it a mile off Identify something veryeasily. The phrase is often used of a verypredictable plot in a play or similar (e.g.‘you could see the ending a mile off ’).*

See it coming Means the same as see it a mileoff.

See life Experience a range of things ratherthan stick to a dull, rather repetitive life-style.*

See reason Come to understand a logicalargument. The phrase usually impliesthat this understanding is reached afterpreviously behaving illogically or sup-porting an untenable argument.*

See stars Hallucinate seeing brief flashes oflight. The phenomenon (usually tempo-rary) is a neurological condition arisingfrom being hit on the head or (some-times) fainting.*

See the back of… See glad to see the backof….

See the elephant Gain experience. Thephrase is often used of travelling to dif-ferent lands and seeing a wide variety ofsights that cannot be seen in one’scountry of origin.*

See the funny side Recognize a humorousaspect to an otherwise serious situation.*

SEE IT A MILE OFF / 203

See their way clear Agree to do some-thing.*

See them anon See them later.*

See them coming Able to predict whatthey will do.*

See them in Hell An expression of strongopposition to a proposal or plan (e.g. ‘I’llsee them in Hell before accepting that’).*

See them right Ensure that they are welltreated and/or recompensed.*

See through their eyes Understand howsomeone else thinks or feels.*

See which way the cat jumps Means thesame as see which way the wind blows.

See which way the wind blows Assessthe situation before committing to adecision.*

See you (1) Normally the phrase means thesame as I’ll be seeing you. (2) In some cir-cumstances it means that a person isthreatening violence to settle a dispute(e.g. the Scots phrase ‘I’ll see you,Jimmy’). The context should indicatewhich meaning is intended.*

Seeing things Having hallucinations.*

Seen better days Describes something thathas become damaged or looks shabbythrough repeated use or simple ageing.*

Seen it, bought the T-shirt The phrase isa shortened version of a longer phrase –‘I’ve read the book, seen the film, andbought the T-shirt’. It refers to the habitof popular works of fiction being madeinto movies and the movies producing arange of souvenirs (such as T-shirts). Thephrase thus means ‘I know everythingabout this topic’, usually with the impli-cation that the speaker is bored by it.*

Seize the day Use whatever opportunitiesarise.*

Self-made man/woman A person whohas become successful by their ownefforts rather than by relying on others(e.g. through inherited wealth, patron-

age, etc.). The term is sometimes usedsnobbishly of someone who has wealthbut does not come from an aristocraticfamily and is apparently ignorant of eti-quette.*

Sell a bill of goods Cheat a person byselling them something worthless orunpleasant.*

Sell a pup See buy a pup.

Sell-by date See past its sell-by date.

Sell down the river Betray.*

Sell for a mess of pottage Stupidly sellsomething for far less than it is worth.*

Sell it short Fail to recognize its value.*

Sell like hot cakes If something ‘sells likehot cakes’ then it is in great demand.*

Sell soul to the Devil Literally, offer one’simmortal soul to Satan in exchange forearthly pleasures. The phrase is oftenused to denote that someone is stronglymotivated to do something (e.g. ‘she’dsell her soul to the Devil to win the cham-pionship’).*

Sell the family silver Dispose of items thatonce sold cannot be retrieved. The phraseis most often used of a policy that maybring short-term gains but whoselong-term benefit is questionable.*

Sell their soul to the Devil Have no moralscruples. There is no accusation thatsomeone has undergone a Satanic ritual.*

Sell them a dummy Deceive.*

Sell them a lemon Deceive (particularly incommerce – a ‘lemon’ is a poor qualityproduct).*

Sell them short Fail to recognize theirvalue.*

Send in the clowns To do something todistract attention from a mishap. Theterm is derived from the traditional callby a circus ringmaster to put the clownsinto the ring when an accident occurredand the audience needed to be dis-tracted.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

204 / SEE IT COMING

Send the right message Present anargument or statement that is wellreceived. The phrase is often used todescribe a situation such as an interviewor presentation where what will pleasethe audience is unknown.*

Send the right signals Means the same assend the right message.

Send the wrong message Present anargument or statement that is badlyreceived and/or misunderstood.*

Send the wrong signals Means the sameas send the wrong message.

Send them flying Cause them to fall over.*

Send them packing Dismiss someone in afairly brusque manner.*

Send to Coventry Deliberately to ignore aperson, even to the point of refusing tospeak to them. The origins of the phraseare uncertain.*

Separate the men from the boys Decidewho is truly capable of doing a task. Thephrase is gender-specific and caution isthus advised.*

Separate the wheat from the chaffDecide what is wanted or good and whatis not wanted or of little value.*

Serious money Large amounts of money.*

Serve out their time Means the same asserve their time.

Serve their time (1) Finish a jail sentence.(2) Finish doing a job or other positionwhich had a contractually fixed period ofappointment. (3) Complete an appren-tice’s training.*

Serve two masters (1) Have two man-agers, both of whom must be obeyed, andwho have conflicting demands. (2)Attempt to follow two irreconcilable setsof principles.*

Set alarm bells ringing Begin to feelapprehensive about something (e.g. ‘thenews that our beloved head of depart-ment was leaving to be replaced by

someone new was enough to set alarmbells ringing’).*

Set back on their heels Surprise.*

Set in concrete Means the same as set instone.

Set in motion Initiate an activity.*

Set in stone Already firmly fixed and unal-terable. The phrase is often used in thenegative to indicate that something canbe changed (e.g. ‘it’s not set in stone – wecan still make alterations’).*

Set out their stall Present their argument.*

Set right Amend an error.*

Set the ball rolling To start off an activity,such as a conversation (e.g. ‘to set the ballrolling, I asked him to tell me about hischildhood’).*

Set the cat among the pigeons Means thesame as put the cat among the pigeons.

Set the heather on fire Means the same asset the town on fire.

Set the place on fire Means the same as setthe town on fire.

Set the scene Provide preparatory infor-mation.*

Set the Thames on fire Means the same asset the town on fire.

Set the town on fire To do somethingnotable that is talked about. The reverse(e.g. ‘it didn’t exactly set the town onfire’) indicates that something was dull ordisappointing.*

Set the world on fire Means the same asset the town on fire.

Set their cap at them Express a romanticinterest in someone.*

Set their face against Show oppositiontowards.*

Set their hand to the plough Beginwork.*

Set their heart on Have a strong desirefor.*

SET THE BALL ROLLING / 205

Set their sights Intend to attain orachieve.*

Set their teeth on edge Irritate.*

Set to (1) About to (e.g. ‘the Government isset to announce new policies next week’).(2) An argument (e.g. ‘there was a setto last night about where to go onholiday’).*

Settle the score Have revenge.*

Seven league boots To have ‘seven leagueboots’ is to have the ability to walk or runquickly.*

Seventh heaven Means the same as cloudnine.

Sex it up Make more appealing.*

Shag on a rock Feel isolated or lonely. Theimage is of a solitary shag (a sea bird)sitting on a rock. Note to non-Britishreaders: ‘shag’ also means ‘sexual inter-course’ in British slang. Accordingly, thephrase ‘I feel like a shag on a rock’ shouldbe used very carefully when speaking to aBrit.*

Shaggy dog story A joke notable for thelength of its telling. Often the finalpunchline is disappointingly weak.*

Shake a leg To dance.*

Shake their booty Dance (generally refersto the curious movements seen at night-clubs).*

Shaken up Disturbed or frightened.*

Shanks’s pony Walking.*

Sharp as a needle Intelligent.*

Sharp end (1) The most unpleasant ofpossible punishments or injuries. (2) Themost advanced form of something(usually technology or academic re-search). (3) The most important.*

Sharp end of the tongue To receive thesharp end of someone’s tongue is to betold off or to receive a particularly offen-sive insult.*

Sharp suit A suit that is very fashionable.The term sometimes implies that theperson wearing it may be not particularlytrustworthy and is using fashionableclothes as part of their deception.*

Sharpen their ideas Become more alertand intellectually active.*

Sharpen up Become more alert and intel-lectually active.*

She’ll be apples Australian phrase, meansthe same as she’ll be right.

She’ll be right Australian phrase meaningthat things will be okay and, by implica-tion, that worrying about something isunnecessary.*

She’s apples Means that something isalright. Although an Australian phrase,the phrase probably has its origin inCockney rhyming slang (‘apples andspice – nice’).*

Shed-load of… A large quantity of….*

Sheep from the goats See sort out the sheepfrom the goats.

Sheep’s eyes A look of amorous intent thatthe person making the expression thinkslooks alluring but to an impartialobserver looks ridiculous.*

Sheets to the wind See three sheets to thewind.

Shell-like See in their shell-like.

Shell out Means the same as fork out.

Shift gear Change the level of activity. Thephrase nearly always indicates anincrease in activity.*

Shift the goalposts Means the same asmove the goalposts.

Shift their arse Means the same as movetheir arse.

Shift their ass Means the same as move theirass.

Shift their backside Means the same asmove their backside.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

206 / SET THE CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS

Shift their ground Change their opinions.*

Ships that pass in the night People whoknow each other for only a brief periodof time.*

Shipshape and Bristol fashion Every-thing is correct and clean and tidy.*

Shirt See in shirtsleeves.

Shirt lifter Male homosexual. A veryoffensive term.***

Shirt off their back Every possessionpossible. The phrase is often used toindicate that someone is being rapacious(e.g. ‘they’d have the shirt off my back ifthey could’) or extremely generous (e.g.‘I’d give him the shirt off my back if Ithought it’d help’).*

Shirtsleeves weather Warm enough not toneed coats, jackets, sweaters, etc.*

Shit a brick An exclamation of annoy-ance.***

Shit bricks Be very frightened.***

Shit for brains Stupid.***

Shit happens In other words, sometimesunpleasant things happen for no veryobvious reason.***

Shit hits the fan See when the shit hits the fan.

Shit hot Very exciting and/or innova-tive.***

Shit off a shovel Something moving ‘likeshit off a shovel’ is moving veryquickly.***

Shit or get off the pot Means the same aspiss or get off the pot.

Shoe is on the other foot Means the sameas boot is on the other foot.

Shoes See dead man’s shoes, fill their shoes, ifthe shoe fits, lick their shoes, put yourself in myshoes, shoe is on the other foot and walk a milein another person’s shoes.

Shoo-in An absolute certainty.*

Shoot a line Tell an exaggerated orimplausible story or argument.*

Shoot down in flames Defeat an argu-ment completely.*

Shoot from the hip Respond rapidlywithout much thought.*

Shoot it out Engage in the final, decisivestages of an argument.*

Shoot me See just shoot me.

Shoot the breeze Have a chat.*

Shoot the messenger Blame the personconveying bad news as if they were thecause of the bad news. Thus, don’t shoot themessenger is advice not to do this.*

Shoot the moon To escape (typically, toescape creditors) by leaving secretly atnight.*

Shoot the puppy Do something unpleas-ant but necessary.*

Shoot their mouth off Talk in a mannerlacking in decorum. For example, (a) talkin a boastful or offensive manner likely tooffend others; (b) talk about things thatwere supposed to be kept secret.*

Shoot themselves in the foot Harm orbring misfortune on themselves. Thephrase usually implies that this is donethrough incompetence rather than simplemisfortune.*

Short and curlies Pubic hair. If someonehas someone else ‘by the short andcurlies’ then they have a powerful controlover them.***

Short change (1) In a financial transaction,fail to give all the money that is owed. (2)Provide less of a service than was origi-nally promised.*

Short end of the stick If someone has the‘short end of the stick’, then they are at adisadvantage.*

Short fuse See on a short fuse.

Short hairs Means the same as short andcurlies.

SHOOT THE MOON / 207

Short of Means ‘lacking’ or ‘have too littleof ’ (e.g. ‘I’d like to buy it, but I’m short ofcash’).*

Short work An easy or quickly accom-plished task.*

Shorter leash See put on a shorter leash.

Shot across the bow A ‘shot across thebow’ is a warning that a particular actionis disapproved of and that a change musttake place, otherwise punishment willfollow. The phrase comes from thepractice of a naval vessel firing a warningshot in front of a ship to make it stop orchange course.*

Shot at… To have the opportunity to ‘havea shot at’ something is to be given theopportunity to do something. Likewise,if someone says that they will ‘have a shotat’ doing something, it means they willtry to do it.*

Shot by both sides To be in disagree-ment with more than one group in anargument. There is usually the implica-tion that the person in question has noallies and that everybody disagrees withhim or her.*

Shot in the arm A boost or encourage-ment.*

Shot in the dark A guess, or an attempt todo something which is the product ofguesswork.*

Shot the bolt Tried everything possibleand failed.*

Shot to pieces Damaged to the point ofbeing irreparable.*

Should get out more A joking phraseimplying that someone is lacking inknowledge about everyday life.*

Shoulder the burden Accept all or mostof the responsibility for dealing with aproblem.*

Shoulder to cry on A sympathetic personwilling to listen to another persontalking about their problems.*

Shoulder to shoulder United in acommon cause.*

Shoulder to the wheel A person who putstheir ‘shoulder to the wheel’ engages indemanding and/or difficult work.*

Shout See entry below and: all over bar theshouting, in with a shout, just shout and theirshout.

Shout from the rooftops Make known.The phrase is often used to describesomeone who is keen for as many peopleas possible to know something.*

Shove off A command to someone orsomething to go away because they areunwanted and/or annoying.**

Show a clean pair of heels Run away.*

Show a leg Get out of bed.*

Show must go on (1) The belief in the the-atrical profession that, no matter whatmisfortunes may befall a theatricalcompany, a show must be presented forthe paying customers. (2) By extension,the belief that, no matter what adversitieshappen, life still goes on and things andpeople must be dealt with in spite ofsorrow and/or depression.*

Show of hands (1) A vote in which peopleraise their hands to indicate support for arange of proposals, and the proposal thatgets the largest number of hands raisedwins. (2) A quick (and not necessarilyaccurate) measure of strength of supportfor something.*

Show-stopping Something outstandinglygood or praiseworthy. The phrase isusually applied to a theatrical or concertperformance.*

Show the flag Demonstrate allegiance to agroup, country or cause.*

Show their cards Means the same as showtheir hand.

Show their hand Reveal their plans orbeliefs.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

208 / SHOOT THE PUPPY

Show their roots Reveal their social,country or regional origins throughmanner of speech or behaviour. Thephrase is often used of someone who forreasons of social advancement has triedto disguise their origins that are uninten-tionally revealed.*

Show their teeth Reveal their strengthand/or animosity.*

Show their true colours Show true,rather than false, behaviour. The phrase isoften used when an unpleasant personhas been deceiving people into thinkinghe or she is a pleasant person. When he orshe finally shows what they are reallylike, then they are said to be ‘showingtheir true colours’. The phrase comesfrom when sailing ships were the normalseagoing transport. At times of war orpiracy, a ship intending to capture ordestroy another ship might sail under falsecolours (i.e. fly the flag of a nation friendlyto other ships) until it was close enoughto be a threat and only then would it takedown the false flags and put up its own –i.e. show its true colours. Thus sail underfalse colours means ‘to deceive’.*

Show them the door (1) Eject from theroom or house. (2) Firmly express lack ofinterest or support.*

Show up (1) Appear (e.g. ‘guess whatshowed up in the mail this morning’). (2)To embarrass (e.g. ‘Harold’s mothershowed him up in front of his friends bytalking about his bed-wetting prob-lem’).*

Shrinking violet A very shy person.*

Shrug off Quickly and easily overcome.*

Shuffle off this mortal coil Die. Thephrase is a quotation from Hamlet, and isnearly always used jokingly.*

Shuffle the deck Change a way of doingthings.*

Shut the door on Deny further discussionand/or activity.*

Shut the stable door after the horse hasbolted Do something too late.*

Shut their eyes to Means the same as turn ablind eye to.

Shut up A forceful request to be quiet. Thephrase may refer to ‘shutting up’ thelips.**

Shut up shop Cease work or anotheractivity. The phrase can mean a tempo-rary cessation (e.g. at the end of theworking day) or a permanent cessation.*

Shut your face Means the same as shut up.The term may be derived from days whensoldiers wore helmets: a request to ‘shutyour face’ to a person wearing a helmet –i.e. to close the visor of their helmet –would mean that they would be difficultto hear.***

Shy of Almost but not quite.*

Sick as a dog To be ill; generally used todescribe someone who is very ill.*

Sick as a parrot A phrase meaning ‘to bemiserable’. It became popular during the1970s in the UK, largely because soccerplayers who’d lost a match would saythey felt ‘as sick as a parrot’ when inter-viewed after the game. The exact originsof the phrase are unknown, but it hasbeen used, with varying degrees of popu-larity, for several centuries.*

Sick to death So bored with somethingthat the mere mention of it createsfeelings of anger.*

Sick to the stomach Annoyed or deeplyoffended.*

Sight See in their sights, lower their sights, raisetheir sights and set their sights.

Sight for sore eyes Something or someonewhose arrival is welcome.*

Sign of the times Something that is veryindicative of contemporary culture.*

Sign on the dotted line Formally agree todo something by signing a contract.*

Sign the pledge Promise to be teetotal.*

SHY OF / 209

Significant other A person who is emo-tionally important to another person.The phrase nearly always refers morespecifically to a marital or cohabitingpartner.*

Silence is golden Silence (or at least peace-fulness) is a desirable thing. The phrase issometimes offered as a rebuke tosomeone who has been noisy orover-talkative.*

Silent as a tomb Silent.*

Silent majority The majority of people(particularly voters) who are not vocifer-ous in their opinions.*

Silk purse See can’t make a silk purse out of asow’s ear.

Silly buggers See play silly buggers.

Silly season (1) A period in the year(August in the UK) when there tends tobe relatively little political or other news(because most people are on holiday)and, in order to fill up newspapers andnews bulletins, more bizarre stories(which at other times of the year wouldbe dismissed as too trivial) are givenprominence. (2) A period in the yearwhen employees, students or similar tendto act in a bizarre manner within a partic-ular organisation.*

Silver lining The optimistic or positiveaspect of something that initially appearsto be nothing but problematic or disap-pointing.*

Silver tongue Eloquence.*

Sing a different tune Adopt a newopinion or argument.*

Sing for their supper Perform a task as arequirement of receiving something (e.g.food and lodging).*

Sing their praises Praise.*

Singing from the same hymn sheet Allrelating the same story or argument.*

Sink a battleship See enough to sink a battle-ship.

