[through train]{n. phr.} A direct train that doesn’t necessitate any changes. •/We’ll take the through train from Chicago to New York because it’s the most convenient./
[throw] See: FREE THROW, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULD NOT THROW STONES.
[throw a curve]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. To mislead or deceive someone; to lie. •/John threw me a curve about the hiring./ 2. To take someone by surprise in an unpleasant way. •/Mr. Weiner’s announcement threw the whole company a curve./
[throw a fit] See: HAVE A FIT.
[throw a monkey wrench] or [throw a wrench] {v. phr.}, {informal} To cause something that is going smoothly to stop. •/The game was going smoothly until you threw a monkey wrench into the works by fussing about the rules./ •/The Michigan tacklers threw a wrench into the Wisconsin team’s offense./ •/He hoped to see the class plan fail and looked for a chance to throw a wrench in the machinery./
[throw a party]{v. phr.}, {informal} To hold a party; have a party. •/The club is throwing a party in the high school gym Saturday night./ •/The Seniors threw a masquerade party on Halloween./
[throw a punch]{v. phr.} To strike at someone with your fist; hit; punch. •/Bob became so mad at Fred that he threw a punch at him./ •/The bell rang and the boxers started throwing punches./ Compare: TAKE A PUNCH AT.
[throw away]{v.} 1. To get rid of as unwanted or not needed; junk. •/Before they moved they threw away everything they didn’t want to take with them./ •/I never save those coupons; I just throw them away./ Syn.: THROW OUT. 2. To waste. •/The senator criticized the government for throwing away billions on the space program./ 3. To fail to make use of. •/She threw away a good chance for a better job./
[throw a wet blanket] See: WET BLANKET.
[throw caution to the winds] also [throw discretion to the winds] {v. phr.} To be daring; make a bold or risky move. •/Hearing that Apaches were planning to start a war, the whites decided to throw caution to the winds and attack the Apaches first./
[throw cold water on] also [dash cold water on] or [pour cold water on] {v. phr.} To discourage; say or do something to discourage. •/We had high hopes of victory but our opponents soon threw cold water on them./ •/Henry’s father threw cold water on his plans to go to college by saying he could not afford it./
[throw a loop] See: KNOCK FOR A LOOP.
[throw down the gauntlet]{v. phr.} To challenge, especially to a fight. •/Another candidate for the presidency has thrown down the gauntlet./
[throw for a loss]{v. phr.} 1. To tackle a member of the opposing football team behind the place where his team had the ball at the beginning of the play; push the other team back so that they lose yardage in football. •/The Blues' quarterback ran back and tried to pass, but before he could, the Reds' end threw him for a loss./ Compare: LOSE GROUND. 2. {informal} To surprise or shock (someone); upset; make worry greatly; cause trouble. •/It threw Jim for a loss when he failed the test./ •/Mr. Simpson was thrown for a loss when he lost his job./ Compare: KNOCK FOR A LOOP, SET BACK ON ONE’S HEELS.
[throw in]{v.} 1. To give or put in as an addition; to give to or with something else. •/John threw in a couple of tires when he sold Bill his bicycle./ •/Mary and Tess were talking about the prom, and Joan threw in that she was going with Fred./ Compare: FOR GOOD MEASURE. 2. To push into operating position. •/Mr. Jones threw in the clutch and shifted the gears./
[throw light on] See: CAST LIGHT ON, SHED LIGHT ON.
[throw something in one’s face] or [throw something in one’s teeth] {v. phr.} To blame a person for (something wrong); not allow someone to forget (a mistake or failure). — Often used with "back". •/Bob came home late for dinner last week, and his mother keeps throwing it back in his face./ •/I made a mistake in the ball game and the boys keep throwing it back in my teeth./ Compare: IN ONE’S FACE.
[throw in one’s lot with] or {literary} [cast in one’s lot with] {v. phr.} To decide to share or take part in anything that happens to; join. •/The thief decided to throw in his lot with the gang when he heard their plans./ •/Washington was rich, but he decided to cast in his lot with the colonies against Britain./ •/When Carl was old enough to vote, he threw in his lot with the Democrats./ Syn.: JOIN FORCES.
[throw in the sponge] or [throw up the sponge] or [throw in the towel] {v. phr.}, {informal} To admit defeat; accept loss. •/After taking a beating for five rounds, the fighter’s seconds threw in the sponge./ •/When Harold saw his arguments were not being accepted, he threw in the towel and left./ Syn.: GIVE UP.
[throw off]{v.} 1. To get free from. •/He was healthy enough to throw off his cold easily./ Compare: RID OF. 2. To mislead; confuse; fool. •/They went by a different route to throw the hostile bandits off their track./ 3. To produce easily or as if without effort. •/She could throw off a dozen poems in a night./
[throw off the scent]{v. phr.} To mislead; confuse. •/The robbers went different ways hoping to throw the sheriff’s men off the scent./ Syn.: THROW OFF(2).
[throw off the track]{v. phr.} To divert; mislead; confuse. •/The clever criminals threw the detective off the track by changing their names and faces./ Contrast: OFF THE BEATEN TRACK.
[throw oneself at someone’s feet]{v. phr.} To make a public display of serving, loving, or worshipping someone. •/When Arthur became king, almost all of the nobles threw themselves at his feet and promised to obey and serve him./ •/When the new girl entered school, several boys threw themselves at her feet./
[throw oneself at someone’s head] or [fling oneself at someone’s head] {v. phr.}, {informal} To try hard and openly to make a person love you. •/She threw herself at his head, but he was interested in another girl./ Compare: AT ONE’S FEET.
