[all wet] <adj.>, <slang> Entirely confused or wrong; mistaken. * /When the Wright brothers said they could build a flying machine, people thought they were all wet./ * /If you think I like baseball, you're all wet./ Compare: OFF ONE'S ROCKER.

[all wool and a yard wide] <adj. phr.> Of fine character; especially, very generous and kind-hearted. * /He's a wonderful brother - all wool and a yard wide./

[all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy] Too much hard work without time out for play or enjoyment is not good for anyone. - A proverb. * /Bill's mother told him to stop studying and to go out and play, because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy./

[all year round] <adv. phr.> Always; all the time; throughout all seasons of the year. * /In California the sun shines all year round./

[alone] See: LET ALONE or LEAVE ALONE, LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE or LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE.

[along] See: ALL ALONG or RIGHT ALONG, COME ALONG, GET ALONG, GO ALONG, RUN ALONG, STRING ALONG.

[along for the ride] <adv. phr.>, <informal> Being in a group for the fun or the credit without doing any of the work. * /He wants no members in his political party who are just along for the ride./

[along in years] or [on in years] <adj. phr.> Elderly; growing old. * /As Grandfather got on in years, he became quiet and thoughtful./ * /Our dog isn 't very playful because it is getting on in years./

[alongside of] <prep.> 1. At or along the side of. * /We walked alongside of the river./ 2. Together with. * /I played alongside of Tom on the same team./ Compare: SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, SIDE BY SIDE. 3. <informal> Compared with or to; measured next to. * /His money doesn't look like much alongside of a millionaire's./

[a lot] <n.>, <informal> A large number or amount; very many or very much; lots. * /I learned a lot in Mr. Smith's class./ * /A lot of our friends are going to the beach this summer./ - Often used like an adverb. * /Ella is a jolly girl; she laughs a lot./ * /Grandfather was very sick last week, but he's a lot better now./ * /You'll have to study a lot harder if you want to pass./ - Also used as an adjective with "more", "less", and "fewer". * /There was a good crowd at the game today, but a lot more will come next week./ - Often used with "whole" for emphasis. * /John has a whole lot of marbles./ * /Jerry is a whole lot taller than he was a year ago./ Compare: GOOD DEAL, GOOD MANY, A NUMBER. Contrast: A FEW, A LITTLE.

[aloud] See: THINK ALOUD or THINK OUT LOUD.

[alpha wave] <n.> A brain wave, 8-12 cycles per second, associated with a state of relaxation and meditation and, hence, free of anxieties. * /Try to produce some alpha waves; you will instantly feel a lot better./

[alter] See: CIRCUMSTANCES ALTER CASES.

[always] See: GRASS is ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE.

[ambulance chaser] <n.> An attorney who specializes in representing victims of traffic accidents. By extension, a lawyer of inferior rank or talent. * /Don't hire Cohen; he's just another ambulance chaser./

[American plan] <n.> A system of hotel management in which meals are included with the room, as opposed to the European plan that does not include meals. * /American tourists in Europe sometimes expect that their meals will be included, because they are used to the American plan./

[amount to] <v.> Signify; add up to. * /John's total income didn't amount to more than a few hundred dollars./

[a must] <n.> 1. An inevitability; a necessity. * /Visas in many foreign countries are a must./ 2. An extremely interesting or memorable event, such as a free concert given by an international celebrity. * /Alfred Brendel's Beethoven master classes are open to the public and are not to be missed; they're a must./

[anchor] See: AT ANCHOR.

[--- and ---] 1. - And is used between repeated words to show continuation or emphasis. * /When the children saw the beautiful Christmas tree they looked and looked./ * /Old Mr, Bryan has known Grandfather for years and years, since they were boys./ * /Billy dived to the bottom of the lake again and again, looking for the lost watch./ * /Everyone wished the speaker would stop, but he talked on and on./ Compare: THROUGH AND THROUGH. 2. - When "and" is used between words with opposite meaning, it often emphasizes how much you mean. * /Mr. Jones worked early and late to earn enough to live./ * /The parents hunted high and low for the lost child./ Compare: DAY AND NIGHT, FROM -- TO, INSIDE AND OUT.

[and all] <informal> And whatever goes with it; and all that means. * /We don't go out much nowadays, with the new baby and all./ * /Jack's employer provided the tools and all./

[and how!] <interj.>, <informal> Yes, that is certainly right! Used for emphatic agreement. * /"Did you see the game?" "And how!"/ * /"Isn't Mary pretty?" "And how she is!"/ Syn.: YOU BET, YOU SAID IT. Compare:: BUT GOOD.

[and so forth] or [and so on] And more of the same kind; and further amounts or things like the ones already mentioned. * /The costumes were red, pink, blue, purple, yellow, and so forth./ Compare: WHAT HAVE YOU.