Sink in Be understood.*

Sink or swim A situation which ends intotal success or total failure. It is alsousually implied that no assistance is avail-able to people who encounter difficul-ties.*

Sinking ship See rats deserting a sinking ship.

Sir Humphrey A civil servant (and byextension, any government official)intent on selfishly preserving the statusquo, comfort, and perks of civil servantsbefore the needs of the government andcountry they are meant to serve. Namedafter a fictional senior civil servant in theBBC television series Yes Minister.*

Siren song Something that proves an irre-sistible lure, but creates problems.*

Sit at their feet Be their pupil or student.*

Sit on a powder keg Be in a potentiallydangerous situation.*

Sit on the… Remain a long time in….*

Sit on the fence Be neutral or undecided.The term is often used in a derogatorysense to denote a failure to commit tosomething.*

Sit on their hands Deliberately not doingsomething.*

Sit tight (1) Remain in the same place. (2)Remain resolute. (3) Take no action.*

Sit up Show sudden interest in something.The phrase sometimes finishes with ‘andtake notice’.*

Sitting comfortably? See are you sittingcomfortably?

Sitting duck Something or someone in avulnerable position.*

Six feet under Dead.*

Six of one and half a dozen of the otherUsed to describe a situation in whichboth sides are evenly balanced instrength. It is often used to describe a sit-uation in which two groups of people areequally to blame for a mishap.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

210 / SICK AS A DOG

Six of the best The phrase originallymeant six hits with a cane on the hand orbuttocks (a traditional punishmentin British schools until the 1980s).However, the phrase now can be applied(usually jokingly) to any punishment.*

Sixes and sevens A state of confusion.*

Sixty-four thousand dollar questionThe principal problem whose solutionwould bring the greatest benefit.*

Size of it The nature of the situation orproblem.*

Skate on thin ice Do something that isdangerous, likely to fail and/or be sus-ceptible to attack or criticism.*

Skeleton at the feast Means the same asghost at the feast.

Skeleton in the closet An embarrassingpiece of information about a family,group or person that the family, group orperson would prefer to keep secret.*

Skeleton in the cupboard Means thesame as skeleton in the closet.

Skeleton staff The bare minimum of per-sonnel required.*

Skid Row (1) An area of a town or city thatis inhabited by very poor people, hashigh crime levels, is in a poor state ofrepair, etc. (2) A state of extreme poverty.*

Skin alive A threat to ‘skin you alive’ indi-cates that the speaker is angry with theperson being addressed. The threat is notliteral.*

Skin of one’s teeth Used to indicate a verynarrow margin – typically, how closesomething came to an accident (e.g. ‘weescaped serious injury by the skin of ourteeth’). The phrase comes from the OldTestament.*

Skirt See bit of skirt. The term can also beused as an offensive term for ‘women’and should be avoided.***

Skive off Be absent from work or schoolwithout permission.*

Sky’s the limit There is no limit.*

Slack See cut some slack and take up the slack.

Slam dunk Something unambiguous. Thephrase is derived from a spectacularmethod of scoring in basketball, in whichthe player jumps so that their hand goesover the top of the net and the ball isdropped or thrown into the hoop.*

Slap on the back Praise.*

Slap on the face (1) An unexpected andunpleasant piece of information. (2) Arebuke.*

Slap on the wrist A mild rebuke.*

Slave over a hot stove Work hard at pre-paring a meal. The phrase is often used asa joking exaggeration.*

Sledgehammer See use a sledgehammer tocrack a nut.

Sleep See entries below and: do it in theirsleep, let sleeping dogs lie and put to sleep.

Sleep like a log Sleep very deeply.*

Sleep of the just Sleep undisturbed byfeelings of guilt or worry.*

Sleep on it Delay making a decision. Thephrase nearly always means that a persondelays making a decision until the fol-lowing day.*

Sleep tight Sleep deeply, without interrup-tion. The phrase is often used as a politesocial statement when someone is goingto bed. There is a fuller rhyming phrase –‘sleep tight, and mind the bed bugs don’tbite’ which is a humorous version withthe same sentiment.*

Sleep with Have sex with.*

Sleeping partner A person who plays nomanagerial role in a business, butprovides financial support for it.*

Slice of the action Means the same as pieceof the action.

Slice of the pie Means the same as piece ofthe action.

SLAVE OVER A HOT STOVE / 211

Sliced bread See greatest thing since slicedbread.

Sling their hook (1) Slang expressionmeaning ‘go away’. (2) Depart.**

Slip See entries below and: many a slip.

Slip of a… Someone small and slim (e.g.‘slip of a thing’, ‘slip of a girl’ etc.).*

Slip of the pen Written form of slip of thetongue.*

Slip of the tongue An error in speaking.The phrase often refers to a mistake thatis unintentionally humorous or revealingabout the speaker’s personality.*

Slip on a banana skin Make a mistake.The phrase usually indicates that themistake was avoidable if someone hadbeen more sensible or cautious.*

Slip through the fingers Escape captureor acquisition. The phrase usually indi-cates that capture or acquisition wasattainable but was not done throughincompetence.*

Slip through the net Escape detection.*

Slip under the radar Means the same asslip through the net.

Slip up Make an error.*

Slippery customer A person who is diffi-cult to deal with. There is usually animplication that they are evasive oruntruthful.*

Slippery slope Something that will almostinevitably lead to problems.*

Slow day A day with little activity.*

Slow off the mark Means the same as slowon the draw.

Slow on the draw Slow to respond.*

Slow on the uptake Slow to learn.*

Slumming it Living in a state of extremepoverty. The phrase can also be used sar-castically to describe someone living ingreat affluence.*

Smack in the eye Means the same as slapon the face.

Small beer Of little importance.*

Small hours Late at night and very early inthe morning.*

Small potatoes Means the same as smallbeer.

Smart Alec Someone who is too clever byhalf.**

Smart cookie A clever person.*

Smashed Intoxicated.*

Smashing Highly enjoyable (e.g. ‘we had asmashing time at the zoo’).*

Smell a rat Detect or suspect deception.*

Smell blood Means the same as smell fearor, more generally, means to detect aweakness.*

Smell fear Detect that someone is nervousor frightened. The term is often used indescriptions of people who will takesadistic pleasure in using this information(e.g. ‘don’t let them smell your fear, orthey will be even worse’).*

Smell of… The overwhelming implicationor appearance (e.g. ‘there is a smell ofdeception about the situation’ means thatthe deception can be inferred or isapparent).*

Smell right Appear to be plausible and/ortrustworthy.*

Smell something fishy Have suspicionsthat something is not what it appears tobe.*

Smell to high heaven Have a strongsmell.*

Smell wrong Appear to be implausibleand/or untrustworthy.*

Smelling of roses See come out smelling ofroses and come up smelling of roses.

Smoke See go up in smoke and no smokewithout fire.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

212 / SLEDGEHAMMER

Smoke-filled room Bargaining con-ducted in private between a small groupof individuals that determines theoutcome of events to a large number ofpeople (e.g. political bargaining).*

Smoking gun Conclusive evidence ofguilt. The term comes from detectivestories – if someone is found by the bodyof a person who has been shot, holding agun still smoking from being fired, thenit seems reasonable to assume who didthe shooting.*

Smooth ruffled feathers Make someoneless agitated.*

Snail mail (1) An inefficient mail service.(2) Slang for a conventional mail serviceusing letters and parcels (i.e. not email).*

Snake in the grass (1) An unanticipatedproblem or danger. (2) The term is some-times used (not entirely correctly) todescribe a traitor or disloyal associate.*

Snap their fingers at Show contempttowards.*

Snap their hand off Eagerly accept anoffer.*

Snap their head off Respond in anunpleasant or aggressive manner. Thephrase often implies an irrationally severeresponse.*

Sneezes See when…sneezes…catches a cold.

Snob value Something with ‘snob value’has a high level of social desirabilitywithin middle- and upper-class culture.*

Snook See cock a snook.

Snookered Means the same as behind theeight ball.

Snowball in hell’s chance Means thesame as cat in hell’s chance.

Snug as a bug Warm and comfortable.*

So and so A relatively mild term of rebukefor an annoying person (e.g. ‘he has beensuch a so and so over the past few days’).*

So far as it goes Its limitations.*

So far round they’re coming back againInsane or eccentric.*

So far so good Everything is as antici-pated. The phrase refers to an interimstage in a plan. It is often used to describethe situation up to the point where some-thing went wrong.*

So help me Sometimes the phrase finisheswith the word ‘God’. The phrase is usedto emphasize that the speaker is sincere inwhat they are saying (e.g. ‘so help me, Ipromise I will get this done’).*

So sue me A retort to a complaint. Theimplication is that the complaint is unrea-sonable or excessive.**

So there A term of abuse or rebuke indicat-ing that something has been achievedthat an opponent did not expect.*

So there you have it That is the totality ofthe information.*

Soap opera A television or radio serial fol-lowing the lives of a group of fictionalpeople, characterised by an improbablyhigh number of dramatic events (e.g. Cor-onation Street, Neighbours, Days of Our Lives,etc.). The term derives from the fact thatearly examples of the genre in the USAwere on commercial radio and were oftensponsored by soap and detergent manu-facturers.*

Soccer mom A middle-class woman withschool-aged children who is especiallyactive in assisting in school and othercommunity activities (such as schoolsoccer matches). There are often negativeimplications of parochial values andliving vicariously for her children’ssuccess.*

Sock it to them (1) Create a very favour-able impression. (2) Create a memorableimpression through aggressive orforceful behaviour.*

Sod Shortened form of the word ‘sodom-ite’, though this is not usually explicitlymeant in the uses of the word. It is a mod-erately rude word in the UK at least, anduse is therefore strongly cautioned. There

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT / 213

are several uses of the word in everydaylanguage. (1) It can be used as a rebuke toa person (e.g. ‘you rotten sod’). (2) In thephrases sod it and sod off it can be used asan expression of annoyance. (3) It can beused as an adjective to express greaterfeeling (e.g. ‘it’s sodding useless’ meanssomething worse than ‘it’s useless’).**

Sod all A derogatory term meaning thatthere is nothing or so little of somethingthat it is not worth the effort of findingit.**

Sod it An expression of exasperation.**

Sod off An impolite way of saying ‘goaway’.**

Sod’s law The fatalistic argument that, inany activity, something is bound to gowrong.**

Soft in the head (1) Lacking an appropri-ate level of judgement. (2) Mentallyretarded or ill.*

Soft soap Flattery.*

Soft touch Someone easily fooled or fromwhom it is easy to borrow money.*

Soft underbelly A weakness – usuallythere is the implication that it is aweakness in an otherwise strong system.The image is drawn from a fearsomethick-skinned animal (e.g. a rhino or analligator) which often has a relativelyunprotected stomach area that is accord-ingly more vulnerable to attack.*

Soften the blow Means the same as cushionthe blow.

Softly, softly The start of a proverb –‘softly, softly, catchee monkey’. Theessence of this is that the best way toaccomplish some tasks is by a subtlemethod that may at times appear as ifthings are not being done quicklyenough.*

Sold out (1) Sold all the copies of a particu-lar item and thus have no more to sell. (2)Abandoned a moral principle for money.*

Soldier on Persevere with something.There is usually the implication that thetask is a long or boring one.*

Some of my best friends are… Thephrase is completed by the name of agroup of people a person is accused ofbeing prejudiced against. For example, ifa person is accused of being anti-Semitic,he or she might say ‘but some of my bestfriends are Jewish’. The phrase at onetime was meant seriously, but throughoveruse it has become an unconvincingcliché, and is often used sarcastically (e.g.a man who is being sexist might be told ‘Isuppose some of your best friends arewomen, aren’t they?’).*

Someone to watch (1) A person who isexpected to be successful in the future. (2)A person who is a potential futurethreat.*

Someone up there likes me Said aftersomething fortuitous has occurred. Thephrase is perhaps most often said bysomeone who has just escaped sufferingsevere misfortune.*

Something else Remarkable (e.g. ‘Simon’ssinging was something else’).*

Something fierce Very strongly.*

Something fishy Suspicious or implausi-ble.*

Something nasty in the woodshedSomething unpleasant that is kept secret.The phrase comes from the novel ColdComfort Farm, where ‘something nasty inthe woodshed’ is a key reason behind thedysfunctional nature of a rural family.*

Something’s up There is a problem.*

Somewhere to the left of… Followed bythe name of an extreme left-wing figure(e.g. ‘Chairman Mao’). A joking phrasemeaning that someone has pronouncedleft-wing views.*

Somewhere to the right of… Followedby the name of an extreme authoritarianfigure (e.g. ‘Hitler’, ‘Attila the Hun’). Ajoking phrase meaning that someone has

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

214 / SOAP OPERA

extreme right-wing views, or at least isbeing unreasonably authoritarian.*

Son and heir Jocular term for the eldestboy in a family. The term derives from thefact that in the case of hereditarypeerages, the eldest son inherits thefather’s title upon the latter’s death.*

Son of a bitch A term of abuse. The phrasevaries in offensiveness between differentgroups of people, but, to be cautious, itsuse is not advised. Curiously, it might besupposed that a man being called a dogwould mean the same as ‘son of a bitch’and be considered offensive as well, butthis is not true – see dog.***

Son of a gun A term of friendly address(e.g. ‘how are you, you son of a gun?’).The origin of the phrase refers to an ille-gitimate child whose father was a sailoror soldier. The modern use of the phrasedoes not carry this connotation, and canbe taken as being harmless.*

Song and dance (1) Unnecessary fuss. (2)Unnecessary length.*

Sore thumb See stick out like a sore thumb.

Sort out the men from the boys Discoverthose who are truly capable and/orskilled.*

Sort out the sheep from the goatsDiscover what is desirable.*

Soul-destroying Something that providesan unpleasant feeling of pointlessnessand despondency. The phrase is oftenused of difficult and/or boring tasks thatare unlikely to accomplish much or aremet with lack of gratitude.*

Sound hollow Appear implausible.*

Sound out Ask the opinion of a person orpeople, typically with the intent of dis-covering if they are likely to be in favouror against something.*

Soup to nuts Completely.*

Sour grapes Making unpleasant remarksabout something a person is unable tohave or, more generally, to make unpleas-

ant remarks about a competitor who hasdone better than the speaker. The termcomes from one of Aesop’s fables, inwhich a fox, unable to reach a bunch ofgrapes, decides that they must be sourand thus not worth trying to getanyway.*

Sow dragon’s teeth In attempting to solvea problem, accidentally create fresh diffi-culties.*

Sow wild oats Engage in a promiscuous,carefree lifestyle. The phrase is usuallyespecially applied to young adults.*

Spade work Work that requires consider-able effort (usually physical). There isusually an implication that the work isnot very intellectually demanding orinteresting.*

Spank the monkey Masturbate.***

Spanner in the works Someone or some-thing who mars or completely ruins aplan, process or activity.*

Spare their blushes Prevent someonebeing embarrassed.*

Sparks fly If ‘sparks fly’ in a conversation,then it is one that is very lively.*

Speak as they find Only speak about whatis personally known to be true (i.e. ratherthan believe rumour or hearsay).*

Speak from the heart Express sincereopinions.*

Speak the same language Have similaropinions.*

Speak their mind Say what they truly feeland/or believe.*

Speak volumes If something ‘speaksvolumes’, then it is particularly descrip-tive.*

Speak with forked tongue Tell lies.*

Spectre at the feast Means the same asghost at the feast.

Spend a penny To use a lavatory. Thephrase originates with the fact that many

SPANK THE MONKEY / 215

public conveniences in the UK originallyrequired the patron to pay a penny to usethem.*

Spend money hand over fist Spendmoney at a fast rate. There is usually theimplication that a person is spendingmore than they can afford.*

Spend money like water Means the sameas spend money hand over fist.

Spend the night with The phrase can lit-erally mean to occupy an evening social-ising with someone, but is more often aeuphemism for having sexual relationswith someone.*

Spend time with Be with.*

Spice of life Something that makes a life-style enjoyable rather than boring orroutine.*

Spike their guns Prevent or weaken a planfrom being put into action.*

Spill the beans Reveal a secret.*

Spilled milk American spelling of spiltmilk.

Spilt milk See crying over spilt milk.

Spin a yarn Tell or write a story that iseither fictional and lengthy, or claims tobe factual, but appears improbable.*

Spin doctor A person responsible for pub-licising an organisation or governmentpolicy. The implication is that the public-ity distorts the truth.*

Spirit is willing The rest of the saying is‘but the flesh is weak’. In other words, aperson may have good intentions, but amore attractive (but less worthy) option ischosen because of lack of willpower.*

Spit and polish Very neat and tidy.*

Spit feathers Be angry.*

Spit in the eye Express contempt.*

Spit in the face Means the same as spit in theeye.

Spit it out An instruction to get to the point.The phrase is often used when a personappears embarrassed or nervous aboutsaying something.*

Spit the dummy Become angry.*

Spitting distance See within spittingdistance.

Spitting image An exact copy. The originsof the phrase are unknown, but it isdoubtful if they have anything to do withexpectoration.*

Splice the main brace To have an alco-holic drink. The phrase is a British navalexpression.*

Split a… Divide into smaller units (e.g.exchange a twenty pound note for twoten pound notes, etc.).*

Split a gut Means the same as bust a gut.*

Split hairs Be pedantic.*

Split on them Betray them.*

Split the bill Sometimes followed by‘down the middle’. Share the cost ofsomething equally.*

Split their sides Find something veryamusing.*

Split up (1) Finish a relationship. (2) Subdi-vide into smaller units. E.g. a group ofpeople searching for something mightsplit up into smaller groups and eachsearch in a different place.*

Spoke in their wheel Sabotage a plan.*

Sponge off Accept money and other assis-tance without making any real effort towork or offer other assistance in return.*

Spot it a mile off Means the same as see it amile off.

