English prepositional idioms 0-333-02235-1, 0-333-10391-2, 0-333-17215-9

Table of contents :
Front......Page 1
CONTENTS......Page 9
PREFACE......Page 11
I. THE PREPOSITIONS AND THEIR USES......Page 13
A......Page 15
B......Page 28
C......Page 40
D......Page 41
E......Page 43
F......Page 45
G......Page 55
I......Page 56
L......Page 63
M......Page 64
N......Page 65
O......Page 67
P......Page 82
R......Page 83
S......Page 85
T......Page 86
U......Page 94
W......Page 98
II. PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS......Page 105
A......Page 107
B......Page 145
C......Page 157
D......Page 194
E......Page 225
F......Page 255
G......Page 280
H......Page 293
I......Page 313
J......Page 333
K......Page 337
L......Page 341
M......Page 364
N......Page 381
O......Page 388
P......Page 400
Q......Page 434
R......Page 438
S......Page 469
T......Page 516
U......Page 543
V......Page 549
W......Page 553
Y......Page 572
Z......Page 574

Citation preview

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

By the same author

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CURRENT ENGLISH USAGE; A CONCISE DICTIONARY ENGLISH VERBAL IDIOMS ENGLISH COLLOQUIAL IDIOMS A PRELIMINARY ENGLISH COURSE A JUNIOR ENGLISH COURSE A MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH COURSE SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXERCISES IN ENGLISH EXERCISES IN LITERARY APPRECIATION EXERCISES IN PROSE INTERPRETATION TRAINING IN THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION AN OUTLINE l!!STORY OF

nm

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

MODERN TRAVEL: AN ANTHOLOGY MODERN AUTOBIOGRAPHY: AN ANTHOLOGY

nm SCHOOLBOY IN FICTION: AN ANTHOLOGY ·nm GROUNDWORK OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR A COURSE IN ENGLISII COMPOSITION

Tim USE OF ENGLISH A REMEDIAL ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

FREDERICK T. WOOD

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© Frederick T. Wood 1967 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission. First published 1967 Reprinted 1970, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978 ELBS edition first published 1974, reprinted 1975 Published by THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD London and Basingstoke Companies and representatives throughout the world ISBN o 333 02235 1 (hard cover) o 333 10391 2 (paper cover) o 333 17215 9 (ELBS edition) Printed in Great Britain by Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press) Ltd, Bungay, Suffolk

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arious uses and meanings are the most difficult to define and ~lassify. Sometimes it seems to have no particular sense of its tlWn apart from the phrase which it introduces; and sometimes, too, it surrenders its true prepositional function and adheres to a verb or a verbal group that precedes it, as, for instance, in the case of to think of ( =to remember, or to call to mind), or to lake care of. Or sometimes it combines with another word to' ll:i.ake a compound preposition (e.g. because of and in spite of). The following are the chief identifiable uses, though they are llot exclusive one of another. In some contexts of may combine two of the functions listed below. (1) As a genitive equivalent. It may indicate either possession (rhe property of J. C. Smith, Esq., the home of the Bronti!s, the estate of Lord Townley), or other notions closely related to that ~f possession, which, in certain circumstances, could also be tndicated by a genitive: e.g. Sarah, wife of Henry Jones; the :Playing-fields of Eton; the soldiers of the Queen; the cover Of the book; the surface of the road; the name of the owner. When both the genitive and the of-adjunct are possible, use ?f the latter usually has the effect of giving prominence to the tdea of the noun that follows of. John Smith's wife gives promillence to wife (it is the wife of someone that we are speaking of) ; lhe wife of John Smith gives prominence to the name of the husband. (~) To indicate a source or origin : e.g. a native of East Anglia ; a man of Kent : born of peasant stock; to come of a good family Men whose boast it is that ye Came of fathers brave and free, If there breathe on earth a slave, Are ye truly free and brave? -J. R. Lowell In this class we may also include 'to come of' in the sense of 'to develop from', 'arise from', 'result from'. Despite all the thought and hard work devoted to the scheme, nothing came of it. That's what comes of trying to help people.

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(3) To express the idea of 'associated or connected with'. Joho of Gaunt ; Lord John of Lancaster ; the Duke of Mon~ mouth; the UniversityofOxford; MrWatson,ofLloyds Bank. The Lord Mayor of London, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, the Archbishop of Canterbury might be included in this class, though they might also fall into class (9). (4) To express a partitive sense. _ Several of the members ; three of them; most of us; half of the money collected. Though not strictly partitive, all of and the whole of are the same type of construction. (5) With the meaning 'about' or 'concerning', as in the title of Dickens's novel A Tale of Two Ct'ties. He spoke to us of his experiences in the air-raids on London, 'Have you seen anything of your cousin James lately?' may be included in this class, since, although here of does not actually mean 'concerning', the sentence is probably formed on the analogy of 'Have you heard anything of your cousin James lately?' (6) To indicate the material of which something is made : a box of cedar wood; a coat of mail; a heart of gold (metaphorical). (On the difference between made of and made from, see Part II, under MAKE.) (7) With the meaning 'consisting of', or 'made up of': a pile of earth; a heap of ashes ; a row of trees ; a bundle of papers, Closely allied to this is the use of the of-adjunct. (a) After a statement of number, quantity, weight or measure (a gross of drawing-pins; a ream of paper; a pound of butter; a pint of milk). (b) To denote the contents of a vessel or receptacle (a jar of jam; a bottle of wine; a sack of coal; a box of oranges). Expressions like a cup of tea, a glass of wine, a plate of soup combine the two notions. (8) As an appositional adjunct : the game of cricket; the crime oflarceny; the county of Kent; the city of York; the Republic of South Africa; a charge of murder. Here the noun that follows of is in apposition to the one that goes before. It is really a special subdivision of the specifying use of the of-adjunct such as we get in a portrait of my mother, the history of the First World War. Another example of the use of of to introduce an appositional adjunct is to be found in what is called 'the post-genitive' type

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

57

of construction, i.e. where of is followed by a genitive (or, in the case of pronouns, a possessive pronoun) which refers back to the noun preceding the preposition: a friend of my father's, a cousin of mine, that old car of Jim's.

A third type is exemplified in the sentence, 'They were accused of uttering forged notes', where the of-adjunct is in apposition to a noun implied in the verb. It states the nature or substance of the accusation. (9) To express an objective relationship of the noun that follows of to the word that precedes it. There are several types. (a) After a verbal noun with a transitive sense. The Hunting of the Snark. (Someone hunted the Snark.) The siege of Troy. (An army besieged Troy.) The execution of the murderer. (They executed the murderer.) The signature of a treaty. (They signed a treaty.) The construction of the Forth Bridge. (They constructed the Forth Bridge.) (b) After an agent-noun made up from a transitive verb, or having the sense of a transitive verb attached to it. . The driver of the car (i.e. the person who drove the car), The writer of the letter (i.e. the person who wrote the letter), The editor of a newspaper (i.e. the person who edits the newspaper). The author of the book (i.e. the person who wrote the book). The critics of his action (i.e. those who criticised his action). Though they are not on precisely the same footing as the foregoing, we may include under agent-nouns those words which denote a person who exercises some kind of authonty, power or jurisdiction over people, countries, districts, etc. The King of Ruritania, the Emperor of Austria, the Bishop of London, the President of the United States, the Sheriff of Nottingham. (c) After non-agent and non-verbal nouns, which nevertheless suggest a verbal notion to which the word following of stands in an objective relationship. He went about in fear of his enemy. (He feared his enemy.) They alleged they had proof of his guilt (i.e. something ' that would prove his guilt). (d) After such verbs as rob, deprive, cheat (which in the active voice have a personal object), to indicate the thing that is taken. Thev robbed him of every penny he had,

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He alleged that a dishonest solicitor had cheated him of Pai"t of his legacy. 1 Many of the nobility were deprived of their lands. (e) As the equivalent of an objective complement after c e ~ uses of the verb to malie. Thus instead of 'You will ne\re\ make him a gentleman' (where gentleman would be an objectiv'!:: .complement), we should normally say, 'You will never make ~ gentleman of him'. Similarly : I occasionally have a glass of wine with my lunch, but J: don't make a habit of it, (Or 'I don't make a gene~ practice of it'.) (f) In compounds like make fun of, make game of, make a f us!t: of, which have the force of compound verbs, with the noun oii pronoun that follows of as the object. The other boys made fun of him. She always makes a fuss of children. (g) In the expressions to be fond of/ashamed of/aware of, ·etc. ., which denote some feeling or attitude directed towards a persn or a thing. · . She is fond of children. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. We were not aware of his presence. (ro) To express a subjective·relationship between the noun that follows of and a verbal noun, intransitive in sense, that precedes it. The resignation of the Prime Minister was hourly expected. (That the Prime Minister would resign.) I am to be appointed Deputy Librarian on the retirement of Mr Fraser. (When Mr Fraser retires.) ' He has just had news of the death of his father. (That his · father has died.) (II) To introduce a specifying adjunct to a general noun, or to a corresponding verb: a drink of water, a taste of vinegar, a smell of petrol, a sound of crying. It tastes of vinegar. It smells of petrol. (12) To denote a characteristic of a thing or a person. A matter of urgency; a person of importance ; a girl of most attractive looks; a thing of beauty. (13) After within, to denote time or distance from a given point. We were within two miles of our destination when the car · broke down. He died within a few days of his ninetieth birthday. Note the phrase within an ace of=very near to.

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We were within an ace of success when we were compelled to give up. (I4) In a limited number of expressions, to indicate cause: died of wounds, sick of a fever, die of starvation, perish of hunger. (rs) To suggest regularity, or a general practice. (Before nouns denoting particular times.) What do you do of an evening ? We usually go to church ofa Sunday. Note the use of the singular noun and article though the sense is plural (i.e. evenings and Sundays generally). (16) In a few expressions, before a noun and an indefinite article, to give an adverbial sense: all of a sudden (=suddenly); of a truth (=truly: not much used in present-day English); of necessity ( =necessarily). SPECIAL USES AND CONSTRUCTIONS, The following should be noticed. (i) The use of of after a noun to indicate, by an implied analogy, some characteristic or quality of the person or thing denoted by the noun that follows : a fool of a person ; a beast of a man ; a gem of a house ; a great, hulking bully of a fellow ; a wilderness of a place (sometimes said of a garden that has run wild) ; nothing of a musician ; something of a genius. A number of expressions are found in slang : e.g. a devil of a job; a hell of a day; a dickens of a time, etc. (ii) The type of construction exemplified by the sentence, 'It is very kind of you to invite me' : i.e. adjective+ noun or pronoun + infinitive. This is found almost exclusively with those adjectives which can be applied to actions or deeds, and also to persons : e.g. kind, brave, clever, stupid, cruel, thoughtful, careless, etc. If we wish to combine the two notions in one, and say that a person is kind, cruel, clever, etc., in virtue of the act or deed that he performs, this is the construction we use. It was careless of us to forget to lock the door, How stupid of me to leave the map behind I .- It is very generous of your mother to give so large a donation. The infinitive need.not always be expressed; it may be understood from the context or situation : That is very good of you. How stttpid of me! . (iii) The use of a superlative adjective followed by of+ a plural noun to convey the notion of very. He spoke in the softest of voices. She had the sweetest of smiles.

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The climate in these pnrts is not very pleasant at the best of times. (iv) The use of of to link a singular noun with the same no~ in the plurnl, to express a superlative idea (the greatest, :finest the most glorious, etc.) ~ Judge eternnl, throned in splendour, Lord of lords, and King of ldngs. -From a hymn by H. Scott Hollanct That flower of flowers, the marigold. -W. H. Hudson, A Shepherd's Life (v) On the post-genitive (a friend of my father's., a cousin oj mine), see under (8) above. OFF. (I) From (whatever is mentioned). The picture fell off the -wall. The cat knocked the flower-pot off the stand, The heel came off his shoe. (2) Removed from. It will be a good thing when those old cars are off the road Duck and green peas is now off the menu. • (3) Aside from (of streets, buildings, etc.). Villiers Street is just off the Strand. You will find the post office just off High Street. Elder Row runs-off Newsome Street. (4) Away from. The speaker kept wandering off the point. Half of what he said was off the subject. Where places and times are concerned, off usunlly means 'before' (not 'beyond'). It's a few minutes off three o'clock. We were a few miles off Worksop. Off the coast means 'away from, but near, the coast'. The same applies in .the case of nllllles of particular places on the coast. There was a ship in distress off the coast of Kent/off Land's End/off the Isle of Wight. PHRAsns. Off duty: free from duty. Off one's food: having no appetite: unable to eat much. Similarly off fish, off meat, off tea, off smoking. (Not eating fish/ meat; not drinking tea; not smoking.) Off one's head: out of one's mind: mad.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

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(Go) off the rails: take a wrong course. (Colloquial.) Off work : not working, either through illness or because one has no work to do. In the same way we may speak of school children being off school. Walk one off one's feet: cause one to walk so far that one is tired out. Get something off one's chest: relieve one's mind by speaking of a matter that has been worrying one. (Colloquial.) ON. (I) To indicate position in relation to another object. The dog was sleeping on the mat. A mirror hung on the wall. He had mud on his shoes. (2) To represent a place, an object, or a part of the body as the recipient of an activity. She knocked on the door. They sat down on the seat. The stone hit him on the head. The passer-by touched me on the shoulder. (3) To indicate locality, i.e. the place where something stands or is situated. The school is built on the site of an old mansion. London stands on the Thames. Cf. also certain place-names compounded with on or upon: Southend-on-Sea, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Stratford-on-Avon, Newcastle upon Tyne. (4) To indicate a means of support from beneath, A tripod is so called because it stands on three feet, The roof of the building is supported.on pillars. (5) To indicate a means of supporting life, an organisation, a business, etc., or of paying one's way. They lived mostly on vegetables from their garden, Her pet dogs were fed on the choicest food. He finds it difficult to live on his salary, You can't afford luxuries, on an income of twelve pounds a week. (6) To indicate the means by which something is enabled to work, or to perform its·function. Many locomotives nowadays run on oil, For m~y years he ran his business on a staff of only five. You can t do a hard day's work on a cup of coffee and a slice of toast.

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(7) To express direction in relation to some person or object. Take the turning on your right. Enter by the door on the left-hand side as you appro:;~ the building. {8) To express membership of a group or body: e.g. on tlic committee, on the Town CounciJ,, on the board of directors, eii,. the staff, on the Stock Exchange, on the Senate of the Universit:¥. (But in the army, i'n the navy, in the Civil Service, in the churci,, etc. See under IN.) (9) Followed by a verbal noun, to express a passive idea fot 9. transitive verb, and an active one for an intransitive. On show (=being shown), on trial (=being tried), on sit!c (=being sold), on exhibition (=being exhibited), on paraele ( =parading). In a few phrases, like on duty and on holiday, the active id~ can be expressed by on followed by a non-verbal noun. On ditty =doing the ducy assigned to one; on holiday=having a holidaY,; on leave=having one's leave; on night work=doing night wotl, whereas over implies that one thing is immediately or directly above the other even if a distance separates them. 'He held his hands above hi~ head' could mean that he held them straight up from his shoulders, so that they rose higher than his head; but 'He held his hands over his head' means that they were superimposed on his head, or that they partially covered his head, But in many ·contexts the two words are virtually interchangeable. (2) Above and covering, She spread a cloth over the table. He wore galoshes over his shoes. (3) Before and covering. They hung a curtain over the picture, She wore a veil over her face. He pasted a piece of paper over the broken window pane.

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(4) Above in status or position. I am not in charge of the department; I have two people over me. (5) Above, and on to the other side of. Instead of opening the gate, we climbed over it. Pursued by the police, the thief threw the wallet over ~ hedge. The branch of an apple tree, laden with fruit, hung over th~ wall. (6) Downwards from the edge of. The child fell over the cliff. (7) As the result of collision with. (After such verbs as fall,. stumble, trip.) He fell over a stone. I tripped over the edge of the pave.. ment. (8) Across, from one side to the other. The bridge over the river is closed for repairs. (9) Beyond: on the other side of. Who lives in that house over the road ? Over the hills and far away. The sun disappeared over the horizon. (10) Near to and watching. (Mainly after the verbs stand and sit.) His mother had to sit over him and make him do his homework. He will never do anything properly unless you stand over him. He stood over me while I wrote the letter. (II) More than: in excess of. The repairs to my watch cost me over five pounds. To join the army you must be over seventeen years of age. Over a thousand people were present. He came for a few minutes, and stayed'for over an hour. (12) While one is having (a meal, etc.). Many a business deal has been concluded over a bottle of wine. We can discuss that matter over dinner. ·(13) In doing (something). They are taking a very long time over a simple job. I usually take about half an hour over my breakfast. She took a lot of care over the arrangements for the journey.

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(14) Through (a period of time) : e.g. travel over night; stay ov:er the week-end/over Christmas, etc. (15) On account of. It's no use crying over spilt milk. She is the kind of person who worries over trivialities. This use of over is most frequent after verbs that have to do with disagreement in some way: e.g. quarrel over, fight over, argue over. With verbs denoting feelings or attitudes of mind, the idea of cause is sometimes combined with an objective notion, the noun that follows over denoting that to which the feeling or attitude is directed : e.g. to brood over one's troubles, to gloat over one's success. PHRASES

Get over: (i) Surmow1t (literally), as get over a stile, an obstacle, etc. (ii) Surmount (metaphorically), as get over a difficulty. (iii) Recover from, as get over an illness, a shock, etc. The world over : all over the world. Sheffield cutlery is known the world over, Over and above: in addition to. (See under ABOVE.) Have one over the eight (slang) : get drunk. He looks as though he has had one over the eight. 'The eight' probably refers to the eight pints that malce a gallon, the implication being that a person can take a gallon of beer (eight ·pints) without its affecting him, but if he has one over the eight he will become intoxicated.

OWING TO. Because·of: on account of. Owing to rising costs, .bus fares will be increased from Monday next. All the schools in the area were closed for a week, owing to an outbreak of measles.

p PAST. As a preposition, past is used in the following two way-s (I) To express the idea of passing by something or someone. • Someone has just gone past the window. He walked past me without speaking. (2) To express the idea of'beyond'. The passenger fell asleep and went past his station, It was past midnight when we arrived home. The time is ten minutes past six. I've no proof that he falsified the accounts, but I wouldn't: put it past him (i.e. I do not think he is so honest that: he would not do it). Past it is often used with the meaning 'no longer having the power or capability of doing something properly, or as one used to'. She used to be a good tennis player, but at the age of fifty she is past it. PENDING. Until: in the time between now and whatever is stated in the words that follow pending, The money must remain in the hands of the trustees, pend. ing a judicial ruling on the matter. PER. Really a Latin preposition. In English it is confined to commercial use. (1) For each: sixty pence per pound, eight pence per mile, ten pence per person, thirty miles per gallon,fifty miles per hour. In ordinary English we should say a or an. (2) By means of, or by the agency of: per parcel Post, per Mr C. J. White. These are to be regarded as commercial jargon. PLUS, Actually the Latin word for more, and in English the name given to the addition sign ( +). As a preposition, express. ing the meaning 'with the addition of', it is correctly used only when two numbers, quantities, amounts, weights, etc., are to be added together to give a combined number, quantity, amount or weight : e.g. sixteen plus twent"J-three; ten pounds a week plus commission; the weight of the goods plus that of the container. Such expressions as the three children plus their parents, the family plus their pet dog are solecisms.

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R REGARDING. Concerning: as regards: on the matter of. I am afraid I can give you no information regarding his whereabouts. Regarding our plans for the future, all I can say is that we· sh~. t:tl'e .whatever opportunity arises for expanding our acuv1t1.es. RESPECTING. Concerning: about: with respect to. W"e had quite a long discussion respecting the course to be adopted. /

ROUND. (x) Encircling. She had a string of pearls round her neck. (z) Compassing the entire circumference or perimeter of. A hedge about six feet high ran round the field. The winner of the race got round the course in record time. I'll put a girdle round about the earth in forty minutes. -Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream,Acur, sc. i (3). Completely enveloping. They wrapped a sheet of brown paper round the parcel. Each of the chocolates had a piece of tin foil round it. ) Placed in various positions on all sides of, or in the vicinity of. 4 I overheard the remarks of some of the people round me. Most of the houses round here were built between the two World Wars. (s) In a direction which involves making a movement in a . curve or at an angle. The post office is just round the comer. The car skidded as it came round the bend. Get round: (i) a difficulty : overcome or surmount it. (ii) a regulation, etc. : circumvent it. (iii) a person : persuade him to do something one wishes. Round the bend (slang) : deranged in mind. (6) From person to person, or from place to place, within a given group or a given area. . A rumour went round the town that·the Mayor had died.

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He goes round the country selling vacuum cleaners. The secretary went round all the members of the club soliciting subscriptions. They spent the morning looking round the shops. (7) Metaphorically, to convey the idea of giving support to. The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round hini. Rally round your leader. In (4) and (7), and in the first, second and fourth sentences of (6), around could be used, but not in the others (at least, in British English). Since there is a good deal of confusion over these two words, the best advice that can be given is to restrict around to the expression of the idea of vicinity (the district around Gharing Cross, the streets around the British Museum, You have only to look around you to see the poverty of the district), and in all other cases to use round.

ROUND AND AROUND.

ROUND ABOUT. (1) In the neighbourhood or vicinity of: e.g., 'the countryside round about Nottingham'. (2) Approximately. Round about a hundred people are expected to attend the conference. I'll call to see you round about seven o'clock.

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s SAVE. Except (fr~m th: French sauf). As a.preposition the word is now obsolete m ordinary spoken.and :Vntten English, though it is still used in poetry, and sometunes m rather formal literary style. SINCE. From some specified time, up to the present. We have not seen each other since our schooldays. Since his last illness he has never~ been the same person. In a past context, since means 'from some specified time prior to the moment referred to'. I ran across him quite unexpectedly one Saturday evening about five years ago. Until then we had not seen each other since our schooldays.

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--T THAN. Really a subordinating conjunction, introducing an. adverb clause of comparison and expressing the idea of inequality between the two things compared. It often, however, has the appearance of a preposition, since the verb of the clause of comparison is frequently omitted (e.g. 'He is two years older that: his brother' - where is is understood); hence its inclusion here It is always preceded by an adjective or an adverb in the com~ parative degree (bigger than, sooner than, faster than, etc.), or by rather.

As regards the case of pronouns after than, there is, of course no difficulty when the verb of the clause is actually expressea' When there is an ellipsis, the case is normally determined by th~ grammatic~l relation of the pronoun to the word (usually a verb but sometimes a preposition) that has been omitted. If, there~ fore, we supply this word in our. own minds we should get the case correct: e.g. 'He is a richer man than I (am)', 'I see you trust him more than I (do)', 'I see you trust him more than (you trust) me', 'You are more ready to help him than I (am)• 'You are more ready to help him than (you are ready to help) me', 'That is a matter for you rather than (for) me'. Frequently, however, a nominative, though demanded by strict gtammatical rule, sounds awkward or unnatural, especially after verbs of incomplete prediction like to be, to seem, to become, and in such cases usage sanctions the accusative form: 'He is several years older than me', 'I don't see how you could have got us confused, for I am much taller than him.' We have said above that it is mainly a verb or a preposition than is omitted after than; but sometimes the ellipsis consists of a whole group of words. Here are a few examples. It is much warmer today than (it was) yesterday. They arrived sooner than (they were) expected. Better late than never (to come at all). THROUGH. The following are the various uses of this word as a preposition. (I) To express the idea of penetration. The water from the burst pipe soaked through the ceiling. The gunman shot his victim through the head. We had to bore a hole through the plank.

