[the ticket]{n.} Exactly what is needed. — Often used with "just". •/This airtight locker is just the ticket for storing your winter clothes./
[the tracks]{n.} The line between the rich or fashionable part of town and the poor or unfashionable part of town. •/The poor children knew they would not be welcome on the other side of the tracks./ •/Mary’s mother did not want her to date Jack, because he came from across the tracks./ — Often used in the expression "the wrong side of the tracks". •/The mayor was born on the wrong side of the tracks, but he worked hard and became successful./
[the whole way] See: ALL THE WAY.
[the wiser]{adj.} Knowing about something which might be embarrassing of knowing. — Usually used with "nobody" or "no one". •/Mary took the teacher’s book home by mistake, but early the next morning she returned it with nobody the wiser./
[the works]{n. plural}, {slang} 1. Everything that can be had or that you have; everything of this kind, all that goes with it. •/When the tramp found $100, he went into a fine restaurant and ordered the works with a steak dinner./ 1b. See: SHOOT THE WORKS. 2. Rough handling or treatment; a bad beating or scolding; killing; murder. — Usually used with "get" or "give". •/The boy said that Joe was going to get the works if he ever came back to that neighborhood again./ •/The newspaper gave the police department the works when they let the burglars get away./ •/The gangster told his friend he would give him the works if he double-crossed him./ Compare: THE BUSINESS.
[they] See: LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY.
[thick] See: BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER, LAY IT ON or LAY IT ON THICK, THROUGH THICK AND THIN.
[thicker] See: BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER.
[thin] See: INTO THIN AIR, OUT OF THIN AIR, SIT ON THIN ICE, SPREAD ONESELF TOO THIN, THROUGH THICK AND THIN, WEAR THIN.
[thing] See: A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING, DO ONE’S THING or DO ONE’S OWN THING, FIRST THINGS COME FIRST, FOR ONE THING, SEE THINGS, SURE THING, TAKE IT EASY or TAKE THINGS EASY, TELL A THING OR TWO.
[thing or two]{n. phr.}, {informal} 1. Facts not generally known, or not known to the hearer or reader; unusual or important information. •/Mary told Joan a thing or two about Betty’s real feelings./ 2. A lot; much. •/Bob knows a thing or two about sailing./ Compare: TELL A THING OR TWO.
[Things are looking up!] Informal way to say that conditions are improving. •/Things are looking up at our university as the governor promised a 5% salary raise./
[think] See: COME TO THINK OF IT.
[think a great deal of] or [think a lot of] also [think much of] {v. phr.} To consider to be very worthy, valuable, or important; to esteem highly. •/Mary thinks a great deal of Tim./ •/The teacher thought a lot of Joe’s project./ — The phrase "think much of" is usually used in negative sentences. •/Father didn’t think much of Paul’s idea of buying a goat to save lawn mowing./ Contrast: THINK LITTLE OF.
[think a lot of] See: THINK A GREAT DEAL OF.
[think aloud] or [think out loud] {v.} To say what you are thinking. •/"I wish I had more money for Christmas presents," Father thought aloud. "What did you say?" said Mother. Father answered, "I’m sorry. I wasn’t talking to you. I was thinking out loud."/
[think better of]{v.} To change your mind about; to consider again and make a better decision about. •/John told his mother he wanted to leave school, but later he thought better of it./ Compare: SECOND THOUGHT, THINK TWICE.
[Think big!]{v. phr.}, {informal} To believe in one’s ability, purpose, or power to perform or succeed. •/Be confident; be positive; tell yourself you are the greatest; above all, think big!/
[think fit] See: FIT.
[thinking cap] See: PUT ON ONE’S THINKING CAP.
[think little of]{v. phr.} Think that (something or someone) is not important or valuable. •/John thought little of Ted’s plan for the party./ •/Joan thought little of walking two miles to school./ Contrast: THINK A GREAT DEAL OF.
[think much of] See: THINK A GREAT DEAL OF.
[think nothing of]{v. phr.} To think or consider easy, simple, or usual. •/Jim thinks nothing of hiking ten miles in one day./
[think nothing of it]{v. phr.}, {informal} Used as a courteous phrase in replying to thanks. /"Thank you very much for your help." "Think nothing of it."/ Compare: YOU’RE WELCOME.
[think on one’s feet]{v. phr.} To think quickly; answer or act without waiting; know what to do or say right away. •/A good basketball player can think on his feet./ •/Our teacher can think on his feet; he always has an answer ready when we ask him questions./
[think out]{v.} 1. To find out or discover by thinking; study and understand. •/Andy thought out a way of climbing to the top of the pole./ Compare FIGURE OUT, WORK OUT. 2. To think through to the end; to understand what would come at last. •/Bill wanted to quit school, but he thought out the matter and decided not to./
[think out loud] See: THINK ALOUD.
[think over]{v.} To think carefully about; consider; study. •/When Charles asked Betty to marry him, she asked him for time to think it over./ •/Think over what we studied in history this year and write a lesson on the thing that interested you most./ Compare: MAKE UP ONE’S MIND, SEE ABOUT.
[think piece]{n.}, {slang} 1. The human brain. •/Lou’s got one powerful think piece, man./ 2. Any provocative essay or article that, by stating a strong opinion, arouses the reader to think about it and react to it by agreeing or disagreeing. •/That article by Charles Fenyvesi on Vietnamese refugees in the Washington Post sure was a think piece!/
[think tank]{n.} A company of researchers who spend their time developing ideas and concepts. •/The government hired a think tank to study the country’s need for coins, and was advised to stop making pennies./
[think twice]{v.} To think again carefully; reconsider; hesitate. •/The teacher advised Lou to think twice before deciding to quit school./ Compare: THINK BETTER OF.