Sprat to catch a mackerel Something rel-atively minor or inexpensive used to tryto gain something larger and moreexpensive.*

Spread See good spread.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

216 / SPANNER IN THE WORKS

Spread their wings Means the same asstretch their wings.

Spread themselves too thin Try to do toomany tasks simultaneously.*

Spring chicken Someone young. Thephrase is often heard in the negative form(e.g. ‘they’re no spring chicken’, meaningthat they are old and possibly lackingvigour).*

Spur of the moment Something done onthe ‘spur of the moment’ is done sponta-neously.*

Square away Make tidy.*

Square deal (1) Fair treatment. (2) An equi-table arrangement.*

Square eyes A person who has ‘square eyes’is said to watch too much television. Thephrase is intended as a joke (traditionalTV screens are approximately squareshaped).*

Square it Ensure that something poten-tially problematic is accepted and/ordone. E.g. ‘Bert squared it with Sue’means that Bert got Sue’s permission oracceptance to do something.*

Square meal Adequate sustenance.*

Square one See back to square one.

Square peg in a round hole A personwho is unsuitable for the job they aredoing.*

Square the circle Attempting to square thecircle is to attempt a very difficult orimpossible task. The phrase is derivedfrom a mathematical problem of how tocalculate the area of a circle (that was notsatisfactorily solved until the identity ofpi was found).*

Squared away Concluded in a satisfactorymanner.*

Squat See got squat.

Squeaky clean Totally well behaved; thereis usually the implication that a personwho is described as squeaky clean is alsovery boring.*

Squeeze until the pips squeak Take asmuch money as possible from someone.*

Stab a person in the back To betray aperson.*

Stab at Attempt.*

Stab in the back (1) Betray. (2) Betrayal.*

Stable door See shut the stable door after thehorse has bolted.

Stake a claim Make a claim of ownershipor entitlement.*

Stakes See raise the stakes.

Stamp of approval See seal of approval.

Stand corrected Accept a correction to anidea or statement.*

Stand it on its head Radically alter theway something is interpreted.*

Stand on ceremony Insist that a rigidprotocol is followed. The phrase is moreoften heard in the negative – ‘don’t standon ceremony’ is an exhortation to behavein a relaxed, informal manner.*

Stand on dignity Insist upon beingtreated with a marked degree of respect.*

Stand up and be counted Declare supp-ort or allegiance.*

Stand up for themselves Defend them-selves from attack and show resilience.*

Stand-up guy A person who is prepared tooffer loyal support and has moral integ-rity.*

Standing See leave them standing.

Standing on their head See do it standingon their head.

Stands to reason It is logically valid.*

Star in the ascendant Becoming moresuccessful.*

Star is rising See rising star.

Staring it in the face Close to somethingunpleasant (e.g. ‘they were staring defeatin the face’).*

STAND ON CEREMONY / 217

Staring them in the face Be very obvious.The phrase is often used to describesomeone who should have perceivedsomething but has failed to do so (e.g.‘how could she not notice? – it wasstaring her in the face’).*

Stars in their eyes Having unrealisticambitions.*

Start praying A (usually humorous)comment that what is about to be donehas a low probability of success.*

Start the ball rolling Means the same as setthe ball rolling.

State of nature (1) Nakedness. (2) In a stateof moral ignorance.*

State of play What is currently takingplace.*

State of repair The condition of a piece ofmachinery. The term refers as much tohow well it has been repaired or servicedin the past, as to the current repairs it mayneed.*

State of the art The most up-to-dateversion and thus the most technologi-cally advanced.*

Stay focused Maintain concentration.*

Stay loose Relax.*

Stay out of their hair Means the same askeep out of their hair.

Stay put Remain in the same place orposition.*

Stay sharp Maintain concentration and/oralertness.*

Stay the course Persevere to the end. Thephrase usually denotes persevering to theend of a task that is very demanding ordifficult. Thus, someone capable of‘staying the course’ has stamina anddetermination.*

Stay the distance Means the same as staythe course.

Steady See go steady.

Steady as she goes Move carefully.*

Steady boyfriend A boyfriend with whomthere is a (reasonably) long-term relation-ship.*

Steady girlfriend The female form ofsteady boyfriend.*

Steal a march on Gain an advantage over.*

Steal a person’s clothes Use anotherperson’s ideas or arguments and pretendthat they are your own.*

Steal a person’s thunder To lessen theimpact of another person’s actions thatwere intended to enhance the person’sprestige. For example, if preceding aperson in a concert recital, playing thepiece that they had intended to play, andplaying it better than they could.*

Steal the limelight To claim the majorityof attention. There is often the implica-tion that this is unfair, because the personwas not intended to have that amount ofattention. See in the limelight.*

Steal them blind Means the same as robthem blind.

Steam See entry below and: get up steam, letoff steam, run out of steam and under theirown steam.

Steam coming out of their ears Be veryangry.*

Steer a…course Adopt a particular policyor method. The word in the middle of thephrase indicates what this policy ormethod is (e.g. ‘steer a middle course’means being moderate in opinions andbehaviour).*

Steer clear of Avoid.*

Step back (1) Become less involved insomething. (2) Permit someone else totake over a job or task.*

Step down Resign.*

Step into the breach Take over in an emer-gency.*

Step into their boots Means the same asfill their shoes.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

218 / STAND ON DIGNITY

Step into their shoes Means the same asfill their shoes.

Step on it Hurry up.*

Step out of line Disobey regulations.*

Step up to the crease Means the same asstep up to the plate.

Step up to the plate Begin to do some-thing. The implication is usually that thiswill be a demanding task.*

Stew in their own juice Suffer as a resultof their own actions.*

Stick See entries below and: get a lot of stick,in a cleft stick and in the sticks.

Stick at Persevere with.*

Stick in the craw Be a source of irritation.The phrase is often used to describesomething objectionable in a situationthat is otherwise bearable.*

Stick in the gizzard Means the same asstick in the craw.

Stick in the mud A person who isextremely conservative and resistant tochange.*

Stick in the throat Means the same as stickin the craw.

Stick out like a sore thumb Be very con-spicuous.*

Stick their bib in Interfere.*

Stick their neck out Offer an opinion thatmay be wrong and thus risk criticism orridicule.*

Stick their nose in Interfere or be over-inquisitive.*

Stick their oar in Means the same as sticktheir bib in.

Stick to (1) Steadfastly maintain the sameargument or description (e.g. ‘in spite ofrepeated interrogations, he stuck to hisversion of events’). (2) Be constantlypresent. *

Stick to beat them with A piece ofevidence or argument that proves veryuseful in criticising someone.*

Stick to the knitting Maintain a set offamiliar and well-practised activitiesrather than attempting diversificationinto potentially lucrative (but also risky)new activities.*

Stick to the point (1) Keep the argumentcentred on the topic (e.g. as opposed todiscussing irrelevant details). (2) Ademand that a person should confinethemselves to the topic – i.e. it is a com-plaint that a person has started talkingabout irrelevancies (e.g. ‘stick to thepoint! – we’re not interested in trivialdetails, we just want the main facts’).*

Stick to their fingers Steal.*

Stick to their guns Maintain belief andsupport for an argument in spite of con-siderable opposition and/or criticism.*

Stick with Maintain contact with or keepsupporting.*

Sticky fingered Prone to stealing.*

Sticky wicket A difficult situation.*

Stiff upper lip Deliberately showing noemotion even though a display ofemotion might have been expected in thecircumstances. The phrase is often usedof archetypal British soldiers and digni-taries who maintain a polite, stoicalexpression even when things are goingdisastrously wrong. Curiously, severalauthorities have argued that the phrase isoriginally American.*

Still waters The start of a proverb thatfinishes with ‘run deep’. In other words,something that appears harmless orplacid may in fact be made up of danger-ous or more complex components thanwould at first appear possible.*

Sting in the tail An unexpected conclu-sion.*

Stir it Encourage dissent or disquiet.*

STICK TO THEIR GUNS / 219

Stir up a hornets’ nest Create trouble. Thephrase usually indicates that a previouslypeaceful situation has been made trouble-some. In contrast, disturb a hornets’ nest alsomeans to create trouble, but usually indi-cates that a situation that was alreadypotentially troublesome is made far moreproblematic. See hornets’ nest.*

Stitch in time The start of a proverb thatfinishes with ‘saves nine’. In other words,fixing a problem when it first appears willsave having to do a bigger repair job if therepairs are deferred, because withoutbeing fixed the problem will get worseand worse. For example, a loose threadcan be quickly mended, but if left, there isa high probability that the garment willget a noticeable hole in it as the stitchingweakens. There is nothing particularlymeaningful about the number nine in thephrase – it is simply a word that (more orless) rhymes with ‘time’.*

Stomach for a fight Willingness to fightor be adversarial.*

Stone See carved on tablets of stone, fall onstony ground, leave no stone unturned androlling stone.

Stop a gap Provide a stop-gap measure.*

Stop at nothing Be undeterred byanything in the pursuit of something.*

Stop-gap measure A procedure thatprovides a temporary solution to aproblem, but is not totally satisfactoryand is unlikely to provide a lastingsolution.*

Stop the show Do something outstand-ingly good or praiseworthy. The phrase isusually applied to a theatrical or concertperformance.*

Stop their ears Deliberately ignore orrefuse to acknowledge.*

Storm force ten With great intensity.*

Storm in a teacup An excessive amount offuss over a minor incident or problem.*

Story of their life An expression indicat-ing that this is typical of the misfortunes

that seem to characterize a particularperson’s life. It is most often heard in thefirst person (e.g. ‘bad luck like this is thestory of my life’).*

Stout hearted Courageous.*

Straight and narrow Morally respect-able.*

Straight arrow An honest person who canbe trusted.*

Straight as a die (1) Completely honestand trustworthy. (2) Physically com-pletely straight.*

Straight away Immediately.*

Straight contest (1) A contest devoid ofcheating. (2) A contest between just twoopponents.*

Straight fight Means the same as straightcontest.

Straight from central casting Someonewhose behaviour and appearance fitexactly the stereotype of a person withtheir profession or social background(e.g. a male university professor who isabsent-minded, thin, balding andwearing half-moon spectacles).*

Straight from the heart Sincere.*

Straight from the horse’s mouth Seehorse’s mouth.

Straight off At once.*

Straight talking Honest information andopinions.*

Straight to the heart Appealing to theemotions rather than logic.*

Straight up Honestly. The phrase is oftenused as an emphatic statement, stressingthat something is really true (e.g. ‘straightup, that’s what happened’).*

Straighten up Sometimes followed by‘and fly right’. ‘Straighten up’ means tocease doing something foolish or wrongand behave in a more sensible way.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

220 / STICK WITH

Strain at the leash Show great eagernessto begin to do something, but be cur-rently prevented from doing it.*

Straw See entries below and: draw the shortstraw, final straw, grasp at straws and makebricks without straw.

Straw man (1) An argument created withthe purpose of being criticized anddefeated. This can be created with thepurpose of generating ideas, or as a dis-traction to sidetrack opponents. (2) Aperson whose abilities are less than theyat first appear.*

Straw that broke the camel’s back Afinal event in a series of events that,although in itself slight, is enough tocause something bad to happen. Thismay be, for example, the failure of a planor the item, or the last thing that makes aperson finally lose their temper after aseries of minor annoyances.*

Straws in their hair Eccentric or insane.*

Street cred Something with ‘street cred’has a high level of desirability withinteenage or young adult culture.*

Streets ahead Considerably superior.*

Strengthen their hand Make a personmore powerful.*

Stressed out Experiencing psychologicaldistress to the point of being incapable offunctioning normally.*

Stressed up Experiencing psychologicaldistress.*

Stretch See entries below and: at a stretch, byno stretch of the imagination and full stretch.

Stretch a point (1) Make an argument thatuses tenuous logic. The implication is thatwere the argument any weaker, then itwould be false. (2) Interpret a rule in avery lenient manner.*

Stretch the truth Say or write somethingthat, whilst based on truth, is deceptive inthe way it is presented.*

Stretch their legs Walk. The phrase isoften used to describe a brief walk aftersitting for some time.*

Stretch their wings Try something new.*

Stretch to the limit Means the same asstretch a point.

Strictly for the birds See for the birds.

Strike a blow Do something either infavour of a principle (e.g. ‘strike a blowfor democracy’) or against something(e.g. ‘strike a blow against intolerance’).*

Strike a chord Generate a feeling ofsympathy or of especially deep under-standing.*

Strike a false note Do something thatappears insincere.*

Strike a note Make a statement.*

Strike at the root Attack the cause or keyfeature of something.*

Strike home (1) Be accurate. (2) Make aremark that is accurate and makes anargument that a person finds uncomfort-able to think about. (3) Make the impor-tance of something apparent.*

Strike it lucky Be fortunate.*

Strike it rich Become wealthy.*

Strike oil Become rich and/or successful.*

Strike sparks off each other Inspire eachother.*

Strike while the iron is hot Do some-thing promptly when it is advantageousto do so.*

String See entries below and: cut the apronstrings, hold the purse strings, how long is a ballof string?, on a string, pull strings, pull thestrings, second string to their bow and tied tothe apron strings.

String along Keep making promises withno intention of ever fulfilling them.*

String them up (1) Execute by hanging.(2) Severely punish.*

STRIKE HOME / 221

String to their bow See second string to theirbow.

Strings attached Conditions or restric-tions. The phrase is often used to describesomething that initially appears appeal-ing, but the ‘strings attached’ make it lessso. The opposite – no strings attached –means that there are no conditions orrestrictions.*

Stroke of genius A very clever decision,act or thought.*

Stroke of luck Something very fortunate.*

Stroke the wrong way Annoy. The impli-cation is that a different choice of actionsor words would not have caused annoy-ance. There are several variants of thephrase (e.g. ‘stroke them up the wrongway’, ‘stroke their fur the wrong way’,etc.).*

Stroll in the park Something very easy.*

Strong See entries below and: come it strong,come on strong and going strong.

Strong arm of the law Means the same aslong arm of the law.

Strong arm tactics Using force or thethreat of force to make someone dosomething.*

Strong meat Too extreme for most peopleto find agreeable.*

Strong on (1) Has expertise in. (2) Isobsessed by. (3) Has large quantities of.*

Strong stomach The capacity to witnessunpleasant things without feelingnauseous.*

Strut their stuff Make an ostentatiousdisplay.*

Stuff to give the troops Something enter-taining or morale-boosting.*

Stuffed shirt A pompous, overly formalperson.*

Stumbling block A problem that produceserrors and either stops or slows up therunning of a plan. The phrase comes from

the use of ‘stumbling blocks’ or obstaclesto deter invading soldiers.*

Sublime to the ridiculous See from thesublime to the ridiculous.

Suck it and see Try it to find out its truequalities. The phrase is often used todescribe situations where theoreticalanalysis cannot reveal the true nature ofsomething, and only practical experi-mentation will give a satisfactory result.*

Sugar daddy An older man who buysexpensive things for, or otherwiseindulges, a younger person who is notrelated to him. The phrase is often used todescribe an older man who expendsmoney on a younger woman in exchangefor sexual favours, but note the phrasedoes not automatically imply this.*

Sugar the pill Make something unpleasanteasier to accept.*

Suit their book Be acceptable.*

Sun is over the yardarm A time when it issocially acceptable to be drinking alco-holic drinks.*

Sun shines out of their backside Regardwith an unrealistically high level ofadmiration. The phrase is often used sar-castically.***

Sunday best The smartest set of clothes aperson possesses.*

Sunny Jim A phrase used as a slightlyhostile or patronising form of address to aperson – usually male (e.g. ‘what do youhave to say for yourself, Sunny Jim?’).The phrase was originally a characterused in advertisements for a breakfastcereal.*

Sunny side up (1) A fried egg fried on onlyone side is ‘sunny side up’. (2) The phraseis occasionally used to describe the moodor life of someone who appearscheerful.*

Sup with the Devil Have dealings with anuntrustworthy or devious person.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

222 / STRIKE IT LUCKY

Sure as eggs is eggs With absolute cer-tainty.*

Sure footed Extremely competent.*

Sure thing (1) As a reply to a request ororder, the phrase means ‘certainly’, and itindicates that something will be done. (2)A ‘sure thing’ means ‘a certainty’.*

Surf the net Means the same as surf the web.

Surf the web Explore sites on theInternet.*

Survival of the fittest The argument thatonly those who are ruthless and cunningare likely to succeed.*

Swallow their pride Someone swallowingtheir pride is accepting that they arewrong about something or that they lackthe ability to do something, even thoughthis admission is damaging to theirprestige.*

Swear blind Insist that something is true.*

Swear up and down Means the same asswear blind.

Sweat See entries below and: by the sweat oftheir brow and no sweat.

Sweat blood Make a considerable effort.The phrase is a deliberate exaggeration.*

Sweat buckets Sweat profusely.*

Sweat it out Endure an unpleasant situa-tion.*

Sweat like a pig Profusely sweat.*

Sweep the board In a competition, aperson or team that ‘sweeps the board’wins everything.*

Sweep under the carpet Ignore or try toforget something because it is embarrass-ing or it does not suit current policy. Theimplication is that what is being ignoredstill exists and has not been destroyed orrefuted.*

Sweep under the rug Means the same assweep under the carpet.

Sweet See entries below and: keep them sweetand like a child in a sweet shop.

Sweet FA See sweet Fanny Adams.

Sweet Fanny Adams A derogatory termmeaning ‘useless’ or ‘of little value oruse’. The phrase originates by a convo-luted route from a girl called FannyAdams who was murdered in the nine-teenth century. The term is considerednot very polite in the UK, because ‘fanny’is sometimes used as slang for a woman’sgenitals (in US slang it refers to awoman’s posterior). The phrase subse-quently became shortened to sweet FA,which in turn led to the phrase being ‘re-invented’ as sweet fuck all (though it stillmeans the same as ‘sweet Fanny Adams’).The latter is considered very impolite.**or ***

Sweet fuck all See sweet Fanny Adams.

