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Old Tuesday, September 18, 2007
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Omer Omer is offline
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Default F idioms

F



face down (someone)
- to confront someone boldly, to defy someone
We decided to face down our competitors and were able to stay in business.


face the music
- to accept the consequences of something
The boy must face the music for his actions very soon.


face to face
- in person
I had a face-to-face meeting with my supervisor to talk about my job performance.


face up to (something)
- to accept something that is not easy to accept
My friend must face up to the fact that he will never have enough money to buy a car.


face value
- the value or price printed on a stamp/bond/paper money etc.
I sold the postage stamps for their face value.


face value
- the truth of something on the surface
The woman is a very nice person but you must take what she says at face value.


facts of life
- the facts about sex/marriage/birth that one should know
The boy seems to be too young to know about the facts of life.


fair and impartial
- fair and unbiased
The criminal was given a fair and impartial trial by the court.


fair and square
- completely fair, honestly
The British team won the game fair and square.


fair game
- someone or something that you feel you can easily attack
Our company is fair game as a takeover target by other companies.


fair play
- justice, equal and right action
The boy believes in fair play and is a good person to have on our team.


a fair shake
- honest treatment
The woman was not given a fair shake at the inquiry into her behavior.


fair to middling
- a little better than acceptable, so-so
I said that I was feeling fair to middling when my friend asked me how I was.


fair-weather friend
- a person who is a friend only during good times
He is a fair-weather friend and you cannot rely on him if you have a problem.


fall Idioms



fall apart
- to become to not work properly
The equipment fell apart soon after I bought it.


fall apart at the seams
- to break into pieces, to fall apart
My backpack was falling apart at the seams so I bought a new one.


fall asleep
- to go to sleep
I fell asleep as soon as I arrived home.


fall back
- to move back, to go back
The runner fell back from the other runners during the race.


fall back on (someone or something)
- to seek help when other things have failed
The woman had to fall back on her father when her business began to have problems.


fall behind
- to fail to keep up with work/studies/payments etc.
I fell behind with my homework at the beginning of the term and had problems throughout the year.


fall by the wayside
- to give up or fail before the end of something
The man fell by the wayside and could no longer compete in the design competition.


fall down on the job
- to fail to do something properly
The man fell down on the job so they replaced him with another worker.


fall flat (on one's face)
- to be unsuccessful, to fail
My attempt at humor fell flat and now the girl does not like me.


fall for (someone or something)
- to begin to like or love someone or something
The man fell for the woman at the bank but was afraid to ask her for a date.


fall from grace
- to lose approval
The politician fell from grace with the public during the money scandal.


fall head over heels
- to fall down
The little boy fell head over heels down the hillside.


fall head over heels in love with (someone)
- to fall deeply in love with someone
My sister fell head over heels in love with a boy in her English class.


fall ill
- to become ill
My father fell ill with a cold last week.


fall in love with (someone or something)
- to begin to love someone or something
I fell in love with the girl the first time that I saw her at the restaurant.


fall in with (a group of people)
- to become associated with a bad group of people
The boy fell in with a bad group of friends and began to have problems at school.


fall into a trap
- to become caught in someone's scheme
The criminals fell into a trap that the police had prepared for them.


fall into line
- to stand properly in a row (like soldiers)
The soldiers fell into line as they waited for the inspection.


fall into line
- to conform to a certain course of action
The players fell into line after the coach became more strict during practice.


fall into place
- to fit together, to become organized
Everything fell into place and we were able to prepare for our trip to Brazil.


fall off
- to decrease
The number of tourists to the island is falling off.


fall off the wagon
- to return to use alcohol or drugs after stopping for awhile
The man fell off the wagon after he had stopped drinking for three years.


fall on deaf ears
- to ignore something that is intended for you
My complaints to my boss always fall on deaf ears.


fall on hard times
- to meet many troubles
The town fell on hard times after the computer company moved to another town.


