travel light Take little baggage; also, be relatively free of responsibilities or deep thoughts, as in I can be ready in half an hour; I always travel light, or I don’t want to buy a house and get tied down; I like to travel light, or It’s hard to figure out whom they’ll attack next, because ideologically they travel light. The literal use dates from the 1920s, the figurative from the mid-1900s.
tread → In addition to the idioms beginning with TREAD, also see FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD; STEP (TREAD) ON SOMEONE’S TOES.
tread water Expend effort that maintains one’s status but does not make much progress toward a goal, as in He was just treading water from paycheck to paycheck. This idiom alludes to the term’s literal meaning, that is, “keep one’s head above water by remaining upright and pumping the legs.”
treat → In addition to the idiom beginning with TREAT, also see DUTCH TREAT; TRICK OR TREAT.
treat like dirt Behave badly or show contempt toward, as in Her boss treats all the secretaries like dirt. This idiom uses dirt in the sense of “something worthless,” a usage dating from the mid-1300s.
treatment → See RED CARPET (TREATMENT).
tree → See BARK UP THE WRONG TREE; CAN’T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES; TALK SOMEONE’S ARM OFF (THE BARK OFF A TREE); UP A TREE.
trial → In addition to the idioms beginning with TRIAL, also see ON TRIAL.
trial and error An attempt to accomplish something by trying various means until the correct one is found. For example, The only way to solve this problem is by trial and error. The error here alludes to the failed means or attempts, which are discarded until the right way is found. [c. 1800s]
trial balloon An idea or plan advanced tentatively to test public reaction, as in Let’s send up a trial balloon for this new program before we commit ourselves. This expression alludes to sending up balloons to test weather conditions. [c. 1930]
trial by fire A test of one’s abilities to perform well under pressure, as in Finishing this huge list of chores in time for the wedding is really a trial by fire. This expression alludes to the medieval practice of determining a person’s guilt by having them undergo an ordeal, such as walking barefoot through a fire.
trials and tribulations Tests of one’s patience or endurance, as in She went through all the trials and tribulations of being admitted to law school only to find she couldn’t afford to go. This redundant expression—trial and tribulation here both mean the same thing—is also used semi-humorously, as in Do you really want to hear about the trials and tribulations of my day at the office?
triangle → See ETERNAL TRIANGLE.
trick → In addition to the idioms beginning with TRICK, also see BAG OF TRICKS; CONFIDENCE GAME (TRICK); DIRTY TRICKS; DO THE TRICK; HAT TRICK; HOW’S TRICKS; NOT MISS A TRICK; TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS; THAT DOES IT (THE TRICK); TURN A TRICK; UP TO ONE’S OLD TRICKS.
trick or treat A greeting by children asking for treats on Halloween and threatening to play a trick on those who refuse to give them. For example, The children went from house to house, shouting “Trick or treat!” [c. 1940]
trick out Ornament or adorn, especially ostentatiously or garishly, as in She was all tricked out in beads and fringe and what-have-you. This term uses trick in the sense of “dress up” or “decorate,” a usage dating from about 1500. [Early 1700s]
tricks of the trade Clever ways of operating a business or performing a task or activity, especially slightly dishonest or unfair ones. For example, Alma knows all the tricks of the trade, cutting the fabric as close as possible, or The butcher weighs meat after it’s wrapped; charging for the packaging is one of the tricks of the trade.
tried and true Tested and proved to be worthy or reliable, as in Let me deal with it—my method is tried and true. [Mid-1900s]
trigger → In addition to the idiom beginning with TRIGGER, also see QUICK ON THE DRAW (TRIGGER).
trigger happy Inclined to act violently at the slightest provocation, as in They feared that the President was trigger happy and would send in troops at the drop of a hat. This expression alludes to being too eager to fire a gun. [c. 1940]
trim one’s sails Modify one’s stand, adapt to circumstances, as in His advisers told him to trim his sails before he alienated voters and bungled the election completely. This metaphoric expression alludes to adjusting a ship’s sails to take full advantage of prevailing winds. [Late 1700s]
trip → In addition to the idioms beginning with TRIP, also see BAD TRIP; EGO TRIP; ROUND TRIP.
triple threat A person who is adept in three areas, as in She’s a triple threat on the editorial staff—she can edit, write, and design pages. This term comes from football, where it signifies a player who is good at running, passing, and kicking. [c. 1920] Also see HAT TRICK.
