[wrench] See: THROW A MONKEY WRENCH.
[wringing wet] adj. Wet through and through; soaked; dripping. •/He was wringing wet because he was caught in the rain without an umbrella./ •/He was wringing wet after working in the fields in the hot sun./
[write home about]{v. phr.} To become especially enthusiastic or excited about; boast about. — Often used after "to". •/Mary’s trip to the World’s Fair was something to write home about./ •/Joe did a good enough job of painting but it was nothing to write home about./ •/"That was a dinner worth writing home about!" said Bill coming out of the restaurant./
[write off]{v. phr.} 1. To remove (an amount) from a business record; cancel (a debt); accept as a loss. •/If a customer dies when he owes the store money, the store must often write it off./ Compare: CHARGE OFF. 2. To accept (a loss or trouble) and not worry anymore about it; forget. •/Mr. Brown had so much trouble with the new TV set that he finally wrote it off and bought a new one./ •/Jim’s mistake cost him time and money, but he wrote it off to experience./ Compare: CHARGE OFF(2). Contrast: CHALK UP(2). To say that (something) will fail or not be good; believe worthless. •/Just because the boys on the team are young, don’t write the team off./ Compare: COUNT OUT.
[write-off]{n.} A loss. •/This last unfortunate business venture of ours is an obvious write-off./
[writer’s cramp]{n.} Pain in the fingers or hand caused by too much writing. •/Holding your pencil too tightly for too long often gives you writer’s cramp./ Often used humorously to stress the idea that you have been doing a lot of writing./ •/By the time Mary finished her Christmas cards she complained of writer’s cramp./
[writer’s block]{n. phr.} A condition of being unable to write; a period when the words just won’t come. •/One of the more common problems writers occasionally experience is a writer’s block that may last a shorter or a longer time./ •/They say that the reason for Ernest Hemingway’s suicide was a severe and seemingly endless writer’s block./
[write-up]{n.} A report or story in a newspaper or magazine. •/There was a write-up of the accident in the newspaper./ •/I read an interesting write-up about the President in a new magazine./
[write up]{v.} 1. To write the story of; describe in writing; give a full account of. •/Reporters from many newspapers are here to write up the game./ •/The magazine is writing up the life of the President./ 2. To put something thought or talked about into writing; finish writing (something). •/John took notes of what the teacher said in class and he wrote them up when he got home./ •/The author had an idea for a story when he saw the old house, and he wrote it up later./
[writing] or [handwriting on the wall] {n. phr.}, {literary} A warning; a message of some urgency. •/"This nuclear plant is about to explode, I think," the chief engineer said. "We’d better get out of here in a hurry, the handwriting is on the wall."/
[wrong] See: BARK UP THE WRONG TREE, BET ON THE WRONG HORSE, GET OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT, GET UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED, IN THE WRONG, LAUGH ON THE WRONG SIDE OF ONE’S MOUTH, RUB THE WRONG WAY.
[wrong side of the tracks] See: THE TRACKS.
[wrought up] See: WORKED UP.
[x-double minus]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Extremely poorly done, bad, inferior (said mostly about theatrical or musical performances). •/Patsy gave an x-double minus performance at the audition and lost her chance for the lead role./
[X marks the spot] An indication made on maps or documents of importance to call attention to a place or a feature of some importance. •/The treasure hunter said to his companion, "Here it is; X marks the spot."/
[x-rated]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Pertaining to movies, magazines, and literature judged pornographic and therefore off limits for minors. •/My son celebrated his 21st birthday by going to an x-rated movie./
[x-raying machine]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Speed detection device by radar used by the police. •/The smokies are using the x-raying machine under the bridge!/
[yak-yak] or [yakety-yak] or [yakib-yak] {n.}, {slang} Much talk about little things; talking all the time about unimportant things. •/Tom sat behind two girls on the bus and he got tired of their silly yak-yak./
[year] See: ALONG IN YEARS or ON IN YEARS.
[year in, year out] See: DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
[year-round] or [year-around] {adj.} Usable, effective, or operating all the year. •/Colorado is a year-round resort; there is fishing in the summer and skiing in the winter./
[yellow around the gills] See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.
