Текст книги "Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц"

F

[face] See: BLUE IN THE FACE, CUT OFF ONE’S NOSE TO SPITE ONE’S FACE, FLY IN THE FACE OF, HATCHET FACE, HIDE ONE’S FACE, IN ONE’S FACE, IN THE FACE OF, LONG FACE, LOOK IN THE EYE or LOOK IN THE FACE, MAKE A FACE, ON THE FACE OF IT, SAVE FACE, SET ONE’S FACE AGAINST, SHOOT OFF ONE’S MOUTH or SHOOT OFF ONE’S FACE, SHOW ONE’S FACE, SLAP IN THE FACE, STARE IN THE FACE, STRAIGHT FACE, THROW IN ONE’S FACE, TO ONE’S FACE.

[face down]{v. phr.} To get the upper hand over someone by behaving forcefully; disconcert someone by the displaying of great self-assurance. •/The night guard faced down the burglar by staring him squarely in the face./ Contrast: FACE UP.

[face lift]{n. phr.} 1. A surgical procedure designed to make one’s face look younger. •/Aunt Jane, who is in her seventies, had an expensive face lift and now she looks as if she were 40./ 2. A renovation, a refurbishing. •/Our house needs a major face lift to make it fit in with the rest of the neighborhood./

[face-saver], [face-saving] See: SAVE FACE.

[face the music]{v. phr.}, {informal} To go through trouble or danger, especially because of something you did; accept your punishment. •/The boy was caught cheating in an examination and had to face the music./ •/The official who had been taking bribes was exposed by a newspaper, and had to face the music./ •/George knew his mother would cry when he told her, but he decided to go home and face the music./ Compare: MAKE ONE’S BED AND LIE IN IT, PAY THE PIPER, TAKE ONE’S MEDICINE.

[face-to-face]{adv. phr.} 1. With your face looking toward the face of another person; each facing the other. •/Turning a corner, he found himself face-to-face with a policeman./ •/The two teams for the spelling bee stood face-to-face on opposite sides of the classroom./ •/The church and the school stand face-to-face across the street./ 2. In the presence of another or others. •/She was thrilled to meet the President face-to-face./ •/I have heard about him, but I never met him face-to-face./ Compare: IN PERSON. 3. To the point where you must do something. – Used with «with». •/The solution of the first problem brought him face-to-face with a second problem./ Compare: UP AGAINST.

[face-to-face]{adj.} Being in the presence of a person; being right with someone. •/The British prime minister came to Washington for a face-to-face meeting with the President./

[face up to]{v. phr.} 1. To bravely confront a person or a challenge; admit. •/Jack doesn’t want to face up to the fact that Helen doesn’t love him anymore./ •/Jane cannot face up to her mother-in-law who always wins every argument they have./ 2. To confess something to someone; confess to having done something. •/Jim had to face up to having stolen a sweater from the department store./ Contrast: FACE DOWN.

[face value]{n.} 1. The worth or price printed on a stamp, bond, note, piece of paper money, etc. •/The savings bond had a face value of $25./ 2. The seeming worth or truth of something. •/She took his stories at face value and did not know he was joking./

[faced with]{adj. phr.} Confronted with. •/We were all faced with the many wars that broke out in the wake of the collapse of communism./

[fact] See: IN FACT, MATTER-OF-FACT.

[facts of life]{n. phr.} 1. The truth which we should know about sex, marriage, and births. •/His father told him the facts of life when he was old enough./ 2. The truths one learns about people and their good and bad habits of life, work or play. •/As a cub reporter he would learn the facts of life in the newspaper world./

[fade back]{v.} To back away from the line before passing in football. •/The quarterback is fading back to pass./ Compare: DROP BACK.

[fail] See: WITHOUT FAIL.

[fail to do]{v. phr.} To neglect to do something that is expected of one. •/Tom waited for Jane for nearly an hour, but she failed to show up./

[fair] See: BID FAIR, PLAY FAIR.

