[first and last]{adv. phr.} Most noticeably; all the time; chiefly. •/He was first and last a school teacher./ •/Steven joined the army because first and last he wanted to help his country./ Syn.: ABOVE ALL.
[first base]{n. phr.} 1. The base that must be touched first by a baseball player after batting. •/He got to first base on four balls./ 2. See: GET TO FIRST BASE.
[first class]{n.} 1. The first rank; the highest class; the best group. •/The pianist was quite good but he was not in the first class./ 2. The most expensive or comfortable class of travel; the best or one of the best groups in which to travel, especially by ship, train, or airplane. •/Most people can’t afford the first class when they take a long journey by ship./ 3. The way of sending all mail that includes letters and post cards, anything written by hand or typewriter, and anything sealed so that it cannot be inspected, and that is the most expensive class of mail but receives the best treatment. •/The usual way to send a letter is by first class./ Compare: SECOND CLASS, THIRD CLASS.
[first-class(1)]{adj.} 1. Of the highest class or best kind; excellent; first-rate. •/Jane did a first-class job of repairing the coat./ •/It was a first-class TV program./ Compare: TOP-NOTCH. 2. Of the best or most expensive class of travelling. •/Mr. Jones bought a first-class plane ticket to Chicago./ 3. Belonging to the class of mail for sending letters, post cards, and handwritten or typewritten mail that is sealed. •/It is expensive to send a heavy letter by first-class mail./
[first-class(2)]{adv.} With the best material; in the best or most expensive way. •/When Mr. Van Smith goes anywhere he always travels first-class./ •/"How did you send the package?" "First-class."/
[first come, first served]{truncated sent.}, {informal} If you arrive first, you will be served first; people will be waited on in the order they come; the person who comes first will have his turn first. •/Get in line for your ice cream, boys. First come, first served./ •/The rule in the restaurant is first come, first served./ •/The team’s owners announced that tickets for the World Series would be sold on a first come, first served basis only./ •/There are only a few seats left so it’s first come, first served./ Compare: EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM.
[first cousin]{n.} The child of your aunt or uncle. •/Tom’s only first cousin was Ralph, the son of his Uncle John./
[first of all]{adv. phr.} Chiefly; primarily; as the first thing. •/After we get to Chicago, we will, first of all, try to find a reliable used car./
[first off]{adv. phr.}, {informal} Before anything else; first. •/First off, I want you to mow the lawn./
[first-run]{adj. phr.} Shown for the first time; new. •/The local theater showed only first-run movies./
[first stone] See: CAST THE FIRST STONE.
[first string(1)]{n.}, {informal} 1. The best group of players on a team; first team; A team. •/Dick loved basketball and practiced hard until he was put on the first string./ 2. The best group of workers. •/Tom learned his trade so well that his boss soon called him one of his first string./
[first-string]{adj.}, {informal} 1. On the starting team or A team. •/He was the first-string quarterback./ 2. Of the best quality; foremost. •/He was the least expensive of the city’s first-string lawyers./
[first thing off the bat]{adv. phr.} Immediately; at once. •/He called home from Paris first thing off the bat as he stepped off the plane./
[first things first] Other things must wait until the most important and necessary things are done. •/Study your lessons before you go out to play. First things first./
[fish] See: COLD FISH, KETTLE OF FISH, NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL, NOT THE ONLY FISH IN THE SEA, OTHER FISH TO FRY.
[fish-and-chips]{n. phr.} Fried fish and french fried potatoes. •/The family went to a drive-in restaurant and had fish-and-chips./
[fish for]{v.}, {informal} To try to get or to find out (something), by hinting or by a roundabout way to try to lead someone else to give or tell you what you want by hinting. •/Jerry was always fishing for an invitation to Bob’s house./ •/Near examination time, some of the students fish for information./
[fish for a compliment]{v. phr.} To try to make someone pay a compliment. •/When Jim showed me his new car, I could tell that he was fishing for a compliment./
[fish fry]{n.} An outdoor party or picnic at which fish are fried and eaten. •/The guests at the fish fry caught and cooked their own fish./
[fish in muddy] or [troubled waters] {v. phr.} To take advantage of a troubled or confusing situation; seek personal advantage. •/With the police disorganized after the collapse of communism in Europe, many criminals started to fish in troubled waters./
[fish or cut bait]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. Decide what you want to do and stop wasting time; either act now or give someone else a chance or turn. •/Jack couldn’t decide whether to go to college or get a job, so his father told him to fish or cut bait./ •/"Buy the kind of ice cream you want or give someone else in line a chance. Fish or cut bait!"/ Compare: MAKE UP ONE’S MIND. 2. Either try hard and do your best, or quit. •/Frank missed football practice so often that the coach told him to fish or cut bait./
[fish out of water]{n. phr.} A person who is out of his proper place in life; someone who does not fit in. •/Because Ed could not swim, he felt like a fish out of water at the beach./ •/She was the only girl at the party not in a formal dress and she felt like a fish out of water./ Compare: OUT OF ONE’S ELEMENT, OUT OF PLACE.
[fish story]{n. phr.} An unlikely or improbable tale. •/Hunters and fishermen often exaggerate their successes by telling fish stories./
[fist] See: HARD-FISTED.
[fit] See: BY FITS AND STARTS, GIVE PITS, HAVE A FIT or HAVE FITS, IF THE SHOE FITS, WEAR IT, SEE FIT also THINK FIT, SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.
