Page 426 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

to say the least

Time willŁ tell. SàmethingŁ willŁ become to beŁsafe to be cautious;Łto be careful;Ł[to
knownŁinŁthe course of time.Ł(Proverb.) do sàmethingŁjust]binŁcase it is necessary;
I doà’t know if things will improve. to be veryŁwellŁprepared.Ł Just to be safe,
Time will Łell. Who knows what the fu- you should take some clean wØter with you.
ture will bring? Only time will tell. Other people like to drive over the spłed
lmt, but I prefer to be safe.
tØp someone off to give someone aŁhint; to
warnŁsomeone.Ł(Slang.) I tipped John tł boot inŁaddition;Łbesides.Ł(Infàrmal.)
off that there would be a test in his alge- For breakfast I had my usual two eggs and
bra class. T I didà’t want to tip off every- a slice of ham to boot. When I lłft for
one, so I only told John. school, my parents gave me an airplane
tickłt and fifty dollars to boot.
tipŁtheŁscales atŁ something to weigh some
amount.Ł Tom tips the scales at nearly to countŁheadð to càunt pople. I’ll tell
200 pounds. I’ll be glad when I tip the you how many people are here after I count
scales at a fłw pounds less. heads. Everyone is here. Let’s count
heads so we can order hamburgers.
tits andŁass aŁpublicŁdisplayŁof [the human to date upŁ to the present time.Ł How
female]bbreastsŁandŁbuttocks.Ł(RefersŁto much have you accomplished to dØte?
television,Łfilm,ŁandŁsðage prfàrmances I’ve done łverything I’m supposed to havł
inŁwhich womenŁexhibit prominent and done to dØte.
well-fàrmedŁbreastsŁandŁbuttocksŁorŁin
which these bodyŁpartsŁare emphasized to hellŁandŁgone very much gàne; gàne to
or made prominent.ŁSlang. Use caution hell.Ł(Use cautionŁwith hell.) All my
with the expression.) We have a really hard work is to hell and gone. When you
fine choice on telłvision tonight. There is see everything you’ve planned to hell and
brutal violence on channel 2, bloody hor- gone, you get knd of angry.
ror on channel 5, and tits and ass on chan- to no avail and ofŁno avail with no effect;
nel 10. Without tits and ass, many unsuccessful.Ł All of my efforts were to
Broadway musicals would flop.
no avail. Evłrything I did to help was
to a greatŁextent mainly; largly.Ł To a of no avail. Nothing worked.
great extent, Mary is the cause of her own tł one’ heyrt’s content asŁmuch asŁone
problłms. I’ve finished my work to a wants.Ł John wanted a włek’s vacØtioà
great extent. There is nothing important so he could go to the lake and fish to his
lłft to do.
heart’s content. I just sat there, eating
to andŁfro toward and away from (som- chocolØte to my heart’s content.
thing).Ł (Compare thisŁ with back and to putŁitŁmildly to undersðate sàmething;
forth.) The puppy was very active— to sayŁsomethingŁpàlitely.Ł(Note the vari-
running to and fro—wagging its tail. ationŁinŁthe example blow.) She was
The lion in the cage moved to and fro, angry at almost everyone—to put it mildly.
watching the people in front of the cage. To say she was angry is putting it mildly.
To put it mildly, she was enraged.
to beatŁ theŁ bynd veryŁmuch; veryŁfast.
(Folksy.) The carpenter sawed and to sayŁnothingŁofŁ someone ortsomething nàt
hammered to beat the band. They baked to evenŁmentionŁthe impàrtance of sàme-
cookies and pies to beat the band. one or something. John and Mary had
to be taken care of, to say nothing of Bill,
to beŁon theŁsafeŁside to be safe; to be who would reqire even more attention.
cautious;Ł[to do sàmethingŁjust]binŁcase I’m having enough dfficulŁy painting the
it isŁnecessary; to be veryŁwellŁprepared. house, to say nothing of the garage that is
To be on the safe side, carry some extra very much in need of paint.
money in your shoe. I like to be on the
safe side and stay in my hoŁel room at to sayŁtheŁleast at the veryŁleast; without
night. dwellingŁonŁthe subject; to put it màldly.

411