American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

tower of strength

A dependable person on whom one can lean in time of trouble, as in After Dad died Grandma was a tower of strength for the whole family. This expression, first recorded in 1549, originally was used most often to refer to God and heaven, but Shakespeare had it differently in Richard III

(5:3): "Besides, the King's name is a tower of strength."

to whom it may concern

To the appropriate recipient for this message, as in I didn't know who was responsible for these complaints so I just addressed it "to whom it may concern." This phrase is a formula used in letters, testimonials, and the like when one does not know the name of the proper person to address. [Second half of 1800s]

to windward

Toward an advantageous position, as in We were hoping to get to windward of the situation. This expression transfers the nautical meaning of the phrase, "move in the direction from which the wind blows," to other kinds of undertaking. Its figurative use dates from the late 1700s.

to wit

That is to say, namely, as in There are three good reasons for not going, to wit, we don't want to, we don't have to, and we can't get a reservation. This expression comes from the now archaic verb to wit, meaning "know or be aware of," not heard except in this usage. [Late 1500s]

town

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with TOWN, also see ALL OVER THE PLACE

(TOWN); GHOST TOWN; GO TO TOWN; MAN ABOUT TOWN; ONE-HORSE TOWN; ONLY GAME IN TOWN; ON THE TOWN; OUT OF TOWN; PAINT THE TOWN RED; TALK OF THE TOWN.

town and gown

The inhabitants of a college or university town and the students and personnel of the college, as in

There used to be friction between town and gown but the new parking lots have eased it. The gown in this expression alludes to the academic robes traditional in British universities. [Early 1800s]

toy with

1. Amuse oneself idly with, trifle, as in He teased her, toying with her as a cat toys with a mouse.

[Early 1500s] 2. Treat casually or without seriousness, as in I'm toying with the idea of writing a novel. [Early 1800s]

traces

hand. see KICK OVER THE TRACES.

track

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TRACK, also see COVER ONE'S TRACKS;

DROP IN ONE'S TRACKS; FAST TRACK; FOLLOW IN SOMEONE'S FOOTSTEPS (TRACKS); INSIDE TRACK; JUMP THE TRACK; KEEP (LOSE) TRACK; MAKE TRACKS; OFF THE BEATEN TRACK; OFF THE TRACK; ONE-TRACK MIND; ON THE RIGHT TACK (TRACK); RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRACKS; STOP COLD (IN ONE'S TRACKS).

track down

Follow successfully, locate, as in I've been trying to track down that book but haven't had any luck.

This term alludes to the literal use of track, "follow the footsteps of." [Second half of 1800s]

track record

A record of actual performance or achievements, as in This applicant has an excellent track record. This term probably comes from horse racing, where it signifies the best time a horse has ever achieved at a particular track or over a particular distance. However, some believe it alludes to track and field records. Its figurative use dates from the late 1940s.

trade

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TRADE, also see TRICKS OF THE

TRADE.

trade down

Exchange for something of lower value or price, as in They bought a smaller boat, trading down for the sake of economy. Similarly, trade up means "make an exchange for something of higher value or price," as in They traded up to a larger house. [First half of 1900s]

trade in

Give or sell an old or used item and apply the value or proceeds to a new item. For example, Some people prefer to trade in their old car to the dealer, but we feel we'll do better by simply selling it.

[First half of 1900s]

trade off

Exchange one thing for another, especially as a compromise. For example, They were willing to trade off some vacation for the freedom to work flexible hours. This idiom gave rise to tradeoff for "an exchange." [First half of 1800s]

trade on

Profit by, exploit, as in The children of celebrities often trade on their family names. [Late 1800s]

trade up

Behave badly or show contempt toward, as in Her boss treats all the secretaries like dirt. This idiom uses dirt in the sense of "something worthless," a usage dating from the mid-1300s.

treatment

hand. see RED CARPET (TREATMENT).

tree

hand. see BARK UP THE WRONG TREE; CAN'T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES; TALK SOMEONE'S ARM OFF (THE BARK OFF A TREE); UP A TREE.

trial

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TRIAL, also see ON TRIAL.

trial and error

An attempt to accomplish something by trying various means until the correct one is found. For example, The only way to solve this problem is by trial and error. The error here alludes to the failed means or attempts, which are discarded until the right way is found. [c. 1800]

trial balloon

An idea or plan advanced tentatively to test public reaction, as in Let's send up a trial balloon for this new program before we commit ourselves. This expression alludes to sending up balloons to test weather conditions. [c. 1930]

trial by fire

A test of one's abilities to perform well under pressure, as in Finishing this huge list of chores in time for the wedding is really a trial by fire. This expression alludes to the medieval practice of determining a person's guilt by having them undergo an ordeal, such as walking barefoot through a fire.

trials and tribulations

Tests of one's patience or endurance, as in She went through all the trials and tribulations of being admitted to law school only to find she couldn't afford to go. This redundant expression?

trial and tribulation here both mean the same thing?

is also used semi-humorously, as in Do you really want to hear about the trials and tribulations of my day at the office?

triangle

hand. see ETERNAL TRIANGLE.

