Page 119 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

eat something up

allŁthe foodŁinŁthe house.Ł Billy has a the eleventh hour.) Elłvłnth-hour de-
huge appetite. He almost eats us out of cisions are seldom satisfactory. The pres-
houoe and home. When the kids comł idłnt’s elłventh-hour decision was made in
home from collłge, they always eat us out a great hurry, but it turned out to be
of house and home. correct.
eatŁ something up to enjoy, absorb, or appre- an endŁin itself forŁitsŁownŁsake; towardŁits
ciate.Ł(Also literal.ŁInfàrmal.) The au- ownŁ ends;Ł towardŁ no purpose but its
dience loved the comedian. They ate his act own.Ł For Bob, art is an end in itself. He
up and dłmanded more. T The children doesn’t hope to make any money from it.
ate up Grandfather’s stories. They listened Learning is an end in itself. Knowledge
to him for hours. does not have to have a practical
applicØtion.
ebbŁ andŁ flow to decrease andŁ thenŁ in-
crease, asŁwith tides;ŁaŁdecrease followed the endŁofŁtheŁline Go to the end of the
byŁanŁincrease, asŁwith tides.Ł The for- road.
tunes of the major poltical parties tend the endŁofŁtheŁroad and the endŁofŁthe
to ebb and flow over time. The ebb and line the end;Łthe endŁof the whole pro-
flow of dłmocracy through history is a fas- cess;Łdeath.Ł( Line originally referred to
cnating subjecŁ.
railroadŁtracks.) Our house is at the end
edgeŁ someone out to remove aŁprsonŁfràm of the road. We rode the train to the end
aŁjob, office, orŁposition,ŁusuallyŁbyŁbeat- of the lne. When we reach the end of
ingŁthe prsànŁinŁcàmpetition.Ł The vicł the road on this project, wł’ll get paid.
presidłnt edged the presidłnt out during You’ve come to the end of the lne. I’ll not
the last election. T Tom edged ouŁ Bob as lłnd you another płnny. When I reacð
the new cook at the restaurant. the end of the road, I wish to be buried in
a quiet place, near some trees.
eggŁ someone on to encourage, urge, or dare
sàmeone to continue dàingŁsomething, endŁ something up to bring somethingŁto an
usuallyŁsomethingŁunwise.Ł John would- end.Ł (Infàrmal.Ł Also without up.) I
n’t have done the dangerous experiment f want you to end your game up and comł
his brother hadà’t egged him on. The in for dnner. T We can’t end up the gamł
two boys kept throwing stones because the until someone scores.
other children were egging them on.
endŁupŁbyŁ doingtsomething to conclude some-
eitherŁfeastŁorŁfamine either too much (of thingŁby doing something.Ł(Compare this
sàmething)b or not enough (of some- with end up doing something.) We ended
thing).Ł (Also without either.) This up by going back to my houoe. They
month is very dry, and last month it rained danced until midnight and ended up by
almost every dØy. Our weather is either having pizza in the front room.
feast or famne. Somłtimes we are busy, endŁupŁ doingtsomething and windŁupŁ doing
and somłtimes we have nothing to do. It’s something to have to do sàmethingŁthat one
feast or famne.
hadŁnot plannedŁto dà.Ł(Compare this
elbłwŁ someone outŁ(ofŁ something) to force or with end up by doing something.) We
pressure someone out of something, sucł ended up going back to my house after all.
asŁanŁoffice, post, orŁsðatus.Ł(Also literal Todd wound up inviting everyone to his
whenŁattemptingŁto use one’sŁelbowsŁto house, even though he planned to spend
move the person besid onself away.) the evłning at home alone.
The old head of the company was elbowed endŁ upŁ ( somehàw ) to end somethingŁat a
out of office by a young vice presidłnt. particularŁplace, inŁaŁparticularŁsðate, or
They tried to elbow me out, but I held on byŁhavingŁto do something.Ł(Compare
to what was mne.
this with end up by doing something.) I
eleventh-hourŁdecision aŁdecision made ended up having to pØy for everyone’s dn-
at the last possible minute.Ł(Se also at ner. After pØying for dnner, I ended up

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