wash one’s hands of someone/something v a nitro This file was edited using the Buy now at www-nitropdf.cor walk on thin Ice Fg. to be in a very precarious position. LI Care- ful with radical ideas like that. You’re walking on thin ice. walk the plank Fig. to suffer punishment at the hand of someone. (Fig. on the image of pirates making their blindfolded captives die by walking off the end of a plank jutting out over the open sea.) O Fred may think he can make the members of my depart- ment walk the plank, but we will fight back. walk through sth Fig. to rehearse something in a casual way; to go through a play or other performed piece, showing where each person is to be located during each speech or musical number. O Let’s walk through this scene one more time. waltz around sth Fig. to move around or through a place happily or proudly. 0 Who is that person waltzing around, trying to look important? warm body Inf. a person; just any person (who can be counted on to be present). LI See if you can get a couple of warm bodies to stand at the door and hand out programs. warm the cockles of so's heart Fig. to make someone feel warm and happy. 0) Hearing that old song again warmed the cockles of her heart. warts and all Cliché in spite of the flaws. O It’s a great perfor- mance—warts and all. wash one’s hands of so/sth Fig. to end one’s association with some- one or something. (Fig. on the notion of getting rid of a prob- lem by removing it as if it were dirt on the hands.) 0 I washed my hands of Tom. I wanted no more to do with him. 233wash over someone it, This file was edited using the ni ro Buy now at www.nitropdf.cor wae The wrecksti:fit#hiture in here is just a waste of space. watch so/sth like a hawk Fig. to watch someone or something very closely. (Hawks have very good eyesight and watch carefully for prey.) 1 The teacher didn’t trust me. During tests, she used to watch me like a hawk. water over the dam ano water under the bridge Fig. past and unchangeable events. O Your quarrel with Lena is water over the dam, so you ought to concentrate on getting along with her. O George and I were friends once, but that’s all water under the bridge now. water under the bridge Go to previous. wax angry anv wax wroth Fig. to speak in anger and with indig- nation. 0 Seeing the damage done by the careless children caused the preacher to wax wroth at their parents. wax eloquent Fig. to speak with eloquence. 0 Perry never passed up a chance to wax eloquent at a banquet. wax poetic Fig. to speak poetically. 0 I hope you will pardon me if I wax poetic for a moment when I say that your lovely hands drift across the piano keys like swans on the lake. wax wroth Go to wax angry. We all gotta go sometime. Inf We all must die sometime. (As jocular as possible.) O Sorry to hear about old Bubba, but we all gotta go sometime. the weak link (in the chain) Fig. the weak point or person ina teralizations about the system or organization. 0 Joan’s has f argument. economy were definitely the weak li 234What someone said. v a nitro This file was edited using the x Buy‘now at Www-nitropdf.cor weu up il years Cupri. aged; old. LI janes husoand ts Well Up In years. He is nearly 75. well-fixed Go to next. well-heeled anv well-fixed; well-off Fig. wealthy; with suffi- cient money. 0 My uncle can afford a new car. He’s well-heeled. well-off Go to previous. a wet blanket Fig. a dull or depressing person who spoils other people’s enjoyment. 1 Jack’s fun at parties, but his brother’s a wet blanket. whale the tar out of so Inf. to spank or beat someone. 0 I’ll whale the tar out of you when we get home if you don’t settle down. What can I say? Inf. I have no explanation or excuse. What do you expect me to say? 0 Bob: You're going to have to act more aggressive if you want to make sales. You're just too timid. Tom: What can I say? I am what I am. What can | tell you? Inj. I haven’t any idea of what to say. (Com- pare this with What can | say?) 0 John: Why on earth did you do a dumb thing like that? Bill: What can I tell you? I just did it, that’s all. What | wouldn't give for a sth! I would give anything for some- thing. 0 What I wouldn’t give for a cold drink about now. What so said. S/. I agree with what someone just said, although I might not have been able to say it as well or so elegantly. 0 What John said. And I agree 100 percent. 235What you see is what you get. V = nitro This file was edited using the Vv Buy,now at www.nitropdf.cor What's the catch? S/. What is the drawback?; It sounds good, but are there any hidden problems? 