The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

by Christine Ammer

  up to par Also, up to scratch or snuff or speed or the mark. Satisfactory, up to a given standard, as in She didn’t feel up to par today so she stayed home, or I’m sure he’ll come up to scratch when the time comes, or She’s up to snuff again. Nearly all the versions of this idiom come from sports, par from golf, scratch and mark from boxing (after being knocked down a fighter had eight seconds to make his way to a mark scratched in the center of the ring), and speed from racing. However, the allusion in the variant with snuff, which dates from the early 1800s, has been lost.

  upwards of Also, upward of. More than, in excess of, as in Upwards of 30,000 spectators filled the ballpark. [c. 1600]

  up yours A vulgar exclamation of contempt, as in So you think you can beat me? Well, up yours! This expression, a shortening of the even more vulgar stick it up your ass, is sometimes accompanied by an obscene gesture (see GIVE THE FINGER). [Vulgar slang; mid-1900s]

  use → In addition to the idioms beginning with USE, also see HAVE NO USE FOR; MAKE USE OF; NO USE; PUT TO GOOD USE. Also see under USED.

  used → In addition to the idiom beginning with USED, also see IT TAKES GETTING USED TO. Also see under USE.

  used to 1. Accustomed or habituated to. This expression is often put as be or get used to, as in I’m not used to driving a manual-shift car, or She can’t get used to calling him Dad. [Early 1500s] 2. Formerly. This sense is used with a following verb to indicate a past state, as in I used to ride my bicycle to the post office, or This used to be the best restaurant in town. [Late 1800s]

  use one’s head Think, have common sense, as in Use your head, Martin. No one’s coming out in this weather. This idiom uses head in the sense of “brain’’ or “intellect,’’ a usage dating from the late 1300s.

  use up 1. Consume completely, as in The kids used up all their money playing video games. [Late 1700s] 2. Exhaust, tire out, as in I’m totally used up from digging that hole. [Colloquial; mid-1800s]

  usual → See AS USUAL; BUSINESS AS USUAL.

  utter a word → See under NOT OPEN ONE’S MOUTH.

  v

  vain → See IN VAIN; TAKE SOMEONE’S NAME IN VAIN.

  valor → See DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR.

  value → See AT FACE VALUE.

  vanish → See under INTO THIN AIR.

  variety is the spice of life Diversity makes life ­interesting, as in Jim dates a different girl every week—variety is the spice of life, he claims. This phrase comes from William Cowper’s poem, “The Task” (1785): “Variety is the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor.”

  variety store A retail shop that carries a large ­selection of usually inexpensive merchandise, as in What this town needs is a good variety store. [Second half of 1700s]

  various and sundry Of different kinds, miscellaneous, as in Various and sundry items did not sell, so they’ll probably hold another auction. This expression is a redundancy, the two adjectives meaning just about the same thing.

  veil → See DRAW A VEIL OVER.

  velvet → See under IRON HAND.

  vengeance → See WITH A VENGEANCE.

  vent → In addition to the idiom beginning with VENT, also see GIVE VENT TO.

  vent one’s spleen Express one’s anger, as in Some people see town council meetings as a place where they can vent their spleen. This expression uses vent in the sense of “air,” and spleen in the sense of “anger,” alluding to the fact that this organ was once thought to be the seat of ill humor and melancholy. [First half of 1600s]

  venture → See NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED.

  verge → In addition to the idiom beginning with VERGE, also see ON THE VERGE OF.

  verge on 1. Approach, come close to, as in Her ability verges on genius. [Early 1800s] 2. Be on the edge or border of, as in Our property verges on conservation land. [Late 1700s]

  verse → See CHAPTER AND VERSE.

  very → In addition to the idioms beginning with VERY, also see ALL VERY WELL; WHAT’S THE (THE VERY) IDEA.

  very thing, the Exactly what is needed or wanted, as in That hat’s the very thing to complete the costume. This idiom, which uses very to denote exact identity, was first recorded in 1768.

  very well 1. Exceedingly healthy, as in How are you?—Very well, thank you. 2. Extremely skillfully or properly, as in He manages that sailboat very well. 3. All right, I agree to, as in Will you take her hand?—Very well, but only to cross the street. Also see ALL VERY WELL.