Sweet shop See like a child in a sweet shop.

Sweeten the deal Means the same as sugarthe pill. The phrase is often used withspecific reference to a business venturemade more attractive by an extra induce-ment.

Sweeten the pill Means the same as sugarthe pill.

Swim against the tide See against the tide.

Swing See entries below and: back in theswing of things, in full swing and no room toswing a cat.

Swing it (1) Succeed in arranging forsomething to happen. (2) Persuadesomeone to be in favour of something.*

Swings and roundabouts Advantagesand disadvantages that approximatelybalance each other out.*

Switch horses in midstream Means thesame as change horses in midstream.

Sword See beat swords into ploughshares, crossswords, double-edged sword, he who lives bythe sword and put to the sword.

SWEETEN THE DEAL / 223

TT and A Means the same as tits and ass.

Tab See keep tabs on and pick up the tab.

Table a motion (1) In UK English, thephrase means to present something fordiscussion. (2) In US English, the phrasemeans to postpone discussion until a laterdate. See lay on the table.*

Tablets of stone See carved on tablets ofstone.

Tail between their legs Humiliated.*

Tail up An optimistic or cheerful mood.*

Tail wags the dog An undesirable situa-tion where a subordinate part of a largerprocess is governing what will be done.*

Take See entries below and: on the take.

Take a back seat Move to a position withless influence or power.*

Take a bath Lose a lot of money throughan unwise investment.*

Take a bead on Take aim at a target.*

Take a bite out of Appreciably reduce insize or quantity.*

Take a bow (1) Gracefully acknowledgepraise. (2) In a sentence including some-one’s name, a statement that the personhas performed well (e.g. ‘Mike, take abow for that excellent work on thereport’).*

Take a bullet for them Receive a punish-ment or disadvantages on behalf ofsomeone else.*

Take a dim view Have an unfriendlyopinion.*

Take a dive (1) Show a marked decline. (2)Throw a fight.*

Take a fade Escape.*

Take a flyer Do something risky.*

Take a hammering (1) Suffer a severedefeat. (2) Be physically damaged.*

Take a hand Be partly responsible for.*

Take a hike Fairly impolite way of saying‘go away’ or ‘leave’.**

Take a knock Receive a setback.*

Take a leaf out of their book Copy oremulate.*

Take a leak Urinate.**

Take a pew An invitation to sit down.*

Take a rain check [or cheque] Topostpone something until a later date.The term originally referred to ‘rainchecks’ issued to spectators at baseballgames which had to be postponed due tobad weather. The checks could be used togain free admittance when the game wasreplayed at a later date.*

Take a ride A demand that someone goesaway. Tends to be used in US English.**

Take a running jump A demand thatsomeone goes away. Tends to be used inUK English.**

Take a seat Sit down.*

Take a shine to Become fond of.*

Take a shot at Attempt.*

Take after (1) Resemble. (2) Chase after.*

Take an early bath Finish unexpectedlyearly.*

Take apart Comprehensively defeat.*

Take as read Assume something to be truewithout checking.*

Take away When referring to food, meansthe same as to go.

Take by storm Create a strong, favourableimpression.*

Take care of number one Means thesame as look after number one.

Take courage in both hands Prepare todo something requiring considerablecourage.*

Take down a peg Means the same as bringdown a peg or two.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

224 / SWEETEN THE PILL

Take five Have a rest.*

Take for a ride Deceive.*

Take-home message The summary of theinformation contained in something (e.g.a lecture, book, film, etc.).*

Take in their stride Accept and/or dealwith without apparent concern.*

Take it easy (1) An instruction to calmdown. (2) Engage in a relaxing activityunconnected with work. (3) Perform atask in an unhurried manner.*

Take it from me Accept my advice.*

Take it into their head Decide. There isusually an implication that the decision isimpetuous and/or illogical.*

Take it like a man Accept a rebuke or apunishment without complaining aboutit. The phrase is considered sexist thesedays, and its use is not recommended.*

Take it lying down Accept a punishmentor insult without protest.*

Take it on the chin Accept punishment ora difficult situation without complaint.There is sometimes the implication ofadmitting responsibility for a mistake ormisdeed and accepting the punishmentwithout complaint.*

Take it or leave it An expression of disin-terest, indicating that what is offered is allthere is, so it can either be accepted orrejected. The implication is that thespeaker is not very interested in whethersomeone accepts or rejects.*

Take it out on… A simple phrase describ-ing a complex subject. First, someone ismade bad-tempered by somebody orsomething (e.g. an illness or an argumentcan make someone bad- tempered). Theperson then behaves unpleasantly tosomeone or something other than thecause of the anger. The implication is thatthe victim of the unpleasant behaviourdoes not deserve to be so harshly treated(e.g. ‘Bob took out his anger on theblameless Sue because John had beenunpleasant to Bob earlier in the day’).*

Take it to court If something can be ‘takento court’ then it is reliable.*

Take it up To start a discussion aboutsomething (e.g. ‘I was worried about theseating arrangements for next week’smeeting so I decided to take it up withthe manager’).*

Take leave of their senses Becomeinsane.*

Take liberties with (1) Behave in amanner with someone that movesbeyond proper levels of decorum. (2)Treat something in a manner that was notoriginally intended (e.g. retell a historicalevent manipulating the true facts in orderto make a more exciting story).*

Take no prisoners Behave in a ruthless,uncharitable manner.*

Take off Mimic.*

Take on board Can have the samemeanings as bring on board, and also: (1)Understand the information supplied. (2)Accept responsibility for something.*

Take out (1) Take to a restaurant, theatre,concert or something else entertaining,usually as part of dating or courtship. (2)Kill. (3) Remove. The context shouldindicate which meaning is intended.*

Take pains Make a considerable effort andpay attention to details.*

Take root Become established or immov-able.*

Take stock Attempt to comprehend.*

Take the air Go for a walk.*

Take the ball and run with it This hastwo different meanings. (1) To continue apiece of work started by someone else,and improve it so that it ends up betterthan it would have done if the personwho originally started the work had beendoing it. (2) To test a piece of workstarted by someone else to judge if it isfeasible.*

TAKE NO PRISONERS / 225

Take the biscuit Usually heard in thephrase ‘well that takes the biscuit!’ Thephrase is an expression of disgust orannoyance at a piece of bad behaviour. Itis often used when several pieces ofmildly bad behaviour are followed by avery bad piece of behaviour.*

Take the breath away Say or do some-thing that amazes. This can be somethingpleasant (e.g. ‘his new collection of paint-ings is so wonderful it takes the breathaway’) or unpleasant (e.g. ‘the increase inprices of basic goods took my breathaway’).*

Take the bull by the horns Deal with aproblem directly and decisively.*

Take the cake Means the same as take thebiscuit.

Take the chequered flag Win a race. Thephrase derives from the waving of a blackand white chequered flag to indicate thata motor race has finished.*

Take the count Be unconscious ordefeated (see out for the count).*

Take the cue (1) Copy what someone elseis doing. The phrase is nearly always usedin a situation where a person is unsurewhat to do and so copies (‘takes the cuefrom’) others. (2) Obey the advice ofsomeone.*

Take the easy way out (1) Choose to endsomething by the method requiring theleast work. The phrase is usually deroga-tory, and implies that there is a bettersolution that is morally more acceptable,but which requires more work. (2)Commit suicide.*

Take the edge off Make less. The phrasecan refer to level of interest, sensation,pain or other things, depending uponcontext. The phrase nearly alwaysimplies that something is made lessunpleasant.*

Take the fall Receive punishment or criti-cism.*

Take the fifth Means the same as plead thefifth.

Take the floor (1) Give a presentation at apublic meeting. (2) Dance at a disco or aballroom dancing event.*

Take the gilt off the gingerbread Makeless appealing.*

Take the heat (1) Receive punishment. (2)Withstand an unpleasant situation with-out weakening.*

Take the lead (1) Move into first place. (2)If someone ‘takes the lead’ from anotherperson, then they are copying them (e.g.‘Brian took the lead from Sue and stoodup as well’).*

Take the liberty Do something withoutpermission.*

Take the lid off Uncover secrets (typicallyscandals).*

Take the mickey To make fun of, or tease,someone.*

Take the money and run To accept whatis on offer without argument.*

Take the piss Means the same as take themickey.***

Take the pledge Promise to be teetotal.*

Take the plunge Commit to doing some-thing.*

Take the rap Means the same as take the fall.

Take the shine off Reduce the level ofexcitement or enjoyment.*

Take the starch out (1) Weaken. (2) Makeless formal and pompous.*

Take the waters Undertake a combinedholiday and therapeutic treatment.*

Take their breath away Astonish them.*

Take their eye off the ball See keep theireye on the ball.

Take their life in their hands Engage in adangerous activity.*

Take their lumps Be punished.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

226 / TAKE OFF

Take their point Accept the validity of anargument.*

Take them back Be reminded of some-thing that happened a long time ago (e.g.‘hearing the song took me back to a timewhen it was first released and in the hitparade’).*

Take to Like or find attractive.*

Take to heart Believe.*

Take to task Criticize and/or punish.*

Take to the cleaners (1) Take a lot ofmoney off someone. It is usually impliedthat this was done by trickery. (2) Defeatsomeone in a comprehensive manner.*

Take to the grave Die without revealing aparticular secret.*

Take to the hills Hide.*

Take to the road Begin a journey.*

Take to their heels Escape.*

Take under their wing Offer protectionand guidance.*

Take up (1) Begin to study or participate in(e.g. ‘take up golf ’). (2) Level of responseto something (e.g. ‘what’s the take up onthe new course?’).*

Take up cudgels Begin to support acause.*

Take up the gauntlet See throw down thegauntlet.

Take up the slack Make good use of asurplus or something unproductive.*

Take up with Begin courting or dating.*

Take with a pinch of salt Be sceptical.*

Take words out of their mouth Say theexact words or a paraphrase of somethingthat someone else was contemplatingsaying.*

Take years off Feel and/or look faryounger than the actual age.*

Take you home See wrap you up and take youhome. The phrase can also be used as a

polite rebuke when someone is too drunkor is misbehaving at a social gathering(e.g. ‘I think someone had better takeJessica home’).*

Takes all sorts An expression of the beliefthat people differ enormously in person-ality and taste. The phrase is sometimesused in a dismissive fashion to indicatethat the speaker doesn’t share someoneelse’s tastes (e.g. ‘you like Led Zeppelin?It takes all sorts I suppose’).*

Talent will out If somebody has a talentfor something, then it will display itselfin some form or another.*

Talk a blue streak Talk for a long time.*

Talk about… Indicate that something isbeing done excessively or unreasonably(e.g. ‘talk about being unreasonable – didyou see what he did?’).*

Talk dirty Talk about sex in a lasciviousway.**

Talk down (1) Refute an argument. (2)Talk in a patronising manner.*

Talk in riddles Use ambiguous or garbledexpressions.*

Talk of the Devil A phrase said whensomeone or something being discussedsuddenly appears (e.g. ‘talk of the Devil –we were just discussing you’).*

Talk shop Discuss work activities orbusiness matters. The phrase tends to beused in two different ways. (1) A requestsuch as ‘let’s talk shop’ means thatsomeone wants to talk about work or abusiness matter. It is usually used in con-versations after an initial phase of talkingabout harmless ‘conversational openers’such as the weather. (2) As a descriptionof an activity (e.g. ‘they talked shop’) itcan be a simple description (i.e. it meansnothing more than ‘they discussedbusiness matters’) or it can be a complaintthat the conversation was dull (i.e. itmeans ‘all they did was talk about busi-ness’).*

TALK ABOUT… / 227

Talk the hind leg off a donkey Very talk-ative.*

Talk the talk Say the appropriate orexpected things. The phrase is often usedas the start of a longer question – ‘you cantalk the talk, but can you walk the walk?’– and means that someone can say theright things, but are they capable ofputting them into practice? See walk thewalk.*

Talk to the hand (1) Talk on the phone.(2) A phrase indicating lack of interest in,and/or rejection of a criticism orcomment. This is often accompanied by ahand gesture imitating talking on thephone or, more emphatically, a handextended palm outwards.**

Talk turkey Discuss business matters.*

Talking heads People who offer theiropinions on the television and radio. Theimplication is that the opinions are oflittle value.*

Talking shop (1) A different grammaticalconstruction of talk shop. (2) A contemp-tuous term for an organisation or activitythat discusses things and makes grandgestures without ever doing anything ofpractical value.*

Tall and short of it Means the same as longand the short of it.

Tall order A difficult or preposteroustask.*

Tall story An implausible story.*

Tangled web (1) Something that is diffi-cult. (2) A lie, especially one that hasbecome more complex with retelling.*

Tango See it takes two to tango.

Tap into Make use of.*

Tar with the same brush Decide thateveryone belonging to a particular grouphas the same attributes, regardless of dif-ferences between individuals within thegroup. The phrase is often used todescribe how a person can be unfairly

discriminated against because others inhis or her group are seen as unpleasant.*

Taste See entries below and: bad taste in themouth.

Taste blood Means the same as scent blood.

Taste of their own medicine A personreceiving a ‘taste of their own medicine’experiences the same harm or discomfortthat he or she has inflicted on otherpeople.*

Tea and sympathy Consolation and sym-pathetic treatment offered by someoneuntrained in therapeutic methods. Thephrase derives from the widespread habitof offering cups of tea to people whoappear distressed.*

Tea in China See not for all the tea in China.

Teach granny to suck eggs Tellingsomeone something that they alreadyknow.*

Teach them a lesson Punish.*

Tear ass Move quickly.**

Tear limb from limb Destroy violently.The phrase is nearly always used as anexaggerated threat.*

Tear off a strip Tell off severely.*

Tear their hair out Become very annoyedor frustrated.*

Tear to pieces Heavily criticize.*

Tear to ribbons Means the same as cut toshreds.

Tear to shreds Means the same as cut toshreds.

Technicolour yawn Vomit.**

Teed off Annoyed.*

Telephone number figures Large num-bers.*

Tell it a mile off Means the same as see it amile off.

Tell it to the Marines An expression ofdisbelief. The phrase usually indicates

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

228 / TALK DIRTY

that the speaker finds something prepos-terous rather than simply surprising butplausible.*

Tell me about it If the phrase is said in asarcastic voice, then the person speakingis saying that they are already fully awareof the situation to the point of boredomand/or exasperation.*

Tell me something I don’t know A retortthat means that what has just been saidwas already known.**

Tell me when Elvis gets here A sarcasticphrase indicating disbelief. The phraseimplies that what has just been said is asridiculous as the delusion that ElvisPresley is still alive.*

Tell tales out of school (1) Reveal secretsabout another person. (2) Gossip.*

Tell them where they get off Means thesame as tell them where to get off.

Tell them where to get off Rebukesomeone. It is often implied that therebuke is for being over-presumptive.*

Tells it like it is Is truthful; usually with theimplication that there is no attempt to useeuphemisms.*

Tempt fate Express optimism at a point inthe proceedings when something can stillgo wrong. Whether or not it will gowrong is unlikely to be affected by whatis said, but given the record of sportscommentators (e.g. ‘at this stage in thegame they cannot lose’ is practically aguarantee that they will) one may specu-late.*

Ten a penny Commonly occurring.*

Ten out of ten Utterly correct or success-ful.*

Tent pissing out See in the tent pissing out.

Terribly… Used by British people fromsome social groups as a synonym for‘very’. Thus, ‘it ’s terribly charming’means ‘it’s very charming’.*

Test the water Make a preliminary investi-gation. The phrase usually describesattempting to gauge the worth of some-thing by presenting it to a small sample ofpeople, rather than the general public.*

Thanks for nothing An expression ofannoyance that someone has failed to dosomething that they were meant to do(e.g. ‘so you failed to wash the dishes as Iasked you to – thanks for nothing’).*

Thanks to Because of.*

That figures That appears logically plausi-ble.*

That good? Usually followed by ‘eh’ or‘huh’. An ironic expression given inresponse to a description of somethingthat was patently not very enjoyable.*

That makes two of us An expression ofallegiance, sympathy or solidarity withanother person because they hold thesame opinions or are experiencing thesame problems.*

That ship has sailed What is beingdescribed has irrevocably finished.*

That’ll be the day An expression of incre-dulity in reply to a statement.*

That’s all he [or she] wrote Indicating theend of the story – i.e. there is no more totell.*

That’s all folks A light-hearted way ofannouncing the end of a presentation.The phrase is a quotation from a popularmovie cartoon series that often endedwith the announcement ‘that’s all folks!’*

That’s life An expression of acceptancethat unexpected events can happen. Thephrase is often given in response to a situ-ation which has become unexpectedlyworse.*

That’s the pinch That is the problem.*

That’s the spirit That is the correctemotional response and/or level of com-mitment.*

THAT MAKES TWO OF US / 229

That’s the stuff That is just what isrequired.*

That’s the ticket That is ideal.*

That’s the way the cookie crumbles Thephrase expresses the argument that somethings end badly, but this is what shouldhave been expected. It is often used as areply when someone describes howsomething turned out less well than theyexpected or hoped.*

Their own worst enemy A person who is‘their own worst enemy’ is more likely toinflict damage on themselves than toother people. The phrase is often used ofsomeone who is too self-critical.*

Their pigeon Their concern.*

Their shout Their turn to buy a round ofdrinks.*

Them as wants it A deliberately ungram-matical phrase used to describe some-thing that appeals to some people, but byno means everybody. There is usually animplication that the speaker or writerdoes not themselves like it (e.g. ‘there’s aSondheim musical at the local theatre forthem as wants it’).*

There again In some contexts, the phrasemeans ‘alternatively’ (e.g. ‘but thereagain, this might happen’).*

There’s…for you The phrase is nearlyalways used sarcastically, so that theopposite of the word inserted in thephrase is usually intended. Thus, ‘there’sgratitude for you’ means ‘look at thatungrateful behaviour’.*

There’s no telling (1) It is impossible togive an accurate account of whathappened. (2) It is impossible to predictwhat will happen.*

There’s one born every minute A phraseexpressing the belief that there are plentyof gullible people. The phrase is usuallysaid when describing someone who hasbecome, or is about to become, the victimof a fraudulent plan.*

There’s the rub There is the problem.*

Thereby hangs a tale Phrase indicatingthat following on from whatever is beingdiscussed is another story or explana-tion.*

They should get out more They shouldbe less insular and more aware of currentnews and fashions.*

They’ll be sunk They will fail or encoun-ter difficulties.*

They’ll live The phrase can be used whensomeone is making too much fuss about aminor injury or illness. Thus, a retort of‘they’ll live’ or ‘you’ll live’ means that thesituation is not serious and there is noreason for the level of complaint.*

They’ve made their bed they’d betterlie in it The phrase means that if a personhas done something, then they mustaccept responsibility for what happens asa result of their actions. There are severalpermutations of this phrase.*

Thick See entries below and: bit thick, bloodis thicker than water, give them a thick ear, inthe thick of it, lay it on thick, plot thickens andthrough thick and thin.