trick

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TRICK, also see BAG OF TRICKS;

CONFIDENCE GAME (TRICK); DIRTY TRICKS; DO THE TRICK; HAT TRICK; HOW'S TRICKS; NOT MISS A TRICK; TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS; THAT DOES IT (THE TRICK); TURN A TRICK; UP TO ONE'S OLD TRICKS.

trick or treat

A greeting by children asking for treats on Halloween and threatening to play a trick on those who refuse to give them. For example, The children went from house to house, shouting "Trick or treat!" [c. 1940]

trick out

Ornament or adorn, especially ostentatiously or garishly, as in She was all tricked out in beads and fringe and what-have-you. This term uses trick in the sense of "dress up" or "decorate," a usage dating from about 1500. [Early 1700s]

tricks of the trade

Clever ways of operating a business or performing a task or activity, especially slightly dishonest or unfair ones. For example, Alma knows all the tricks of the trade, cutting the fabric as close as possible, or The butcher weighs meat after it's wrapped; charging for the packaging is one of the tricks of the trade.

tried and true

Tested and proved to be worthy or reliable, as in Let me deal with it? my method is tried and true. [Mid1900s]

trigger

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with TRIGGER, also see QUICK ON THE

DRAW (TRIGGER).

trigger happy

Inclined to act violently at the slightest provocation, as in They feared that the President was trigger happy and would send in troops at the drop of a hat. This expression alludes to being too eager to fire a gun. [c. 1940]

trim one's sails

Modify one's stand, adapt to circumstances, as in His advisers told him to trim his sails before he alienated voters and bungled the election completely. This metaphoric expression alludes to adjusting a ship's sails to take full advantage of prevailing winds. [Late 1700s]

trip

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TRIP, also see BAD TRIP; EGO TRIP;

ROUND TRIP.

triple threat

A person who is adept in three areas, as in She's a triple threat on the editorial staff?

she can edit, write, and design pages. This term comes from football, where it signifies a player who is good at running, passing, and kicking. [c. 1920] Also see HAT TRICK.

trip the light fantastic

Dance, as in Let's go out tonight and trip the light fantastic. This expression was originated by John Milton in L'Allegro (1632): "Come and trip it as ye go, On the light fantastick toe." The idiom uses trip in the sense of "a light, tripping step," and although fantastick was never the name of any particular dance, it survived and was given revived currency in James W. Blake's immensely popular song, The Sidewalks of New York (1894).

trip up

Make or cause someone to make a mistake, as in The other finalist tripped up when he was asked to spell "trireme," or They tripped him up with that difficult question. [Second half of 1700s]

Trojan

hand. see under WORK LIKE A BEAVER (TROJAN).

trolley

hand. see OFF ONE'S HEAD (TROLLEY).

hand. see SWEAR LIKE A TROOPER.

trot

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with TROT, also see HOT TO TROT.

trot out

Bring out and show for inspection and admiration, as in He trotted out all his old war medals. This expression alludes to leading out a horse to show off its various paces, including the trot. [Colloquial; first half of 1800s]

trouble

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TROUBLE, also see BORROW TROUBLE;

FISH IN TROUBLED WATERS; GO TO THE TROUBLE; IN TROUBLE WITH; POUR OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS.

trouble one's head with Also, trouble oneself about. Bother or worry about, as in Don't trouble your head with these details; I'll take care of it, or It seems to me that teachers should trouble themselves more about teaching and less about manners. The first term dates from the mid-1600s, the variant from the early 1500s.

trouble someone for

Politely ask for something, as in May I trouble you for a drink of water? This idiom uses trouble in the sense of "disturb." [Mid-1800s]

trowel

hand. see under LAY IT ON THICK.

truck

hand. see HAVE NO TRUCK WITH.

true

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TRUE, also see COME TRUE; COURSE

OF TRUE LOVE; DREAM COME TRUE; FIND TRUE NORTH; HOLD GOOD (TRUE); RING FALSE (TRUE); RUN (TRUE) TO FORM; TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE; TRIED AND TRUE.

true blue

Loyal, faithful, as in You can count on her support; she's true blue. This expression alludes to the idea of blue being the color of constancy, but the exact allusion is disputed. One theory holds it alludes to the unchanging blue sky, another to the fastness of a blue dye that will not run. Blue has been the identifying color of various factions in history. In the mid-1600s the Scottish Covenanters, who pledged to uphold Presbyterianism, were called true blue (as opposed to red, the color of the royalists). In the 1800s the same term came to mean "staunchly Tory," and in America, "politically sound."

true colors

hand. see under SHOW ONE'S TRUE COLORS.

true to

1. Loyal or faithful to, as in She knew he'd be true to his marriage vows, or, as Shakespeare had Polonius tell Hamlet, "This above all, to thine own self be true" (Hamlet, 1:3). [c. 1200] 2.