trip the light fantastic Dance, as in Let’s go out tonight and trip the light fantastic. This expression was originated by John Milton in L’Allegro (1632): “Come and trip it as ye go, On the light fantastick toe.” The idiom uses trip in the sense of “a light, tripping step,” and although fantastick was never the name of any particular dance, it survived and was given revived currency in James W. Blake’s immensely popular song, The Sidewalks of New York (1894).
trip up Make or cause someone to make a mistake, as in The other finalist tripped up when he was asked to spell “trireme,” or They tripped him up with that difficult question. [Second half of 1700s]
Trojan → In addition to the idiom beginning with TROJAN, also see WORK LIKE A BEAVER (TROJAN).
Trojan horse A deceptive device. The term comes from the epic of the Trojan wars, when the Greeks built a large wooden horse in which they concealed their troops. Believing the horse was a gift, the Trojans brought the horse into the city, which the Greek soldiers then destroyed. In translation the term dates from the 1400s and in the early 1800s it began to be used figuratively for any undermining device. In the 1970s it acquired a special meaning for a program or code that compromised a computer system. Also see BEWARE OF GREEKS.
trolley → See OFF ONE’S HEAD (TROLLEY).
trooper → See SWEAR LIKE A TROOPER.
trot → In addition to the idiom beginning with TROT, also see HOT TO TROT.
trot out Bring out and show for inspection and admiration, as in He trotted out all his old war medals. This expression alludes to leading out a horse to show off its various paces, including the trot. [Colloquial; first half of 1800s]
trouble → In addition to the idioms beginning with TROUBLE, also see BORROW TROUBLE; FISH IN TROUBLED WATERS; GO TO THE TROUBLE; IN TROUBLE WITH; POUR OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS.
trouble one’s head with Also, trouble oneself about. Bother or worry about, as in Don’t trouble your head with these details; I’ll take care of it, or It seems to me that teachers should trouble themselves more about teaching and less about manners. The first term dates from the mid-1600s, the variant from the early 1500s.
trouble someone for Politely ask for something, as in May I trouble you for a drink of water? This idiom uses trouble in the sense of “disturb.” [Mid-1800s]
trowel → See under LAY IT ON THICK.
truck → See HAVE NO TRUCK WITH.
true → In addition to the idioms beginning with TRUE, also see COME TRUE; COURSE OF TRUE LOVE NEVER RAN SMOOTHLY; DREAM COME TRUE; FIND TRUE NORTH; HOLD GOOD (TRUE); RING FALSE (TRUE); RUN (TRUE) TO FORM; TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE; TRIED AND TRUE.
true blue Loyal, faithful, as in You can count on her support; she’s true blue. This expression alludes to the idea of blue being the color of constancy, but the exact allusion is disputed. One theory holds it alludes to the unchanging blue sky, another to the fastness of a blue dye that will not run. Blue has been the identifying color of various factions in history. In the mid-1600s the Scottish Covenanters, who pledged to uphold Presbyterianism, were called true blue (as opposed to red, the color of the royalists). In the 1800s the same term came to mean “staunchly Tory,” and in America, “politically sound.”
true grit Indomitable spirit, courage. This term uses grit to mean pluck, a usage dating from the 1800s, with the adjective true as an intensifier. True Grit is the title of a 1968 novel by Charles Portis, and two very successful Western films were based on it in 1969 and 2010.
true to 1. Loyal or faithful to, as in She knew he’d be true to his marriage vows, or, as Shakespeare had Polonius tell Hamlet, “This above all, to thine own self be true” (Hamlet, 1:3). [c. 1200] 2. Also, true to form. Conforming to or consistent with, as in The speech was true to the party platform, or True to type, he died while working at his desk. 3. true to life. Consistent with reality, realistically represented, as in This painting is very true to life. [Early 1800s] For true to form, see under RUN TO FORM.
trump → In addition to the idioms beginning with TRUMP also see HOLD ALL THE ACES (TRUMPS); TURN UP TRUMPS.
trump card A key resource to gain an advantage at the opportune moment, as in That surprise witness was the defense’s trump card, or She played her trump card, announcing that the Senator would speak. This expression transfers the trump card of games such as bridge, which can win over a card of another suit, to other kinds of advantage. [Early 1800s]
trump someone’s ace Counter someone’s strong argument, action or position with an even stronger one. The expression alludes to card games like euchre and contract bridge, where a card from the trump suit outranks an ace. For example, Jane got a 15% discount on the sofa she wanted, but Mary trumped her ace and got 25% off.
