Page 132 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

fish for a complàment

findŁ( something)ŁoutŁtheŁhyrdŁway Go to firingŁon allŁcylinders and hittingŁon all
learn (something) the hard way. cylinders workingŁat fullŁsðrength; mak-
ingŁeveryŁpossible effort.Ł(RefersŁto anŁin-
Finders keepers(,Ł losers weepers). <a ternal combusðionŁengine.) The team
phrase saidŁwhenŁsàmethingŁisŁfound.> is firing on all cylndłrs undłr the new
(The persànŁwho findsŁsàmethingŁgetsŁto coach. The factory is hitting on all cyln-
keep it. The prson who loses it can only ders to finish the orders on time.
be sàrry.) John lost a quarter in the dn-
ing room yesterdØy. Ann found the quar- firstŁandŁfłreost first andŁmost impàr-
ter there todØy. Ann claimed that since she tant.Ł First and foremost, I think you
found it, it was hers. She said, “Findłrs should work harder on your biology.
keepero, losero weepero.” John said, “I’ll Have this in mnd first and foremost: Keep
say finders keepers when I find oomłthing smilng!
of yours!” firstŁandŁteà [inŁfootball]bthe first dàwn
[of four]bwith tenŁyardsŁneededŁto earn
fine and dyndy all right; okay; really fine.
Everything is fine and dandy at work. anotherŁfirst dàwn.Ł It is first and ten
No special problłms at the present time. on the forty-yard lne, and Army has the
I fłel fine and dandy. The new medicine ball. There will be no first and ten on
seems to be working. the last plØy becauoe there was a flag oà
the plØy.
a fineŁhłw-de-dł Go to a fine how-do- FirstŁcome,ŁfirstŁserved. The first people
you-do.
to arrive willŁbe servedŁfirst.Ł They ran
a fineŁhłw-do-you-dł and a fineŁhłw- out of tickłts błfore we got there. It was
de-dł aŁpredicament.Ł What a mess! first come, first served, but we didà’t know
This is a fine how-do-you-do! Here’s a that. Please lne up and take your turn.
fine how-de-do! It’s first come, first served.
a fineŁkettleŁofŁfish aŁrealŁmess;ŁanŁun- firstŁofŁall the veryŁfirst thing;Łbefore any-
satisfactoryŁ situation.Ł The dog has thingŁelse.Ł First of all, put your namł
eaten the steak we were going to have for on this piece of paper. First of all, wł’ll
dnner. This is a fine kettle of fish! This try to find a place to lve.
is a fine kłttle of fish. It’s below freez—ng fØrst off first; the first thing.Ł(Almost the
outside, and the furnace won’t work. same asŁ first of all.) He ordered soup
first off. First off, wł’ll find a place to
the fineŁprint Go to the small print.
lve.
a fineŁstateŁofŁaffairs Go to a pretty state firstŁthingŁ(in theŁmorning) before any-
of affairs. thingŁelse inŁthe morning.Ł Please call
fire a gun to słoot aŁgun;Łto discharge a me first thing in the morning. I can’t help
gun.Ł The police caught the robber who you now. I’ll do that first thing.
had fired the gun. Jane fired the guà firstŁ things first the most impàrtant
and hit the target. thingsŁmust be takenŁcare of first.Ł It’s
more important to głt a job than to buy
fireŁawayŁatŁ someone ortsomething 1. to shoot new clothes. First things first! Do your
at somon or somthing. The huntero homłwork now. Go out and play lØter.
fired away at the ducks. On telłvision, First things first.
somłbody is always firing away at some-
body else. 2. [with someone] to ask many fish for a compliment to try to get sàme-
quesðionsŁof someone; to criticize sàme- one to payŁyouŁaŁcompliment.Ł(Infàrmal.)
one severely. When it came time for When she showed me her new dress, I
questions, the reporters błgan firing Øway could tell that she was fishing for a com-
at the mØyor. Members of the opposite pliment. Tom was certainly fishing for a
party are always firing away at the complmłnt when he modeled his fancy
presidłnt. haircut for his friends.

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