fall out of use
- to be no longer used
Video recorders have fallen out of use recently.


fall out with (someone) over (something)
- to disagree or quarrel with someone about something
I fell out with my roommate over who should clean the bathroom.


fall over backwards (to do something)
- to do everything possible to do something to please someone
The teacher fell over backwards to help his students.


fall over oneself to do something
- to be extremely eager to do something or please someone
The couple fell over themselves in their effort to please their host.


fall short of (one`s expectations)
- to be not be as good as one expected
The new movie fell short of everyone`s expectations and attendance is very low.


fall short of (something)
- to not have enough of something
The campaign fell short of the amount of money that it had hoped to gather.
fall through
- to fail, to not happen
My plan to go abroad fell through when my father refused to lend me some money.


fall to (someone) to do (something)
- to become the responsibility of someone
It usually falls to me to tell my roommates to be quiet.


fall upon/on (someone or something)
- to attack someone or something
The wolves fell upon the deer and quickly killed it.


.



a falling-out (with someone)
- a disagreement or quarrel with someone
We had a falling-out during our holiday and we have not spoken since.


familiar with (someone or something)
- to have knowledge of someone or something
My friend is familiar with the streets in the city and can drive there easily.


fan the flames of (something)
- to make a situation worse
The speech by the labor leader fanned the flames of the protesting workers.


far and away the best
- without doubt the best
The basketball player is far and away the best player on the team.


far and wide
- everywhere, in all directions
We looked far and wide for the book but could not find it.


far be it from (someone) to do (something)
- it is not really someone's place to do something
Far be it from me to tell the cleaning lady how to do her job.


a far cry from (something)
- something very different from something
The man's statement is a far cry from what he told me over the telephone.


far from it
- not at all
"Far from it," I answered when the supervisor asked me if I was finished my work.


far into the night
- late into the night
I studied far into the night because I had a big test the next day.


far out
- to be strange
The man's sense of humor was far out and nobody understood him.


farm (something) out
- to have someone else do something, to send something away to have it done
We farmed out the printing to another company in order to save money.


fast buck
- money earned quickly and easily
The man is always trying to make a fast buck without working very hard.


fast talker
- a con artist, a clever talker who convinces others easily
The man is a fast talker and you should be careful not to believe everything that he says.


fat chance
- little or no possibility, almost no chance
Fat chance that my friend will let me borrow his car. He never lets me borrow anything.


fat of the land
- the best of everything (without having to work for it)
My friend wants to move to the country and live off the fat of the land.


favor (someone) with (something)
- to provide someone with something good
The queen favored the charity workers with her presence.


favorite son
- a political candidate supported by his home area
We voted for the candidate because he is the favorite son of our state.


feast one's eyes on (someone or something)
- to look at someone or something with pleasure
We stood at the top of the canyon to feast our eyes on the most beautiful scenery in the world.


a feather in one`s cap
- something that you achieve and are proud of
Winning the spelling contest was a feather in the boy's cap.


feather one`s nest
- to enrich oneself (while holding public office or a trusted job etc.)
The mayor has been feathering his nest for many years and is now very rich.


fed up with (someone or something)
- to be disgusted or bored with someone or something
I think that he is fed up with the constant complaints of his boss.


feed one's face
- to eat
We stopped at the small restaurant to feed our face.


feed (someone) a line
- to deceive someone
The man was feeding me a line about his plans to open a new restaurant downtown.


feed the kitty
- to contribute money to a special collection
Everyone had to feed the kitty to collect money for the coffee fund.


feel Idioms



feel at home
- to feel accepted, to feel as if you are at home
The woman always makes her guests feel at home.


feel dragged out
- to feel exhausted
I was feeling dragged out so I went home and went to bed.


feel fit
- to feel well and healthy
I feel fit so I plan to go for a long walk this weekend.


feel free to do (something)
- to feel like you are permitted to do something
Everybody felt free to walk around the restaurant after the party started.


