American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

1. As far as or approaching a certain point. For example, The water was nearly up to the windowsill, or They allowed us up to two hours to finish the test, or This seed should yield up to 300 bushels per acre.

[c. A.D. 950] 2. be up to. Be able to do or deal with, as in When I got home, she asked if I was up to a walk on the beach. This usage is often put negatively, that is, not be up to something, as in He's not up to a long drive. [Late 1700s] 3.

Occupied with, engaged in, as in What have you been up to lately? This usage can mean "devising" or "scheming," as in We knew those two were up to something.

It also appears in up to no good, meaning "occupied with or devising something harmful," as in I'm sure those kids are up to no good. [First half of 1800s] 4. Dependent on, as in The success of this project is up to us. [c. 1900] Also see the following idioms beginning with UP TO.

up to a point

To some extent, somewhat, as in I can work weekends up to a point, but after a month or so I get tired of it. This phrase uses point in the sense of "a definite position." [Early 1800s]

up to date

hand. see BRING UP TO DATE.

up to no good

hand. see UP TO, def. 3.

up to one's ears Also, in up to one's eyes or eyeballs or neck. Deeply involved; also, oversupplied, surfeited. For example, I'm up to my ears in work, or He's in up to his eyes with the in-laws. This hyperbolic and slangy idiom implies one is flooded with something up to those organs. The first was first recorded in 1839; up to the eyes in 1778; to the eyeballs in 1911; to the neck in 1856.

up to one's old tricks

Behaving in one's usual deceitful or mischievous fashion, as in She's up to her old tricks, telling her parents one thing and her teachers another, or He's up to his old tricks, teasing his sisters until they're in tears. Put as at his old tricks, this idiom was first recorded in 1823.

up to par Also, up to scratch or snuff or speed or the mark. Satisfactory, up to a given standard, as in She didn't feel up to par today so she stayed home, or I'm sure he'll come up to scratch when the time comes, or She's up to snuff again. Nearly all the versions of this idiom come from sports, par from golf, scratch and mark from boxing (after being knocked down a fighter had eight seconds to make his way to a mark scratched in the center of the ring), and speed from racing. However, the allusion in the variant with snuff, which dates from the early 1800s, has been lost.

upwards of Also, upward of. More than, in excess of, as in Upwards of 30,000 spectators filled the ballpark. [c. 1600]

up yours

A vulgar exclamation of contempt, as in So you think you can beat me? Well, up yours! This expression, a shortening of the even more vulgar stick it up your ass, is sometimes accompanied

by an obscene gesture (see GIVE THE FINGER). [Vulgar slang; mid-1900s]

use

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with USE, also see HAVE NO USE FOR; MAKE

USE OF; NO USE; PUT TO GOOD USE. Also see under USED.

used

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with USED, also see IT TAKES GETTING USED

TO. Also see under USE.

used to

1. Accustomed or habituated to. This expression is often put as be or get used to, as in I'm not used to driving a manual-shift car, or She can't get used to calling him Dad. [Early 1500s] 2.

Formerly. This sense is used with a following verb to indicate a past state, as in I used to ride my bicycle to the post office, or This used to be the best restaurant in town. [Late 1800s]

use one's head

Think, have common sense, as in Use your head, Martin. No one's coming out in this weather. This idiom uses head in the sense of "brain" or "intellect," a usage dating from the late 1300s.

use up

1.Consume completely, as in The kids used up all their money playing video games. [Late 1700s]

2.Exhaust, tire out, as in I'm totally used up from digging that hole. [Colloquial; mid-1800s]

usual

hand. see AS USUAL; BUSINESS AS USUAL.

utter a word

hand. see under NOT OPEN ONE'S MOUTH.

hand. see IN VAIN; TAKE SOMEONE'S NAME IN VAIN.

valor

hand. see DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR.

value

hand. see AT FACE VALUE.

vanish

hand. see under INTO THIN AIR.

variety is the spice of life

Diversity makes life interesting, as in Jim dates a different girl every week?

variety is the spice of life, he claims. This phrase comes from William Cowper's poem, "The Task" (1785): "Variety is the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor."

variety store

A retail shop that carries a large selection of usually inexpensive merchandise, as in What this town needs is a good variety store. [Second half of 1700s]

various and sundry

Of different kinds, miscellaneous, as in Various and sundry items did not sell, so they'll probably hold another auction. This expression is a redundancy, the two adjectives meaning just about the same thing.

veil

hand. see DRAW A VEIL OVER.

velvet

hand. see under IRON HAND.

vengeance

hand. see WITH A VENGEANCE.

vent

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with VENT, also see GIVE VENT TO.

vent one's spleen

Express one's anger, as in Some people see town council meetings as a place where they can vent their spleen. This expression uses vent in the sense of "air," and spleen in the sense of "anger," alluding to the fact that this organ was once thought to be the seat of ill humor and melancholy. [First half of 1600s]

venture

hand. see NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED.

verge

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with VERGE, also see ON THE VERGE OF.

verge on

1. Approach, come close to, as in Her ability verges on genius. [Early 1800s] 2. Be on the edge or border of, as in Our property verges on conservation land. [Late 1700s]

verse

hand. see CHAPTER AND VERSE.

very

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with VERY, also see ALL VERY WELL;

WHAT'S THE (THE VERY) IDEA.

very thing, the

Exactly what is needed or wanted, as in That hat's the very thing to complete the costume. This idiom, which uses very to denote exact identity, was first recorded in 1768.

very well

1. Exceedingly healthy, as in How are you??

Very well, thank you. 2. Extremely skillfully or properly, as in He manages that sailboat very well.

