Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 891 taper off - to come to an end little by little, to become smaller toward the end The rain began to taper off early in the afternoon. tar and feather (someone) - to punish someone severely The teacher said that she would tar and feather anyone who did not do their homework. tarred with the same brush - to have the same good or bad points (usually used for bad points) as someone else The boy was tarred with the same brush because his friends were some of the worst students in the school. a taste of (something) - an experience of something, an example of something I was able to get a taste of playing tennis while I was on my holiday. a taste of things to come - a sample of the events that are to occur in the future The tax increase was a taste of things to come with the new government. tax-and-spend - spending freely and taxing heavily The government has a tax-and-spend attitude that many people do not like. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 892 teach one's grandmother to suck eggs - to try to tell someone with more knowledge than yourself how to do something Showing the computer expert how to solve the computer problem was like teaching my grandmother to suck eggs. teach (someone) a lesson - to get even with someone for their bad behavior I plan to teach my friend a lesson for not telephoning me to cancel our appointment. teacher's pet - the teacher's favorite student My sister was always the teacher's pet when she was in school. team up with (someone) - to join with someone I teamed up with a good friend to try and raise money for the concert series. tear down (someone) - to say bad things about someone, to criticize someone The audience tore down the speaker after he finished his lecture. tear down (something) - to take something down, to destroy something The city decided to tear down the building because it was unsafe. tear into (someone or something) - to criticize and scold someone, to attack someone or something The supervisor tore into the employee for being late. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 893 tear off - to leave or depart in a great hurry The boy suddenly decided to tear off when school was over. tear one's hair out - to be anxious/frustrated/angry The family members are tearing their hair out as they wait for news of their lost son. tear up (someone) - to cause someone much grief The criminal activities of her son are tearing up the mother. tear up (something) - to tear something up into small pieces The child tore up the new telephone book. teething problems/troubles - difficulties and problems experienced in the early stages of a project/activity Our new business is having many teething problems that we are trying to solve. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 894 tell Idioms tell apart (two things or people) - to distinguish between two things or people It is hard to tell the two sisters apart. tell it like it is - to be honest/sincere, to tell the truth Our boss decided to tell it like it is when he began to talk about the future of the company. tell it to the marines/Sweeney - I do not believe you, stop trying to fool me My friend said that she was going to start her own business but I told her to tell it to the marines as I did not believe her. tell on (someone) - to reveal the activities or wrongdoings of someone by telling others The girl told on her brother for eating the cake. tell (someone) a thing or two - to scold someone, to express one's anger to someone The woman became angry and decided to tell her neighbor a thing or two. tell (someone) off - to speak angrily or complain to someone We told our neighbors off after their music was too loud last night. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 895 tell (someone) to his or her face - to tell something to someone directly I plan to tell my friend to his face about the problems that he has caused. tell (someone) where to get off - to scold someone, to express one's anger to someone I told the man where to get off when he complained about our noise for no reason. tell time - to report the correct time, to be able to read time from a clock or watch The child is only now learning to tell time. . a tempest in a teapot - great excitement about something that is not very important The problem was a tempest in a teapot and after a few days everyone forgot about it. ten-four - I understand you. "Ten-four," the man said when his friend asked him if he understood the plan. tenterhooks - to be in a state of suspense or strain because of uncertainty We have been on tenterhooks all week while we wait for the decision from the court. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 896 thank one's lucky stars - to be thankful for one's good luck I thanked my lucky stars that I was not hurt in the car accident. thankful for small blessings - to be grateful for any small benefits or advantages that one has I am always thankful for small blessings when I think of the health of my friends and family. thanks to (someone or something) - owing to someone or something Thanks to my friend I will not have to do as much work as I had thought. That's all she wrote. - that is all "That's all she wrote," I said when I told my friend about the instructions from our boss. that will be the day - something will probably never happen "That will be the day when you are in charge of managing the restaurant." then and there - right at that time and place Our teacher told us then and there that she would not permit our behavior. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 897 thick - to be dumb, to be unreasonable My colleague is a little thick and never understands what I want to say. thick-skinned - to be not easily upset or hurt, to be insensitive The salesman is thick-skinned and is never bothered when he loses a sale or receives criticism. thin on top - to be balding The manager of our apartment building is a little thin on top. thin-skinned - to be easily upset or hurt, to be too sensitive My friend is very thin-skinned and is easily bothered by what other people say. think Idioms think a lot/great deal/highly/much of (someone or something) - to like or think well of someone or something My grandmother thinks a lot of her grandchildren. think back on (someone or something) - to remember and think about someone or something in one's past When I think back on my school days I always remember my favorite teacher. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 898 think better of (doing something) - to think about something again and make a better decision regarding it I would think better of going to Europe in the winter if I ever go there again. think inside the box - to think in a traditional way using old ideas/rules/practices Most people in our company think inside the box and there are few new ideas. think little of (someone or something) - to think that someone or something is not important or valuable The woman is not very happy and she seems to think little of the people she works with. think nothing of (something) - to not worry or be concerned about something When my friend goes out he thinks nothing of spending most of his money at one time. think on one's feet - to think/reason/plan while one is talking My boss can think on her feet and she can easily handle most problems. think out loud - to say out loud what one is thinking "I am sorry. I was thinking out loud." Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 899 think out (something) - to think something through to the end I have not thought out where I will put my new sofa. think outside the box - to think freely not using old ideas/rules/practices The consultant told us to think outside the box if we wanted to rebuild our company. think over (something) - to consider something carefully I carefully thought over my plans before talking to my supervisor. think (someone or something) fit for (something) - to believe that someone or something is suitable for something Everybody thinks that the man is fit for the job that he has been assigned to do. think the world of (someone or something) - to be very fond of someone or something The woman thinks the world of the little girl who lives next door. think twice about (something) - to think very carefully about something "You should think twice before you quit your job." think up (an excuse/idea) - to invent or create an excuse or idea Our boss has thought up many interesting ideas for our company. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 900 . (the) third degree - detailed questioning The boy's mother gave him the third degree when he came home late last night. thirst/thirsty for (something) - a craving or desire for something The woman thirsts for the life that she was previously living. The young boy is thirsty for knowledge. a thorn in (someone's) side - a constant bother or annoyance to someone The reporter is a thorn in the politician's side. thrash (something) out - to discuss something thoroughly and solve any problems We spent most of the meeting thrashing the new plan out. thread (one's way) through (something) - to make a path for oneself through a crowded area The shopping mall was crowded but we were able to thread our way through the many people. three sheets to the wind - to be unsteady from drinking too much alcohol, to be drunk I saw my neighbor walking down the street last night but he seemed to have three sheets to the wind. . Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 894 tell Idioms tell apart (two things or people) - to distinguish between two things or people It is hard to tell the two sisters apart. tell it like it is - to be honest/sincere,. into the employee for being late. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 893 tear off - to leave or depart in a great hurry The boy suddenly decided to tear off when school was over. tear one's. their homework. tarred with the same brush - to have the same good or bad points (usually used for bad points) as someone else The boy was tarred with the same brush because his friends