[fair and square]{adv. phr.}, {informal} Without cheating; honestly. •/He won the game fair and square./

[fair catch]{n.} A catch of a kicked football by a player after he holds up his hand to show that he will not run with the ball. •/He saw that he would not be able to run with the ball, so he signalled for a fair catch./

[fair-haired boy]{n.}, {informal} A person that gets special favors; favorite; pet. •/If he wins the election by a large majority, he will become his party’s fair-haired boy./ •/The local boy playing first base could do no wrong; he was the fair-haired boy of the fans./ •/Charles was a good student and behaved very well; he became the teacher’s fair-haired boy./

[fair play]{n.} Equal and right action (to another person); justice. •/The visiting team did not get fair play in the game./ •/The judges decided against Bob, but he said that he had gotten fair play./ •/Sally’s sense of fair play made her a favorite with her classmates./

[fair sex]{n.}, {informal} Women in general; the female sex. •/«Better not use four-letter words in front of a member of the fair sex,» Joe said./

[fair shake]{n.}, {informal} Honest treatment. •/Joe has always given me a fair shake./

[fair-weather friend]{n.} A person who is a friend only when you are successful. •/Everyone knows that John’s only a fair-weather friend./

[fairy godmother]{n.} 1. A fairy believed to help and take care of a baby as it grows up. 2. A person who helps and does much for another. •/The rich man played fairy godmother to the boys and had a baseball field made for them./ •/Jane was a fairy godmother to her poorer friends./

[fairy tale] or [story]{n.} An inaccurate, even false account of something; a result of wishful thinking. •/Jeff said he was going to be promoted soon, but we all suspect that it is only one of his customary fairy tales./

[faith] See: GOOD FAITH, ON FAITH.

[fall] See: BOTTOM DROP OUT or BOTTOM FALL OUT, RIDING FOR A FALL.

[fall all over]{v. phr.}, {informal} To show too much love or thanks toward (someone). •/She must love him. Every time you see them, she’s falling all over him./ •/When Bob found the lady’s ring and returned it, she fell all over him./

[fall asleep at the switch]{v. phr.} To fail to perform an expected task; be remiss in one’s duty. •/The two airplanes wouldn’t have collided, if the control tower operator hadn’t fallen asleep at the switch./ •/The dean promised our department $250,000 but the foundation never sent the money because someone in the dean’s office fell asleep at the switch./

[fall away]{v. phr.} To decline; diminish. •/I was shocked to see how haggard Alan looked; he seems to be falling away to a shadow./

[fall back]{v.} To move back; go back. – Usually used with a group as subject. •/The army fell back before their stubborn enemies./ •/The crowd around the hurt boy fell back when someone shouted «Give him air!»/ Compare: DROP BACK, GIVE WAY.

[fall back on] or [fall back upon] v. 1. To retreat to. •/The enemy made a strong attack, and the soldiers fell back on the fort./ 2. To go for help to; turn to in time of need. •/When the big bills for Mother’s hospital care came, Joe was glad he had money in the bank to fall back on./ •/If Mr. Jones can’t find a job as a teacher, he can fall back on his skill as a printer./

[fall behind]{v.} To go slower than others and be far behind them. •/When the campers took a hike in the woods, two boys fell behind and got lost./ •/Frank’s lessons were too hard for him, and he soon fell behind the rest of the class./ •/Mary was not promoted because she dreamed too much and fell behind in her lessons./

[fall by the wayside] also [drop by the wayside]{v. phr.} To give up or fail before the finish. •/The boys tried to make a 50-mile hike, but most of them fell by the wayside./ •/George, Harry, and John entered college to become teachers, but Harry and John fell by the wayside, and only George graduated./

[fall down on the job]{v. phr.}, {informal} To fail to work well. •/The boss was disappointed when his workers fell down on the job./

[fall due] or [come] or [become due]{v. phr.} To reach the time when a bill or invoice is to be paid. •/Our car payment falls due on the first of every month./

[fall flat]{v.}, {informal} To be a failure; fail. •/The party fell flat because of the rain./ •/His joke fell flat because no one understood it./

[fall for]{v.}, {slang} 1. To begin to like very much. •/Dick fell for baseball when he was a little boy./ 2. To begin to love (a boy or a girl.) •/Helen was a very pretty girl and people were not surprised that Bill fell for her./ 3. To believe (something told to fool you.) •/Nell did not fall for Joe’s story about being a jet pilot./

