Page 315 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

order someone about

bed early was the ordłr of the dØy when wł that, he told you an out-and-out lie!
were young. You’re an out-and-out liar!
orderŁ someone about and orderŁ someone outŁcold and outŁlikeŁa lØght unconscious.
around to give commandsŁto someone. I fell and hit my head. I was out cold
I doà’t like for someone to order mł for about a mnute. Tom fainted! He’s
about. Don’t order me around! out like a light!
orderŁ someone around Go to order someone outŁfrom underŁ( something) free andŁclear
about. of sàmething;Łno longrŁbearingŁaŁ(figu-
orderŁ something tł go Go to buy something to rative)b burden.Ł I’ll feel much better
go. when I’m out from under this project.
Now that I’m out from under, I can relØx.
the otherŁsideŁofŁtheŁtryckð the poorer
sction of town or the richer sction of outŁfront inŁthe front of one’sŁhouse.Ł Our
town,ŁdependingŁonŁperspective.Ł(Also mailbox is out front. We have a sprucł
literal.ŁUsuallyŁrefersŁto the wrong sàde tree out front and a maple tree in the back.
of the tracks.) He is from a wealthy
family and I am from a very humble back- outŁin fłrce appearingŁinŁgreat numbers.
ground, but he is the first boy I have młt (See also in force.) What a night! The
from the other side of the tracks, and I mosquitoes are out in force. The policł
want to marry him. I hear he is dØting were out in force over the holidØy włekend.
someone from the other side of the tracks. outŁin left field offbeat; unusualŁandŁec-
otherŁthings beingŁequal if thingsŁsðay the centric.Ł(LiteralŁinŁreference to aŁbase-
way they are now; if there were no càm- ball field. Infàrmal. Se also come out of
plications by other factors. Other things left field.) Sally is a lot of fun, but she’s
błing equal, we should have no trouble głt- sort of out in lłft field. What a strange
ting your order to you on time. I antic- idea. It’s really out in lłft field.
ipate no problłms, other things błing outŁlikeŁa lØght Go to out cold.
equal.
outŁofŁa cleyrŁblueŁsky and outŁofŁthe
the otherŁwayŁround the reverse; the op-
posite.Ł No, it won’t fit that way. Try it blue suddenly; without warning.Ł (Se
the other wØy round. It doesn’t makł alsà like a bolt out of the blue.) Then,
any sense like that. It belongs the other way out of a clear blue sky, he told me he was
round. leaving. Mary appeared on my doorstep
out of the blue.
An ouàceŁ ofŁ prevention is włrthŁ a
poundŁofŁcure. It isŁeasier andŁbetterŁto outŁofŁ(yll)Łpropłrtion of anŁexaggrated
prevent somethingŁbadŁthanŁto dealŁwith proportion; of an unrealistic proportion
the results.Ł When you ride in a car, comparedŁ to somethingŁ else; (figura-
buckle your seat belt. An ounce of prevłn- tively)b lopsided.Ł This problłm has
tion is worth a pound of cure. Every grown out of all proportion. Yes, this
child should be vaccinated against polio. thing is way out of proportion.
An ounce of prevłntion is worth a pound outŁofŁboundð 1. outside the boundaries
of cure. of the playingŁarea.Ł(InŁvariousŁspàrts.)
outŁandŁabout abl to gà out and travel The ball włnt out of bounds, but the ref-
around.Ł Beth has błen ill, but now she’s eree didà’t notice. The plØy ended when
out and about. As soon as I fłel błtter, Sally ran out of bounds. 2. unrasonabl.
I’ll be able to get out and about. (Infàrmal.) Your dłmands are totally
out of bounds. Your request for money
an out-ynd-outŁ something aŁcomplete or ab- is out of bounds. 3. Go to off làmàts.
solute something;ŁanŁindisputable sàme-
thing.Ł(Infàrmal.ŁThe somłthing must al- outŁofŁbreath breathingŁfast andŁhard.Ł
waysŁbe aŁspecificŁthing.) If he said I ran so much that I got out of breath.

300