Thick and fast Describes the movement ofsomething in large quantities and/orlarge numbers of something moving inrapid succession.*

Thick as… The phrase normally means‘stupid’ when followed by a word orphrase describing something thick in size(e.g. ‘thick as two short planks’, ‘thick as adocker’s butty’, ‘thick as a brick’).* or **or *** (depends on word used)

Thick as thieves Describes people whohave strong allegiances to each other andare secretive about their activities.*

Thick on the ground Plentiful.*

Thick skinned Unbothered by criticism.*

Thin end of the wedge (1) The mostminor features of a problem. (2) Theinitial signs that there is a problem.*

Thin on the ground Rare.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

230 / THAT SHIP HAS SAILED

Thin on top Bald or balding.*

Thin times Unpleasant events.*

Things that go bump in the nightGhosts. The phrase is often used as ajoking explanation of noises heard atnight-time.*

Think of England See close your eyes andthink of England.

Think on their feet A person who can‘think on their feet’ is able to analyse aproblem or do other mental tasks imme-diately, without initial planning.*

Thinking cap See put on their thinking cap.

Third degree (1) Intense questioning. (2)Describes something that is veryserious.*

This bites This is of poor quality or is unin-spiring.*

This sucks This is of poor quality or isunfair.**

Thorn in their side A constant annoy-ance.*

Thousand and one reasons Lots ofreasons.*

Three guesses A phrase used sarcasticallyor jokingly to indicate that somethingvery predictable has occurred. Forexample, if Tom was expected to failbadly at an exam, a person who has foundout that Tom in fact did fail badly mightask another person who is aware of Tom’slikely chances, but who does not yetknow the result, ‘Do you know what Tomdid in his exam? Three guesses.’*

Three-ring circus (1) A lot of activity,usually with the implication of chaotic,rather than organized, activity. (2) Anostentatious event, sometimes implyingthat there is a lot of display but little ofactual worth.*

Three Rs The fundamental subjects taughtin school – reading, writing and arithme-tic (all begin with ‘r’ if the first letters are

taken off the latter two words and aCockney accent is used).*

Three sheets to the wind Inebriated.Numbers other than ‘three’ are some-times used in this phrase.*

Thrills and spills Excitement. The phraseis generally used to describe the excite-ment gained by watching a spectacularmovie or other entertainment.*

Throat See at each other’s throats, force downtheir throat, frog in the throat, jump down theirthroat, lump in the throat and stick in thethroat.

Through the ceiling See go through theceiling.

Through the mill Treated harshly.*

Through the roof See go through the roof.

Through thick and thin In all situations,whether pleasant or unpleasant, easy ordifficult.*

Throw a fight In boxing, deliberatelylosing a match to benefit an illegalbetting syndicate. By extension, deliber-ately performing badly for illicit gain.*

Throw a lifeline Offer assistance.*

Throw a wobbly Have a temper tantrum.*

Throw-away remark Means the same asoff the cuff remark.

Throw back in their face Reject some-thing in a forceful way. The phrase oftenis used to describe an act of ingratitude.*

Throw caution to the wind Do some-thing without thinking of possible badconsequences.*

Throw chunks Vomit.*

Throw down the gauntlet To challengesomeone to do something. The phrasecomes from a medieval method of chal-lenging an opponent to a fight bythrowing a glove down on the ground infront of them. If the person picked up theglove, then they accepted the challenge.

THROW A FIGHT / 231

Hence, take up the gauntlet means to accepta challenge.*

Throw for a loop Astonish.*

Throw good money after bad Foolishlyspend more money on something thathas already had money spent on it and isalready clearly a failure and/or waste oftime.*

Throw in Include.*

Throw in the sponge Means the same asthrow in the towel.

Throw in the towel Give up. The termcomes from boxing, where the trainer of aboxer obviously losing the fight wouldthrow a towel into the ring to stop thefight and save the boxer further injury.*

Throw money at Attempt to solve aproblem by spending money on it.*

Throw mud Make accusations and/orspread rumours which have the effect ofdiscrediting someone or something.*

Throw off balance Create uncertainty.*

Throw off the scent Prevent fromfinding.*

Throw overboard Abandon or discard.*

Throw stones Make accusations.*

Throw the baby out with the bath waterTo remove or destroy not only the badbits of something, but also the goodthings that were worth saving. Thephrase indicates that this is a foolishthing to do.*

Throw the book at them Punishsomeone for every law and rule they havebroken.*

Throw their hat into the ring Offer totake part in a contest.*

Throw their weight about Be aggressiveor bullying.*

Throw them Confuse them.*

Throw to the dogs (1) Remove the protec-tion afforded someone so that they can

be attacked. (2) Discard. (3) Place indanger.*

Throw to the lions Means the same asthrow to the dogs.

Throw to the wolves (1) Can mean thesame as throw to the dogs. (2) More specifi-cally, the phrase can mean to place onemember of a group in danger so that theother members of the group stand abetter chance of survival.*

Thrown in at the deep end Placed in a sit-uation for which a person has little priorexperience, and which is very demand-ing.*

Thumbs down Disapproval.*

Thumbs up Approval.*

Thunder See steal a person’s thunder.

Tickets on himself [or herself] A personwith a very high opinion of their ownmerits.*

Tickle their fancy Amuse them.*

Tickled pink Very pleased.*

Tie hand and foot Limit activities and/orfreedom of movement.*

Tie the knot Get married.*

Tie themselves in knots Become con-fused. The phrase usually indicatessomeone who through their own actionsmakes things more complicated thanthey should be.*

Tied to the apron strings Derogatoryterm for a person who is over-reliant ontheir parents at an age when they arecapable of being independent. Note thatthis does not apply to people who remainat home because of, for example, physicalor mental health problems or becausethey cannot financially afford to leave thefamily home. *

Tiger See easy tiger, have a tiger by the tail andpaper tiger.

Tight corner Difficult situation.*

Tight ship See run a tight ship.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

232 / THROW A LIFELINE

Tight spot Means the same as tight corner.

Tighten the screw Make even moreunpleasant and/or threatening.*

Tighten their belt Adopt economymeasures to save money (typically inresponse to a loss of earnings).*

Tightly strung Having very repressedemotions but permanently anxious orwary.*

Tilt at windmills A person who ‘tilts atwindmills’ feels they must attack (orcreate defences against) an enemy thatthey believe to be real, but in fact doesnot exist. There is often an implicationthat the person does this for what theybelieve to be the best of motives. Thephrase is derived from Don Quixote, inwhich the eponymous hero attacks wind-mills, believing them to be ferociousgiants.*

Time and tide The start of a proverb thatconcludes with ‘wait for no man’. Inother words, some things will inevitablychange or happen regardless of what aperson thinks will or should happen. Thephrase generally carries the implicationthat some things have to be done whenthe opportunity is there, and that waitingor delaying will result in the opportunitybeing lost.*

Time out Temporarily stop an activity torest and/or contemplate. The phrase isoften used to suggest that people stoparguing before tempers are lost. Thephrase is derived from various US sportswhere a ‘time out’ (break in play) is per-mitted for teams to discuss tactics.*

Time out of mind A long time.*

Time will tell An expression used whenthe importance of something is uncertainat the present time. ‘Time will tell’ meansthat in the future it may be possible tobetter appreciate it (e.g. ‘only time willtell whether the pop music of today willremain popular in the future’).*

Tin ear No musical ability or ability toappreciate music.*

Tinder box A situation which could veryeasily become problematic unless greatcare is taken.*

Tip of the iceberg Something that seemsin itself to be a major issue, but is in factjust the most noticeable feature of some-thing far larger. The term is nearly alwaysused to describe something that presentsa considerable problem in itself but is inreality symptomatic of something largerand more serious.*

Tip of the tongue (1) Something on the‘tip of the tongue’ is something that canalmost, but not quite, be recalled. (2)Something that someone is about to sayand then represses it.*

Tip the balance (1) Weigh (e.g. ‘it tips thebalance at 54 kilos’). (2) Be the decidingfactor in an argument (e.g. ‘the final pieceof evidence tipped the balance in favourof the defence’).*

Tip the scales Means the same as tip thebalance, particularly definition 1.

Tire out Make exhausted or becomeexhausted.*

Tired and emotional Drunk. Derivedfrom a frequently used euphemism in theBritish media to refer to inebriatedpeople.*

Tit for tat An argument or dispute in whichthe attacks of one opponent areresponded to with counter-attacks of thesame strength and type.*

Tits and ass A blatant (and perhapsexploitative) use of feminine physical sexappeal.***

Tits up Broken or in a poor condition.**

To a fare-you-well Completely.*

To a fault Generously.*

To a T If something is done to a T, it isexactly correct.*

To a tee Means the same as to a T.

TIP THE SCALES / 233

To a turn Exactly right. The phrase is mostoften used to describe a piece of foodcooked exactly the right length of time.*

To all intents and purposes By reason-able, rather than utterly precise, argu-ment. The phrase is usually used toindicate that something is sufficientlysimilar to the desired result for it to beacceptable (e.g. ‘to all intents andpurposes they are the same’).*

To be frank Means the same as to be honest.

To be honest A statement emphasisingthat what follows should be attended to(e.g. ‘to be honest, I’m not sure we can doanything more’). It does not mean thatthe rest of the time the speaker is beingdishonest.*

To bits Placed after a phrase to indicate thatthe sentiment expressed is meant verystrongly (e.g. ‘I love him to bits’).*

To boot In addition (e.g. ‘as well as thedamage there was the inconvenience andupset to boot’).*

To die for Something that is ‘to die for’ isseen as highly desirable. The phrase is anexaggeration – the desired item inquestion is usually very appealing but notworth risking life in order to acquire it.*

To-do An argument. See bit of a to-do.*

To go Food ‘to go’ is food to be eaten offthe premises where it was prepared.*

To hand Available straight away.*

To hell and back A period of considerablehardship and/or suffering.*

To say the least Attached to a criticism, thephrase means that the criticism offered isthe mildest that can be offered, andimplies that an accurate criticism wouldprobably be much harsher.*

To the core If something has an attribute‘to the core’ then it is full of that attribute(e.g. ‘rotten to the core’ means it is thor-oughly rotten, ‘good to the core’ that it isthoroughly good, etc.). The phrase isderived from an image of an apple – does

it only look good on the outside, or is itthe same through to its centre (i.e. core)?*

To the full As much as possible. The phraseis often used in the form live life to the full.A person who ‘lives life to the full’ has alife that is full of activity and experi-ences.*

To the good (1) In profit. (2) Good.*

To the heart’s content To the completesatisfaction (e.g. ‘having moved out of thefamily home into his own house,Laurence was able to play loud music tohis heart’s content without fearing hisparents’ complaints’).*

To the hilt As far as it is possible.*

To the letter Every detail correct.*

To the manner born Well suited to a par-ticular situation, as if genetically predes-tined for it.*

To the marrow Totally.*

To the max To the most extreme.*

To the skies With enthusiasm (e.g. ‘praiseto the skies’).*

To the teeth Possessing a lot of something(e.g. ‘armed to the teeth’ means ‘possess-ing a lot of weapons’).*

To their bootstraps Someone who is saidto be something ‘to their bootstraps’ is avery characteristic example (e.g. ‘Susanwas an annoying person to her boot-straps; everybody found her annoying’.*

To their dying day For the whole of therest of the lifespan.*

To their fingertips Totally.*

Toast See on toast.

Toe See the entries below and: catch them ontheir toes, dip their toes in, make their toes curl,on their toes and turn up their toes.

Toe in the door Initial access. Typicallythe phrase refers to the early stages of anactivity that has the aim of attainingsomething desirable.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

234 / TIRE OUT

Toe the line Obey regulations and/ororders.*

Toffee See entry below and: for toffee.

Toffee-nosed Snobbish.*

Tom, Dick and Harry Ordinary people(e.g. ‘this is the sort of thing that wouldappeal to any Tom, Dick and Harry’means that it is the sort of thing that mostpeople would find appealing). Thephrase is often used to denote exclusivity– or lack of it (e.g. ‘we don’t want just anyTom, Dick and Harry joining the club’).*

Ton of bricks See come down like a ton ofbricks.

Tongue hanging out Showing greateagerness and/or interest.*

Tongue in cheek Something that is‘tongue in cheek’ may appear to be meantseriously, but is in reality intended to behumorous.*

Tongue-tied Finding it difficult to speak.The phrase is often used to describesomeone too embarrassed, guilty, ornervous to speak eloquently.*

Tons of Lots of.*

Too big for their boots Conceited.*

Too big for their britches Means thesame as too big for their boots.

Too clever by half Derogatory phrase forsomeone felt to be ‘too intelligent’. It isoften used to describe someone whodisplays intelligence but lacks the abilityto make any practical use of their skills.**

Too clever for their own good Means thesame as too clever by half.

Too close for comfort Typically refers toa situation in which something nearly hitsomeone (e.g. ‘the enemy gunners weregetting more accurate, and the last volleyof shells missed us, but was too close forcomfort, so we withdrew’). It can alsorefer to a criticism or comment thatnearly uncovers something a personwants to be kept secret.*

Too close to call If nearing the end of acompetition, and it is difficult to predictwho will win, then it can be said to be‘too close to call’.*

Too good to be true Means the same aswhiter than white.

Too many chiefs and not enoughIndians Too many managers and admin-istrators and not enough people actuallydoing work.*

Too many cooks The phrase refers to thesaying too many cooks spoil the broth, andmeans that too many people are involvedin something.*

Too many cooks in the kitchen Meansthe same as too many cooks spoil the broth.

Too many cooks spoil the broth Asaying expressing the belief that toomany people can be involved in anactivity, thereby making the finishedproduct of the activity worse than if asmaller number had been involved.*

Too many for Cleverer than.*

Too right An emphatic expression ofagreement.*

Too true Means the same as too right.

Top and bottom of it The most importantor salient features of something.*

Top and tail (1) Clean the extremities. Thephrase is particularly used of cleaning achild. (2) Remove the top and bottom ofthose vegetables or fruit which haveinedible or less palatable extremities.*

Top banana (1) The person in charge. (2)The person with the best abilities.*

Top brass Originally meant the seniorofficers in the armed services (see brasshats). Is now used also for the most seniormembers of any company or govern-ment.*

Top dog Means the same as top banana.

Top drawer Best quality.*

Top gun Means the same as top banana.

TOO MANY COOKS SPOIL THE BROTH / 235

Top of the heap At the most powerfuland/or prestigious position.*

Top of the ladder Means the same as top ofthe heap.

Top of the morning Traditional Irishgreeting.*

Top of the pile Means the same as top of theheap.

Top of the tree The most important, suc-cessful or senior status.*

Top of the world See on top of the world.

Top of their game Their best level of per-formance.*

Top off Kill.*

Top rung Means the same as top of the heap.

Top the bill Means the same as head the bill.

Torch See entry below and: carry a torch andhand on the torch.

Torch song A song of unrequited love.*

Toss off (1) Produce effortlessly and/orcarelessly. (2) Masturbate.* (1) or *** (2)

Touch a chord Means the same as strike achord.

Touch a raw nerve Do something that isphysically or psychologically painful.*

Touch all the bases To deal with allaspects of the matter.*

Touch and go If something is ‘touch andgo’ then its outcome is uncertain.*

Touch base Make contact.*

Touch bottom Reach the worst and/ormost depressing stage.*

Touch on the raw Means the same as toucha raw nerve.

Touch their forelock Means the same astug their forelock.

Touch wood An expression of hope thatsomething will happen. Originally,people would also make an earnest effort

to touch a piece of wood, but this appearsto be becoming a less frequent action.*

Tough act to follow Means the same ashard act to follow.

Tough as old boots Resilient.*

Tough cookie A resilient person.*

Tough love Caring in a way that mayappear harsh but is advantageous (e.g.making a diabetic child not eat sweetseven though they want to).*

Tower of strength Means the same aspillar of strength.

Town on fire See set the town on fire.

Toy boy (1) A younger man involved in asexual relationship with an older partner.(2) A younger man whom a woman has asexual relationship with solely because ofhis physical attractiveness.*

Tracks See cover their tracks and make tracks.

Trail their coat Be eager to start anargument.*

Train wreck A very bad failure.*

Tread on air Means the same as walk on air.

Tread on their toes (1) Offend them. (2)Do something that is someone else’sright or privilege to do.*

Tread water Make no progress.*

Treat like dirt Behave in a very unpleasantmanner towards someone.*

Tree See barking up the wrong tree.

Trembling in their beds Nervous.*

Trial and error Something calculated by‘trial and error’ is done by trying outvarious methods until the correct one isfound.*

Trick in the book See every trick in the bookand oldest trick in the book.

Trick of the trade An advantageousworking practice that is well knownwithin a profession or trade but largelyunknown by the general public.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

236 / TOO MANY FOR

Trifling sum A very small amount (usuallymoney).*

Trim their sails Make adjustments to copewith new conditions. The phrase nearlyalways implies that the new conditionsare less favourable.*

Trip down memory lane Reminisce.*

Trip the light fantastic Have a dance. Thephrase is invariably used in a jokingmanner, or sarcastically to describesomeone who is very bad at dancing.*

Trojan Horse (1) An attractive gift that isdestructive. (2) A person who, whilstostensibly working for a group, deliber-ately weakens or destroys it. (3) A mali-cious computer program that enters acomputer by appearing to be an innocu-ous file and then causes damage to thecomputer.*

Troops See stuff to give the troops.