[fit as a fiddle]{adj. phr.} In very good health. •/The man was almost 90 years old but fit as a fiddle./ •/Mary rested at home for a few weeks after her operation; then she felt fit as a fiddle./
[fit for]{v. phr.} To be suited for; be prepared for. •/"What kind of job is Ted fit for?" the social worker asked./
[fit in with]{v. phr.} To fall into agreement or accord with. •/His plans to take a vacation in early July fit in perfectly with the university schedule./
[fit like a glove]{v. phr.} To fit perfectly. •/Her new dress fits her like a glove./
[fit out] or [fit up] {v.} To give things needed; furnish. •/The soldiers were fitted out with guns and clothing./ •/The government fitted out warships and got sailors for them./ •/The house was fitted out very nicely./ •/He fitted his room up as a photographic laboratory./
[fit the bill] See: FILL THE BILL.
[fit to a T] See: TO A T.
[fit to be tied(1)]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Very angry or upset. •/She was fit to be tied when she saw the broken glass./
[fit to be tied(2)]{adv. phr.}, {substandard} Very hard. — Used for emphasis. •/Uncle Willie was laughing fit to be tied at the surprised look on Mother’s face./
[five o’clock shadow]{n. phr.} A very short growth of beard on a man’s face who did shave in the morning but whose beard is so strong that it is again visible in the afternoon. •/"You have a five o’clock shadow, honey," Irene said, "and we’re going to the opera. Why don’t you shave again quickly?"/
[fix] See: GET A FIX or GIVE SOMEONE A FIX, GET A FIX ON.
[fix someone’s wagon] or [fix someone’s little red wagon] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. (Said to a child as a threat) to administer a spanking. •/Stop that right away or I’ll fix your (little red) wagon!/ 2. (Said of an adult) to thwart or frustrate another, to engineer his failure. •/If he sues me for slander, I will counter-sue him for malicious prosecution. That will fix his wagon!/
[fix someone up with]{v. phr.}, {informal} To help another get a date with a woman or man by arranging a meeting for the two. •/Say Joe, can you possibly fix me up with someone this weekend? I am so terribly lonesome!/
[fix up]{v. phr.} 1. To repair. •/The school is having the old gym fixed up./ 2. To arrange. •/I think I can fix it up with the company so that John gets the transfer he desires. /3. To arrange a date that might lead to a romance or even to marriage. •/Mary is a great matchmaker; she fixed up Ron and Betty at her recent party./
[fizzle out]{v.}, {informal} 1. To stop burning; die out. •/The fuse fizzled out before exploding the firecracker./ 2. To fail after a good start; end in failure. •/The power mower worked fine for a while but then it fizzled out./ •/The party fizzled out when everyone went home early./
[flag down]{v.}, {informal} To stop by waving a signal flag or as if waving a signal flag. •/The signalman flagged down the freight train./ •/A policeman flagged down the car with his flashlight./
[flakeball] or [flake] {n.}, {slang}, {drug culture} A disjointed, or "flaky" person, who is forgetful and incoherent, as if under the influence of narcotics. •/Hermione is a regular flakeball./ Compare: SPACED OUT.
[flame] See: ADD FUEL TO THE FLAME, GO UP IN FLAMES.
[flanker back]{n.} A football back who can play far to the outside of his regular place. •/The coach is still looking for a speedy boy to play flanker back./
[flare up]{v.} 1. To burn brightly for a short time especially after having died down. •/The fire flared up again and then died./ 2. To become suddenly angry. •/The mayor flared up at the reporter’s remark./ •/The mother flared up at her children./ 3. To begin again suddenly, especially for a short time after a quiet time. •/Mr. Gray’s arthritis flared up sometimes./ •/Even after they had conquered the country, revolts sometimes flared up./
[flare-up]{n.} The reoccurrence of an infection or an armed conflict. •/He had a flare-up of his arthritis./ •/There was a bad flare-up of hostilities in some countries./
[flash] See: IN A FLASH.
[flash card]{n.} A card with numbers or words on it that is used in teaching, a class. •/The teacher used flash cards to drill the class in addition./
[flash in the pan]{n. phr.}, {slang} A person or thing that starts out well but does not continue. •/The new quarterback was a flash in the pan./ •/Mary got 100 on the first test in arithmetic but it was just a flash in the pan because she failed in arithmetic./
[flat] See: FALL FLAT, IN NO TIME or IN NOTHING FLAT, LEAVE FLAT.
[flat as a pancake]{adj. phr.} Very level; very flat; having no mountains or hills. •/A great part of the American Midwest is as flat as a pancake./
[flat broke] See: STONE-BROKE.
[flatfoot]{n.}, {slang}, {derogatory} A policeman. •/"What does Joe do for a living? — He’s a flatfoot."/
[flat-footed]{adj.}, {informal} 1. Straightforward; forthright; direct; outright. •/The governor issued a flat-footed denial of the accusation./ •/He came out flat-footed against the idea./ 2. Not ready; not prepared; — usually used with "catch". •/The teacher’s question caught Tim flat-footed./ •/Unexpected company at lunch time caught Mrs. Green flat-footed./
[flat-out]{adv. phr.}, {informal} 1. Without hiding anything; plainly; openly. •/The student told his teacher flat-out that he was not listening to her./ 2. At top speed; as fast as possible. •/He saw two men running flat-out from the wild rhinoceros./
