[far-out]{adj.} 1. Very far away; distant. •/Scientists are planning rocket trips to the moon and far-out planets./ 2. {informal} Very different from others; queer; odd, unusual. •/He enjoyed being with beatniks and other far-out people./ •/Susan did not like some of the paintings at the art show because they were too far-out for her./
[fashion] See: AFTER A FASHION, HIGH FASHION or HIGH STYLE.
[fast] See: HARD-AND-FAST, PLAY FAST AND LOOSE.
[fast and furious]{adj.} or {adv. phr.} Very fast; with much speed and energy. •/He was mowing the grass at a fast and furious rate./ •/When I last saw her she was driving fast and furious down the street./ Compare: GREAT GUNS.
[fast buck] or [quick buck] {slang} Money earned quickly and easily, and sometimes dishonestly. •/You can make a fast buck at the golf course by fishing balls out of the water trap./ •/He isn’t interested in a career; he’s just looking for a quick buck./
[fast talker]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} A con artist or a swindler, one who is particularly apt to get away with illegitimate transactions because of the clever way he talks. •/I wouldn’t trust Uncle Joe if I were you, — he is a fast talker./
[fast time] See: DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.
[fasten on]{v. phr.} To attach; tie something to make it secure. •/"Fasten on your life jackets when you get into the life boats," the captain said./
[fat] See: CHEW THE FAT.
[fat chance]{n. phr.}, {slang} Little or no possibility; almost no chance. •/A high school team would have a fat chance of beating a strong college team./ •/Jane is pretty and popular; you will have a fat chance of getting a date with her./ Compare: GHOST OF A.
[fat city]{n.}, {slang} A state of contentment due to wealth and position. •/Bully for the Smiths; they have arrived in Fat City./
[fate] See: TEMPT FATE or TEMPT THE FATES.
[father] See: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.
[Father Christmas]{n.}, {British} The joyful spirit of Christmas; Santa Claus. •/English children look forward to the visit of Father Christmas./
[Father’s Day]{n.} The third Sunday in June set aside especially to honor fathers whether living or dead. •/The children gave nice presents to their father on Father’s Day./
[fat is in the fire] Something has happened that will cause trouble or make a bad situation worse. •/He found out you took it? Well, the fat’s in the fire now./
[fat of the land]{n. phr.} The best and richest food, clothes, everything. •/When I’m rich I’ll retire and live off the fat of the land./
[fault] See: AT FAULT, FIND FAULT, TO A FAULT.
[faultfinding]{n.} Recrimination; nagging; criticism. •/All of this constant faultfinding will only to lead to trouble between you and your wife./
[favor] See: CURRY FAVOR, IN FAVOR OF.
[favorite son]{n.} A man supported by his home state for President. •/At a national convention, states often vote for their favorite sons first; then they change and vote for another man./
[fear] See: FOR FEAR.
[fear and trembling] or [fear and trepidation] {n. phr.} Great fear. •/He came in fear and trembling to tell his father he had a bad report card./
[feast one’s eyes on]{v. phr.} To look at and enjoy very much. •/He feasted his eyes on the beautiful painting./
[feast or a famine]{n. phr.} Plenty or very little; big success or bad failure. •/In this business it’s either a feast or a famine./ •/He is very careless with his money, it is always a feast or a famine with him./
[feather] See: BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER, TAR AND FEATHER, FINE FEATHERS DO NOT MAKE FINE BIRDS, FUSS AND FEATHERS, MAKE THE FEATHERS FLY, RUFFLE FEATHERS.
[feather in one’s cap]{n. phr.} Something to be proud of; an honor. •/It was a feather in his cap to win first prize./ (From the medieval practice of placing a feather in the helmet of one who won honors in battle.)
[feather one’s nest]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To use for yourself money and power, especially from a public office or job in which you are trusted to help other people. •/The rich man told his lawyer to use his money after he died to build a hospital for poor people, but the lawyer feathered his own nest with the money instead./ •/The man feathered his nest in politics by getting money from contractors who built roads./ Syn.: LINE ONE’S POCKETS. 2. To make your home pleasant and comfortable; furnish and decorate your house. •/Furniture stores welcome young couples who want to feather their nests./
[fed up] ({informal}) also ({slang}) [fed to the gills] or [fed to the teeth] {adj. phr.} Having had too much of something; at the end of your patience; disgusted; bored; tired. •/People get fed up with anyone who brags all the time./ •/I’ve had enough of his complaints. I’m fed up./ •/He was fed to the teeth with television and sold his set to a cousin./ •/John quit football because he was fed to the gills with practice./ Compare: SICK AND TIRED.
[feed] See: BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS ONE, CHICKEN FEED, OFF FEED or OFF ONE’S FEED, SPOON FEED.
[feel] See: GET THE FEEL OF and HARD FEELING.
