Текст книги "Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц"

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[oak] See: GREAT OAKS FROM LITTLE ACORNS GROW.

[oars] See: REST ON ONE’S OARS.

[oath] See: TAKE OATH.

[oats] See: FEEL ONE’S OATS, SOW ONE’S WILD OATS.

[obey the call of nature] See: ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE.

[occasion] See: ON OCCASION.

[occupy oneself]{v. phr.} To make oneself busy with. •/Having retired from business, he now occupies himself with his stamp collection./

[oddball]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} An eccentric person; one who doesn’t act like everyone else. •/John is an oddball – he never invites anyone./

[odd jobs]{n. phr.} Work that is not steady or regular in nature; small, isolated tasks. •/Dan does odd jobs for his neighbors, barely making enough to eat./

[odds] See: BY ALL ODDS.

[odds and ends]{n. phr.} Miscellaneous items; remnants. •/After the great annual clearance sale there were only a few odds and ends left in the store./

[odds are against]{v. phr.} The likelihood of success is not probable; the chances of success are poor. •/The odds are against her getting here before Monday./

[odds-on]{adj.}, {informal} Almost certain; almost sure; probable. •/Ed is the odds-on choice for class president, because he has good sense and good humor./

[of age]{adj. phr.} 1a. Old enough to be allowed to do or manage something. •/Mary will be of driving age on her next birthday./ Contrast: OVER AGE, UNDER AGE. 1b. Old enough to vote; having the privileges of adulthood. •/The age at which one is considered of age to vote, or of age to buy alcoholic drinks, or of age to be prosecuted as an adult, varies within the United States./ 2. Fully developed; mature. •/Education for the foreign born came of age when bilingual education was accepted as a necessary part of the public school system./

[of a piece]{adj. phr.} Of the same kind; in line. – Usually used with «with». •/His quitting the job is of a piece with his dropping out of school./

[of course]{adv. phr.} 1. As you would expect; naturally. •/Bob hit Herman, and Herman hit him back, of course./ •/The rain came pouring down, and of course the track meet was canceled./ 2. Without a doubt; certainly; surely. •/Of course you know that girl; she’s in your class./

[off a duck’s back] See: LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK’S BACK

[off-again, on-again] or [on-again, off-again]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Not settled; changeable; uncertain. •/John and Susan had an off-again, on-again romance./ •/I don’t like this off-again, on-again business. Are we going to have the party or not?/

[off and on] also [on and off]{adv.} Not regularly; occasionally; sometimes. •/Joan wrote to a pen pal in England off and on for several years./ •/It rained off and on all day./ – Sometimes used with hyphens like an adjective. •/A worn-out cord may make a hearing aid work in an off-and-on way./ Compare: BY FITS AND STARTS, FROM TIME TO TIME, NOW AND THEN.

[off balance]{adj. phr.} 1. Not in balance; not able to stand up straight and not fall; not able to keep from turning over or falling; unsteady. •/Never stand up in a canoe; it will get off balance and turn over./ •/Paul was speeding along on his bicycle, when an unexpected hole in the road caught him off balance and he fell over./ 2. Not prepared; not ready; unable to meet something unexpected. •/Our quarterback kept the other team off balance by changing often from line plays to passes and tricky end runs./ •/The teacher’s surprise test caught the class off balance, and nearly everyone got a poor mark./

[off base]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Not agreeing with fact; wrong. •/The idea that touching a toad causes warts is off base./ •/When Tom said that the teacher’s explanation did not agree with the book, the teacher was embarrassed at being caught off base./

[offbeat]{adj.}, {informal} Nonconventional; different from the usual; odd. •/Linguistics used to be an offbeat field, but nowadays every self-respecting university has a linguistics department./

[off center]{adv. phr.} Not exactly in the middle. •/Mary hung the picture off center, because it was more interesting that way./

[off-center]{adj.}, {informal} Different from the usual pattern; not quite like most others; odd. •/Roger’s sense of humor was a bit off-center./ Compare: OFF-KEY.

[off-color] or [off-colored]{adj.} 1. Not of the proper hue or shade; not matching a standard color sample. •/The librarian complained that the painter had used an off-color green on the walls./ 2. {informal} Not of the proper kind for polite society; in bad taste; dirty. •/When Joe finished his off-color story, no one was pleased./

[off day]{n. phr.} A period when one is not functioning at his or her best; a period of weakness. •/The champion was obviously having an off day; otherwise she would have been able to defeat her opponent./ Contrast: DAY OFF.

