[up for grabs]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Available for anyone to try to get; ready to be competed for; there for the taking. •/When the captain of the football team moved out of town, his place was up for grabs./
[up front(1)]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} The managerial section of a corporation or firm. •/Joe Catwallender finally made it (with the) up front./
[up front(2)]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Open, sincere, hiding nothing. •/Sue was completely up front about why she didn’t want to see him anymore./
[up in arms]{adj. phr.} 1. Equipped with guns or weapons and ready to fight. •/All of the colonies were up in arms against the Redcoats./ Syn.: IN ARMS. 2. Very angry and wanting to fight. •/Robert is up in arms because John said he was stupid./ •/The students were up in arms over the new rule against food in the dormitory./
[up in the air]{adj.} or {adv. phr.} 1. {informal} In great anger or excitement. •/My father went straight up in the air when he heard I damaged the car./ •/The Jones family are all up in the air because they are taking a trip around the world./ Compare: HIT THE CEILING, BLOW A FUSE. 2. also [in midair] Not settled; uncertain; undecided. •/Plans for the next meeting have been left up in the air until Jane gets better./ •/The result of the game was left hanging in midair because it rained before the finish./ Compare: LEAVE HANGING.
[up one’s alley] See: DOWN ONE’S ALLEY.
[up one’s sleeve] or [in one’s sleeve] {adv. phr.} 1. Hidden in the sleeve of one’s shirt or coat and ready for secret or wrongful use. •/The crooked gambler hid aces up his sleeve during the card game so that he would win./ 2. {informal} Kept secretly ready for the right time or for a time when needed. •/Jimmy knew that his father had some trick up his sleeve because he was smiling to himself during the checker game./ Compare: CARD UP ONE’S SLEEVE. 3. See: LAUGH UP ONE’S SLEEVE.
[upon oneself] See: TAKE ON ONESELF also TAKE UPON ONESELF.
[upon one’s head] See: ON ONE’S HEAD.
[upon the spot] See: ON THE SPOT(1).
[upper] See: KEEP A STIFF UPPER LIP, ON ONE’S UPPERS.
[upper crust]{n.}, {informal} The richest, most famous, or important people in a certain place; the highest class. •/It is a school that only the children of the upper crust can afford./
[upper hand] or [whip hand] {n.} Controlling power; advantage. •/In the third round the champion got the upper hand over his opponent and knocked him out./ •/The cowboy trained the wild horse so that he finally got the whip hand and tamed the horse./
[upper story]{n.} 1. A floor or level of a building above the first floor. •/The apartment house where Gene lives is five stories high and he lives in one of the upper stories./ 2. {slang} A person’s head or brain. •/Lulu has nobody home in the upper story./ •/Bill’s sister says he is weak in the upper story./
[Upsadaisy!] or [Upsee-daisy!] or [Upsy-daisy!] {adv. phr.} — A popular exclamation used when just about anything is lifted, particularly a small child raised to his or her highchair or bed. •/"Upsee-daisy!" the nurse said with a smile on her face, as she lifted the baby from its bed./
[ups and downs]{n. phr.} Vicissitudes; alternating periods between good and bad times; changes in fortune. •/He is now a wealthy stock trader, but at the beginning of his career he, too, had many ups and downs./
[upset the applecart] or [upset one’s applecart] {v. phr.}, {informal} To ruin a plan or what is being done, often by surprise or accident; change how things are or are being done, often unexpectedly; ruin or mix up another person’s success or plan for success. •/John upset the other team’s applecart by hitting a home run in the last inning and we won the game./ •/We are planning a surprise party for Bill, so don’t let Mary upset the applecart by telling him before the party./ •/Frank thinks he is going to be the boss, but I’ll upset his applecart the first chance I get./ Compare: ROCK THE BOAT.
[upside down]{adv. phr.} Overturned so that the bottom is up and the top is down. •/The ladybug lay upside down in the sand and was unable to take off./ •/The problem with this company is that everything is upside down; we need a new C.E.O./
[upstairs] See: NOBODY HOME UPSTAIRS.
[up the creek] or [up the creek without a paddle] {adj. phr.}, {informal} In trouble or difficulty and unable to do anything about it; stuck. •/Father said that if the car ran out of gas in the middle of the desert, we would be up the creek without a paddle./ •/I’ll be up the creek if I don’t pass this history test./ Compare: DEEP WATER, IN THE SOUP, UP A TREE, OUT OF LUCK.
[up tight] or [uptight] {adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Worried, irritated, excessively eager or anxious. •/Why are you so uptight about getting that job? The more you worry, the less you’ll succeed./
[up to]{prep.} 1. As far, as deep, or as high as. •/The water in the pond was only up to John’s knees./ •/Mary is small and just comes up to Bill’s chest./ •/The shovel sank in the soft mud all the way up to the handle./ 2. Close to; approaching. •/The team did not play up to its best today./ •/Because of the rain, the number of people at the party didn’t come up to the number we expected./ 3. As high as; not more than; as much or as many as. •/Pick any number up to ten./ •/There were up to eight fire engines at the fire./ 4. or [up till] or [up until] — Until; till. •/Up to her fourth birthday, the baby slept in a crib./ •/Up to now I always thought John was honest./ •/We went swimming up till breakfast time./ •/Up until last summer we always went to the beach for our vacation./ 5. Capable of; fit for; equal to; strong or well enough for. •/We chose Harry to be captain because we thought he was up to the job./ •/Mother is sick and not up to going out to the store./ 6. Doing or planning secretly; ready for mischief. •/What are you up to with the matches, John?/ •/Mrs. Watson was sure that the boys were up to no good, because they ran when they saw her coming./ 7. Facing as a duty; to be chosen or decided by; depending on. •/It’s up to you to get to school on time./ •/I don’t care when you cut the grass. When you do it is up to you./
[up-to-date]{adj.} Modem; contemporary; the latest that technology can offer. •/"I want an up-to-date dictionary of American idioms," Mr. Lee said, "that has all the latest Americanisms in it."/ Contrast: STATE-OF-THE-ART.
