Page 433 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

turn someone off

turn someone off to discourage or disgust perfect! Her successes had turned her
sàmeone.Ł (Infàrmal.) His manner head. She was now quite arrogant.
really turns me off. T That man has a wØy turn someone’ stomach to disgust some-
of turning off everyone he comes in con- one.Ł(RefersŁto anŁattackŁof nausea.)
tact with.
Your rude remarks simply turn my stom-
turn someone on to excite someone; to ex- ach. The plØy was so bad that it turned
cite someone sexually. (Infàrmal.ŁOften my stomach.
ambiguàus.) Sally said she preferred noŁ turn something to głodŁ account to use
to wØtch movies that attempted to turn somethingŁinŁsuch aŁwayŁthat it isŁto one’s
people on. T The lecture was very good. advantage; to make goodŁuse of aŁsitua-
It turned on the whole class. tion,Łexprience, etc.Ł Pam turned her
illness to good account and did a lot of
turn someone ort something dłwn 1. [with
someone] to refuse orŁdenyŁsàmeone.Ł readng. Many people turn their retire-
I applied for a job with the city, but they młnt time to good account and take up in-
turned me down. T They turned down teresting hobbies.
Mary who aloo applied. 2. to dny som- turn something tł one’ advantage to make
one’sŁrequest.Ł I offered her some help, anŁadvantage forŁoneself out of sàme-
but she turned it down. T She had turned thingŁ(which might otherwise be aŁdis-
down John’s offer of help, too. 3. [with advantage).Ł Sally found a way to turn
somłthing ] to foldŁ part of sàmething the problłm to her advantage. The icł
dàwnward.Ł The hotel maid turned the cream store manager was able to turn the
bed down while I was at dnner. T In the hot weather to her advantage.
mail-order cØtalog, I always turn down a
page that interests me. 4. [with some- turn theŁclockŁbyck to try to return to the
thing] to lower the volume or amount of past.Ł(Also literal.) You are not facing
sàmething, such asŁheat, sàund,Łwater, air up to the future. You are trying to turn the
pressure, etc.Ł It’s hot in here. Please clock back to a time when you were more
turn down the heat. Turn the stereo comfortable. Let us turn the clock back
down. It’s too loud. and pretend we are lving at the turn of the
cłntury—the time that our story takes
turn someone ortsomething out 1. [with some- place. T No, you can’t turn back the clock.
oàe ] to sendŁsàmeone out of sàmewhere. turn theŁheatŁupŁ(on someone) to use force
I didà’t pØy my rent, so the manager to persuade sàmeone to do something;Łto
turned me out. T I’m glad it’s not winter. increase the pressure onŁsomeone to dà
I’d hate to turn out someone in the snow. something.Ł(Infàrmal.) Managłmłnt is
2. [with somłthing ] to manufacture turning the heat up to increase production.
something;Ł to pràduce something.Ł T The teacher really turned up the heat on
John wasn’t turning enough work out, so the studłnts by saying that everyone would
the manager had a talk with him. T This be punished if the real culprit was noŁ
machine can turn out two thousand tems found.
a dØy.
turn theŁotherŁcheek to ignàr abuse or
turn someone ortsomething up to search for an insult. When Bob got mad at Mary
andŁfindŁsomeone orŁsomething.Ł Let and yelled at her, she just turned the other
me try to see if I can turn someone up who cheek. Usually I turn the other cheek
knows how to do the job. T I turned up a when someone is rude to me.
number of interesting items when I włnt
through Aunt Jane’s attic. turn theŁtables (on someone) to cause a re-
versalŁinŁsàmeone’sŁplans;Łto make one’s
turn someone’ head [forŁflatteryŁorŁsuccess] plansŁturnŁback onŁone.Ł I włnt to Jane’s
to distract someone; to cause someone house to help get ready for a surprise party
not to be sensible. (Also literal.) Don’t for Bob. It turned out that the surprise
lłt our praise turn your head. You’re noŁ party was for mł! Jane really turned the ta-

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