[explain oneself] <v. phr.> 1. To make your meaning plainer; make your first statement clear. * /When we didn't understand Fritz, he went on to explain himself./ 2. To give a good reason for something you did or failed to do which seems wrong. * /When Jack brought Mary home at three o'clock in the morning, her father asked him to explain himself./
[explode a bombshell] <v. phr.>, <informal> To say something startling; suggest or show something astonishing or shocking, * /The police exploded a bombshell when they arrested the kindly old banker for stealing money from the bank./ * /The principal exploded a bombshell by cancelling the dance as a penalty./ * /Political leaders exploded a bombshell when they picked the young lawyer to run for mayor./
[express oneself] <v. phr.> To say what you think or feel; put your thoughts or feelings into words by speaking or writing. * /The boy expressed himself well in debate./ * /The mayor expressed himself as opposed to any borrowing./
[extend one's sympathy to] <v. phr.> To offer one's condolences on the occasion of a death or similarly tragic event. * /All of Tom's colleagues extended their sympathy to him when his wife and daughter were killed in a car accident./
[eye] See: APPLE OF ONE'S EYE, BAT AN EYE or BAT AN EYELASH, BELIEVE ONE'S EYES, CATCH ONE'S EYE, CLEAR-EYED, CLOSE ONE'S EYES or SHUT ONE'S EYES, EYES OPEN, EYE OUT, EYE TO, FEAST ONE'S EYES ON, FOUR-EYES, GET THE EYE, GIVE THE EYE, GREEN-EYED MONSTER, HALF AN EYE, HAVE AN EYE ON, HAVE EYES ONLY FOR, HIT BETWEEN THE EYES, IN ONE'S MIND'S EYE, IN THE PUBLIC EYE, KEEP AN EYE ON or KEEP ONE'S EYE ON, KEEP ONE'S EYES PEELED or KEEP ONE'S EYES SKINNED, LAY EYES ON or SET EYES ON, LOOK IN THE EYE, MAKE EYES AT, MEET ONE'S EYE, MISTY-EYED or DEWEY-EYED, ONE EYE ON, OPEN ONE'S EYES or OPEN UP ONE'S EYES, OUT OF THE CORNER OF ONE'S EYE, PULL THE WOOL OVER ONE'S EYES, SEE EYE TO EYE, SHUT-EYE, SIGHT FOR SORE EYES, STARS IN ONE'S EYES, ROUND-EYED or WIDE-EYED also LARGE-EYED, PRIVATE EYE, TO THE EYE, UP TO THE CHIN IN or UP TO THE EYES IN, WEATHER EYE.
[eyebrow] See: RAISE EYEBROWS.
[eye-catcher] <n.> Something that strongly attracts the eye. See: CATCH ONE'S EYE. * /That new girl in our class is a real eye-catcher./
[eye-catching] See: CATCH ONE'S EYE.
[eye-filling] <adj.>, <literary> Attractive to the eye; beautiful; especially grand; splendid; majestic. * /The mountains in the distance were an eye-filling sight./
[eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth] A blow or injury should be given back as hard as each one that is received; every crime or injury should be punished or paid back. * /In ancient times if a man's eye was put out by his enemy, he might get revenge by putting his enemy's eye out. This was the rule of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."/ Sometimes used in a short form. * /Churches today teach that we should forgive people who hurt us, not follow the rule of "an eye for an eye."/ (From the old command in the Bible meaning when you pay back a person, you should not hurt him more than he hurt you.) Compare: DOG EAT DOG, GIVE AS GOOD AS ONE GETS, TIT FOR TAT.
[eye-opener] See: OPEN ONE'S EYES.
[eye out] Careful watch or attention; guard. - Used after "keep", "have" or "with". * /Keep an eye out. We're close to Joe's house./ Usually used with "for". * /Mary has her eye out for bargains./ * /They went through the woods very quietly, with an eye out for Indians./ Compare: LOOK OUT(2), ON GUARD, ON THE ALERT, ON THE WATCH.