[think up]{v.} To invent or discover by thinking; have a new idea of. •/Mary thought up a funny game for the children to play./
[third base]{n.} The base to be touched third in baseball. •/He reached third base standing up on a long triple./
[third class]{n.} 1. The third best or highest group; the class next after the second class. •/Mary won the pie-making contest in the third class, for the youngest girls./ 2. Mail that is printed, other than magazines and newspapers that are published regularly, and packages that are not sealed and weigh less than a pound. •/The company uses third class to mail free samples of soap./ 3. The least expensive class of travel. •/I couldn’t afford anything better than the third class on the ship coming home from France./ Compare: FIRST CLASS, SECOND CLASS.
[third-class(1)]{adj.} Belonging to the third class; of the third highest or best class. •/Much advertising is sent by third-class mall./ •/I bought a third-class airline ticket to Hawaii./
[third-class(2)]{adv.} By third class. •/How did you send the package? Third class./ •/We traveled third-class on the train./
[third degree]{n. phr.} A method of severe grilling used to extract information from an arrested suspect. •/"Why give me the third degree?" he asked indignantly. "All I did was come home late because I had a drink with my friends."/
[third sex]{n.}, {euphemism}, {slang}, {informal} Homosexual individuals who are either men or women. •/Billy is rumored to belong to the third sex./
[third world]{n.} 1. The countries not aligned with either the former U.S.S.R.-dominated Communist bloc or the U.S.A.-dominated capitalist countries. •/New Zealand made a move toward third country status when it disallowed American nuclear submarines in its harbors./ 2. The developing nations of the world where the industrial revolution has not yet been completed. •/Africa and the rest of the third world must be freed from starvation and illiteracy./
[this] See: OUT OF THIS WORLD.
[this and that] also [this, that, and the other] {n. phr.} Various things; different things; miscellaneous things. •/When the old friends met they would talk about this and that./ •/The quilt was made of this, that, and the other./
[this, that, and the other] See: THIS AND THAT.
[this is how the cookie crumbles] or [that’s how the cookie crumbles] {v. phr.}, {informal} That’s how things are; that’s life. •/It’s too bad about John and Mary getting divorced, but then that’s how the cookie crumbles./
[thither] See: HITHER AND THITHER.
[thorn in the flesh] or [thorn in one’s side] {n. phr.} Something that causes stubborn trouble; a constant bother; a vexation. •/The new voter organization soon became the biggest thorn in the senator’s side./ •/The guerrilla band was a thorn in the flesh of the invaders./
[though] See: AS IF or AS THOUGH.
[thought] See: FOOD FOR THOUGHT, PENNY FOR ONE’S THOUGHTS, PERISH THE THOUGHT, SECOND THOUGHT.
[thousand] See: BY THE DOZEN or BY THE THOUSAND.
[thrash out]{v. phr.} To discuss fully; confer about something until a decision is reached. •/They met to thrash out their differences concerning how to run the office./
[thread] See: HANG BY A THREAD.
[threat] See: TRIPLE THREAT.
[three-ring circus]{n.} A scene of much confusion or activity. •/The street was a three-ring circus of cars, people, noise, and lights./ •/It is a three-ring circus to watch that silly dog play./
[three sheets in the wind] or [three sheets to the wind] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Unsteady from too much liquor; drunk. •/The sailor came down the street, three sheets in the wind./
[thrill one to death] or [pieces] See: TICKLE PINK.
[throat] See: CUT ONE’S THROAT, FLY AT ONE’S THROAT, JUMP DOWN ONE’S THROAT, LUMP IN ONE’S THROAT, RAM DOWN ONE’S THROAT and SHOVE DOWN ONE’S THROAT.
[through a hoop] See: JUMP THROUGH A HOOP.
[through and through]{adv.} Completely; entirely; whole-heartedly. •/Bob was a ball player through and through./ •/Mary was hurt through and through by Betty’s remarks./ Compare: OUT-AND-OUT.
[through hell and high water] See: HELL AND HIGH WATER.
[through one’s hat] See: TALK THROUGH ONE’S HAT.
[through one’s head] See: GET THROUGH ONE’S HEAD.
[through one’s mind] See: CROSS ONE’S MIND or PASS THROUGH ONE’S MIND.
[through one’s paces] See: PUT THROUGH ONE’S PACES.
[through street]{n.} 1. A street on which cars can move without stopping at intersections, but cars on streets crossing it have to stop at the intersection. •/You have to be especially careful crossing a through street./ •/Mr. Jones stopped his car when he came to the through street. He waited until there were no cars on it, and drove across it./ Contrast: STOP STREET. 2. A street that is open to other streets at both ends; a street that has a passage through it, so that it is not necessary to come back to get out of it. •/We thought we could get through to Main St. by going up a side street but there was a sign that said "Not a through street."/
[through the mill]{adv. phr.} 1. Experienced. •/You could tell immediately that the new employee had been through the mill./ 2. Through real experience of the difficulties of a certain way of life. •/Poor Jerry has had three operations in one year, and now he’s back in the hospital. He’s realty gone through the mill./ Compare: GO THROUGH HELL AND HIGH WATER, COME HELL OR HIGH WATER.
[through the motions] See: GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS.
[through the nose] See: PAY THROUGH THE NOSE.
[through thick and thin]{adv. phr.} Through all difficulties and troubles; through good times and bad times. •/The friends were faithful through thick and thin./ •/George stayed in college through thick and thin, because he wanted an education./
