[wear] See: IF THE SHOE FITS - WEAR IT, WASH AND WEAR, WORSE FOR WEAR.
[wear and tear] <n. phr.> Deterioration through use. * /After 75,000 miles there is usually a lot of wear and tear on any car./
[wear away] See: WEAR DOWN.
[wear blinders] or [blinkers] <v. phr.> To refuse or be unable to consider alternative ways of thinking or acting. * /Anybody who disputes the importance of learning languages is wearing blinders./
[wear down], [wear off] or [wear away] <v.> 1. To remove or disappear little by little through use, time, or the action of weather. * /Time and weather have worn off the name on the gravestone./ * /The eraser has worn off my pencil./ * /The grass has worn away from the path near the house./ 2. To lessen; become less little by little. * /The people went home as the excitement of the fire wore off./ * /John could feel the pain again as the dentist's medicine wore away./ 3. To exhaust; tire out, win over or persuade by making tired. * /Mary wore her mother down by begging so that she let Mary go to the movies./ Compare: DIE OUT.
[wear on] <v.> 1. To anger or annoy; tire. * /Having to stay indoors all day long is tiresome for the children and wears on their mother's nerves./ 2. To drag on; pass gradually or slowly; continue in the same old way. * /Johnny tried to wait up for Santa Claus but as the night wore on, he couldn't keep his eyes open./ * /As the years wore on, the man in prison grew old./ * /The boys' quarrel wore on all afternoon./
[wear one's heart on one's sleeve] also [pin one's heart on one's sleeve] <v. phr.> To show your feelings openly; show everyone how you feel; not hide your feelings. * /She wears her heart on her sleeve. It's easy to see if she is sad or happy./ * /Sometimes it is better not to pin your heart on your sleeve./ Compare: OPEN ONE'S HEART.
[wear out] <v.> 1a. To use or wear until useless. * /Bobby got a toy truck that would run on a battery, and he used it so much that he soon wore it out./ * /The stockings are so worn out that they can't be mended any more./ Compare: GIVE OUT(4), USE UP. 1b. To become useless from use or wear. * /The old clock finally wore out./ * /One shoe wore out before the other./ 2. or [tire out] To make very tired; weaken. * /The children played inside when it rained, and they soon wore out their mother./ * /When Dick got home from the long walk, he was all worn out./ - Often used with "oneself". * /Don't wear yourself out by playing too hard./ Compare: GIVE OUT(4). 3. To make by rubbing, scraping, or washing. * /The waterfall has worn out a hole in the stone beneath it./
[wear out one's welcome] <v. phr.>, <informal> To visit somewhere too long or come back too often so that you are not welcome any more. * /The Smith children have worn out their welcome at our house because they never want to go home./ * /This hot weather has worn out its welcome with us./
[wear the trousers] or [wear the pants] <v. phr.>, <informal> To have a man's authority; be the boss of a family or household. * /Mr. Wilson is henpecked by his wife; she wears the trousers in that family./ * /Mrs. Jones talks a lot but Mr. Jones wears the pants in their house./ Compare: RULE THE ROOST.
[wear thin] <v.> 1. To become thin from use, wearing, or the passing of time. * /My old pair of pants has worn thin at the knees./ * /This old dime has worn very thin./ 2. To grow less, or less interesting; decrease. * /The joke began to wear thin when you heard it too many times./ * /The teacher's patience began to wear thin when he saw that no one knew the lesson./
[wear well] <v.> 1. To continue to be satisfactory, useful, or liked for a long time. * /My old overcoat has worn very well./ * /Their marriage has worn well./ * /That author wears well./ Compare: STAND UP(2). 2. To carry, accept, or treat properly or well. * /Grandfather wears his years well./ * /Tommy has won many honors but he wears them well./
[weasel out] <v. phr.> To renege on a previous promise; not keep an obligation for some not always straight reason. * /I'm so tired I think I am going to weasel my way out of going to that meeting this afternoon./
[weasel word] <n.>, <informal> A word which has more than one meaning and may be used to deceive others. * /When the thief was being questioned by the police, he tried to fool them with weasel words./
[weather] See: FAIR-WEATHER FRIEND.
[weather eye] <n.> 1. Eyes that can tell what the weather will be. * /Grandfather's weather eye always tells him when it will rain./ 2. Eyes ready or quick to see; careful watch. - Usually used in phrases like "keep a weather eye on", "open", or "out for". * /Mrs. Brown kept a weather eye on the children so they wouldn't hurt each other./ * /Keep a weather eye out for Uncle George at the store./ * /Keep a weather eye open for deer./ * /The police have a weather eye out for the robbers./ Compare: LOOK OUT.
[weather the storm] <v. phr.> To survive some disaster. * /When Peter and Sue started their business they had very little money, but in a year they weathered the storm./
[wedge] See: FLYING WEDGE.
[wedlock] See: BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK.
