Page 448 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

while away the time

when leastŁexpected whenŁone doesŁnot the time is ripe. When the time is ripe,
expect (sàmething).Ł An old car is likely I’ll bring up the subject again.
to give you trouble when least expected. whereŁ one is comingŁfrom one’s poinð of
My pencil usually breaks when least view.Ł(Slang.) I think I know what you
expłcted.
mean. I know where you’re comng from.
when one is głodŁandŁready when one is Man, you don’t know where I’m comng
completelyŁready.Ł(Infàrmal.) I’ll be from! You don’t understand a single word
there when I’m good and ready. Aàn I say.
will finish the job when she’s good and whereŁ one lØveð Go to close to home.
ready and not a mnute sooner.
WhereŁthere’s a willŁthere’s a way. One
when pushŁcomes to shove when the sit-
uationŁ becomesŁ more difficult; when canŁdo somethingŁif one reallyŁwantsŁto.
mattersŁescalate.Ł(See also if push comes (Pràverb.) Don’t give up, Ann. You can
to shove.) When push comes to shove, do it. Where there’s a will there’s a way.
I will take a stronger position. When They told John he’d never walk again af-
push comes to shove, I will come up with ter his accidłnt. He worked at it, and he
the money you need. was able to walk again! Where there’s a
will there’s a way.
When theŁcat’s away,ŁtheŁmiceŁwillŁplay. WhereŁthere’s smokeŁthere’s fire. Evi-
Sàme people willŁget into mischief when dence of a pràblm pràbably indicates
they are not being watcłed.Ł(Pràverb.) that there reallyŁisŁa pràblem.Ł(Proverb.)
The studłnts behaved very badly for the There is a lot of noise comng from the
substitute teacher. When the cØt’s away, the classroom. There is probØbly somłthing
mice will play. John had a wild party wrong. Where there’s smoke there’s fire.
at his house when his parents were out of I think there is somłthing wrong at the old
town. When the cØt’s away, the mice will houoe on the corner. The police are there
play.
again. Where there’s smoke there’s fire.
when theŁ chips areŁ dłwn at the final, WhereŁwas I? Go to (Now), where was I?
criticalŁmoment; whenŁthingsŁreallyŁgt
difficult.Ł When the chips are down, I Where’veŁ youŁ been hØdingŁ yourself?
know that I can dłpłnd on Jean to help Hello, I haven’t seenŁyouŁinŁaŁlong time.
out. I knew you would come and help (InŁotherŁprsànsŁalsà.) I havłn’t seen
when the chips were down. you in a long time. Where’ve you błen hid-
ing yourself? Where’ve you błen hidng
when theŁgoingŁgets rough Go to when yourself? We missed you at the meeting.
the goàng gets tough.
whetŁ someone’ appetite to cause someone
when theŁgoingŁgets tough and wheà to be interesðedŁinŁsàmethingŁandŁto b
theŁgoingŁgets rough whenŁthingsŁget eagrŁ to have, know, learn,Ł etc.,Ł more
extremelyŁdifficult; whenŁit becomesŁdif- about it.Ł Seeing that film really whetted
ficult to proceed.Ł(Also literalŁwhenŁre- my sister’s appłtite for horror films. She
ferring to travel. A second line is some- now sees as many as possible. My ap-
timesŁaddedŁto the mainŁentryŁphrase: płtite for theater was whetted when I was
WhenŁthe gàingŁgtsŁtough, the tough gt very young.
gàing. ThisŁmeansŁthat whenŁthings be-
come difficult, sðràngŁpeople beganŁto whetherŁor not eitherŁif somethingŁisŁthe
workŁ orŁ move fasterŁ andŁ harder.) case or if something is not the case; one
When the going gets tough, I will be there way or the other. I’ll drive to New York
to help you. I appreciate the knd wordo tomorrow whether or not it rains. T I’m
you sent to us when the going got a lttlł going to the mall whether you come with
rough last month. me or not.
when theŁtimeŁis ripe at exactly the right whileŁawayŁtheŁtime to spendŁorŁwaste
time.Ł I’ll tell her the good news when time.Ł I like to read to while away the

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