  vested interest A personal stake in something, as in She has a vested interest in keeping the house in her name. This term, first recorded in 1818, uses vested in the sense of “established” or “secured.”

  vicious circle A series of events in which each problem creates another and worsens the original one. For example, The fatter I get, the unhappier I am, so I eat to cheer myself up, which makes me fatter yet—it’s a vicious circle. This expression comes from the French circle vicieux, which in philosophy means “a circular proof”—that is, the proof of one statement depends on a second statement, whose proof in turn depends on the first. One writer suggests that the English meaning of “vicious” helped the expression acquire its more pejorative present sense, used since 1839.

  victor → See TO THE VICTOR BELONG THE SPOILS.

  victory → See PYRRHIC VICTORY.

  view → See BIRD’S EYE VIEW; IN LIGHT (VIEW) OF; IN VIEW; ON VIEW; POINT OF VIEW; TAKE A DIM VIEW OF; WITH A VIEW TO.

  vigor → See VIM AND VIGOR.

  villain of the piece, the The person to blame for what is bad or wrong, as in I’m afraid the caterer is the villain of the piece—the food wasn’t ready for hours. The piece in this term alludes to a play in which the villain is the character whose evildoing is important to the plot. [Mid-1800s]

  vim and vigor Ebullient vitality and energy, as in He was full of vim and vigor after that swim. This redundant expression uses both vim and vigor in the sense of “energy” or “strength.”

  vine → See CLINGING VINE; WITHER ON THE VINE.

  violet → See SHRINKING VIOLET.

  viper in one’s bosom Also, snake in one’s bosom. An ungrateful or treacherous friend, as in I got him dozens of freelance jobs, and then he told everyone I was a lousy musician—nothing like nourishing a viper in one’s bosom. This metaphoric expression, often put as nourish a viper (or snake) in one’s bosom, comes from Aesop’s fable about a farmer who shelters a snake dying from the cold, which then fatally bites him after it recovers. It was referred to by Chaucer and Shakespeare, and appeared in numerous proverb collections.

  virtue → See BY VIRTUE OF; MAKE A VIRTUE OF NECESSITY.

  visit → See PAY A CALL (VISIT).

  voice → See AT THE TOP OF ONE’S LUNGS (VOICE); GIVE VOICE TO; HAVE A SAY (VOICE) IN; RAISE ONE’S VOICE; STILL SMALL VOICE; WITH ONE VOICE.

  void → See NULL AND VOID.

  volume → See SPEAK VOLUMES.

  vote down Defeat a candidate or measure, as in The new amendment was voted down by a narrow margin. This idiom was first recorded in 1642.

  vote with one’s feet Indicate one’s disapproval by walking out or emigrating, as in The service was so bad that we decided to vote with our feet, or Thousands of Hong Kong residents voted with their feet and left before the Chinese takeover. [Slang; mid-1900s]

  voyage → See MAIDEN VOYAGE.

  w

  wade in Also, wade into. Plunge into, begin or attack resolutely and energetically, as in She waded into that pile of correspondence. This idiom transfers entering water to beginning some action. [Mid-1800s]

  wag → See TAIL WAGGING THE DOG; TONGUES WAG.

  wages of sin, the The results or consequences of evildoing, as in She ate all of the strawberries and ended up with a terrible stomachache—the wages of sin, no doubt. This expression comes from the New Testament, where Paul writes to the Romans (6:23): “The wages of sin is death.” Today it is ­often used more lightly, as in the example.

  wagon → See FIX SOMEONE’S W
AGON; HITCH ONE’S WAGON TO A STAR; ON THE BANDWAGON; ON THE WAGON.

  wail like a banshee Scream shrilly, as in Terrified, she wailed like a banshee. In Irish folklore, a banshee is a spirit in the form of a wailing woman whose appearance is an omen that one member of a family will die. The simile dates from the late 1800s.

  wait → In addition to the idioms beginning with WAIT, also see CAN’T WAIT; HURRY UP AND WAIT; IN WAITING; LIE IN WAIT; PLAY A WAITING GAME.

  wait a minute 1. Stop, I want to say something, as in Wait a minute—he wasn’t there yesterday. 2. What a surprise, as in Wait a minute! It was you who called the police? For a similar phrase, see HOLD EVERYTHING.