[and the like] <n. phr.> Things of a similar nature. * /I like McDonald's, Wendy's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the like./ * /When I go out to the beach flake towels, a mat, suntan lotion, and the like./

[and then some] And a lot more; and more too. * /It would cost all the money he had and then some./ * /Talking his way out of this trouble was going to take all his wits and then some./

[and what not] See: WHAT NOT.

[angel dust] <n.>, <slang> Phencyclidine, an addictive hallucinatory narcotic drug extremely dangerous to the users' health, also called PCP. * /Mike has gone from grass to angel dust; he will end up in the morgue./

[another] See: DANCE TO ANOTHER TUNE.

[answer back] See: TALK BACK.

[answer for] <v.> 1. To take responsibility for; assume charge or supervision of. * /The secret service has to answer for the safety of the President and his family./ 2. To say you are sure that (someone) has good character or ability; guarantee: sponsor. * /When people thought Ray had stolen the money, the principal said, "Ray is no thief. I'll answer for him."/ 3. Take the blame or punishment for. * /When Mother found out who ate the cake, Tom had to answer for his mischief./

[answer one's calling] <v. phr.> To fulfill one's destiny in terms of work or profession by doing what one has a talent for. * /Don answered his calling when he became a chiropractor. Susy answered her calling when she became a violinist./

[answer the call of nature] or [obey the call of nature] <v. phr.>, <slang> To go to the bathroom to relieve oneself by urinating or defecating. * /Ted was hiking in the mountains when suddenly he had to answer the call of nature but since there was no bathroom in the woods, he excused himself and disappeared behind the bushes./

[answer to] <v.> To be named; go by a certain name or designation; be accountable. * /When you walk my dog, please remember that he answers to the name "Caesar."/ * /As head of the company she does not have to answer to anyone./

[ante up] <v.>, <informal> To produce the required amount of money in order to close a transaction; to pay what one owes. * /"I guess I'd better ante up if I want to stay an active member of the Association", Max said./

[ants in one's pants] <n. phr.>, <slang> Nervous over-activity; restlessness. * /Jane can not sit still; she has ants in her pants./ * /You have ants in your pants today. Is something wrong?/

[a number] <n.> A rather large number; numbers. - Used when there arc more than several and fewer than many. * /The parents were invited to see the program, and a number came./ * /We knew the Smiths rattier well; we had visited them a number of times./ - Used like an adjective before "less", "more". * /We have not set up enough folding chairs; we need a number more./ Compare: QUITE A FEW.

[any] See: HARDLY ANY or SCARCELY ANY.

[any number] <n.>, <informal> A large number; many. * /There are any number of reasons for eating good food./ * /Don't ask George what his excuse is. He can invent any number./ Compare: A LOT, A NUMBER, GOOD MANY.

[any old how] / [any old way] <adv. phr.>, <informal> Doing something in a casual, haphazard, or careless way. * /"John," the teacher said, "you can't just do your homework any old way; you must pay attention to my instructions!"/

[any port in a storm] Any help is welcome in an emergency. - A proverb. * /The motel we stopped in was nothing to brag about, but we were so exhausted that it was a clear case of any port in a storm./

[anything] See: HAVE NOTHING ON or NOT HAVE ANYTHING ON, IF ANYTHING.

[anything but] <adv. phr.> Quite the opposite of; far from being. * /I don't mean he's lazy - anything but!/ * /The boys knew they had broken the rules, and they were anything but happy when they were called to the office./

[anything like] or [anywhere near] <adv.> Nearly. - Used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences, often in the negative forms "nothing like" or "nowhere near". * /It's not anything like as hot today as it was yesterday./ * /Do you think that gold ring is worth anywhere near a hundred dollars?/ * /Today's game was nowhere near as exciting as yesterday's game./ * /Studying that lesson should take nothing like two hours./

[anywhere near] See: ANYTHING LIKE or ANYWHERE NEAR.

[any which way] See: EVERY WHICH WAY.

[apart] See: JOKING ASIDE or JOKING APART, POLES APART, TELL APART.

[apart from] or [aside from] <prep. phr.> Beside or besides; in addition to. * /The children hardly see anyone, apart from their parents./ * /Aside from being fun and good exercise, swimming is a very useful skill./ Syn.: EXCEPT FOR, OUTSIDE OF.

[ape] See: GO APE.

[appear] See: SPEAK OF THE DEVIL AND HE APPEARS.

[appearance] See: PUT IN AN APPEARANCE also MAKE AN APPEARANCE.

[apple] See: POLISH THE APPLE.

[applecart] See: UPSET THE APPLECART or UPSET ONE'S APPLECART.

