tough nut to crack—(also: hard nut to crack) 1. a difficult person to deal with: Meggie was going to be a tough nut to crack and he couldn’t afford to frighten her. 2. a difficult problem or task to undertake: Getting them all here on time will be a tough nut to crack. tough row to […]
Category: Confusing Phrases
Tough cookie vs Tough cookies
tough cookie —(sl.) an unyielding person who is difficult to deal with: He’s a real tough cookie and you know it. tough cookies —(sl., parenthetical) too bad; very unfortunate (also: tough bananas): If you give the wrong answer, well, tough cookies, you have to move backward.
Touch something vs Touch upon something
touch something— 1. put the hand or finger upon smth. so as to feel it: As his hand touched the surface of the mirror, it rippled like the water in a pond. He drew his hand back, startled. 2. (cause to) be in contact with smth.: Scientific information on the Martian atmosphere was gathered even before […]
Touch and go vs Touch and goes
touch and go—said of a very uncertain or critical situation: The day after the operation was touch-and-go. The patient needed a tremendous amount of fluid… touch and goes—(RAF) landing and immediate take-off as part of the training for pilots: Touch and goes proved fairly simple; power on, flaps up produced almost spontaneous response with a […]
Top ten vs Upper ten
top ten—the highest ranking music items, goods, etc. on a ten-point scale: Pet foods come sixth in the consumer top ten. Baby food lags way behind. upper ten—the upper social classes; the aristocrats: The upper ten still send their children to Eton or Harrow.
Top line vs Up line
top line— 1. the uppermost line of text: A special machine, an “interpreter,” can be used to read the cards and print their contents on the top line. 2. the head item on a bill of entertainment: His duets with Miss Muriel George have reached a top-line position on the halls. 3. headline of a […]
Too many chiefs and not enough Indians vs Too many cooks spoil the broth
too many chiefs and not enough Indians —(saying ) there are too many bosses and not enough people to do the work: “Too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” In some cases that’s what we are seeing in high-tech industry today. too many cooks spoil the broth—(saying ) when too many people try to manage […]
Toad in a hole vs Toad in the hole
toad in a hole—meat or sausages baked in paste: It looks more like fish-in-a-pond than toad-in-a-hole: you forgot to turn the oven on. toad in the hole— 1. = toad in a hole: To serve, cut the toad in the hole into sections with one or two sausages in each. 2. a game in which […]
To the nines vs To the nth degree
to the nines—to perfection (mainly in matters of dress): This time, Mrs. Bassett was dressed to the nines in a fashionable frock of black chiffon and a black velvet picture hat. to the nth degree—to the utmost; to the highest degree: True, the situations Mrs. Connelly causes are frustrating to the nth degree, but I […]
To the day vs To this day
to the day— 1. (of time measured in days) exactly: “How long will you take to finish?” “I can’t tell you to the day, but between two and three weeks should be sufficient.” 2. up until the day: From the day we arrived in Italy to the day we left Athens, we had a tour […]
To the bone vs To the bone of one’s back
to the bone— 1. to the inmost part; completely: She was English to the bone and so naturally loved puzzles and intellectual entertainments. 2. (coll., of prices) reduce as much as possible: We’ve cut our prices to the bone, and still the public aren’t buying. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the […]
To taste vs To the taste
to taste —(in recipes) in the amount preferred: Combine the cottage cheese with the egg and season to taste with salt. to the taste— 1. said of the particular sensation in the tongue: The malt is decidedly sweeter to the taste then the original barley. 2. to a person’s liking: Her neck and all about […]