0 Sounds too good to be true. What's the catch? What's the damage? S/. What are the charges?; How much is the bill? O Bill: That was delicious. Waiter, what's the damage? Waiter: T'll get the check, sir. What's the world coming to? There are too many changes, and they are all bad. 0) Look at how people speed down this street now. What's the world coming to? wheel and deal Fig. to take part in clever (but sometimes dis- honest or immoral) business deals. 0 Jack got tired of all the wheeling and dealing of big business and retired to a farm out west. when the chips are down Fig. at the final, critical moment; when things really get difficult. 0 When the chips are down, I know that I can depend on Jean to help out. when the dust settles 1. Fig. when the dust falls out of the air onto the ground or floor. 0 When the dust settles, we will have to begin sweeping it up. 2. Fig. when things have calmed down. (Fig. on @.) O When the dust settles, we can start patching up all the hurt feelings. where so’s head is at Inf. the state of one’s mental well-being. 0 As soon as I figure where my head is at, I’ll be okay. where one is coming from Fig. one’s point of view. OI think I know what you mean. I know where you’re coming from. where the rubber meets the road Fig. at the point in a process where there are challenges, issues, or problems. 0 Now we have 236the whole shebang a nitro This file was edited using the Vv Buy now at www.nitropdf.cor confronted him. a whipping boy Fig. someone who is punished for someone else’s misdeeds. 0 The president has turned out to be the whipping boy for his party. whistle in the dark Inf. to guess aimlessly; to speculate as to a fact. O She was just whistling in the dark. She has no idea of what’s going on. white knuckle sth Fig. to survive something threatening through strained endurance, that is to say, holding on tight. 0 The flight from New York was terrible. We had to white knuckle the entire flight. white-collar Fig. of the class of salaried office workers or lower- level managers. 0 His parents were both white-collar employees and had good-paying jobs. whole bag of tricks Fig. everything; every possibility. 0 Well now. I’ve used my whole bag of tricks, and we still haven't solved this. the whole enchilada Inf. the whole thing; everything. (From Spanish.) O Nobody, but nobody, ever gets the whole enchilada. the whole kit and caboodle Inf. a group of pieces of equipment or belongings. (The word caboodle is used only in this expres- sion.) (1 When I bought Bob’s motor home, I got furniture, refrig- erator, and linen—the whole kit and caboodle. the whole shebang Inf. everything; the whole thing. 0 Mary’s all set to give a fancy dinner party. She’s got a fine tablecloth, good crys- tal, and silverware, the whole shebang. 237the whole wide world u a * nitro This file was edited using the Buy now at www.nitropdf.cor 2. Fig. inadequate; far trom what 1s required or expected. (*lyp- ically: be ~; fall ~.) O Jane’s efforts were sincere, but wide of the mark. a wide place in the road Inf. a very small town. 0 The town is little more than a wide place in the road. a wild-goose chase a worthless hunt or chase; a futile pursuit. 0 I wasted all afternoon on a wild-goose chase. will be the death of so/sth (yet) Fig. [the thing named] will be the end or ruin of someone or something. 0 This job will be the death of me! O These rough roads will be the death of these tires. a window of opportunity Fig. a brief time period in which an opportunity exists. 0 This afternoon, I had a brief window of opportunity when I could discuss this with the boss, but she wasn’t receptive. window-shopping Fig. the habit or practice of looking at goods in shop windows or stores without actually buying anything. 0 Mary and Jane do a lot of window-shopping in their lunch hour, looking for things to buy when they get paid. wine and dine so Fig. to treat someone to an expensive meal of the type that includes fine wines; to entertain someone lavishly. O The lobbyists wined and dined the senators one by one in order to influence them. winner take all Fig. a situation where the one who defeats others takes all the spoils of the conflict. O The contest was a case of winner take all. There was no second place or runner-up. wishful thinking Fig. believing that something is true or that something will happen just because one wishes that it were true 238