tizzy
A sixpence. Corruption of TESTER.
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tjoekie
A prison.
Tne Ladies' Mile
A stretch of the road on the north side of the Serpentine, Hyde Park, much favoured in Victorian days by "equest- riennes." The Coaching and Four-in-Hand Clubs held their meets there in spring.
to a degree
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
to a fare-thee-well
To the utmost degree or completely
to a fault
In excess; as, kind to a fault. Excess of every good is more or less evil.
to a greater extent
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
to a hair
Exactly, perfectly, to a very small detail
to a nicety
with great precision or accuracy
to a T
Exactly, perfectly, or precisely
to a turn
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
to air one's opinion
To state opinions openly, to give air to one's opinions.
to all intents and purposes
Essentially or practically, but not officially
to amuse
To fling dust or snuff in the eyes of the person intended to be robbed; also to invent some plausible tale, to delude shop-keepers and others, thereby to put them off their guard. CANT.
to and fro
moving back and forth
to answer its purpose
To carry out what was expected or what was intended.
To answer more Scotico
To divert the direct question by starting another question or subject.
To apologize is to lay the foundation for a further offense. (Ambrose Bierce)
Apologizing can be seen as a sign of weakness
to applaud to the echo
To applaud vigor- ously— so loudly as to produce an echo.
to apply the gag
Said of applying the closure in the House of Commons. Here gag is some- thing forced into the mouth to prevent speech.
to ask for one's card
To resign one's job, derived from the National Health Insurance card kept by the employer while the workman is on the job.
to back and fill
A nautical phrase, denoting a mode of tacking when the tide is with the vessel and the wind against it. Metaphorically, to be irresolute.
to back out
To withdraw from an engage- ment, bargain, etc.; to retreat from a difficult position.
to back the sails
So to arrange them that the ship's way may be checked.
to back the wrong horse
To make an error in judgment, and suffer for it. A phrase from the Turf.
to back up
To uphold, to support. As one who stands at your back to support you. An advance by the batsman not taking strike at cricket in order to be ready to take a quick run if the striker makes an opportunity.
to back water
To row backwards in order to reverse the forward motion of a boat in rowing; hence, to go easy, to retrace one's steps, to retract.
to badger
To tease, annoy, or persistently importune, in allusion to badger-baiting. A badger was kennelled in a tub, where dogs were set upon him to worry him out. When dragged from his tub the poor beast was allowed to retire to it till he recovered from the attack. This process was repeated several times.
to bag
Secure for oneself; probably an extension of the sporting use of the word, meaning, to put into one's bag what one has shot, caught, or trapped. Hence, a good bag, a large catch of game, fish, or other animals sought after by sportsmen.
to bam
To impose on any one by a falsity; also to jeer or make fun of any one.
to bamboozle
To make a fool of any one, to humbug or impose on him.
to bar the bubble
To except against the general rule, that he who lays the odds must always be adjudged the loser: this is restricted to betts laid for liquor.
to bark at the moon
To rail uselessly especially at those in high places, as a dog thinks to frighten the moon by baying at it
to bark up the wrong tree
To waste energy, to be on the wrong scent The phrase comes from raccoon hunting. This sport always takes place in the dark, with dogs which are supposed to mark the tree where the raccoon has taken refuge, and bark until the hunter arrives. But even dogs can mistake the tree in the dark, and often bark up the wrong one.
to baste
To beat. I'll give him his bastings, I'll beat him heartily.
to be a fool to
Not to come up to ; to be very inferior to; as, "bagatelle is a fool to billiards.
to be all in the same boat. (16th century)
To be in the same situation or have the same problem
to be at a dead set
To be set fast, so as not to be able to move. The allusion is tc machinery.
to be bazookaed
To be in a tank struck by such a projectile.
to be burnt as a heretic
The victims of the Inquisition were always decorated with such a headgear.
to be called to the bar
To be admitted a barrister. Students having attained a certain status used to be called from the body of the hall within the bar, to take part in the proceed- ings of the court. To disbar means to expel a barrister from his profession.
to be capped
A player who has represen- ted England, Scotland, Ireland, or Wales in an international match at any of the major field sports may wear a cap bearing the national emblem. Hence the phrase: He was capped for England.
to be caught bending
To be caught at a disadvantage. If you catch a small boy bending over it is easy to smack him on that portion of his anatomy provided by nature for the purpose.
to be caught flat-footed
To be caught un- prepared, as a football player who is tackled by an opponent before he has been able to advance.
to be caught napping
To suffer some disadvantage while off one's guard. Pheasants, hares, and other animals are sometimes surprised "napping.
to be caught out
To be unmasked in a lie or subterfuge, from ball games in which to have a catch caught by a fieldsman puts the striker out.
to be dead nuts on
To be very much pleased with, highly gratified with. My aunt is awful nuts on Marcus Aurelius; I beg your pardon, you don't know the phrase; my aunt makes Marcus Aurelius her Bible. — WM. BLACK: Princess of Thule, xi.
to be done brown
To be deceived, taken in; to be "roasted." This is one of many similar expressions connected with cooking. See COOKING.
to be food for worms
To be dead. Your worm is your only emperor for diet; we fat all creatures else, to fat us; and we fat ourselves for maggots. — Hamlet, iv, 3.
to be hammered
A Stock Exchange term, used of one who is in the "House" officially declared a defaulter. This is done by the "Head Waiter," who goes into the rostrum and, be- fore making the announcement, attracts the attention of the members present by striking the desk with a hammer.
to be honest
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
To be in Dulcarnon
To be in a quandary, or on the horns of a dilemma.
to be in the groove
To be in the right mood, tojbe d9ing something successfully. A phrase- originating from the accurate reproduction of music by a needle set in the grooves of a gramo- phone record.
to be in the saddle
To be in a position of authority, in office; also to be ready for work and eager to get on with it.
to be in the same box
To be in the same predicament as somebody else; to be equally embarrassed.
to be in the seventh heaven
Supremely happy. The Cabbalists maintained that there are seven heavens, each rising in happiness above the other, the seventh being the abode of God and the highest class of angels. See also PARADISE.
to be left holding the bag
To have one's comrades decamp or withdraw leaving one with the entire onus of what was originally a group responsibility.
to be no more
To exist no longer; to be dead. Cassius is no more. Julius Ccesar.
to be on one's last legs. (16th century)
To be very tired or near the end of one's strength or usefulness
to be on the qui vive
On the alert; to be quick and sharp; to be on the tiptoe of expecta- tion, like a sentinel. (See above.
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