[fall from grace]{v. phr.} To go back to a bad way of behaving; do something bad again. •/The boys behaved well during dinner until they fell from grace by eating their dessert with their fingers instead of their forks./ •/The boy fell from grace when he lied./

[fall guy]{n.}, {slang} The «patsy» in an illegal transaction; a sucker; a dupe; the person who takes the punishment others deserve. •/When the Savings and Loan Bank failed, due to embezzlement, the vice president had to be the fall guy, saving the necks of the owners./

[fall in]{v.} 1. To go and stand properly in a row like soldiers. •/The captain told his men to fall in./ Contrast: FALL OUT(3). 2. to collapse. •/The explosion caused the walls of the house to fall in./

[fall in for]{v.} To receive; get. •/The boy fell in for some sympathy when he broke his leg./ •/The team manager fell in for most of the blame when his team lost the playoffs./

[falling-out]{n.} Argument; disagreement; quarrel. •/Mary and Jane had a falling-out about who owned the book./ •/The boys had a falling-out when each said that the other had broken the rules./

[fall in line] or [fall into line] See: IN LINE, INTO LINE.

[fall in love] See: IN LOVE.

[fall in] or [into place]{v. phr.} To suddenly make sense; find the natural or proper place for the missing pieces of a puzzle. •/When the detectives realized that a second man was seen at the place of the murder, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place./

[fall in with]{v.}, {informal} 1. To meet by accident. •/Mary fell in with some of her friends downtown./ 2. To agree to help with; support. •/I fell in with Jack’s plan to play a trick on his father./ 3. To become associated with a group detrimental to the newcomer. •/John fell in with a wild bunch; small wonder he flunked all of his courses./ Compare: PLAY ALONG.

[fall into the habit of]{v. phr.} To develop the custom of doing something. •/Jack has fallen into the bad habit of playing poker for large sums of money every night./

[fall off] See: DROP OFF(4).

[fall off the wagon]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {alcoholism and drug culture} To return to the consumption of an addictive, such as alcohol or drugs, after a period of abstinence. •/Poor Joe has fallen off the wagon again – he is completely incoherent today./

[fall on] or [fall upon]{v.} 1. To go and fight with; attack. •/The robbers fell on him from behind trees./ 2. {formal} To meet (troubles). •/The famous poet fell upon unhappy days./

[fallout]{n.} 1. Result of nuclear explosion; harmful radioactive particles. •/Some experts consider fallout as dangerous as the bomb itself./ 2. Undesirable aftereffects in general. •/As a fallout of Watergate, many people lost their faith in the government./

[fall out]{v.} 1. To happen. •/As it fell out, the Harpers were able to sell their old car./ Compare: TURN OUT(6). 2. To quarrel; fight; fuss; disagree. •/The thieves fell out over the division of the loot./ 3. To leave a military formation. •/You men are dismissed. Fall out!/ Contrast: FALL IN. 4. To leave a building to go and line up. •/The soldiers fell out of the barracks for inspection./

[fall over backwards] or [fall over oneself]{v. phr.} To do everything you can to please someone; try very hard to satisfy someone. •/The hotel manager fell over backwards to give the movie star everything she wanted./ •/The boys fell over themselves trying to get the new girl’s attention./

[fall over yourself] See: FALL OVER BACKWARDS.

[fall short]{v.} To fail to reach (some aim); not succeed. •/His jump fell three inches short of the world record./ •/The movie fell short of expectations./ Contrast: MEASURE UP.

[fall through]{v.}, {informal} To fail; be ruined; not happen or be done. •/Jim’s plans to go to college fell through at the last moment./ •/Mr. Jones' deal to sell his house fell through./ Contrast: COME OFF.

[fall to]{v.} 1. To begin to work. •/The boys fell to and quickly cut the grass./ Syn.: TURN TO. 2. To begin to fight. •/They took out their swords and fell to./ 3. To begin to eat. •/The hungry boys fell to before everyone sat down./ 4. Begin; start. •/The old friends met and fell to talking about their school days./

[fall to pieces]{v. phr.} To disintegrate; collapse. •/After the death of Alexander the Great, his empire started to fall to pieces./

[fall wide of the mark] See: WIDE OF THE MARK.

[false] See: PLAY ONE FALSE, SAIL UNDER FALSE COLORS.

