Π§ΠΈΡΠ°ΡΡ ΠΎΠ½Π»Π°ΠΉΠ½ Β«Π‘Π»ΠΎΠ²Π°ΡΡ Π°ΠΌΠ΅ΡΠΈΠΊΠ°Π½ΡΠΊΠΈΡ ΠΈΠ΄ΠΈΠΎΠΌ: 8000 Π΅Π΄ΠΈΠ½ΠΈΡΒ». Π‘ΡΡΠ°Π½ΠΈΡΠ° 157
ΠΠ²ΡΠΎΡ Adam Makkai
[walls have ears] Sometimes oneβs most confidential conversations are overheard. β’/"Be careful what you say," he whispered. "Remember that walls have ears."/
[want ad]{n.} A small advertisement on a special page in a newspaper that offers employment opportunities and merchandise. β’/"You want a temporary job?" he asked the recent arrival in town. "Go and look at the want ads!"/
[war] See: COLD WAR, TUG OF WAR.
[war baby]{n.}, {informal} A person born during a war. β’/War babies began to increase college enrollments early in the 1960s./ β’/The war babies forced many towns to build new schools./
[ward off]{v. phr.} To deflect; avert. β’/Vitamin C is known to ward off the common cold./
[warmer] See: BENCH WARMER.
[warm oneβs blood]{v. phr.} To make you feel warm or excited. β’/When the Bakers came to visit on a cold night, Mr. Harmon offered them a drink to warm their blood./
[warm the bench]{v. phr.}, {informal} To act as a substitute on an athletic team. β’/Bill has been warming the bench for three football seasons; he hopes that the coach will let him play this year./βββ[bench warmer] {n.}, {informal} A substitute player. β’/Last year Ted was only a bench warmer, but this year he is the teamβs star pitcher./
[warm up]{v.} 1. To reheat cooked food. β’/Mr. Jones was so late that his dinner got cold; his wife had to warm it up./ β’/When the children had left for school, their mother warmed up the breakfast coffee./ 2. To become friendly or interested. β’/It takes an hour or so for some children to warm up to strangers./ β’/As he warmed up to his subject, Tom forgot his bashfulness./ 3. To get ready for a game or other event by exercising or practicing. β’/The dancers began to warm up fifteen minutes before the performance./ β’/The coach told us to warm up before entering the pool./
[warm-up]{n.} A period of exercise or practice in preparation for a game or other event. β’/During the warm-up the baseball players were throwing the ball around and running up and down the side of the field./ β’/Before the television quiz program, there was a warm-up to prepare the contestants./
[warpath] See: ON THE WARPATH.
[warrant] See: SIGN ONEβS OWN DEATH WARRANT.
[wash and wear]{adj.} Not needing to be ironed.βββRefers especially to synthetic and synthetic blend fabrics. β’/Dick bought three wash and wear shirts to take on his trip./ β’/Sallyβs dress is made of a wash and wear fabric./
[washed out]{adj.} Listless in appearance; pale, wan. β’/Small wonder Harry looks so washed out; he has just recovered from major surgery./
[washed up]{adj.} Ruined; finished; a failure. β’/Harry is looking awfully sad. I hear his business has collapsed and he is all washed up./
[wash oneβs dirty linen in public] See: AIR ONEβS DIRTY LINEN IN PUBLIC.
[wash oneβs hands of]{v. phr.} To withdraw from or refuse to be responsible for. β’/We washed our hands of politics long ago./ β’/The school washed its hands of the students' behavior during spring recess./
[washout]{n.} A dismal failure. β’/As far as investments were concerned, Dick and his precious advice turned out to he a total washout./
[wash out]{v. phr.} To disappear; vanish. β’/Do you think this stain will wash out?/
[waste] See: GO TO WASTE, LAY WASTE.
[waste away]{v.} To become more thin and weak every day. β’/Jane is wasting away with tuberculosis./ β’/After Mrs. Barnes died, her husband wasted away with grief./
[waste oneβs breath]{v. phr.} To speak or to argue with no result; do nothing by talking. β’/The teacher saw that she was wasting her breath; the children refused to believe her./ β’/I know what I want. Youβre wasting your breath./
[watch] See: BIRD WATCHER, BEAR WATCHING, ON THE WATCH.