Trouble and strife Cockney rhymingslang for ‘wife’. Potentially offensive andshould be avoided.*

Trouble at mill A joking way of sayingthat there is a problem. Derives from theclichéd use of the phrase in historicaldramas about life in Lancashire or York-shire mill towns.*

Trousers See all mouth and no trousers andwear the trousers.

Truck with See have no truck with.

True blue Patriotic or loyal.*

True colours See show their true colours.

True grit Fortitude.*

Trumps See come up trumps.

Try it on (1) Test something (e.g. ‘the dresslooked very elegant so I asked to try it onto see if it would fit’). (2) Do somethingnaughty or offensive to see if it will bepunished. (3) Do something to see whatthe reaction will be. (4) Attempt todeceive.*

Try to fit a quart into a pint pot See get aquart in a pint pot.

Try to see it my way A request that aperson tries to recognize that the speakerhas a different point of view. In otherwords, the speaker wants someone tochange their opinion.*

Tuck in Eat.*

Tug and liner A physically unattractiveperson with a physically attractivefriend.*

Tug of love A ‘tug of love’ legal caseinvolves two divorcing parents disputingwho should have custody of theirchildren.*

Tug their forelock Indicate obedience toa social superior. The phrase is often usedsarcastically.*

Tummies tickled See roll over and have theirtummies tickled.

Turkey shoot A very easy task.*

Turkeys waiting for Christmas (1) Animprobable event. (2) Foolish or illogicalbehaviour. Both meanings of the phraseare explained by the thought that it isunlikely that turkeys, if they knew theirfate, would look forward to Christmas.*

Turn a blind eye to Ignore. The phrase isoften to indicate deliberately ignoringsomething that should, strictly spea-king, be punished, but is not either out ofindulgence, because of bribery orbecause it is not felt worthwhile.*

Turn a deaf ear to Ignore.*

Turn a trick A prostitute who ‘turns a trick’has a session with a customer.**

Turn an honest penny Earn money in amorally respectable way.*

Turn cat in pan Become a traitor.*

Turn down Refuse to do something. Thephrase is often used to describe rejectionof a request (e.g. ‘she turned down myapplication for promotion’).*

TURKEYS WAITING FOR CHRISTMAS / 237

Turn full circle Means the same as come fullcircle.

Turn heads Attract interest.*

Turn in their grave The phrase has variouspermutations, most of them followingthe format ‘it’s enough to have…turningin their grave’ (e.g. ‘your proposal to alterthe running of the family firm is enoughto have grandfather turning in his grave’).The concept being expressed is that if theperson mentioned were alive, then he orshe would object to the topic under dis-cussion.*

Turn it on its head Radically alter the waysomething is interpreted.*

Turn of events A sequence of events thattogether form a story.*

Turn of phrase A phrase; there is usuallythe implication that the phrase is, if inter-preted literally, rather nonsensical (i.e.like most of the phrases in this book).*

Turn of the card (1) A chance outcome. (2)The moment when something is decidedby an unpredictable event.*

Turn of the screw Something that makesan unpleasant situation even moreunpleasant.*

Turn of the tide A change in fortunes suchthat the side that was winning nowbegins to move towards defeat.*

Turn off (1) As a verb, the phrase means todestroy interest in something (e.g. ‘hispoor teaching turned off my interest ingeography’). (2) As a noun, the phrasemeans something that destroys interest(e.g. ‘the lecture was a turn off ’). Thephrase (both as a noun and a verb) is oftenused to describe something that lowerssexual arousal. Turn on means the exactopposite of ‘turn off ’ and thus means toraise interest in something or describessomething that raises interest. ‘Turn on’ isgenerally used to describe the raising ofsexual arousal.* or ** (if referring tosexual arousal)

Turn on See turn off.

Turn on its head Regard from a radicallydifferent perspective.*

Turn out (1) Switch off (e.g. ‘turn out thelight’). (2) Remove from a building (e.g.‘the dog was turned out of doors’). (3) Agroup attending an event (‘the turn out atthe speech day was larger than last year’).(4) Means the same as ‘transpire’ (e.g.‘how does the story turn out?’).*

Turn over a new leaf Change behaviourand/or working practices.*

Turn over in their grave Means the sameas turn in their grave.

Turn the clock back Restore to an earlierperiod of time. This obviously cannot beliterally done, but refers to either thewish that things could be returned to anearlier time (e.g. ‘I wish I could turn theclock back and not make the mistakes I’vemade’) or to remembering what thingsused to be like (e.g. ‘turn the clock back –tell me what you remember about yourchildhood’).*

Turn the corner Begin to recover from aserious illness or problem.*

Turn the heat down Make less exciting.*

Turn the heat on Increase the level of crit-icism and/or harassment.

Turn the heat up (1) Increase the level ofcriticism and/or harassment. (2) Makemore exciting.*

Turn the other cheek Respond to aggres-sion by refusing to retaliate.*

Turn the tables Change what was anadvantage into a disadvantage (or viceversa).*

Turn their back on… (1) When talkingabout a person, the phrase means torefuse to help someone. (2) When talkingabout something rather than someone(e.g. ‘I turned my back on the wholeaffair’), the phrase means to refuse tospend any more time talking or thinkingabout it.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

238 / TURN A BLIND EYE TO

Turn their hand to Take part in an activitynot attempted before.*

Turn their head Alter their belief orbehaviour. The phrase usually denotes achange for the worse, such as making aperson conceited or believing in imprac-tical schemes.*

Turn their life around Radically changetheir way of living or general outlook.*

Turn their nose up Reject as being ofinferior quality.*

Turn them off Destroy their interest. Thephrase nearly always refers to sexualinterest.*

Turn them on Arouse their interest. Thephrase nearly always refers to sexualinterest.*

Turn to ashes Be very disappointing. Thephrase is sometimes used in a longerversion – ‘turn to ashes in the mouth’.*

Turn turtle Turn upside-down.*

Turn up (1) Arrival (e.g. ‘Jim turned up yes-terday with a bunch of flowers’). (2) Anevent; the phrase is usually reserved fordescribing an unexpected event (e.g. ‘wenever expected that turn up’).*

Turn up for the books An unexpectedevent (e.g. ‘the meteorite landing in ourgarden was a turn up for the books’).*

Turn up like a bad penny The belief thatsomeone unpleasant will always comeback.*

Turn up their toes Die.*

Turning point A moment when some-thing can change (e.g. a turning point in astory occurs when there is a major devel-opment in the plot).*

Turnip truck See didn’t just fall off a turniptruck.

Turns them on See whatever turns them on.

Twain See never the twain shall meet.

Twenty-four carat Completely.*

Twenty-four hour culture An environ-ment in which there is access to shoppingand entertainment twenty-four hours aday. The phrase usually refers to citieswith a perceived vibrant cultural life asopposed to 24-hour supermarkets andlate night television.*

Twiddle their fingers (1) Be boredbecause there is nothing to do. (2) Havenothing to do because no activities areavailable.*

Twiddle their thumbs Means the same astwiddle their fingers.

Twig something Understand something.*

Twinkle in their eye (1) A genial expres-sion. (2) If something is ‘just a twinkle intheir eye’ then it is solely an idea that hasyet to be acted upon.*

Twinkling of an eye See in the twinkling ofan eye.

Twist round their little finger See wrapround their little finger.

Twist the knife In an argument or intelling someone off, be more unpleasantthan necessary by making a furtherunpleasant comment that is even morehurtful than what has already been said.*

Twist their arm Persuade someone to dosomething they at first were unwilling todo.*

Two a penny Means the same as ten a penny.

Two bites of the cherry Means the sameas second bite at the cherry.

Two can play at that game If one personcan do something, then it is justifiable foranother person to do it as well. Thephrase is often used to justify retaliatingagainst an aggressive act.*

Two cents’ worth Means the same as twopennyworth.

Two heads are better than one Theopinion that two people working at thesame problem can be more effective thanone person.*

TWIST THE KNIFE / 239

Two left feet Clumsy.*

Two of us See that makes two of us.

Two pennyworth A person’s opinion on amatter, usually unasked for (e.g. ‘if I couldput in my two pennyworth on this matterI’d say that…’).*

Two pint screamer A person (usually ateenager unused to drinking) who getsargumentative or even violent after asmall amount of alcohol.*

Two sides of the same coin Things thatare different in many respects but stillrelated in some manner (e.g. two lecturersmay both work on the same area ofresearch, but have radically differentmethods of conducting their studies).*

Two ticks A short period of time.*

Two-way street A situation involving twopeople or groups in which both mustcontribute to something.*

UUgandan discussions Sexual intercourse.

The phrase, made popular by the UKmagazine Private Eye, derives from a sup-posedly true diplomatic incident involv-ing a Ugandan government representa-tive found in a sexually compromisingsituation.**

Ugly duckling (1) An unattractive childwho becomes attractive when theybecome an adult. (2) Something thatappears unattractive but develops intosomething attractive.*

Unbalanced personality Describes aperson who behaves in a very unusualway. Almost always the term describessomeone who not only behaves in anunusual way, but is also a danger to others

(e.g. a mentally ill murderer). The term isthe opposite of balanced personality.*

Uncle Tom Originally, an African-American who showed subservience towhite people and/or attempted to inte-grate into white culture whilst denyingtheir African-American heritage. Thephrase is now applied in other contexts todenote a member of a minority groupwho is over-ingratiating towardsmembers of the majority group.**

Uncle Tom Cobley and all Meaning ‘a lotof people’. The phrase is usually addedon to the end of a spoken list of people toindicate that a lot of other people are onthe list, but they are not of interest. Thephrase comes from a folk song that has achorus that gets increasingly long with alist of names, but always finishes with‘old Uncle Tom Cobley and all’.*

Under a cloud In disgrace or disapprovedof.*

Under fire (1) Shot at. (2) Criticized.*

Under par To feel unwell or to describesomeone who is not performing up to theexpected standard (‘par’ means ‘normal’).Very confusingly, in golf being ‘underpar’ means playing well.*

Under pressure Being compelled orcoerced into doing something that is dif-ficult and/or stressful. The phrase isoften used to describe a situation inwhich a person is being asked to do toomany things in too short a time.*

Under protest Unwillingly.*

Under the banner of… Supporting orrepresenting a cause (e.g. ‘I offer myservices under the banner of liberty andfreedom’).*

Under the belt Describes somethingalready achieved or acquired. Contrastwith below the belt.*

Under the counter See over the counter.

Under the gun Means the same as underpressure.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

240 / TWIST THEIR ARM

Under the hammer Means the same as onthe block.

Under the hatches Kept secret.*

Under the heel of Controlled by. Thephrase usually implies that control isdone through intimidation.*

Under the illusion Having an erroneousbelief.*

Under the influence Intoxicated.*

Under the microscope Under scrutiny.*

Under the radar Something that gets‘under the radar’ is something that hasescaped detection.*

Under the skin Something that gets‘under the skin’ (1) causes an irritation;(2) is pervasive; or (3) shows an especiallyprofound level of understanding.*

Under the sun A property of everythingthat exists on the Earth, since everythingis ‘under the sun’. See nothing new under thesun.*

Under the table (1) Something done ille-gally or with deception. (2) Very inebri-ated.*

Under the weather Feeling unwell.*

Under their nose If something is done‘under a person’s nose’, then it is done ina way that the person should havedetected, but failed to do so.*

Under their own steam By their ownefforts.*

Under their thumb Controlled by them.*

University of life A person who claims tohave been to ‘the university of life’ didnot attend university. The implication isthat by working in the ‘real world’, ratherthan reading books, he or she has learntmore about what the world is really like.*

Note: The phrase is considered by manypeople to be rather self-pitying and shouldbe avoided.

Unknown country Something aboutwhich a person lacks expertise.*

Unstaked territory Something that hasyet to be explored or claimed.*

Until hell freezes over Since hell is noto-riously hot, its freezing over seemsimprobable. Thus, the phrase means thatsomething is never going to happen.*

Until the cows come home For a verylong time.*

Up See the entries below and: ace up theirsleeve, act up, all ends up, all up with, back up,bail up, balloon’s gone up, barking up thewrong tree, blood is up, blow up in their face,bottoms up, bring up short, bring up to code,bring up to speed, buck up their ideas, came up,clean up their act, clear up, clued up, come upagainst a brick wall, come up and see mesometime, come up and see my etchings, come updry, come up roses, come up smelling of roses,come up smiling, come up to scratch, come uptrumps, come up with the goods, conjure up,couldn’t organize a piss-up in a brewery, coverup, crack up, cracked up to be, cut up rough,dead from the neck up, death warmed up, dig updirt, disappear up their own fundament, don’tgive up the day job, dressed up to the nines, driveup the wall, dukes up, earth swallow me up, endup, everything’s coming up roses, fed up, fed upto the back teeth, fired up and ready to go, firstup, game is up, get their back up, get theirdander up, get them up, get up and go, get upsteam, get up their nose, give it up, give it upfor…, give up, give up the ghost, go up insmoke, had it up to here, ham it up, hang up,hang up their…, jumping up and down, keeptheir end up, keep up with the Joneses, keep yourchin up, keep their pecker up, kick up a fuss,kick up a stink, kick up dust, kick up thebackside, kick up their heels, kiss and make up,knock up, lair it up, lathered up, laugh up theirsleeve, lead up the garden path, leg up, let theearth swallow me up, let up, like death warmedup, lit up, live it up, look up, make their mindup, make up for lost time, make up leeway, notall it’s cracked up to be, number is up, on the upand up, own up, pick up, pick up on, pick upsome slack, pick up the ball and run with it,pick up the baton, pick up the bill, pick up thepieces, pick up the tab, pick up the thread, pickyou up, play up, point up, prick up their ears,prop up the bar, pull their socks up, pull them-

UP / 241

selves up by their bootstraps,pull up stakes, pullup stumps, pushing up daisies, put their feet up,put their hands up, put up, put up job, put up orshut up, read up, right up their street, roll uptheir sleeves, rub up the wrong way, run it upthe flagpole, sharpen up, show up, shut up, shutup shop, sit up, someone up there likes me,something’s up, stand up and be counted, standup for themselves, stir up a hornets’ nest,straight up, straighten up, stressed up, sunnyside up, swear up and down, tail up, take it up,take up, take up cudgels, take up the gauntlet,take up the slack, thumbs up, turn the heat up,turn their nose up, turn up, turn up for thebooks, turn up like a bad penny, turn up theirtoes, wait up, wake up and smell the…, what’sup? and wrap you up and take you home.

Up a gum tree Experiencing a problemwith few or no solutions.*

Up a tree Means the same as up a gum tree.

Up against the wall In a difficult situa-tion.*

Up and running Completed and opera-tional.*

Up for grabs Available. There is often animplication that the first person to applywill get it.*

Up for it Willing to do it.*

Up hill, down dale An arduous journey.*

Up in arms To be annoyed or angry aboutsomething. The phrase usually is used todescribe a group of people protestingagainst something (e.g. ‘the wholeworkforce is up in arms about theproposed redundancies’).*

Up in the air To be in a state of uncertainty(e.g. ‘nobody knows if the new hospitalwing will be built – it’s up in the air at themoment and we won’t know until theplanning committee meets next week’).*

Up in the world Raised socio-economicstatus.*

Up on (1) Ahead of. (2) Have extensiveknowledge of.*

Up shit creek Ruder form of up the creekwithout a paddle.***

Up the… (1) An expression of support (e.g.‘“up the Liberals,” he cried enthusiasti-cally’). (2) An expression of hostility akinto up yours.* (1) or ** (2)

Up the ante (1) To increase the size of ademand or to make things more difficultfor a competitor. (2) The phrase can alsomean to increase the value or appeal ofsomething. Both uses of the phrase aretaken from the card game poker, in whichthe ‘ante’ is the money a player must betto remain in the game.*

Up the boo-eye Utterly incorrect.*

Up the creek Can mean the same as up thecreek without a paddle, but may also mean‘ruined’ or ‘damaged beyond repair’.*

Up the creek without a paddle In a diffi-cult situation.*

Up the dose Increase the quantity.*

Up the duff Pregnant.**

Up the spout (1) Having no usefulfunction through bad design or throughbeing broken. (2) Pregnant.* (1) or ** (2)

Up their alley Means the same as right uptheir alley.

Up their sleeve If someone has something‘up their sleeve’, then they have a secretplan.*

Up their street Means the same as right uptheir street.

Up to here Means the same as up to theeyeballs.

Up to no good Misbehaving.*

Up to par Of an acceptable standard.*

Up to scratch Of the required standard.*

Up to snuff Means the same as up to scratch.

Up to speed (1) Fully informed about some-thing. (2) At the expected standard.*

Up to the armpits See up to the eyeballs.

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

242 / UP A GUM TREE

Up to the ears Means the same as up to theeyeballs.

Up to the elbows Deeply involved.*

Up to the eyeballs An expression used toindicate having too much of something.For example, ‘I’ve had it up to theeyeballs with this problem’ means ‘I’vespent too much time and energy on thisproblem’, whilst ‘I’m up to my eyeballs inwork’ means ‘I’ve got too much work todo’. There are similar phrases such as up tothe armpits that mean the same thing. Thephrase is presumably meant to give theimpression of a person standing in aroom that has flooded, so that water hasreached up to eyeball level.*

Up to the hilt Utterly.*

Up to the mark Means the same as up toscratch.

Up to the neck Means the same as up to theeyeballs.

