[what’s the idea] See: WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA.
[what’s up] or [what’s cooking] also [what’s doing] {slang} What is happening or planned; what is wrong. — Often used as a greeting. •/"What’s up?" asked Bob as he joined his friends. "Are you going to the movies?"/ •/What’s cooking? Why is the crowd in the street?/ •/What’s doing tonight at the club?/ •/Hello Bob, what’s up?/ Compare: WHAT’S WITH.
[what’s what] or [what is what] {n. phr.}, {informal} 1. What each thing is in a group; one thing from another. •/The weeds and the flowers are coming up together, and we can’t tell what is what./ 2. All that needs to be known about something; the important facts or skills. •/Richard did the wrong thing, because he is new here and doesn’t yet know what’s what./ •/When Bob started his new job, it took him several weeks to learn what was what./ •/When it comes to cooking, Jenny knows what’s what./ •/Harold began to tell the teacher how to teach the class, and the teacher told him what was what./ Compare: WHICH IS WHICH, WHO’S WHO.
[what’s with] or [what’s up with] also [what’s by] {slang} What is happening to; what is wrong; how is everything; what can you tell me about. •/Mary looks worried. What’s with her?/ •/What’s with our old friends?/ •/I’m fine. What’s with you?/
[what with]{prep.} Because; as a result of. •/I couldn’t visit you, what with the snowstorm and the cold I had./ •/What with dishes to wash and children to put to bed, mother was late to the meeting./ Compare: ON ACCOUNT OF.
[wheel] See: BIG CHEESE or BIG WHEEL, GREASE THE WHEELS, PUT ONE’S SHOULDER TO THE WHEEL.
[wheel and deal]{v. phr.}, {slang} To make many big plans or schemes; especially with important people in government and business; in matters of money and influence; handle money or power for your own advantage; plan important matters in a smart or skillful way and sometimes in a tricky, or not strictly honest way. •/Mr. Smith made a fortune by wheeling and dealing on the stock market./ •/The senator got this law passed by wheeling and dealing in Congress./ — [wheeler-dealer] {n. phr.}, {slang} A person with power and control. •/The biggest wheeler-dealer in the state has many friends in high places in business and government and is a rich man himself./
[wheelhorse]{n. phr.} A reliable and industrious worker on whom one may depend. •/Jake is such a good worker that he is the wheelhorse of our tiny firm./
[when hell freezes over]{adv. phr.}, {slang} Never. •/I’ll believe you when hell freezes over./ Contrast: UNTIL HELL FREEZES OVER.
[when it comes to] See: COME TO(4).
[when one’s ship comes in] See: SHIP COME IN.
[when push comes to shove]{adv. phr.} A time when a touchy situation becomes actively hostile or a quarrel turns into a fight. •/Can we count on the boss' goodwill, when push comes to shove?/
[when the chips are down]{adv. clause}, {informal} When the winner and loser of a bet or a game are decided; at the most important or dangerous time. •/Tom hit a home run in the last inning of the game when the chips were down./ •/When the chips were down, the two countries decided not to have war./ (From the fact that in gambling games, a person puts chips or money down in front of him to show that he is willing to risk an amount in a bet.)
[where] See: TELL ONE WHERE TO GET OFF or TELL ONE WHERE TO HEAD IN.
[wherefore] See: WHY AND WHEREFORE.
[where it’s at]{adv. phr.}, {informal} That which is important; that which is at the forefront of on-going social, personal, or scientific undertakings. •/Young, talented and black, that’s where it’s at./ •/We send sophisticated machines to Mars instead of people, that’s where it’s at./
[where the shoe pinches]{n. phr.}, {informal} Where or what the discomfort or trouble is. •/Johnny thinks the job is easy, but he will find out where the shoe pinches when he tries it./ •/The coach said he wasn’t worried about any position except quarterback; that was where the shoe pinched./
[whether one is coming or going] See: KNOW IF ONE IS COMING OR GOING.
[whether --- or] or [whether --- or whether] 1. {coord. conj.} Used to introduce an indirect question. •/You must decide whether you should go or stay./ •/I don’t know whether Jack or Bill is a better player./ Compare: EITHER --- OR(2). Used to show a choice of things, or that different things are possible. •/Whether the bicycle was blue or red, it didn’t matter to Frank./
[which] See: GAME AT WHICH TWO CAN PLAY.
[which is which]{n. phr.} Which is one person or thing and which is the other; one from another; what the difference is between different ones; what the name of each one is. •/Joe’s coat and mine are so nearly alike that I can’t tell which is which./ •/Mr. Hadley hadn’t seen his friend’s daughters in such a long time that he couldn’t remember which was which./ Compare: WHAT’S WHAT, WHO’S WHO.
[which was which] See: WHICH is WHICH.
[while] See: AFTER A WHILE or IN A WHILE, ALL THE TIME(1), EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, ONCE IN A WHILE.
[while ago]{adv.} At a time several minutes in the past; a few minutes ago; a short time ago. — Used with "a". •/I laid mv glasses on this table a while ago; and now they’re gone./ •/A while ago, Mary was tired and wanted to go home; now she’s dancing with Bob as if she could dance all night./ Compare: JUST NOW(2).
[while away]{v.} To make time go by pleasantly or without being bored; pass or spend. •/We whiled away the time that we were waiting by talking and playing cards./ •/We whiled away the summer swimming and fishing./
[while back]{adv.} At a time several weeks or months in the past. — Used with "a". •/We had a good rain a while back, but we need more now./ •/Grandfather is well now, but a while back he was in the hospital for three weeks./ See: CRACK THE WHIP.