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75 The policeman forced his way through the crowd. (2) To express the idea of the penetration, by one of the senses, of some obscuring or intervening medium, or some obstacle. The house could be seen faintly through the mist. Through the trees they could make out what seemed to be a small farm. Through the howling of the wind came the cry of someone in distress. (3) To express the idea of coming or going by way of. Sonnds of music could be heard through the open window. The missile went flying through the air. A note was put through the letter-box. (4) To convey the idea of penetration, or partial penetration, of something by which one is surronnded. As they made their way through the desert the snn beat dovm upon them with increasing fierceness. We picked our way very carefully through the undergrowth. (5) To express the notion of the application of an activity to the whole of whatever is specified : hence to convey the idea of thoroughness or completeness. The police searched through the house, but found no clues. I have been through thfo pile of papers, but the missing letter is not there. ·(6) To convey the idea of a point by way of which something passell on a course or route. Draw the line from A, through B, to C. 'The diameter of a circle passes through the centre. The train from Manchester to London · goes through Sheffield, Nottingham and Leicester. . (7) To express the meaning 'by means of, or by way of, an intermediary'. Inflammable articles must not be sent through the post. I got to know of it through a friend. I refused to communicate with him except through my solicitor. (8) To ·express the notion of using something as a medium: e.g. to look at something through a telescope/through a magnifying glass/through a microscope. (9) To convey the idea of subjecting someone to the various stages of a test or ordeal.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

The product is put through many tests before it is finallyapproved as satisfa~ory. The suspect was put through a three-hour interrogation bythe police. (10) To express the idea 'from the beginning to the end of a specified period of time'. We preferred to travel through the night. Owing to urgent business, some of the staff had to work through the weekend. The construction also occurs with a noun which, though not specifying time as such, denotes something which is thought of as occupying a certain length of time, Severalmembers ofthe congregation slept through the sennon, N.B.-The American use of through to express a period of time between two given dates (e.g. August r 4 through August 2 r) is not recognised in British English. We should say from AugtlSt 14 to August 21, {II), To express cause. 'He became ill through overwork. We have got into this trouble through your stupidity, (Rather stronger is all through.) PHRASES

Get through : {i) some material object, obstruction, gap, opening, etc. : penetrate. (ii) a difficulty : surmount ; overcome; find a way out of, (iii) a task, a meal, etc.: finish. ('We managed to get through the work in three hours.') (iv) a test or examination: pass; succeed in. ('John has got through his driving test at last.') Go through (troubles, difficulties, etc.) experience; endure, You need a rest, after all you've gone through. You've no idea what I've had to go through during the last few months. (To say that a train goes through a railway station, or a bus through a town, may mean that it passes thr01,1gh, but does not stop there.) Put one through it: subject one to a severe ordeal. · Wait until you get in the army; they'll put you through it.

THROUGHOUT. (r) In every part of some specified place. A search was made throughout the house, but no clue was found.

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A description of the wanted man was circulated throughout the country. (2) During the whole of some specified period of time. It poured with rain throughout ~e night, TILL, (r) Up ·10 a time or an event specified. Jn those days we had to work till six o'clock. The party travelled from dawn till dusk. Till the death of his father he had held a minor position in the family business. (z) Before a specified time or event. (This is found chiefly in sentences of negative import.) I cannot see you till three o'clock. We do not expect an answer till next Wednesday at earliest. He did not come into the property till the death of bis elder brother. Till is also used, with the same two meanings as above, as a .subordinating conjunction to introduce an adverb clause of time, As a conjunction, however, it has a third use, which combines the first meaning given above with the suggestion of result: e.g. We laughed till the tears rolled down our cheeks. Till and until are usually interchangeable, though perhap~ until is more usual than till at the beginning of a sentence ( Unt!l her marriage she worked as a shorthand-typist), and when it 1s desired to emphasise the idea of duration of time rather than merely the end of a period. Otherwise rhythm and euphony would seem to be the deciding factors.

TO. The following are the chief ways in which this preposition is used, though it is quite impossible to make an exhaustive list, since it occ?fS in so many idiomatic expressions and constructions where no precise meaning can be given to it. A number of these will be found in Part II of the present book. . . (r) To convey the meaning 'in the direction of'. (This 1s really the basic meaning, and most of the others are developments from or extensions of it.) . He turned to his companion before he replied. He pointed to an object on the horizon. (z) To indicate destination. I am going to Edinburgh tomorrow. They always went to Paris for their summer holidays. (3) To indicate a point of arrival, or a point reached. We came to a picturesque cottage. ,When you come to the traffic lights, turn left.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

The point may be a non-spatial or non-material one. I have come to the end of my patience. The discussions have come to a deadlock, When they get to feeling old, They up and shoot themselves, I'm told, -Rupert Brooke, The Old Vicarage, Grantchester (4) To express the meaning 'as far as'. We walked on to the next village, I will come with you to the bus stop. The temperature rose to 70° Fahrenheit, (s) To express attachment in one form or another. Two n1ain types of construction may be distinguished. (i) Where the to-adjunct is attached to a verb : They nailed their colours to the mast. The prisoner was bound to a tree. Similarly stick to, tie to,fasten to, chain to, cling to~ hang on to, etc. (ii) Where the to-adjunct is attached to a preceding noun. He hasn't a penny to his name/a rag to his back, There'is no index to the book. (6) To indicate the result of a transformation or change. Lot's wife was changed to a pillar of salt. The vase fell on to the floor and was smashed to atoms. He drank himself to death. Many ancient cities have now crumbled to dust, (7) To indicate the person or the thing to which an activity is directed. We may, perhaps, call this the objective use of to, since the word that follows it rather resembles a grammatical object in its relation to the verb and preposition. I will speak to your father about the matter. The secretary was requested to write to the defaulting member. Similarly tall~ to, pray to, call to, shout to. (8) As the equivalent of an indirect object. (Though this does not imply that the two mean precisely the same, or that they can always be interchanged.) She gave an orange to each of the children. Mr Jones has sent this book to you. (9) To give a precise application to a preceding adjective, The exhibition will be open to the public from 10 a.m. till 6p.m.

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We want to give a present appropriate to the occ:ision. This side of the house is exposed to the north winds. The bridge is closed to heavy traffic. (ro) To express the idea of correspondence or conformity with: e.g. true to type, true to character, made to measure, to order, to your instructions. (II) To express the notion of extent, or the meaning 'to the point of'. She did the work to the best of her ability. To the best of my knowledge all the accounts have now been paid. He drained the cup to the last drop. Similarly to perfection, to the death, to the ve,:v end, to a T, to a nicety.

(r2) With the meaning 'from the point of view of', or 'so far as someone (or something) is concerned'. It looks all right to me. Will it be all right to you if I leave the rest of the work till tomorrow? To a child, any unfamiliar noise may be frightening. A walk of ten miles was nothing to him. It does not matter to me where you go. Into this class also fall combinations made up of an adjective followed by a to-adjunct, such as pleasant to the senses, attractive to the eye, bitter to the taste. (r3) To express the result of addition, subtraction, reduction, etc. The bill comes to three pounds. The charges for all the items taken together amount to six pounds, fifty pence. The price has been reduced to twenty-two pounds. Similarly add up to, come down to. (r4) To express the idea of comparison. Two is to four, as three is to six. This material is far superior to the other you showed me. (Similarly inferior to, anterior to, prior to, subsequent to.) The cost of living here is quite low to what it is in my own country. (r5) To express the idea of 'having as a characteristic, a quality or a part'.· (This is allied to class (5) above.) A story with a moral to it; a box with a lid to it; music with a swing to it; food with a taste to it.

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To it sometimes expresses involvement, concern, ·or sig,. nificance. They may say that the regulation has been made to prevent overcrowding, but there is more to it than that. If you can't pay the price you can't have the goods, and that's all there is to it. (16) To denote the object of a wish; (Mainly in toasts.) Here's to the maiden of bashful fifteen! Let us drink to the health of the bride. (17) In an objective sense after certain adjectives, to denote tb~ person affected by the notion expressed in the adjective. (This is allied to class (7) above.) She was always kind to children. You should never be cruel to animals. He had always been generous to good causes. The adjectives concerned are mainly those descriptive of an attitude or of conduct towards others. (18) To express the idea of approach towards and contact with. : She put her hands to her head. He raised the cup to his lips. I put my shoulder to the door, and gave a heave. Closely related to this use of to is that exemplified in such expressions as end to end, back to back, shoulder to shoulder. (19) To express a relationship between two persons or things ill their relative positions : near to me, next to me, next door to me, opposite to me. (20) To express the idea of 'resulting in'. To our surprise, the train was early for once. To the disappointment of the spectators, the match had to be abandoned. Similarly to the joy of, to the disgust of, to the delight of, to the annoyance of, etc. A genitive or a possessive adjective can also be used where sense and euphony permit it: to our great disappointment; much to the teacher's·annoyancc. (21) To express the idea 'to the accompaniment of'. They were dancing to the music of a barrel organ. The poem has been set to music. We had never sung the hymn to that tune before. SPECIAL USES

(9 After put, to is used to express the. object at which the not10n expressed by put is directed: put to sleep, put to death, put to use, put to shame,

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(ii) Note the difference between go to school, go to church, go to hospital, go to prison, etc., on the one hand, and the same

expressions with the definite article on the other. When the definite article is used, the building is denoted; when there is no definite article it is the purpose for which the building exists that is meant. Children go to school (to learn); a parent wishing to see the headmaster goes to the school. A convicted criminal goes to prison (for punishment), but a visiting magistrate or some• one going on official business goes to the prison. TOGETHER WITH. (1) Accompanied by. The Mayor and the Mayoress were present, together with the Town Clerk. I am sending you the letter I have received from the County Council, together with a copy of my reply. (2) Combined with. Plant disease, together with a prolonged drought, has ruined most of the crops. TOWARDS. (1) In the direction of. When we last saw the car it was travelling towards London. The stranger came towards me. (2) Near. As we got towards Exeter the traffic became heavier. (3) Near as regards time, age, etc. She must be getting on towards fifty. It is getting towards Christmas/towards bedtime, etc. Towards midday the fog began to disperse, and the sun broke through. (4) In the direction of some object or purpose which one has in view. We will put the prize money towards paying off the mort• gage on the house. The proceeds of the jumble sale will go towards the Freedom from Hunger campaign, 'TWEEN. Short for between. Used only in verse. 'TWIXT•. Short for betwixt. Found only in verse, Champions enough Afrasiab, whom thou Mayst fight; fight them when they confront thy spear I But oh, let there be peace 'twixt thee and me I -Matthew Arnold, Sohrab and Rustum

u UNDER. (I) Beneath, They sheltered under an umbrella. Thm ,'

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EFFECT. (r) Carry or put into effect: i.e. carry out; translate from words or intention into action.· He is not likely to carry his threat into effect. When the time is ripe the scheme will be put into effect. (2) Give effect to : translate into effect. (Virtually the same meaning as the previous entry.) He is not likely to give effect to his threat. (3) Have an effect (or no effect) on: 'The acid had no effect on the metal' (4) For effect: in order to produce an effect. An archaic style of writing may sometimes be justifiable, if it is used for effect. (s) In effect : as far as the effect is concerned. A sentence of ten years' imprisonment on a person of eighty, is .in effect a life sentence. (6) Of no effect: having or producing no effect. All our efforts were of no effect. Also in the sense of 'having no validity: not such as may be I could not enamour myself of him', ENCHANT. Enchant someone; enchant someone by one's manner, smile, etc. Enchanted takes by when it is part of a passive voice or is otherwise felt to be participial (' The company was enchanted by her singing'), and with when it is felt to be adjectival: 'We were enchanted with the place'. Cf. delighted by and delighted wlth. · Enchantment is followed by of to express (a) an objective sense (Circe's enchantment of her victims), (b) a subjective sense (the enchantment of the place). ENCHANTMENT. See ENCHANT. ENCLOSE. A fie1d, garden, or any similar area is enclosed within boundaries, walls, etc. A person encloses his garden with a hedge; the garden is enclosed by the hedge; but enclosed witk is idiomatic if we think of the hedge as the means of enclosure that is employed rather than as the thing that encloses : e.g • 'To keep stray animals off the garden, it was enclosed with a hedge' • . Enclose with and enclosed with may also mean 'enclose(d) along with something else': 'I enclosed a cheque with my letter':. 'A cheque was enclosed with the letter'. It is also possible to say, 'A cheque was enclosed in the letter', but in this case we are thinking of the envelope and its contents as the letter, Where enclosure within refers merely to boundaries or limits, enclose in suggests complete enclosure, on all sides and in all directions: 'The packet was enclosed in a cellophane wrapping'. 'Before posting a letter you should enclose it in an envelope.' ENCOUNTER. Encount~r is normally a transitive or intransitive verb, used without any preposition following it : encounter the enemy, encounter difficulties, encounter resistance, the first time we encountered. In literary English encounter with the enemy is sometimes found. It means 'meet and fight with'.

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ENCOURAGE. Followed by in, to denote that to which the encouragement is given : encourage a per~on i7: !3is ~xtravagance, in his idle ways, in his work, etc. An infiniuve 1s also used: encourage one to work harder, to take ~sks, to tl')'. again. Generally speaking, we encourage a person in something that already exists without our encouragement, and encourage Wm to do something that he might not otherwise do. ENCROACH. Encroach on or upon another's territory, privileges, etc.

ENCUMBER. Encumber one with something: 'I do not wish to encumber you with more work than you can do'. 'She was encumbered with parcels, the results of her morning's shopping.' 'Mr Micawber was always encumbered with debts.' An encwnbrance to one : 'He dreaded to think that in his old age he might be an encumbrance to his children'. ENCUMBRANCE. See ENCUMBER. END. End as: become in the end. (Sometimes end up as.) He joined the firm as a junior clerk, and ended as a director. Even the most expensive and luxurious cars end as scrap metal, He squandered his money and ended up as a pauper. End in: (r) Produce or give rise to as the end. The argument between the two men ended in a fight. The match ended in a victory for our opponents. (2) Lead into at the end; have as its end. After half a mile we had to turn back, as the road ended in a farmyard. The pathway ended in a quagmire. (3) Be in, or get into, as the result of something one does. If you drive as recklessly as that, you'll end in hospital. H_e went on from theft to theft, till he ended in prison. End on : Found mainly in the expressions to end on a cheerful note, a gloomy note, a hopeful note, to express the tone or spirit at the end of a letter, speech, article, etc. Though most of her letter was a recital of her troubles and disappointments, it ended on a more cheerful note. · An end to : a point at which something ends. Don't worry; there will be an end to your troubles one day. There seems to be no end to this wet weather.

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Put an end to : cause to end. Regulations were made to put an end to dishonest Practices in the profession. It is about time you put an end to all this quarrelling \Uld bickering amongst yourselves. End to end: with the end of one touching the end of the o(uet, The forms were placed end to end. End with: have as a final item (of a concert, a meeting, ~tc,) The concert ended with the singing of the National AntheJXJ, The meeting ended with a vote of thanks to the officers . Also used of the final development or episode of a story, The novel ends with the reappearance of the long-lost heit to the property, No end of. (I) A large number or large amount of, (~t.. loquial.) I've warned you no end of times not to touch that mach,ine. He went to no end of trouble to help me. (2) A very great. (Before a noun.) (Colloquial.) There'll be no end of a row about this. He thinks himself no end of a fine fellow. (3) No end (without of) is also used adverbially in collo'4uial English. She fancies herself no end. At an end: used predicatively, to denote a point at Which. the end has been reached. Owing to a long delay on the journey, he did not !Urive until the meeting was at an end. He went on spending lavishly until his money was at end. From end to end: from one end to the other. We walked the street from end to end. (Or from end to end of the street.) The expression is often used rather loosely, to suggest eom• pleteness or thoroughness, of things which have no end in the strict sense of the word : e.g. 'I have searched the house from end to end for that missing ring'. · In the end: finally; eventually. I hope everything will turn out all right in the end, He failed so many times that in the end he gave up hope. Off the deep end. Found only in the expression (colloquial) to go off the deep end, i.e. to fly into a passion.

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She goes off the deep end at the slightest provocation. If a thing is inevitable, all we can do is to accept it; it's no use going off the deep end about it. On end. (r) Resting on the end: e.g. 'They stood the barrel on end', (2) Without intermission. (Colloquial.) Generally used after statements of time or distance. It rained for three days on end•. That dog has been barking for two hours on end, For five miles on end the road was bordered with apple orchards. To the end: until the end arrives, or until one reaches the end. A true friend is faithful to the end. ENDEAR. Endear someone or something to one: 'The sweet temper of the child endeared him to all who knew him', ENDOW. Endow a person with something: 'Nature had endowed her with beauty and intelligence'. ENDUE. Endue a person with something. (Not much used in present-day English.) Endue thy ministers with righteousness, - Book of Common Prayer. ENEMY. The enemy is always followed by of(' Care is the enemy of happiness'). An enemy also usually takes of, but to is possible when the idea of enemy is somewhat weakened, so that it comes to mean 'something that militates against', or 'someone who is opposed to', Jealousy is an enemy to true friendship. His opponents accused him of being an enemy to progress. I, who have ever been an enemy to insolence, cruelty and tyranny, loathe their [the stage-coach men's] memory, and what is more, am not afraid to say so, - George Borrow, Lavengro, For enmity, see below. ENGAGE. A person engages in business, argument, controversy, etc., ·and engages another in conversation. He is engaged in something he is doing (e.g. engaged in washing the car, engaged in writing a book, engaged in a discussion), but engaged on a project, or an important piece of work (e'.g' engaged on the plans

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for the new library, engaged on research into plant disegses), When engaged means 'have one's time occupied', it is followed by with, to indicate the person or thing that occupies the W)le• You cannot see Mr Brown just now, as he is engaged ~th a visitor. My time is fully engaged with my daily work. One is engaged (i.e. betrothed) to someone of the opposite sex. When engaged is part of a passive voice, it is, of course, followed by by to indicate the agent. His attention was engaged by something that was going on at the back of the room. ENGRAVE. An inscription is engraved on an article or 0 t,ject, but in the material. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote his own epitaph, to be engraved on his tombstone. He had his name engraved on his watch. The inscription was engraved in the stone of the memorial It is difficult to engrave in marble. Engrave in may also be used to denote some characteristic of the engraving : e.g. engraved in Gothic characters, engraved in letters an inch high. When engrave is used figuratively it usually takes on (' The scene will remain for ever engraved on my memory'), but in is not impossible. ENGROSSED. A person, his time, or his attention is engrossed in something. He was sitting by the fire, engrossed in a book. My whole time is engrossed in the day-to-day routille of my business. My companion's attention was engrossed in the happenings on the other side of the street. ENJOIN. Enjoin something upon a person. 'Our leader enjoined upon us the necessity for strict secrecy.' ENLARGE. When enlarge means 'increase the size of', it is transitive, and takes no preposition : enlarge a photograph, a building, a room, etc. When it means 'treat, discuss or present in greater detail', it is followed by on or upon : 'I merely mention the point in passing; I have no time to enlarge on it now'. 'Could you enlarge upon your suggestion ? '

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ENLIST. Enlist in the army, the navy, etc. Enlist one in a ' project, enterprise, etc. Enlist sympathy,. help, interest, one's services, etc. ENMITY. Enmity takes of to indicate the person who fe~s or · displays it, to or towards to indicate the person who is its obJect: the enmity of Cassius to Caesar; be actuated by enmity towards someone. ENOUGH. Followed by an infinitive or by an adjunct introduced by for : enough to make one weep ; enough for our purpose ; food enough for three people, ENQUIRE. Enquire may take a .direct object: e.g. enquire the time, enquire the way, enquire a person's name, enquire the price of something (i.e. make a request for specific information on the subject in question). Enquire about is rather more vague; it mentions the general subject concerning which an enquiry is made, but leaves the precise details to be inferred from the circumstances or situation. Did you enquire about the trains to London ? Mr Thompson is on the telephone, enquiring about some plants that he ordered, Enquire after usually means 'ask about one's health'. Mrs Jackson enquired after you. (I.e. enquired how you were getting on.) Enquire for means (a) enquire the whereabouts of some place one wishes to find (' This lady is enquiring for the furnishing department. Could you direct her to it, please?'), (b) ask by name for someone one wishes to see or to speak to (' When you ring up, enquire for Mr Mason.'). Enquire into means 'investigate', but for this idiom the spelling inquire is more often used. (See under INQUIRE.) ENROL. Enrol one in an organisation. Enrol one amongst others, as a member of a group or company: 'He is enrolled amongst those who have given their lives for their fellow men'. ENSHROUD. 'A dense mist enshrouded the hills.' The hills were enshrouded in a dense mist.' Similarly enshrouded in a black cloak, enshrouded in mystery, ENSLAVED. When enslaved has fuU participial force, it is followed b;Y' b)I (enslaved by greed, avarice, indolence, etc.); when it

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is adjectival, denoting the position one is in, it takes to (enslaved to drink, gambling, jealousy, ambition). ENSUE. Ensue is always intransitive. It may be used absolutely (all the difficulties that ensued; on the ensuing day), or it may be followed by from, to indicate result or consequence (the evils that ensue from war). ENSURE. Ensure a good harvest, ensure a favourable outcome to the negotiations ; ensure a good income for oneself//or one's son; ensure oneself/one's son of a good income. ENTAIL. A task entails great expense, difficulty, etc. The expense, difficulty, etc. are entailed in 'the task, and upon those who perform it. I will not promise to undertake the task until I know what it entails. (Or 'what is entailed in it.') These proposals, if put into effect, would entail considerable expense upon those who could least afford it. In entail. Entail here is a noun, and is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable. The phrase is a legal term, applied to property which is so settled that it has to be handed down from person to person in a particular line, or in a specified order, Property so he!~ is said to be held 'in entail'. ENTANGLE. Normally followed by in: 'His foot became entangled in the brambles', 'Take care not to entangle yourself in dubious transactions.' But when two things are entangled together, with is used: 'The cord became entangled with the wires from the· battery', With is also required when entangle means 'get oneself involved with (others)': 'Don't get yourself entangled with people of that sort', ENTER. When enter means 'go into (some specified place)', no preposition is used; it takes a direct object (e.g. enter a room, enter a town). In older English enter into was often used for this purpose, but it is now obsolete. Again no preposition is used when enter means 'become a member of' (e.g. enter the army, enter Parliament, enter a profession). Enter into is used in modem English with the following meanings. (i) Embark upon, or take part in: enter into a discussion, enter into competition with someone, enter into details. (ii) Share, adopt, take upon oneself: enter into the spirit of the game.

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(iii) Have or take a place in: 'The question of cost never entered into our calculations', 'A person should be appointed to a position purely upon his own merits and qualifications ; the question of colour, race or religion should not enter into it.• Note also the following idiomatic expressions : (a) Enter one's name, an amount of money, details, etc., on a list, but in a book. (b) When an entry is made of goods supplied to a person, they are entered to him. You should never have received this bill. The goods were entered to you by mistake. (c) Enter upon: begin (a task); take up (an appointment or position). As soon as we entered upon the task we realised it was going to be difficult, He enters upon his new appointment at the beginning of June. N.B.-In the second example, on might be substituted for upon, but the substitution would scarcely be possible in the first.

ENTHUSIASM. See ENTHUSIASTIC, ENTHUSIASTIC. Enthusiastic about something in a general way; enthusiastic/or something=enthusiastically in favour of it, You don't seem very enthusiastic about the suggestion. When we put the suggestion to him he was enthusiastic for its immediate application. Enthusiasm usually takes/or. ENTIRETY. In its entirety: in its complete form i not partially. The scheme must be adopted in its entirety or not at all. ENTITLE. When entitle means 'give the title or right', it is followed by to. Similarly entitled to, This ticket entitles you to a free seat, All the firm's employees are entitled to at least a fortnight's holiday with pay each year, When entitle means 'give a title to (a book or other literary composition)' it is transitive, and takes no preposition. Dickens's last novel was entitled The Mystery of Edwin Drood. (Not entitled as.) ENTRANCE (Noun). Normally the entrance to the hall, the building, the field, etc. (i.e. the means or way by which one

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enters); but the entrance of if one thinks of it as part of the building. The entrance to the hall is on your right. The bus stops just opposite the entrance to the City Hall, The explosion did a good deal of damage to the entrance of the building. ENTREAT. Entreat a person to do something ; entreat for a person (i.e. on his behalf, or for his benefit). She made her way to the court of the King, to entreat for her husband, who was being kept prisoner. ENTRUST. Entrust.something to a person; entrust the person with it: 'We cannot entrust him with such a task'. 'We cannot entrust such a task to a person we do not know.' ENTRY. 'The entryofthecavewas hidden by trees.' 'The entry to the field is a few yards down the lane.' (See also ENTRANCE. Gain entry to premises. The burglars' entry of the premises (objective use). Entry for an examination, a competition, etc. The entry of one's name, address, etc., in a book or on a list. Entry i"nto an agreement, an argument, the spirit of the occasion. Entry on or upon one's duties. ENVELOP (Verb). Followed by in, as 'envelop oneself in a cloak', 'enveloped in mist', 'enveloped in flames', 'enveloped in mystery'. ENVIOUS. Envious of someone. ENVY. When used as a verb, envy is transitive : 'All her friends envied her'. 'They envied her good fortune.' If the two are combined, so that the second is given as the reason for the first, still no preposition is used if the stress is on the reason: 'All her friends envied her her good fortune'. But if the stress is primarily on the personal object, and secondarily on the reason, then on account of (but not for) is used: 'They envied her on account of her good luck'. When envy is a noun it is followed by of to indicate the person who displays it or against whom it is directed: 'I set little store by the envy of such people'. 'His envy of his brother soon turned to jealousy.' The envy may also mean 'a person or a thing that is envied', and again it is followed by of, to indicate the person who feels the envy : 'She was the envy of all her friends'. 'Our garden was the envy of the neighbourhood.'