trump up Concoct fraudulently, fabricate, as in They trumped up a charge of conspiracy, or She had trumped up another excuse for not doing the work. This expression, first recorded in 1695, uses trump in the sense of “devise fraudulently,” a usage otherwise obsolete.
trust → See BRAIN TRUST; IN TRUST.
truth → In addition to the idioms beginning with TRUTH, also see GOSPEL TRUTH; HOME TRUTH; MOMENT OF TRUTH; NAKED TRUTH; UNVARNISHED TRUTH.
truth is stranger than fiction Real life can be more remarkable than invented tales, as in In our two-month trip around the world we ran into long-lost relatives on three separate occasions, proving that truth is stranger than fiction. This expression may have been invented by Byron, who used it in Don Juan (1833).
truth will out The facts will be known, as in She thought she could get away with it, but truth will out, and I’m sure she’ll get caught. Shakespeare used this idiom in The Merchant of Venice (2:2): “But in the end truth will out.” Also see MURDER WILL OUT.
try → In addition to the idioms beginning with TRY, also see OLD COLLEGE TRY. Also see under TRIED.
try on 1. Test the fit or look of a garment by putting it on, as in Do you want to try on this dress? This expression is also put as try on for size, which is sometimes used figuratively, as in The teacher wanted to try the new method on for size before agreeing to sue it. [Late 1600s] 2. Test the effectiveness or acceptability of something, as in The actors decided to try on the new play out of town. [Late 1800s] Also see TRY OUT.
try one’s hand 1. Attempt to do something for the first time, as in I thought I’d try my hand at snorkeling. This idiom uses try in the sense of “ascertain by experiment or effort,” a usage dating from the late 1500s. 2. Also, try one’s luck. Take a chance doing something, as in We thought we’d try our luck at getting a hotel room at the last minute.
try one’s patience Put one’s tolerance to a severe test, cause one to be annoyed, as in Putting these parts together really tries my patience, or Her constant lateness tries our patience. This idiom uses try in the sense of “test,” a usage dating from about 1300.
try out 1. Undergo a qualifying test, as for an athletic team. For example, I’m trying out for the basketball team. [Mid-1900s] 2. Test or use experimentally, as in They’re trying out new diesels, or We’re trying out this new margarine. [Late 1800s]
tube → See DOWN THE TUBES.
tuck → In addition to the idioms beginning with TUCK, also see NIP AND TUCK.
tuck away 1. Eat heartily, as in He tucked away an enormous steak. [Colloquial; mid-1800s] Also see TUCK INTO. 2. Hide, put in storage, as in She had several hundred dollars tucked away. [c. 1900]
tucker → See BEST BIB AND TUCKER.
tuckered out Exhausted, very tired, as in I was all tuckered out after that game. The precise origin of this usage is not known. [Colloquial; 1820s]
tuck in Thrust in the edge of or end of something, such as bed linens or a shirt; also, make a child secure in bed by folding in the bedclothes. For example, Tuck in your shirt; it looks awful hanging out of your pants, or Mother went upstairs to tuck in the children. [First half of 1600s]
tuck into Eat heartily or greedily, as in For a two-year-old he really tucked into his food. [Early 1800s]
tug of war A struggle for supremacy, as in There’s a constant political tug of war between those who favor giving more power to the states and those who want a strong federal government. Although there is an athletic contest also so named, in which participants holding either end of a rope try to pull each other across a dividing line, the present usage, first recorded in 1677, predates it by about two centuries. The noun tug itself means “a strenuous contest between two sides,” and war refers to fighting, either physical or figurative.
tumble → See ROUGH AND TUMBLE.
tune → In addition to the idioms beginning with TUNE, also see CALL THE TUNE; CARRY A TUNE; CHANGE ONE’S TUNE; DANCE TO ANOTHER TUNE; IN TUNE; TO THE TUNE OF.
tune in 1. Adjust a receiver to receive a particular program or signals at a particular frequency, as in Tune in tomorrow, folks, for more up-to-date news. [Early 1900s] 2. Be aware or responsive, as in She’s really tuned in to teenagers. [1920s] For an antonym, see TUNE OUT.