[whip hand] See: UPPER HAND.
[whipping boy]{n. phr.} The person who gets punished for someone else’s mistake. •/"I used to be the whipping boy during my early days at the company," he musingly remembered./
[whip up]{v.}, {informal} 1. To make or do quickly or easily. •/Mary whipped up a lunch for the picnic./ •/The reporter whipped up a story about the fire for his paper./ 2. To make active; stir to action; excite. •/The girls are trying to whip up interest for a dance Saturday night./ Compare: STIR UP, WHOOP IT UP(2).
[whispering campaign]{n.} The spreading of false rumors, or saying bad things, about a person or group, especially in politics or public life. •/A bad man has started a whispering campaign against the mayor, saying that he isn’t honest./
[whistle] See: BLOW THE WHISTLE ON, WET ONE’S WHISTLE.
[whistle a different tune] See: SING A DIFFERENT TUNE.
[whistle for]{v.}, {informal} To try to get (something) but fail; look for (something) that will not come. •/Mary didn’t even thank us for helping her, so the next time she needs help she can whistle for it./
[whistle in the dark]{v. phr.}, {informal} To try to stay brave and forget your fear. •/Tom said he could fight the bully with one hand, but we knew that he was just whistling in the dark./ (From the fact that people sometimes whistle when walking in a dark, scary place to keep up their courage.)
[whistle-stop]{n.} A small town where the trains only stop on a special signal. •/President Truman made excellent use of the whistle-stop during his 1948 campaign for the presidency./
[white] See: BLACK AND WHITE, IN BLACK AND WHITE.
[white around the gills] See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.
[white-collar workers]{n. phr.} Workers employed in offices and at desks as opposed to those who work as manual workers; the middle class. •/It is a well-known fact that white-collar workers are less well organized than unionized manual workers./ Contrast BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS.
[white elephant]{n. phr.} Unwanted property, such as real estate, that is hard to sell. •/That big house of theirs on the corner sure is a white elephant./
[white lie]{n. phr.} An innocent social excuse. •/I am too busy to go to their house for dinner tonight. I will call them and tell a little white lie about having the flu./
[white sale]{n.} The selling, especially at lower prices, of goods or clothing usually made of white cloth. •/Mother always buys many things at the January white sale to save money./
[whitewash]{n.}, {informal} A soothing official report that attempts to tranquilize the public. •/Some people believe that the Warren Commission’s report on the Kennedy assassination was a whitewash./
[whitewash something]{v.}, {informal} To explain a major, national scandal in soothing official terms so as to assure the public that things are under control and there is no need to panic. •/Many people in the United States believe that President Kennedy’s assassination was whitewashed by the Warren Commission./ See: WHITEWASH.
[whiz] See: GEE WHIZ.
[who] See: SAYS WHO.
[whodunit]{n.} A detective story; a murder story; a thriller. •/Agatha Christie was a true master of the whodunit./
[who is who] See: WHO’S WHO.
[who laughs last laughs best] See: HE LAUGHS BEST WHO LAUGHS LAST.
[whole] See: ALL THE WAY or THE WHOLE WAY, GO THE WHOLE HOG, ON THE WHOLE, WITH A WHOLE SKIN or IN A WHOLE SKIN.
[whole cheese]{slang} or {informal} [whole show] {n.}, {informal} The only important person; big boss. •/Joe thought he was the whole cheese in the game because he owned the ball./ •/You’re not the whole show just because you got all A’s./ Compare: BIG CHEESE.
[whole hog] See: GO THE WHOLE HOG.
[whole lot] See: A LOT.
[whole show] See: WHOLE CHEESE.
[whoop it up]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To make a loud noise; have a noisy celebration; enjoy yourself noisily. •/The team whooped it up after winning the game./ 2. To praise something enthusiastically; encourage enthusiasm or support. — Often used with "for". •/Father wanted to go to the country, but the children whooped it up for the beach./
[who’s who] or [who is who] {informal} 1. Who this one is and who that one is; who the different ones in a group of people are or what their names or positions are. •/It is hard to tell who is who in the parade because everyone in the band looks alike./ •/It took the new teacher a few days to remember who was who in the class./ Compare: WHICH IS WHICH. 2. Who the important people are. •/John didn’t recognize the champion on television. He doesn’t know who is who in boxing./ •/After about a year, Mr. Thompson had lived in this town long enough to know who was who./ Compare: WHAT’S WHAT.
[why and wherefore]{n.} The answer to a question or problem. Usually used in the plural. •/Father told him not to always ask the whys and wherefores when he was told to do something./
[wide] See: FAR AND WIDE, GIVE A WIDE BERTH.
[wide-eyed] See: ROUND-EYED.
[wide of the mark]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. Far from the target or the thing aimed at. •/James threw a stone at the cat but it went wide of the mark./ 2. Far from the truth; incorrect. •/You were wide of the mark when you said I did it, because Bill did it./ Contrast: HIT THE BULL’S-EYE, HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
[widow] See: GOLF WIDOW.
[wiener roast] or [hot dog roast] {n.} A party where frankfurters are cooked and eaten over an outdoor fire. •/For his birthday party, John had a wiener roast in his backyard./ •/Mary’s Girl Scout troop had a hot dog roast on their overnight hike./