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In envy: prompted or actuated by envy. Words spoken in envy should not be taken too seriously. With envy: enviously; on account of envy. She eyed her friend's jewellery with envy. She almost turned green with envy.

EPILOGUE. An epilogue to a play, a programme, etc. (Not of.) EQUAL. One thing is equal to another, or the equal (noun) of another. Equal with also exists, but it means 'on the same level with'. Both Gray and Shirley remind us that in the presence of death the greatest are equal with·the humblest. In the sight of God the rich are equal with the poor. Equal in expresses the respect in which the equality exists : e.g. equal in size, equal in price. Note : When equal to refers to one's powers or ability to do something, it must be followed by either a noun or a gerund, not an infinitive. He is.not equal to the task. I don't feel equal to doing the work. (Not to do the work,) EQUALITY. OJ is used to indicate the field or sphere in which the equality exists : equality of status, of income, of opportunity, etc. EQUATE. We equate one thing with another ifwe consider them to be equal or identical (e.g. equate riches with greatness, equate religion with church-going) ; we equate one thing to another when we make the two equal (e.g. equate the salaries of higher civil servants to those of business executives). EQUIP. Equip a person with clothes, tools, food, knowledge, etc. (i.e. with the equipment) ; equip him for a purpose (equipped for the journey). Equip and equipped may also be followed by as to express purpose, if the meaning is 'in the capacity of': e.g. a building equipped as a hospital. EQUITY. In equity: in fairness; in justice. We cannot, in equity, treat one offender differently from another. EQUIVALENT. One thing is equivalent to another, or the equivalent of the other.

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Equivalent in denotes the respect in which the things in question are equivalent : equivalent in value, equivalent in amount,

ERADICATE. Takes an object followed by from: eradicate all faults from one's character, eradicate such notions from one's mind. ERASE. Erase marks, stains, an impression, etc. from something, Even the lapse of many years will never erase the memory of that experience from my mind. ERR. Err in one's calculation, in one's actions, in one's judgement, etc. Err on the ri'ght side: err in the direction that is the better, the more advantageous, or the more commendable, according to the circumstances. If we are expecting fifty people to tea, we had better provide for sixty; it is better to err on the right side. ERRAND. The accepted idiom in Standard English is 'go on an errand', but in some parts of the country 'go an errand• is heard. ERROR. In error. (I) (Adjective.) Mistaken. If you realise you are in error, you should admit it. Note: Be in error, but fall into error. (2) (Adverb.) Mistakenly; as the result of error. The letter was sent to you in error. ESCAPE. I. Verb. When escape means 'avoid', 'elude', or •not incur', it takes a direct object: e.g. escape punishment, escape notice, escape one's memory, escape influenza, escape injury, escape the snow. Escape from is used when the sense is 'break out of', 'get away from',' get free of' : e.g. escape from prison, from an escort, from one's captors, from a burning building, from a sinking ship, Escape prison means escape being sent there ; escape from prison means 'break out of prison'. In other words, we escape from some place in which we are confined, or someone who holds us captive. Note : Though air escapes from a tyre, and water from a pipe, a cry, an exclamation, etc., escapes one's lips. (No preposition.) II. Noun. (I) Escape is followed by of to indicate the subject of its verbal counterpart: an escape of gas, the escape of Lord Nithsdalefrcm the Tower.

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(2) The object is indicated ·by from, even when the verbal

counterpart would take a direct object without any preposition. Thus escape death, escape injury, escape the plague, etc., but 'a lucky escape from death', 'give thanks for one's escape from death, from injury, from the plague, etc.'. ESCORT. Under escort: in the charge of an escort. The mutineers were taken under escort to the local jail, to await trial. ESSENTIAL. Essentialto: 'Food is essential to life'. 'Books are essential to a teacher.' ESTEEM, Have esteem for a person; hold a person i"n esteem, ESTIMATION. In one's estimation: in one's opinion or judge• ment. Since that scandal in which he was involved he has gone down in my estimation. ESTRANGE. Estrange two persons; estrange one/rom the other. Similarly estranged from and estrangement from. As a result of idle gossip he became estranged from his former friend. His estrangement from his family lasted many years. EUPHEMISM. One word or expression is a euphemism for another (not of), EVEN. Get even with: get revenge on; repay a wrong or injury by a like wrong or injury. · He may have cheated me this time, but I'll get even with him yet. EVENT. At all events: anyhow, whateyer the circumstances ot reason. I think someone must have persuaded Mr Smith to attend the meeting after all; at all events, he was there, In the event: as things turned out. I had my doubts about the wisdom of the decision, but in the event it proved to be most advantageous to us. In the event of: if whatever is specified should occur, as 'in the event of his death', 'in the event of war'. Often a piece of

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jargon for a simple clause introduced by if: e.g. in the event of its raining, for if it rains. EVER. For ever: eternally. (Often written as one wo~d, but two words are to be preferred.) Men may come, and men may go, But I go on for ever. -Tennyson, The Brook Rather stronger is for ever and ever : 'The road seemed to go on for ever and ever'. Note also the colloquial use of for ever in the sense of 'continually', in such sentences as 'She is for ever complaining about her neighbours'. EVICT. Evict someone from his house or premises; evict a clergyman from his living. EVIDENCE. Evidence of. (I) Evidence given or supplied by, as the evidence of the first witness, the evidence of my own eyes. (2) Evidence pointing to, as evidence of someone having entered the house, evidence of the safe having been tampered with. (3) Appositional use, as the evidence of the footprints near the window, the evidence of the charred letter• . (Here the footprints and the charred letter are the evidence.) Jn evidence. (r) By way of evidence; in the course of giving evidence. (Adverbial.) The witness said in evidence that he first met the accused at a public house in Brighton. In evidence of the truth of his story he produced a letter signed by the plaintiff. (As evidence could also be used here.) (2) To be seen; conspicuous. (Adjectival.) (Colloquial.) The candidate claimed to have many supporters, but they were not very much in evidence at his meetings. EVIDENT. Evident to. 'It was evident to everyone that the poor woman was ill.' That which constitutes the evidence is indicated by from. It was evident from his manner that I had offended him.

EXAMINE. Examine one in a particular subject or field of study (e.g. English, Greek, philosophy, chemistry, divinicy), but on a sub-division or specified aspect of it (e.g. a set text or author, the Elizabethan age, the Bible).

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EXAMPLE. That which the thing in question exemplifies is indicated by of (' Give an example of a mixed metaphor') ; the person(s) who may profit by the example is indicated by to ('Let that be an example to you.' 'His devotion to duty was an example to others.') Of may also be used with an appositional force : 'If we want evidence of the way a person may overcome the most serious physical handicaps, we have only to look at the example of Helen Keller.' For example : used as an introductory or parenthetic phrase when an example is to be introduced. The price of many commodities has increased considerably over the past year; the cost of sugar, for example, has gone up by about fifteen per cent. Make an example of someone: punish him as a warning to others. EXCEL. Excel in some quality or attribute: 'He excels all his class-mates in intelligence.' The negative is sometimes used as a form of understatement or litotes : 'He doesn't exactly excel in common sense'. Excel in may also be used of an activity, but at is more frequent: 'He excels at long-distance running.' As is used to indicate the capacity or role in which one excels: 'He excels as a long-distance runner.' 'EXCEPT (Verb). Followed by from: 'Certain classes of goods are excepted from Value Added Tax.' EXCEPT (Preposition). For the difference between except and except/or, see Part I, under EXCEPT. . EXCERPT. An excerptfrom a book, a poem, a musical composition, etc. EXCESS. An excess of. (I) A superfluity or superabundance of: e.g. an excess of blood, of energy, of zeal, enthusiasm, etc. (2) An amount by which one thing exceeds another: e.g. an excess of income over expenditure : an excess of five pounds. In excess: beyond what is desirable, needful, or necessary: e.g. take food in excess. In excess of; beyond what is specified by the word or words that follow of. · · Expenditure is twenty pounds in excess of income.

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The money they took with them was considerably in excess of what they needed. To excess: beyond what is desirable or good for one, It is harmful to drink to excess. EXCHANGE, Exchange one thing for another (e.g. exchange a watch for a camera); exchange something with a person: 'Would you like to exchange places with me?' (Note that the object of exchange is usually in the plural in this construction.) If the object is obvious from the situation it need not be expressed 'If you are not comfortable in that seat, you can exchange with me'. In exchange: by way of exchange. I let him have my watch, and took his camera in exchange, In exchange may also be followed by for, to specify the thing that is given in place of the one received, or vice versa. I took his watch in exchange for my camera. I gave him my camera in exchange for his watch. An exchange of letters, remarks, information, views, etc., between two people. · An exchange for the worse/for the better: an exchange in which one gets the worse or the better part of the bargain, as the case may be. EXCISE. Excise/rom : e.g. excise passages from a script; excise a name from a list. Similarly, excision from. EXCISION. See EXCISE. EXCLUDE. Followed by from; exclude a person from a room, an organisation, an examination, etc. EXCLUSION. The exclusion of a person from a place, organisation, etc. The exclusion of words, subjects, or material from a book or article. ·To the exclusion of: so as to exclude; resulting in the exclusion of. Though not so intended, the rules of the club worked to the exclusion of anyone who was not of professional status. EXCLUSIVE. Exclusive of (i.e. excluding, leaving out of account). Our holiday cost us just over two hundred pounds ; and that was exclusive of incidental expenses such as taxi fares and gratuities to hotel staff,

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Exclusive to: applying only to those stated, and excluding all others. This is a special offer at reduced rates, exclusive to members of the club. EXCUSE. (r) Verb, Excuse a fault or transgression; excuse a person; excuse one's doing something (Please exc!lSe my coming late); excuse onefrom doing something, or from the performance of some duty or obligation : 'He asked to be excused from attending the meeting'. (2) Noun. An excuse, no excuse, give an excuse, etc. for something. There is no excuse for this chaotic state of affairs. In excuse : by way of excuse; as an excuse. He apologised for his late arrival, and pleaded in excuse that he had been delayed on the way. In exc!lSe of: the same meaning as 'in excuse', with of added to indicate the object. In excuse of his late arrival, he pleaded· that • • • Note: In excuse of, but as an excuse for. EXECUTE. Execute (i.e. carry out, or carry into effect) a warrant, a task, a plan, a project, etc. Execute a murderer. Execute a warrant, a writ, a sentence on (or upon) a person. EXECUTION. The execution of a writ, warrant, task, sentence, etc. (i.e. the carrying of it into effect). In execution of: in the course of carrying out. He came by his death in execution of his duty. Where a specific task is in question, in the execution of is more usual. Many difficulties were met with in the execution of the plan. Put a scheme, plan, project, etc., into execution.

EXEMPT. Whether used as a verb or an adjective, exempt takes the preposition/rom. A number of M.P.s supported a motion to exempt certain industries from the provisions of the Bill. Persons over sixty are exempt from jury service. Similarly exemptionfrom. EXEMPTION. See EXEMPT.

236 ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS EXERT. Exert force, pressure, etc., on something or someone. EXHIBIT. Exhibit something to those to whom it is shown o~ displayed : 'Antony exhibited Caesar's cloak to the crowd• Before is also possible if the sense is merely that of 'in front of: rather than 'drawing attention to', An artist exhibits his pictures at a particular art gallery. EXILE. Exile a personfrom the country he is compelled to leav~ ' to the one to which he is specifically sent. (But exile to is no~ used if the country to which the person goes is one of his owti choice, and is not definitely specified by those who exile him.) Note also the expressions live in exile, be in exile, go into exile Te turn from exile. ' EXIST. Exist by begging, borrowing, etc. ; exist on a sman amount of food, on ten pounds a week. EXISTENCE. When existence means 'living' or 'keeping alive' it takes the same prepositions as ·exist. In existence : in being; existing. It is believed that this is the only copy of the book in existence, So far as is known, the original manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays are no longer in existence. EXPEL. Expel a personfrom an organisation, school, club, etc. Similarly expulsion from, EXP:aND. Expend energy, thought, etc., on a task or project, I have expended much time and thought on the problel?l, but am no nearer to finding a solution. In is also possible before a gerund oi: a verbal noun, if- it means 'in the process, or the course, of doing whatever is specified.' We have expended a great deal of energy in shifting that pile of stones. EXPENDITURE. The expenditure of money, time, thought, energy, etc., on something. EXPERIMENT. To experiment on and to experiment with are both idiomatic, On is used when the thing in question is what we

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may call the victim of the experiment (i.e. when it is subjected to the experiment) : e.g. to experiment on animals, on human beings, on plants. With indicates the things used for the purpose of the experiment, In order to discover the crops most suited to the soil, they experimented with various kinds of grain. Similarly to carry out experiments on and to carry out experiments with. EXPERIENCE. Experience of something that one has experienced (experience of life, experience of foreign travel, experience of working on a farm) ; experience in a particular field : 'His experience in surgery is very limited'. 'I wish to work in an up-to-date office, where I can gain experience in modem methods.' Learn by or from experience. By suggests the method of learning, from the source of one's knowledge. The best way to learn is to learn by experience. I have learned from experience that the cheapest method often turns out to be the dearest in the long run. EXPERT. (1) Adjective. Followed by either in or at: 'She is expert in/at deciphering apparently illegible writing'.' At is more usual before a gerund, in before a noun (expert in the practice of plastic surgery, expert in the art of persuasion). (2) Noun. :When an expert means 'one who is expert in the performance of something' it is followed by in or at, according to which would be used after the corresponding adjective (an expert in the art of persuasion, an expert at persuading people); when it means 'one with an expert knowledge of', it is followed by on (an expert on that subject, an expert on complaints of the chest and lungs). As both adjective and noun, expert may be followed by with if the reference is to an instrument used in an expert fa'shion (expert/an expert with a cricket bat, expert/an expert with her needle). EXPLAIN. Explain something to a person. Note: Explain never takes an indirect object. It is incorrect to say, 'Will you please explain me the meaning of this sentence?' The correct form is, 'Will you please explain the meaning of this sentence to me?• · EXPLANATION. Of is used to denote the thing explained or which one needs explained (e.g. the explanation of the mystery);

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it may also indicate the person who gives the explanation: 'The explanation of the teacher did not satisfy the pupil.' In explanation of: by way of explaining. In explanation of his absence, he alleged that the message did not reach him. EXPOSE. Expose to the light, to the cold, to the air, to censure, etc. Similarly exposure to. Exposure of when a grammatical object is indicated (the exposure of a falsehood, the exposure of his dishonesty). EXPOSTULATE. Expostulate with someone, on or uhout something. I expostulated with him on his conduct, but all in vain.

EXPOSURE. See EXPOSE. EXPULSION. See EXPEL. EXPURGATE. Expurgate a text of errors, obscenities, etc. EXTEND. Extend to (as far as); extend into (as far as and then within).

There is a proposal to extend the road to the next village. His absence from work now extends to five weeks. Parts of the South Yorkshire coalfields extend into the neighbouring counties of Derbyshire and Nottingham- . shire. . The main holiday period was once confined to August ; now it extends into September.

EXTENT. The extent of something (i.e. how far it extends). No one knows the extent of his debts. To a great extent, to no extent, to some extent, etc. : in a great measure, in no measure, in some measure. · To a great extent/to some extent he is himself to blame for his misfortunes. Similarly to what extent, to this extent. To what extent the pedestrian was to blame for the accident we shall never know. He was to blame to this extent: that he stepped off the pavement without looking.

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To the extent of: to the length of; to the amount of; as far as. He owes people money to the extent of five thousand pounds or more. He tries to the extent of his ability. So selfish was he that he even went to the extent of.borrowing the last penny of his widowed mother.

EXTERNAL. External to ; considerations external to the professional ones. EXTRANEOUS. Extraneous to: work extraneous to that of one's daily occupation. EXTORT. Extort money, a promise, a confession, etc.from someone. EXTRA. When extra is used as a predicative adjective it is fol- · lowed by to to indicate that to which it is additional. What he collects in tips is extra to his weekly wage. EXTRACT. (I) Verb. Extract something from something ·else, or somewhere : e.g. extract a splinter from one's finger, extract the juice from fruit, extract information from a person. (2) Noun. When extract has the meaning of an essence that is extracted from fruit, herbs, etc., it is followed by of to indicate the source: e.g. extract of peppermint, extract of cloves. When it means .a passage that is taken from a book, poem, document, etc., it is followed by from: e.g. an extract from a play of Shakespeare, an extract from Paradise Lost. In the case of well-known writers, only the writer's name is sometimes given: e.g.· an extract from Shakespeare, from Pope, from Tennyson, · EXTRAVAGANT. Extravagant in something one does (extravagant in his praise of his friends, extravagant in the use of flattery), extravagant with the thing one uses (extravagant with one's money, extravagant with the sugar). Of is also found, when the emphasis is rather on the excess of the thing used than on the extravagance of the user : e.g. a method of working extravagant of one's time; a system extravagant of the company's resources, EXTREME. Go to the extreme in one particular thing or in a particular case; go to extremes generally•. In the extreme : to the extreme extent, I consider such conduct despicable in the extreme.

sc.ik Hamlet. Methinki. I see my father~

Horatio. Where, my Iord.2 Hamlet. In my mind'& eye, Horatio.

Keep an eye on: Reep watch on. Keep an eye on the time; we mustn't be Vouhadbettffk~aaeyeomthatfellow; J,mi/tmtestrtngntfntheeye': Oe(IUltte:frruJk:mdl161;!ellfflth;C)D.I;} have nothing to hide or to be astllll11ect He was a person of high principles, who co1ua.i01JK:an)ron:e. > straight in the eye. Make eyes at: ogle; regard amorously. He spent a good part of the evening making young ladies of the party. Open one's eyes to: bring one to a re2Llis:atic>n< position or state of affairs. That incident opened my eyes to the true ch:ll'actet,t•t.ttt,e/t< man. Pull the wool over one's eyes : · deceive; hoodwink. We can see through all your tricks and scl1eno.es:,< needn't think you can pull the wool over our See eye to eye: be in complete agreement.; hold

s. I think we see eye to eye on that subject.

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He resigned his position as he did not see eye to eye with his immediate superior on a number of important matters. Two people see eye to eye ; one of them sees eye to eye with the other. Set eyes on : see. That child wants everying he sets eyes on. I knew him as soon as I set eyes on him. Turn a blind eye to : ignore something; pretend not to see it. (Generally used of faults, shortcomings, irregularities, etc.) A charitable person will tum a blind eye to trivial faults in others. Up to the eyes in: deeply immersed in. Generally used metaphorically, as up to the eyes in debt, up to the eyes in work. With an eye to : having in view. All his investments were made with an eye to the future, Whatever organisation he joined, it was always with an eye to any business advantages that might accrue. With (or by) the naked eye: with (or by) one's own eyesight., unaided by optical instruments. · A microscope will reveal much that cannot be seen with the naked eye. EYESHOT. The range within which one can see: hence within eyeshot, out of eyeshot, beyond eyeshot, (Not very much used in ordinary speech.)

F FACE, Face about: turn round so that one's face is towards the speaker or writer. (About is here an adverb, not a preposition, but the expression seems wonh recording, as it does not appear in some dictionaries.) At first I did not recognise him, as he had his back towards me, but as soon as he faced about I knew I had seen him somewhere before. Face to: face in the direction of. (Generally used of buildings, etc., rarely of people.) The house faces to the east. Face on to : have immediately in front of, and so overlook. Our new house faces on to a park. Face to face: confronting; with the face of one opposite the face of the other. For a few moments they stood face to face, without speaking.· Angels in the height, adore Him; ' Ye behold Him face to face. -From a hymn of H. F. Lyte Two people come face to face ; one comes face to face with the other, or they come face to face with each other. On turning the comer he came face to face with a policeman. The expression may also be used metaphorically: e.g. to ccme face to face with death. Face towards: face in the direction of. (More or less the same as face to, except that it is more often applied to persons.) On a railway journey Mrs Johnson liked to sit facing towards the engine. Can you face towards the camera a little more, please? Face up to. This is often used nowadays as a needless peri• phrasis for the simple verb face, in the sense of 'recognise the existence of', 'not ignore or close one's eyes to'. Thus face up to the facts means little, if any, more than face the facts. There is a case for face up to, however, if it means 'boldly confront\. 'refuse to be intimidated by': e.g. 'He faced up to his diffi• culties manfully', 'We've got to face up to the fact that we are getting older, and haven't the strength that we once had'. In the last sentence to face the fact would have meant merely 'to 243

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recognise it', but/ace up to the fact means not only to recognise it, but also to accept it with a good grace. Perhaps the figure comes from the idea of someone boldly approaching and confronting a person who adopts a bullying or threatening attitude. In the face of: (1) In the immediate presence of; when confronted by: e.g. desertion in the face of the enemy,. courage in the face of danger. (2) In spite of; contrary to. He maintained, in the face of all the facts, that the country was in a strong economic. position. On the face of it: at first sight; before it is carefully considered or examined. His argument appears quite convincing on the face of it. To one's face: in one's presence. That fellow is a liar, and I don't mind telling him so to his face. Look one in the face: Look into one's face. (Note: in the face, not in his/my/your face.) Throughout the whole of the conversation he never once looked me in the face. The expression is often used to suggest frankness, honesty or absence of shame (usually in negative or semi-negative sentences). I don't know how he dares to look me in the face, after the way he deceived me. Put the best face on (something) : represent it in the best light possible. It is not easy to excuse his conduct, even if you put. the best face on it. Note also put one's best face· on (=make oneself as agreeable as possible) and put a boldface on (=give an impression or appearance of boldness). Your Aunt Matilda's coming to see you this afternoon, so you had better put your best face on. I felt somewhat nervous as I was ushered into the great man's presence, but I put a bold face on, and made my re• quest. Set one's face against (something) : oppose it; determine or resolve not to do it. If he has once set his face against a thing, nothing will persuade him to change his mind~ ·

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FACED. Whenfaced means 'having before one•, it is followed by with (e.g. faced with a difficult task, faced with bankruptcy). By is used when faced suggests that the thing in question stands or appears before one; e.g. 'Arriving at the.top of the hill, we were faced by a most impressive scene'. Faced with may also mean 'having a facing of': e.g. a brick wall faced with stone. FACT. The fact of the matter: the truth about the matter in question. He says he is not interested in having a car, but the fact of the matter probably is that he can't afford to run one. After the fact: a legal term, found only in the phrase an. accomplice after the fact, i.e. someone who does not actually take part in the perpetration or commission of a crime, but who gives assistance to the perpetrator afterwards. (Here, fact is used in an older sense of 'deed', from the Latinfactum, the supine of f acere=to do, or to make.) As a matter of fact: used (sometimes without very much point) ~o preface and emphasise the statement of a fact. That p:ece of cheese does not weigh half a pound, does it?Yes it does; as a matter of fact it weighs half an·ounce more than that. In fact: (1) Virtually the same meaning as as a matter offact, for which it could be substituted in the previous sentence. Here are two other examples. I didn't think your friend Brown was sixty yet.-Yes he is. In fact he's over that; he's sixty-one. Tom has been most helpful to us ; in fact I don't know 'What we should have done without him. (2) In reality. Often contrasted with in fiction, as the schoolbay in fact and in fiction. In point offact: another phrase with more or less the same meaning as in fact and as a matter: offact. He alleged that the money had been left him by a distant relative, when in point of fact he won it in a lottery. FAIL. Fail in one's duty, obligations, etc• .Without fail: without failing (to do what is stated). You must let me have the money without fail by ten o'clock tomorrow morning. FAITH. Have faith in someone or something: e.g. faith in God, faith in one's doctor, faith in one's promise.