Conforming to or consistent with, as in The speech was true to the party platform, or True to type, he died while working at his desk. 3. true to life. Consistent with reality, realistically represented, as in This painting is very true to life. [Early 1800s] For true to form, see under RUN TO FORM.

trump

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TRUMP, also see HOLD ALL THE ACES

(TRUMPS); TURN UP TRUMPS.

trump card

A key resource to gain an advantage at the opportune moment, as in That surprise witness was the defense's trump card, or She played her trump card, announcing that the Senator would speak.

This expression transfers the trump card of games such as bridge, which can win over a card of another suit, to other kinds of advantage. [Early 1800s]

trump up

Concoct fraudulently, fabricate, as in They trumped up a charge of conspiracy, or She had trumped up another excuse for not doing the work. This expression, first recorded in 1695, uses trump in the sense of "devise fraudulently," a usage otherwise obsolete.

trust

hand. see BRAIN TRUST; IN TRUST.

truth

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TRUTH, also see GOSPEL TRUTH; HOME

TRUTH; MOMENT OF TRUTH; NAKED TRUTH; UNVARNISHED TRUTH.

truth is stranger than fiction

Real life can be more remarkable than invented tales, as in In our two-month trip around the world we ran into long-lost relatives on three separate occasions, proving that truth is stranger than fiction. This expression may have been invented by Byron, who used it in Don Juan (1833).

truth will out

The facts will be known, as in She thought she could get away with it, but truth will out, and I'm sure she'll get caught. Shakespeare used this idiom in The Merchant of Venice (2:2): "But in the end truth will out." Also see MURDER WILL OUT.

try

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TRY, also see OLD COLLEGE TRY. Also

see under TRIED.

try on

1. Test the fit or look of a garment by putting it on, as in Do you want to try on this dress? This expression is also put as try on for size, which is sometimes used figuratively, as in The teacher wanted to try the new method on for size before agreeing to use it. [Late 1600s] 2. Test the effectiveness or acceptability of something, as in The actors decided to try on the new play out of town. [Late 1800s] Also see TRY OUT.

try one's hand

1. Attempt to do something for the first time, as in I thought I'd try my hand at snorkeling. This idiom uses try in the sense of "ascertain by experiment or effort," a usage dating from the late 1500s. 2. Also, try one's luck. Take a chance doing something, as in We thought we'd try our luck at getting a hotel room at the last minute.

try one's patience

Put one's tolerance to a severe test, cause one to be annoyed, as in Putting these parts together really tries my patience, or Her constant lateness tries our patience. This idiom uses try in the sense of "test," a usage dating from about 1300.

try out

1. Undergo a qualifying test, as for an athletic team. For example, I'm trying out for the basketball team. [Mid-1900s] 2. Test or use experimentally, as in They're trying out new diesels, or We're trying out this new margarine. [Late 1800s]

tube

hand. see DOWN THE TUBES.

tuck

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TUCK, also see NIP AND TUCK.

tuck away

1. Eat heartily, as in He tucked away an enormous steak. [Colloquial; mid-1800s] Also see

TUCK INTO.

2. Hide, put in storage, as in She had several hundred dollars tucked away. [c. 1900] tucker

see BEST BIB AND TUCKER.

tuckered out

Exhausted, very tired, as in I was all tuckered out after that game. The precise origin of this usage is not known. [Colloquial; 1820s]

tuck in

Thrust in the edge of or end of something, such as bed linens or a shirt; also, make a child secure in bed by folding in the bedclothes. For example, Tuck in your shirt; it looks awful hanging out of your pants, or Mother went upstairs to tuck in the children. [First half of 1600s]

tuck into

Eat heartily or greedily, as in For a two-year-old he really tucked into his food. [Early 1800s]

tug of war

A struggle for supremacy, as in There's a constant political tug of war between those who favor giving more power to the states and those who want a strong federal government. Although there is an athletic contest also so named, in which participants holding either end of a rope try to pull each other across a dividing line, the present usage, first recorded in 1677, predates it by about two centuries. The noun tug itself means "a strenuous contest between two sides," and war refers to fighting, either physical or figurative.

tumble

hand. see ROUGH AND TUMBLE.

tune

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TUNE, also see CALL THE TUNE; CARRY

A TUNE; CHANGE ONE'S TUNE; DANCE TO ANOTHER TUNE; IN TUNE; TO THE TUNE OF.

tune in

1. Adjust a receiver to receive a particular program or signals at a particular frequency, as in Tune in tomorrow, folks, for more up-to-date news. [Early 1900s] 2. Be aware or responsive, as in She's really tuned in to teenagers. [1920s] For an antonym, see TUNE OUT.

tune out

1.Adjust a receiver so as not to receive a signal, as in Let's tune out all this interference. [Early 1900s]

2.Dissociate oneself from one's surroundings; also, disregard, ignore. For example, The average reader, used to seeing lots of color images, tunes out when confronted with big blocks of text, or Some mothers are expert at tuning out the children's whining and quarreling. [1920s] For an antonym, see TUNE IN.

tune up

Adjust machinery so it is in proper condition, as in I took the car in to be tuned up. [Early 1900s]

tunnel

hand. see LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.

turkey

hand. see COLD TURKEY; TALK TURKEY.

turn

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TURN, also see AT EVERY TURN; BY