[eyes are bigger than one's stomach] <informal> You want more food than you can eat. * /Annie took a second big helping of pudding, but her eyes were bigger than her stomach./ * /"Your eyes are bigger than your stomach," mother told little Tommy when he piled up food on his plate./
[eye shadow] <n. phr.> A cream used to darken the eyelids in order to make the eyes more noticeable. * /Jane's mother told her that girls in the ninth grade shouldn't be using eye shadow./
[eyes in the back of one's head] <n. phr.>, <informal> Ability to know what happens when your back is turned. * /Mother must have eyes in the back of her head, because she always knows when I do something wrong./
[eyes open] 1. Careful watch or attention; readiness to see. Usually used with "for". * /Keep your eyes open for a boy in a red cap and sweater./ * /The hunter had his eyes open for rabbits./ * /They drove on with their eyes open for a gas station./ Syn.: EYE OUT, KEEP ONE'S EYES PEELED. 2. Full knowledge; especially of consequences; understanding of what will or might result. - Used with "have" or "with". * /Automobile racing is dangerous. Bob went into it with his eyes open./ * /Betty had her eyes open when she got married./ Contrast: CLOSE ONE'S EYES.
[eyes pop out] <informal> (You) are very much surprised. - Used with a possessive noun or pronoun. * /Mary's eyes popped out when her mother entered her classroom./ * /When Joan found a clock radio under the Christmas tree, her eyes popped out./
[eye teeth] See: CUT ONE'S EYE TEETH ON at CUT TEETH(2).
[eye to] 1. Attention to. - Usually used with "have" or "with". * /Have an eye to spelling in these test papers./ 2. Plan for, purpose of. - Usually used with "have" or "with". * /Save your money now with an eye to the future./ * /John is going to college with an eye to becoming a lawyer./
F
[face] See: BLUE IN THE FACE, CUT OFF ONE'S NOSE TO SPITE ONE'S FACE, FLY IN THE FACE OF, HATCHET FACE, HIDE ONE'S FACE, IN ONE'S FACE, IN THE FACE OF, LONG FACE, LOOK IN THE EYE or LOOK IN THE FACE, MAKE A FACE, ON THE FACE OF IT, SAVE FACE, SET ONE'S FACE AGAINST, SHOOT OFF ONE'S MOUTH or SHOOT OFF ONE'S FACE, SHOW ONE'S FACE, SLAP IN THE FACE, STARE IN THE FACE, STRAIGHT FACE, THROW IN ONE'S FACE, TO ONE'S FACE.
[face down] <v. phr.> To get the upper hand over someone by behaving forcefully; disconcert someone by the displaying of great self-assurance. * /The night guard faced down the burglar by staring him squarely in the face./ Contrast: FACE UP.
[face lift] <n. phr.> 1. A surgical procedure designed to make one's face look younger. * /Aunt Jane, who is in her seventies, had an expensive face lift and now she looks as if she were 40./ 2. A renovation, a refurbishing. * /Our house needs a major face lift to make it fit in with the rest of the neighborhood./
[face-saver], [face-saving] See: SAVE FACE.
[face the music] <v. phr.>, <informal> To go through trouble or danger, especially because of something you did; accept your punishment. * /The boy was caught cheating in an examination and had to face the music./ * /The official who had been taking bribes was exposed by a newspaper, and had to face the music./ * /George knew his mother would cry when he told her, but he decided to go home and face the music./ Compare: MAKE ONE'S BED AND LIE IN IT, PAY THE PIPER, TAKE ONE'S MEDICINE.
[face-to-face] <adv. phr.> 1. With your face looking toward the face of another person; each facing the other. * /Turning a corner, he found himself face-to-face with a policeman./ * /The two teams for the spelling bee stood face-to-face on opposite sides of the classroom./ * /The church and the school stand face-to-face across the street./ 2. In the presence of another or others. * /She was thrilled to meet the President face-to-face./ * /I have heard about him, but I never met him face-to-face./ Compare: IN PERSON. 3. To the point where you must do something. - Used with "with". * /The solution of the first problem brought him face-to-face with a second problem./ Compare: UP AGAINST.