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In faith: having faith as the basis of a belief. We cannot prove that there is a life beyond death ; we can only accept it in faith, In good faith : with honest belief or intention. Though his statement proved to be untrue, it was made in good faith. I am sure he acted in good faith. Keep faith with (someone) : remain true to ; carry out one's promises to. You cannot expect your friends to trust you if you do not keep faith with them.

FAITHFUL. Faithful to a person (e.g. faithful to one's friends); faithful to those things from which one does not depart (e.g. faithful to one's principles, faithful to one's promise, faithful to one's word); faithful in the particular field where the faithfulness is shown (e.g./aithful in word and deed,faithful in the performance of his duties). FALL. Fall for: (1) Be attract~d to a person or thing. (Colloquial.) My wife fell for the cottage as soon as she saw it. He was the kind of young man any girl would fall for. (Note : To say that a person falls for one of the opposite sex means that he falls in love, or imagines himself to be in love, with her/him.) (2) Succumb to (a suggestion, scheme, plan, etc.) (Colloquial.) His story sounds incredible but some people might fall for it. Fall in and fall into. We may say that a child falls in a pond or into a pond, and for all practical purposes they mean the same· The only difference is that/all in suggests the final position (the child is in the pond), whereas/all into suggests the whole process of falling towards the water and then submergence in it. There are, however, some expressions where only one of the two prepositions is idiomatic. We always say fall in love and fall in pieces (though for the latter fall to pieces is more frequent), probably because we are interested only in the resultant state or position, but fall into a deep sleep, fall into a reverie, fall into a swoon, fall into the hands of someone, fall into error, fall into a trap, etc. FALL IN LOVE. Two persons fall in love: one falls in love with the other, or they fall in love with each other. Fall in love with

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is also used colloquially of things to which we take a str~ng liking: e.g.' She fell in love with the dress as soon as she saw 1t•. Fall in with. (I) Meet by chance. At the place where we stopped for lunch, we fell in with two or three university students. (2) Comply with; agree to. They quite readily fell in with our suggestion. (3) Be in accord with. The idea they put to us fell in exactly with what we ourselves had in mind. Fall on. The commonest use of on after fall is, of course, in sentences of the type 'A piece of plaster from the ceiling fell on his head'; but there are others that should be noticed. (a) 'The bulk of the work will fall on you and me•, i.e. will fall to our lot or share. (b) 'Their final choice fell on a young man ,from Oxford', i.e. lighted on. The same meaning is exemplified in' My gaze suddenly fell on a curious-looking object'. (c) 'The ruffians:fell on (or upon) their victim', i.e. attacked treacherously and unexpectedly. (d) 'We never know when we may fall on, hard times'. i.e. come to experience. . Jlall over oneself: Be over-anxious to do something. (Colloquial.) He fell over himself to oblige the important-looking stranger. Also fall over each other andfall over one another (i.e. vie with each other; try to out-do each other). , They fell over each other in their attentions to the young lady. Fall to. (1) Become one's lot or duty. It fell to me to break the news to the bereaved parents. It does not often fall to a person to be chosen Mayor of his town at the age of thirty. (2) Come to the point of. (Usually followed by a gerund or a verbal noun). The two men fell to fighting/to argument. As a result of what I had heard I fell to thinking. Occasionally a noun other than a verbal one may follow to if it suggests some activity : e.g. fall to blows, to fisticuffs. Fall upon. See fall on. FALL FOUL, Fall foul of someone; i.e. incur his disfavour or . disapproval.

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FALL OUT. Two people fall out; one falls out with the other; they fall out with each other, i.e. quarrel. In such a sentence as 'How have things fallen out with you?• fall out means 'chance' or 'come to pass', and with you means 'with respect to you', or 'so far as you are concerned'. When used in this sense, instead of taking a with adjunct, fall out may be followed by a noun clause introduced by that, and standing in apposition to an anticipatory it. It so fell out that we were in Norwich on that very day. FALL SHORT. A thing or a person falls short of something that they fail to reach : e.g. fall short of perfection, fall short of the required amount ; fall short of expectations. They fall short t'n the particular field or respect where the deficiency lies : e.g. 'He is very well spoken, but he falls short in courtesy and politeness.' FALSE. False to a person, a cause, one's promise, etc., but false of heart, of mind. That is to say, we are false to someone or something that we betray; false of refers to that part of our nature from which the falsehess arises. False in is used to specify the particular respect in which a person is false : e.g. false i'n word and deed. FALTER. Falter in one's speech, effort, resolution, etc.; falter at something that causes the faltering. He faltered at the suggestion of possible legal action. FAMED. Famed for that which gives rise to the fame; e.g. a part of the country famed for its scenery, a hotel famed for its good food. Other appropriate prepositions may be used to indicate where or with whom the thing in question is famed : e.g. famed throughout the world, famed in the best circles, famed amongst connoisseurs. FAMILIAR. Something that is known to a person is familiar to him; he is familiar with it : e.g. 'This part of the country is not familiar to me'. 'I am not familiar with this part of the country.' 'James Fisher? The name seems familiar to me', or 'I seem familiar with the name'. To be (or to become) familiar with a person may simply mean to know him, or to get to know him (' I first became familiar with him when we were living at Eastbourne') but it often also suggests treating one with an unwarranted or unwelcome familiaricy (' After that, I avoided his presenc~, as I felt he was

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.249

becoming too familiar with me'). Where relations between a man and a woman are concerned, it may imply sexual improprieties. FAMILIARITY. Familiarity with and familiarity to, according to which of the prepositions would be used with familiar. (See above.) The familiarity of the scene, of the name, etc. Here of has a subjective sense, implying that the scene or the name is familiar. FAMILY. In the family. (I) Inherited; shared by many mem• bers of the family. You can't really blame him for his weakness of character; it's in the family. (2) Amongst the members of the family. 1',,lost of our relatives have been soldiers, doctors or lawyers, but I don't think there has been a clergyman in the family. A housewife's task is doubly-arduous when there is illness in the family. , In the family way: pregnant. (Colloquial.) FAMOUS. Famous for that which gives rise to the fame: 'Sheffield is famous for its cutlery', 'Italy, a country famous for· its historic cities.' FANCY. Have a fancy for something, take a fancy to something or someone. I had a sudden fancy for some mushrooms. She had a fancy for a caravan by the sea. She took a fancy to the house as soon as she saw it. He may be a pleasant enough fellow, but somehow I've never taken a fancy to him.

FAR. Far to and far from are self-explanatory where distance is in question ; but the following should also be noticed, (i) Far from followed by an adjective or by -a noun that is used to denote the qualities or attributes associated with it, He is far from well/far from wealthy/far from a fool. 1 (ii) Far from followed by a gerund, and then by a clause 1 which states that the opposite is (or was) the case. Far from being a spendthrift, he is most frugal where money is concerned. Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it.

( /

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(iii) Far from it appended to a negative statement to emphasise the negative and suggest that the opposite is the case. He is not a fool ; far from it. (iv) The expression far be it from me, used -to disclaim any wish to do something. Far be it from me to pass judgement on his work. Often used apologetically, when one intends doing the thing deprecated. Far be it from me to question the opinion of an expert, but I should have thought • , • By far: to a great extent. Both the simple adverb far and the adverbial phrase by far are found in conjunction with comparatives and superlatives, but the use is rather complicated. It can perhaps best be explained by actual examples. They are as follows. This is far better (than the other). This is better by far, This is (by) far the better of the two, This is (by) far the better way. This is the better way by far. This is (by) far the best way. This way is by far the best. This is the best way by far. This way is the best, by far. From far and near: from distant places and from those close at hand. People came to see the exhibition from far and near. In so far as: to the extent that. The Bill is to be commended in so far as it seeks to remedy the worst evils, but it still falls short of what is needed.

FARM. A person farms land, farms so many acres, farms in a certain locality (e.g. in Dorset, in Kent, in Wiltshire). A farmworker, or anyone engaged either permanently or temporarily in agricultural work, works on a farm ('During the university vacation he worked on a farm'), but someone who is doing work not connected with farming, but on the farm premises, works at a farm (e.g. a person doing domestic work, a builder building or repaJring outhouses). Even· for farm-workers, at is used if a particular farm is specified: 'He works at Blackmoor Farm', 'That is the farm at which I used to work'. (Cf. work in afac• tory, but work at a particular factory that is named.)

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25I

FASCINATE. Fascinated by or with something; by when fascinated is part of a passive voice or is otherwise felt to be fully participial, with when fascinated is semi-adjectival, descriptive of a state of mind. I was so fascinated by the sight that I could not take my eyes off it. The child was fascinated with its new toy. Have afascinationfor, but exercise a fascination over someone. fASCINATION. See FASCINATE. FASHION. After a fashion: in a way. (Almost always used in depreciation or disparagement.) He has done the work after a fashion. (I.e. He has not done it very well.) ' She can play the piano after a fashion. After the fashion of: in the manner of; 'in imitation of. In the later nineteenth century many aspiring poets wore long hair, after the fashion of Tennyson. Her letters were always heavily underlined, after the fashion of Queen Victoria. · In fashion: fashionable. Long skirts for women are no longer in fashion. Note: Be in fashion, but come into fashion. The opposite ideas are expressed by be out offashion and go out offashion. In a fashion. The same meaning as after a fashion, for which see above. In the fashion of. The same as after the fashion of, except that where the latter perhaps suggests a certain degree of conscious imitation, in the fashion of merely suggests resemblance. Out offashion, See in fashion. FASTEN. Fasten something to a wall, a dress, a tree, etc., with a nail, a pin, paste, gum, etc. Fasten upon. (I) Transitive: fasten the blame, .responsibility, etc., upon someone (i.e. place it upon him so that it appears beyond doubt). (2) Intransitive: fasten upon a person, an idea, etc. (i.e. attach oneself to him, usually to his annoyance ; get an idea firmly fixed in one's mind). Looking round the room for someone to tell his tale or'woe to, he fastened upon me.

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If he has once fastened upon an idea, there is no dissuading him from it. Sometimes also fasten on. Fasten oneself upon: attach oneself to, and refuse to leave. He fastened himself upon me for the rest of the evening, Sometimes also fasten oneself on to. FAULT. At fault. (x) Containing or committing a fault or error: The calculation does not work out correctly, but I cannot see where it is at fault. You shouldn't have given him the information without consulting me first; that's where you were at fault. (2) At a loss. we are still at fault to know which is the best course to take. This is a metaphorical use of the term, from hunting, When the hounds lose the scent, they are said to be at fault. To a fault, excessively, so that it almost amounts to a fault: e.g. critical to a fault, careful to a fault. Find fault. Followed by with (find fault with something or someone), The difference between 'I cannot find any fault with it' and ' I cannot find any fault in it' is that the former means 'anything to criticise or censure', whereas the latter means 'any specific defect'. FAVOUR. If we confer a favour on a person, we favour him with whatever constitutes the favour: e.g. favour him with our presence, favour' him with our advice, favour him with our opinion on something. Infavour: favoured; received with favour. He was the kind of person who would always agree with any opinion or doctrine that was in favour at the moment. In favour of means 'regarding with favour' or 'agreeing with, (' I am not in favour of giving votes to young people of eighteen', 'Are you in favour of the proposals?'); in favour with means 'favoured by' ('He is not in favour with the powers that be'), The opposite idea to in favour (with) is expressed by out offavour (with); but we cannot 'say 'out of favour of' as the opposite of 'in favour of'. FAVOURABLE. When favourable has a meaning something akin to 'suitable', it is followed by for (' The weather is not favourable

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for tennis'); when it means 'in favour of' it takes to ('The court gave a ruling favourable to the defendants'). FAWN. Fawn on or upon someone. 'He was brutal and insolent to the poor, but would fawn on (or upon) anyone of wealth or position.' FEAR. (1) Noun. In fear of: fearing whoever or whatever is specified after of (e.g. 'As a father he was so tyrannical that all his children stood in fear of him'); but in fear of one's life means 'in fear of losing one's life', i.e. of being killed. 'Knowing he had many enemies, he went about in fear of his life.' For fear of: owing to fear of whatever is specified after of. 'I refused to do it, for fear of the consequences.' 'The old lady hesitated to cross the road, for fear of being knocked down by a car.' For fear can never be followed by an infinitive, but it may be followed by a noun clause in place of the of adjunct : • He went out in disguise, for fear that someone might recognise him.' No fear of: no likelihood that need give one cause for fear or alarm; e.g. • There is no fear of that happening'. This idiom is used only in negative statements and in questions (' Is there any fear of that happening?'). It does not occur in positiv'e statements; we cannot say, 'There is fear of that happening'. Strictly speaking, it should be used only of a likelihood· that is unwelcome or undesired, but in colloquial English it is not always so restricted: e.g. 'Someone may leave you a few thousand pounds one day. - There's no fear of that.' (2) Verb. To fear a person is to be afraid of him; to fear for him, for his health, for his safety, etc., is to be anxious about them. FEARFUL. If we fear something we are fearful of it; if we fear for someone or something we are fearfulfor them. · FEAST (Verb). Feast on some specified food or foods. Similarly feast one on ( e.g. 'They feasted us on duck and green peas'). Feast one's eyes on: gaze intently upon (always with the idea · of deriving pleasure or delight from whatever is gazed upon). FEATHER. Birds of a feather: persons of very similar character. (From the proverb •Birds of a feather flock togetl1er'). A feather in one's cap: an achievement to be proud of. , In high feather : highly delighted ; very pleased with oneself. They were in high feather that day, having just heard of . their success in the examination. ·

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FED UP (Slang). Fed up with someone or something (not-of). FEED. Feed on (or feed one on) some specified food, Feed an animal on whatever fodder is specified ; feed the fodder to the animal. (The former is the more usual ; the latter is used when we are interested in the fodder rather than in what the animal had to eat,) They always fed on the best of food. She fed her guests on the produce of the garden. Cows feed on hay. The surplus potatoes were fed to the pigs. Feed with is also used, but it suggests merely giving one some• thing to eat, rather than giving food as nourishment: e.g. 'The child was feeding the monkey with a banana'. Usually it also suggests actually administering the food to the person concerned, not merely providing it for him to eat : e.g. ' She was feeding the baby with porridge'. Apart from personification and obvious metaphor (as when we speak of pride feeding on flattery, or ofa disease feeding on its victim), with is normally used of non-living things : e.g. feed a fire with fuel (not on fuel). Feed something into a machine, as data into a computer, sheets of paper into a duplicator, etc. FEEL. Feel about. (1) Feel around, or at various places on or within. I noticed him feeling about the edge of the door. The blind man was feeling about the desk, apparently to find some papers which he thought were there. (2) Feel (i.e. think or hold an opinion) concerning. What do you feel about the suggestion? Feel after: feel, with the object of finding. (The same as feel/or, but rather more colloquial.) I groped here and there on the table, feeling after a box of matches which I had left there. Feel for. (1) -Feel with the object of finding. (See also feel after.) In the darkness of the room he stretched out his hand and felt for the light switch. Her faltering hand upon the balustrade, Old Angela was feeling for the stair. -Keats, The Eve of Saint Agnes (2) Feel sympathy or pity for. We ought always to feel for those in trouble.

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Feel like, Besides the obvious meaning, expressing resemblance, the following should be noted. (1) Feel inclined for. (Colloquial.) I don't feel like work. Do you feel like a game of tennis? I feel like a cup of tea. (2) Seem as though there will be whatever is specified, judging 1 by the feel. (Used only of the elements, and usually having it as the subject.) It feels like rain/snow/frost. Cf. look like rain, look like a storm, etc. ·

Note: Feel like for feel as if (e.g. 'I feel like I am going to faint') is an illiteracy. By the feel of it: judging by the way it feels. (Colloquial.) We shall get a frost tonight, by the feel of it. There is some money in that envelope, by the feel of it, Cf, a similar use of by the look of it, by the sound of it, by the smell of it, FEND. Fend/or oneself, one's family, etc. FIDELITY, Fidelity to someone or something (e.g. principles, a promise, one's word). Cf. faithful to. FIGHT SHY. Fight shy of something or someone (i.e. hold aloof from, be reluctant or disinclined to do whatever is specified), She was a very reserved person, who always fought shy of strangers. · I always fight shy of entering into a discussion on a subject of which I know very little. FILTER. Filter through, filter into. A liquid filters through a strainer, into the receptacle beneath. FIND (=provide). Find one in food, pocket money, etc. FIND (=give a verdict). Find/or, find against a person or party. FINE (=exact a sum of money as a penalty), Fine a person/or an offence. Impose a fine on a person. Impose a fine of fifty pounds. Fine one fifty pounds. FINE ( =end). In present-day English survives only in the phrase in fine (=finally ; in conclusion; in short), and even this is found mainly in literary style.

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FIRE. On fire: burning. Used only when the fire is started accidentally or maliciously, and is likely to destroy the thing in question. We should not say that a lamp or a candle is on fire if it is burning for its normal purpose of illumination. The idiomatic constructions are be on fire, set on fire, catch on fire, get on fire. Noticing that the building was on fire, a passer-by summoned the fire brigade. Some sparks from a passing train set the haystack on fire. The little girl was severely burned when her dress caught on fire. With catch on fire the on is often omitted ('Her dress caught fire'), and as an alternative to set on fire there is set fire to (' set the haystack on fire', or 'set fire to the haystack'). The tendency is perhaps to use 'set something on fire' when it is the result of accident, and 'set fire to' when it is deliberate. Under fire. See Part I, under UNDER. FIRM (Adjective). Firm of purpose; firm in his resolution to do it; not very firm on his feet (through old age, extreme infancy, illness, drunkenness, etc.); firm with the children, with defaulters, etc. (i.e. firm in dealing with them). FIRST. At first : in the first place ; at the beginning. At first we thought he was joking, but then we realised that he really meant what he said. From the first : from the beginning. It was evident from the first that he never intended to carry out his promise. From first to last : from the beginning to the end. The sceheme has been bungled and mismanaged from first to last. FIT (Noun). In a fit: prostrated by a fit. On entering the room they found him lying on the floor in a fit. She mive a moan, and fell down in a fit. In a fit of: under the influence of a fit of whatever is specified : e.g. in a fit of temper, anger, laughter, despondency, etc. He did it in a fit of temper. Note, however, that we say 'burst into a fit of laughter•, 'fly into a fit of temper\ (Not in.)

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257

By fits and starts : : spasmodically. (Colloquial.) He has never had any continuous employment; he only works by fits and starts. This watch of mine goes by fjts and starts. FIT (Verb). Fit one for (something): give one the ability, qualifications, experience, etc., to do it. His training does not fit him for this kind of job. Similarly,fit oneself for: 'She took a course in shorthand and typewriting, to fit herself for a secretarial post'. A tailor or a dressmaker can also fit a person for a suit or a dress (i.e. put the unfinished garment on him or her, and make any necessary adjustments so that it fits); but the suit is fitted on the person. A lid fits on a tin. Fit into, One thing that goes inside another fits into it or is fitted into it (e.g. a cork fits into the neck of a bottle; and a pane of glass into a window frame); an item in a wider or more comprehensive scheme fits into the scheme as a whole ; if ;room is made in a programme for an extra item, or in a party for an extra person, the item or the person is fitted into the programme or the party. Unless the item is a very short one, I am afraid we cannot fit it into the programme. You are rather late in making application, but I think we can fit you into the party. This last use is rather colloquial. Fit in with : (r) Have an appropriate or suitable place with, or in. I am afraid we cannot include the item you suggest, as it does not fit in with the rest of the programme. He will never consider any idea that does not fit in with his plans, (2) Correspond with; match with. This piece of evidence does not fit in with that of the other witness. · Fit (something) to: fit it so that it is attached to, or becomes part of, whateveris specified, as 'fit shelves to a wall', 'fit number plates to the front and rear of a car', etc. Fit with : (x) Provide with, by fitting: e.g. fit a room with a carpet, fit a cupboard with shelves. (2) Correspond with. Your theory does not fit with the facts,

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Fit out with : equip or provide with. Before he left home his father fitted him out with all the clothing he would need for the next year. Also fit oneself out with : e.g. He fitted himself out with a new suit. Fit (something) up as: equip to serve a specified purpose. They fitted the cellar up as a workshop. _Fit (someone or something) up with. (1) Equip (something) with. They have fitted the caravan up with all the latest gadgets. (2) Provide (someone) with. (Colloquial.) We haven't a refill for that kind of pen in stock at the moment. If you call at the shop just down the road they will probably fit you up with one. '

FIT (Adjective). Fit for something. 'The weather is not fit for cricket.' For may be followed by an accusative +infinitive construction: e.g. 'This food is not fit for a dog to eat'. No preposition is used before an infinitive alone : 'He is not fit to return to work yet'. The infinitive alone is used only when its subject is the same as that of is fit; if its subject is different from that of is fit, then for followed by the accusative+ infinitive must be used. FITNESS. Fitness for something: 'I am doubtful about his fitness for the job'. · FITTED (Adjective). Fitted for a task, position, purpose, etc.; shelves fitted to the wall; a cupboard fitted with shelves. FITTING (Adjective). Fitting for. Such conduct is not fitting for a person of your position. In might also be used. In relates to the one particular case, for to such cases generally. In can be used only when the thing that is fitting or not fitting is something that is done by or is characteristic of the person himself; if he suffers it at the hands of someone else, only for can be used. Thus we cannot say, 'Such treatment is not fitting in a person of your position', since we are speaking of the treatment of the person concerned, by someone else. We must use for. FIX. To indicate the place where something is fixed, to, on, in, over, under, etc., is used, according to which is appropriate. With and by indicate the means or method of fixing.

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In a fix: in a difficult position. (Colloquial.) We are in a fix now; we haven't enough money to pay our expenses, and all the banks are closed. Fix one up with (something). The same as fit one up with, for which see under FIT.

FLAP. In a flap: in a worried, nervous state of mind. (The opposite idea to that of keeping calm or cool.) (Slang.) The moment things begin to go wrong he gets in a flap. FLAVOUR. Flavour food, drink, etc., with something. In flavour: in respect of flavour: e.g. 'something like a lemon in flavour'. FLEECE. Fleece a person ; fleece him of his wealth. FLESH. In the flesh: in bodily form; personally. I have corresponded with him for some years, but I have never met him in the flesh. · FLIGHT. Be in flight (i.e. fleeing), put to.flight (i.e. cause to flee), take to flight (i.e. flee). FLIRT. Flirt with someone; flirt with an idea (metaphorical). FLOOD. Flood the land with water from the river; flood a piece of mechanism with oil. Flooded takes by when it is part of a passive voice or is otherwise fully participial, and with when it is . adjectival: e.g. 'The fields were flooded by the heavy rains', 'The cellar is flooded with water.' At the flood: rising to its full height (of the tide), The tide is at the flood. There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. -Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act IV, sc. iii In flood: (of a river) risen to its full height and threatening to flood the land : e.g. 'The river is in flood'. FLOODED. See FLOOD. FLOOR. Live on the ground floor/the second floor, etc. 'FLOWER. In flower: having flowers on: blossoming, That garden will look beautiful when all the plants are in flower. My currant bushes will soon be in flower.