feel it beneath oneself to do (something)
- feel that one would be lowering oneself to do something
The young girl feels it beneath her to help clean the classroom.


feel like a million dollars
- to feel wonderful
I feel like a million dollars today so I think that I will go for a long walk.


feel like a new person
- to feel refreshed and renewed
I felt like a new person after I had a shower.


feel like doing (something)
- to be in the mood to do something, to want to do something
I do not feel like doing the dishes now.


feel like going (somewhere)
- to be in the mood to go somewhere, to want to go somewhere
I did not feel like going to a movie so I stayed home.


feel like having (something)
- to want to have something
I did not feel like having milk so I had water.


feel on top of the world
- to feel very good
I feel on top of the world and I plan to go dancing tonight.


feel out of place
- to feel that one does not belong in a place
I sometimes feel out of place when I go to an expensive restaurant.


feel out (someone)
- to talk or act carefully with someone in order to find out what he or she thinks
I will feel out my boss this weekend and see about my chance for a promotion.


feel put upon
- to feel that someone is taking unfair advantage of you
My sister always feels put upon when her husband's friends visit.


feel (something) in one's bones
- to sense something
I feel it in my bones that I will win the lottery this month.


feel sorry for (someone)
- to pity someone
I feel sorry for my friend who recently lost his job.


feel the pinch
- to have problems caused by having too little money
The family is beginning to feel the pinch since the husband lost his job.


feel up to (do something)
- to feel healthy enough or rested enough to do something
I do not feel up to going to the game.


.



one's feet are on the ground
- one has sensible ideas
My father is a good man and always has his feet on the ground.


fence (someone) in
- to restrict someone in some way
I always feel fenced in when I visit my friend on the small island.


ferret (information or something) out of (someone)
- to get something from someone by being persistant
I tried hard to ferret out the time of the party from my friend.


few and far between
- not many, rare
The gas stations were few and far between on the highway through the mountains.


fiddle around
- to tinker with something, to do something in an unplanned way
I tried fiddling around with the computer printer but it still would not work.


fiddle while Rome burns
- to do nothing while a disaster is happening
The economy became worse as the government did nothing. They seemed to fiddle while Rome burned.


field questions
- to answer questions
The speaker began to field questions as soon as he finished talking.


fifty-fifty
- equally, evenly
We divided the cost of the trip fifty-fifty.


fight against time
- to hurry to do something quickly, a fight to do something quickly
The rescue party was fighting against time to save the men who were trapped in the coal mine.


fight tooth and nail
- to fight fiercely or with all one`s strength
I am fighting tooth and nail to get a transfer to another department.


fighting chance
- a good possibility of success if you try hard
I did not have a fighting chance to get my job application finished on time.


figure on (something)
- to depend on something, to be sure about something
You can figure on many people coming to the party next week.


figure out (someone or something)
- to try to understand someone or something, to solve something
I finally figured out how to use the new DVD recorder.


fill (someone`s) shoes
- to substitute for someone and be able to do a satisfactory job
Although he is a good supervisor he is unable to fill the shoes of those who came before him.


fill out (something)
- to write down the facts that are asked for (in a report/form etc.)
We were asked to fill out the forms before we could have an interview for the job.


fill (someone) in
- to tell someone the details about something
"I will fill you in later about our plans for the weekend."


fill (something) in
- to write words in blanks
"Please fill in this form and give it to the receptionist."


fill the bill
- to be suitable for what is required
I think that the new equipment should fill the bill for us.


filled to the brim
- to be filled up to the top edge of something
The coffee cup was filled to the brim.


find Idioms



find fault with (someone or something)
- to criticize someone or something
My boss finds fault with everything that I do.


find it in one's heart to (do something)
- to have the courage or compassion to do something
I could not find it in my heart to tell the little boy about his dead dog.


find one's feet
- to become used to a new situation or experience
My uncle is finally finding his feet in his new job.


find one's own level
- to find the position to which one is best suited
The teacher helped the child find his own level in the reading class.


find one's tongue
- to begin to be able to talk
I could not find my tongue when I stood in front of the crowd of people.


find one's way
- to discover the route to a place
We were lost for over an hour but we finally found our way.


find oneself
- to discover what one's talents and preferences are
The woman went to Europe in order to try and find herself.


find out (something)
- to learn or discover something
My mother is angry at me because she found out that I had quit my French class.