[family] See: RUN IN THE BLOOD or RUN IN THE FAMILY, IN A FAMILY WAY.

[family tree]{n.} Ancestry. •/My family tree can be traced back to the sixteenth century./

[famine] See: FEAST OR A FAMINE.

[fancy doing something] – An expression of surprise. •/Fancy meeting you here in such an unexpected place!/

[fancy pants]{n.}, {slang} A man or boy who wears clothes that are too nice or acts like a woman or girl; sissy. •/The first time they saw him in his new band uniform, they yelled «Hey, fancy pants, what are you doing in your sister’s slacks?»/

[fan] See: HIT THE FAN.

[fan out]{v. phr.} To spread in several directions. •/The main road fans out at the edge of the forest in four different directions./

[fan the breeze]{v. phr.} 1. See: SHOOT THE BREEZE. 2. To swing and miss the ball in baseball. •/The batter tried to hit a home run but he fanned the breeze./

[far] See: AS FAR AS or SO FAR AS, SO FAR also THUS PAR, BY FAR, FEW AND FAR BETWEEN, SO PAR, SO GOOD.

[far afield]{adj. phr.} Remote; far from the original starting point. •/When we started to discuss theology. Jack was obviously getting far afield from the subject at hand./

[far and away]{adv. phr.} Very much. •/The fish was far and away the biggest ever caught on the lake./ Compare: BY FAR, HEAD AND SHOULDERS(2).

[far and near]{n. phr.} Far places and near places; everywhere. •/People came from far and near to hear him speak./

[far and wide]{adv. phr.} Everywhere, in all directions. •/The wind blew the papers far and wide./ •/My old school friends are scattered far and wide now./ •/The movie company looked far and wide for a boy to act the hero in the new movie./ Compare: ALL OVER.

[farfetched]{adj.} Exaggerated; fantastic. •/Sally told us some farfetched story about having been kidnapped by little green men in a flying saucer./

[far cry]{n.} Something very different. •/His last statement was a far cry from his first story./ •/The first automobile could run, but it was a far cry from a modern car./

[far from it]{adv. phr.} Not even approximately; not really at all. •/«Do you think she spent $100 on that dress?» Jane asked. «Far from it,» Sue replied. «It must have cost at least $300.»/

[far gone]{adj. phr.} In a critical or extreme state. •/He was so far gone by the time the doctor arrived, that nothing could be done to save his life./

[farm] See: COLLECTIVE FARM.

[farm out]{v.} 1. To have another person do (something) for you; send away to be done. •/Our teacher had too many test papers to read, so she farmed out half of them to a friend./ 2. To send away to be taken care of. •/While Mother was sick, the children were farmed out to relatives./ 3. To send a player to a league where the quality of play is lower. •/The player was farmed out to Rochester to gain experience./

[far-out]{adj.} 1. Very far away; distant. •/Scientists are planning rocket trips to the moon and far-out planets./ 2. {informal} Very different from others; queer; odd, unusual. •/He enjoyed being with beatniks and other far-out people./ •/Susan did not like some of the paintings at the art show because they were too far-out for her./

[fashion] See: AFTER A FASHION, HIGH FASHION or HIGH STYLE.

[fast] See: HARD-AND-FAST, PLAY FAST AND LOOSE.

[fast and furious]{adj.} or {adv. phr.} Very fast; with much speed and energy. •/He was mowing the grass at a fast and furious rate./ •/When I last saw her she was driving fast and furious down the street./ Compare: GREAT GUNS.

[fast buck] or [quick buck]{slang} Money earned quickly and easily, and sometimes dishonestly. •/You can make a fast buck at the golf course by fishing balls out of the water trap./ •/He isn’t interested in a career; he’s just looking for a quick buck./

[fast talker]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} A con artist or a swindler, one who is particularly apt to get away with illegitimate transactions because of the clever way he talks. •/I wouldn’t trust Uncle Joe if I were you, – he is a fast talker./

[fast time] See: DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

[fasten on]{v. phr.} To attach; tie something to make it secure. •/«Fasten on your life jackets when you get into the life boats,» the captain said./

[fat] See: CHEW THE FAT.