[watched pot never boils] If you watch or wait for something to get done or to happen, it seems to take forever.βββA proverb. β’/Jane was nine months pregnant and Tom hovered over her anxiously. She said, "You might as well go away and play some golf. A watched pot never boils, you know!"/
[watcher] See: CLOCK WATCHER.
[watch every penny] See: PINCH PENNIES.
[watch it]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be careful.βββUsually used as a command. β’/Youβd better watch it. If you get into trouble again, youβll be expelled./ β’/Watch itβββthe bottom stair is loose!/
[watch oneβs dust] or [watch oneβs smoke] {v. phr.}, {slang} To notice your quick action; watch you do something quickly. β’/Offer Bill a dollar to shovel your sidewalk, and watch his smoke!/ β’/"Weβll have your yard cleaned in a jiffy," the Boy Scouts told Mr. Truitt. "Watch our smoke!"/ β’/"I can go to the store and be back in five minutes," bragged Tom. "Just watch my dust."/
[watch oneβs language]{v. phr.} To be careful of how one speaks; avoid saying impolite or vulgar things. β’/"You boys watch your language," Mother said, "or you wonβt be watching television for a whole week!"/
[watch oneβs step]{v. phr.} To mend oneβs ways; exercise prudence, tact, and care. β’/I have to watch my step with the new boss as he is a very proud and sensitive individual./
[watch out] See: LOOK OUT.
[watch over]{v. phr.} To guard; take care of. β’/The museum guards carefully watch over the world-famous paintings./
[water] See: BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER, COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, DEEP WATER, FISH OUT OF WATER, GO THROUGH HELL AND HIGH WATER, HEAD ABOVE WATER, HOLD WATER, HELL AND HIGH WATER, HOT WATER, LIKE WATER, LIKE WATER OFF A DUCKβS BACK, MAKE ONEβS MOUTH WATER, OF THE FIRST WATER, POUR OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS, THROW COLD WATER ON, TREAD WATER.
[water down]{v.} To change and make weaker; weaken. β’/The Senator argued that the House should water down the bill before passing it./ β’/The African American did not accept watered down Civil Rights legislation./ β’/After talking with the management about their demands, the workers agreed to water them down./ β’/The teacher had to water down the course for a slow-learning class./
[watered down]{adj.} Weakened; diluted. β’/The play was a disappointing, watered down version of Shakespeareβs Othello./
[waterfront] See: COVER THE WATERFRONT.
[watering hole] or [place] {n. phr.} A bar, pub, or nightclub where people gather to drink and socialize. β’/I like "The Silver Dollar"βββit is my favorite watering hole in all of Sidney, Nebraska./
[Waterloo] See: MEET ONEβS WATERLOO.
[water over the dam] or [water under the bridge] {n. phr.} Something that happened in the past and cannot be changed. β’/Since the sweater is too small already, donβt worry about its shrinking; thatβs water over the dam./ Compare: CRY OVER SPILLED MILK.
[water under the bridge] See: WATER OVER THE DAM.
[water wagon] See: ON THE WAGON.
[way] See: ALL THE WAY or THE WHOLE WAY, BY THE WAY, BY WAY OF, COME A LONG WAY, CUT BOTH WAYS or CUT TWO WAYS, EVERY WHICH WAY, FROM WAY BACK, GO OUT OF ONEβS WAY, HARD WAY, HAVE A WAY WITH, IN A BAD WAY, IN A BIG WAY, IN A FAMILY WAY, IN A WAY, IN ONEβS WAY or IN THE WAY, KNOW ONEβS WAY AROUND or KNOW ONEβS WAY ABOUT, LEAD THE WAY, MAKE ONEβS WAY, MAKE WAY, NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN, NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT, ON THE WAY or ON ONEβS WAY, PARTING OF THE WAYS, PUT IN THE WAY OF or PUT IN ONEβS WAY, PUT OUT OF THE WAY, RUB THE WRONG WAY, SEE ONEβS WAY CLEAR.
