subject for something—said of a person or thing to be dealt with in some way: Mental illness is not a subject for ridicule and at this time Frank deserves our sympathy. subject to something— 1. exposed to smth., usually damaging or unpleasant: Any group viewed as a threat to the rule of the Communist Party […]
Category: Confusing Phrases
Difference between Stumble across something and Stumble over something
stumble across something—find smth. by accident: Not too long after seeing the movie, I stumbled across the collection of short stories from which the movie got its start. stumble over something— 1. hit the foot against smth. and almost fall: The pony stumbled over a stone in the path, and unseated his rider. 2. say words […]
Difference between Strong man and Strong-arm man
strong man— 1. a man who publicly exhibits feats of great strength: He was the product of a union between the strong man of a traveling circus and the Chief Wardress at the Women’s Prison. 2. a man who exercises great political power: We got to get a strong man in the White House to […]
Difference between Strong arm and Strong hand
strong arm— 1. the use of superior power or physical force: He assured the people that any attempt at lawlessness would be put down with a strong arm. 2. (also: strong-arm man) a person employed as a bodyguard: He was a strong arm for bookies, collecting debts from people who had owed money for too […]
Difference between Strip film and Stripping film
strip film—a 35 mm film mounted vertically frame by frame for sequential projection: A still further object is to provide a multi-purpose machine, usable concurrently as a slide or strip film projector, an overhead projector, an opaque projector… stripping film— 1. thin paper or film used to correct tones in photographs: Strip Editor is a […]
Difference between Strike the bull’s eye and Strike the eye
strike the bull’s eye—(also: hit the bull’s-eye) 1. attain the intended object; succeed: We have some potentially good evidence, and we just haven’t been able to strike the bull’s eye yet. 2. guess the right thing; make a correct conjecture: In the test paper, as they compare notes, he seems to have almost struck the […]
Difference between Strike gold and Strike it rich
strike gold— 1. find gold: Andrew Prichard struck gold along the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River in 1881. 2. (Sport) win a gold medal in a competition: India’s women’s hockey team struck gold for the first time in the Commonwealth tournament. 3. become rich or successful, especially suddenly or unexpectedly: He struck gold […]
Difference between Strike for something and Strike over something
strike for something— 1. stop working for an employer in order to get more pay, better conditions, etc.: After the airlines show a profit again the unions will strike for higher wages. 2. fight for a cause: Cleomenes followed by a few friends rushed through the streets of Alexandria, exhorting the multitude to strike for freedom. […]
Difference between Strike at the root and Strike root
strike at the root—deal resolutely with the origin of a problem, difficulty, etc.: It is in forming such men and women that we can create a community of peace and justice and strike at the root of terrorism. strike root—(also: take root) become firmly established; be generally accepted: Therein lies perhaps the very virtue of […]
Difference between Strict in something and Strict on something
strict in something—careful and scrupulous in one’s principles, etc.: He was strict in punctuality, spiritual in language and phraseology, immaculate in appearance. strict on something—is used with reference to principles, etc. that one expects to be observed by others: The professor of that class was very strict on punctuality.
Difference between Stretch oneself and Stretch oneself out
stretch oneself—straighten the body and extend the arms, especially when a person yawns: The Jamaican stood up and stretched himself. “Glad you woke me, man,” he said. stretch oneself out—extend one’s legs and body in a straight line while lying: The room was enveloped in darkness. Kedar stretched himself out on the bed without turning […]
Difference between Street woman and Woman in the street
street woman—(euph.) a prostitute: So the brothels had been succeeded by houses of convenience, where street-women could rent a room. woman in the street—the ordinary woman; any woman selected at random: She had the political cynicism of the woman in the street.