[fat chance]{n. phr.}, {slang} Little or no possibility; almost no chance. •/A high school team would have a fat chance of beating a strong college team./ •/Jane is pretty and popular; you will have a fat chance of getting a date with her./ Compare: GHOST OF A.

[fat city]{n.}, {slang} A state of contentment due to wealth and position. •/Bully for the Smiths; they have arrived in Fat City./

[fate] See: TEMPT FATE or TEMPT THE FATES.

[father] See: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.

[Father Christmas]{n.}, {British} The joyful spirit of Christmas; Santa Claus. •/English children look forward to the visit of Father Christmas./

[Father’s Day]{n.} The third Sunday in June set aside especially to honor fathers whether living or dead. •/The children gave nice presents to their father on Father’s Day./

[fat is in the fire] Something has happened that will cause trouble or make a bad situation worse. •/He found out you took it? Well, the fat’s in the fire now./

[fat of the land]{n. phr.} The best and richest food, clothes, everything. •/When I’m rich I’ll retire and live off the fat of the land./

[fault] See: AT FAULT, FIND FAULT, TO A FAULT.

[faultfinding]{n.} Recrimination; nagging; criticism. •/All of this constant faultfinding will only to lead to trouble between you and your wife./

[favor] See: CURRY FAVOR, IN FAVOR OF.

[favorite son]{n.} A man supported by his home state for President. •/At a national convention, states often vote for their favorite sons first; then they change and vote for another man./

[fear] See: FOR FEAR.

[fear and trembling] or [fear and trepidation]{n. phr.} Great fear. •/He came in fear and trembling to tell his father he had a bad report card./

[feast one’s eyes on]{v. phr.} To look at and enjoy very much. •/He feasted his eyes on the beautiful painting./

[feast or a famine]{n. phr.} Plenty or very little; big success or bad failure. •/In this business it’s either a feast or a famine./ •/He is very careless with his money, it is always a feast or a famine with him./

[feather] See: BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER, TAR AND FEATHER, FINE FEATHERS DO NOT MAKE FINE BIRDS, FUSS AND FEATHERS, MAKE THE FEATHERS FLY, RUFFLE FEATHERS.

[feather in one’s cap]{n. phr.} Something to be proud of; an honor. •/It was a feather in his cap to win first prize./ (From the medieval practice of placing a feather in the helmet of one who won honors in battle.)

[feather one’s nest]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To use for yourself money and power, especially from a public office or job in which you are trusted to help other people. •/The rich man told his lawyer to use his money after he died to build a hospital for poor people, but the lawyer feathered his own nest with the money instead./ •/The man feathered his nest in politics by getting money from contractors who built roads./ Syn.: LINE ONE’S POCKETS. 2. To make your home pleasant and comfortable; furnish and decorate your house. •/Furniture stores welcome young couples who want to feather their nests./

[fed up] ({informal}) also ({slang}) [fed to the gills] or [fed to the teeth]{adj. phr.} Having had too much of something; at the end of your patience; disgusted; bored; tired. •/People get fed up with anyone who brags all the time./ •/I’ve had enough of his complaints. I’m fed up./ •/He was fed to the teeth with television and sold his set to a cousin./ •/John quit football because he was fed to the gills with practice./ Compare: SICK AND TIRED.

[feed] See: BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS ONE, CHICKEN FEED, OFF FEED or OFF ONE’S FEED, SPOON FEED.

[feel] See: GET THE FEEL OF and HARD FEELING.

[feel a draft]{v. phr.}, {slang} To have the sensation that one is not welcome in a place; that one has gotten a cold reception. •/Let’s go, Suzie, I feel a draft./

[feel for someone]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be able to sympathize with someone’s problems. •/I can really feel for you, John, for losing your job./

[feel free to do]{v. phr.} To take the liberty to engage in an activity. •/Please feel free to take off your jackets; this is an informal party./

[feel in one’s bones] or [know in one’s bones]{v. phr.} To have an idea or feeling but not know why. •/I feel in my hones that tomorrow will be a sunny day./ •/I know in my bones that God will protect us./

[feel like]{v.}, {informal} To want to do or have. •/I don’t feel like running today./ •/I just don’t feel like pancakes this morning./

[feel like a million] or [feel like a million dollars]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be in the best of health and spirits. •/I feel like a million this morning./ •/He had a headache yesterday but feels like a million dollars today./ Compare: LOOK LIKE A MILLION.

