[up in the air] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> 1. <informal> In great anger or excitement. * /My father went straight up in the air when he heard I damaged the car./ * /The Jones family are all up in the air because they are taking a trip around the world./ Compare: HIT THE CEILING, BLOW A FUSE. 2. also [in midair] Not settled; uncertain; undecided. * /Plans for the next meeting have been left up in the air until Jane gets better./ * /The result of the game was left hanging in midair because it rained before the finish./ Compare: LEAVE HANGING.

[up one's alley] See: DOWN ONE'S ALLEY.

[up one's sleeve] or [in one's sleeve] <adv. phr.> 1. Hidden in the sleeve of one's shirt or coat and ready for secret or wrongful use. * /The crooked gambler hid aces up his sleeve during the card game so that he would win./ 2. <informal> Kept secretly ready for the right time or for a time when needed. * /Jimmy knew that his father had some trick up his sleeve because he was smiling to himself during the checker game./ Compare: CARD UP ONE'S SLEEVE. 3. See: LAUGH UP ONE'S SLEEVE.

[upon oneself] See: TAKE ON ONESELF also TAKE UPON ONESELF.

[upon one's head] See: ON ONE'S HEAD.

[upon the spot] See: ON THE SPOT(1).

[upper] See: KEEP A STIFF UPPER LIP, ON ONE'S UPPERS.

[upper crust] <n.>, <informal> The richest, most famous, or important people in a certain place; the highest class. * /It is a school that only the children of the upper crust can afford./

[upper hand] or [whip hand] <n.> Controlling power; advantage. * /In the third round the champion got the upper hand over his opponent and knocked him out./ * /The cowboy trained the wild horse so that he finally got the whip hand and tamed the horse./

[upper story] <n.> 1. A floor or level of a building above the first floor. * /The apartment house where Gene lives is five stories high and he lives in one of the upper stories./ 2. <slang> A person's head or brain. * /Lulu has nobody home in the upper story./ * /Bill's sister says he is weak in the upper story./

[Upsadaisy!] or [Upsee-daisy!] or [Upsy-daisy!] <adv. phr.> - A popular exclamation used when just about anything is lifted, particularly a small child raised to his or her highchair or bed. * /"Upsee-daisy!" the nurse said with a smile on her face, as she lifted the baby from its bed./

[ups and downs] <n. phr.> Vicissitudes; alternating periods between good and bad times; changes in fortune. * /He is now a wealthy stock trader, but at the beginning of his career he, too, had many ups and downs./

[upset the applecart] or [upset one's applecart] <v. phr.>, <informal> To ruin a plan or what is being done, often by surprise or accident; change how things are or are being done, often unexpectedly; ruin or mix up another person's success or plan for success. * /John upset the other team's applecart by hitting a home run in the last inning and we won the game./ * /We are planning a surprise party for Bill, so don't let Mary upset the applecart by telling him before the party./ * /Frank thinks he is going to be the boss, but I'll upset his applecart the first chance I get./ Compare: ROCK THE BOAT.

[upside down] <adv. phr.> Overturned so that the bottom is up and the top is down. * /The ladybug lay upside down in the sand and was unable to take off./ * /The problem with this company is that everything is upside down; we need a new C.E.O./

[upstairs] See: NOBODY HOME UPSTAIRS.

[up the creek] or [up the creek without a paddle] <adj. phr.>, <informal> In trouble or difficulty and unable to do anything about it; stuck. * /Father said that if the car ran out of gas in the middle of the desert, we would be up the creek without a paddle./ * /I'll be up the creek if I don't pass this history test./ Compare: DEEP WATER, IN THE SOUP, UP A TREE, OUT OF LUCK.

[up tight] or [uptight] <adj.>, <slang>, <informal> Worried, irritated, excessively eager or anxious. * /Why are you so uptight about getting that job? The more you worry, the less you'll succeed./

[up to] <prep.> 1. As far, as deep, or as high as. * /The water in the pond was only up to John's knees./ * /Mary is small and just comes up to Bill's chest./ * /The shovel sank in the soft mud all the way up to the handle./ 2. Close to; approaching. * /The team did not play up to its best today./ * /Because of the rain, the number of people at the party didn't come up to the number we expected./ 3. As high as; not more than; as much or as many as. * /Pick any number up to ten./ * /There were up to eight fire engines at the fire./ 4. or [up till] or [up until] - Until; till. * /Up to her fourth birthday, the baby slept in a crib./ * /Up to now I always thought John was honest./ * /We went swimming up till breakfast time./ * /Up until last summer we always went to the beach for our vacation./ 5. Capable of; fit for; equal to; strong or well enough for. * /We chose Harry to be captain because we thought he was up to the job./ * /Mother is sick and not up to going out to the store./ 6. Doing or planning secretly; ready for mischief. * /What are you up to with the matches, John?/ * /Mrs. Watson was sure that the boys were up to no good, because they ran when they saw her coming./ 7. Facing as a duty; to be chosen or decided by; depending on. * /It's up to you to get to school on time./ * /I don't care when you cut the grass. When you do it is up to you./

[up-to-date] <adj.> Modem; contemporary; the latest that technology can offer. * /"I want an up-to-date dictionary of American idioms," Mr. Lee said, "that has all the latest Americanisms in it."/ Contrast: STATE-OF-THE-ART.

