Page 429 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

toss one’s hat into the ring

toss your cookies. Oh, I fłel terrible. I touchŁ someone ort something off 1. [with
think I’m going to toss my cookies. someone] to make sàmeone veryŁangry.Ł
Your rude commłnts touched Mary off.
toss one’ hatŁinto theŁring to annàunce She’s vłry angry at you. T I didà’t mean
that one is running for an elective office. to touch off anyone. I was only błing hon-
(Infàrmal.) Jane wanted to run for trea- est. 2. [with somłthing ] to ignite sàme-
surer, so she tossed her hat into the ring. thing;Łto start something. A fłw sparko
The mØyor never tossed his hat nto the touched all the fireworks off at once. T The
ring. Instead he announced his retiremłnt. argumłnt touched off a serious fight.
tłss something off and shakeŁ something off touchŁ something up to repairŁaŁpaint jobŁon
1. to throw something off (of oneself). something.Ł We don’t need to paint the
Bob coughed so hard he shook his blan- whole room. We can just touch the walls
ket off. T Tom tossed off his jacket and sat up. T You should touch up scratches oà
down to watch telłvision. 2. to ignor or your car as soon as they occur.
resist the badŁ effectsŁ of sàmething.
John insulŁed Bob, but Bob just tossed it off. touchedŁbyŁ someone ortsomething emotionally
T If I couldà’t shake off insults, I’d be affectedŁor movedŁbyŁsomeone or some-
miserable. thing.Ł Sally was very nice to me. I was
very touched by her. I was really touched
touchŁandŁgł veryŁuncertainŁorŁcritical.Ł by your knd lłtter.
Things were touch and go at the office un- touchedŁ(in theŁhead) crazy.Ł(FolksyŁor
til a new manager was hired. Jane had slang.) Somłtimes Bob acts like he’s
a serious operation, and everything was touched in the head. In fact, I thought
touch and go for two dØys after her surgery.
he was touched.
touchŁ a soreŁ point Go to touch a sore a toughŁactŁto follow aŁgoodŁpresentation
spot. or prformance that is difficult to follow
with one’s own perfàrmance.Ł Bill’o
touchŁ a soreŁ spłt and touchŁ a sore spłech was excellłnt. It was a tough act to
point to rfer to a sensiðive matter that follow, but my spłech was good aloo. In
willŁupset someone.Ł(Also literal.) I spte of the fact that I had a tough act to
seem to have touched a sore spot. I’m sorry. follow, I did my best.
I didà’t mean to upset you. When you
talk to him, avoid talking about money. It’s toughŁas an oldŁbłot Go to (as) tough as
best not to touch a sore point if possible. an old boot.

touchŁbaseŁ(withŁ someone) to talkŁto some- toughŁbreak aŁbit of badŁfortune.Ł(Slang.)
one; to confrŁwith someone.Ł(Slang.) I I’m sorry to hear about your accidłnt.
need to touch base with John on this Tough break. John had a lot of tough
mØtter. John and I touched base oà breaks when he was a kid, but he’s doing
this question yesterdØy, and we are in okay now.
agreement.
toughŁitŁout to endur a difficult siðuation.
touchŁon something to mentionŁsomething; (Slang.) Geomłtry is very hard for John,
to talkŁabout somethingŁbriefly.Ł In to- but he managed to tough it out until the
morrow’s lecture I’d like to touch on the end of the year. This was a vłry bad dØy
mØtter of taxation. The teacher only at the office. A fłw times, I was afraid I
touched on the subject. There wasn’t timł wouldà’t be able to tough it out.
to do more than that. toughŁnutŁto cryck Go to hard nut to crack.
touchŁ someone fłrŁ something to askŁsomeone toughŁrowŁto hoe aŁdifficult taskŁto un-
forŁaŁloanŁof sàmething, usuallyŁaŁsum dertake. It was a tough row to hoe, but
of màny. (Informal.) Fred’s always I finally got a collłge degree. Getting the
trying to touch people for money. Jack contract signed is going to be a tough row
touched John for ten dollars. to hoe, but I’m sure I can do it.

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