[face-to-face] <adj.> Being in the presence of a person; being right with someone. * /The British prime minister came to Washington for a face-to-face meeting with the President./
[face up to] <v. phr.> 1. To bravely confront a person or a challenge; admit. * /Jack doesn't want to face up to the fact that Helen doesn't love him anymore./ * /Jane cannot face up to her mother-in-law who always wins every argument they have./ 2. To confess something to someone; confess to having done something. * /Jim had to face up to having stolen a sweater from the department store./ Contrast: FACE DOWN.
[face value] <n.> 1. The worth or price printed on a stamp, bond, note, piece of paper money, etc. * /The savings bond had a face value of $25./ 2. The seeming worth or truth of something. * /She took his stories at face value and did not know he was joking./
[faced with] <adj. phr.> Confronted with. * /We were all faced with the many wars that broke out in the wake of the collapse of communism./
[fact] See: IN FACT, MATTER-OF-FACT.
[facts of life] <n. phr.> 1. The truth which we should know about sex, marriage, and births. * /His father told him the facts of life when he was old enough./ 2. The truths one learns about people and their good and bad habits of life, work or play. * /As a cub reporter he would learn the facts of life in the newspaper world./
[fade back] <v.> To back away from the line before passing in football. * /The quarterback is fading back to pass./ Compare: DROP BACK.
[fail] See: WITHOUT FAIL.
[fail to do] <v. phr.> To neglect to do something that is expected of one. * /Tom waited for Jane for nearly an hour, but she failed to show up./
[fair] See: BID FAIR, PLAY FAIR.
[fair and square] <adv. phr.>, <informal> Without cheating; honestly. * /He won the game fair and square./
[fair catch] <n.> A catch of a kicked football by a player after he holds up his hand to show that he will not run with the ball. * /He saw that he would not be able to run with the ball, so he signalled for a fair catch./
[fair-haired boy] <n.>, <informal> A person that gets special favors; favorite; pet. * /If he wins the election by a large majority, he will become his party's fair-haired boy./ * /The local boy playing first base could do no wrong; he was the fair-haired boy of the fans./ * /Charles was a good student and behaved very well; he became the teacher's fair-haired boy./
[fair play] <n.> Equal and right action (to another person); justice. * /The visiting team did not get fair play in the game./ * /The judges decided against Bob, but he said that he had gotten fair play./ * /Sally's sense of fair play made her a favorite with her classmates./
[fair sex] <n. >, <informal> Women in general; the female sex. * /"Better not use four-letter words in front of a member of the fair sex," Joe said./
[fair shake] <n.>, <informal> Honest treatment. * /Joe has always given me a fair shake./
[fair-weather friend] <n.> A person who is a friend only when you are successful. * /Everyone knows that John's only a fair-weather friend./
[fairy godmother] <n.> 1. A fairy believed to help and take care of a baby as it grows up. 2. A person who helps and does much for another. * /The rich man played fairy godmother to the boys and had a baseball field made for them./ * /Jane was a fairy godmother to her poorer friends./
[fairy tale] or [story] <n.> An inaccurate, even false account of something; a result of wishful thinking. * /Jeff said he was going to be promoted soon, but we all suspect that it is only one of his customary fairy tales./
[faith] See: GOOD FAITH, ON FAITH.
[fall] See: BOTTOM DROP OUT or BOTTOM FALL OUT, RIDING FOR A FALL.
[fall all over] <v. phr.>, <informal> To show too much love or thanks toward (someone). * /She must love him. Every time you see them, she's falling all over him./ * /When Bob found the lady's ring and returned it, she fell all over him./
[fall asleep at the switch] <v. phr.> To fail to perform an expected task; be remiss in one's duty. * /The two airplanes wouldn't have collided, if the control tower operator hadn't fallen asleep at the switch./ * /The dean promised our department $250,000 but the foundation never sent the money because someone in the dean's office fell asleep at the switch./