[apple of one's eye] <n. phr.> Something or someone that is adored; a cherished person or object. * /Charles is the apple of his mother's eye./ * /John's first car was the apple of his eye. He was always polishing it./

[apple-pie order] <n. phr.>, <informal> Exact orderly arrangement, neatness; tidy arrangement. * /The house was in apple-pie order./ * /Like a good secretary, she kept the boss's desk in apple-pie order./

[apple polisher]; [apple polishing] See: POLISH THE APPLE.

[approval] See: ON APPROVAL.

[a pretty pass] <n. phr.> An unfortunate condition; a critical state. * /While the boss was away, things at the company had come to a pretty pass./

[apron] See: TIED TO ONE'S MOTHER'S APRON STRINGS.

[apropos of] <prep.>, <formal> In connection with; on the subject of, about; concerning. * /Apropos of higher tuition, Mr. Black told the boy about the educational loans that banks are offering./ * /Mr. White went to see Mr. Richards apropos of buying a car./

[arm] See: GIVE ONE'S RIGHT ARM, KEEP AT A DISTANCE Or KEEP AT ARM'S LENGTH, SHOT IN THE ARM, TAKE UP ARMS, TWIST ONE'S ARM, UP IN ARMS, WITH OPEN ARMS, COST AN ARM AND A LEG.

[arm and a leg] <n.>, <slang> An exorbitantly high price that must be paid for something that isn't really worth it. * /It's true that to get a decent apartment these days in New York you have to pay an arm and a leg./

[armed to the teeth] <adj. phr.> Having all needed weapons; fully armed. * /The paratroopers were armed to the teeth./

[arm in arm] <adv. phr.> With your arm under or around another person's arm, especially in close comradeship or friendship. * /Sally and Joan were laughing and joking together as they walked arm in arm down the street./ * /When they arrived at the party, the partners walked arm in arm to meet the hosts./ Compare: HAND IN HAND.

[around one's ears] See: ABOUT ONE'S EARS.

[around the clock] also [the clock around] <adv. phr.> For 24 hours a day continuously all day and all night. * /The factory operated around the clock until the order was filled./ * /He studied around the clock for his history exam./ - [round-the-clock] <adj.> * /That filling station has round-the-clock service./

[around the corner] <adv. phr.> Soon to come or happen; close by; near at hand. * /The fortuneteller told Jane that there was an adventure for her just around the corner./

[arrest] See: UNDER ARREST.

[as] See: FOR AS MUCH AS, IN AS MUCH AS.

[as a last resort] <adv. phr.> In lieu of better things; lacking better solutions. * /"We'll sleep in our sleeping bags as a last resort," John said, "since all the motels are full."/

[as a matter of fact] <adv. phr.> Actually; really; in addition to what has been said; in reference to what was said. - Often used as an interjection. * /It's not true that I cannot swim; as a matter of fact, I used to work as a lifeguard in Hawaii./ * /Do you think this costs too much? As a matter of fact, I think it is rather cheap./

[as an aside] <adv. phr.> Said as a remark in a low tone of voice; used in theaters where the actor turns toward the audience as if to "think out loud." * /During the concert Tim said to his wife as an aside, "The conductor has no idea how to conduct Beethoven."/

[as a rule] <adv. phr.> Generally; customarily. * /As a rule, the boss arrives at the office about 10 A.M./

[as an old shoe] See: COMFORTABLE AS AN OLD SHOE, COMMON AS AN OLD SHOE.

[as --- as ---] - Used with an adjective or adverb in a comparison or with the effect of a superlative. * /John is as tall as his father now./ * /I didn't do as badly today as I did yesterday./ * /John's father gave him a hard job and told him to do as well as possible./ * /The sick girl was not hungry, but her mother told her to eat as much as she could./ - Also used in the form "so --- as" in some sentences, especially negative sentences. * /This hill isn't nearly so high as the last one we climbed./ - Often used in similes (comparisons that are figures of speech). * /The baby mouse looked as big as a minute./ * /Jim's face was red as a beet after he made the foolish mistake./ Most similes in conventional use are cliches, avoided by careful speakers and writers.

[as best one can] <adv. phr.> As well as you can; by whatever means are available; in the best way you can. * /The car broke down in the middle of the night, and he had to get home as best he could./ * /George's foot hurt, but he played the game as best he could./ * /The girl's mother was sick, so the girl got dinner as best she could./

[as catch can] See: CATCH AS CATCH CAN.

[as far as] or [so far as] <adv. phr.> 1. To the degree or amount that; according to what, how much, or how far. * /John did a good job as far as he went, but he did not finish it./ * /So far as the weather is concerned, I do not think it matters./ * /As far as he was concerned, things were going well./ 2. To the extent that; within the limit that. * /He has no brothers so far as I know./ Compare: FOR ALL(2).

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