wise as a Christian—(of an animal) intelligent: Then he rubbed Feenish, the mare, all over, and instantly she became as wise as a Christian, and knew every word that was said to her. wise as Solomon—having good judgment; very shrewd: In some of the divorce cases one would need to be as wise as Solomon to […]
Category: Confusing Phrases
Wind in the head vs Windmills in the head
wind in the head— 1. vain imagination or conceit: He has probably got wind in the head through living in that gorgeous Gothic pagoda. 2. unpredictability or flippancy in behavior: “Wind in the head,” the servants called it. But it was but the natural consequence of the state of mental and bodily idleness in which […]
Wind-break vs Wind-breaker
wind-break—a clump of trees, fence, etc. which gives protection against the wind: The pine trees acted as a wind-break for the solitary house set a hundred yards lower down. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the compound wind-broken—(also: broken-winded) used of a horse that has impaired breathing: The road was climbing fairly […]
Win over someone vs Win someone over
win over someone— 1. (also: win out over someone) prevail upon a person in a contest, etc.: In New Hampshire, pro-life Congressman John Sununu won over his pro-abortion opponent. 2. win smb.’s favor: The “new economic regime” is dressed up in anti-capitalist garb to make it capable of winning over the masses. win someone over […]
Widow’s man vs Widow-man
widow’s man —(hist.) a fictitious seaman on a ship’s papers, whose pay was credited to a widows’ pension fund: I went everywhere about the ship…. At last, one of them answered that it was no use looking for him as Cheeks was a widow’s man. widow-man—a widower: Her father came here soon after she was […]
Wide open vs Widely open
wide open— 1. fully open: The living areas are very spacious with comfortable sofas and wide open doors welcoming in a fresh breeze and bright light. 2. (Boxing ) fully exposed; unprotected: Summers in an unguarded moment, left himself wide open and encountered one of the most decisive knock-out punches I ever saw. 3. vulnerable; off […]
Whole lot vs Whole lot
whole lot, a—a great amount or number: They did a whole lot of proving flights over the route before they put it into regular operation. whole lot, the—the total number or quantity: A net is put round a school of tuna, the base is closed and the whole lot hauled on board.
Who ever vs Whoever
who ever—is used as a more emphatic variant of “who”: Who ever would have thought it would be so difficult to get people to support a charity?! whoever—no matter who; anyone who: Whatever and whoever takes the credit becomes largely irrelevant when the quality of the material is this good.
White slave vs White-collar slave
white slave—a white girl procured for prostitution purposes, especially when brought to a foreign country: The conference was attended by representatives of the International Migration Organization and countries supplying white slaves. white-collar slave—(derog.) an office employee who works hard and continuously: You’re an adult now and are on your way to being a powerless pseudo […]
White negro vs White nigger
white negro— 1. a person with black ancestry who has a pale or albino complexion: He was one of that peculiar class called Albinos, or white negroes. 2. (U.S. dated sl., derog.) a white who defends the rights or interests of Black people: Both Clarksons were counted among the activists whom Pitt in a rare […]
White marriage vs White wedding
white marriage—a marriage union without sexual relations: Maybe I should have written that the union of Bill Paxon and Susan Molinari was rumored to be a “white marriage.” white wedding— 1. used with reference to the white color of the wedding dress symbolizing purity and innocence: Mine was a white wedding too. In fact, my […]
White girl vs white lady
white girl—(U.S. Drug users) cocaine: When she gets to college and doesn’t fit in with either white or black students, she turns instead to the cocaine (nicknamed White Girl). white lady— 1. cocktail made of gin, orange liqueur and lemon juice: He indicated a cocktail cabinet and proceeded to mix two “White Ladies.” 2. (Austral. […]