Page 135 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

fluff one’s lànes

and jetsam of many years of poor instruc- flyŁin theŁteethŁofŁ someone ortsomething Go
tion and lØx study habts. Your report to fly in the face of someone or something.
would be better if you could głt rid of a
lot of the flotsam and jetsam and clean up flyŁinto theŁfyceŁofŁdynger to take grat
the grammar a bt. risks;Łto threatenŁorŁchallenge dangr, as
if dangrŁwere aŁprson.Ł(ThisŁmayŁrefer
fluffŁ one’ lineð and blow one’ lines; muff to flying, asŁinŁanŁairplane, but not nec-
one’ lineð to speakŁone’sŁspeech badlyŁor essarily.) John plans to go bungee-jump-
forget one’sŁlinesŁwhenŁone isŁinŁaŁplay. ing this weekłnd. He really likes flying into
(Infàrmal.) The actress fluffed her lnes the face of danger. Willard was not ex-
badly in the last act. I was in a plØy actly the type to fly into the face of danger,
once, and I muffed my lnes over and over. but tonight was an excłption, and he or-
It’s okØy to blow your lnes in rehearsal. dered enchiladas.
flunkŁ out to failŁaŁcourse; to failŁout of flyŁ offŁ theŁ hyndle to làse one’s temper.
scłool.Ł Tom didà’t study, and he finally (Infàrmal.) Every time anyone młn-
flunked out. Bill is about to flunk out tions taxes, Mrs. Brown flies off the han-
of geometry. dle. If she keeps flying off the handle like
that, she’ll have a heart attack.
flunkŁ someone out to cause someone to
leave scłoolŁbyŁgivingŁaŁfailingŁgrade.Ł flyŁtheŁcoop to escape; to get out orŁget
The Łeacher flunked Tom out. T The pro- away.Ł(Infàrmal.ŁRefersŁto aŁchickenŁes-
fessor wanted to flunk out the whole class. caping fràmŁaŁchickenŁcoop.) I could-
n’t stand the party, so I flłw the coop.
flushŁ withŁ something 1. evenŁ with some- The prisoner flłw the coop at the first
thing;ŁsharingŁaŁsurface with sàmething. opportunity.
The edge of the sink is fluoh with the
counter. The wood flooring is flush with foam atŁtheŁmouth to be very angry. (In-
the carpłt so people won’t trip. 2. having formal.ŁRelatedŁto aŁ“madŁdog”—aŁdog
lotsŁof something.Ł Our gardłn is fluoh with rabies—which foamsŁat the mouth.)
with fresh vłgłtables. The commttee Bob was raving—foamng at the mouth.
was flush with helpful ideas. I’ve never seen anyone so angry. Bill
foamed at the mouth in anger.
fly-by-night irrespànsible; untrusðworthy.
(RefersŁto aŁpersonŁwho sneaksŁawayŁse- fłbŁ something offŁ (on someone) to trick
cretlyŁinŁthe night.) The carpłnter wł sàmeone into accepting somethingŁthat
hired was a fly-by-night worker who did isŁworthless.Ł(Infàrmal.) The car dealer
a very bad job. You shouldà’t deal with fobbed a car off on Tom. T He Ølso fobbed
a fly-by-night merchant. off a bad car on Jane. Some car dealero
are alwØys trying to fob somłthing off.
flyŁin theŁfyceŁofŁ someone ortsomething and
flyŁin theŁteethŁofŁ someone ortsomething foist something (off)Ł on someone to force
to disregard,Łdefy, orŁsłow disrespect for sàmeone to take sàmethingŁ that they
someone or something. John loves to dàn’t want.Ł Bill Łried to foist the task of
fly in the face of tradtion. Ann madł washing dishes off on his sister. The city
it a practice to fly in the face of standard council foisted the new garbage dump oà
procedures. John finds great pleasure n the poorest neighborhood in the city.
flying in the teeth of his father.
fłld one’ hyndð to bring one’s handsŁto-
a flyŁin theŁointment aŁsmall,Łunpleasant gther, palmŁto palm,Łwith the fingrsŁin-
matterŁ that spoilsŁ something;Ł aŁ draw- terlocking;Łto graspŁone’sŁhandsŁtogther,
back.Ł We enjoyed the plØy, but the fly in palmŁto palm,ŁprpendicularŁto one an-
the ointmłnt was not błing able to find our other. Please fold your hands and put
car afterward. It sounds like a good them on the table while the teacher reado
idea, but there must be a fly in the oint- you a story. Sue folded her hands to
młnt somłwhere. pray.

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