[off duty]{adj.} Not supposed to be at work; having free time; not working. •/Sailors like to go sight-seeing, when they are off duty in a foreign port./ •/It seems that all the taxis in New York are off duty whenever it rains./ – Often used with hyphens, before a noun. •/The bank robber was captured by an off-duty policeman./ Contrast: ON DUTY.

[off feed] or [off one’s feed]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Not feeling well; lacking in vitality; droopy; moody. •/Mary was worried; her canary was off feed./ •/Jerry seemed to be off his feed; he did not joke and laugh with the others./

[off (one/he/she/it) goes!]{v. phr.} Said of a person, a vehicle, or a memorable thing who/which has started leaving or moving, both as a statement of fact (declarative assertion) or as a command (imperative). •/When the boat hit the water in the formal launching ceremony, they cried out simultaneously, «Off she goes!»/

[off guard]{adj.} In a careless attitude; not alert to coming danger; not watching. •/In the second that the boxer was off guard, his opponent landed a knockout punch./ •/Timmy s question caught Jean off guard, and she told him the secret before she knew it./ Contrast: ON GUARD.

[offhand]{adj.} 1. Informal; casual; careless. •/Dick found Bob’s offhand manner inappropriate for business./ 2. In an improvised fashion. •/Offhand, I would guess that at least five thousand people attended the festival./

[off in a flash] See: IN A FLASH.

[off-key]{adj.}, {informal} 1. Not proper; queer. •/When George told jokes at the funeral, everyone thought his action was off-key./ 2. In a false key. •/John always sings off-key./ Compare: OUT OF LINE.

[off limits] See: OUT OF BOUNDS.

[off one’s back]{adj. phr.} 1. {informal} Stopped from bothering one; removed as an annoyance or pest. •/«Having a kid brother always following me is a nuisance,» Mary told her mother. «Can’t you get him off my back?»/ •/The singer was so popular with teenagers that he took a secret vacation, to keep them off his back./ Contrast: ON ONE’S BACK(2). See: GIVE THE SHIRT OFF ONE’S BACK.

[off one’s chest]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Told to someone and so not bothering you anymore; not making you feel worried or upset, because you have talked about it. •/After Dave told the principal that he had cheated on the test, he was glad because it was off his chest./ •/Father felt that Tom wasn’t helping enough around the house, so he got it off his chest by giving Tom a list of things to do./ Compare: MAKE A CLEAN BREAST OF. Contrast: ON ONE’S CHEST.

[off one’s feet] See: KNOCK OFF ONE’S FEET, SWEEP OFF ONE’S FEET.

[off one’s hands]{adv. phr.} No longer in your care or possession. •/Ginny was glad to have the sick dog taken off her hands by the doctor./ Contrast: ON ONE’S HANDS.

[off one’s head]{adj. phr.} Crazy; mad. •/We had no doubt that the old man was off his head when we saw him jumping into the lake with his winter coat on./

[off one’s high horse]{adj. phr.}, {informal} 1. Not acting proud and scornful; humble and agreeable. •/The girls were so kind to Nancy after her mother died that she came down off her high horse and made friends with them./ 2. Acting friendly again; not angry and unpleasant any more; agreeable. •/Sally wouldn’t speak to anyone all afternoon because she couldn’t go to the movies, but she’s off her high horse now./ Contrast: ON ONE’S HIGH HORSE.

[off one’s nut] See: OFF ONE’S HEAD.

[off one’s rocker] or [off one’s trolley]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Not thinking correctly; crazy; silly; foolish. •/Tom is off his rocker if he thinks he can run faster than Bob can./ •/If you think you can learn to figure skate in one lesson, you’re off your trolley./ Syn.: OUT OF ONE’S HEAD.

[off one’s trolley] See: OFF ONE’S ROCKER.

[off season] See: LOW SEASON. Contrast: HIGH SEASON, ON SEASON.

[offshoot]{n.} A derivative; a side product. •/The discovery of nuclear reactors was ah offshoot of research in quantum physics./

[off the air]{adj. phr.} Not broadcasting; observing radio silence. •/The talk show is off the air on Wednesdays and Fridays./

[off the bat] See: RIGHT AWAY or RIGHT OFF THE BAT.

[off the beam]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. (Of an airplane) Not in the radio beam that marks the path to follow between airports; flying in the wrong direction. •/A radio signal tells the pilot of an airplane when his plane is off the beam./ 2. {slang} Wrong; mistaken. •/Maud was off the beam when she said that the girls didn’t like her./ Contrast: ON THE BEAM.

