[thing or two] <n. phr.>, <informal> 1. Facts not generally known, or not known to the hearer or reader; unusual or important information. * /Mary told Joan a thing or two about Betty's real feelings./ 2. A lot; much. * /Bob knows a thing or two about sailing./ Compare: TELL A THING OR TWO.
[Things are looking up!] Informal way to say that conditions are improving. * /Things are looking up at our university as the governor promised a 5% salary raise./
[think] See: COME TO THINK OF IT.
[think a great deal of] or [think a lot of] also [think much of] <v. phr.> To consider to be very worthy, valuable, or important; to esteem highly. * /Mary thinks a great deal of Tim./ * /The teacher thought a lot of Joe's project./ - The phrase "think much of" is usually used in negative sentences. * /Father didn't think much of Paul's idea of buying a goat to save lawn mowing./ Contrast: THINK LITTLE OF.
[think a lot of] See: THINK A GREAT DEAL OF.
[think aloud] or [think out loud] <v.> To say what you are thinking. * /"I wish I had more money for Christmas presents," Father thought aloud. "What did you say?" said Mother. Father answered, "I'm sorry. I wasn't talking to you. I was thinking out loud."/
[think better of] <v.> To change your mind about; to consider again and make a better decision about. * /John told his mother he wanted to leave school, but later he thought better of it./ Compare: SECOND THOUGHT, THINK TWICE.
[Think big!] <v. phr.>, <informal> To believe in one's ability, purpose, or power to perform or succeed. * /Be confident; be positive; tell yourself you are the greatest; above all, think big!/
[think fit] See: FIT.
[thinking cap] See: PUT ON ONE'S THINKING CAP.
[think little of] <v. phr.> Think that (something or someone) is not important or valuable. * /John thought little of Ted's plan for the party./ * /Joan thought little of walking two miles to school./ Contrast: THINK A GREAT DEAL OF.
[think much of] See: THINK A GREAT DEAL OF.
[think nothing of] <v. phr.> To think or consider easy, simple, or usual. * /Jim thinks nothing of hiking ten miles in one day./
[think nothing of it] <v. phr.>, <informal> Used as a courteous phrase in replying to thanks. /"Thank you very much for your help." "Think nothing of it."/ Compare: YOU'RE WELCOME.
[think on one's feet] <v. phr.> To think quickly; answer or act without waiting; know what to do or say right away. * /A good basketball player can think on his feet./ * /Our teacher can think on his feet; he always has an answer ready when we ask him questions./
[think out] <v.> 1. To find out or discover by thinking; study and understand. * /Andy thought out a way of climbing to the top of the pole./ Compare FIGURE OUT, WORK OUT. 2. To think through to the end; to understand what would come at last. * /Bill wanted to quit school, but he thought out the matter and decided not to./
[think out loud] See: THINK ALOUD.
[think over] <v.> To think carefully about; consider; study. * /When Charles asked Betty to marry him, she asked him for time to think it over./ * /Think over what we studied in history this year and write a lesson on the thing that interested you most./ Compare: MAKE UP ONE'S MIND, SEE ABOUT.
[think piece] <n.>, <slang> 1. The human brain. * /Lou's got one powerful think piece, man./ 2. Any provocative essay or article that, by stating a strong opinion, arouses the reader to think about it and react to it by agreeing or disagreeing. * /That article by Charles Fenyvesi on Vietnamese refugees in the Washington Post sure was a think piece!/
[think tank] <n.> A company of researchers who spend their time developing ideas and concepts. * /The government hired a think tank to study the country's need for coins, and was advised to stop making pennies./
[think twice] <v.> To think again carefully; reconsider; hesitate. * /The teacher advised Lou to think twice before deciding to quit school./ Compare: THINK BETTER OF.