  wait and see Bide one’s time for events to run their course, as in Do you think they’ll raise taxes?—We’ll have to wait and see. This expression was first recorded in Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719): “We had no remedy but to wait and see.” In Britain the phrase became associated with Prime Minister H.H. Asquith, who in 1910 so often said it to the opposition regarding an impending bill that he became known as “Old Wait and See.”

  wait at table Also, wait on table. Serve at a meal, as in She got a summer job at a resort waiting at table, or Waiting on table usually does not pay very well. [Mid-1500s] Also see WAIT ON.

  wait for the other shoe to drop Await a seemingly inevitable event, as in Now that she has a good enough job to leave her husband, we’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop. This expression alludes to a person awakened by a neighbor who loudly dropped one shoe on the floor and is waiting for the second shoe to be dropped. [Early 1900s]

  waiting game → See PLAY A WAITING GAME.

  waiting in the wings → See IN THE WINGS.

  wait on 1. Also, wait upon. Serve, minister to, especially for personal needs or in a store or restaurant. For example, Guests at the Inn should not expect to be waited on—they can make their own beds and get their own breakfast. [Early 1500s] 2. Make a formal call on, as in They waited on the ambassador. [c. 1500] 3. Also, wait upon. Await, remain in readiness for, as in We’re waiting on their decision to close the school. This usage, a synonym of wait for, dates from the late 1600s but in the mid-1800s began to be criticized by many authorities. However, by the late 1900s it had come into increasingly wider use and is again largely accepted.

  wait on hand and foot Do everything for someone, serve someone’s every need, as in Her mother has always waited on her hand and foot. [First half of 1300s]

  wait out Delay until the end of something, as in They waited out the war in Paris. This expression comes from baseball, where it alludes to the batter refraining from swinging at pitches in the hope of being walked (getting to first base on balls). It was first recorded in 1909 and was transferred to other activities by the 1930s.

  wait up 1. Postpone going to bed in anticipation of someone or something, as in My parents always wait up until I get home, no matter how late it is. [Mid-1800s] 2. Stop or pause so that another can catch up, as in Let’s wait up for the stragglers, or Don’t walk so fast; wait up for me. [Colloquial]

  wake → In addition to the idioms beginning with WAKE, also see IN THE WAKE OF; TO WAKE THE DEAD.

  wake-up call A portentous event, report, or situation that brings an issue to immediate attention. For example, The rise in unemployment has given a wake-up call to state governments, or The success of the online subscription is a wake-up call to publishers. This metaphoric term originated in the second half of the 1900s for a telephone call arranged in advance to awaken a sleeper, especially in a ­hotel. Its figurative use dates from about 1990.

  walk → In addition to the idioms beginning with WALK, also see COCK OF THE WALK; HANDS DOWN (IN A WALK); WORSHIP THE GROUND SOMEONE WALKS ON.

  walk all over Also, walk over. Treat contemptuously, be overbearing and inconsiderate to, as in I don’t know why she puts up with the way he walks all over her, or Don’t let those aggressive people in sales walk over you. This idiom transfers physically treading on someone to trampling on one’s feelings. [Second half of 1800s]

  walk a tightrope Also, be on a tightrope. Take or be on a very precarious course, as in A university press must walk a tightrope to publish scholarly books and still make money, or The general was on a tightrope as to whether he should advance or retreat. This idiom transfers the balancing act performed by tightrope or high-wire acrobats to other concerns. [First half of 1900s]

  walk away from 1. Survive an accident with little injury, as in They were lucky to walk away from that collision. [Second half of 1900s] 2. Refuse to deal with or become involved with, abandon, as in No parent finds it easy to walk away from a child in trouble. [Second half of 1900s] 3. Outdo, outrun, or defeat with little difficulty, as in The Packers are walking away from the other teams in their division. [Slang] Also see WALK OVER.

  walk away with → See WALK OFF WITH.

  walking encyclopedia A very knowledgeable person, as in Ask Rob—he’s a walking encyclopedia of military history. A similar expression, a walking dictionary, was used by George Chapman in his poem “Tears of Peace” (c. 1600).

  walking papers A dismissal, as in They’re downsizing, and I got my walking papers last week. This slangy expression, first recorded in 1835, refers to a written notice of dismissal.

