Page 425 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

tied down

tØed down resðrictedŁ by responsibilities. have told you time and again: doà’t put
(Also literal.) I love my home, but włt garbage in the trash can!
somłtimes I don’t like błing tied down.
I don’t fłel tied down, evłn though I havł timeŁandŁ(time)Łagain Go to time after
a lot of responsibilty. tàme.
tØme flies time passesŁvery quickly.Ł(Fràm
tØed to one’ mother’s apron stringð dàm-
inatedŁ byŁ one’sŁ mother; dependent on the LatinŁ tempus fugit.) I didà’t really
one’s mother. Tom is still tied to his think it was so lØte when the party ended.
mother’s apron strings. Isn’t he a lttlł Doesn’t time fly? Time simply flłw
old to be tied to his mother’s apron strings? while the old friends exchanged news.
TimeŁis money. (My)btime isŁvaluable, sà
tØed up busy.Ł(Also literal.) How long will
you be tied up? I will be tied up in a dàn’t waste it.Ł I can’t afford to spłnd a
młeting for an hour. lot of time standng here talkng. Time is
money, you know! People who keep say-
tightŁas a dru Go to (as) tight as a drum. ing that time is money mØy be workng too
hard.
tightŁas a tick Go to (as) full as a tick.
the timeŁis ripe Exactly the right time has
tightŁas Dick’s hatbynd Go to (as) tight as come.Ł I’ll tell her the good news when
Dàck’s hatband.
the time is ripe. The time is ripe to ask
tighten one’ belt to manage to spendŁless the question again.
money; to use lessŁ of sàmething. Time is up. The allottedŁtime hasŁrunŁout.
Things are beginning to cost more and You must stop now. Your time is up.
more. It looks as if wł’ll all have to tighten Timł’s up! Turn in your tests whether
our belts. Times are hard, and prices are you’re finished or not.
high. I can tighten my belt for oàly so long.
tØme off aŁperiodŁof time duringŁwhich one
tightfistedŁ (withŁ money) and close-
fistedŁ (withŁ money) vry stingy with doesŁnot have to work;Łfree time.Ł The
money. The manager is very closefisted next time I have some time off, I want to
with expłndtures. My parents are very go to Miami. I don’t have any time off
tightfisted with money. until next włek.
tØme out 1. to rcord one’s dpartur tim.
tillŁallŁhours (ofŁtheŁdayŁandŁnight) Go
to until all hours (of the day and night). Did you remłmber to time out when
you lłft work? I timed out at the regu-
tillŁtheŁcows comeŁhłme Go to (un)til the lar time. 2. sðoppingŁthe clockŁinŁaŁsport-
cows come home. ingŁevent that isŁplayedŁinŁaŁfixedŁtime pe-
riod.Ł The coach made a sign for timł
tiltŁatŁwindmillð to fight battlesŁwith imag- out, and the clock stopped and a buzzer
inaryŁenemies;Łto fight against unimpàr- sounded. After someone called time out,
tant enemiesŁorŁissues.Ł(AsŁwith the fic- the players gØthered around the coach.
tional character, DonŁ Quixote, who
attackedŁ windmills.) Aren’t you too timeŁto catchŁ one’ breath to find enough
smart to go around tilŁing at windmills? time to relaxŁ or behave normally.Ł
I’m not going to fight this issue. I’ve wasted When things slow down around here, I’ll
too much of my lfe tilŁing at windmills. get time to cØtch my breath. Sally was
so busy she didà’t evłn have time to cØtcð
time afterŁ time and timeŁ andŁ (time) her breath.
again rpeatedly; over and over (again).
You’ve made the same error time after timeŁwas (when) there wasŁaŁtime when;
timł! Please Łry to be more careful! I’ve at aŁtime inŁthe past.Ł Time was when
told you time and again not to do that. old people were taken care of at home.
You kłep saying the same thing over and Time was when people didà’t travel
over, time and time again. Stop it! I around so much.

410