[throw one’s hat in the ring] or [toss one’s hat in the ring] {v. phr.}, {informal} To announce that you are going to try to be elected to an official position; become a candidate for office. •/Bill tossed his hat in the ring for class president./ •/The senator threw his hat in the ring for re-election./
[throw one’s weight around]{v. phr.}, {informal} To use one’s influence or position in a showy or noisy manner. •/John was the star of the class play, and he was throwing his weight around telling the director how the scene should be played./ •/Bob was stronger than the other boys, and he threw his weight around./ Compare: PULL RANK.
[throw open] 1. To open wide with a sudden or strong movement. •/He dashed in and threw open the windows./ 2. To remove limits from. •/The Homestead Act threw open the West./ •/When a hurricane and flood left many people homeless, public buildings were thrown open to shelter them./
[throw] or [feed one to the wolves] {v. phr.} 1. To turn someone into a scapegoat. •/In order to explain the situation to the media, the governor blamed the mayor and threw him to the wolves./ 2. To send into danger without protection. •/Mary was very shy. Her friends did not come to speak before the club in her place. They threw her to the wolves./ •/The boys on the football team were so small that when they played a good team they were thrown to the wolves./
[throw out] or [toss out] {v.} 1. To put somewhere to be destroyed because not wanted. •/He didn’t need the brush anymore so he threw it out./ Syn.: THROW AWAY(1). 2. To refuse to accept. •/The inspector tossed out all the parts that didn’t work./ 3. To force to leave; dismiss. •/When the employees complained too loudly, the owner threw them out./ Syn.: KICK OUT, TURN OUT(1). 4. To cause to be out in baseball by throwing the ball. •/The shortstop tossed the runner out./
[throw out of gear]{v. phr.} 1. To separate the gears of (a car or some other machine) when you want to stop it. •/When John wanted to stop, he threw the car out of gear and braked sharply./ 2. To stop or bother (what someone is doing or planning); confuse; upset. •/The whole country was thrown out of gear by the assassination of the President./ •/My mother’s illness threw my plans for the summer out of gear./
[throw over]{v.} To give up for another; break your loyalty or attachment to. •/Bob threw Mary over for a new girlfriend./ •/Tom threw over those who helped him run for class president after he was elected./
[throw the baby out with the bath (bathwater)]{v. phr.} To reject all of something because part is faulty. •/God knows that there are weaknesses in the program, but if they act too hastily they may cause the baby to be thrown out with the bathwater./
[throw the book at]{v. phr.}, {informal} To give the most severe penalty to (someone) for breaking the law or rules. •/Because it was the third time he had been caught speeding that month, the judge threw the book at him./
[throw together]{v.} 1. also [slap together] To make in a hurry and without care. •/Bill and Bob threw together a cabin out of old lumber./ •/The party was planned suddenly, and Mary threw together a meal out of leftovers./ 2. To put in with other people by chance. •/The group of strangers was thrown together when the storm trapped them on the highway./ •/Bill and Tom became friends when they were thrown together in the same cabin at camp./
[throw up]{v.} 1. {informal} or {slang} [heave up]. To vomit. •/The heat made him feel sick and he thought he would throw up./ •/He took the medicine but threw it up a minute later./ 2. {informal} To quit; leave; let go; give up. •/When she broke their engagement he threw up his job and left town./ 3. To build in a hurry. •/The contractor threw up some temporary sheds to hold the new equipment./ 4. To mention often as an insult. •/His father threw up John’s wastefulness to him./
[throw up one’s hands]{v. phr.} To give up trying; admit that you cannot succeed. •/Mrs. Jones threw up her hands when the children messed up the living room for the third time./ •/When Mary saw the number of dishes to be washed, she threw up her hands in dismay./
[throw up one’s hands in horror]{v. phr.} To be horrified; feel alarmed; give up hope of straightening things out; be shocked by something terrible. •/When Mrs. Brown saw the mess the children were making in her living room, she threw up her hands in horror./ •/Everybody threw up their hands in horror at the destruction caused by the hurricane./
[throw up the sponge] See: THROW IN THE SPONGE.
[thumb] See: ALL THUMBS, GREEN THUMB, TURN THUMBS DOWN, TWIDDLE ONE’S THUMBS, UNDER ONE’S THUMB or UNDER THE THUMB OF.
[thumb a ride]{v. phr.}, {informal} To get a ride by hitchhiking; hitchhike. •/Not having much money, Carl decided to thumb a ride to New York./
[thumb one’s nose]{v. phr.} 1. To hold one’s open hand in front of one’s face with one’s thumb pointed at one’s nose as a sign of scorn or dislike. •/After Bob ran into the house he thumbed his nose at Tom through the window./ 2. {informal} To look with disfavor or dislike; regard with scorn; refuse to obey. — Used with "at". •/Betty thumbed her nose at her mother’s command to stay home./ •/Mary thumbed her nose at convention by wearing odd clothes./ Compare: LOOK DOWN ON.
[thumb through]{v. phr.} To examine superficially; read cursorily. •/I have read "War and Peace" but Fran has only thumbed through it./
[thunder] See: BLOOD AND THUNDER, STEAL ONE’S THUNDER.
[thus and so] also [thus and thus] {adv. phr.} In a particular way; according to directions that have been given. •/The teacher is very fussy about the way you write your report. If you don’t do it thus and so, she gives you a lower mark./