26o

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

!?LOUT, Floµt the law (i.e. disregard in such a way as to show · contempt); flout at a person (treat contemptuously, or speak contemptuously of). The latter is not in common use. FLUSH (Adjective). Flush of money (having plenty of money to spend); be flush with one's money (spend one's money lavishly). A door, window frame, etc., is flush with the wall (i.e. on the same level as; not standing out from). FLY (Noun). The fly in the ointment: a small fault or defect which spoils an otherwise good thing or scheme. (The expression is a reference to the book of Ecclesiastes x. I : 'Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour; so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour'.) A fly on the wheel: an insignificant person who overrates bis importance. FOB. Fob a person off with something; fob something off on a person: e.g. fob off unsuspecting customers with defective goods, fob defective goods off on unsuspecting customers. FOIST. Foist something on (or upon) someone, i.e. impose it upon him unfairly or unwarrantably. All the unpleasant tasks were foisted on the junior members of the staff. Foist something at someone, i.e. thrust it at him in a rather unmannerly way. A document was foisted at him, which he was asked to sign. Foist something into one's hands ; foist an addition into a document. FOLLOW. Follow from : follow as a consequence or as a logical inference. It follows from what you have said that no-one can really be held responsible for bis conduct. If we argue that because event B follows event A, it follows from event A, we are committing the fallacy known as

post hoe, ergo propter hoe, Follow on: follow immediately after (in time). A period of severe repression followed on the discovery of the plot.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

26I

FOOT. Onfoot. (I) By walking: 'They made the journey on foot'. (2) In progress (of a scheme, plan, enterprise, etc.). There is a scheme on foot for building a new power station for this part of the town. Also set on foot=start (a scheme, plan, enterprise, report, rumour, etc.). Under/oot : under one's feet, as in the expression • trample something underfoot'. In colloquial English underfoot is sometimes used to refer to the ground under one's feet: 'It is very slippery underfoot'. FOOTING. On a footing with; on the same footing as. FORCE. By force. The normal meaning is 'using force as a means' (e.g. 'If we can't do it by persuasion, we shall have to do it by force'), but in the expression by force of circumstantes it means 'on account of the force exerted by circumstances'. We were compelled by force of circumstances to take the course we did. Jn force. (x) In great numbers. Knowing that a controversial issue was likely to arise, the members of the society turned up in force at the Annual General Meeting, (2) Operative, as 'That regulation is no longer in force'. Note: Be in force, but come into force, put into force. A force for good, for evil, etc. : someone or something that exerts a force or influence in the specified direction. Everyone was sorry when the vicar left, for he had been a great force for good in the parish. FORE. To the Jore : at the front; amongst the first. He is always to the fore where any philanthropic work is concerned. He came to the fore in his profession at a very early age. FOREFRONT. Be in the forefront, come to the forefront. FORGETFUL. Forgetful of one's duties, one's friends, etc. FORM, Inform. (I) As regards form. 'In form the machine is something like a spinning-wheel.'

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(2) In good condition, as regards either health or skill. John is not in form today; he put up a very poor show in that last match. Often also in good form. The opposite idea is expressed, not by out offarm, but by off farm.

FORTIFY. Fortify a town against attack; fortify oneself against the cold, etc. FORTUNATE. Fortunate in one's friends, one's parents, etc. Whenfortunate is followed by a non-finite verbal part it may be either an infinitive or in + a gerund. You are very fortunate to have such friends. You are very fortunate in having such friends. Fortunate with is used when the meaning is 'in respect of': e.g. 'I have been very fortunate with my roses. Most of the neighbours' have been damaged by the storm, but mine have escaped.' In indicates in what one's good fortune consists; with indicates what it concerns. FOUL. See FALL FOUL. FOUR. On all fours: on four feet, or, in the case of human beings on hands and knees. Found mainly in the expression go on all fours, or crawl on all fours. Note the plural fours (Not on all four, which might seem more logical).

FRAUGHT. Fraught with danger, etc. FREE (Adjective). Free from is generally used when the word that follows the preposition denotes something which is thought of as an assailant; e.g. free from danger,free from pain, free from troubles, keep free from colds and influenza. Free of suggests a state or situation resulting from the removal of the thing in question: 'All the main roads are now free of obstructions'. ltmay also means 'exempt from', as free of charge,free of income tax,Jree of duty. Make oneself free of another person's house: treat another's house as though it were orle's own. A free-for-all : a fight in which anyone who wishes can join. (Slang.) ·Tue fight which had begun as a scrap between two drunken men soon became a free-for-all.

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Note: 'I got it for free' is a modem illiteracy, The alternatives are 'l got it free' and 'I got it for nothing', A thing is free to those to whom it is offered on such terms: e.g. free to our regular customers, free to old-age pensioners. Free with one's money, co=ents, advice, etc., i.e. liberal with. Make free with: use freely, as 'make free with a person's name', 'make free with the name of God'. (Always used in a deprecatory sense.) FREE (Verb). When free means 'liberate" it is followed by from (free one from prison, from captivity, from the wreckage of a train, aeroplane, etc.). When it means 'relieve' it usually takes of (free one of a task, of responsibility for something). FREEDOM. Whether free takes from or of (see above, under FREE (Adjective)) the corresponding noun freedom is followed by from (e.g. freedom from debt, from blame, from hunger, from obstruction). FRIEND. Normally, afriend of someone, but afriend to·is used when the reference is to one who shows a friendly attitude or acts in a friendly way by giving practical assistance, support or sympathy to whoever or whatever is specified : 'He was a friend to all good causes'. Similarly 'a friend to the poor and unfortunate', 'a friend to those in need'. Both the definite and the indefinite article can be used before friend when it is followed by of, but only the indefinite when it is followed by to : 'a friend to the poor:, but not 'the friend to the poor'. Be friends with someone : be his friend, have friendly relations with him. ·He is no longer friends with his elder brother. FRIENDLY. Be friendly with a person=know him, or have him, as a friend. I have been friendly with him for the past six or seven years. (Similarly, be on friendly terms with someone.) Be friendly to a person=show or adopt a friendly attituae towards him. None of the neighbours have been very friendly to us ever since we have been here.

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FRONT. In front of: before (in place). A policeman on horseback rode in front of the procession. A crowd gathered in front of the Town Hall. 'In the front of' means 'in the front part of'. Note the difference between the following two sentences. There was a large hole in the front of the building. There was a large hole in front of the building. FROWN. When frown is used in the literal sense of a facial expression, it is followed by at. Why are you frowning at me like that? You shouldn't frown at people. She was frowning at the picture, as though she was not quite sure whether she liked it or not. When it is used figuratively, with the meaning 'show or express disapproval of', it is followed by upon, or sometimes on. Practices that would have been frowned upon fifty years ago are now accepted as quite normal. The older generation have always frowned on some of the ideas of the young. FRUITFUL. Fruitful of discord, disharmony, good, evil, etc. FULL. Normally full of ('The box was full of papers of various sorts'), but full with is often used, especially in conversational English, when the intention is to stress the idea offull, rather than the nature of the contents. There is no room for any of my books on that shelf; it is already full with yours. Full up always takes with. 'The cupboard was full up with rubbish.' Full to shows the extent to which something is full : full to the brim, to the top ; full to bursting, to overflowing. At the full: at the point where it is full. (Of the tide.) In full : to the full amount or extent; in a full form. The money must be paid in full by the last day of this month. The Prime Minister's speech was reported in full in all the leading newspapers. To the full: to the full extent. We have striven to the full to convince him, but we have made no headway.

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Sometimes also to the full of our acility, to the full ofour powers, to the full of our desire. , There was so much food that the boys ate to the full of their desire; FUMBLE. Fumble at some task or activity; fumble with money, papers, etc.; fumble/or something one wishes to find; fumble in one's pocket or purse,for money, etc. FUN. In fun and for fun are often used rather arbitrarily, and sometimes seem interchangeable, though strictly speaking there is a difference. In fun means 'animated or prompted by fun', whereas for fun means 'in order to produce fun'. Hence we usually say something in fun, but do something for fun. Things said' in fun are sometimes taken seriously. When asked why he threw the stone through the window, he said he did it for fun. The distinction, however, is pot always observed. Make fun of, but poke fun at : ridicule. Because he stammered slightly, the other boys made fun of him (or pokµlfun at him). Have fun with : derive fun from. The children have had quite a lot or"fun with that model railway. · He chuckled to himself as over a pleasant thought; 'l'll have some fun with those lads,' he said. 'I'll teach 'em to come prowling and prying about me.' - Mrs Gaskell, The Squire's Story.FUND. In funds: possessing monetary resources on which one can draw. We had better have the repairs done while we are still in funds. At the end of the last financial year the society had an overdraft at the bank, but now that all subscriptions are paid it is in funds once more. _

FUNDAMENTAL. Fundamental to the success of one's scheme, etc. FUNK. In afunk: afraid; possessed by fear. (Slang.) At the least sign of danger or difficulty, he g~ts in a fUDk.

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The idiomatic expressions are to be in a funk and to get in a funk. Stronger still is to be in a blue funk. (The significance of blue has never been explained.) FURIOUS. When furious is used in the sense of 'very angry', the idiomatic constructions are as follows : furious with a person, furious about something that has happened, furious at something one does. His father was furious with him for staying out so late, Your father is furious about the damage you have done to the flower beds. I was furious at his making such an accusation. Furious at usually suggests an immediate reaction, whereas furious about suggests a reaction to something that has occurred earlier: e.g. 'When I heard of the accusation he had made, I was furious about it'. FURNISH. Furnish one with information, with all one needs (i.e. supply). Furnish a room with tables, chairs, etc., in oak, mahogany, walnut, etc. (that is, the material of which the furniture is made), in the latest style. Furnish information to those to whom it is supplied. FURTHER. Further to. 'Move a little further to the left' is normal English: 'Further to my letter of July 30th' is a piece of business jargo:i, meaning that what the writer is about to say is additional to what he has said on the same subject in an earlier letter. It sl,ould be avoided, FURTHERANCE. In furtherance of: in order to further or promote. He will stoop to anything in furtherance of his own ends. FUSE. Fuse two things ; fuse one with the other. FUSS. (I) Verb. Fuss about something; sometimes fuss over. (Colloquial.) She is inclined to fuss about (or over) trivialities. (2) Noun. Make a fuss of a person, a pet animal, etc. Make a fuss about a situation or occurrence. You will spoil that child if you make such a fuss of it. It was unfortunate that I had mislaid the papers, but he needn't have made such a fuss about it. Also kick up a fuss about. (Colloquial.)

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FUTURE. Note the difference between in future and in the future, Infuture means 'from now onwards'; in thefuture means 'in the period of time ahead of this, but not necessarily immediately ahead'. I am tired of trying to help him; in future he will have to fend for himself. No one can foresee what will happen in the future. In the future travel agencies may be organising trips to the moon. For the future: so far as the future is concerned. For the future, we shall have to rely on our own efforts.

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G GAB. The gift of the gab: fluency in speech. (Slang.) In persuading an audience it is the gift of the gab that counts, not logic and reason. GAIN. Gain upon (or on) someone. (I) Approach nearer in pursuit. At the end of the first lap Green was well ahead, but after that Brown rapidly gained upon him. (2) Outstrip ; get farther ahead of. Realising that his pursuer was now only a few yards behind him, he put on a spurt and gained upon him. For gain: in order to gain something (usually money). He was the kind of person who would do anything for gain, even to betraying his friend or his country.

GALLERY.. Play to the gallery: seek to gain popular applause by appealing to the crowd or to the less intelligent elements. (The metaphor is taken from the idea of an actor playing his part in such a way as to gain the applause of those in the gallery of the theatre - at one time the less cultured and more boisterous part of the audience.) In these days of universal suffrage, when everyone of adult age has a vote, a politician may be tempted to play to the gallery. GAMBLE. Gamble with money, with one's future, or whatever else is thought of as the stake; gamble on horses, on a spell of fine weather, on football pools, etc. Gamble on may also be followed by a gerundial construction: e.g. gamble on the weather being fine. Gamble in stocks and shares, in property, etc.

GAME (Noun). Make game of: ridicule. Because he had a slight lisp in his speech, the other boys in the class made game of him. The passive form is he was made game of, not game was made of him.

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GAME (Adjective). (1) Willing; ready to undertake or indulge in. When game has this meaning, it takes for : e.g. •Are you game for a swim?' 'He was always game for a fight.' (2) Lame; disabled, either permanently or temporarily. (Not often used nowadays, but when it is used it is followed by of to denote the limb that is disabled: e.g. game of one leg.) GASP. Gasp for breath (i.e. in order to get one's breath); gasp at a sight, a suggestion, etc. (i.e. on seeing or hearing it); gasp in amazement (i.e. on account of amazement). In gasps ; in the form of gasps : 'His breath came in gasps'. At one's last gasp: at the point of death. (Literally, drawing one's last breath.) Often used hyperbolically, with the meaning 'completely exhausted, and gasping for breath'. When the runner reached the tape he was at his last gasp. GAZE. Gaze at someone or something; gaze in a shop window, a mirror; gaze into one's face, one's eyes, the sky, the water; gaze on a spectacle ; gaze over the hedge; gaze up, down, or across the road : gaze through a telescope; gaze out of the win~ dow. GEAR. In gear : connected to- the gearing mechanism (of a car, a piece of machinery, etc.). In low gear, second gear, top gear, etc.: having the low, second or top gear engaged. . · The opposite to in gear is out of gear, which is also used figuratively with the meaning 'not functioning smoothly', or· •disorganised'. My whole morning's work has been put out of gear by that mishap. GENERAL. In general: generally. The phrase may be used either adjectivally (e.g. people in general, things in general) or adverbially ('In general, I prefer a comedy to a tragedy'). GENEROSITY. See GENEROUS. GENEROUS. Generous to people; generous with one's money, with compliments, etc.; generous in one's conduct, attitude, activity, etc. (e.g. generous in his judgement of others, generous in his support of good causes).

The same prepositions are also used with generosity.

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GET. Get at : (1) Reach; gain access to, The ripest fruit is usually at the top of the tree, where you can't get at it. Always keep medicines where children can't get at them. Hence the colloquial, adjective un-get-atable. (2) Set to work on something. (Colloquial.) I've kept putting the job off, but I really must get at it. There won't be much of that cake left, once the children get at it. (3) Understand. (Colloquial.) I cannot get at the meaning of this sentence. (4) Mean; imply; hint at• .Most of the audience could not tell what the speaker was getting at. (s) Make insinuations about; criticise. (Colloquial.) Were you getting at me in that last remark you made? A person who is always getting at other people soon makes himself disliked. . Get by (something or someone): get past. This is the nearest way, if you can get by that pile of stones. The fat boy blocked the gangway between the two rows of seats, so that no one could get by him. · Get by (a person) is also used colloquially in the sense of 'deceive': e.g. 'He won't get by me with a story like that'. Get over. (1) Surmount, as 'get over a stile', 'get over a difficulty'. . (2) Recover from (an illness, a shock, a disappointment, etc.). It is surprising how soon she has got over that severe illness she had last summer. He has never really got over the shock of his son's death. (3) Recover from surprise or astonishment caused by something. (Colloquial.) I can't get over his daring to say such a thing. (4) Get the better of. (Colloquial.) You can argue as much as you like, but you'll never get over a lawyer. (s) Deny; prove to be wrong. Say what you like, you can't get over the fact that he acted dishonestly, Get round: (x) Circumvent; find a way to surmount or evade, as get round the regulations, get round a difficulty.

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(2) Persuade by cajolery. She could talk so plausibly that she could get round anyone. We'll have a day in the country tomorrow, if I can get round my father to lend us his car. Get round to (something) : get to it in its place amongst other things or other tasks. I have had so much to do this morning that I have not been able to get round to answering that letter from the Electricity Board. I shall read your article as soo_n as I can get round to it. Get to. (I) Reach as the end of, or stage on, a journey. The train gets to London at 6.30. We got to Leicester just after two o'clock. (2) Reach a specified point in a book, an article, a story, time, one's age, etc. I have got to the end of the sixth chapter. When it gets to ten o'clock I begin to feel tired. When you get to seventy you are not so active as you were at fifty. (3) Reach as an objective, or something one is striving for. The drowning child might have been saved, if only the rescuers could have got to him in time. (4) Come to the point of doing something. From arguing they finally got to fighting, When they get to feding old, They up and shoot themselves, I'm told. -Rupert Brooke, The Old Vicarage, Grantchester The preposition is usually followed by a gerund, but occasionally we find a noun which denotes some kind of activity: e.g. get to blows. Get up to: do; perform, (Usually used in a spirit of disapproval.) It's unbelievable, the things those children get up to, Mind you don't get up to any mischief.

GIBE. Gibe at someone. GIFT. In the gift of: at one's disposal, to bestow upon whom one wishes. (Used especially of a church living.) GIFTED. etc.

Gifted with intelligence, common sense, patience, ·

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GIVE. Give one up for dead; give something up for lost, (See Part I under FOR, 17.) A window that gives on to the park=overlooks; gives a view of. (A Gallicism.) Given to lying, to drinking, etc.=addicted to. GIVEN.

See .GIVE.

GLAD. Glad of your help, their company, an opportunity, etc. Glad may also be followed by a noun clause ('I am glad I didn't go'), or by an infinitive ('I was glad to get away from his company'). GLOAT. Gloat over something or someone. What annoyed him most was the thought of his rival gloating over his misfortune. GLORY (Verb). Glory in one's success; glory in doing something (e.g. in inflicting pain on those weaker than oneself). Sometimes used sarcastically, in reference to the name of a person or place that seems hardly appropriate. He glories in the name of Aloysius • • • • a drab and depressing industrial district, that gloried in the name of Brightside. GO. Go at (something) : perform; set about doing; direct one's energies towards. (Colloquial.) He was reluctant to undertake the task, but when once he started he went at it with determination. Go by. (I) Go by means of, asgo by train,go by bus,gobyair. (2) Go past. 'Someone has just gone by the window.' (3) Judge by. 'You can't always go by appearances.' Go for. (I) Go in order to obtain, as go for a drink, go for some cigarettes, go for a meal. Into the same class, since they are expressive of purpose, fall such constructions as go for a walk, go for a ride, go for an interview. (2) Aim at; have as one's objective. In making an investment some people go for an assured dividend, others for capital appreciation, (3) Choose. There are some people who will always go for the more expensive of two things, under the impression that it .is of better quality than the other.

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(4) Attack, either physically or verbally. (Colloquial.) He had scarcely set foot on the pathway when a great black dog went for him. The audience listened with bated breath as the speaker went for his opponent. (5) Be sold for. The house went for just over five thousand pounds. Go for a song=go for an absurdly low price. (6) Apply to; hold true of. (Colloquial.) If you're found here again I'll prosecute you for trespass;. and that goes for anyone else whom I find on my land, too, Go in for. (1) Enter for (e.g. go in for a scholarship, for a competition, etc.) • .- (z) Adopt as a profession, occupation or means of livelihood (e.g. go in for teaching, accountancy, medicine, etc.). (3) Adopt as·a hobby or interest (e.g. go in for stamp collecting, go in for photography, etc.). (4) Indulge in. In my younger days it was only the better-off people who went in for holidays on the Continent. We don't go in for expensive foods. Go into. (x) Enter, as go into a rooin, a shop, a cinema, etc. (2) Discuss; treat of. I do not propose to go into details ; a general outline of the subject will suffice. We must leave that matter on one side, for a future occasion; it would take far too long to go into it now. (3) Examine; investigate. If you will let me have your complaints in writing, I will go into. the matter. Go off the deep end: lose one's temper; fly into a passion. (See under END.) Go on a journey, a voyage, an outing, an excursion, etc. We could also say 'go for a voyage' and 'go for an outing', but not 'go for a journey' or 'go for an excursion'. For suggests the purpose of going (' Last week we went for an outing to Brighton'), whereas on suggests participation in some organised activity. Thus 'Go on an outing to Brighton' means to form one of a party on an organised trip.' Go on for : manage as regards. (Colloquial.) I don't know how the people in some of these small villages

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go on for food when they are cut off by snow for days on end. Note also the expression going onfor=almost. It's going on for two years since they left here. Used only of time, distance, aJJ.d people's ages. Numbers, weights, and amounts of money generally use getting on for. Go on with. (I) Continue (with). After reading the first few chapters of the book I lost interest, and never went on with it, (2) Fare as regards. (Colloquial.) How did you go on with that article you were writing? (i.e. Did you finish it? Did you get it published? etc.), Note the infinitive constructions to go on with and to be going on with=to serve or suffice for the time being. We shall need about twenty pounds altogether, but five will be enough to go on with. We've enough food to be going on with. Go short of: have insufficient of whatever is, specified. He never allowed his children to go short of anything necessary for their education. (See also under SHORT.) Go to blazes : a euphemism for 'Go to hell', (Slang.) Used only as an exclamation (Go to blazes!) and after can (I don't care wha.t the chairman thinks; the chairman can go to blazes). The reference is presumably to the flames of hell fire. Go to the dogs: deteriorate very badly. (Of persons, organisations, institutions, etc.) (Slang or colloquial.) What with strikes, juvenile delinquency, drunkenness, and the increase in gambling, the country seems to be going to the dogs. Go to pieces : disintegrate ; break up. (Colloquial.) (Fall to pieces is usually used for material things; go to pi"ects is generally applied to organisations and to a person's health or morale.) Since Mr White retired and handed over the management to his son, the business has gone to pieces. Since his last illness his health has gone to pieces. He seems .to have gone to pieces since the death of his wife. Go with. (1) Accompany. As I had a vacant seat in my car on the journey to London, I invited Tom to go with me,

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(2) Be attached to, or inseparable from. The house goes with the job. I don't want the responsibility that goes with such a position. (3) Match ; harmonise with ; be appropriate to. Do you think this hat would go with my new dress? Certain sauces go with certain kinds of food. (4) Agree with. (Colloquial.) I go all the way with you in what you say.· (I.e. entirely agree with you.) . (5) Associate with. (Colloquial.) All his friends deserted him when they found out he was going with undesirable characters. (6) Lower-class colloquialism or slang for 'court', or 'woo'. I understand that your Jack is going with Sylvia Jones. Go with the crowd: follow popular opinion or fashion for the time being. Go without. (I) Forgo; not have something which one might otherwise have had. As we have had rather heavy expenses on the house, we have decided to go without a holiday this year, Sometimes the object is not expressed. If you don't like the food that is provided, you will have to go without, (2) Go out of doors, or go about, not wearing the things specified, as go without shoes, go without a hat, · It is too cold to go without a coat. Go without saying : be so obvious as not to need stating. It goes without saying that we shall not pay more than we are obliged to. At one go; at the first go : at one, or the first, attempt. (Colloquial,) He knocked down three skittles at one go. She passed her test at the first go, (In even more informal language, sometimes abbreviated to first go, omitting the preposition and the article.) On the go: active. (Colloquial.) You can't keep small children still; they are always on the go. I have been on the go from morning to night.

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GOOD. Good (i.e. kind) to children, to one's parents, to the poor, to animals, etc. Good (i.e. beneficial) for someone or something : good for one's health, good for a cough, good for children, Good for (i.e. wealthy to the extent of, or likely to give) a few thousand pounds, a fiver, etc. (Colloquial.) Good (i.e. skilful or proficient) at a subject, a hobby, or an activity: good at mathematics, good at photography, good at making model aeroplanes. (In colloquial English sometimes used sarcastically, as good at finding jobs for others, good at looking after his own interests.) Good on (te. in performing on) a musical instrument : good on the violin, good on the organ. Good on (i.e. in treating of or dealing with) a particular subject : good on the Elizabethan drama, good on the French Revolution. Good as (i.e. in the capacity or r{,le of) whatever or whoever is specified : good as a preacher, good as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Good with (i.e. skilful in the use, management or treatment of) something or someone: good with one's hands, good with one's needle, good with children, Any good, no good, not much good to a person or organisation, for a use or purpose, at a pursuit or activity, as (i.e. in the capacity of) someone or something, with (i;e, in the use, management or treatment of). Is this screw-driver any good to you? These apples are no good for cooking. She is not much good at cookery. He is a pleasant fellow, but no good as a teacher. . He is quite brilliant intellectually, but he is no good with his hands. For good: for ever. After we had been in the village a few months we so liked it that we decided to settle there for good. Sometimes for good ana all: e.g. 'When once he has made up his mind it is made up for good and all', An influence for good, however, means 'an influence in the direction of, or making for, good'. . For the good of: for the benefit or advantage of; e.g. for the good of one's health, for the good of the children, for the good of the cause, for the good of the school. In appropriate cases the of-adjunct may be replaced by a possessive adjective (for your good, for my own good) or by a genitive (for everyone's good). To the good: to the advantage. I was fifty pence to the good over that deal. If we arrive earlier than we expected, all to the good. (I.e. it

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will be so much the more advantageous. Note the use of all in this idiom. It would be incorrect to omit it.)