tune out 1. Adjust a receiver so as not to receive a signal, as in Let’s tune out all this interference. [Early 1900s] 2. Dissociate oneself from one’s surroundings; also, disregard, ignore. For example, The average reader, used to seeing lots of color images, tunes out when confronted with big blocks of text, or Some mothers are expert at tuning out their children’s whining and quarreling. [1920s] For an antonym, see TUNE IN.
tune up Adjust machinery so it is in proper condition, as in I took the car in to be tuned up. [Early 1900s]
tunnel → See LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
turf war A battle over one’s sphere of influence. The term uses “turf” in the sense of a territory controlled by an individual or group, a usage originated by rival juvenile gangs in the mid-1900s. Later it came to be used more figuratively for fighting over any area of control, as in The veteran staff are waging a turf war with newcomers over timing coffee breaks.
turkey → See COLD TURKEY; TALK TURKEY.
turn → In addition to the idioms beginning with TURN, also see AT EVERY TURN; BY TURNS; EVERY TIME ONE TURNS AROUND; GOOD TURN; IN TURN; NOT KNOW WHERE TO TURN; ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER; OUT OF TURN; TAKE A TURN FOR THE BETTER; TAKE TURNS; TO A T (TURN); TWIST (TURN) AROUND ONE’S FINGER; WHEN ONE’S BACK IS TURNED. Also see under UNTURNED.
turn a blind eye to Deliberately overlook, ignore, as in She decided to turn a blind eye to her roommate’s going-on. This expression is believed to come from the siege of Copenhagen (1801), in which Lord Horatio Nelson, second in command of the English fleet, was ordered to withdraw but pretended not to see the flagship’s signals to do so by putting his glass to the eye that had been blinded in an earlier battle. His attack led to a major victory. Also see TURN A DEAF EAR.
turnabout is fair play Taking alternate or successive turns at doing something is just and equitable. For example, Come on, I want to sit in the front seat now—turnabout is fair play. This justification for taking turns was first recorded in 1755.
turn a deaf ear Refuse to listen, as in You can plead all day but he’s turning a deaf ear to everyone. This expression dates from the first half of the 1400s and was in most proverb collections fr
om 1546 on. Also see FALL ON DEAF EARS.
turn against Become or make antagonistic to, as in Adolescents often turn against their parents, but only temporarily, or She turned him against his colleagues by telling him they were spying on him. [First half of 1800s]
turn a hair, not Not become afraid or upset, remain calm, as in She didn’t turn a hair during the bank robbery. This term, also put as without turning a hair, comes from horse racing. After a race, a horse often has roughened, outward-turned hair. Its figurative use, nearly always in the negative, dates from the late 1800s.
turn around Reverse the direction or course of something or someone, as in He has a way of turning around a failing business, or If someone doesn’t turn him around he’s headed for trouble. [Late 1800s]
turn around one’s finger → See TWIST AROUND ONE’S FINGER.
turn a trick Engage in sex for pay, as in A young prostitute may turn a dozen tricks in a few hours. This idiom uses trick in the sense of “a sexual act.” [Slang; mid-1900s]
turn away 1. Send away, dismiss, as in They ran short and had to turn away many customers. [Late 1500s] 2. Repel, as in The high prices turned away prospective buyers. 3. Avert, deflect, as in She managed to turn away all criticism. [Late 1300s]
turn back 1. Reverse one’s direction, as in We had to turn back earlier than expected. [First half of 1500s] 2. Drive someone back or away, as in They turned back anyone who didn’t have an invitation, or Our forces soon turned back the enemy. [First half of 1500s] 3. Fold down, as in Turn back the page you’re on to keep your place in the magazine. [Second half of 1800s] Also see TURN ONE’S BACK ON.
turn back the clock Set the clock back to an earlier time. Literally this term dates from the mid-1700s, but in the late 1800s it began to be used figuratively, for returning to an earlier state of affairs. For example, Grandma wished they would turn back the clock to the days when there was no television.
turn down 1. Fold or double down, as in They always turn down your bed here, or Turn down your collar. [c. 1600] 2. Invert, as in She turned down her cards, or They turn down the glasses in the cupboard. [Mid-1700s] 3. Reject, fail to accept, as in They turned down his proposal, or Joe was turned down at four schools before he was finally accepted. [Late 1800s] 4. Diminish in volume, brightness, or speed. For example, Please turn down the radio; it’s too loud, or They turned down the lights and began to dance. [Second half of 1800s]
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms Page 125
