[tough nut to crack] See: HARD NUT TO CRACK.
[tough row to hoe] See: HARD ROW TO HOE.
[tough shit] <n. phr.>, <vulgar>, <avoidable> See: HARD CHEESE, TOUGH LUCK.
[tough sledding] See: HARD SLEDDING.
[tourist trap] See: CLIP JOINT.
[to use] See: PUT TO USE.
[tow] See: IN TOW.
[towel] See: THROW IN THE SPONGE or THROW IN THE TOWEL.
[tower of strength] <n. phr.> Someone who is strong, helpful, and sympathetic, and can always be relied on in times of trouble. * /John was a veritable tower of strength to our family while my father was in the war and my mother lay ill in the hospital./
[town] See: GO TO TOWN, ON THE TOWN, PAINT THE TOWN RED.
[town and gown] <n.> The residents of a college town and the students and teachers of the college. * /The senator made a speech attended by both town and gown./ * /There were fights between town and gown./
[toy with an] or [the idea] <v. phr.> To consider an idea or an offer periodically without coming to a decision. * /He was toying with the idea of accepting the company's offer of the vice presidency in Tokyo, but he was unable to decide./
[to your hat] See: HANG ON TO YOUR HAT or HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT.
[trace] See: KICK OVER THE TRACES also JUMP THE TRACES.
[track] See: COVER ONE'S TRACKS, IN ONE'S TRACKS, INSIDE TRACK, JUMP THE TRACK, KEEP TRACK, LOSE TRACK, MAKE TRACKS, OFF THE BEATEN TRACK, ON THE TRACK OF, THE TRACKS.
[track down] <v.> To find by or as if by following tracks or a trail. * /The hunters tracked down game in the forest./ * /She spent weeks in the library tracking the reference down in all their hooks on the subject./ Compare: HUNT DOWN.
[trade] See: CARRIAGE TRADE, HORSE TRADE, TRICKS OF THE TRADE.
[trade in] <v.> To give something to a seller as part payment for another thing of greater value. * /The Browns traded their old car in on a new one./ Syn.: TURN IN(3).
[trade-in] <n.> Something given as part payment on something better. * /The dealer took our old car as a trade-in./ - Often used like an adjective. * /We cleaned up the car at trade-in time./
[trade on] <v.> To use as a way of helping yourself. * /The coach traded on the pitcher's weakness for left-handed batters by using all his southpaws./ * /The senator's son traded on his father's name when he ran for mayor./
[trading stamp] <n.> One of the stamps that you get (as from a store or gas station) because you buy something there; a stamp you get with a purchase and save in special books until you have enough to take to a special store and trade for something you want. * /Mother always buys things in stores where they give trading stamps./
[trail] See: BLAZE A TRAIL, ON THE TRACK OF or ON THE TRAIL OF.
[trail-blazer] See: BLAZE A TRAIL.
[trap] See: MIND LIKE A STEEL TRAP, SAND TRAP, SPEED TRAP.
[travel light] <v. phr.> To travel with very little luggage or with very little to carry. * /Plane passengers must travel light./ * /Tom and Fred traveled light on their camping trip./
[tread on the toes of] or [tread on one's toes] See: STEP ON THE TOES OF or STEP ON ONE'S TOES.
[tread water] <v. phr.> To keep the head above water with the body in an upright position by moving the feet as if walking. * /He kept afloat by treading water./
[treat] See: TRICK OR TREAT.
[tree] See: BARK UP THE WRONG TREE, CAN'T SEE THE WOOD FOR THE TREES, UP A TREE.
[trembling] See: FEAR AND TREMBLING.
[trial] See: ON TRIAL.
[trial and error] <n.> A way of solving problems by trying different possible solutions until you find one that works. * /John found the short circuit by trial and error./ * /The only way Tom could solve the algebra problem was by the method of trial and error./
[trial balloon] <n.> A hint about a plan of action that is given out to find out what people will say. * /John mentioned the class presidency to Bill as a trial balloon to see if Bill might be interested in running./ * /The editorial was a trial balloon to test the public's reaction to a change in the school day./
[trice] See: IN A FLASH also IN A TRICE.
[trick] See: DO THE TRICK, TURN THE TRICK.
[trick of the trade] <n. phr.>, <usually in plural>, <informal> 1. A piece of expert knowledge; a smart, quick, or skillful way of working at a trade or job. * /Mr. Olson spent years learning the tricks of the trade as a carpenter./ * /Any one can learn how to hang wallpaper, but only an expert can show you the tricks of the trade./ 2. A smart and sometimes tricky or dishonest way of doing something in order to succeed or win. * /The champion knows all the tricks of the boxing trade; he knows many ways to hurt his opponent and to get him mixed up./
[trick or treat] <n.> The custom of going from house to house on Halloween asking for small gifts and playing tricks on people who refuse to give. * /When Mrs. Jones answered the doorbell, the children yelled "Trick or treat." Mrs. Jones gave them all some candy./ * /On Halloween Bill and Tom went out playing trick or treat./
[trigger] See: QUICK ON THE TRIGGER.
[trigger happy] See: QUICK ON THE TRIGGER(1).
[triple threat] <n.> A football player who is able to pass, kick, and run all very well. * /The triple threat halfback was the star of the team./
[tripped out] <adj.>, <slang>, <informal> Incoherent, confused, faulty of speech, illogical; as if under the influence of drugs or alcohol. * /It was hard to make sense of anything Fred said yesterday, he sounded so tripped out./ See: SPACED OUT.
[trip up] <v.> 1. To make (someone) unsteady on the feet; cause to miss a step, stumble, or fall. * /A root tripped Billy up while he was running in the woods, and he fell and hurt his ankle./ 2. To cause (someone) to make a mistake. * /The teacher asked tricky questions in the test to trip up students who were not alert./
[trolley] See: OFF ONE'S ROCKER or OFF ONE'S TROLLEY.
[trot out] <v. phr.> To bring out for inspection; display. * /Don't mention compact disks to Joe, or he'll trot out his entire collection and we'll be stuck here all night./
[trouble] See: BORROW TROUBLE, GO TO THE TROUBLE or TAKE THE TROUBLE.
[troubled waters] See: POUR OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS.
[trousers] See: WEAR THE TROUSERS.
[trowel] See: LAY IT ON.
[truck] See: PANEL TRUCK.