[off the beaten track]{adv. phr.} Not well known or often used; not gone to or seen by many people; unusual. •/The theater is off the beaten track./ •/We are looking for a vacation spot that is off the beaten track./ Compare: OUT OF THE WAY.

[off the cuff]{adv. phr.}, {informal} Without preparing ahead of time what you will, say; without preparation. •/Some presidents like to speak off the cuff to newspaper reporters but others prefer to think questions over and write their answers./

[off-the-cuff]{adj.}, {informal} Not prepared ahead of time. – Used of a speech or remarks. •/Jack was made master of ceremonies because he was a good off-the-cuff speaker./

[off the ground] See: GET OFF THE GROUND.

[off the handle] See: FLY OFF THE HANDLE.

[off the hog] See: LIVE HIGH OFF THE HOG.

[off the hook]{adv. phr.} Out of trouble; out of an awkward or embarrassing situation. •/Thelma found she had made two dates for the same night; she asked Sally to get her off the hook by going out with one of the boys./

[off the record(1)]{adv. phr.} Confidentially. •/«Off the record,» the boss said, «you will get a good raise for next year, but you’ll have to wait for the official letter.»/ Contrast: ON RECORD, GO ON RECORD, JUST FOR THE RECORD.

[off the record(2)]{adj. phr.} Not to be published or told; secret; confidential. •/The president told the reporters his remarks were strictly off the record./ – Sometimes used with hyphens, before the noun. •/The governor was angry when a newspaper printed his off-the-record comments./

[off the top of one’s head]{adv.} or {adj. phr.}, {informal} Without thinking hard; quickly. •/Vin answered the teacher’s question off the top of his head./ •/When Lorraine was asked to recite, she talked off the top of her head./

[off the wagon]{adj. phr.}, {slang} No longer refusing to drink whiskey or other alcoholic beverages; drinking liquor again, after stopping for a while. •/When a heavy drinker quits he must really quit. One little drink of whiskey is enough to drive him off the wagon./ Contrast: ON THE WAGON.

[off the wall]{adj. phr.} Strange; out of the ordinary; stupid. •/He has been making off-the-wall remarks all day; something must he the matter with him./

[of it] See: WHAT OF IT.

[of late]{adv. phr.}, {formal} In the recent past; not long ago; a short time ago; lately; recently. •/There have been too many high school dropouts of late./

[of necessity]{adv. phr.} Because there is no other way; because it must be; necessarily. •/Being a professional actor of necessity means working nights and Sundays./

[of no avail] See: TO NO AVAIL.

[of old(1)]{adj. phr.} Of ancient times; of long ago. •/Knights of old had to wear armor in battle./

[of old(2)]{adv. phr.} From earlier experience. •/You won’t get any money from Freddie. I know him of old./

[of oneself] See: GIVE OF ONESELF.

[of one’s life]{adj. phr.} The best or worst; greatest. – Usually describing a time or effort. •/At Disneyland, Tommy had the time of his life./ •/His race for the presidency was the political fight of his life./

[of one’s own accord] or [of one’s own free will]{adv. phr.} Without suggestion or help from anyone else; without being told; voluntarily. •/On her mother’s birthday, Betsy did the dishes of her own accord./ •/But Johnny hates baths. I can’t believe he would take one of his own free will./

[of one’s own free will] See: OF ONE’S OWN ACCORD.

[of service]{adj. phr.} Valuable as a source of aid; helpful; useful. •/When a visitor seems lost or confused, the courteous student will ask «May I be of service?»/ •/A good jackknife is often of service to a camper./

[of sorts] or [of a sort]{adj. phr.} Not especially good; not very good; of common quality. •/Joel was a magician of sorts, and popular at parties./

[often] See: EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY SO OFTEN, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT.

[of die devil] See: SPEAK OF THE DEVIL AND HE APPEARS.

[of the first water]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Of the finest quality; superior; very good; best. •/The jeweler chose diamonds of the first water for the queen’s crown./ •/The dance program at graduation was of the first water./ Compare: FIRST-CLASS.

[of the same mind]{adv. phr.} In agreement; in consonance. •/It is a good thing when father and son are of the same mind regarding business and politics./

[oil] See: POUR OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS.

[oil the wheels] See: GREASE THE WHEELS.

[ointment] See: PLY IN THE OINTMENT.

[old] See: CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK, COMFORTABLE AS AN OLD SHOE, COMMON AS AN OLD SHOE, OF OLD.