3. All right, I agree to, as in Will you take her hand??

Very well, but only to cross the street. Also see ALL VERY WELL.

vested interest

A personal stake in something, as in She has a vested interest in keeping the house in her name.

This term, first recorded in 1818, uses vested in the sense of "established" or "secured."

vicious circle

A series of events in which each problem creates another and worsens the original one. For example,

The fatter I get, the unhappier I am, so I eat to cheer myself up, which makes me fatter yet?

it's a vicious circle. This expression comes from the French cercle vicieux, which in philosophy means "a circular proof"?

that is, the proof of one statement depends on a second statement, whose proof in turn depends on the first. One writer suggests that the English meaning of "vicious" helped the expression acquire its more pejorative present sense, used since 1839.

victor

hand. see TO THE VICTOR BELONG THE SPOILS.

victory

hand. see PYRRHIC VICTORY.

view

hand. see BIRD'S EYE VIEW; IN (VIEW) THE LIGHT OF; IN VIEW; ON VIEW; POINT OF VIEW; TAKE A DIM VIEW; WITH A VIEW TO.

vigor

hand. see VIM AND VIGOR.

villain of the piece, the

The person to blame for what is bad or wrong, as in I'm afraid the caterer is the villain of the piece?

the food wasn't ready for hours. The piece in this term alludes to a play in which the villain is the character whose evildoing is important to the plot. [Mid-1800s]

vim and vigor

Ebullient vitality and energy, as in He was full of vim and vigor after that swim. This redundant expression uses both vim and vigor in the sense of "energy" or "strength."

vine

hand. see CLINGING VINE; WITHER ON THE VINE.

violet

see SHRINKING VIOLET.

viper in one's bosom Also, snake in one's bosom. An ungrateful or treacherous friend, as in I got him dozens of freelance jobs, and then he told everyone I was a lousy musician?

nothing like nourishing a viper in one's bosom. This metaphoric expression, often put as nourish a viper (or snake) in one's bosom, comes from Aesop's fable about a farmer who shelters a snake dying from the cold, which then fatally bites him after it recovers. It was referred to by Chaucer and Shakespeare, and appeared in numerous proverb collections.

virtue

hand. see BY VIRTUE OF; MAKE A VIRTUE OF NECESSITY.

visit

hand. see PAY A CALL (VISIT).

voice

hand. see AT THE TOP OF ONE'S LUNGS (VOICE); GIVE VOICE TO; HAVE A SAY (VOICE) IN; RAISE ONE'S VOICE; STILL SMALL VOICE; WITH ONE VOICE.

void

hand. see NULL AND VOID.

volume

hand. see SPEAK VOLUMES.

vote down

Defeat a candidate or measure, as in The new amendment was voted down by a narrow margin.

This idiom was first recorded in 1642.

vote with one's feet

Indicate one's disapproval by walking out or emigrating, as in The service was so bad that we decided to vote with our feet, or Thousands of Hong Kong residents voted with their feet and left before the Chinese takeover. [Slang; mid-1900s]

voyage

hand. see MAIDEN VOYAGE.

W

wade in Also, wade into. Plunge into, begin or attack resolutely and energetically, as in She waded into that pile of correspondence. This idiom transfers entering water to beginning some action. [Mid-1800s]

wag

hand. see TAIL WAGGING THE DOG; TONGUES WAG.

wages of sin, the

The results or consequences of evildoing, as in She ate all of the strawberries and ended up with a terrible stomachache?

the wages of sin, no doubt. This expression comes from the New Testament, where Paul writes to the Romans (6:23): "The wages of sin is death." Today it is often used more lightly, as in the

hand. see IN THE WINGS.

wait on 1. Also, wait upon. Serve, minister to, especially for personal needs or in a store or restaurant. For example, Guests at the Inn should not expect to be waited on?

they can make their own beds and get their own breakfast. [Early 1500s] 2. Make a formal call on, as in They waited on the ambassador. [c. 1500]

3. Also, wait upon. Await, remain in readiness for, as in We're waiting on their decision to close the school. This usage, a synonym of wait for, dates from the late 1600s but in the mid-1800s began to be criticized by many authorities. However, by the late 1900s it had come into increasingly wider use and is again largely accepted.

wait on hand and foot

Do everything for someone, serve someone's every need, as in Her mother has always waited on her hand and foot. [First half of 1300s]

wait out

Delay until the end of something, as in They waited out the war in Paris. This expression comes from baseball, where it alludes to the batter refraining from swinging at pitches in the hope of being walked (getting to first base on balls). It was first recorded in 1909 and was transferred to other activities by the 1930s.