.



fine and dandy
- all right, okay
It is fine and dandy for me that the sale will be held next Saturday.


a fine how-do-you-do
- a predicament
We were in a fine how-do-you-do when the car stopped working.


fine kettle of fish
- an unsatisfactory situation
It was a fine kettle of fish when my friend phoned and said that he could not come to dinner.


fine state of affairs
- an unpleasant situation
The mess in the bathroom was a fine state of affairs and I had to deal with it quickly.


a fine-toothed/tooth comb
- a very careful check of something
We went over the apartment with a fine-toothed comb but I could not find my watch.


finger in the pie
- a part ownership of something or responsibility for something
My uncle has his finger in the pie of many small companies in our town.


fire a gun
- to shoot a gun
I fired a gun for the first time at my uncle's farm.


fire away at (someone or something)
- to shoot at someone or something, to ask many questions
The students began to fire away at the speaker after he finished his speech.


firing on all cylinders
- to be working and making every possible effort
We were firing on all cylinders when we began work on the new drop-in center.


first and foremost
- the first and most important
First and foremost we need a new computer for our office.


first come, first served
- the person who comes first will have his turn first
"First come, first served" my aunt called as she put the food on the table.


first of all
- the very first thing
First of all we prepared the garden before we planted the seeds.


first off
- the first thing
First off the policeman told us that we had been driving too fast.


first-run
- new, shown for the first time
There are many first-run movies that I have not seen yet.


first things first
- the most important things must be taken care of first
We did first things first and cleaned the kitchen before cleaning the living room.


firsthand
- directly
I learned the news from my sister firsthand.


fish for a compliment
- to try and get someone to give you a compliment
The girl was fishing for a compliment when she asked her friend if she liked her new dress.


fish for (something)
- to try to find information etc. about something
The woman is always fishing for information when I meet her at work.


fish in troubled waters
- to involve oneself in a difficult or dangerous situation in order to gain an advantage
The politician was fishing in troubled waters in order to gather information related to the scandal.


fish or cut bait
- to do something yourself or quit and let someone else do it, to stop trying to do something
We told the men to fish or cut bait. If they did not want to buy the car then they should stop asking questions about it


a fish out of water
- someone who does not fit in
The man was like a fish out of water at the expensive restaurant.


fishy
- to be strange and suspicious
Something is fishy with the man's excuse for being late for work.


fit Idioms



fit and trim
- to be slim and in good physical shape
My sister looked fit and trim after spending six months at the spa.


fit as a fiddle
- to be in good athletic condition or health
My grandfather is 92 years old but he is as fit as a fiddle.


fit for a king
- to be totally suitable (especially suitable for a king)
The food at the wedding was fit for a king.


fit in with (someone or something)
- to be comfortable or in harmony with someone or something
The new boy fits in with the other children very well.


fit like a glove
- to fit perfectly
The new pair of jeans that I bought fit like a glove.


fit (someone or something) in
- to make time for someone or something
I try hard to fit some exercise in everyday.


fit (someone) into a schedule
- to be able to enter someone into a schedule and have time to see him or her
The doctor was not able to fit me into her schedule.


fit (someone) out with (something)
- to provide someone with something
The store helped to fit us out with camping equipment for our holiday.


fit (someone) to a T
- to fit a person very well
My cousin's new job fits her to a T.


fit the mold
- to do what you expect, to do what is considered usual (usually used in the negative - does not fit the mold)
Our teacher does not fit the mold of someone who volunteers to help homeless people every Saturday.


fit to be tied
- to be very angry or upset
My boss was fit to be tied when he heard that I was going to take a month off from work this summer.


fit to kill
- to be wearing very fancy clothes
I looked fit to kill when I went to the restaurant to meet my friend.