[old as the hills]{adj. phr.} Very old; ancient. •/«Why didn’t you laugh?» she asked. «Because that joke is as old as the hills,» he answered./

[old boy network]{n. phr.} A system whereby men who went to the same school help each other to get good jobs, regardless of their ability or training. •/Peter got his lucrative job thanks to the old boy network rather than because of his qualifications./ Compare: OLD COLLEGE TRY.

[old boy] or [old chap]{n.}, {Chiefly British} One of the men educated at the same institution and bound by strong ties of loyalty to each other. •/He got the job because the boss was another old boy./

[old college try]{n. phr.} An attempt to win a favor from another by mentioning the fact that one had gone to the same college or university as the party from whom the favor is requested. •/Since he needed a job, he decided to use the old college try when he contacted Jerry, but it didn’t work./ Compare: OLD BOY NETWORK.

[old country]{n. phr.} Primarily Europe, but also any country other than the United States where one originally came from. •/Al’s wife was born in Chicago but Al himself is from the old country, Ireland./

[old flame]{n. phr.} An erstwhile lover. •/Did you know that Meg was one of Howard’s old flames?/

[old guard]{n. phr.} People whose ideas may be out of date, but who have been in power for a long time. •/There will not be any change in policy at the company, as long as the old guard still works here./

[old hand]{n. phr.} An experienced and highly skilled expert at some particular job. •/Uncle Joe is an old hand at repairing car engines./

[old hat]{adj.}, {informal} Old-fashioned; not new or different. •/By now, putting satellites in orbit is old hat to space scientists./ •/Andrea thought her mother’s ideas about dating were old hat./

[old maid]{n. phr.} A spinster; a woman who has never married. •/Because my old maid aunt is a terrific cook as well as a good-looking woman, nobody understands why she never married./

[old money] Contrast: NEW MONEY.

[Old Nick] See: FULL OF THE OLD NICK.

[old school tie] See: OLD BOY NETWORK, OLD COLLEGE TRY.

[old story]{n.} An everyday occurrence; something that often happens. •/Jane’s temper tantrums were an old story./ •/It’s an old story when a woman divorces her husband for too much drinking./

[old-timer]{n.} An old person who remembers bygone days, matters, and personalities. •/There was an old-timer at the party who told us interesting details about World War II./ Contrast: OLD GUARD, OLD HAND.

[old world]{n. phr.} Europe, the continent; a continental manner. •/Tom had an old world manner that thoroughly charmed all the ladies./ Compare: OLD COUNTRY.

[olive branch]{n. phr.} An overture; a symbol of peace. •/Tired of the constant fighting, the majority government extended an olive branch to the militant minority./

[on account]{adv. phr.} As part payment of a debt; to lessen the amount owed. •/John paid $10 down and $5 on account each month for his bicycle./

[on account of]{prep.} As a result of; because of. •/The picnic was held in the gym on account of the rain./ Compare: ON ONE’S ACCOUNT, OF ONE’S OWN ACCORD.

[on a dime]{adv. phr.}, {informal} In a very small space. •/Bob can turn that car on a dime./ •/Tom says his new sports car will stop on a dime./

[on-again, off-again] See: OFF-AGAIN, ON-AGAIN.

[on air] See: WALK ON AIR.

[on a limb] See: OUT ON A LIMB.

[on all four] See: HIT ON ALL FOUR.

[on all fours]{adv. phr.} 1. On all four legs; on hands and knees. •/Fido sat up to «beg» but dropped down on all fours to eat the dog biscuit Sam gave him./ •/Billy’s father got down on all fours and gave the baby a ride./ 2. {informal} On a level of equality; of the same value. •/Wigs may be widely used, but they are still not on all fours with beautiful natural hair./

[on an average] or [on the average]{adv. phr.} In most cases; usually. •/On an average Dan’s mother has to ask him three times before he helps with the dishes./ •/On the average, Mr. Blank trades in his car for a new one every three years./

[on and off] See: OFF AND ON.

[on an even keel]{adv. phr.}, {informal} In a well-ordered way or condition; orderly. •/When the football rally seemed almost ready to become a riot, the principal stepped to the platform and got things back on an even keel./

[on a pedestal]{adv. phr.} Lovingly honored and cared for. •/Mrs. Raymond’s children served her breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day and later took her out to dinner. She felt on a pedestal./ •/Bill is always waiting on his fiancee and bringing her flowers and candy. He has certainly put her on a pedestal./

[on approval]{adv. phr.} With the understanding that the thing may be refused. •/Mr. Grey bought his camera on approval./ •/The company offered to send a package of stamps on approval./

[on a scratched horse] See: PUT ONE’S MONEY ON A SCRATCHED HORSE.