Up with the lark Very early morning.*

Up yours An impolite response to some-thing the speaker disagrees with.***

Upper crust The upper social classes.*

Upright citizen A respectable person. Theimplication is usually that they appear tobe rather dull.*

Upset the applecart To disrupt somethingto a serious extent. The phrase is oftenused to describe a situation in which aperson reveals a carefully guarded secretto a person who was not meant to know,and who in turn causes trouble over it(e.g. ‘Janice upset the applecart when shetold Mary about the affair betweenMary’s husband and Elizabeth’).*

Upwardly mobile Rising in socio-economic status.*

Use a sledgehammer to crack a nut Usetoo much energy or expense to achievesomething that could have been achievedat far lower cost.*

Usual two and fourpence Something thathas been encountered many times beforeand is dismissed as unimportant orlacking anything new to be learnt.*

VV sign A gesture made by curling up all but

the first and second fingers, which arespread slightly apart in a ‘V’ shape. (1) Inthe UK, if the hand is held in the air in astationary position with the palmtowards the recipient of the gesture, thenit means ‘V for victory’, and thus is anindication that something has been suc-cessful. (2) In the UK, if the same gestureis made with the outside of the handfacing towards the recipient of thegesture (and often done in an upwardsmotion of the arm and hand), then it isoffensive. It is important that in making ahand gesture indicating two of some-thing that this gesture is not used (it is theUK equivalent of the US give the finger).The phrase describing either gesture ispolite.*

Vaccinated with a gramophone needleOver-talkative.*

Value added A measure of how much addi-tional worth has been provided by a par-ticular process. E.g. the ‘value added’ byeducation includes greater skills, greaterability to solve problems, etc.*

Vanilla version The bare bones version ofsomething. There is usually the implica-tion that it is boring or uninterestingwithout the extras (e.g. ‘you can buy theDVD in a vanilla version with no extrasor the super deluxe version with direc-tor’s commentary and deleted scenes’).Named because ice cream is usually seenas ‘unflavoured’ if it has vanilla in it (thisis perverse, because vanilla is a flavour-ing, and as any one with an ice creammaker knows, ice cream without vanillatastes like frozen cream).*

Veins See …in their veins.

VALUE ADDED / 243

Vent their spleen Express annoyance.*

Vertically challenged Short.*

Vicar of Bray A person who changes alle-giances to suit his or her own best inter-ests rather than having a rigid moral codeor loyalty. Named after a vicar (churchminister) of a village in Berkshire,England, who was attributed (probablyfalsely) of altering his faith betweenProtestantism and Catholicism asdictated by the different religiouspolicies of the Tudor monarchs ofEdward, Mary and Elizabeth.*

Vicious circle A problem that appears toget worse by trying to solve it, since anyattempt to work on the problem createsmore problems, and makes the originalproblem even harder to solve.*

Villain of the piece The person princi-pally responsible.*

Viper in the bosom A person who showsingratitude to their benefactors.*

Virgin territory Means the same asunstaked territory.

Voice in the wilderness A single personor group expressing an opinion that isdifferent from that of the majority, andwhich is being ignored.*

Vote with their feet Indicate approval ordisapproval through action (e.g. if a newtheatre show is popular, then people aresaid to ‘vote with their feet’ by going tothe theatre to see the show).*

WWagons roll A phrase indicating that it is

time to commence an activity (typically ajourney).*

Wait on them hand and foot Be ex-tremely attentive to their needs.*

Wait ’til I get my hands on you A threatof punishment.*

Wait until I get you home (1) A threat ofpunishment (usually made by a parent toa child) for misbehaviour. The threat ismade when the people concerned are inpublic, and thus administering punish-ment there and then might not be expedi-ent. (2) When in public, an expression ofhoping for engaging in sexual activityupon returning home. The context andtone of voice in which the phrase is saidshould be sufficient to indicate whichmeaning is meant.*

Wait up (1) Stay awake rather than go tobed at the usual time and wait for some-thing (typically, waiting for someone toreturn). (2) A colloquial phrase meaning‘stop!’ It’s typically addressed to a personwalking away.*

Waiting in the wings Something that isabout to happen.*

Wake up and smell the… A demand toattend to what is really happening. Thephrase is usually used as a rebuke to aperson who has an unrealisticallyover-optimistic attitude towards a partic-ular situation. The most commonly usedversion is wake up and smell the coffee.* or **or ***

Note: politeness level depends on the wordat the end of the phrase.

Wake up and smell the coffee See wake upand smell the….*

Wake-up call An event that stops a personbeing complacent about something andmakes them do something to change thesituation (e.g. ‘September 11th was awake-up call to countries that had growncomplacent about airport security’).*

Walk a mile in another person’s shoesTry to understand how another personthinks or feels about something. See putyourself in my shoes.*

Walk down memory lane Reminisce.*

Walk in the park Means the same as strollin the park.*

Walk it Do it without any appreciableeffort.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

244 / VANILLA VERSION

Walk on air Be in a state of great happi-ness.*

Walk on eggshells Behave carefully in asituation where there is a danger ofcausing offence.*

Walk the plank (1) Be expelled from agroup. (2) Lose a job.*

Walk the walk A person who can ‘walk thewalk’ can do what they say they can do(i.e. they are not just saying they can dothings).*

Walk them off their feet Make themexhausted through too much walking.*

Walls have ears A warning to be morecareful about what is being said becausethere is a danger of being overheard.*

Waltz Matilda Travel with all possessionscarried in a bag.*

Wank The word means ‘masturbate’ inBritish slang. It is considered rude andcaution should be applied in using it. Theword appears to be used as a rather milder(but less frequent) swear word in USEnglish.***

Want jam on it Have unreasonable and/orunrealistic expectations.*

War room A meeting place where seniormembers of an organisation meet to makestrategic decisions.*

Warm the cockles The start of a longerphrase – ‘warm the cockles of the heart’.If something warms the cockles, then itcreates a feeling of great contentment.*

Wars See been in the wars.

Warts and all Refers to a complete descrip-tion, including unflattering details. Theimplication is that a complete andaccurate description is given. The phrasecomes from Oliver Cromwell’s instruc-tion to a portrait painter to produce anaccurate, rather than flattering, portrait,that should include ‘warts and all’ (i.e.rather than give a more flattering butinaccurate depiction of a smooth com-plexion).*

Wash dirty linen in public Divulgesecrets that should have been prudentlyhidden. The phrase can describe both thedeliberate revealing of such information,or arguing in public during which suchsecrets are revealed.*

Wash their hands of… Refuse to acceptresponsibility for.*

Washed up Useless. The phrase usuallydenotes something or someone that usedto be efficient and is now too old and/orworn out to be of use.*

Waste their breath Argue something withno effect. Hence the advice don’t wasteyour breath, indicating that any argumentwill have no effect.*

Watch it Be careful.*

Watch like a hawk Observe very carefully.There is usually an implication that thewatching is being done to detect signs ofwrongdoing.*

Watch their back Use caution.*

Watch this space There are likely to befurther developments.*

Watched kettle The start of a proverb thatfinishes with ‘never boils’. In otherwords, something that is being observedtoo intently never seems to finish.*

Water under the bridge Something thathappened in the past, and whose implica-tions are being ignored.*

Wavelength See on the same wavelength.

Wax lyrical Talk animatedly.*

Way of all flesh Death or decay.*

Way to go (1) A term of praise (e.g. ‘way togo! – that was a brilliant piece ofplaying’). (2) Used ironically, it means‘you really did that badly’ (e.g. ‘way togo! – you managed to offend just abouteverybody’). Contrast with what a way togo.*

Weak at the knees Feel enfeebled becauseof strong emotions.*

WATCHED KETTLE / 245

Wear and tear The minor damage andchanges created through normal use ofsomething.*

Wear the trousers Be the dominantpartner in a relationship.*

Wear their fingers to the bone Workvery hard.*

Wear their heart on their sleeve Make noattempt to hide their emotional feelings.*

Weather for ducks Heavy rain with water-logged conditions.*

Wee small hours Late at night and veryearly in the morning.*

Weigh in the balance Carefully considerthe alternatives.*

Weight See entry below and: above theirweight and worth their weight in gold.

Weight off their mind A feeling of relief.*

Welcome to their world Experience forthe first time something that is a routineexperience for someone else.*

Well heeled From a rich and/or privilegedbackground.*

Well I never An expression of surprise.*

Welly See give it some welly and green wellybrigade.

Went out with the ark Joking term forsomething that is very old-fashioned or isnow outmoded (e.g. ‘high Internet con-nection charges went out with the ark –modern customers expect a low flat-rateconnection fee’).*

Wet behind the ears Inexperienced.*

Wet blanket (1) A person who finds some-thing to be miserable about, therebyspoiling everyone else’s enjoyment. (2)Something that spoils the enjoyment ofan event (e.g. ‘the poor weather threw awet blanket over the event’).*

Whale of a… An especially impressivequantity or magnitude of….*

What a way to go A term used to expressamazement at the manner in whichsomeone died. It is usually reserved forsomeone who died doing somethingthey enjoyed (e.g. it might be said of akeen golfer who died from shock afterscoring a hole in one). Contrast with wayto go.*

What are they driving at? An expressionof incomprehension; a paraphrase is‘what are they trying to say? – I don’tunderstand’.*

What are you looking at? An aggressivequestion implying that someone is beingnosey.**

Note: this can be used by some veryaggressive people as a ploy to start a fight.Very carefully attend to tone of voice andthe context in which it is said.

What are you? My analyst? A phraseindicating that someone is makingunwanted statements about a person’sbehaviour.*

What are you? My mother? A phraseindicating that someone is being toofussy and/or over-cautious.*

What can I do you for? A deliberate (andsupposedly humorous) alteration of thephrase ‘what can I do for you?’ It meansthe same as ‘what can I do for you?’*

What do you expect? A rhetoricalquestion indicating that what happenedcould have been easily predicted. Thephrase is thus a criticism implying that itis foolish to be surprised about some-thing that should have been anticipated.*

What do you expect from a pig but agrunt? A comment passed on hearingabout bad behaviour. The phrase meansthat the person is known to have unap-pealing attributes, so why be surprisedwhen they do something unappealing? *

What have you When used at the end of aspoken description, the phrase oftenmeans ‘whatever’ (e.g. ‘there were variousexpensive cars there, such as Volvos,Lexuses, Mercedes or what have you’).*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

246 / WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE

What it takes See got what it takes.

What kept you? A gently sarcasticquestion asked when someone doessomething far faster than expected. Theresponse expected is an explanation ofwhy something was done so quickly.*

What thought did See you know whatthought did.

What’s bred in the bone The phrase inessence means that what is geneticallyinherited cannot be suppressed by educa-tion, training in etiquette and manners,etc.*

What’s eating them? What is annoyingthem?*

What’s it worth? (1) A serious response toa request indicating that a person won’tcomply unless rewarded (e.g. ‘what’s itworth for me to keep quiet?’). (2) Ajoking response to a request indicatingthat the person will comply, but that theyare only doing it to please the personwho made the request (e.g. ‘will youbaby-sit for us tomorrow night?’ –‘what’s it worth?’). Whether meaning 1or 2 is implied depends on the context,the tone of the voice and similar indica-tions.*

What’s sauce for the goose The start ofa proverb that finishes with ‘is saucefor the gander’. In other words, what isappropriate for a woman is appropriatefor a man as well.*

What’s the big deal? See big deal.

What’s the big idea? Means the same aswhat’s this in aid of ?

What’s the damage? How much does thiscost?*

What’s the magic word? If someone asksfor something but does not say ‘please’(i.e. is being ill-mannered), then theymight get the reply ‘what’s the magicword?’ (meaning ‘you didn’t say please’).The phrase is more often used by teachersand parents training children to be polite,

but can sometimes be used (usuallyjokingly) by adults.*

What’s the word on…? What is the latestinformation about…?*

What’s their game? What are theyattempting to do? The term is often usedas a rebuke for annoying behaviour.*

What’s this in aid of? What is the purposeof this?**

What’s up? What is happening? Thephrase nearly always is used when theperson asking the question thinks thatthere is something wrong.*

Whatever gets you through the nightMeans the same as whatever turns them on.

Whatever lights their candle Means thesame as whatever turns them on.

Whatever turns them on An expressionof bemused tolerance. The expression isusually used jokingly.*

Wheat from the chaff See separate the wheatfrom the chaff.

Wheel has come full circle The phrasegenerally means that a situation hasreturned to how it was at the start after arise and fall in fortunes. The phrasecomes from William Shakespeare’s playKing Lear.*

Wheeling and dealing Engaged in impor-tant business transactions.*

Wheels within wheels A complex organi-sational structure. The phrase often isused to imply that although some peoplein an organisation may be persuaded orcoerced into doing something, there areother members of the organisationbeyond control who can prevent aproposed plan being enacted.*

Whelk stall See couldn’t run a whelk stall.

When a person’s back is turned If some-thing is done ‘when a person’s back isturned’ then it is done without the personknowing about it. The term is often used

WHEELING AND DEALING / 247

to describe a situation where a person isguarding or watching over something.*

When all is said and done What ulti-mately matters.*

When hell freezes over Means the same asuntil hell freezes over.

When in Rome This is the shortened formof a longer saying – ‘when in Rome, do asthe Romans do’. In fact, this in turn is ashortened form of an even longerproverb, that in essence advises that whenin Rome, act like a Roman; when else-where, act according to the local customs.Thus, the phrase simply means ‘dowhatever seems to be the normal behav-iour for where you are’.*

When Methuselah was a boy Jokingphrase meaning ‘a very long time ago’(e.g. ‘his clothes were last in fashion whenMethuselah was a boy’). Methuselah isthe longest-living person in the Bible andin any case lived a long time ago.*

When Nelson gets his eye back Phraseindicating that something is felt to beimpossible or will never happen (e.g. ‘lec-turers will get a good salary when Nelsongets his eye back’). Admiral Nelson com-manded the British fleet during the earlypart of the Napoleonic Wars, and hadonly one eye.*

When push comes to shove When thetheoretical discussions must stop and thetask be done.*

When…sneezes…catches a cold Thephrase expresses the idea that whathappens to one person or thing will inev-itably happen to another person or thingif the first person or thing is importantenough (e.g. ‘when America sneezes, theworld catches a cold’).*

When the band begins to play When thesituation becomes serious.*

When the cat’s away The start of a longersaying – ‘when the cat’s away, the micewill play’. It means that if the person incharge is away (e.g. on holiday) the

people they normally control are likely tomisbehave and/or not work as hard.*

When the chips are down See chips aredown.

When the dust settles At a time after anevent when there is less excitement aboutit.*

When the going gets tough When the sit-uation or something becomes difficult.The phrase is sometimes followed by‘then the tough get going’, meaning thatdif ficult situations require tough,resolute people to deal with them.*

When the shit hits the fan In other words,when there is trouble (if excrement isthrown at an electric fan, the effect can bereadily imagined to be unpleasant).***

Where it’s at (1) Description of a fashion-able place or activity (i.e. if it’s ‘where it’sat’ then it is fashionable). (2) In someforms of colloquial English, a way ofsaying ‘where it is’.*

Where the action is (1) Where the mostimportant things are done in an organisa-tion. (2) The liveliest, most socially desir-able parts of a town or city (generallyrefers specifically to nightclubs, bars,discos, etc.).*

Where the rubber hits the road Wheresomething becomes serious and/orimportant.*

Where there’s muck The start of a longerproverb that finishes with ‘there’s brass’.The proverb expresses the view thatmoney can often be made from dealingwith unpleasant things.*

Where they’re coming from Their inten-tions. Thus ‘to see where they’re comingfrom’ means that their intentions areunderstood.*

Where’s the beef? The phrase essentiallyasks the question ‘where is thereanything of substance or importance?’The phrase was originally used in a tele-vision advert for a hamburger company(the question addressed the relative

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

248 / WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS

smallness of the meat component in rivalcompanies’ burgers), and was later usedby US politicians to query whether theiropponents had policies or just effec-tive-sounding (but ultimately vacuous)speeches.*

Where’s the fire? A question asking whysomeone is running or otherwisebehaving in a frantic, harassed manner.*

Which way the cat jumps See see whichway the cat jumps.

While the going is good During good oradvantageous conditions.*

Whip into shape Improve performance.*

Whip their ass Defeat someone very con-vincingly.**

Whipping boy A person blamed for amishap (regardless of whether they weretruly to blame). Refers to the historicalcustom of educating a boy along with aprince or nobleman’s son – if theprince/nobleman’s son misbehaved, theother boy (the ‘whipping boy’) waspunished, since the tutors were notallowed to punish the ‘socially superior’prince/nobleman’s son.*

Whistle Dixie Waste time daydreaming.*

Whistle for it Have no possibility ofsuccess. Often used as a retort (e.g. ‘if youthink you are having any more ice creamyou can whistle for it, because there’snone left’).*

White bread Very mundane and unexcit-ing.*

White elephant A useless item.*

White elephant sale A sale of items ofbric-a-brac. Such a sale is a traditionalfeature of UK village and church fêtesand similar fund-raising activities.*

White knuckle ride Something veryexciting.*

White man’s burden Phrase expressingthe Victorian belief (now seen as racistand hopelessly inaccurate) that it was the

sacred duty of white Europeans to intro-duce ‘civilized values’ to the rest of theworld. The phrase should be used withvery great care. **

White marriage Marriage in which thehusband and wife do not have sex witheach other through choice rather thanincapacity. The phrase used to be used todenote a marriage in which at least onepartner was homosexual and the mar-riage was purely for the sake of acquiringsocial respectability. Do not confuse withwhite wedding.*

White wedding A traditional Christianwedding in which the bride wears a whitewedding dress. Do not confuse with whitemarriage.*

Whited sepulchre A hypocritical person.*

Whiter than white Beyond any reproach.The phrase often indicates that the levelof perfection is too implausible and thatwrongdoing is being concealed.*

Who are you looking at? Means the sameas what are you looking at?

Who are you? My analyst? Means thesame as what are you? My analyst?

Who are you? My mother? Means thesame as what are you? My mother?

Who ate all the pies? A supposedlyhumorous question indicating thatsomeone is overweight. Should beavoided – the speaker is in fact indicatingthat they are uncouth.***

Who goes there? Means the same as halt,who goes there?