[yellow-bellied]{adj.}, {slang} Extremely timid, cowardly. •/Joe Bennett is a yellow-bellied guy, don’t send him on such a tough assignment!/
[yellow journalism]{n. phr.} Cheap and sensational newspaper writing; inflammatory language designed to stir up popular sentiment against another country. •/Yellow journalism is hardly ever truly informative./
[yellow-livered]{adj.} Cowardly. •/The young boy greatly resented being called yellow-livered and started to fight right away./
[yeoman service]{n. phr.} Help in time of need; serviceable and good assistance. •/Sam was pressed into yeoman service in organizing our annual fundraiser for cerebral palsy victims./
[yes-man]{n.}, {informal} A person who tries to be liked by agreeing with everything said; especially, someone who always agrees with a boss or the one in charge. •/John tries to get ahead on his job by being a yes-man./
[yesterday] See: BORN YESTERDAY.
[yon] See: HITHER AND THITHER or HITHER AND YON.
[yoo-hoo]{interj.} — Used as an informal call or shout to a person to attract his attention. •/Louise opened the door and called "Yoo-hoo, Mother — are you home?"/ See: ALL RIGHT FOR YOU, I’M TELLING YOU, SAYS WHO or SAYS YOU, THAT’S --- FOR YOU, WHAT HAVE YOU.
[you bet] or [you bet your boots] or [you bet your life] {informal} Most certainly; yes, indeed; without any doubt. — Used to declare with emphasis that a thing is really so. •/Do I like to ski? You bet your life I do./ •/You bet I will be at the party./ •/You can bet your boots that Johnny will come home when his money is gone./ Compare: BET ONE’S BOTTOM DOLLAR.
[you can say that again] See: YOU SAID IT.
[you can’t teach an old dog new tricks] It is very hard or almost impossible to train an older person to acquire some new skill. — A proverb. •/You’ll never teach your grandfather how to do his income tax on a personal computer. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks./
[you don’t say]{interj.}, {informal} — Used to show surprise at what is said. •/Your ring is a real diamond? You don’t say!/ •/"Bill and Jean are going to get married." "You don’t say!"/ Syn.: DO TELL.
[your] See: HANG ON TO YOUR HAT or HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT or HOLD YOUR HAT, YOU BET YOUR BOOTS or YOU BET YOUR LIFE.
[you’re telling me]{interj.}, {informal} — Used to show that a thing is so clear that it need not be said, or just to show strong agreement. •/"You’re late." "You’re telling me!"/ Compare: YOU BET, YOU SAID IT.
[you said it] or [you can say that again] {interj.}, {slang} — Used to show strong agreement with what another person has said. •/"That sure was a good show." "You said it!"/ •/"It sure is hot!" "You can say that again!"/ Compare: SAY A MOUTHFUL.
[you tell 'em]{interj.}, {slang} — Used to agree with or encourage someone in what he is saying. •/The drunk was arguing with the bartenders and a man cried, "You tell 'em!"/
[yours truly]{adv. phr.} 1. Signing off at the end of letters. •/Yours truly, Tom Smith./ 2. I, the first person singular pronoun, frequently abbreviated as t.y. •/As t.y. has often pointed out…/ •/T.y. is not really interested in the offer./
[yum-yum]{interj.}, {informal} — Used usually by or to children, to express great delight, especially in the taste of food. •/"Yum-Yum! That pie is good!"/
[zero hour]{n.} 1. The exact time when an attack or other military action is supposed to start. •/Zero hour for the bombers to take off was midnight./ 2. The time when an important decision or change is supposed to come; the time for a dangerous action. •/It was zero hour and the doctor began the operation on the man./ •/On the day of the championship game, as the zero hour came near, the players grew nervous./
[zero in on]{v.} 1. To adjust a gun so that it will exactly hit (a target); aim at. •/Big guns were zeroed in on the enemy fort./ •/American missiles have been zeroed in on certain targets, to be fired if necessary./ 2. {slang} To give your full attention to. •/The Senate zeroed in on the Latin-American problems./ •/Let’s zero in on grammar tonight./
[zip one’s lip] See: BUTTON ONE’S LIP.
[zone defense]{n.} A defense in a sport (as basketball or football) in which each player has to defend a certain area. •/The coach taught his team a zone defense because he thought his players weren’t fast enough to defend against individual opponents./
[zonk out]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To fall asleep very quickly. •/Can I talk to Joe? — Call back tomorrow, he zonked out./ 2. To pass out from fatigue, or alcohol. •/You won’t get a coherent word out of Joe, he has zonked out./
[zoom in]{v. phr.} 1. To rapidly close in on (said of airplanes and birds of prey). •/The fighter planes zoomed in on the enemy target./ 2. To make a closeup of someone or something with a camera. •/The photographer zoomed in on the tiny colibri as it hovered over a lovely tropical flower./