.



fix (someone) up with (someone)
- to help someone get a date by arranging a meeting between the two people
I am trying to fix my sister up with my best friend.


fix (someone's) wagon
- to punish or get even with someone
I decided to fix the woman's wagon after she complained to my boss about me.


fizzle out
- to fail after a good start, to end in failure
The party began to fizzle out at midnight when many people went home.


flare up
- to become suddenly angry, to begin again suddenly
The fighting flared up again after the United Nations soldiers left the town.


flash in the pan
- someone or something that makes a flashy start and then fails
The man's sports career was a flash in the pan. Recently I have not heard of him at all.


flat broke
- to have no money
I have been flat broke since I stopped working last month.


flat out
- without hiding anything, openly
I told my friend flat out that I would not go to the party with her.


flea in one`s ear
- an annoying hint, an idea or answer that is not welcome
Our boss has a flea in her ear about changing the way that the business operates.


flea market
- a place where antiques or secondhand goods are sold
We went to a flea market last Saturday to try and buy some dishes.


one's flesh and blood
- a close relative
She is my flesh and blood so I felt terrible when she got into trouble.


flesh (something) out
- to make something more detailed or bigger
We worked hard during the weekend to flesh out our agreement.


a flight of fancy
- an idea that is out of touch with reality or possibility
It was a flight of fancy for us to think of trying to climb Mt. Everest.


flip one`s lid
- to become very excited, to lose one`s temper
My father flipped his lid when I told him about the large telephone bill.


flip out
- to go crazy, to become very angry
She flipped out when she heard that I had damaged her car.


flirt with the idea of (doing something)
- to think about doing something
We flirted with the idea of buying a new house but we decided not to.


float a loan
- to initiate or make a loan
The bank agreed to float a loan for the new business.


flora and fauna
- plants and animals
We took some books to the cottage so that we could learn about the flora and fauna of the area.


flunk out
- to fail a course, to fail school
My friend flunked out of the computer course at school.


flush with (something)
- to be even with something
The two pieces of wood were flush with each other so we glued them together.


flush with (something)
- to have lots of something
We were flush with cash so we decided to go on a nice holiday.


fly-by-night
- an unreliable business or person
The new company is a fly-by-night operation.


fly by the seat of one`s pants
- to do a job instinctively rather than by using concrete information
I had to fly by the seat of my pants when my boss left me alone for a week.


fly in the face of (someone or something)
- to disregard/defy someone or something
The complaints of the woman were beginning to fly in the face of a reasonable conversation.


fly in the ointment
- a small thing that spoils one's enjoyment of something
The problem with the music was a fly in the ointment during the wedding ceremony.


fly into the face of danger
- to take great risks
The pilot was flying into the face of danger when he went to fight the forest fire.


fly off the handle
- to become angry
My friend flew off the handle when he saw the bill for the meal.


fly the coop
- to escape
The prisoner was able to fly the coop when the guard was not looking.


flying high
- to be very happy, to be joyful
My neighbor has been flying high since she heard that she had won a car.


foam at the mouth
- to be very angry (like a mad dog)
My father was foaming at the mouth when I told him that I had damaged his car.


foist (something) off on (someone)
- to force someone to take something that they do not want
I tried to foist my old bicycle off on my friend but he would not take it.


fold (something) up
- to put an end to something (a business etc.)
The number of people coming to the exhibition was very low so we decided to fold up our exhibit and go home.


follow Idioms



follow in (someone`s) footsteps/tracks
- to follow someone`s example, to follow someone exactly
The boy is following in his father`s footsteps and has decided to work for a bank.