[wee hours] The crack of dawn, or just before it, usually between 1 A.M. and 4 A.M. or 2 A.M. and 5 A.M. * /He stayed up all night when they were expecting their first child; finally, a boy was born in the wee hours of the morning./ Compare: SMALL HOURS.
[weeper] See: FINDERS KEEPERS or FINDERS KEEPERS LOSERS WEEPERS.
[weed out] <v.> 1. To remove what is unwanted, harmful, or not good enough from. * /Mother weeded out the library because there were too many books./ * /Many colleges and universities weed out their freshman classes to make room for better students./ 2. To take (what is not wanted) from a collection or group; remove (a part) for the purpose of improving a collection or group; get rid of. * /The coach is weeding out the weak players this week./ * /The teacher told Elizabeth to read over her English composition and weed out every sentence that was not about the subject./
[wee folk] or [little folk] or [little people] <n. phr.> Fairy people; brownies; elves; fairies; or goblins. * /Mother read me a story about the wee folk who lived in the forest and came out at night./ * /There are many stories about little people dancing in the moonlight./
[week in, week out] See: DAY IN, AND DAY OUT.
[week of Sundays] <n. phr.> A long time; seven weeks. * /I haven't seen them in a week of Sundays./
[weigh anchor] <v. phr.> To set sail; get going. * /After a week in Hawaii, we weighed anchor and sailed south toward Tahiti./
[weigh down] also [weight down] 1. To make heavy; cause to go down or bend with weight; overload. * /The evergreens are weighed down by the deep snow./ - Often used with "with" or "by". * /There are so many children in the back seat that they are weighing down the back of the car./ 2a. To overload with care or worry; make sad or low in spirits. - Usually used in the passive. * /The family is weighed down by sorrow./ * /The company is weighed down by debt./ 2b. To make heavy, hard, or slow; make dull or uninteresting. - Often in the passive used with "by" or "with". * /The book is weighted down with footnotes./ * /The TV program is weighed down by commercials./
[weigh in] <v.> 1a. To take the weight of; weigh. * /The man at the airport counter weighed in our bags and took our plane tickets./ * /A doctor weighed in the wrestlers./ 1b. To have yourself or something that you own weighed. - Often used with "at". * /I weighed in at 100 pounds on the scale today./ * /We took our bags to the airport counter to weigh in./ 1c. To have yourself weighed as a boxer or wrestler by a doctor before a match. - Often used with "at". * /The champion didn't want to weigh in at more than 160 pounds./ 2. <slang> To join or interfere in a fight, argument, or discussion. * /We told Jack that if we wanted him to weigh in with his opinion we would ask him./ Compare: TAKE PART.
[weigh on] or [weigh upon] <v.> 1. To be a weight or pressure on; be heavy on. * /The pack weighed heavily on the soldier's back./ 2. To make sad or worried; trouble; disturb; upset. * /Sadness weighed on Mary's heart when her kitten died./ * /John's wrongdoing weighed upon his conscience./ * /The teacher's advice weighed upon Tom's mind./ 3. To be a burden to. * /His guilt weighed heavily upon him./
[weigh on one's mind] See: WEIGH ON(2).
[weigh one's words] <v. phr.> To choose your words carefully; be careful to use the right words. * /When a teacher explains about religion, he must weigh his words because his pupils may be of several different faiths./ * /When old Mr. Jones talked to the students about becoming teachers, he spoke slowly, weighing his words./ * /In a debate, a political candidate has little time to weigh his words, and may say something foolish./
[weight] See: PULL ONE'S WEIGHT, SWING ONE'S WEIGHT, THROW ONE'S WEIGHT AROUND.
[weight down] See: WEIGH DOWN.
[weight of the world on one's shoulders] or [world on one's shoulders] or [world on one's back] <n. phr.> A very heavy load of worry or responsibility; very tired or worried behavior, as if carrying the world; behavior as if you are very important. * /Don't look as if you had the weight of the world on your shoulders, Henry, just because you have to mow the lawn./ * /John acts as if he were carrying the world on his back because he has a paper route./
[weigh upon] See: WEIGH ON.
[welcome] See: WEAR OUT ONE'S WELCOME.
[welcome mat] <n.> 1. A mat for wiping your shoes on, often with the word "welcome" on it, that is placed in front of a door. * /Mother bought a welcome mat for our new house./ 2. <informal> A warm welcome; a friendly greeting. - Used in such phrases as "the welcome mat is out" and "put out the welcome mat". * /Our welcome mat is always out to our friends./ * /Spread out the welcome mat, children, because Uncle Bill is visiting us tonight./ Syn.: LATCH STRING(2). Compare: ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET, WITH OPEN ARMS.
[welcome with open arms] See: WITH OPEN ARMS.
[well] See: ALL VERY WELL, AS WELL, AS WELL AS, HAIL FELLOW WELL MET, LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE, PLAY ONE'S CARDS RIGHT or PLAY ONE'S CARDS WELL, VERY WELL, WEAR WELL.