[up to no good] <adv. phr.> Intending to do something bad; perpetrating an illicit act. * /We could tell from the look on Dennis the Menace's face that he was once again up to no good./

[up to one's ears] <adv. phr.> Immersed in; covered with. * /"Around final examination time," Professor Brown explained, "I am always up to my ears in work."/

[up to one's neck] <adv. phr.> Overwhelmed with; submerged in. * /"During the summer season in our cottage by the lake," the Allens complained, "we are usually up to our necks in uninvited guests."/ Compare: UP TO ONE'S EARS.

[up to par] or <informal> [up to scratch] or <informal> [up to snuff] 1. In good or normal health or physical condition. * /I have a cold and don't feel up to par./ * /The boxer is training for the fight but he isn't up to scratch yet./ 2. or [up to the mark] As good as usual; up to the usual level or quality. * /The TV program was not up to par tonight./ * /John will have to work hard to bring his grades up to snuff./ Compare: MEASURE UP.

[up to scratch] See: UP TO FAR.

[up to snuff] See: UP TO PAR.

[up to the chin in] or [in --- up to the chin] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Used also with "ears", "elbows", "eyes" or "knees" instead of "chin", and with a possessive instead of "the". 1. Having a big or important part in; guilty of; not innocent of; deeply in. * /Was Tom mixed up in that trouble last night? He was up to his ears in it./ * /Mr. Johnson is up to the eyes in debt./ * /Mrs. Smith is in debt up to her chin./ Compare: TO THE HILT. 2. Very busy with; working hard at. * /Bob is up to his neck in homework./ * /They are up to their elbows in business before Christmas./ 3. Having very much or many of; flooded with. * /Mary was up to her knees in invitations to go to parties./ Compare: KNEE-DEEP.

[up to the hilt] See: TO THE HILT.

[up to the last minute] <adv. phr.> Until the last possible moment; until the very end. * /When I try to send in an important eyewitness report from the scene of a major accident, I must keep working up to the last minute./ Compare: TO THE BITTER END, UNDER THE WIRE.

[up to the mark] See: UP TO PAR(2).

[up-to-the-minute] See: UP-TO-DATE.

[urban homesteading] <n.>, <informal> Renovation and occupation through cooperative ownership by tenants of previously abandoned city apartment buildings. * /Urban homesteading is on the rise in many big American cities these days./

[use] See: NO USE, PUT TO USE.

[used to(1)] <adj. phr.> In the habit of or familiar with. * /People get used to smoking and it is hard for them to stop./ * /Farmers are used to working outdoors in the winter./ * /After my eyes became used to the dim light in the cave, I saw an old shovel on the ground./ * /On the hike Bob soon got tired, but Dick did not because he was used to walking./

[used to(2)] or [did use to] <v. phr.> Did formerly; did in the past. - Usually used with an infinitive to tell about something past. * /Uncle Henry used to have a beard, but he shaved it off./ * /Did your father use to work at the bank?/ * /People used to say that tomatoes were poison./ - Sometimes used without the infinitive. * /I don't go to that school any more, but I used to./ * /We don't visit Helen as much as we used to./ * /I used to go to the movies often. Did you use to?/

[used to be] or [did use to be] <v. phr.> Formerly or once was. * /Mary used to be small; but she has grown up./ * /Dick used to be the best pitcher on the team last year; now two other pitchers are better than he is./

[use every trick in the book] <v. phr.>, <informal> To avail oneself of any means at all in order to achieve one's goal, not exclusive of possibly immoral or illegal acts. * /Algernon used every trick in the book to get Maxine to go out with him, but she kept refusing./

[use one's head] or <slang> [use one's bean] or <slang> [use one's noodle] or <slang> use [one's noggin] <v. phr.> To use your brain or mind; think; have common sense. - Often used as a command. * /If you used your bean you wouldn't be in trouble now./ * /Never point a gun at anybody, John. Use your head!/

[use up] <v. phr.> 1. To use until nothing is left; spend or consume completely. * /Don't use up all the soap. Leave me some to wash with./ * /Jack used up his last dollar to see the movies./ Compare: GIVE OUT(5). 2. <informal> To tire completely; make very tired; exhaust; leave no strength or force in. - Usually used in the passive. * /After rowing the boat across the lake, Robert was used up./ Compare: GIVE OUT(4), WEAR OUT.