Who he? [who she?] A question indicat-ing that a person just mentioned is unfa-miliar (i.e. what is meant is ‘who is he?’ or‘who is she?’). The lack of correctgrammar is supposed to make it soundamusing.*

Who opened their lunch? Means ‘whofarted?’**

Who rattled its cage? A joking remark,meaning ‘who made them lose their

WHO ATE ALL THE PIES? / 249

temper?’ The phrase uses the image of acaged, bad-tempered animal provokedinto an aggressive display by having itscage rattled.*

Who split the cheese? Means the same aswho opened their lunch?

Who was your servant last half year? Aresponse to a demand or request for assis-tance that implies that what is beingasked for is excessive.*

Who’s…when they’re at home? Aquestion asking ‘who is this person?’ andsimultaneously indicating that thespeaker has never heard of them before.There is often an implied contempt thatbecause the person has not been heard of,then they are probably not very good atwhat they do.*

Whole ball of wax Means the same as thewhole caboodle.

Whole caboodle The complete thing.*

Whole cloth Something made of ‘wholecloth’ is untrue.*

Whole enchilada The complete thing orsituation.*

Whole hog Everything.*

Whole kit and caboodle Means the sameas whole caboodle.

Whole new ball game Means the same asnew ball game.

Whole person A person who has all theskills necessary to function without helpfrom others, and whose behaviour is seenas ‘normal’.*

Whole shebang Everything.*

Whole shooting match Everything.*

Wide blue yonder (1) Far away. (2) The seaor sky.*

Wide boy Someone who is eager to acquiremoney and is unscrupulous about howthey do it. The phrase generally impliesrather outlandish manners and tastes.*

Wide of the mark Inaccurate.*

Wide-eyed and bushy tailed Eager andenthusiastic.*

Wide-eyed and legless Inebriated.*

Widow’s mite A small sum that is a dispro-portionately large amount to a poorperson. The phrase is used particularly todescribe contributions to charity andother similar morally good acts.*

Wild card An unpredictable person orthing. In some games of cards, certaincards (‘wild cards’) can assume any valuethe player chooses.*

Wild goose chase A task that cannotpossibly succeed and is time-consumingand frustrating.*

Wild horses wouldn’t… The phrase typi-cally finishes with a phrase like ‘drag itfrom them’ or similar. The phrase indi-cates that a person is not going to reveal asecret they know.*

…will out See blood will out and talent willout.

Willies See gave me the willies.

Win by a… Followed by a word indicatingthe margin of victory. For example, ‘land-slide’ or ‘mile’ indicates an overwhelm-ing win, whilst ‘squeak’, ‘canvas’, ‘whis-ker’ or ‘neck’ indicates a narrow victory.Several other words can be used.*

Win on points Gain victory by havingsome superior features rather than beingoverwhelmingly better at everything.*

Win the day Win. The phrase often impliesthat the victory has been gained after adebate.*

Wind them up Tease them or lead them tobelieve a false story.*

Wind up (1) Means the same as wind themup. (2) A ‘wind up’ is a deliberate decep-tion.

Window of opportunity An opportunitythat will only be available for a shortperiod of time.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

250 / WHO GOES THERE?

Window shop Look at goods in shopswithout any intention of purchasinganything. The phrase often implies thatthe goods are being looked at with anintention of purchasing them at a futuredate.*

Winds of change A movement for reform.The phrase is often used for majorchanges in administration or politics.*

Wings clipped See have their wings clipped.*

Wipe the slate clean Forget or deliberatelyignore everything that happened before.The phrase is normally used to describethe forgiveness of past misdemeanours.*

Wisdom of Solomon Someone with the‘wisdom of Solomon’ is very wise.Solomon was an Old Testament king andreputedly wise.*

Wise after the event Capable of under-standing the problem after it has had itseffect. The implication is usually that thisis not a difficult skill – anticipating andavoiding the problem so it neverhappened would have been more desir-able.*

Wish them joy Wish them success. Thephrase is nearly always used sarcasti-cally.*

With a capital… Used in a phrase such as‘psychology with a capital P’, ‘businesswith a capital B’, etc., the intention is toindicate that the most important orserious aspects of the matter are beingdiscussed. See life with a capital L for anillustration.*

With all guns blazing With great enthusi-asm, and in an unsubtle manner.*

With apologies to… When included inthe title of a piece of art or writing, thephrase means that what follows is aparody or pastiche of the work of theperson whose name is mentioned (e.g.‘the title of this article on cookery is “TheAncient Marinader, with apologies toColeridge”’).*

With bated breath In a state of anxietyand/or great curiosity, waiting to seewhat will happen next (e.g. ‘we awaitedthe result of the trial with bated breath’).*

With bells on With enthusiasm.*

With child Pregnant.*

With closed eyes Means the same as witheyes closed.

With eyes closed Unaware or only partlyaware. It is usually implied that this(partial or total) ignorance is deliberate.*

With eyes open Fully aware.*

With flying colours Something done‘with flying colours’ is done very success-fully. ‘Colours’ are flags that were oftendisplayed on naval sailing ships.*

With forked tongue Deceitful.*

With gloves off Especially unpleasant orunrestrained.*

With knobs on Phrase sometimes added atthe end of a statement to emphasize thestrength of feeling. The phrase is mostoften used as a reply to an insult (e.g. ‘thesame to you with knobs on’).*

With open arms The phrase is used todescribe a greeting or acceptance that isoffered without question or restrictions(e.g. ‘the proposed improvements toworking conditions were met with openarms by the staff ’).*

With open eyes Means the same as with eyesopen.

With the best will in the world Meaning‘with the best of intentions’. The phraseis usually used in a sentence indicatingthat something cannot be done eventhough it is strongly desired (e.g. ‘withthe best will in the world, I don’t thinkwe can do this’).*

With the flies To do something ‘with theflies’ is to do it alone.*

With you When used as a response to anexplanation, ‘with you’ indicates that thespeaker understands the explanation.*

WITH OPEN ARMS / 251

Wither on the vine Fail because of neglector absence of action.*

Within an ace Almost succeeding in doingsomething (but nonetheless failing).*

Within an inch of their life Receiving aserious physical punishment.*

Within coo-ee A short distance away.*

Within distance Attainable.*

Within spitting distance Means the sameas within coo-ee.

Within striking distance Means the sameas within distance.

Within the meaning of the act As isusually understood or accepted.*

Without fail Reliably.*

Without number A large quantity.*

Without rhyme or reason Without anylogical or moral justification.*

Without tears Without difficulty.*

Wolf in sheep’s clothing Someone orsomething dangerous but who appearsharmless.*

Woman of letters An educated woman.*

Women and children first A phrase usedin earlier generations to indicate that, inthe case of a major accident requiringevacuation (e.g. a sinking ship), womenand children should be allowed to fleefirst. The phrase is these days more likelyto be heard as a joking comment onreceipt of bad (but not disastrous) newsaffecting a group of people.*

Won’t get the baby bathed What isproposed will not accomplish whatshould be done.*

Won’t take no for an answer See no for ananswer.

Wood for the trees See can’t see the wood forthe trees.

Wooden spoon A ‘prize’ for the worst per-formance.*

Woodwork See crawl out of the woodwork.

Wool over their eyes See pull the wool overtheir eyes.

Woolly thinking Vague or unintelligentthought or behaviour.*

Word See entries below and: a word, actionsspeak louder than words, by word of mouth,can’t get a word in edgeways, don’t mince words,drop a word in their ear, famous last words,from the word go, have the last word, last word,lost for words, mark my words, mince words,mum’s the word, not know the meaning of theword, put words into their mouth, say the word,take words out of their mouth and what’s themagic word?

Word in edgeways See can’t get a word inedgeways.

Word in their ear To have ‘a word insomeone’s ear’ is to tell them somethingin private.*

Word of mouth Information that has beenspread through informal discussionrather than in printed publications or theTV or radio.*

Word on everyone’s lips The currentlymost-discussed person or issue.*

Word on the street (1) That which iscommonly believed. (2) That which isthe current rumour amongst ‘ordinary’people.*

Word to the wise A brief piece of advice.*

Word up A phrase indicating particularlystrong agreement.*

Words of one syllable Very simplelanguage. It is not a requirement thatevery word is literally one syllable long.*

Work cut out See have their work cut out.

Work into the ground Make exhaustedthrough over-work.*

Work it out Solve a problem.*

Work their fingers to the bone Workvery hard.*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

252 / WITH OPEN EYES

Work their…off Work extremely hard atsomething. The phrase varies in polite-ness according to the word used in thephrase (e.g. ‘work their bottom off ’ is rel-atively innocuous, whilst ‘work theirballs off ’ is less widely socially accept-able).* or ** or ***

Work their passage Offer labour insteadof money as payment for a service. Thephrase originally referred to working as aship’s labourer in exchange for a free seavoyage. However, more generally it canrefer to, for example, working to pay forcollege tuition fees and similar.*

Work their ticket Gain permission toleave.*

World and his wife In other words, every-body. The term is now in decline becauseit is seen as sexist.*

World doesn’t owe them a living See owethem a living.

World is their oyster There are lots ofopportunities.*

World of difference A very large differ-ence.*

World on their shoulders A person withthe ‘world on their shoulders’ hasproblems that preoccupy them and arecausing a feeling of depression.*

World revolves around them Peoplewho think that the ‘world revolvesaround them’ are very self-centred intheir beliefs.*

Worm has turned A previously meekperson or group has rebelled.*

Worm’s-eye view The opinion or perspec-tive of an ordinary person or part of thegeneral (as opposed to the managerial)workforce.*

Worried over Concerned about.*

Worried sick Very concerned.*

Worse than death See fate worse than death.

Worse things happen at sea Said in con-solation after a mishap or other unpleas-

ant event. The intention of the phrase isto indicate that, although things mayappear bad, there are worse fates whichcould have happened (e.g. drowning,being eaten alive by a shark). There are ofcourse much nicer things as well, whichrather weakens the argument, at least inthis author’s view.*

Worth their salt Useful and/or compe-tent.*

Worth their weight in gold Very usefuland/or competent.*

Worthy See I am not worthy.

Would skin a flea for a halfpenny Woulddo anything to earn money.*

Would you believe it? A rhetoricalquestion (i.e. a question requiring noanswer) expressing surprise or disbelief.*

Would you cocoa An expression of disbe-lief.*

Wouldn’t be seen dead in… An expres-sion of strong disapproval of something,indicating that the speaker wouldn’t do it(e.g. ‘I wouldn’t be seen dead in one ofthose new cars’).*

Wouldn’t give them the time of dayTreat with disdain and aloofness. Thephrase is often used to describe good-looking and/or rich people who cannotbe bothered to show even basic courtesyto people who are less attractive and/orrich.*

Wouldn’t hurt a fly Is incapable of doingharm.*

Wouldn’t kick out of bed (1) Would bewilling to have sexual intercourse with.(2) Would be willing to consider.** (2) or*** (1)

Wouldn’t say boo to a goose Is verytimid.*

Wouldn’t say no In other words, ‘yes’.*

Wouldn’t touch them with a bargepoleAn expression of extreme dislike (e.g. ‘Iwouldn’t touch her with a bargepole’). A

WOULDN’T BE SEEN DEAD IN… / 253

bargepole is a long pole used by bargees;if someone is unwilling to be even thedistance of a bargepole from them, thenthey clearly are not very fond of them.The phrase is sometimes slightly embel-lished (e.g. ‘wouldn’t touch them with aten foot bargepole’).*

Wrap in cotton wool Be over-protective.*

Wrap in the flag Show patriotic behaviourto an excessive degree. There is often aninference that this is being done hypo-critically.*

Wrap round their little finger Easilycontrol someone.*

Wrap you up and take you home Thephrase, usually preceded by ‘I could…’, isa term of praise and simply means thatthe speaker thinks someone is a usefulworker or otherwise is appealing. It is arelatively mild term of praise and shouldnot be interpreted more literally.*

Wrapped too tight Too emotionallyrepressed and concerned with correctprotocol.*

Wrench in the works Means the same asspanner in the works.

Write off Dismiss as unimportant or nolonger worthy of consideration.*

Write-off Totally destroyed. The phrasecomes from the idea that a badlydamaged item will be ‘written off ’ (i.e.erased from the inventory of workingitems) because it either cannot berepaired or would be too costly torepair.*

Writes itself Very predictable.*

Writing on the wall A forewarning ofdisaster. The phrase refers to the story ofBelshazzar in the Old Testament, whowas warned of the collapse of hiskingdom by the appearance of magicalhandwriting on the wall.*

Wrong box See in the wrong box.

Wrong end of the stick An incorrectinterpretation of something.*

Wrong side of the bedsheets Born out ofwedlock.*

Wrong side of the tracks From a socially‘inferior’ area or group.*

XX marks the spot In popular fiction, the

location of buried treasure was marked byan ‘X’ on a map. By extension, whatever isthe desired object or location might bedescribed as ‘X marks the spot’.*

YYanking the chain Telling a lie (e.g. ‘I

don’t believe you – I think you’reyanking my chain’).*

Yarn See spin a yarn.

Yea and nay (1) Indecision. (2) Can meanthe same as yes and no.*

Year dot A date that is not precisely known,but is believed to be a very long time ago.Thus, if something has been done a par-ticular way ‘since the year dot’, it means ithas been done that way for a very longtime.*

Yell bloody murder Means the same as yellblue murder.**

Yell blue murder Loudly protest.*

Yes and no If something is ‘yes and no’ it ispartly correct and partly incorrect.*

Yesterday’s man [or woman] A personwho is no longer as influential or impor-tant as they once were.*

Yesterday’s news Something no longer ofinterest. The phrase can apply to people(e.g. an actor no longer popular might becalled ‘yesterday’s news’), things (e.g.‘yo-yos are yesterday’s news’) or informa-

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

254 / WOULDN’T GIVE THEM THE TIME OF DAY

tion (e.g. ‘the evidence of Andrew’s lyingwas yesterday’s news’).*

You ain’t seen nothing yet Somethingeven better or more surprising than whathas just been witnessed is about to berevealed.*

You and whose army? A response to athreat implying that the person makingthe threat is incapable of carrying outwhat he or she is threatening.*

You and yours Closest members of thefamily and close friends.*

You can say that again An expression ofagreement. It is not necessary to repeatwhat has been said.*

You can’t beat the system See beat thesystem.

You can’t take it with you A proverb thatstates that worldly goods are of no useafter death. The phrase originally meantthat people should accordingly attend totheir spiritual welfare but more recentlythe phrase has been interpreted by manyas meaning that as money is of no useafter death, profligate spending onluxuries whilst alive is the only practicaloption.*

You can’t win Being in a helpless situationin which something must be done, butevery course of action has disadvan-tages.*

You don’t keep a dog and bark yourselfIn other words, there is no point inemploying someone or something to do ajob and then do it yourself.*

You forgot to say please The phrase, asused to children, is literally a reminderthat they have been impolite becausethey forgot to say ‘please’ when making arequest. In the case of adults, the phrasecan be used in a more jovial sense toindicate that what has been asked for isunrealistic (e.g. ‘I’d like a pay rise of ahundred per cent’ – ‘you forgot to sayplease’).*

You know what thought did The rest ofthe proverb is ‘ – it followed a muck cartand thought it was a wedding’. Thephrase is used as a criticism of someonewho says ‘I thought…’ followed by aninaccurate statement.*

You name it Anything. The phrase is oftenused to emphasize how wide-rangingsomething is (e.g. ‘I’ve done lots of jobs –you name it, and I’ve probably done it’).*

You pays your money and takes yourchoice All the available options are ofapproximately the same quality.*

You scratch my back and I’ll scratchyours An expression meaning that if youhelp a person do something, they willhelp you do something else. The phrase isoften used where either person has some-thing the other wants. For example, oneperson might have paint brushes and nopaint and another person has lots ofpaint. The person with the paint brushesmight offer to loan them to the otherperson in return for some of the paint. Insuggesting this, the person with the paintbrushes might say ‘you scratch my backand I’ll scratch yours’.*

You should see mine A response madewhen someone apologizes that some-thing is of poor quality, untidy or similar.The response of ‘you should see mine’ orsimilar is intended to mean ‘it’s alright,mine is far poorer/more untidy’ (orwhatever is appropriate) and thus is apolite way of telling someone that thereis no need to apologize or feel awkward.*

You want fries with that? In a settingother than a café or restaurant, a facetiousresponse implying that someone ismaking unrealistic demands.*

You wish A response indicating that whathas just been said is hopelessly beyondwhat the speaker is capable of accom-plishing (e.g. ‘when I’m a millionaire’leading to the reply ‘you wish!’).*

You’re telling me A phrase that indicatesemphatic agreement (e.g. ‘Hitler was abad person’ – ‘you’re telling me’).*

YOU SHOULD SEE MINE / 255

Young blood (1) Younger members of ateam or organisation. There is often theimplication that the young blood will bebetter at producing fresh new ideas. (2)An over-confident young adult; generallythere is an implication that they are richand part of fashionable society.*

Young Turk A young person with a strongdesire to reform (e.g. politics, workplacepractices, a field of study, etc.). Thephrase is derived from an influentialgroup of reformers in Turkey in the earlytwentieth century. However, the phraseapplies to people of any nationality, notjust Turks.*

Your actual A genuine example.*

Your mileage may vary Your opinionsmay differ from the one expressed.*

ZZapped out Produced.*

Zero sum game A situation in which if oneperson or group gains something,another person or group loses the sameamount.*

Zero to hero A person whose status risesfrom being considered insignificantand/or disliked to being of high statusand admired.*

Zs See catch some zs.

101 If something is ‘101’ then it is very ele-mentary. The phrase is derived from theobservation that many introductory uni-versity courses have the coding of ‘101’.*

24/7 Stands for ‘24 hours per day, 7 days aweek’. In other words, continuously (e.g.‘I want her to be under surveillance24/7’).*

9/11 The terrorist attack on the TwinTowers and the Pentagon on 11 Septem-ber 2001. The ordering of the numbers isthe American habit of placing the monthbefore the date (i.e. the reverse of the UKmethod).*

* unlikely to offend; ** may offend; *** will always offend

256 / YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT?