[task] See: TAKE TO TASK.
[taste] See: LEAVE A BAD TASTE IN ONE'S MOUTH.
[tat] See: TIT FOR TAT.
[tax trap] <n.>, <informal> Predicament in which taxpayers in middle-income brackets are required to pay steeply progressive rates of taxation as their earnings rise with inflation but their personal exemptions remain fixed, resulting in a loss of real disposable income. * /Everybody in my neighborhood has been caught in a tax trap./
[T-bone steak] <n.> A steak with a bone in it which looks like a "T". * /On Jim's birthday we had T-bone steak for supper./
[tea] See: CUP OF TEA also DISH OF TEA.
[teach a lesson] <v. phr.> To show that bad behavior can be harmful. * /When Johnny pulled Mary's hair, she taught him a lesson by breaking his toy boat./ * /The burns Tommy got from playing with matches taught him a lesson./
[teach the ropes] See: THE ROPES.
[team up with] <v. phr.> To join with; enter into companionship with. * /My brother prefers to do business by himself rather than to team up with anybody else./
[teapot] See: TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT.
[tear around] <v. phr.> To be constantly on the go; dash around. * /No one can understand how she manages to tear around from one social event to another and yet be a good mother to her children./
[tear down] <v.> 1. To take all down in pieces; destroy. * /The workmen tore down the old house and built a new house in its place./ 2. To take to pieces or parts. * /The mechanics had to tear down the engine, and fix it, and put it together again./ 3. To say bad things about; criticize. * /"Why do you always tear people down? Why don't you try to say nice things about them?"/ * /Dorothy doesn't like Sandra, and at the class meeting she tore down every idea Sandra suggested./
[tear into] <v. phr.> To attack vigorously, physically or verbally. * /The anxious buyers tore into the wedding gowns on sale at the famous department store./ See: RIP INTO.
[tearjerker] <n.> A sentimental novel or movie that makes one cry. * /Love Story, both in its novel form and as a movie, was a famous tearjerker./
[tear oneself away] <v. phr.> To force oneself to leave; leave reluctantly. * /The beaches in Hawaii are so lovely that I had to tear myself away from them in order to get back to my job in Chicago./
[tear one's hair] <v. phr.> To show sorrow, anger, or defeat. * /Ben tore his hair when he saw the wrecked car./ * /The teacher tore his hair at the boy's stupid answer./ * /It was time to go to class, but Mary had not finished the report she had to give, and she began tearing her hair./
[tears] See: BORE TO TEARS, CROCODILE TEARS.
[tear up] <v.> 1. To dig a hole in; remove the surface of; remove from the surface. * /The city tore up the street to lay a new water pipe./ * /Mother tore up the carpeting in the living room and had a new rug put in./ 2. To tear into pieces. * /Mary tore up the old sheets and made costumes for the play out of the pieces./ * /John tore up his test paper so that his mother wouldn't see his low grade./
[tee off] <v.> 1. To hit the golf ball from a small wooden peg or tee to begin play for each hole. * /We got to the golf course just in time to see the champion tee off./ 2. <slang> To hit a ball, especially a baseball very hard or far. * /He teed off on the first pitch./ 3. <slang> To attack vigorously. * /The governor teed off on his opponent's speech./ 4. <slang> To make (someone) angry or disgusted. * /It teed me off when Billy stole my candy./ * /Joe was teed off because he had to wait so long./
[teeth] See: TOOTH.
[tee up] <v.> To set the golf ball on the tee in preparation for hitting it toward the green. * /Arnold Palmer teed the ball up for the final hole./
[telepathy] See: MENTAL TELEPATHY.
[tell] See: DO TELL, I'LL SAY or I TELL YOU, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I'M TELLING YOU, YOU'RE TELLING ME, YOU TELL 'EM.
[tell apart] <v. phr.> To see the difference between; know each of. * /The teacher could not tell the twins apart./
[tell a thing or two] <v. phr.>, <informal> To tell in plain or angry words; scold. * /When John complained about the hard work, his father told him a thing or two./ * /If Bert thinks he would like to join the army, I'll tell him a thing or two that will make him change his mind./ Compare: BAWL OUT, GIVE A PIECE OF ONE'S MIND, TELL OFF, THING OR TWO.