[feel a draft]{v. phr.}, {slang} To have the sensation that one is not welcome in a place; that one has gotten a cold reception. •/Let’s go, Suzie, I feel a draft./
[feel for someone]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be able to sympathize with someone’s problems. •/I can really feel for you, John, for losing your job./
[feel free to do]{v. phr.} To take the liberty to engage in an activity. •/Please feel free to take off your jackets; this is an informal party./
[feel in one’s bones] or [know in one’s bones] {v. phr.} To have an idea or feeling but not know why. •/I feel in my hones that tomorrow will be a sunny day./ •/I know in my bones that God will protect us./
[feel like]{v.}, {informal} To want to do or have. •/I don’t feel like running today./ •/I just don’t feel like pancakes this morning./
[feel like a million] or [feel like a million dollars] {v. phr.}, {informal} To be in the best of health and spirits. •/I feel like a million this morning./ •/He had a headache yesterday but feels like a million dollars today./ Compare: LOOK LIKE A MILLION.
[feel like a new man]{v. phr.} To feel healthy, vigorous, and well again after a major physical illness or emotional upheaval. •/Ted felt like a new man after his successful heart bypass operation./
[feel like two cents] See: TWO CENTS.
[feel low]{v. phr.} To be depressed; be in low spirits. •/I don’t know what’s the matter with Mary, but she says she has been feeling very low all afternoon./
[feel no pain]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be drunk. •/After a few drinks, the man felt no pain and began to act foolishly./
[feel one’s oats]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To feel frisky or playful; be eager and excited. •/The horses were feeling their oats./ •/When they first got to camp, the boys were feeling their oats./ 2. To act in a proud or important way. •/The new gardener was feeling his oats and started to boss the other men./
[feel one’s way]{v. phr.} To proceed cautiously by trial and error; probe. •/I won’t ask her to marry me directly; I will feel my way first./
[feel] or [look small] {v. phr.} To have the impression that one is insignificant, foolish, or humiliated. •/"I feel small next to Hemingway," the young student of creative writing said./
[feel out]{v.} To talk or act carefully with someone and find what he thinks or can do. •/The pupils felt out the principal about a party after the game./ •/John felt out his father about letting him have the car that evening./ •/At first the boxers felt each other out./ Compare: SOUND OUT.
[feel out of place]{v. phr.} To experience the sensation of not belonging in a certain place or company. •/Dave felt out of place among all those chess players as he knows nothing about chess./
[feel the pinch]{v. phr.} To be short of money; experience monetary difficulties. •/If we are going to have a recession, everybody will feel the pinch./
[feel up]{v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To arouse sexually by manual contact. •/You mean to tell me that you’ve been going out for six months and he hasn’t ever tried to feel you up?/ Contrast: COP A FEEL.
[feel up to something]{v. phr.}, {informal} To feel adequately knowledgeable, strong, or equipped to handle a given task. •/Do you feel up to jogging a mile a day with me?/ Contrast: BE UP TO SOMETHING.
[feet] See: FOOT.
[feet of clay]{n. phr.} A hidden fault or weakness in a person which is discovered or shown. •/The famous general showed he had feet of clay when he began to drink liquor./ •/The banker seemed to be honest, but he had feet of clay and was arrested for stealing./
[feet on the ground]{n. phr.} An understanding of what can be done; sensible ideas. Used with a possessive. •/John has his feet on the ground; he knows he cannot learn everything at once./ •/Ted dreams of sudden riches, but Henry keeps his feet on the ground and expects to work for his money./ •/Mrs. Smith was a dreamer, but her husband was a man with his feet on the ground./ Contrast: IN THE CLOUDS.
[fell] See: AT ONE FELL SWOOP.
[fellow] See: HAIL-FELLOW-WELL-MET, REGULAR GUY or REGULAR FELLOW.
[fellow traveller]{n.} A sympathizer with a political movement who does not officially belong to the political party in question. •/Many Germans after World War II were innocently accused of being fellow travellers of Nazism./ •/During the McCarthy era, many Americans were accused of being Communist fellow travellers./
[fence] See: GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE, MEND ONE’S FENCES, ON THE FENCE.
[fence in] or [hedge in] or [hem in] {v.} To keep (someone) from doing what he or she would like to do. Usually used in the passive. •/Mary felt fenced in because her father would not let her drive a car or have dates with boys./ •/John didn’t like his job because he had to do the same kind of work all the time. He felt that he was hemmed in./
[fence-sitter]{n.} A person unable to pick between two sides; a person who does not want to choose. •/Daddy says he is a fence-sitter because he doesn’t know which man he wants for President./
[fence-sitting]{n.} or {adj.} Choosing neither side. •/You have been fence-sitting for too long. It is time you made up your mind./ Contrast: MAKE UP ONE’S MIND, TAKE SIDES.
[fence with] or [spar with] {v.} To talk with (someone) as if you were fighting like a swordsman or boxer; to give skillful answers or arguments against (someone). •/The governor was an expert at fencing with reporters at press conferences./
[ferret out]{literary} or [smell out] or [sniff out] {v.} To hunt or drive from hiding; to bring out into the open; search for and find. •/John ferreted out the answer to the question in the library./ •/Jane smelled out the boys' secret hiding place in the woods./
[few] See: MAN OF FEW WORDS, NOT A FEW, QUITE A FEW.
[few and far between]{adj. phr.} Not many; few and scattered; not often met or found; rare. — Used in the predicate. •/People who will work as hard as Thomas A. Edison are few and far between./ •/Places where you can get water are few and far between in the desert./ •/Really exciting games are few and far between./