GOOD-FOR-NOTHING. A compound adjective, meaning 'worthless'. Usually applied to moral character, as 'a good-fornothing fellow'. GORGE. Gorge food; gorge oneself with food, or with some specified food (e.g. gorge oneself with Christmas pudding). GOSSIP. Gossip with a person or with persons, about a particular subject. . She spends far too much time gossiping with the neighbours. What are you gossiping about? The subject of the gossip may, of course, be a person: e.g. 'She had got it into her head that all the neighbours were gossiping about her'. GRAB. Grab at: grab as if, or in an attempt, to seize : grab at one's arm, grab at a purse, handbag, etc.

GRAFT. Graft a damson on a plum tree; graft a plum tree with a damson. GRAIN. TVith the grain=in the same direction as the grain (of a piece of wood); against the grai11=in a direction opposite to that of the grain. Go against the grain : a metaphorical expression meaning 'be contrary, or opposed to, one's inclination': e.g. 'Hard work goes against 11?.e grain with him'. GRANT. Take for granted: assume as certain, or as not needing any verification. We did not send you an invitation, as we took it for granted you would be coming. GRASP. Grasp at: grasp with the object of seizing. Frequently used metaphorically, as grasp at an opportunity. In one's grasp: in one's possession; in one's hands (metaphorically). When once the money is in his grasp, there is no hope of getting it back. Similarly within one's grasp, beyond one's grasp, get something · into one's grasp. Within one's grasp and beyond one's grasp are often used of mental grasp, i.e. comprehension.

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GRATE. One thing grates on another ; an unpleasant sound grates on one's nerves, and discordant notes grate on one's ear. GRATEFUL. Grateful to a person, for benefits, favours, etc. I am very grateful for the help you have given me. We should be grateful to our parents for all they have done for us. Similarly, gratitude to and gratitude for. In gratitude and out of gratitude=on account of, or prompted by, gratitude. GRATITUDE. See GRATEFUL. GREAT. Great on (somethfng or someone), (I) Very fond of, almost to the point of obsession. He's great on his meals, on cycling, on jazz, etc. (2) Having a high opinion of, giving a high place to. Mr Harrison is great on D. H. Lawrence. Dr Watson is great on exercise as a cure for rheumatic complaints.

GRIEF. Die of grief; speak in grief (i.e. prompted or actuated by grief) ; grief at a misfortune, bereavement, etc. His grief at his child's death was pitiable to see. Come to grief: suffer misfortune or injury (usually as a result of one's own action or folly). The first time he went out on his new motor cycle he came to grief, GRIEVE. Grieve for a person (i.e. feel grief on his account). Grieve for something that has caused the grief (e.g. a woman grieving for the death of her husband). Grieve at a situation or ·occurrence which one contemplates with sorrow. (' She grieved at the thought of being parted from her family for so long.') Grieve over something that one allows one's mind to dwell on with sorrow: 'It's no good grieving over things that can't be helped'.

GRIND. Grind is usually used with a direct object: e.g. grind corn, grind coffee, grind one's teeth. Grind at is generally used figuratively, in the sense of 'work hard and laboriously at some tedious or unpleasant task': e.g. 'grind at Latin'. Grind something to powder, dust, etc.

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GROUND. On grounds of: because of; for reasons of. He is retiring on grounds of health. On the grounds that : for the alleged reason that. He refused to disclose what had been told him, on the grounds that it would be a breach of confidence. ·.. Grounded on : having as a foundation. Morals and ethics must be grounded on religion. Grounded in: having ~ groundwork in. He is well-grounded in Latin. Down to the ground: exactly, (Colloquial.) That hat suits you down to the ground, GROW. Grow on one: come increasingly to appeal to one. (Used mainly of things like scenery, pictures, literary style, etc., which make an aesthetic appeal. Rarely used of persons.) You often find that things you tltlnk you could never get used to, tend to grow on you if you live with them long enough. Grow out of: (I) Outgrow; ·get too big for. (Of children and their clothes.) There is no sense in buying expensive clothes for children, as ·they soon grow out of them. (2) Get rid of, as one grows older. (Of ailments, bad or annoy• ing habits, etc.) Don't worry too much about Sylvia's shyness with strangers; she'll grow out of it in time. · · GUARD. Guard something or someone (no preposition); stand guard over something; 'Three of the party stood guard over the treasure until they could find some means of removing it'. On guard: doing duty as a guard. A sentry was on guard at each of the gates. On one's guard: alert; watchful; vigilant. Usually followed by against to indicate the thing one wishes to avoid or circumvent : e.g. 'Be on your guard against pickpockets'. 'We shall have to be on our guard against making mistakes like that in the future.' Cf. a similar use of against with the verb guard: guard against fire, accidents, errors, etc. · The opposite idea to on one's guard is expressed by off one's guard. 'The question took me off my guard.'

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GUESS. Guess usually talces a direct object (guess the answer, guess one's age), but guess at is also found: e.g. 'As we have nothing to measure the length with, we shall have to guess at it', 'Work it out carefully; don't just guess at it.' Guess at rather emphasises the fact that it is merely an attempt. (Cf. make a guess at.) Though guess followed by a direct object does not necessarily mean 'guess correctly', it is often used in this sense: e.g. 'No one could guess his age'. At a guess : guessing ; going by guess-work. At a guess, I should say there were about a hundred people present. · By guess : by guessing, as 'We had to do it by guess'. (More often by guess-work.) GUIDE. A guide to Norfolk, to Latin studies, to the London theatres, etc. In English, the spelling of a word is not always a guide to the pronunciation. GUILTY. Guilty of a crime, an offence, a misdemeanour or a shortcoming. Plead. guilty to a charge. Feel guilty about something for which one feels partly responsible. I still feel guilty about that error in the accounts ; I ought to have noticed it, and pointed it out. GUISE. In the guise of: dressed as, posing as, or assuming the appearance of: e.g. someone in the guise of a servant; a secret enemy in the guise of a friend. ' Under the guise of: under the pretence of: e.g. treacherous deeds perpetrated under the guise of friendship.

H HABIT. Have a habit, make a habit, get into the habit of doing something (not to do something); but 'make it a habit' takes the infinitive. · She made ::t habit of going to the cinema every Thursday evening. Don't get into the habit of borrowing money. He made it a habit to take a short walk after his lunch. From habit: by force of habit; prompted by habit. Some of the things we do we scarcely give a thought to; we just do them from habit. HAGGLE. Haggle with a person, about or over something. HAIL. Hail from (i.e. ·come from : usually in reference to one's native place), as 'My father hailed from Yorkshire', (Colloquial.) HALF. The difference between half a loaf; half an apple, half a brick, etc., and half of a loaf, half.of an apple, half of a brick, is that' the latter denote part of a whole, whereas the former .think of the thing in question without reference to the whole. · By half: usually used ironically after too +an adjective (e.g. too clever by half=much too clever). By halves : not thoroughly, as in the expression to do things by halves. Often used in negative sentences as an understatement : 'He never does things by halves', i.e. he always does them thoroughly, even beyond what is really necessary. In half: in two equal portions, as cut something in half, Note the use of the singular half, where the plural (halves) might be expected. Of the one half: legal phras~ology, meaning' on the one hand', and denoting one of the parties to an agreement. An agreement made this twenty-third day of June, 1965, between Thomas Henry Jones of the one half, and Walter James Thompson of the other, HALLOW. A spot hallowed to pilgrims by its association. with Thomas a Beckett. 28t

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HALT. Come to a halt: stop. The car came to a halt at the bottom of the hill. \

HAND (Noun). Hand in glove: closely associated: working in close collaboration. (Originally hand and glove, but in modern English the accepted idiom is hand in glove. Usually used with a deprecatory or derogatory suggestion.) Two persons are hand in glove, one is hand in glove with the other. Work hand in glove with is also found. For several years it had been whispered that some of the customs officials were hand in glove with the smugglers. The two dishonest. lawyers worked hand in glove, to their mutual benefit and to the detriment of their clients. Hand in hand: clasping each other's hand: 'They walked along hand in hand'. One person is hand in hand with another : 'The little boy walked hand in hand with his mother'. Go hand in hand with is often used figuratively in the sense o{ 'accompany ; be inseparable from', as 'Bigotry goes hand in hand with intolerance'. Hands off! A slogan urging non-interference with whatevex is -specified : 'Hands off steel!', 'Hands off the grammar· schools I' Hand over fist: rapidly. (Used only of the making ofmoney.J (Colloquial.) Though it is only a small shop, it does a large volume oJ business. The owner must be making money hand ove{ fist. · An old hand at (something) : someone well practised througt long experience. l He's an old hand at persuading people to buy what thel don't really want. A poor hand at (something) : one not very competent in what: ever is specified, as 'a poor hand at dressmaking', 'a poor bane. at making after-dinner speeches'. (Not restricted to things that are done by hand.) ; . Come into one's hands (or 'into the hands of someone') : com1 mto one's possession. ~ He refused to say how the letter came into his hands. F_all i1!to the hands of. (I) Fall (i.e. come, by either chance o design) mto the possession of. i:' They destroyed the papers lest they should fall into tb hands of the police. , e:

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(2) Be captured by.

Several hundred men and a great quantity of ammunition fell into the hands of the enemy. Meanings (I) and (2) are both to be found in the following lines from Tennyson's poem The Revenge. Sink me the ship, Master Gunner - sink her, split her in twain! Fall into the hands of God, not into the hands of Spain I Feed out of one's hand: used figuratively with the meaning 'be so submissive and amenable as to do whatever one wishes'. (Colloquial.) When the new club leader first arrived he found many of the youths defiant and rebellious, but at the end of a month they were feeding out of his hand. Sometimes eat out of one's hand. Get into the hands of: get into the possession of. Cf. come into the hands of and/all into the hands of. You must not let these documents get into the hands of any unauthorised person. Similarly, get into the wrong hands and get into the right hands. There's no knowing what may happen if this information gets into the wrong hands. Please see that this note gets into the right hands. Get one's hands on. (I) Gain possession of. The money that the old man has saved won't last very long, once his son gets his hands on it. (2) Get within one's grasp. If I get my hands on those young rascals they won't want to trample on my flower beds again. Give a hand: help; give assistance: (Colloquial.) (I) at doing something, ('I'm willing to give a hand at preparing the meal.') (2) with something (the particular kind of help that is required being understood from the context or situation). ' Could you give me a hand with this parcel? (i.e. with packing it, tying it up, carrying it, etc., as the case may be), (3) to a person. (' He would always give a hand to anyone in difficulty.') · The to-adjunct may often be replaced by an indirect object, as in (2) above (give me a hand).

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(4) Without any preposition, when the expression is used in a general sense. He was always willing to give a hand in case of need. Have a hand in: participate in (something). He made all the arrangements himself, and would let no one else have a hand in them. It is pretty obvious that more than one person has had a hand in this affair. Lay hands on: apprehend; get within one's grasp. (Similar in meaning to get one's hands on, for which see above.) Lay a hand on : strike with the hand by way of chastisement. (Used only in conditional clauses and in negative main clauses.) If you lay a hand on my child I'll summon you for assault, The father daren't lay a hand on the boy. Lay one's hand on. (I) Find without any great difficulty. I know I have his letter somewhere, but I cannot lay my hand on it at the moment. (2) Chastise by striking with the hand. (A-variant of lay a hand on, for which see above.) Lay one's hands on. (I) A variant of lay one's hand on=find without difficulty. (See above.) (2) A variant of lay a hand on=chastise with a blow of the hand, (See above.) Lay a hand on is milder than lay one's hands on, for which reason the latter is generally used when the statement is in the nature of a threat. If I lay my hands on you, you won't forget it in a hurry. Make a hand at (a card game): participate in as a player. I don't mind making a hand at whist, if you're short of a player. Also take a hand at. Play into one's hands: create a situation favourable to one, Just as the prospect of success seemed doubtful, circumstances played into our hands. By acting in that way you are merely playing into the hands of your adversaries. Play for one's own hand: act so as to benefit oneself. In this matter we must place the common cause above all else; if everyone plays for his own hand we shall get nowhere. 1;ut one's hand on: find without difficulty. (The same as lay one s hand on, for which see above.)

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Put one's hand to: (a) a task=begin it; (b) a document= sign it Once you have put your hand to an undertaking, you should persevere until you have finished it. Once you have put your hand to a contract, it is legally binding. Put one's hand to the plough: embark upon a task or undertaking. See Plough. Take a hand at: See Make a hand at. Take a hand in: participate in (doing something, or in some arrangement, etc.). We had almost got the plan worked out when the manager decided to take a hand in it, and we had to start all over again. At hand : near; near so as to be easily accessible. I couldn't look up the spelling of the word, as I hadn't a dictionary at .hand. Their battles are at hand 1 * They mean to warn us at Philippi here, Answering before we do demand of them. -Shakespeare,Julius Caesar, Act V, sc. i Even closer proximity is expressed by near at hand. Fearing an attempt on his life, he always. kept a revolver near at hand. At first hand: from the original source (e.g. •I had the information at first hand'). Similarly at second hand=through an intermediary. Hence the compound adjectives first-hand/second-hand informati'on. At second hand: see at first hand. At the hands of: by ; from. The captive suffered much harsh treatment at the hands of his jailers. By hand : manually ; using the hand or hands, as made by hand, worked by hand, written out by hand. But delivered by hand (of a note, letter, parcel, etc.) means 'delivered by a private messenger', as opposed to being sent through the post. Bring up by hand=bring up (a baby) by feeding it from a feedingbottle instead of from the breast. The expression is sometimes used facetiously with the meaning 'bring up and discipline (an older child) by frequent blows from the hand'. It is so used by Dickens in Great Expectations.

* Battles here means battalions.

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From hand to hand: from the hand of one person to the hand of another, in a sequence or series. The specimen was passed from hand to hand, and everyone in turn examined it. From hand to mouth. Found mainly in the expression 'to live from hand to mouth', i.e. live on whatever food one can get for each day as it comes•. Thus a hand-to-mouth existence, During those hard times the peasants lived from hand to mouth. Their life was little more than a hand-to-mouth existence, In hand. (I) In one's possession. (Of money.) We have fifty pounds in hand, but a few small bills have still to be paid out .of it. (2) In one's possession in the sense of 'left over and available for one's use. (Of time,) When the meeting finished at 3.30 we had still almost an hour in hand before our train left. · There's only another mile to go, and we've still twenty minutes in hand. (3) Under control. The situation is now in hand. (4) In process of being performed. (Of work, a task, etc.) The printing of the book is now in hand. Keep your attention on the matter in hand. Hence put in hand=start the performance of work, a task,· etc.: 'We have put the work in hand, and it should be completed within the next week'. For cap i'n .hand see under CAP, and for hand in hand under that heading above. Take (something or someone) in hand: take charge or control of, and deal with firmly. He was growing to be such an unruly boy that his father decided it was time he took him in hand. She was no business woman, and until her son took them in hand her affairs were chaotic. tn the hands of. (I) In the possession of, The documents are in the hands of my solicitor. (2) Under the charge or management of. I leave the arrangements in your hands. · As regards the next move, I am in your hands entirely, (I.e. I will do exactly as you wish or as you think advisable.)

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Cf. also in good hands : 'The matter is in good hands'. • It should not take him long to recover from his illness, for he is in good hands.' (3) Controlled by; dependent upon. 'We are all in the hands of God/of Fate, etc.' Off hand. (I) On the spur of the moment; here and now, without further consideration, or without consultation, verification, etc. I cannot give you the information off hand ; I shall have to look it up. Speaking off hand, I should say we have about twenty copies of the book. (2) Casual; as though one were not interested or did not wish to be troubled. (The two words are hyphenated.) He treated my request in a very off-hand manner• .He was very off-hand with me. An off-hand remark : either (i) a remark made on the spur of the moment, or (ii) a remark displaying something of indifference or lack of interest, Off one's hands. 'Get something off one's hands'=get rid of it. 'Take something off one's hands '=relieve one of it. I shall be glad to get this business off my hands. I wish I could get someone to take this business off my hands. On hand: readily available. I alw1J.ys like to keep a certain amount of money on hand, in case of an emergency. On all hands : on all sides. He was besieged on all hands by reporters anxious to know the details of the case. On one's hands: with one, as a responsibility, a burden, etc. I don't know how Mrs Jones manages, with three growing children and an invalid husband on her hands. The goods did not sell nearly so well as the shopkeeper had expected, and he was left with half of them on his hands. On the one hand: on the one side (of arguments, considerations, circumstances, etc.) Contrasted with on the other hand, for which see below. On the other hand: On the other side, by way of contrast. The Government seem to me to be inconsistent. On the one hand they say they wish to reduce the cost of living, and on the other they increase the duties on a number of essential articles.

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In this country food is cheaper than in Britain ; clothing, on the other hand, is dearer. Out of hand. (I) Immediately; without delay. (Not much used.) The plan needs careful preparation; we cannot put it into effect out of hand. (2) Out of control. It's about time you exercised some discipline over that child, or he'll get out of hand. We must deal with the situation at once, before it gets out of hand. (Cf. in hand (3).) To hand. Found mainly in the combination come to hand=be received, or be found (i.e. come into one's hands). The information has not yet come to hand. I cannot find his letter at the moment, but as soon as it q,mes to hand I will let you see it. Yours to hand: a piece of business jargon for 'We have received your letter'. Underhand: secretive; clandestine; using secret and unfair means, as an underhand trick, underhand means, an underhand kind of person, go to work in an underhand manner. Under one's hand: under one's signature. ', • • given under my hand this fifth day of May, in the year 1965.' (The formal wording at the end of a legal document, immediately before the signature.) The upper hand. Confined to get (or gain) the upper hand of and have the upper hand of (someone), i.e. get (or have) the better of; prevail over. After a fierce struggle, he got the upper hand ofhis opponent. HAND ·(Verb). When to hand means 'to pass (something) by hand', it is followed by various prepositions, according to the meaning to be expressed: e.g. hand something across the table, O'ller the wall, round the class, through the window, to the porter, to the police, etc. I hand it to you, A colloquial expression meaning : (I) I pass it over to you. I have given my opinion on the question; now I hand it to you, (2) I admit that you have got the better ofme.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

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Most frequently used in the second· person, but sometimes also in the other persons (e.g. 'For sheer impudence, I hand it to Thompson'). The idea is probably that of handing a prize or trophy to the winner of a competition. Note also the idiom 'to hand a lady into or out of a carriage', i.e. assist her into or out of the carriage by giving her one's hand, (Not much used nowadays,· since carriages are no longer a normal mode of conveyance.)

HANDY. (1) When handy means 'useful' or 'skilful'. A person is handy at some activity, with a tool or implement, about the house, garden, etc. A tool or implement is handy for a purpose, to the person who uses it . One person is handy to another who benefits from his services or his help. John is very handy at repairing clocks. She is very handy with her needle. , What a blessing it must be to have a husband who is handy about the house. This will come in handy for cleaning the car. We will keep these tools if you have no further use for them; they may be handy to us. Janet has certainly not got in my way in the·kitchen; she has'been very handy to me. (2) When handy means 'convenient because close at hand'. In this case the preposition used is for. It may indicate the respect in which the thing in question is handy (' Our house is handy for the shops and the railway station'), or the person who benefits from its being handy (' The school is only a few hundred yards farther down the road, so it is quite handy for the children'). HANG. When used in its literal sense, hang may take various prepositions, according to the sense to be expressed: e.g. hang by a thread, hang round one's neck, hang out of the window, hang a garment on a peg or in a wardrobe, hang on to the branch of a tree, etc. Note also the following figurative uses of hang+ a preposition·in colloquial English. Hang about: loiter idly or aimlessly. There were two or three suspicious characters hanging about the fair-ground. · Hang 07! to. (I) Attach oneself to (another person) and refuse to leave him. For the rest of the evening my new acquaintance hung on tome, We had better hang on to this party, or we may get lost.

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(2) Retain possession of, There's no hurry for the return of the book; you can hang on to it until I need it. Hang round, (I) Follow about; seek the company of. Wherever she goes she has two or three admirers hanging round her. (2) Stand or wait idly about. Several teenage fans hung round the stage door in the hope of getting a close-up photograph of their hero as he emerged. (3) Frequent rather aimlessly, He spends most of his time hanging round antique shops and second-hand book stalls. Hang on a person's words: listen intently and avidly to them, as though they were something of great wisdom or value. The times are past when a congregation would hang on a preacher's words as though they were inspired from heaven.

HANKER. Hanker after wealth, power, etc. Occasionally hanker for, when hanker has the rather weakened sense of 'desire', 'long'. Fowler (Modern English Usage) gives the example 'hanker for a glimpse of home', and Wyld (Universal English Dictionary) 'hanker for affection'. Hanker may also take an infinitive, especially (for reasons of euphony) after a compound tense ending in -ing: e.g. 'He has been hankering to know that for ages•. We could scarcely say 'hankering after knowing that'. A hankering (noun) ajter,for, or to do something.

HARD. When hard means 'strenuously' it is followed by at. All the employees were hard at work. Everyone worked hard at the task assigned him. I have been hard at it since nine o'clock this morning. (A colloquial expression meaning 'working hard'.) When hard means 'severe' it is followed by on to indicate the person or the thing that experiences the severity. Don't be hard on the child. These rough roads are hard on your shoes. (The first of the sentences above could refer either to one's treatment or to one's judgment of the child.) Two other uses of hard on should also be noticed, viz. (i) 'It's hard on John, having to work when the rest of us are

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29I

enjoying ourselves', i.e. a hardship imposed on him: (ii) 'One misfortune followed hard on another', i.e. close on, or almost immediately after. In older English hard by was used in the sense of 'very near to', but today this is obsolete. Hard of hearing : rather deaf; having difficulty in hearing. (This use of hard is confined to hearing ; we cannot say a person is 'hard of seeing' if his sight is not very good.) Hard of heart: hard-hearted; having little feeling for others. HARD UP (Colloquial). If we say a person is bard up, we mean that he bas little money. If it is something else that he has insufficient of, then the thing in question is indicated by for. The editor of the magazine· was bard up for material. Sometimes he was hard up for space, and could not print all that was sent in to him. HARNESS. Die in harness. Die while one is still working. HARP (Verb). Harp on or upon upon a theme, topic or subject. I wish he wouldn't keep harping on that subject. HASTE. Do something in haste= do it hurriedly : be in haste= be in a hurry. In one's haste: owing to one's haste or hurry. The thieves were disturbed;and in their baste left the most valuable property behind them. In my haste I forgot to lock the door. HAT. The following two slang phrases should be noticed, Keep (something) under one's hat: keep it secret. We don't want this information to be made public, so keep it under your bat. Take one's hat off to someone: recognise someone's preeminence or superiority. I take my hat off to him as a tennis player. Normally used only in the first person and the present tense. The figure is probably from the practice of removing one's hat as a sign of respect in the presence of one's superiors. HEAD. Head for: go in the direction of: 'We left the town and headed for the coast'. Also used figuratively, with the meaning •follow a course that is likely to lead to or result in •• .'. The result predicted is usually something unpleasant : e.g. 'You're

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

heading for trouble/disaster/failure/bankruptcy/a breakdown in health,. Have a head for : have. a mind capable of dealing with whatever is specified : e.~. 'I've no head for figures,. Head over heels: see HEEL. Above one's head. There is, of course, the obvious meaning of location (' the sky above one's head'), but the phrase is also used in the sense of 'above one's, or someone else's, powers of comprehension'. That ·subject is above my head. The lecturer spoke above the heads of his audience. At the head of: (I) At the front of.(a procession, etc.). A mounted policeman rode at the head of the procession. (2) At the top of (a list, a page, or a table of figures or results), He thought he had only done moderately in his examination, but he came out at the head of the pass-list. Write your name at the head of each sheet of paper. (3) Occupying the highest position(s) and directing (a firm, organisation, etc.). There are some very capable people at the head of that firm. In one's hef1d: in one's mind. He's got some strange ideas in his head. Do a calculation in one's head=do it mentally. Strange in· the head: a colloquialism for ·'mentally abnormal'. (Note; in the head, not one's head.) Into one's head: -into one's mind or understanding. When once he gets an idea into his head he won't rest until he's tried it out. I've tried time after time to teach him the correct way to do it, but I still can't get it into his head. Get it into one's head that ••• is sometimes used to denote a delusion, or something that is purely imaginary: e.g. 'He's got it into his head that he is suffering from an incurable disease'. · Off one's head: slang or colloquial for 'mad'; 'The poor woman went off her head'. Sometimes used sarcastically to express extreme foolishness : 'He must be off his head to act in such a way as that'. Out of one's head: from one's own thoughts or ideas. I ~dn't get the story from any book or magazine; I made it up out of my head. . Over head and ears: deeply involved in. Confined to a few

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expressions such as over head and ears in love, over head and ears in debt. Over one's head. (1) The same as above one's head (i.e. comprehension), for whi~h see above •. · (z) Without consultmg someone who should have been consulted. The usual constructions are do something over one's head and go over one's head (or over the head of •••).