[feel like a new man]{v. phr.} To feel healthy, vigorous, and well again after a major physical illness or emotional upheaval. •/Ted felt like a new man after his successful heart bypass operation./

[feel like two cents] See: TWO CENTS.

[feel low]{v. phr.} To be depressed; be in low spirits. •/I don’t know what’s the matter with Mary, but she says she has been feeling very low all afternoon./

[feel no pain]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be drunk. •/After a few drinks, the man felt no pain and began to act foolishly./

[feel one’s oats]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To feel frisky or playful; be eager and excited. •/The horses were feeling their oats./ •/When they first got to camp, the boys were feeling their oats./ 2. To act in a proud or important way. •/The new gardener was feeling his oats and started to boss the other men./

[feel one’s way]{v. phr.} To proceed cautiously by trial and error; probe. •/I won’t ask her to marry me directly; I will feel my way first./

[feel] or [look small]{v. phr.} To have the impression that one is insignificant, foolish, or humiliated. •/«I feel small next to Hemingway,» the young student of creative writing said./

[feel out]{v.} To talk or act carefully with someone and find what he thinks or can do. •/The pupils felt out the principal about a party after the game./ •/John felt out his father about letting him have the car that evening./ •/At first the boxers felt each other out./ Compare: SOUND OUT.

[feel out of place]{v. phr.} To experience the sensation of not belonging in a certain place or company. •/Dave felt out of place among all those chess players as he knows nothing about chess./

[feel the pinch]{v. phr.} To be short of money; experience monetary difficulties. •/If we are going to have a recession, everybody will feel the pinch./

[feel up]{v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To arouse sexually by manual contact. •/You mean to tell me that you’ve been going out for six months and he hasn’t ever tried to feel you up?/ Contrast: COP A FEEL.

[feel up to something]{v. phr.}, {informal} To feel adequately knowledgeable, strong, or equipped to handle a given task. •/Do you feel up to jogging a mile a day with me?/ Contrast: BE UP TO SOMETHING.

[feet] See: FOOT.

[feet of clay]{n. phr.} A hidden fault or weakness in a person which is discovered or shown. •/The famous general showed he had feet of clay when he began to drink liquor./ •/The banker seemed to be honest, but he had feet of clay and was arrested for stealing./

[feet on the ground]{n. phr.} An understanding of what can be done; sensible ideas. Used with a possessive. •/John has his feet on the ground; he knows he cannot learn everything at once./ •/Ted dreams of sudden riches, but Henry keeps his feet on the ground and expects to work for his money./ •/Mrs. Smith was a dreamer, but her husband was a man with his feet on the ground./ Contrast: IN THE CLOUDS.

[fell] See: AT ONE FELL SWOOP.

[fellow] See: HAIL-FELLOW-WELL-MET, REGULAR GUY or REGULAR FELLOW.

[fellow traveller]{n.} A sympathizer with a political movement who does not officially belong to the political party in question. •/Many Germans after World War II were innocently accused of being fellow travellers of Nazism./ •/During the McCarthy era, many Americans were accused of being Communist fellow travellers./

[fence] See: GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE, MEND ONE’S FENCES, ON THE FENCE.

[fence in] or [hedge in] or [hem in]{v.} To keep (someone) from doing what he or she would like to do. Usually used in the passive. •/Mary felt fenced in because her father would not let her drive a car or have dates with boys./ •/John didn’t like his job because he had to do the same kind of work all the time. He felt that he was hemmed in./

[fence-sitter]{n.} A person unable to pick between two sides; a person who does not want to choose. •/Daddy says he is a fence-sitter because he doesn’t know which man he wants for President./

[fence-sitting]{n.} or {adj.} Choosing neither side. •/You have been fence-sitting for too long. It is time you made up your mind./ Contrast: MAKE UP ONE’S MIND, TAKE SIDES.

[fence with] or [spar with]{v.} To talk with (someone) as if you were fighting like a swordsman or boxer; to give skillful answers or arguments against (someone). •/The governor was an expert at fencing with reporters at press conferences./

[ferret out]{literary} or [smell out] or [sniff out]{v.} To hunt or drive from hiding; to bring out into the open; search for and find. •/John ferreted out the answer to the question in the library./ •/Jane smelled out the boys' secret hiding place in the woods./

[few] See: MAN OF FEW WORDS, NOT A FEW, QUITE A FEW.