[tell it like it is] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <informal> To be honest, sincere; to tell the truth. * /Joe is the leader of our commune; he tells it like it is./
[tell it to the marines] or [tell it to Sweeney] <slang> I don't believe you; Stop trying to fool me. * /John said, "My father knows the President of the United States." Dick answered, "Tell it to the marines."/
[tell off] <v.> 1. To name or count one by one and give some special duty to; give a share to. * /Five boy scouts were told off to clean the camp./ 2. <informal> To speak to angrily or sharply; attack with words; scold. * /Mr. Black got angry and told off the boss./ * /Bobby kept pulling Sally's hair; finally she got angry and told him where to get off./ Syn.: TELL ONE WHERE TO GET OFF. Compare: GIVE A PIECE OF ONE'S MIND, LAY DOWN THE LAW, TELL A THING OR TWO.
[tell on] <v.> 1. To tire; wear out; make weak. * /The ten-mile hike told on Bill./ 2. <informal> To tell someone about another's wrong or naughty acts. - Used mainly by children. * /Andy hit a little girl and John told the teacher on Andy./ * /If you hit me, I'll tell Mother on you./
[tell tales out of school] <v. phr.> To tell something that is secret; tell others something that is not meant to be known. * /Don't tell Jane anything. She is always telling tales out of school./ Compare: LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG, SPILL THE BEANS.
[tell one where to get off] or [tell one where to head in] <v. phr.>, <informal> To talk angrily to; speak to or answer with rough language; scold. * /Bob told Ted to get out of his way. Ted told Bob where to get off./ * /Mary laughed at Barbara's hairdo. Barbara told Mary where to head in./ Compare: TELL A THING OR TWO, TELL OFF.
[tell time] <v. phr.> To read a clock or watch. * /Although Johnny is only three years old, he is already able to tell time./
[tell you what] See: I'LL TELL YOU WHAT.
[temper] See: GOD TEMPERS THE WIND TO THE SHORN LAMB, HOLD ONE'S TEMPER or KEEP ONE'S TEMPER, LOSE ONE'S TEMPER.
[temperature] See: RUN A TEMPERATURE.
[tempest in a teapot] <n. phr.> Great excitement about something not important. * /Bess tore her skirt a little and made a tempest in a teapot./
[tempt fate] or [tempt the fates] <v. phr.> To take a chance; run a risk; gamble. * /You're tempting fate every time you drive that old wreck of a car./
[ten] See: DIME STORE or FIVE-AND-TEN, COUNT TO TEN.
[ten-four?] <v. phr.>, <interrog.>, <slang>, <citizen's band radio jargon> Do you understand? * /Is that a ten-four?/
[ten gallon hat] <n.>, <informal> A tall felt hat with a wide, rolled brim worn by men in the western part of the U.S. * /Men from the southwest usually wear ten gallon hats./
[ten roger] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <citizen's band radio jargon> I acknowledge. * /That's a ten roger./
[ten to one] or [two to one] <adv.> or <adj. phr.>, <informal> Almost certainly, nearly sure to be true; very likely to happen. * /Ten to one it will rain tomorrow./ * /It is ten; to one that Bill will be late./
[term] See: BRING TO TERMS, COME TO TERMS, IN SO MANY WORDS(2) or IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, IN TERMS OF.
[terror] See: HOLY TERROR.
[test] See: ROAD TEST, SCREEN TEST.
[tether] See: END OF ONE'S ROPE or END OF ONE'S TETHER.
[than] See: LESS THAN, LESS THAN NO TIME, MORE THAN.
[thank one's lucky stars] <v. phr.>, <informal> To be thankful for good luck; think oneself lucky. * /You can thank your lucky stars you didn't fall in the hole./
[thanks to] <prep.> 1. With the help of. * /Thanks to a good teacher, John passed the examination./ * /I finally finished washing the dishes, no thanks to you./ 2. Owing to; because of. * /Thanks to a sudden rain, the children came home with wet clothes./