He went over the head of his immediate superior and sent his complaint direct to the manager. HEAR. Most frequently followed by of, to give the meaning 'receive infom1ation of' or 'have knowledge of the name of someone or something'. (' As soon as I heard of his arrival I hastened to meet him', 'Have you ever heard of a poet by the name of Prior ? ' 'The Librarian had never heard of the book I wanted.') Occasionally about can be substituted for of without making much difference to the meaning (e.g. 'I have only just heard of/about the accident'), but generally about is more vivid, and suggests a fuller knowledge of the details (e.g. 'It was not until an hour later that we heard about what had happened'). In an elliptical sentence like' Have you heard about my brother?', meaning 'Have you heard what has happened to him, or what he has done ? ', only about can be used. 'Have you heard of my brother ?' would mean, 'Have I, or has anyone else, ever mentioned him to you ? ' or 'Have you received any news of him?• Hear from someone=receive a letter from him (or possibly a telephone message). We have not heard from him since last Christmas. I will do nothing further until I hear from you. HEART. · Heart to heart: frankly and candidly, revealing one's inmost thoughts and feelings, and hiding nothing. (Of a talk, conversation, etc., between two people.) For over an hour we sat there talking heart to heart. Hence the compound adjective heart-to-heart, as in a heartto-heart talk. Have no heart for: have no enthusi~~m or spirit for.

After several failures I gave up the attempt; actually I'd no heart for it from the very beginning. Note the difference between this idiom and haven't the heart followed by an infinitive, which means 'be lacking in courage or resolution'. After so many failures he hadn't the heart to try again.

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Put one's heart into (something): do it with enthusiasm, r.esolution or determination. It is difficult to put your heart into work that you find irksome, Set one's heart on (or upon): desire very much. When once he's set his heart on a thing he won't rest till he gets it. She has set her heart on going to Paris this summer. Take to heart. (r) Take seriously. I hope you will take to heart the warning you have been given. (2) Grieve or worry about unduly. She is a very sensitive person, who takes her troubles and disappointments to heart. Take (someone or something) to one's heart: feel deep affection for; become very fond of. She took the little stray kitten to her heart immediately. After one's own heart: of a kind one likes on account of a resemblance of views, interests, etc. ('He is a person after my own heart.') At heart: at the bottom of one's nature. He may give the impression of being severe, but he is quite a kind person at heart. . By heart: found mainly in the expressions learn by heart and know by heart, i.e. commit to or retain in one's memory whatever is in question: e.g. 'learn a poem.by heart', 'know one's Bible almost by heart'. In heart: cheerful; in good spirits. (More often in good heart.) All the members of the team are in good heart, and have high hopes of success. In one's heart: in the depths of one's mind or feeling. Say what he will, in his heart he knows that he is wrong. Stronger still is in one's heart of hearts. Ou.t of heart: dispirited. (Not much used.) ll71th all one's heart: very sirtcerely. I wish with all my heart that we had never embarked upon this task.

HEEDFUL. Heedful of advice, warning, etc. Similarly, heedless of.

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HEEDLESS. See HEEDFUL. HEEL. Head over heels. Occurs chiefly in/all head over heels and turn head over heels=perform a somersault. Take to one's heels: run hurriedly away. As soon as they saw the policeman coming the cheeky l:ioys took to their heels. At one's heels: following one very closely. Wherever he went Rip van Winkle always had a throng of ragged urchins at his heels. By the heels. Found chiefly (;part. from the obvious literal use) in the idiomatic expression lay by the heels, i.e. track down and catch (someone). Sherlock Holmes was remarkably successful in laying his man by the heels. · Down at heel: having the heels worn down (of shoes); very slovenly or shabbily dressed (of persons). He used to dress quite smartly, but he looks very down at heel nowadays. On the heels of: following close behind. Two small children came following on the heels of their n1other. · · Also figuratively : 'One disaster followed close on the heels of another'. Out at heel: with holes worn in the heels (of hosiery); very shabbily dressed (of persons). The poor old fellow always looks so unkempt and out at heel. Under the heel of: (figuratively), oppressed, ground down by; · under the harsh government of. In the early nineteenth century Italy was under the heel of Austria. HEIR. The heir of a person, to an estate, title, fortune, etc. HELP. (1) As a Noun. This ~oney will be a great help (i.e. assistance) to us. Your ~1s~er has ?een a great help (i.e. assistance) to me. • I don.t like paymg all that money, but there's no help (1.e~ av01dance, cure) for it. · W'ith the help of. (1) Assisted by. With the help of a passer-by I carried the injured person into a shop.

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(ii) Using as an instrument to help one. We managed to decipher the document with the help of a magnifying glass. (2) As a Verb: Help a person with a task, a problem, etc. She offered to help with the washing-up. Can you help me with this crossword puzzle? Help a person in his troubles, difficulty, etc. (i.e. when he has troubles or clitficulcy). Help may also be followed by adverb phrases introduced by various .prepositions to denote the object or purpose of the help : e.g. help one over a stile, down a ladder, into a car, etc. HERALD. The herald of something: • The cockerel is the herald of the dawn'. HIGH. On high : in an exalted or lofty position. Not much used in ordinary English prose style. In the language of religion on high often means 'in Heaven'. Praise the God of our salvation ; Hosts on high, his power proclaim. HINDER. Hinder a person in his work; but hinder him from doing something. 'Don't let me hinder you in your work'. 'Don't let me hinder you from going.' Something (or someone) is a hindrance to a person. HINDRANCE. See HINDER. HINGE. Hinge on or upon. 'The argument about the interpreta• tion of the sentence hinged on (or upon) the meaning of one word.' HINT. Hint at something; hint something to a person. A hint of whatever is hinted at: 'The speaker dropped a hint of a possible modification of the proposals', HIRE. A garage has cars for hire ; it lets them out on hire. The person who hires one has it on ~re·; he hires itfrom the garage, Cf. ·also 'to have goods on hire-purchase' (pay for thoq will excuse me', but now employed only sarcastically or to express disapproval.) He helped himself to my cigarettes without so much as 'by your leave'. On leave: on leave of absence. (Used mainly in the artlled forces, the civil service, and semi-governmental bodies such as the B.B.C. and, the British Council,) Mr Pearson is at present on leave, and will not be back: until next Tuesday. My brother, who is in the army, is home on leave. /Jso on three days' leave, on two weeks' leave, etc. Take (one's) leave of: bid farewell to, as 'take leave of one's friends/family, etc.'. But take leave of one's senses means •go mad' ; •He behaved as though he had taken leave of his senses•. LECTURE. Give a lecture on a topic or subject (e.g. a lecture on astronomy, a lecture on 'The Novels of Jane Austen'). Similarly, 'His father gave him a lecture on smoking' (i.e., a lengthy reprimand). On is also the idiomatic preposition when lecture is used as a verb (' He goes round the country lecturing on the evils of drink'); but a person who holds the position of lee~ turer in a university or college, is described as lecturer £n his subject (e.g. Lecturer in Chemistry, in English, etc.), and be lectures in Chemistry, English, etc., but on a particular topic, whether in a single lecture or in a i;;eries,

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

337

Dr Watson is at •••• University, where he lectures in.

English literature. This term he is lecturing on the nineteenth-century novelists. LECTURER. See LECTURE. LEFT (as opposed to right). To indicates direction (keep to the left, turn to the left, swerve to the left), on indicates the side ('In Britain we drive on the left'). Both to the left and on the left may be followed by of, to indicate. that from which direction or position is taken : e.g. the person on the left of you, the person to the left of you : the border on the left of the path, the border to the left of the path. In the case of persons, the of-adjunct may be replaced by a possessive pronoun (on your left, to your left). The difference between the person who sat on my left and the person who sat to my left is that the former means 'the person who sat immediately beside me, on my left-hand side', and the latter 'the person who was seated left of me, but not necessarily beside me'. (N.B.-All that has been said above about left also holds good for its opposite, right.) LEISURE. Have the leisure to do something, or have the leisure for it (' I used to play golf a good deal, but I haven't the leisure for it now'); not, however 'the leisure for doing it'. At leisure. (I) Having, or possessed of, leisure. I should like to have a few words with you when you are at leisure. Also followed by an infinitive (••• when you are at leisure to

see me), (2) In a leisurely manner; when one has leisure and feels inclined.

I don't object to gardening, so long as I can do it at leisure. More often at one's leisure. There is no urgency for the completion of the work; please do it at your leisure. LEND. Lend a person something, or lend something to a person. Lend something for a purpose: e.g. lend crockery for a Sundayschool treat, Lend a touch of colour to the scene; lend colour, or credibility to a story; lend one's support to a cause, scheme, proposal or project. But lend oneself to a scheme or project usually suggests something discreditable. I am surprised a person in his position lends himself to such a thing. .

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338

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

LENGTH. At length. (r) Finally; after a long time; at last. For a long time he could not see the point, but at lenSUi we convinced him. (2) To one's full length. He was stretched at length upon the ground, fast asleep. (3) In great detail ; in a lengthy form. The Prime Minister's speech was reported at length in ~ the principal newspapers. I haven't the time to go into the matter at length, but I Cqn give you the chief fact. Sometimes at great length, though this may imply a Certain degree of impatience, annoyance or irritation on the part of tlte person using it. He spoke at great length on his plans for the future of tlte industry. · Go to any length : do all possible ; not spare one's efforts. I would go to any length to help a person in distress. Sometimes the expression implies unscrupulousness or dishonesty. He would go to any length to get his own way. Go to the length of (doing something) : go so far as to do it, Shewenttothelength ofsaying that I had deliberately cheated her of the money.

LENIENT. Lenient to a person; lenient in one's treatment Qr judgement of a person.

LET. Let into (someone): attack him violently, either physically orin words. I let him finish his speech, then I let into him.

LETTER. To the letter; literally; down to the smallest detail. He expects his instructions to be obeyed to the letter, But take (something) in the letter (i.e. literally). We should take these precepts in the spirit rather than in the letter. A man of letters: a write.r (usually of works with some claim to literary merits).

LEVEL. One thing is level with another, or en a level with it. .

On a level with may also mean 'of the same rank, status or quality'.

ENGLISlI PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

339

He has certainly played a mean trick on you, but I am not surprised ; it is on a level with the rest of his conduct. 011 the level. The following two uses are both colloquial. (I) In a position where the ground or surface is level (i.e. not inclined). Now that I'm getting elderly I should like a house on the level ; I find it very tiring to climb this hill. (2) Honest; open; above board. I should be very cautious in any dealings you have with that fellow; not all his transactions have been on the level. Get level with someone: avenge oneself on him. He may think himself very smart in cheating me like that, but I'll get level with him one day. Level a charge, a remark, criticism, etc., at someone or at his work or conduct; but against is also found. We all know who that remark was levelled at. Some rather damaging criticisms have been levelled against his work. (The idea is presumably taken from levelling a gun, prepara• tory to shooting.) LEVY. Impose a levy on goods, wages, capital resources, etc. Similarly, levy a charge, tax, etc., on goods, articles, or those who sell them. LIABLE. When liable means 'predisposed' it is followed either by an infinitive (liable to catch fire) or by the preposition to (liable to disease, liable to infection). When it means 'subject to a penalty that may be imposed by law or by a body making rules, regulations, etc.', to is also the preposition used (liable to a fine not exceeding ten pounds, liable to instant dismissal). When it means 'answerable', or 'under an obligation', it takes for: 'A husband is liable for debts incurred by his wife'. LIBEL. Libel n person, or publish a libel on or upon him. But when libel is a verbal noun, meaning 'the act of libelling', it is followed by of to indicate the person libelled: e.g. libel of the dead. LIBERAL. Liberal in one's ideas, outlook, etc. Li'beral 'With one's money, praise, compliments ; but liberal in one's bestowal of praise or compliments (i.e. Liberal in something one does, liberal tvith that which is bestowed or used liberally). ,

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340

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

Liberality of outlook; liberality with one's money, etc. , liberality in the bestowal of compliments; liberality to OI\e'~ friends. · LIBERALITY. See LIBERAL. LIBERATE. Liberate one from prison, fear, superstition, etc. LIBERTY. Liberty is followed by of to indicate (1) those Who enjoy the liberty (to ensure the liberty of the subject, to safeguQrcl theliberty of the press), (ii) the field within which the liberty lies (liberty of choice, liberty of conscience), (iii) the precise nature of the liberty (I have taken the liberty of using your name as q reference). At liberty : free. Two of the escaped prisoners are still at liberty. You are at liberty to go wherever you like. All the prisoners were set at liberty. Take liberties with; treat (someone) in toq free a manner; ltse or treat (something) without the proper respect due to it. I am not going to let a junior member of the staff take liberties with me in that way. The churlish fellow was rebuked for taking liberties With the name of God. The editor of a literary work is not entitled to take liberties with the text (i.e. alter it to suit his purpose or his pre~ ference). LIEU. For IN LIEU OF, see Part I, under this head;lllg, LIFE, Bring to life, come to life, restore to life, For life, (1) During the whole, or the rest, of one's lifetime, As the result of that accident he was crippled for life, In those days, if you were born a peasant you were a peasant for life. (2) In order to save or preserve one's life: e.g. to fight for life to strllggle for life. This is found in only a few combinations; the more frequent expression is for one's life, As the volcano erupted, the villagers fled for their lives, Colloquially the phrase is sometimes used loosely (especially after run), with the meaning 'very fast'. When the boys saw the policeman approaching they dropped their booty and ran for their lives.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

341

Sometimes, too, for dear life. For one's life. See under for life (2) above. For dear life. See under for life (2) above. For the life of me: even if my life depended on it. (Used in colloquial English to emphasise a statement.) I can't remember for the life of me where I put that money. Normally found only in the first person, though a third person seems possible in narration : 'He tried again and again, but for the life of him he couldn't mount that horse'. From life. Apart from contexts where from is obviously required by the verb (e.g. a desire to escape from life), this phrase is found mainly in such expressions as a sketch copied from life, a portrait painted from life. On one's life. Confined almost exclusively to the colloquial exclamation, 'Not on your life!' added to a statement or a rhetorical question to give force or emphasis to it. Do you think I am going to trust a person like him? Not on your life ! The sense probably is, 'Not if you were to swear on your life that I would'. To the life: just as if whoever or whatever is mentioned were living or real. (Used of descriptions, portraits, impersonations, imitations, etc.) That child can mimic people to the life. The writer's description of a village cricket match is particularly to be commended; he has depicted it to the life. Upon my life! A colloquial exclamation expressing surprise, astonishment, or sometimes disgust. The sense probably is 'I am willing to swear it upon my life'. Well, upon my life l I should never have believed it. LIGHT (Noun and Adjective). Come to light: come to be known; be discovered unexpectedly. It has recently come to light that a second person was implicated in the affair. Since the trial, further evidence has come to light. In the light of: when one considers the facts or knowledge gained from whatever is mentioned. In the light of recent ·discoveries it may be necessary to revise our previous theory.

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342

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

Make light of: represent (something) as being ~ess _serious or significant than it actually is. (Light is here an adJecnve.) He always made light of his troubles. , . • It is easy enough to make light of other people s difficult1~. LIGHT (Verb). Light on or upon something: i.e. find or CO!qe across it unexpectedly. LIMIT. Limit someone or something to (whatever the limit is). As the supply of tea is running short, we must limit ea.eh person to one cup. Our holidays are limited to two weeks a year. To the limit: to the utmost extent. ,Our resources are stretched to the limit, He works to the limit of his ability. Within \limits: to a certain extent (not specified), but llot beyond that. In most democratic countries people are free, within limits to live their lives in their own way. , I don't mind a practical joke within limits, but this is going too far. LIMITED. When limited is a past participle, it takes to. (See above, under LIMIT.) When it is an adjective applied to persons, it takes in when the reference is to some inherent quality or characteristic (limited in ability, limited in intelligence) and for when the reference is to something we have at our dis~ posal (limited for time, limited for money, limited for space). In is used for both persons and things to indicate the respect in which someone or something is limited: limited in number limited in size, limited in quantity, limited in usefulness. , LINE (Verb). Line a garment with silk, line a chest with lead etc. Similarly, a coat lined with silk, a chest lined with lead. Bu; when lined means 'having lines upon it', in is used to indicate the colour or similar characteristic of the lines : sheets of white paper lined in blue. LINE (Noun). In line: in the form of a line, as stand in Une drawn up in line. Also applied to individuals who constitute (o; should constitute) the line: 'You're not in line' (or 'You're out of line'). Both in line and out of line may be followed by with ('You're not in line with the others', 'You're out of line with the others').,

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

343

and both may be used figuratively, in the sense of 'consistent (or inconsistent) with'. Some of the recent actions of the Government are not in line with the statement of policy in their election m:uµfesto. I can't understand his taking up this position; it is quite out of line with what one would expect of him. In one's line: the kind of thing one is normally concerned · with, competent to do, or interested in. (Colloquial or informal written style.) I don't mind trying my hand at papering a room, but it's not really in my line. These televised boxing matches are all very well for those who are interested in them, but that kind of thing is not inmy line. In one's line of business: in the particular kind of business with which one is concerned. In my line of business you can't afford to carry large stocks of goods which may soon be out of date. In one's line of country: within the field where one may speak with knowledge or authority. (Colloquial.) If you want advice on growing orchids, you'll have to ask someone else; that's not in my line of country. · Also outside one's line of country. On the lines of: following the same general principles or pattern as; similar to. (Colloquial and informal written style.) The original constitution of the United States was drawn up on the lines of the British constitution. There is a growing feeling in Britain that we need. some public official to protect the interests of the individual against the power of government departments and local authorities - something on the lines of the Danish ombudsman. Also on these lines, on those lines, on quite different lines, on the same lines as, on similar lines to. On the right lines: in the right way or manner. ·(Colloquial and informal written style.) You have dealt with the subject on the right lines, but your essay is lacking in detail. I'll put you on the right lines, and then leave you to finish the work yourself. .· On the wrong lines is also used, but it is less common than on the right lines.

344

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

Out of line. See In line. Outside one's line of country. See In one's line of country. Read between the lines. See READ.

LINK. Link one thing to, on to, through, or over another, accorc!Jqg to the sense. Occasionally in is used (e.g. arm linked in Q~, I linked my arm in his). When link means 'connect' in a non-physical and non-xnat~aI sense, with is the normal preposition. Certain stylistic features of this newly discovered poem lAik it with the author's earlier work. I have heard his name linked with that of a well-kn1>1.'m public figure. With is also the usual preposition after link up. ('We \\rCnt on to the next town, where we linked up with the other Pat'l:1,') LISTEN. Listen to a person, a story, an excuse, the band, etc Listen at the key-hole, the door, the window (the place at wW1:h one stations oneself to listen). Listen from a distance, the ti~ room, behind a curtain, a place of concealment (a place separat~d from whatever one wishes to hear). Listen/or the postman, ilie telephone, the door bell (in expectation of). LITTER. Litter the table, the floor, etc., with paper. LITTLE. Little by little : gradually; a little at a time. Little by little the flood waters receded. In little : on a small scale. (Not much used.) LIVE. {r) In the sense of 'maintain, or lead, one's life'. Live by indicates the means (live by working, live by writiilg, live by one's wits, live by cheating others). Live for indicates one's purpose or object in living (live for pleasure, live for money, live for sport), or those for whose sllke or benefit one lives (live for others, live for one's children). It may also, of course, express the length of time one lives (e.g. live for eighty years). Live in expresses the conditions or circumstances that attend one's life (live in peace, live in comfort, live in poverty, live in luxury). Live on may indicate (i) the food that one eats (live on fish, live on vegetables, live on the fat of the land), (it") the amount of money one spends, or that is available to one, for buying the necessaries of life (live on ten.pounds a week), (ill) the source

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

345

from which the money comes (live on a pension, live on one's savings, live on charity), (iv) those at whose expense one lives (live on others, live on one's parents, live on one's friends). In this last case there is usually the suggestion that one exploits or takes advantage of their generosity or hospitality. Live up to may mean (i) live to the full extent of (live up to one's income), (ii) live in a way commensurate with (live up to one's position), (iii) live and conduct oneself in such a way as to maintain whatever is mentioned (live up to one's reputation), (iv) live and conduct oneself in a way consistent with whatever is mentioned (live up to one's beliefs, live up to one's professions, live up to the standards one expects of others). (2) In the sense of 'dwell' or 'reside'. (a) Towns, villages and geographical areas. Live in a country, a county, a province, or other large district or geographical area. Generally, live in a large town or city, live at a village or a small town. But if the speaker is himself in the village or small town, or if he is writing to someone there, and thus placing himself there mentally, he will probably use in: e.g. 'Have you lived in Cranford long?' Similarly a resident of such a place will think and speak of himself as living in the place. Sub-divisions and districts of large towns are treated the same as villages and small towns. To people in other parts of London (and sometimes, perhaps, to himself, when he is speaking to such people), a resident of Hampstead lives at Hampstead ; but he usually thinks of himself as living in Hampstead. At, that is to say, dissociates the place from the speaker, in associates it with him. The kind of district is always indicated by in: live in a town, live in a city, live in the country, live in the suburbs. Also live in the West End, live in the East End, each being thought of almost as a distinctive kind of district. (b) Streets, etc. Live in a particular street, road, avenue, square, etc. : live in Berkeley Square, live in Malvern Road, in Baker Street, in Canterbury Avenue. (In some parts of the Midlands and northern England, on is heard, but this is not standard usage.) Usually also in a particular kind of street or thoroughfare (in a side-street) but 'live on a main road', 'live on a trunk road'. (c) Places of residence. Live in a particular kind of dwelling or residence (in a cottage, in a flat, in a caravan, in a hotel, in a service-flat, in lodgings), but at a specific place (at the Grand Hotel, at the Savoy, at IS Plumstead Crescent, at The Hollies). Live on a particular floor (on the ground floor, on the first floor, etc.), live in a particular room or part of the house (live in the kitchen, live in the east wing).

346

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

N.B.-A person may sometimes speak of living at a particula~ road when he is thinking of the house or address at which h~ lived: 'When we were living at Norwood Road •••• (i.e. a~ such-and-such a number, Norwood Road). He may also say. either, 'I shouldn't like to live in that house', or 'I shouldti•~ like to live at that house'. In suggests that it is something abciu~ the house itself that renders it undesirable, at that it is somethib~ about the people or mode of life there, If we ask, 'Who li"e~ in that house?' we are interested primarily in the house itseJ.n the identity of the occupier is merely a further detail in connexion_ with it. But if we ask, 'Who lives at that house?' our primary. interest is in the residents or the occupier. LODGE. A ball or a stone lodges on the roof, in the gutter, etc, A person lodges (i.e. lives in lodgings) at a particular address, , with the person who provides the accommodation. Mon~Y'-' · documents, etc., are lodged with a banker or a solicitor. LOGGERHEADS. Two people are at loggerheads; one is at loggerheads with the other. LONG (relating to length). Long in the leg, long in the arm, etc. Be/ore long : before much more time has elapsed. It looks as though we shall have a storm before long. For long: for a long period of time. (Used mainly in negative statements, interrogative sentences, and conditional clauses.) I shan't stay for long. Will you be here for long? If you're staying for long, we can draw up a programme of visits and excursions for you. · The use in positive statements is chiefly literary. It usually precedes the main verb. The author of the book was for long thought to be a clergy-

man. LONG (Verb). Long to .do something ('I long to see my home again'), long for something (' I long for the holidays'), long for so111ething to happen ('I long for the summer to come'). In this last construction for is always followed by an accusative+ infinitive group, the accusative being the subject of the infinitive. LONGEST. At longest (or at the longest): allowing for, or reckon• ing the longest time.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

347

The work should not take us more than a week, at longest, (Not generally used of distances, for which at most is the usual phrase: 'It's seven miles, at most'.) LOOK (Verb). Look after. Take care of. I'll look after the children while you go shopping. ·· A vacuum cleaner should last you for years if it's properly . looked after. Leave things to look after themselves often means to neglect things, or to give insufficient attention to them. Look at. (1) Regard (usually with interest of some kind). They were looking at a picture book. Look at those beautiful flowers. (2) Direct one's gaze towards. He looked straight at me. Don't keep your eyes on the ground; look at me. Look at the camera, please. (3) Inspect or examine. My washing machine has gone wrong; I must get someone to look at it. Also metaphorically, to look at a question from all sides. (4) Consider. (Colloquial.) At such a price as that I couldn't look at the offer. (5) Regard (a proposal, question, etc.) from a particular point of view. (Colloquial.) Whether his action was ill-advised or not depends on the way you look at it. It's foolish to spend all your money now; you never know what you'll need later on. That's how I look at it. (6) Take as an instance or example. (Colloquial, and used only in the imperative.) Education is not necessary for success in life ; look at your uncle Joe. (7) Look at that! may be used colloquially as an exclamation expressing disgust, annoyance, disapproval, etc. It is intended to direct one's attention to something that has caused the feeling. Look at that I This is the first time I've worn this dress, and I've got a grease stain on it from somewhere. Look for. (I) Look in the hope of finding: e.g. look for a lost dog or child ; look for a house.

