Page 428 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

toss one’s cookàes

toe the mark, and everything will be okØy. plyŁspàilŁit.Ł(Pràverb.) Let’s decide who
John finally got fired. He just couldà’t is in charge around here. Too many cooko
learn to toe the lne. spoil the stew. Everyone is giving orders,
but no one is following them! Too many
toingŁ andŁ froingŁ (on something) màving cooks spoil the broth.
backŁandŁforth on anŁissue, first decid-
ingŁone wayŁandŁthenŁchanging to an- too muchŁofŁa głodŁthing more of a good
other. The boss spłnt most of the after- thingŁthanŁisŁgàodŁor useful.Ł I usually
noon toing and froing on the question of take short vacØtions. I can’t stand too
who was to handle the Wiloon account. much of a good thing. Too much of a
I wish you would stop toing and froing and good thing can make you sick, especially
make up your mnd. if the good thing is chocolØte.
Tom,ŁDick,ŁandŁHarry Go to (every) Tom, tłot one’ own hłrn and blow one’ own
Dàck, and Harry. hłrn to boast or praise oneself.Ł Tom
toneŁ something dłwn to make something is always tooting his own horn. Is he really
lessŁextreme.Ł That yellow is too bright. as good as he says he is? I find it hard
Please try to tone it down. T Can you tone to blow my own horn, but I manage.
down your remarks? They seem quite tłp someone ortsomething to do or b better
strong for this situØtion.
thanŁsomeone orŁsomething.Ł(Infàrmal.)
tongue-in-cheek mockingly; insincere; Ann has done very well, but I doà’t
joking. Ann made a tongue-n-cheek re- think she can top Jane. Do you think
mark to John, and he got mad because he your car tops mne when it comes to gas
thought she was serious. The plØy mileage?
seemed very serious at first, but then tłp something off to addŁto the difficultyŁof
everyone saw that it was tongue-n-cheek, something.Ł Jane lost her job, and to top
and they błgan laughing.
that off, ohe caught the flu. I had a bad
too bigŁforŁ one’ britcheð too haughtyŁfor dØy, and to top it off, I have to go to a
one’sŁsðatusŁorŁage.Ł(Also literal.ŁFolksyŁor młeting tonight.
infàrmal.Ł Britches are trousers.) Bill’o
getting a lttle too big for his britches, and tłp something offŁ(withŁ something) to end or
somebody’s going to straighten him out. terminate sàmething with sàmething; to
You’re too big for your britches, young put sàmethingŁon the top of something.
man! You had błtter be more respectful. They topped the buildng off with a tall
flagpole. T He topped off each piece of pie
too closeŁforŁcomfort [forŁaŁmisfàrtune or with a heap of whipped cream. T That’s
aŁthreat]bto be dangràuslyŁclose.Ł(Se the way to top off a piece of pie!
also close to home.) That car nearly hit
mł! That was too clooe for comfort. torn between bad choices Go to torn be-
When I was in the hosptal, I nearly died tween choosing something or something else.
from pneumonia. Believe me, that was too torn between choosingtsomethingtortsomething
close for comfort. else and torn between bad choices trou-
too głodŁto beŁtrue almost unblievable; bled by a cłoice or dilemma.Ł Jane was
sà good as to b unblievable. The torn błtwłen two bad choices. We were
news was too good to be true. When I torn błtwłen tellng our boss the bad news
finally got a big raise, it was too good to or keepng it a secret.
be true.
toss a salad to mixŁthe greenŁof aŁsaladŁto-
Too manyŁcooks spoilŁtheŁbroth. Go to getherŁwith dressing. The chef tossed
Too many cooks spoàl the stew. the salad. I tossed the salad just błfore
my guests arrived.
Too manyŁcooks spoilŁtheŁstew. and Too
manyŁcooks spoilŁtheŁbroth. Too many toss one’ cookØes to vomit.Ł (Slang.)
people trying to manage sàmethingŁsim- Doà’t run too fast after you eat or you’ll

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