[think up] <v.> To invent or discover by thinking; have a new idea of. * /Mary thought up a funny game for the children to play./
[third base] <n.> The base to be touched third in baseball. * /He reached third base standing up on a long triple./
[third class] <n.> 1. The third best or highest group; the class next after the second class. * /Mary won the pie-making contest in the third class, for the youngest girls./ 2. Mail that is printed, other than magazines and newspapers that are published regularly, and packages that are not sealed and weigh less than a pound. * /The company uses third class to mail free samples of soap./ 3. The least expensive class of travel. * /I couldn't afford anything better than the third class on the ship coming home from France./ Compare: FIRST CLASS, SECOND CLASS.
[third-class(1)] <adj.> Belonging to the third class; of the third highest or best class. * /Much advertising is sent by third-class mall./ * /I bought a third-class airline ticket to Hawaii./
[third-class(2)] <adv.> By third class. * /How did you send the package? Third class./ * /We traveled third-class on the train./
[third degree] <n. phr.> A method of severe grilling used to extract information from an arrested suspect. * /"Why give me the third degree?" he asked indignantly. "All I did was come home late because I had a drink with my friends."/
[third sex] <n.>, <euphemism>, <slang>, <informal> Homosexual individuals who are either men or women. * /Billy is rumored to belong to the third sex./
[third world] <n.> 1. The countries not aligned with either the former U.S.S.R.-dominated Communist bloc or the U.S.A.-dominated capitalist countries. * /New Zealand made a move toward third country status when it disallowed American nuclear submarines in its harbors./ 2. The developing nations of the world where the industrial revolution has not yet been completed. * /Africa and the rest of the third world must be freed from starvation and illiteracy./
[this] See: OUT OF THIS WORLD.
[this and that] also [this, that, and the other] <n. phr.> Various things; different things; miscellaneous things. * /When the old friends met they would talk about this and that./ * /The quilt was made of this, that, and the other./
[this, that, and the other] See: THIS AND THAT.
[this is how the cookie crumbles] or [that's how the cookie crumbles] <v. phr.>, <informal> That's how things are; that's life. * /It's too bad about John and Mary getting divorced, but then that's how the cookie crumbles./
[thither] See: HITHER AND THITHER.
[thorn in the flesh] or [thorn in one's side] <n. phr.> Something that causes stubborn trouble; a constant bother; a vexation. * /The new voter organization soon became the biggest thorn in the senator's side./ * /The guerrilla band was a thorn in the flesh of the invaders./
[though] See: AS IF or AS THOUGH.
[thought] See: FOOD FOR THOUGHT, PENNY FOR ONE'S THOUGHTS, PERISH THE THOUGHT, SECOND THOUGHT.
[thousand] See: BY THE DOZEN or BY THE THOUSAND.
[thrash out] <v. phr.> To discuss fully; confer about something until a decision is reached. * /They met to thrash out their differences concerning how to run the office./
[thread] See: HANG BY A THREAD.
[threat] See: TRIPLE THREAT.
[three-ring circus] <n.> A scene of much confusion or activity. * /The street was a three-ring circus of cars, people, noise, and lights./ * /It is a three-ring circus to watch that silly dog play./
[three sheets in the wind] or [three sheets to the wind] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Unsteady from too much liquor; drunk. * /The sailor came down the street, three sheets in the wind./
[thrill one to death] or [pieces] See: TICKLE PINK.
[throat] See: CUT ONE'S THROAT, FLY AT ONE'S THROAT, JUMP DOWN ONE'S THROAT, LUMP IN ONE'S THROAT, RAM DOWN ONE'S THROAT and SHOVE DOWN ONE'S THROAT.
[through a hoop] See: JUMP THROUGH A HOOP.
[through and through] <adv.> Completely; entirely; whole-heartedly. * /Bob was a ball player through and through./ * /Mary was hurt through and through by Betty's remarks./ Compare: OUT-AND-OUT.
[through hell and high water] See: HELL AND HIGH WATER.
[through one's hat] See: TALK THROUGH ONE'S HAT.