wait up

1. Postpone going to bed in anticipation of someone or something, as in My parents always wait up until I get home, no matter how late it is. [Mid-1800s] 2. Stop or pause so that another can catch up, as in Let's wait up for the stragglers, or Don't walk so fast; wait up for me. [Colloquial]

wake

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with WAKE, also see IN THE WAKE OF; TO

WAKE THE DEAD.

wake-up call

A portentous event, report, or situation that brings an issue to immediate attention. For example,

The rise in unemployment has given a wake-up call to state governments, or The success of the online subscription is a wake-up call to publishers. This metaphoric term originated in the second half of the 1900s for a telephone call arranged in advance to awaken a sleeper, especially in a hotel. Its figurative use dates from about 1990.

walk

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with WALK, also see COCK OF THE WALK;

HANDS DOWN (IN A WALK); WORSHIP THE GROUND SOMEONE WALKS ON.

walk all over Also, walk over. Treat contemptuously, be overbearing and inconsiderate to, as in

I don't know why she puts up with the way he walks all over her, or Don't let those aggressive

people in sales walk over you. This idiom transfers physically treading on someone to trampling on one's feelings. [Second half of 1800s] walk a tightrope Also, be on a tightrope. Take or be on a very precarious course, as in A university press must walk a tightrope to publish scholarly books and still make money, or The general was on a tightrope as to whether he should advance or retreat. This idiom transfers the balancing act performed by tightrope or high-wire acrobats to other concerns. [First half of 1900s]

walk away from

1. Survive an accident with little injury, as in They were lucky to walk away from that collision.

[Second half of 1900s] 2. Refuse to deal with or become involved, abandon, as in No parent finds it easy to walk away from a child in trouble. [Second half of 1900s] 3. Outdo, outrun, or defeat with little difficulty, as in The Packers are walking away from the other teams in their division.

[Slang] Also see

walk away with

hand. see WALK OFF WITH.

walking encyclopedia

A very knowledgeable person, as in Ask Rob?

he's a walking encyclopedia of military history. A similar expres

sion, a walking dictionary, was used by George Chapman in his poem ''Tears of Peace" (c. 1600).

walking papers

A dismissal, as in They're downsizing, and I got my walking papers last week. This slangy expression, first recorded in 1835, refers to a written notice of dismissal.

walk off with

1. Also, walk away with. Win easily, as in Our team walked off with the pennant, or He expected a tough opponent, but to his surprise he walked away with first place. [First half of 1800s] 2. Steal, as in Someone walked off with my suitcase. [Early 1700s]

walk of life

A trade, profession, or occupation, as in He'll do well in whatever walk of life he chooses. This expression uses walk in the sense of "line of work." [c. 1800]

walk on air

Feel elated or exuberantly joyful, as in She was walking on air after she found out she'd won the teaching award. This metaphoric term likens feeling happy to floating. [Late 1800s]

walk on eggs

Proceed very cautiously, as in I knew I was walking on eggs when I asked about the department's involvement in the lawsuit. This metaphoric idiom transfers walking on fragile eggs to discussing or

investigating a dangerous subject. [First half of 1700s]

walk out

1. Go on strike, as in The union threatened to walk out if management would not listen to its demands. [Late 1800s] 2. Leave suddenly, especially as a sign of disapproval. For example, The play was so bad we walked out after the first act. [First half of 1800s] 3. Also, walk out on. Desert, abandon, as in He walked out on his wife and five children. [Late 1800s]

walk over

WALK ALL OVER. 2. Defeat easily, as in We walked over them in that practice game but don't know how we'll do in the real thing. [Second half of 1900s]

walk tall

Show pride and self-confidence, as in The most important thing she taught us was to walk tall.

[Colloquial; mid-1900s]

walk the floor

Pace up and down, as in In former times expectant fathers walked the floor, but now they often are labor coaches, or The baby was colicky, so she walked the floor with him all night.

walk the plank

Be forced to resign, as in We were sure that Ted hadn't left of his own accord; he'd walked the plank. This metaphoric idiom alludes to a form of execution used in the 17th century, mainly by pirates, whereby a victim was forced to walk off the end of a board placed on the edge of the ship's deck and so drown. [Second half of 1800s]

walk through

1. Perform in a perfunctory fashion, as in She was just walking through her job, hoping to quit very soon. This idiom originally referred to practicing parts in a play at an early rehearsal. It was applied

GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS. 2. walk someone through. Instruct someone carefully, one step at a time, as in He was very helpful, walking me through all the steps in this complex computer program.

wall

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with WALL, also see BACK TO THE WALL;

BEAT ONE'S HEAD AGAINST THE WALL; BETWEEN YOU AND ME AND THE LAMPPOST (FOUR WALLS); CLIMB THE WALLS; DRIVE SOMEONE CRAZY (UP THE WALL); FLY ON THE WALL; GO TO THE WALL; HANDWRITING ON THE WALL; HOLE IN THE WALL; OFF THE WALL; RUN INTO A STONE WALL.

wallop