[way off]{adj. phr.} At a great distance from a particular point (said of a discrepancy). β’/We were way off on our calculations; the house cost us twice as much as we had thought./
[wayside] See: FALL BY THE WAYSIDE.
[way the wind blows] or [how the wind blows] {n. phr.} The direction or course something may go; how things are; what may happen. β’/Most senators find put which way the wind blows in their home state before voting on bills in Congress./
[ways and means]{n. plural} Methods of getting something done or getting money; how something can be done and paid for. β’/The boys were trying to think of ways and means to go camping for the weekend./ β’/The United States Senate has a committee on ways and means./
[wear] See: IF THE SHOE FITSβββWEAR IT, WASH AND WEAR, WORSE FOR WEAR.
[wear and tear]{n. phr.} Deterioration through use. β’/After 75,000 miles there is usually a lot of wear and tear on any car./
[wear away] See: WEAR DOWN.
[wear blinders] or [blinkers] {v. phr.} To refuse or be unable to consider alternative ways of thinking or acting. β’/Anybody who disputes the importance of learning languages is wearing blinders./
[wear down], [wear off] or [wear away] {v.} 1. To remove or disappear little by little through use, time, or the action of weather. β’/Time and weather have worn off the name on the gravestone./ β’/The eraser has worn off my pencil./ β’/The grass has worn away from the path near the house./ 2. To lessen; become less little by little. β’/The people went home as the excitement of the fire wore off./ β’/John could feel the pain again as the dentistβs medicine wore away./ 3. To exhaust; tire out, win over or persuade by making tired. β’/Mary wore her mother down by begging so that she let Mary go to the movies./ Compare: DIE OUT.
[wear on]{v.} 1. To anger or annoy; tire. β’/Having to stay indoors all day long is tiresome for the children and wears on their motherβs nerves./ 2. To drag on; pass gradually or slowly; continue in the same old way. β’/Johnny tried to wait up for Santa Claus but as the night wore on, he couldnβt keep his eyes open./ β’/As the years wore on, the man in prison grew old./ β’/The boys' quarrel wore on all afternoon./
[wear oneβs heart on oneβs sleeve] also [pin oneβs heart on oneβs sleeve] {v. phr.} To show your feelings openly; show everyone how you feel; not hide your feelings. β’/She wears her heart on her sleeve. Itβs easy to see if she is sad or happy./ β’/Sometimes it is better not to pin your heart on your sleeve./ Compare: OPEN ONEβS HEART.
[wear out]{v.} 1a. To use or wear until useless. β’/Bobby got a toy truck that would run on a battery, and he used it so much that he soon wore it out./ β’/The stockings are so worn out that they canβt be mended any more./ Compare: GIVE OUT(4), USE UP. 1b. To become useless from use or wear. β’/The old clock finally wore out./ β’/One shoe wore out before the other./ 2. or [tire out] To make very tired; weaken. β’/The children played inside when it rained, and they soon wore out their mother./ β’/When Dick got home from the long walk, he was all worn out./βββOften used with "oneself". β’/Donβt wear yourself out by playing too hard./ Compare: GIVE OUT(4). 3. To make by rubbing, scraping, or washing. β’/The waterfall has worn out a hole in the stone beneath it./
[wear out oneβs welcome]{v. phr.}, {informal} To visit somewhere too long or come back too often so that you are not welcome any more. β’/The Smith children have worn out their welcome at our house because they never want to go home./ β’/This hot weather has worn out its welcome with us./
[wear the trousers] or [wear the pants] {v. phr.}, {informal} To have a manβs authority; be the boss of a family or household. β’/Mr. Wilson is henpecked by his wife; she wears the trousers in that family./ β’/Mrs. Jones talks a lot but Mr. Jones wears the pants in their house./ Compare: RULE THE ROOST.
[wear thin]{v.} 1. To become thin from use, wearing, or the passing of time. β’/My old pair of pants has worn thin at the knees./ β’/This old dime has worn very thin./ 2. To grow less, or less interesting; decrease. β’/The joke began to wear thin when you heard it too many times./ β’/The teacherβs patience began to wear thin when he saw that no one knew the lesson./