[well and good] <adj. phr.> Good; satisfactory. * /If my daughter finishes high school, I will call that well and good./ - Often used without a verb to show agreement or understanding. * /Well and good; I will come to your house tomorrow./ Compare: ALL RIGHT, ALL VERY WELL, VERY WELL.
[well-heeled] <adj.>, <slang> Wealthy; having plenty of money. * /Bob's father, who is well-heeled, gave him a sports car./ Compare: IN CLOVER, ON EASY STREET.
[well-off] <adj. phr.> 1. Rich. * /They may not be millionaires, but they are sufficiently well-off./ 2. In good condition; free of problems or difficulties./ * /He is pleased that his business is well-off./
[well put] <adj. phr.> Well expressed or defined. * /His remarks about too much violence on television were extremely well put./
[well-to-do] <adj.> Having or making enough money to live comfortably; prosperous. * /John's father owns a company and his family is well-to-do./ - Often used with "the" like a plural noun. * /This is the part of town where the well-to-do live./ Compare: IN THE LAP OF LUXURY, IN THE CHIPS, ON EASY STREET.
[wet] See: ALL WET, GET ONE'S FEET WET, MAD AS A WET HEN, WRINGING WET.
[wet behind the ears] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Not experienced; not knowing how to do something; new in a job or place. * /The new student is still wet behind the ears; he has not yet learned the tricks that the boys play on each other./ Compare: DRY BEHIND THE EARS.
[wet blanket] <n.>, <informal> A person or thing that keeps others from enjoying life. * /The teenagers don't invite Bob to their parties because he is a wet blanket./ * /The weatherman throws a wet blanket on picnic plans when he forecasts rain./ Compare: CREPE HANGER.
[wet one's whistle] <v. phr.>, <slang> To have a drink, especially of liquor. * /Uncle Willie told John to wait outside for a minute while he went in to the cafe to wet his whistle./
[whack] See: OUT OF WHACK.
[whale away] <v.>, <informal> 1. To beat or hit hard; strike again and again. - Often used with "at". * /The boxer is whaling away at his opponent with both fists./ 2. To attack severely or again and again; go on without stopping or with great force; pound away. * /Mary has been whaling away on the typewriter for an hour./ - Often used with "at". * /During the election the Mayor whaled away at the other party in his speeches./
[whale the --- out of] See: BEAT THE --- OUT OF.
[what] See: COME WHAT MAY, GET WHAT'S COMING TO ONE, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED, SO WHAT.
[what about] <interrog.> 1. About or concerning what; in connection with what. - Often used alone as a question. * /"I want to talk to you." "What about?"/ Compare: WHAT FOR. 2. See: WHAT OF IT. 3. See: HOW ABOUT.
[what about that] See: HOW ABOUT THAT.
[What a pity!] How unfortunate! What a shame! * /What a pity that he couldn't join us on our Hawaiian trip./
[what for(1)] <interrog.> For what reason; why? * /I told Mary what I was going to town for./ * /What are you running for?/ - Often used alone as a question. * /Billy's mother told him to wear his hat. "What for?" he asked./ Compare: HOW COME.
[what for(2)] <n. phr.>, <informal> A scolding, or other punishment. - Usually used with "get" or "give". * /Tom got what for from his father for answering him rudely, and I heard him crying in the house./ * /The teacher gave me what for because I was late./
[what have you] or [what not] <n. phr.>, <informal> Whatever you like or want; anything else like that. * /The store sells big ones, small ones, medium ones, or what have you./ * /We found suits, coats, hats and what not in the closet./ Syn.: AND SO FORTH.
[what if] What would, or will, happen if; what is the difference if; suppose that. * /What if you go instead of me?/ * /What if we paint it red. How will it look?/ * /"You can't go now" said mother. "What if I do?" Dick asked./ * /What if Jack scores a touchdown?/
[what is what] See: WHAT'S WHAT.
[what of it] or [what about it] <interj.>, <informal> What is wrong with it; what do you care. * /Martha said "That boy is wearing a green coat." Jan answered, "What of it?"/ * /"John missed the bus." "What of it?"/ Syn.: SO WHAT.
[what not] See: WHAT HAVE YOU.
[what's cooking] See: WHAT'S UP.
[what's doing] See: WHAT'S UP..
[what's sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander] What goes for the one, also goes for the other. - A proverb. * /If Herb gets a speeding ticket, so should Erica, who was right behind him; after all, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander./
[what's the big idea] or [what's the idea] <informal> What is the purpose; what do you have in mind; why did you do that; what are you doing; how dare you. - Often used to question someone or something that is not welcome. * /The Smith family painted their house red, white, and blue. What's the big idea?/ * /What's the idea of coming in here after I told you not to?/ * /I heard you are spreading false rumors about me, what's the big idea?/