follow one's heart
- to act according to one's feelings
I decided to follow my heart and study art rather than computer science.


follow one's nose
- to go straight ahead
We followed our nose until we found the train station.


follow orders
- to do as one has been instructed
The soldiers said that they were following orders when they attacked the village.


follow (someone's) lead
- to do as someone else does
Everybody followed my lead and came to work early.


follow suit
- to do as someone else has done, to follow someone`s example, to play a card of the same suit that someone else has put down
I followed suit and left work early on Friday just as my boss had done.


follow the crowd
- to do what everyone else is doing
Most of the high school students like to follow the crowd.


follow through with (something)
- to continue or finish an action that one has started
My neighbor said that he would help me paint my house but he has never followed through with his offer.


follow up (something)
- to make (one action) more successful by doing something more
The doctor followed up his phone call in the morning with a visit in the afternoon.


.



fond of (someone or something)
- to like someone or something
Our daughter is very fond of her grandfather.


food for thought
- something worth thinking about
I do not agree with his proposal but at least it is food for thought.


fool around
- to spend time playing rather than working, to waste time
If the man would spend less time fooling around he would be able to get more work done.


a foot in the door
- an opening or opportunity
I finally got a foot in the door when the company accepted my application.


foot the bill
- to pay for something
The company will foot the bill for my move to Paris.


footloose and fancy-free
- to be without responsibilities or commitments
The couple were footloose and fancy-free and they could do whatever they wanted.


for Idioms



for a song
- for very little money, very cheaply
I was able to buy my new car for a song.


for all (something)
- in spite of something, even with something
For all the time that the boy spends studying his marks are very low.


for all I care
- I do not care if something happens
"For all I care, you can spend all of your money today."


for all I know
- according to the information that I have
"For all I know, my friend may have already quit his job."


for all intents and purposes
- practically speaking
For all intents and purposes the meeting was finished and everybody went home.


for all one is worth
- as hard as one can
"I will try for all I am worth to help you get the job at the supermarket."


for all practical purposes
- for what might be reasonably expected
For all practical purposes our car was no longer suitable for our large family.


for all the world
- for anything, for any price
For all the world I do not know what my friend is trying to tell me.


for better or worse
- depending on how one looks at a matter, including both the good or bad effects of something
For better or worse I have decided to quit my job and move to Brazil.


for certain
- without doubt, certainly, surely
He will not be playing in the game tonight for certain.


for crying out loud
- used to show that you are surprised or angry
"For crying out loud please turn your radio down a little."


for days/hours on end
- for many days/hours
The man is able to go without sleep for days on end.


for dear life
- as though afraid of losing one`s life
The mountain climber held on to the rock for dear life as he waited for someone to rescue him.


for fear of (something)
- because of the fear of something
We stayed home all weekend for fear of the big hurricane that was coming.


for free
- for no charge or cost
We were able to get a television set from our neighbor for free.


for good
- permanently
We have decided to move to Los Angeles for good.


for good measure
- a little extra, as a little more
The recipe called for one piece of garlic but for good measure we put in four pieces.


for instance
- for example
"For instance, you can go to the island by boat, plane or helicopter."


for keeps
- always, forever
I told the boy that he could have the baseball bat for keeps.


for kicks
- for fun
We decided to go to the airport to watch the airplanes for kicks.


for life
- for the remainder of one's life
They got married last year and they plan to stay married for life.


for love or money
- by any means available
We were not able to get our boss to agree to the proposal for love or money.


for once
- only one time
For once my friend listened to what I was saying. Usually he ignores me.


for one's (own) part
- from one's point of view
For my part I do not plan to help with the staff dinner.


for one's (own) sake
- for one's benefit
I told my aunt that for her own sake she must stop smoking.


for openers
- to start with
For openers we decided to start the weekend with a nice meal.


for real
- to be genuine, to be real
The attitude of the woman was not for real and nobody believed her.


