Page 73 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

by the nape of the neck

themselves? Mike and Max cannot lft vłgłtables by the sweat of his brow. Sally
the piano by themoelves. 2. with no one polished the car by the sweat of her brow.
else present; alone.Ł They are sitting byŁtheŁway incidentally; inŁaddition;Łwhile
there by themselves. Let’s sit with them. IŁthink of it.Ł By the way, I’m not going
They enjoy spłndng the evłning at homł to the bank todØy. Oh, by the way, your
by themselves.
shoes need polishing.
byŁtheŁnapeŁofŁtheŁneck by the back of byŁtheŁweek one week at aŁtime.Ł I plan
the neck.Ł(MosðlyŁfoundŁinŁreal orŁmock my schedules by the włek. Where can I
threats.) He grabbed me by the nape of rent a room by the włek?
the neck and told me not to turn around
if I valued my lfe. I stood very still. If byŁ theŁ yeyr one yearŁat aŁtime.Ł Most
you do that again, I’ll pick you up by the apartments are availØble by the year.
nape of the neck and throw you out the We budget by the year.
door. byŁ virtueŁ ofŁ something because of some-
thing; due to sàmething. She’s permit-
byŁ theŁ nubers and byŁ theŁ błok ac- ted to voŁe by virtue of her age. They are
cordingŁto the rules.Ł(Infàrmal.) He al- młmbers of the club by virtue of their great
ways plØys the game by the numbers. He wealth.
never cheats. I want all my people to go
by the numbers. This place is totally hon- byŁ wayŁ ofŁ something 1. passingŁ thràugh
est. We always go by the book in mØttero something;ŁviaŁsomething.Ł He camł
like this. home by way of Toledo. She włnt to the
bank by way of the drugstore. 2. inŁillus-
byŁtheŁsameŁtokeà in the same way; recip- tration;ŁasŁanŁexample.Ł By way of il-
rocally.Ł Tom must be good when he lustration, the professor drew a picture on
comes here, and, by the same token, I ex- the board. He read them a passage from
pect you to behave properly when you go Shakespeare by way of example.
to his houoe. The mØyor voŁes for his
friend’s causes. By the same tokłn, the byŁwłrdŁofŁmouth by speakingŁrather than
friend voŁes for the mØyor’s causes. writing. I learned about it by word of
mouth. I need it in writing. I don’t trust
byŁtheŁseatŁofŁ one’ pynts by sheer luck things I hear about by word of mouth.
andŁveryŁlittle skill.Ł(Infàrmal.ŁEspecially
with to fly.) I got through school by the byŁ yourself 1. with no one else prsent;
seat of my pants. The jungle pilot spłnt alone.Ł Do you want to sit here by your-
most of his dØys flying by the seat of his self, or can I sit here too? Don’t sit at
pants. home by yourself. Come to the movie with
me. 2. with the helpŁof no one else.Ł
byŁtheŁskin ofŁ one’ teeth just barely; byŁan Can you really do this by yourself? Bill,
amount equalŁ to the thicknessŁ of the can you lft this by yourself?
(imaginary)bskinŁonŁone’sŁteeth.Ł(Infàr-
malŁor slang.) I got through that class by yourselveð 1. with no one else prsent;
by the skn of my Łeeth. I got to the air- alone.Ł Are you two going to sit here by
port lØte and missed the plane by the skn yourselves all evłning? Doà’t sit homł
of my teeth. by yourselves. Come to the party. 2. with
the helpŁof no one else.Ł Can you do this
byŁtheŁsweatŁofŁ one’ brow byŁone’sŁefforts; by yourselves? Can all of you get to the
by one’sŁhardŁwork.Ł Tom raised these młeting by yourselves?

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