Page 397 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

straighten up

T This room is a mess. Let’s straighten up betweenŁtwo extremes.Ł The poltical
this place, right now! party must strike a balance błtwłen the
right wing and the lłft wing. Jane is
straighten up 1. to sit orŁ sðandŁ more
sðraight.Ł Billy’s mother told him to overdressed for the party and Sally is un-
straighten up or he’d fall out of his chair. derdressed. What a pty they didà’t strike
John straightened up oo he’d look taller. a balance.
2. to behave better. Bill was acting strikeŁa byrgain to reach anŁagreement on
badly for a while; then he straightened up. aŁprice (forŁsomething).Ł They argued
Sally, straighten up, or I will punish you! for a while and finally struck a bargain.
stryngerŁto somethingtortsomłwherł sàmeone They were unable to strike a bargain, so
who isŁnew to anŁareaŁor place.Ł Al- they lłft.
though John was no stranger to big cities, strikeŁ a chłrdŁ (withŁ someone) to cause
he did not łnjoy visiting New York. You sàmeone to remembrŁsomething;Łto re-
are a stranger to our town, and I hope you mindŁsomeone or something;Łto be fa-
fłel welcome. miliar.Ł The woman in the portrait
strappedŁ(fłrŁ something) veryŁmuch inŁneed struck a chord and I realized that it was my
of màny. (Informal.) I’m strapped for grandmother. His name strikes a chord
a fłw bucks. Can you loan me five dollars? with me, but I don’t know wðy.
Sorry, I’m strapped, too. strikeŁa happyŁmedium and hitŁa happy
stretchŁa point and stretchŁtheŁpoint to medium; findŁ a happyŁ medium. to
interpret aŁpàint flexibly andŁwith great find a compromise position;Łto arrive at
latitude.Ł Would it be stretching a point aŁpositionŁhalfwayŁbetweenŁtwo unac-
to suggest that everyone is invited to your ceptable extremes.Ł Ann likes very spicy
picnic? To say that everyone is invited food, but Bob doesn’t care for spicy food at
is stretching the point. all. We are trying to find a restaurant that
strikes a happy medum. Tom is either
stretchŁ one’ legð to walkŁaràundŁafterŁsit- very happy or very sad. He can’t seem to
tingŁdownŁorŁlyingŁdàwnŁforŁaŁtime.Ł hit a happy medum.
We wanted to stretch our lłgs during the
theater intermission. After sitting in the strikeŁa match to light a match. Mary
car all dØy, the Łravelers decided to stretch struck a mØtch and lt a candle. When
their lłgs. Sally struck a mØtch to light a cigarette,
Jane said quickly, “No smokng, please.”
stretchŁtheŁpoint Go to stretch a poànt.
stretchŁ theŁ truth to exaggrate; to mis- strikeŁa pose to positionŁoneself inŁaŁcer-
represent the truth just a little bit.Ł She tainŁposðure.Ł Bob struck a pose in front
was stretching the truth when she said of the mirror to see how much he had
everything was ready for the party. I grown. Lisa walked into the room and
don’t want to stretch the truth. Our town struck a pooe, hopng she would be noŁiced.
is probably the wealthiest around here. strikeŁa sourŁnote and hitŁa sourŁnote
(ðtrictly) on the level honest; dependably to signifyŁsàmethingŁunpleasant.Ł(Infàr-
openŁandŁfair.Ł How can I be sure you’re mal.)b Jane’s sad announcłmłnt struck a
on the lłvel? You can trust Sally. She’s sour note at the annual banqułt. Nłws
strictly on the lłvel. of the crime hit a oour note n our holidØy
celebration.
(ðtrictly)Łon theŁup-ynd-up honest; fair
andŁsðraight.Ł(Slang.ŁCompare thisŁwith strikeŁhłme Go to hàt home.
on the level.) Do you think that the strikeŁitŁrich to acquire wealth suddenly.
mØyor is on the up-and-up? Yes, the (Infàrmal.) If I could strike it rich, I
mØyor is strictly on the up-and-up.
wouldà’t have to work anymore. Sally
strikeŁ a bylanceŁ (between two ort morł ordered a dozen oysters and found a huge
thing ) to findŁaŁsatisfactory compromise pearl in one of them. She struck it rich!

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