for safekeeping
- in order to keep something safe
I put the valuable stamps in the bank for safekeeping.


for sale
- to be available to buy
There was a sign in front of the house that said it was for sale.


for short
- in a short form
The man always uses his nickname for short.


for sure
- without doubt, certainly, surely
I will go to the movie with you for sure next week.


for that matter
- about something, with regard to something
"I do not want to go shopping with you and for that matter I do not want to go anywhere with you."


for the asking
- by asking, on request
You can get a free ticket to the concert from the sales manager for the asking.


for the better
- an improvement
It was for the better that the old hospital was closed down.


for the birds
- something you do not like, something that is not to be taken seriously
Getting up early every morning is for the birds.


for the duration (of something)
- for the whole time that something continues
We were forced to use the outside classroom for the duration of the semester.


for the good of (someone or something)
- for the benefit of someone or something
They added the physical fitness class to the school curriculum for the good of the students.


for the heck/hell of it
- just for fun
We went down to the river to throw stones just for the heck of it.


for the life of (someone)
- even if one's life were threatened (used with a negative and usually used when trying to remember something)
For the life of me I could not remember where I had put my house keys.


for the most part
- mostly, in general
I was finished my work for the most part so I decided to go home.


for the record
- a record of a particular fact is made
For the record I told the police officer about some of the events of the previous year.


for the sake of (someone or something)
- for the good of someone or something
My father decided to quit his job for the sake of his health.


for the time being
- for now, for awhile
We really need a new car but for the time being we will have to continue using our old one.


for the world
- under any conditions
I would not want to sell my car for the world.


.



force (someone`s) hand
- to make someone do something sooner than planned
I forced the manager's hand and made him tell me about his plans for our company.


force (someone) to the wall
- to push someone to an extreme position
We were forced to the wall during the negotiations for the new contract.


a force to be reckoned with
- someone or something that is important and should not be ignored
The young man is a force to be reckoned with in the boxing world.


foregone conclusion
- a conclusion that is already decided
It was a foregone conclusion that the opposition party would win the election.


forever and a day
- forever, always
It took forever and a day to get the book that we ordered from the bookstore.


forever and ever
- forever
The little boy promised that he would be a good boy forever and ever.


fork out money for (something)
- to pay money for something
I had to fork out much money to have my car fixed.


fork over (something)
- to hand over something, to give something
The robber told me to fork over my money or he was going to shoot me.


form an opinion
- to make an opinion
Everybody quickly formed an opinion about the new teacher.


forty winks
- a short nap, a short sleep
I grabbed forty winks as soon as I got home from work.


foul one's own nest
- to harm one's own interests
The union fouled their own nest with their dishonest behavior.


foul up
- to do badly, to mess something up
There was a problem with our tickets and our plans became fouled up.


one's frame of mind
- one`s mental state - either good or bad
I made sure that my boss was in a good frame of mind before I asked him for a holiday.


fraught with danger
- to be full of something dangerous and unpleasant
Their adventure was fraught with danger when the two boys went to the mountains.


freak out
- to become angry or lose control of oneself
I freaked out when I discovered that my reservation had not been made.


free and clear
- without owing any money
The couple finally owned their house free and clear.


free and easy
- informal
The man's attitude toward his work is free and easy.


free as a bird
- completely free
We were as free as a bird so we decided to go on a long holiday.


free-for-all
- a disorganized fight or contest involving everyone
The players were involved in a free-for-all during the game and seven players were suspended.


a free hand
- great freedom to do something
We had a free hand to design the sport`s program for the university.


a free translation
- a translation that is not totally accurate
The newspaper printed a free translation of what the foreign diplomat said.


freeload
- to accept food and housing at someone else`s expense
The boy was angry at his brother for freeloading and never trying to find a job.


freeze (someone) out
- to prevent someone from getting a share in something by unfriendly or dishonest treatment
They froze the man out of the profits that they had made on the sale of the land.