[on a shoestring]{adv. phr.} With little money to spend; on a very low budget. •/The couple was seeing Europe on a shoestring./

[on a volcano] See: SIT ON A VOLCANO.

[on behalf of] See: IN BEHALF OP.

[on board(1)]{prep.} On (a ship). •/Joan was not on board the ship when it sailed./

[on board(2)]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} On a ship. •/The captain was not on board when the S.S. Flandre sailed./ •/A ship was leaving the harbor, and we saw the people on board waving./

[on borrowed time] See: LIVE ON BORROWED TIME.

[on call]{adj. phr.} 1. Having to be paid on demand. •/Jim didn’t have the money ready even though he knew the bill was on call./ 2. Ready and available. •/This is Dr. Kent’s day to be on call at the hospital./ •/The nurse is on call for emergency cases./

[once] See: AT ONCE, EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.

[once and for all]{adv. phr.} 1. One time and never again; without any doubt; surely; certainly; definitely. •/Let me say, for once and for all, you may not go to the party Saturday./ •/For once and for all, I will not go swimming with you./ 2. Permanently. •/Bill and Tom asked the teacher to settle the argument once and for all./ •/The general decided that two bombs would destroy the enemy and end the war once and for all./

[once bitten, twice shy] See: BURNT CHILD DREADS THE FIRE.

[once for all] See: ONCE AND FOR ALL.

[once in a blue moon]{adv. phr.} Very rarely; very seldom; almost never. •/Coin collecting is interesting, hut you find a valuable coin only once in a blue moon./ •/Once in a blue moon someone grows a very pale marigold, but no truly white marigolds have been raised./

[once in a while]{adv. phr.} Not often; not regularly; sometimes; occasionally. •/We go for a picnic in the park once in a while./ •/Once in a while the puppy would run away, but usually he stayed in the yard./ Syn.: AT TIMES, FROM TIME TO TIME, NOW AND THEN.

[once-over]{n.}, {slang} 1. A quick look; a swift examination of someone or something. – Usually used with «give» or «get». •/The new boy got the once-over from the rest of the class when he came in./ •/Bob gave his paper the once-over before handing it in./ 2. or [once-over-lightly] A quick or careless job, especially of cleaning or straightening; work done hastily for now. •/Ann gave her room a quick once-over-lightty with the broom and dust cloth./ •/«Just give my hair the once-over,» Al said to the barber./ Compare: LICK AND A PROMISE.

[once upon a time]{adv. phr.} Sometime before now, long ago. •/Once upon a time she was thought to be the most talented actress in the country./ – Often used at the beginning of fairy stories. •/Once upon a time there lived a king who had an ugly daughter./

[on cloud nine]{adj. phr.}, {slang} Too happy to think of anything else; very happy. •/Ada has been on cloud nine since the magazine printed the story she wrote./ •/We were on cloud nine when our team won the state championship./ Compare: ON TOP OF THE WORLD, WALK ON AIR.

[on condition that]{conj.} Providing that; if. •/I will lend you the money on condition that you pay it back in one month./ •/She agreed to act in the play on condition that she could keep her costumes./

[on deck]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. On a floor of a ship open to the outdoors. •/The passengers were playing shufflehoard on deck./ •/The sailors kept busy cleaning and painting on deck./ 2. {informal} Ready to do something; present. •/The scout leader told the boys to be on deck at 8:00 Saturday morning for the hike./ •/Dick was at bat, and Bob was on deck./

[on deposit]{adv. phr.} In a bank. •/I have almost $500 on deposit in my account./ •/The children save their pennies and each month place them on deposit./

[on duty]{adj. phr.} Doing one’s job; supervising. •/Two soldiers are on duty guarding the gates./ •/There is always one teacher on duty during study hour./ Contrast: OFF DUTY.

[one] See: AT ONE, FOR ONE, GO IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER, HANG ONE ON, HOLE IN ONE, KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE, NUMBER ONE, SIX OF ONE AND HALF-A-DOZEN OF THE OTHER, SLIP ONE OVER ON, TEN TO ONE, TWO TO ONE, WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE.

[one and the same]{adj. phr.} The same; identical. •/Erle Stanley Gardner and A.A. Fair are one and the same person./ •/The spider lily and the Peruvian Daffodil are one and the same./

[one-armed bandit]{n.}, {slang} A slot machine, like those used in Las Vegas and other gambling places. •/Joe was playing the one-armed bandit all day – and he lost everything he had./

[on earth] See: IN THE WORLD.

