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[wouldn’t put it past one]{v. phr.} To think that someone is quite capable or likely to have done something undesirable or illegal. •/Congressman Alfonso is insisting that he didn’t violate congressional ethics, but knowing both his expensive habits and his amorous escapades, many of us wouldn’t put it past him that he might have helped himself to funds illegally./
[wrack] See: GO TO WRACK AND RUIN.
[wrap] See: UNDER WRAPS.
[wrap one around one’s finger] See: TWIST ONE AROUND ONE’S LITTLE FINGER.
[wrapped up in]{adj. phr.} Thinking only of; interested only in. •/John has no time for sports because he is all wrapped up in his work./ •/Mary was so wrapped up in her book she didn’t hear her mother calling her./ •/Jean is so wrapped up in herself, she never thinks of helping others./ •/Mrs. Brown gave up her career because her life was all wrapped up in her children./ Compare: IN A WORLD OF ONE’S OWN (2b).
[wrap up] or [bundle up] {v. phr.} 1. To put on warm clothes; dress warmly. •/Mother told Mary to wrap up before going out into the cold./ 2. {informal} To finish (a job). •/Let’s wrap up the job and go home./ 3. {informal} To win a game. •/The Mets wrapped up the baseball game in the seventh i
[wreak havoc with]{v. phr.} To cause damage; ruin something. •/His rebellious attitude is bound to wreak havoc at the company./
[wrench] See: THROW A MONKEY WRENCH.
[wringing wet] adj. Wet through and through; soaked; dripping. •/He was wringing wet because he was caught in the rain without an umbrella./ •/He was wringing wet after working in the fields in the hot sun./
[write home about]{v. phr.} To become especially enthusiastic or excited about; boast about. — Often used after "to". •/Mary’s trip to the World’s Fair was something to write home about./ •/Joe did a good enough job of painting but it was nothing to write home about./ •/"That was a di
[write off]{v. phr.} 1. To remove (an amount) from a business record; cancel (a debt); accept as a loss. •/If a customer dies when he owes the store money, the store must often write it off./ Compare: CHARGE OFF. 2. To accept (a loss or trouble) and not worry anymore about it; forget. •/Mr. Brown had so much trouble with the new TV set that he finally wrote it off and bought a new one./ •/Jim’s mistake cost him time and money, but he wrote it off to experience./ Compare: CHARGE OFF(2). Contrast: CHALK UP(2). To say that (something) will fail or not be good; believe worthless. •/Just because the boys on the team are young, don’t write the team off./ Compare: COUNT OUT.
[write-off]{n.} A loss. •/This last unfortunate business venture of ours is an obvious write-off./
[writer’s cramp]{n.} Pain in the fingers or hand caused by too much writing. •/Holding your pencil too tightly for too long often gives you writer’s cramp./ Often used humorously to stress the idea that you have been doing a lot of writing./ •/By the time Mary finished her Christmas cards she complained of writer’s cramp./
[writer’s block]{n. phr.} A condition of being unable to write; a period when the words just won’t come. •/One of the more common problems writers occasionally experience is a writer’s block that may last a shorter or a longer time./ •/They say that the reason for Ernest Hemingway’s suicide was a severe and seemingly endless writer’s block./
[write-up]{n.} A report or story in a newspaper or magazine. •/There was a write-up of the accident in the newspaper./ •/I read an interesting write-up about the President in a new magazine./
[write up]{v.} 1. To write the story of; describe in writing; give a full account of. •/Reporters from many newspapers are here to write up the game./ •/The magazine is writing up the life of the President./ 2. To put something thought or talked about into writing; finish writing (something). •/John took notes of what the teacher said in class and he wrote them up when he got home./ •/The author had an idea for a story when he saw the old house, and he wrote it up later./
[writing] or [handwriting on the wall] {n. phr.}, {literary} A warning; a message of some urgency. •/"This nuclear plant is about to explode, I think," the chief engineer said. "We’d better get out of here in a hurry, the handwriting is on the wall."/
[wrong] See: BARK UP THE WRONG TREE, BET ON THE WRONG HORSE, GET OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT, GET UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED, IN THE WRONG, LAUGH ON THE WRONG SIDE OF ONE’S MOUTH, RUB THE WRONG WAY.
[wrong side of the tracks] See: THE TRACKS.
[wrought up] See: WORKED UP.
X
[x-double minus]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Extremely poorly done, bad, inferior (said mostly about theatrical or musical performances). •/Patsy gave an x-double minus performance at the audition and lost her chance for the lead role./
[X marks the spot] An indication made on maps or documents of importance to call attention to a place or a feature of some importance. •/The treasure hunter said to his companion, "Here it is; X marks the spot."/
[x-rated]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Pertaining to movies, magazines, and literature judged pornographic and therefore off limits for minors. •/My son celebrated his 21st birthday by going to an x-rated movie./
[x-raying machine]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Speed detection device by radar used by the police. •/The smokies are using the x-raying machine under the bridge!/
Y
[yak-yak] or [yakety-yak] or [yakib-yak] {n.}, {slang} Much talk about little things; talking all the time about unimportant things. •/Tom sat behind two girls on the bus and he got tired of their silly yak-yak./
[year] See: ALONG IN YEARS or ON IN YEARS.
[year in, year out] See: DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
[year-round] or [year-around] {adj.} Usable, effective, or operating all the year. •/Colorado is a year-round resort; there is fishing in the summer and skiing in the winter./
[yellow around the gills] See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.
[yellow-bellied]{adj.}, {slang} Extremely timid, cowardly. •/Joe Be
[yellow journalism]{n. phr.} Cheap and sensational newspaper writing; inflammatory language designed to stir up popular sentiment against another country. •/Yellow journalism is hardly ever truly informative./
[yellow-livered]{adj.} Cowardly. •/The young boy greatly resented being called yellow-livered and started to fight right away./
[yeoman service]{n. phr.} Help in time of need; serviceable and good assistance. •/Sam was pressed into yeoman service in organizing our a
[yes-man]{n.}, {informal} A person who tries to be liked by agreeing with everything said; especially, someone who always agrees with a boss or the one in charge. •/John tries to get ahead on his job by being a yes-man./