  walk in the park, a An easy, pleasant experience. First recorded in 1937, this idiom takes its place beside EASY AS PIE and PIECE OF CAKE. For example, Setting up the new TV set was a walk in the park; it took less than ten minutes.

  walk off with 1. Also, walk away with. Win easily, as in Our team walked off with the pennant, or He expected a tough opponent, but to his surprise he walked away with first place. [First half of 1800s] 2. Steal, as in Someone walked off with my suitcase. [Early 1700s]

  walk of life A trade, profession, or occupation, as in He’ll do well in whatever walk of life he chooses. This expression uses walk in the sense of “line of work.” [c. 1800]

  walk on air Feel elated or exuberantly joyful, as in She was walking on air after she found out she’d won the teaching award. This metaphoric term likens feeling happy to floating. [Late 1800s]

  walk on eggs Proceed very cautiously, as in I knew I was walking on eggs when I asked about the ­department’s involvement in the lawsuit. This metaphoric idiom transfers walking on fragile eggs to discussing or investigating a dangerous subject. [First half of 1700s]

  walk out 1. Go on strike, as in The union threatened to walk out if management would not listen to its demands. [Late 1800s] 2. Leave suddenly, especially as a sign of disapproval. For example, The play was so bad we walked out after the first act. [First half of 1800s] 3. Also, walk out on. Desert, abandon, as in He walked out on his wife and five children. [Late 1800s]

  walk over 1. See WALK ALL OVER. 2. Defeat easily, as in We walked over them in that practice game but don’t know how we’ll do in the real thing. [Second half of 1900s]

  walk tall Show pride and self-confidence, as in The most important thing she taught us was to walk tall. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

  walk the floor Pace up and down, as in In former times expectant fathers walked the floor, but now they often are labor coaches, or The baby was colicky, so she walked the floor with him all night.

  walk the plank Be forced to resign, as in We were sure that Ted hadn’t left of his own accord; he’d walked the plank. This metaphoric idiom alludes to a form of execution used in the 17th century, mainly by pirates, whereby a victim was forced to walk off the end of a board placed on the edge of the ship’s deck and so drown. [Second half of 1800s]

  walk the walk → See under TALK THE TALK.

  walk through 1. Perform in a perfunctory fashion, as in She was just walking through her job, hoping to quit very soon. This idiom originally referred to practicing parts in a play at an early rehearsal. It was applied more broadly from the late 1800s. Also see GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS. 2. walk someone through. Instruct someone carefully, one step at a time, as in He was very helpful, walking me through all the steps in this comp
lex computer program.

  wall → In addition to the idioms beginning with WALL, also see BACK TO THE WALL; BEAT ONE’S HEAD AGAINST THE WALL; BETWEEN YOU AND ME AND THE LAMPPOST (FOUR WALLS); CLIMB THE WALLS; DRIVE SOMEONE CRAZY (UP THE WALL); FLY ON THE WALL; GO TO THE WALL; HANDWRITING ON THE WALL; HOLE IN THE WALL; OFF THE WALL; RUN INTO A STONE WALL.

  wallop → See PACK A PUNCH (WALLOP).

  walls have ears, the The conversation is easily overheard, someone is listening, as in Be careful what you say; the walls have ears. This saying may come from a story about Dionysius of Syracuse (430–367 B.C.), who had an ear-shaped cave cut and connected between the rooms of his palace so that he could hear what was being said from another room. Similar listening posts were installed in other palaces over the centuries, including the Louvre in Paris. In English the phrase was first recorded in its present form in 1620.

  Walter Mitty A person, generally quite ordinary or ineffectual, who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs. For example, He’s a Walter Mitty about riding in a rodeo but is actually afraid of horses. This term comes from James Thurber’s short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1939), describing just such a character.

  wane → See WAX AND WANE.

  want → In addition to the idioms beginning with WANT, also see WASTE NOT, WANT NOT.

  want for nothing Not lack any necessities or comforts, as in He saw to it that his mother wanted for nothing. This term uses want in the sense of “lack.” [Mid-1600s]

  want in 1. Desire to enter, as in The cat wants in. The antonym is want out, as in The dog wants out. [First half of 1800s] 2. Wish to join a business, project, or other undertaking, as in Some investors want in but have not yet been admitted. Again, the antonym is want out, as in Many Quebec residents want out of Canada. [Mid-1900s]