... words stick in
one’s
throat
→
put in a good word (for
someone
)
→
put words into
someone’s
mouth
→
take the words (right) out of
one’s
mouth
→
true to
one’s
word
→
twist
someone’s
words ...
[
"raIt IN
]
1.
n. making sen-
tences, words, or letters with a
pen, a pencil, chalk, or other writ-
ing instrument. (No plural.)
2.
sentences, words, or letters
made with a pen, a pencil, ...
one’s
words
→
from the word go
→
get a word in edgewise
→
get the final word
→
get the last word
→
get the word
→
go back on
one’s
word
→
hang on
someone’s
every word
→
have
one’s
words...
... tv. to put
one’s belongings into the care of
check
89
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TLFeBOOK
Centigrade ["sEnt @ gred] n. the
metric system of measuring tem-
perature. (No plural. The same ... (Plural only for types
and instances.)
2. n. a stick of Q
used for writing, as on a chalk-
Centigrade
86
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TLFeBOOK
cause something to become differ-
ent.
7. tv. to ... to fight
hard to keep something from
coming out of one’s mouth, such
as sobs, the truth, angry words,
vomit, etc.
choke
something
down to work
hard to swallow something, usu-
ally because it...
... amount to change.
8. n. a
time when the temperature is 32
degrees
Fahrenheit, 0 degrees
Centigrade, or below.
freeze over [for a body of water]
to get cold and form a layer of ice
on top.
freeze...
... become ruined; to
deteriorate.
go to rack and ruin and go to
wrack and ruin to become
ruined. (The words rack and wrack
mean “wreckage” and are found
only in this expression.)
go to seed Go to run ... one’s presence.
graced with
something
made ele-
gant by means of some ornament
or decoration.
grade ["gred] 1. n. a level in school
corresponding to a year of study.
2. n. a mark, given ... of
quality.
4. n. the slope of a road,
roof, terrace, etc.
5. tv. to give W
for the work of a student.
grade
someone or something
down
to lower the ranking, rating, or
score of someone or something.
graduate...
... gets
special attention from everyone;
the person for whom a party, cele-
bration, or ceremony is given.
guide ["gaId] 1. n. someone who
shows someone else the way.
2. n.
someone who leads tours. ...
3. iv. [for something] to
work in a certain way while being
used; [for a vehicle or boat] to be
guided, driven, or steered.
→
fly off the handle
→ get a handle on
something
→ have a handle on...
... used
especially in counting cows,
horses, and sheep. (No plural.
Always a singular form preceded
by words that tell how many.)
4. n.
the leader of a company, country,
organization, group, etc.; a...
... f@n] n. the mark of
punctuation (-). (It is placed
between the parts of some com-
pound words, between the words
in certain phrases, or between syl-
lables where a word has been split
between two ... someone
or something with force.
2. tv. to
shout something negative, such as
an insult or bad words.
hurl an insult (at
someone
) to
direct an insult at someone; to say
something insulting ... informa-
tion] in a (figuratively) very small
container like a
nutshell; stated in
just a few words.
in a pinch if absolutely necessary;
if there is no other alternative.
in a rut Go to (stuck)...
... before the
starting signal.
jump the track 1. [for something]
to fall or jump off its rails or
guides. (Usually said about a
train.)
2. to change suddenly from
one thing, thought, plan, or activ-
ity ... lower
rank or position than someone
else.
2. n. a student in the third
year of high school (11th grade)
or the third year of college.
3. adj.
of or about someone who is
younger or who has a lower...
... Comp: kinder; sup:
kindest.)
→
two of a kind
kindergarten ["kIn d# gard n] n.
the grade before first grade, usu-
ally for children between the ages
of 4 and 6.
kindness ["kaInn@s] n....
... race
or contest.
4. ["lid] n. the main
role in a movie or play.
5. ["lid] tv.,
irreg. to guide someone or some-
thing; to show someone or some-
thing the way. (Past tense and past
participle: ... to be ahead of another
team or other players in a compe-
tition.
8. ["lid] iv., irreg. to guide;
to show the way.
→
follow
someone’s
lead
→ One thing leads to another.
the lead [ "lid] ... someone or
something.
lead
someone
down the garden
path to deceive someone.
lead
someone
on 1. to guide some-
one onward.
2. to lead someone to
believe something that is not so; to
deceive someone.
lead...