fresh out of (something)
- to have used up all of something, to have sold the last of something
The bakery was fresh out of brown bread so we had to go to the supermarket.


frighten (someone) out of his or her wits
- to frighten someone severely
The little boy was frightened out of his wits by the big dog.


frighten (someone) to death
- to frighten someone severely
I almost frightened the woman to death when I met her on the dark stairs.


frighten the living daylights out of (someone)
- to frighten someone very badly
The horror movie frightened the living daylights out of the young girl.


fritter (something) away
- to waste something little by little
The man frittered away all of the money that he had won in the contest.


from Idioms



from A to Z
- everything about something
The man knows about cars from A to Z.


from cradle to grave
- from birth to death
The government looks after its citizens with good medical care from cradle to grave.


from dawn to dusk
- from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun
The farmworkers worked from dawn to dusk everyday in order to pick the lettuce crop.


from day to day
- one day at a time
We did not know from day to day if the weather would be good enough for the birthday picnic.


from door to door
- moving from one door to another
The children went from door to door to collect money for the earthquake victims.


from hand to hand
- from one person to another person and then to another
We passed the papers from hand to hand until they were all distributed.


from head to toe
- from the top of one's head to one's feet
The boy was covered in mud from head to toe.


from near and far
- from all around
The people came from near and far to see the new stadium.


from now on
- from this moment forward
From now on I will study Italian every day.


from rags to riches
- from poverty to wealth
The family went from rags to riches when oil was discovered on their farm.


from scratch
- from the very beginning
He decided to build the house from scratch.


from side to side
- moving from one side to the other again and again
The boat was rocking from side to side during the big storm.


from start to finish
- from the beginning to the end
The welcoming dinner was a great success from start to finish .


from stem to stern
- from one end to the other, from the front to the back of a ship
The boat was damaged from stem to stern after the big storm.


from the bottom of one`s heart
- with great feeling, sincerely
I thanked the doctor from the bottom of my heart for helping my daughter when she was sick.


from the ground up
- from the beginning (as in building a house or other building or a business)
My uncle built his business from the ground up.


from the heart
- sincerely, honestly
The boy gave his girlfriend some flowers with a message from the heart.


from the outset
- from the beginning
I knew from the outset that the recipe would be loved by everybody.


from the top
- from the beginning
"Let's take it from the top and begin again."


from the word go
- from the beginning
From the word go we knew that there would be problems with the new contract.


from time to time
- occasionally
We go to that restaurant from time to time.


from tip to toe
- from the top to the bottom
We made an effort to clean the statue from tip to toe.


from way back
- since a long time ago, for a long time
I know my friend from way back. In fact, we went to elementary school together.


.



fruits of one's labor
- the results of one's work
We decided to enjoy the fruits of our labor so we went on a long holiday to Europe.


full-fledged
- complete, having everything that is needed to be something
My cousin became a full-fledged nurse before she went to Saudi Arabia to work for a year.


full of beans
- to be in high spirits, to be energetic
My aunt is full of beans today. She must be excited about something.


full of hot air
- to be full of nonsense, to be talking nonsense
I knew that the man was full of hot air when he began to tell us how to make lots of money.


full of it
- to be full of nonsense
I thought that the woman was full of it when she told me that the business was closed.


full of oneself
- to be conceited, to be self-important
The girl was full of herself and would only talk about things that were important to her.


full steam ahead
- with as much energy and enthusiasm as possible
It was full steam ahead with the project to build the new stadium.


fun and games
- a very difficult task (often used ironically)
It was fun and games today when I wrote my two final exams.


funny bone
- the place at the back of the elbow that tingles when hit
I hit my funny bone today and it still hurts a little.


funny business
- illegal activity
The truck driver was involved in some funny business that was probably illegal.


funny ha-ha
- amusing, comical
It was not funny ha-ha but it was still a little bit amusing.

__________________
"A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done."
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