[on easy street]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Having enough money to live very comfortably; rather rich. •/After years of hard work, the Grants found themselves on easy street./ •/Jim’s novel was a success and put him on easy street./ Compare: IN CLOVER, IN THE CHIPS, WELL-TO-DO.

[one damn thing after another] or [ODTAA] (pronounced owed-tay) {n. phr.} If there is one problem, there will be more. •/First I lost my wallet, then a kid broke the window, and, lastly, my car refused to start. It was just one damn thing after another!/ Compare: IF IT’S NOT ONE THING IT’S ANOTHER.

[on edge]{adj. phr.} Excited or nervous; impatient. •/The magician kept the children on edge all through his show./ •/We were all on edge as we listened to the TV for news of the election results./ •/Father was on edge after driving home through the heavy holiday traffic./ See: SET ONE’S TEETH ON EDGE. Contrast: AT EASE(2).

[one eye on]{informal} Watching or minding (a person or thing) while doing something else; part of your attention on. – Used after «have», «keep», or «with». •/Jane had one eye on the baby as she ironed./ •/Bill kept one eye on his books and the other on the clock./ •/Chris tried to study with one eye on the TV set./ Compare: KEEP AN EYE ON.

[one foot in the grave]{n. phr.} Near to death. •/The dog is fourteen years old, blind, and feeble. He has one foot in the grave./ •/Grandfather has never been sick a day in his life, but Mother cares for him as if he had one foot in the grave./

[one for the books]{n, phr.}, {informal} Very unusual; a remarkable something. •/The newspaper reporter fumed in a story that was one for the books./ •/Their trip through the Rocky Mountains was one for the books./

[one-horse]{adj. phr.} Insignificant; modest; provincial. •/Arnold’s business is a one-horse operation; he never had a single employee./

[one man’s meat is another man’s poison] What is good for one person is not necessarily good for another. – A proverb, •/Even though Jeff likes to swim in ice cold water, his brother Tun hates it. This is understandable, however, because one’s man’s meat is another man’s poison./ Contrast: WHAT’S SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE IS SAUCE FOR THE GANDER.

[on end]{adj. phr.} Seemingly endless. – Used with plural nouns of time. •/Judy spent hours on end writing and rewriting her essay./ •/During July and August there was no rain for weeks on end./

[one-night stand]{n. phr.} 1. A single performance given by a traveling company while on a tour. •/After they went bankrupt in the big cities, the traveling jazz quartet played one-night stands in the country./ 2. A brief affair or sexual encounter. •/«With AIDS all around us?» said Jane. «Nobody is having one-night stands anymore.»/

[one of these days] or [some of these days]{adv. phr.} Someday; sometime soon. •/One of these days Herbert will be famous./ •/I’m going to do that sewing some of these days./

[one on the city]{n.}, {slang} A glass of water (which is provided free of charge, as a free gift from the city). •/What will you have? – Oh, just give me one on the city./

[one’s money’s worth]{n. phr.} A fair return on one’s money spent or invested. •/I wouldn’t say that the trip was a great bargain, but I feel that we got our money’s worth./

[one’s own row] See: HOE ONE’S OWN ROW.

[one-two]{n.} 1. A succession of two punches, the first a short left, followed by a hard right punch, usually in the jaw. •/Ali gave Frazir the one-two./ 2. Any quick or decisive action which takes the opposition by surprise, thereby ensuring victory. •/He gave us the old one-two and won the game./

[one up]{adj. phr.} Having an advantage; being one step ahead, •/John graduated from high school; he is one up on Bob, who dropped out./ •/The Platters are one up on their neighbors. They own the only color television set in their neighborhood./

[one-upmanship]{v.}, {informal} Always keeping ahead of others; trying to keep an advantage. •/No matter what I do, I find that Jim has already done it better. He’s an expert at one-upmanship./ •/Jack took the news to the principal while we were still talking about it. He’s very quick to practice one-upmanship./ Compare: ONE UP. (The word one-upmanship was made up by a British humorist, Stephen Potter, on the pattern of such words as sportsmanship and workmanship.)

[on faith]{adv. phr.} Without question or proof. •/He said he was twenty-one years old and the employment agency took him on faith./ •/He looked so honest that we accepted his story on faith./

[on file]{adv. phr.} Placed in a written or electronic file; on record. •/We are sorry we cannot hire you right now but we will keep your application on file./