[up to no good]{adv. phr.} Intending to do something bad; perpetrating an illicit act. •/We could tell from the look on Dennis the Menace’s face that he was once again up to no good./
[up to one’s ears]{adv. phr.} Immersed in; covered with. •/"Around final examination time," Professor Brown explained, "I am always up to my ears in work."/
[up to one’s neck]{adv. phr.} Overwhelmed with; submerged in. •/"During the summer season in our cottage by the lake," the Allens complained, "we are usually up to our necks in uninvited guests."/ Compare: UP TO ONE’S EARS.
[up to par] or {informal} [up to scratch] or {informal} [up to snuff] 1. In good or normal health or physical condition. •/I have a cold and don’t feel up to par./ •/The boxer is training for the fight but he isn’t up to scratch yet./ 2. or [up to the mark] As good as usual; up to the usual level or quality. •/The TV program was not up to par tonight./ •/John will have to work hard to bring his grades up to snuff./ Compare: MEASURE UP.
[up to scratch] See: UP TO FAR.
[up to snuff] See: UP TO PAR.
[up to the chin in] or [in --- up to the chin] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Used also with "ears", "elbows", "eyes" or "knees" instead of "chin", and with a possessive instead of "the". 1. Having a big or important part in; guilty of; not innocent of; deeply in. •/Was Tom mixed up in that trouble last night? He was up to his ears in it./ •/Mr. Johnson is up to the eyes in debt./ •/Mrs. Smith is in debt up to her chin./ Compare: TO THE HILT. 2. Very busy with; working hard at. •/Bob is up to his neck in homework./ •/They are up to their elbows in business before Christmas./ 3. Having very much or many of; flooded with. •/Mary was up to her knees in invitations to go to parties./ Compare: KNEE-DEEP.
[up to the hilt] See: TO THE HILT.
[up to the last minute]{adv. phr.} Until the last possible moment; until the very end. •/When I try to send in an important eyewitness report from the scene of a major accident, I must keep working up to the last minute./ Compare: TO THE BITTER END, UNDER THE WIRE.
[up to the mark] See: UP TO PAR(2).
[up-to-the-minute] See: UP-TO-DATE.
[urban homesteading]{n.}, {informal} Renovation and occupation through cooperative ownership by tenants of previously abandoned city apartment buildings. •/Urban homesteading is on the rise in many big American cities these days./
[use] See: NO USE, PUT TO USE.
[used to(1)]{adj. phr.} In the habit of or familiar with. •/People get used to smoking and it is hard for them to stop./ •/Farmers are used to working outdoors in the winter./ •/After my eyes became used to the dim light in the cave, I saw an old shovel on the ground./ •/On the hike Bob soon got tired, but Dick did not because he was used to walking./
[used to(2)] or [did use to] {v. phr.} Did formerly; did in the past. — Usually used with an infinitive to tell about something past. •/Uncle Henry used to have a beard, but he shaved it off./ •/Did your father use to work at the bank?/ •/People used to say that tomatoes were poison./ — Sometimes used without the infinitive. •/I don’t go to that school any more, but I used to./ •/We don’t visit Helen as much as we used to./ •/I used to go to the movies often. Did you use to?/
[used to be] or [did use to be] {v. phr.} Formerly or once was. •/Mary used to be small; but she has grown up./ •/Dick used to be the best pitcher on the team last year; now two other pitchers are better than he is./
[use every trick in the book]{v. phr.}, {informal} To avail oneself of any means at all in order to achieve one’s goal, not exclusive of possibly immoral or illegal acts. •/Algernon used every trick in the book to get Maxine to go out with him, but she kept refusing./
[use one’s head] or {slang} [use one’s bean] or {slang} [use one’s noodle] or {slang} use [one’s noggin] {v. phr.} To use your brain or mind; think; have common sense. — Often used as a command. •/If you used your bean you wouldn’t be in trouble now./ •/Never point a gun at anybody, John. Use your head!/
[use up]{v. phr.} 1. To use until nothing is left; spend or consume completely. •/Don’t use up all the soap. Leave me some to wash with./ •/Jack used up his last dollar to see the movies./ Compare: GIVE OUT(5). 2. {informal} To tire completely; make very tired; exhaust; leave no strength or force in. — Usually used in the passive. •/After rowing the boat across the lake, Robert was used up./ Compare: GIVE OUT(4), WEAR OUT.
[utility room]{n.} A room in a house or building for machinery and other things important in the daily use of the building and the work of the people in it. •/There is a utility room upstairs where Mother does the laundry./ •/The oil burner is kept in the utility room in the basement./
[vain] See: IN VAIN, TAKE ONE’S NAME IN VAIN.
[valor] See: DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR.