[few and far between]{adj. phr.} Not many; few and scattered; not often met or found; rare. – Used in the predicate. •/People who will work as hard as Thomas A. Edison are few and far between./ •/Places where you can get water are few and far between in the desert./ •/Really exciting games are few and far between./

[fickle finger of fate] See: ACT OF GOD.

[fiddle] See: PLAY SECOND FIDDLE.

[fiddle around] See: FOOL AROUND(3).

[fiddler] See: PAY THE PIPER or PAY THE FIDDLER.

[fiddle with]{v. phr.} To carelessly play with something. •/If Jimmy continues to fiddle with our computer, he is liable to ruin it./

[field] See: CENTER FIELD, LEFT FIELD, OUT IN LEFT FIELD, PLAY THE FIELD, RIGHT FIELD.

[field goal]{n.} 1. A score in football made by kicking the ball over the bar between the goal posts. •/The Giants were not able to make a touchdown but they kicked two field goals./ Compare: EXTRA POINT. 2. A score in basketball made by a successful shot through the basket not made on a free throw. •/A field goal counts two points./ Compare: FOUL SHOT, FREE THROW.

[fifth] See: TAKE THE FIFTH.

[fifth column]{n. phr.} A group or organization within a country that works to bring about the country’s downfall, usually through acts of espionage and sabotage. •/The Communist party in the United States was considered by Senator McCarthy to be the Soviet Union’s fifth column./

[flfty-flfty(1)]{adv.}, {informal} Equally; evenly. •/The two boys divided the marbles they won fifty-fifty./ •/When Dick and Sam bought an old car, they divided the cost fifty-fifty./

[fifty-fifty(2)]{adj.}, {informal} 1. Divided or shared equally. •/It will be a fifty-fifty arrangement; half the money for me and half for you./ 2. Half for and half against; half good and half bad. •/There is only a fifty-fifty chance that we will win the game./ Compare: HALF AND HALF.

[fight against time] See: RACING TO STAND STILL.

[fight fire with fire]{v. phr.}, {slightly formal}, {of Biblical origin} To fight back in the same way one was attacked; make a defense similar to the attack. •/The candidate was determined to fight fire with fire in the debate./

[fight it out] See: SLUG IT OUT.

[fighting chance]{n. phr.} A chance that necessitates struggle and courage; a slim chance. •/The doctor told the family that Jack had a fighting chance to recover./ •/Our business lost a lot of money, but we have a fighting chance to stage a comeback./

[fight off]{v. phr.} 1. To struggle against someone so as to free oneself; push an attacker back. •/Suzy fought off her two attackers in Central Park with a couple of karate chops./ 2. To strive to overcome something negative. •/After twelve hours at the computer terminal, Jane had to fight off her overwhelming desire to go to sleep./

[fight shy of]{v. phr.} To avoid; escape from. •/Jack always fights shy of anything that even remotely resembles serious work./

[fight tooth and nail] See: TOOTH AND NAIL.

[figure in]{v.} 1. {informal} To add to a total; remember to put down in figures. •/We figured in the travel expenses but forgot the cost of meals./ 2. To have a part in; be partly responsible for. •/Joe figured in all our touchdowns./ •/Mary’s good grades figured in her choice as class president./

[figure on]{v.} 1. To expect and think about while making plans. •/We did not figure on having so many people at the picnic./ •/He figured on going to town the next day./ Syn.: PLAN ON. 2. To depend on; be; sure about. •/You can figure on him to be on time./ Syn.: COUNT ON.

[figure out]{v.} 1. To find an answer by thinking about (some problem or difficulty); solve. •/Tom couldn’t figure out the last problem on the arithmetic test./ •/Sam couldn’t figure out how to print a program until the teacher showed him how./ •/Mary couldn’t figure out why her cake tasted so funny until she found salt mixed in the sugar bag./ Compare: FIND OUT(1). 2. To learn how to explain; understand. •/Laurence is an odd boy; I can’t figure him out./ Compare: MAKE OUT(2).