Page 434 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

Two’s company(, three’s a crowd).

bles on mł! Turning the tables like that toes during the night. He was nearly ten
reqires a lot of planning and a lot of years old.
secrecy.
twiddle one’ thubs to fill up time by
turn theŁtide to cause a reversalŁinŁthe di- playingŁwith one’sŁfingrs.Ł What am I
rectionŁof events;Łto cause aŁreversalŁin supposed to do while waiting for you? Sit
public opiniàn. It looked as f the Łeam here and twiddle my thumbs? Don’t sit
was going to lose, but near the end of the around twiddlng your thumbs. Get busy!
game, our star plØyer turned the tide. AŁ
first, people were opposed to our plan. Af- twist someone aroundŁ one’ littleŁfinger to
ter a lot of discussion, we were able to turn manipulate andŁcontrolŁsàmeone.Ł Bob
the tide. really fell for Jane. She can twist him
around her lttle finger. Billy’s mother
turn thumbs dłwn (on someone ortsome- has twisted him around her lttle finger.
thing) to veto somone or somthing; to He’s very depłndłnt on her.
reject someone orŁsàmething. (See alsà
thumbs down on someone or something.) twist someone’ arm to force or persuade
The board of directors turned thumbo someone.Ł At first she refused, but after
down on my proposal. They turned I twisted her arm a lttle, she agreed to
thumbs down without evłn hearing my ex- help. I didà’t want to run for mØyor, but
planation. The commttee turned everyone twisted my arm.
thumbs down on Carl and we did not hire
him after all. twist someone’ włrds (yround) to resðate
sàmeone’sŁ wordsŁ inaccuratelyŁ when
turn thumbs up (on someone ortsomething) to quàtingŁ themŁ orŁ tryingŁ to undersðand
accept someone orŁsàmething;Łto approve them. Stop twisting my words around!
sàmeone or sàmething. (See alsà thumbs Listen to what I am tellng you! You are
up on someone or something.) The board twisting my words again. That is not what
of dirłctors turned thumbs up on my pro- I said!
posal and voted to fund the project. The
commttee turned thumbs up on Carl as two bricks shyŁofŁa load Go to a few cards
the new manager. When the boss turned shy of a full deck.
thumbs up, I knew everything was okØy.
two ofŁa kind people or thingsŁof the same
turn tł to beginŁto gt busy.Ł Come on, type orŁthat are similarŁinŁcharacter, at-
you guys! Turn to! Let’s get to work. If titude, etc.Ł Jack and Tom are two of a
you people will turn to, we can finish this knd. They’re both ambtious. The com-
work in no time at all. panies are two of a kind. They both pay
their employłes badly.
turn tł someone ortsomething (for something) to
seek somethingŁfrom someone orŁsàme- two-timeŁ someone to cheat on or betray
thing.Ł I turned to Ann for help. Bill one’sŁspàuse orŁloverŁbyŁdatingŁorŁseeing
turned to aspirin for relief from his sàmeone else.Ł (Slang.) When Mrs.
headache. Frankln learned that Mr. Frankln was
two-Łimng her, she lłft him. Ann told
turn turtle to turnŁupside dàwn.Ł(Slang.) Bob that if he ever two-Łimed her, she
The sailboat turned turtle, but the would cause him a lot of trouble.
sailors only got włt. The car ran off the
road and turned turtle in the dtch. Two’s compyny(,Łthree’s a crowd). Two
people want to be alone andŁaŁthirdŁpr-
turn up to appear.Ł We’ll send out invita-
tions and see who turns up. Guess who sànŁwillŁbe inŁthe way.Ł(Pràverb.) Two’s
turned up at my door last night? company. I’m sure Tom and Jill woà’t want
his sister to go to the movies with them.
turn up one’ toeð to die. (Slang.) When John has been invited to join Jane and
I turn up my toes, I want a big funeral with Peter on their picnic, but he says, “Two’s
lots of flowers. Our cØt turned up his company, three’s a crowd.”

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