[utility room] <n.> A room in a house or building for machinery and other things important in the daily use of the building and the work of the people in it. * /There is a utility room upstairs where Mother does the laundry./ * /The oil burner is kept in the utility room in the basement./

[vain] See: IN VAIN, TAKE ONE'S NAME IN VAIN.

[valor] See: DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR.

[value] See: FACE VALUE.

[vanish into thin air] See: DISAPPEAR INTO THIN AIR.

[vanishing cream] <n.> A cosmetic cream for the skin that is used chiefly before face powder. * /Mrs. Jones spread vanishing cream on her face before applying her face powder./

[vanity case] <n.> 1. A small case containing face powder, lipstick, and other things and usually carried in a woman's handbag; a compact. * /She took out her vanity case and put lipstick on./ 2. A handbag or a small bag carried by a woman and holding various toilet articles. * /She had the porter carry her big bags and she herself carried her vanity case./

[variety show] <n.> A program that includes several different kinds of entertainment (as songs, dances, comic skits and little dramas). * /Jane's father was the master of ceremonies of a variety show on TV./

[variety store] <n.> A store that sells many different kinds of things, especially items that are fairly small and in everyday use. * /I went into a variety store and bought some paint./ * /Five-and-ten cent stores are a kind of variety store./

[vein] See: FREEZE ONE'S BLOOD or FREEZE THE BLOOD IN ONE'S VEINS, FREEZE ONE'S VEINS.

[verbal diarrhea] <n. phr.> The inability to keep silent; over-talkativeness. * /Archibald is a nice guy but he's got verbal diarrhea and he can't shut up for a single minute./

[very] See: ALL VERY WELL.

[very well] <interj.>, <formal> Agreed; all right. - Used to show agreement or approval. * /Very well. You may go./ * /Very well, I will do as you say./ Compare: ALL RIGHT(2).

[vibrations] or [vibes] <n.> Psychic emanations radiating from an object, situation, or person. * /I don't think this relationship will work out - this guy has given me bad vibes./

[vicious circle] <n. phr.> A kind of circular or chain reaction in which one negative thing leads to another. * /Some people take so many different kinds of medicine to cure an illness that they develop other illnesses from the medicine and are thus caught in a vicious circle./

[Vietnam syndrome] <n.>, <informal> An attitude in government circles that diplomacy may be more effective in solving local political problems in other countries than the use of military force, stemming from the failure of the U.S. military intervention in Vietnam. * /The pundits of Foggy Bottom display the Vietnam syndrome these days when it comes to Iran./

[view] See: IN VIEW, IN VIEW OF, TAKE A DIM VIEW OF.

[vine] See: DIE ON THE VINE or WITHER ON THE VINE, CLINGING VINE.

[virtue] See: BY VIRTUE OF, MAKE A VIRTUE OF NECESSITY.

[visiting nurse] <n.> A nurse who goes from home to home taking care of sick people or giving help with other health problems. * /After John returned home from the hospital, the visiting nurse came each day to change his bandages./

[voice] See: AT THE TOP OF ONE'S VOICE, GIVE VOICE.

[voice box] <n.> The part of the throat where the sound of your voice is made; the larynx. * /Mr. Smith's voice box was taken out in an operation, and he could not talk after that./

[voiceprint] <n.>, <technological>, <colloquial> The graphic pattern derived from converting an individual's voice into a visible graph used by the police for identification purposes, much as fingerprints. * /They have succeeded in identifying the murderer by using a voiceprint./

[volcano] See: SIT ON A VOLCANO.

[volume] See: SPEAK VOLUMES.

[vote a straight ticket] <v. phr.> To not differentiate one's ballot according to individual names and posts, but to vote for all candidates for all positions of the same party. * /"I never have time.to study the ballot in detail," Marie said, "and so I tend to vote a straight Republican ticket."/

[vote in] <v. phr.> To elevate to the status of "Law of the Land" by special or general ballot. * /Congress has finally voted in the Brady Law that requires that prospective gun owners wait a special period of time before making their purchase./

[vote one out] <v. phr.> To terminate one's elected office by casting a negative vote about that person (judge, congressman, etc.), mostly so that someone else might occupy the same position. * /Congressman Smith was voted out last November in favor of Congresswoman Bradley./

[wade in] or [wade into] <v.>, <informal> 1. To go busily to work. * /The house was a mess after the party, but Mother waded in and soon had it clean again./ 2. To attack. * /When Bill had heard Jim's argument, he waded in and took it apart./ * /Jack waded into the boys with his fists flying./

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