wise men of Gotham—(UK ironic) fools; simpletons: “I would pay no attention,” I replied, “to the wishes of those few wise men of Gotham who would arbitrate this matter.” Note: The expression is unrelated in meaning to the phrase Gotham City—(U.S.) a nickname for New York City: I figured the one place he’d never find […]
Category: Confusing Phrases
Wise in something vs Wise to something
wise in something—showing wisdom and good judgment in smth.: He was very wise in his rulings and tried to govern all his people equally and fairly. wise to something—informed about smth.; being aware of smth.: I’m wise to the fact that he [comedian] dips in the Farmers’ Almanac for his comedy stuff.
Wise guy vs Wise man
wise guy —(derog.) an impudent person who parades his knowledge; smb. disagreeably self-assertive: He got what he deserved this time. I believe he has learned his lesson and will not be such a wise guy in the future. wise man— 1. a man of good judgment: A man who knows a little bit of the […]
Wise as a Christian vs Wise as Solomon
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 […]
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 […]