Page 450 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

wipe the floor up with someone

ternoon on a wild-goose chase. John was shoppng in their lunch hour, lookng for
angry because he was sent out on a wild- things to buy when they get paid. Jane
goose chase. said she was just window-ohoppng, but she
bought a new coØt.
Wild hłrses couldn’t dragŁ someone. nàth-
ingŁcouldŁforce someone (to go some- wineŁandŁdineŁ someone to treat someone to
where).Ł(Infàrmal.) I refuse to go to anŁexpensive mealŁof the type that in-
that młeting! Wild horoes couldà’t drag cludesŁfine wines;Łto entertainŁsàmeone
me. Wild horses couldà’t drag her to that lavishly.Ł The lobbyists wined and dned
game. the senators one by one in order to influ-
ence them. We were wined and dned
willŁnotŁheyrŁofŁ something will not tolerate every night and givłn the best hoŁel ac-
or permit sàmething. You mustn’t drivł commodØtions in town.
home alone. I won’t hear of it. My par-
ents won’t hear of my staying out that lØte. wing it to do the best that one can in a sit-
uation,ŁespeciallyŁwhenŁone isŁnot pre-
win byŁ a nose to winŁ byŁ the slightesð pared.Ł(Compare thisŁwith play something
amount of difference.Ł(Infàrmal.ŁAsŁinŁa by ear.) I lost my noŁes before my speech,
horse race wher on horse wins with and I had to wing it. The professor, it
onlyŁ itsŁ nose aheadŁ of the horse that turned out, was winging it in every singlł
comesŁinŁsecond.) I ran the fastest racł lecture.
I could, but I only won by a nose. Sally
won the race, but she only won by a nose. winkŁatŁ something to ignore sàmething. (In-
formal.) Billy caused me a lttle trouble,
win outŁ(overŁ someone ortsomething) to beat but I just winked at it. This is a serious
sàmeone or sàmethingŁinŁaŁrace orŁaŁcon- mØtter, and you can’t expect me just to
test.Ł My horse won out over yours, so wink at it.
you lose your błt. I knew I could win out
if I just kept trying. wØpe someone ortsomething out 1. to cause
sàmeone to be bràke.Ł(Slang.) They
win someone over to succeed in gaining the wiped me out in the poker game. T The
support and sympathy of somon. crop failure wiped out all the farmers. 2.
Jane’s parents disapproved of her engage- to exterminate someone or something.
młnt at first, but she won them over. (Slang.) The hunters came and wiped
I’m trying to win the boss over and get him all the dłer out. T The crooks wiped out
to give us the dØy off.
the two witnesses.
win theŁday Go to carry the day.
wipeŁ someone’ slate clean to erase some-
windŁ dłwn to decrease orŁ diminish.Ł one’sŁ(bad)brecord.Ł(Figurative.) I’d like
Things are very busy now, but they’ll wind to wipe my slØte clean and start all over
down n Øbout an hour. I hope business again. Bob did badly in high school, but
winds down soon. I’m exhausted. he wiped his slØte clean and did a good job
in college.
windŁ something up to conclude sàmething.
(Also literal.) TodØy wł’ll wind that wipeŁ something off 1. to remove sàmething
deal up with the bank. T I have a fłw (fràm something else) by wiping or rub-
items of business to wind up; then I’ll be bing.Ł There is mud on your shirt. Please
with you. wipe it off. T My shirt has cØtsup on it. I
must wipe off the cØtsup. 2. to tidy or
windŁupŁ doingtsomething Go to end up doing cleanŁsomethingŁby wipingŁ(something
something.
else)b off.Ł Please wipe the table off.
wind upŁ somłwherł Go to end up somŁwherŁ . There’s water on it. T Wipe off your shirt.
There’s cØtsup on it.
windłw-shłpping the habit or practice of
lookingŁ at gàodsŁ inŁ słop windàwsŁ or wipe the floor up withŁ someone to beat or
sðoresŁwithout actuallyŁbuyingŁanything. physicallyŁabuse someone.Ł(Slang.ŁUsu-
Mary and Jane do a lot of window- allyŁ said asŁ aŁ threat.Ł See also mop the

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