348

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

(2) Expect. I look for politeness from all my employees. I think we can look for an improvement in our financial position next year. Look 1'nto• . Besides the literal meaning 'gaze into' (e.g. looi,_ into a mirror, look into space), there is also the semi-figurativ~ one of 'inquire into, examine, investigate'. If you've any complaints, let me know, and I'll look int() them. Loo!~ lilie. The normal use of this is to express resemblanc~ in -.ippearance (e.g. 'He looks like his father'), but colloquialll> it is often used to express likelihood or probability. In SUCQ_ cases like is a kind of substitute for as if, or as though. It looks like rain (i.e. as if it will rain). The weather does not look like clearing up (i.e. as if it will 'clear up). Like may be followed by a noun (as in the first example), 01.by a gerund (as in the second), but not by a clause. It looks like it will rain, He looks like he is ill are vulgarisms, used only bl> uneducated or badly spoken people. They are more common lll. America than in Britain, but even there they are not accepteq as correct. As if or as though must be used. Look on. Look may be followed by a phrase introduced by "11 to indicate the place where one looks : look on the top shelf~ look on the next page, look on the floor. For look on in the sense of'regard', see look upon. Look out, when used colloquially with the meaning watch, is followed by for : 'If you're likely to be travelling on the same train as I am, I'll look out for you'. Look over. Besides the literal sense, in such expressions lis look over the wall, look over the hedge, there are also the following two meanings. (I) Stand over (one) and look at whatever one is doing. I don't like people to look over me while I ruri writing. (2) Inspect or examine cursorily. (Usually of printed or written. material.)

Will you look over this essay of mine, and tell me what you think ofit? I've not studied the accounts minutely; I've merely looked over them. But to. look D;Jer a house may imply a careful, not merely a cursory, mspecuon.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

349

Look through. The literal sense is exemplified in look through a window, look through a telescope, the semi-figurative in look through a book, look through a document, etc., i.e. glance at it here and there, or read it superficially or cursorily. Look to. (1) Look in the direction of: in the case of houses and other buildings, have the front towards. ('The house}ooks to the east.') (2) Tum to for help, advice, etc. At one time people looked to the Church for help in times of need or difficulty ; now they look to the state or the Town Hall. (3) Confidently expect (something of someone). I look to you to support me in this matter. (4) Give attention or care to. In these days of severe competition we must look to our export markets. The phrase is not much used except in the proverbial expression look to one's laurels, i.e. take care that one's reputation or achievement is not endangered. Note also the construction look to it followed by a noun clause, meaning 'take measures to ensure' whatever is stated in the noun clause. I'll look to it that this does not happen again. Look to it that you are here in time tomorrow. Look upon : regard. 'I look upon you as an authority on matters of this kind', 'The committee did not look upon the suggestion with favour'. Look on may aiso be used, but look upon is more usual. Look up to : admire ; regard with respect. All his followers looked up to him as a wise and courageous man.

LOOK(S) (Noun). By the look of it: judging by appearances, or by the way things look. lt'.s rained very heavily here, by the look of it. By the looks of it is sometimes heard, but this is considered a vulgarism. In looks: in respect of facial appearance. The twins were almost identical in looks. LOOSE. ·On the loose: a slang or colloquial expression meaning 'Living a loose life'. Go on the lccse : resort to, or drift into, a loose life.

350

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

LOSE. Lose one's money to someone else; iose a match o~ competition to the opposing team. Lose by so many points o~ goals. (See also LOST.) LOSS. Loss of confidence, loss of money, loss of health; the los~ of one's •wife, the loss of eyesight, the loss of one's job; a loss op over a hundred pounds. (Of, that is to say, indicates the thinp_ or the amount that is lost.) 'The retirement of Mr Brown_ means a great loss to the firm', 'His death means a great loss to science'. · (To indicates the person or body that feels or cxperi... ences the loss.) At a loss : baffled ; puzzled. (Followed by an infinitive or byfor.) We are at a loss to know what he means. The police are at a loss for an explanation of the affair, But to sell something at a loss, of course, means to sell it below cost price, so that a loss is incurred. LOST. A thing is lost to whoever sustains the loss: 'By the emigration of scientists, a considerable amount of talent is lost to this country each year'. Lost to the world : fast asleep, or oblivious of what is happening around one. LOVE (Noun). When the thing that one loves iJ something non, personal, it is usually indii;ated by of: love of money, love of music~ love of the countryside, his love of a practical joke, etc. When it is li\ person that is loved, both of and for are idiomatic. The tendency is to use of when love means 'the fact ofloving' ('It was his love of Hero that drove Leander to swim the Hellespont') and for when love means 'affection' (a parent's love for his children, the love of a man for a maid). For love : on account of love (e.g. die for love, do a thing for the love of it (i.e. because one likes or enjoys doing it), For love or money: a colloquial expression meaning 'at any price' or 'whatever inducement is offered', Used only in negative sentences. You can't ge_t domestic servant~ nowadays for love or. money. I tried everywhere, but no whisky was to be had for love or money. In love. Two persons are in love; one is in love with the other. Also fall in love with. Colloquially both expressions are used to express a liking for something. I'm not in love with parsnips. She fell in love with the house as soon as she saw it.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

35I

Out of love with : used colloquially to express the idea of one's having taken a dislike to something one previously liked. I'm out of love with meat at present. What's the matter with John nowadays? He seems out of love with life.

LOYAL. Loyal to a person, one's

country, one's principles, etc.

LUCK. Down on one's luck: unfortunate; suffering a run of bad luck. With all these losses he's had recently, he's certainly down on his luck. In luck: lucky. We've had several disappointments and failures, but at last it looks as though we are in luck. LUCKY. Lucky in whatever one does; lucky at cards; lucky with (i.e. in respect of) one's investments; lucky for one. It's lucky for you that you've got your father to get you out of your difficulties. LURCH~ Lurch towards or against someone or something; lurch across the road, along the pavement, through the doorway, etc. Leave someone in the lurch: leave him helpless, or to fend for himself, in a difficult position. I don't think much of a person who leaves his friends in the lurch when troubles arise. LUST. Lust (verb) for something; a lust (noun) for something; e.g. a lust for gold, a lust for money. For the verb, after is also found (to lust after fame). LUXURY. Of is used to denote the nature of the luxury (ths luxury of a holiday on the Riviera). In luxury=surrounded by luxury, or 'in a luxurious manner': e.g. to live in luxury.

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M MAD. When mad means 'frantic', it is followed by with, tl;) indicate cause : mad with rage, mad with pain. When it me~ 'ardently desirous of', it takes for (mad for a motor bike), and when 'ardently devoted to', on (mad on sport, mad on photo., graphy). Mad is often used colloquially in the sense of 'angry•, mad with a person, mad about something that has happened, ' Like mad : as if one were mad (e.g. 'He ran like mad', ''l'lle two boys fought like mad'). The phrase has, however, come tu mean little more than 'furiously', and is often used of no:ti.~ animate things: 'The sails of the windmill whirled round like mad'. MADE.

See MAKE.

MAGIC. Like magic: as if by magic. The pain went like magic. The solution removed the stains from the dress like magi~.

MAIN. For the main part: so far as the main part is concerned, ma~ , The land is for the main part uncultivated. In the main: mainly. (More or less the same as for the main part.) The congregation consisted in the main of middle-aged and elderly people. With might and main: with very strenuous efforts. (See under MIGHT.)

MAINTAIN. Maintain one (or oneself) in food, clothing, etc, Maintain oneself on one's salary, on five pounds a week,. on llll allowance of money. . While he was at the university an uncle maintained him in clothing. Many students complain that they find it difficult to maintain themselves on the grants they receive.

MAKE, Make is used with a number of different meanings, but the principal one is that of 'create, produce, manufacture, construct', Here the chief prepositions are of, from, out of, and in,

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Of refers to (i) the material used, which still exists in its original form in the finished product (e.g. a dress made of velvet, a box made of sandal wood), or (ii) the constituents that make up a mixture or combination (e.g. a drink made of orange juice, sugar and water; a salad made of!ettuce, tomatoes and cucumber)•. From refers to the source material, from which something different is produced : ' Cider is made from apples', 'Bread is made from flour, and flour from wheat'. Out of is often a colloquial equivalent of of or from (a box made out of sandal wood, a tablecloth made out of nylon), but more strictly it refers to the conversion of one article into another : e.g. a dressing-gown made out of a blanket. In this sense it is the complerp.entary term to made into ; the blanket is made into a dressing-gown, or the dressing-gown is made out of the blanket.' · Cf. the proverb 'You can't make silk purses out of sows' ears'. In refers to the material as a distinguishing characteristic of the product: 'This cabinet is made of mahogany, but we can make you one like it in oak, if you would prefer that'. iVith refers to one or more of the constituents of which something is made: 'I like my coffee made with milk', 'The cake was spoilt, as she made it with a bad egg'. The following phrases and constructions may also be noticed. Make at (someone): make (or move) as if to attack him. The stranger gave a shout and then made at me. Make away with. (I) Squander; spend recklessly or irresponsibly: make away with one's money; make away with the family fortunes. (2) Murder. 'In his lust for power he did not scruple to make away witl1 those he thought to be possible rivals.' Make away with oneself=commit suicide. Make certain: followed by of: e.g. make certain of one's facts. Make do: followed by with or without. (See under DO.) Also make do.on: 'I can't make do on my salary', i.e. 'I cannot provide for myself'. Make for. (I) Go towards, as a goal or objective: make for the shore, make for home, make for the coast. (2) Be conducive to. Conduct of that kind hardly makes for a harmonious atmosphere in the club. Make of (something) : understand; get a meaning from. I listened to what he had to say, but I couldn't make anything of it.

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He seems a strange sort of person; I don't know what to make of him. (I.e. I find it difficult to form an opinion of him.) I Make off with: abscond, taking (something) with one. The thieves made off with their booty. Also 'waste, squander' (make off with one's money). Make shzJt: followed by with: 'This is not the tool I really wanted for the job, but I can probably make shift with it'. Make towards : move in the direction of. As I entered the room two of the men I had seen talking made towards the door. l'r!ake up for: compensate for. When we got on to the open road we put on a spurt, to make up for lost time. Make up to : attempt to curry favour with. She [Mrs Maloney] thought Mr Halfyard was trying to make up to her with all his kindness. - A. E. Coppard, · The Haljyard Ham. But to make something up to a person means to compensate hitn for it: 'If you'll work overtime tonight, I'll make it up to you by giving you Saturday morning off'. On the make: intent on gain; out to make profit: 'He's always on the make'. Cf. on the run, on the prowl, on the go.

MAN. Man about town: a man with a knowledge of the life and affairs of the town, especially on the social side. Man in a thousand : a man of a sort very rarely met with. Man tn the street: the ordinary man. Man of ability, action, talent, etc. : a man possessing or charac·terised by these qualities. Man of Kent: one born east of the Medway, as opposed to a Kcntishman, who is born west of the Medway. Man of letters: a writer whose works have claims to literary or scholarly merits. ' Man of parts : a man of many accomplishments or talents. Ma1; of the people : a person in a responsible position who either has risen from the ranks of the ordinary people, or understands and can sympathise with them • .1'vfan of straw: a man who cannot be relied upon in times of cns1s or emergency. , Man of the world: a man with a knowledge of life and the world.

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Man to man: honestly and sincerely, as one man to another. Putting aside party considerations, and speaking as man to man, what do you really think of the policy of the present government ? To a man: everyone, without exception. Even when his policy was unpopular, his followers supported him to a man.

MANAGE. Manage with an implement, a tool, or something one uses (' The ladder isn't quite so long as I thought, but I think I can manage with it'); manage on one's income, one's pension, five pounds a week, etc. (i.e. on the resources available), Manage for=manage in respect of: 'How did you manage for money?' 'The baker has not called today ; I don't know how we are going to manage for bread.' Manage about is confined to colloquial English, and means 'manage in the matter of'. Its precise meaning is rather vague, and has to be inferred from the context : e.g. 'I don't know how women who are out at work all day manage about shopping' (i.e. how they-manage to get their shopping done), 'How do you manage about the dog when·you go away on holiday?' (i.e. what do you do with it, or what arrangements do you make for its care?),

MANIA. A mania for (e.g. a mania for crossword puzzles). MANNER. Maimer in the sense of 'the way or fashion in which something is done' occurs in the following phrases. After a manner : in a way. (Usually used in a pejorative sense.) He can speak English after a manner (i.e. not very well). After the manner of and in the manner of. The difference between the two is that in the manner of indicates resemblance, whereas after the manner of usually suggests conscious imitation. The two are often interchangeable (e.g. 'an ode in the manner of Horace' or 'an ode after the manner of Horace'), since resemblance is often the result of conscious imitation, but even so, when fo is used it is only the resulting resemblance that· is referred to. When there is no question of deliberate imitation, after cannot be used; only in is possible: e.g. 'You are behaving in the manner of a lunatic'. In a manner of speaking: so to speak. But whereas so to speak can be placed only after the statement that it modifies, in a · manner of speaking can be placed either before or after. In a matter of speaking, we are putting the cart before the horse.

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To the manner born : brought up from birth to a particulaJ: practice or way of doing something. It is unfortunate that the idiomatic use [of shall and will] while it comes by nature to southern Englishmen • • : is so complicated that those who are not to the manner born can hardly acquire it. - H. W. and F. G. Fowll!l."~ The King's English, chap. ii. The phrase comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet (Act r, sc. iv) where it means 'custom' rather than 'way'. Hamlet is speaking of the heavy drinking at the Danish court. To my mind, though I am native here And to the manner born, it is a custom More honour'd in the breach than the observance. When manner means 'sort' or 'kind' it is followed by of• all ,manner of things, all manner of people, all manner of way-s: (Note the singular manner after all.) By no'manner of means: by no means whatever. (Colloquial.) He is by no manner of means the only person who can do that. Similarly not , •• by any manner of means. MAP. Off the map: small and obscure; far away from a centre of population; not easily accessible. (Of a place.) It is a delightful little village, but few people know of it, as it's off the map. On the map : occurs mainly in the expression to put a place on the map, i.e. to raise it to a position of importance, or bring it to the notice of people. Fifty years ago the Derbyshire village of Great Hucklow was little known outside its own neighbourhood; it is its theatre and its gliding club that have put it on the map, MARCH. An army marches to a destination, but on a town or .city that it intends to attack. On the march: marching; e.g. an army on the march. MARK (Verb). Mark something with a cross, a tick, one's initials, etc. (i.e. the mark that is put on) ; mark it in ink, chalk, etc. Mark the position of something with a stone, a peg, etc. (i.e. the thing that is used) ; mark it by placing a stone or a peg there. Mark an occasion with a dinner, a religious service, etc.; mark it by holding a dinner or religious service. But where with is used in the active voice, the tendency is to use by in the passive : • It js proposed that the occasion should be marked by a dinner/by

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

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a public holiday/by a service in the cathedral.' By is also used when marked means 'characterised' : 'The first few years of the new republic were marked by political unrest and instability'. MARK (Noun). A man of mark: a man of distinction. Similarly, a man of no mark. Beside the mark : irrelevant ; not to the point. Your observations are beside the mark. Off the mark : starting. Usually quick off the mark or slow off the mark. (Colloquial.) There's not much time left, but we may manage to get there in time if we're quick off the mark. On the mark: (1) Relevant; pertinent, (Of suggestions, remarks, comments, etc.) He did not say much, but what he did say was always on the mark. (2) Timely in one's actions; doing the right thing at the right time. (Of a person.) · He never lets an opportunity slip; he's always on the mark. Up to the mark. (1) Up to the required standard. None of the entries won a prize, as none was up to the mark. (2) In normal health. (Usually only in negative sentences.) I don't feel up to the mark today. The usage is colloquial. Wide of the mark : not near to the facts or the truth, All our guesses were wide of the mark.

MARRIAGE. See MARRY. MARRIED. See MARRY. MARRY. One person marries another, or is married to him/her, Each of the partners to a marriage marries into the family of the other (' She married into a wealthy family'). Marriage to when marriage means the marriage ceremony or the fact of one's being married ('We have just heard of his marriage to an heiress') ; marriage with when marriage means the married state, or married life : 'His marriage with his first wife was a very happy one, but it was unfortunately cut short by her early death'. With is sometimes also used of the fact of marrying if it is thought of from the point of view of both partners to the marriage: 'He came into the firm as the result of his marriage with the daughter of the chairman'.

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When marry and marriage are used figuratively, only with is used: to marry sincerity with tolerance; the marriage of sii:t~ cerity with tolerance. MARTYR. A martyr of the Christian church; a martyr for one~s faith, conviction, principles, etc. (i.e. that for the sake of whicll one suffers martyrdom) ; a martyr to rheumatism, asthma, etc, (A rather loose use of the word, meaning 'one who is afflicted severely by whatever is mentioned'.) A martyr in the cause of freedom, truth, etc. MATCH. When match means 'correspond or harmonise with', it is usually transitive(' Have you any material to match this dress ? ') but with is also used, especially when the idea expressed is tru\t , of harmony rather than identity or likeness : 'The curtains do not match with the decorations', 'I want a tie that will mateh with this suit', Match with is also used when one thing is ., thought of as a guide with which another is ma~e to correspond : ' • In papering a room you should match the design at the edge of one length of paper with that at the edge of the one next to it• When we place two things side by side to see whether they match, we match one against the other ('If you match that material against this you will find that one is sii3htly lighter than the other'). In a contest one person or team (or its ability, skill, etc.) is matched agaimt another ; one person is a match for another, i.e. at least his equal in skill or ability, and possibly his superior Match up to: correspond with; come up to the standard of: (A piece of modem jargon.) His performance did not match up to the glowing account we had received of him. MATERIAL (Adjective=relevant: such as should be taken into consideration). Followed by to: 'That is not material to the question'. MATRIMONY. Give a bride to her future husband in matrimony. Similarly, give one's hand in matrimony. MATTER (Noun). A matter of: something which involves or entails whatever is mentioned. We may as well have the better quality; it's only a matter of a few pounds. I'm quite willing to do what you ask, but it's a matter of finding the time.

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In certain colloquial uses the phrase is· almost redundant. They'll be here in a matter of a few minutes. A matter of course : something which is part of the normal routine. All goods are tested as a matter of course before they leave the factory. . A matter offact. Mainly in the expression as a matter of fact =to state the true fact. Mr White hasn't a son, has he? - Yes, he has; as a matter of fact he has two. Note also the expression a very matter-of-fact person=a person who always says plainly what he means. The matter with. Although by origin a noun, the matter has .come to have the force of a predicative adjective with the meaning 'wrong', and takes with in contexts where wrong would take that preposition. He has something the matter with his foot. There's something the matter with this car. There's nothing the matter with him; he's just pretending. For that matter : so far as that is concerned. It was proved he was needing money at the time; we all were, for that matter. -J. J. Bell, Thread o' Scarlet. MATTER (Verb). 'It doesn't matter to me' means 'I am indifferent' (e.g. 'It doesn't matter to me where you go'); 'It doesn't matter about me' means 'You needn't consider or trouble about me' (e.g. 'If you've only room for one person in your car, take Emily. It doesn't matter about me; I can walk.') _ Similarly: It doesn't matter about the price; buy it, whatever it costs. It doesn't matter about closing the window. Also in questions (' Does it matter about • • • ? '), but not usually in positive statements. MEANS. Means of, followed either by a noun ('His job is his sole means of livelihood', 'He is without means of support') or by a gerund ('We have no means of finding out the truth'). By means of: using whatever is mentioned as a means. The burglars entered the house by means of a ladder. By all means may, of course, be used literally ('by every possible means') but in spoken English it is often employed as· a kind of strong affirmative, with a meaning similar to 'certainly'.

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

By all means try the medicine if you think it will do yo-u any good. Could I borrow that newspaper for a few moments, please? - By all means. Apart from their literal uses, by any means and by no means are used colloquially in the sense of'to any/no extent'. If the weather is by any means suitable, we will play the match on Tuesday. He is by no means well. This is by no means the first time you have been late. MEASURE. For good measure: in order to give good measure (i.e. amount or quantity). All the poems are here, and then, for good measure, soxne half-dozen hitherto unpublished fragments are added. - From a review of a book. In good measure: in good quantity. To r,ieasure : found mainly in the expression' made to measure• as applied to clothes : i.e. espcially made to fit one's measurements. MEDDLE. Meddle with things (e.g. 'Don't meddle with those papers', 'Someone's been meddling with my typewriter'); meddle in another person's affairs or business. MEDIATE. putants.

Mediate in a dispute; mediate between two dis-

MEDITATE. Meditate on something (i.e. think deeply over it). But no preposition is used when meditate means 'think of doing something' (e.g. meditate a reply, meditate revenge). MEDIUM. The medium (i.e. something that is halfway) between two things or twQ positions ; through the medium of the post, radio, speech, etc. · An artist works in a particular medium ; he expresses himself through the medium concerned., , MEET (Verb). A person meets with an accident, his efforts meet with success or failure, a proposal meets (or fails to meet) with one's approval, a remark meets with a reply, and a request meets with a refusal. Normally we meet a person, a train, a bus, etc., but it is not impossible to speak of meeting with a person, if the sense is 'encounter', 'come up against' (e.g. 'He was slinking ·out by a back way ten minutes before time, when he met with

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36I

the manager'), Meet up with is not yet a recognised idiom in British English. MEMBER. A member of an organisation or group. The Member (of Parliament) for whatever constituency the person in question represents. MEMORY. A memory for something (' I've no memory for faces'); memory (i.e. remembrance) of something (e.g. 'I may have made the remark he alleges, but I've no memory of it'). A tombstone or memorial is erected in memory of or to the memory of whoever it commemorates. In the memory of is a solecism.

MENACE. A menace to someone or something ('The careless driver is a menace to other road-users'); the menace of disease (specifying what the menace is); menace a person with something (though menace with is often used where threaten with would be more appropriate). A menace with when with indicates that which causes a person to be a menace ('He's a menace with that gun'), MEND. Note the phrase on the mend (in process of mending, or recovering). He has been seriously ill, but he is now on the mend. MERCIFUL. Merciful to a person, merciful in one's treatment ofa person. MERCY. At the mercy of: dependent on the mercy of. The child was abandoned in the forest, where he was at the mercy of wild beasts. In one's mercy: on account of, or prompted by, one's mercy. God, in his mercy, forgives the repentant sinner. To the mercies of: found almost exclusively in the expression leave one to the mercies of (more often to the tender mercies of, where tender is used ironically), He was left to the tender mercies of his creditors. MERGE. One thing merges with another; the two merge together; two or more merge into one. Merge into is also used to suggest a gradual merging. In the spectrum one colour merges into the next one.

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

METHOD. The method of doing something, not the method to do it. (Ilut the way of doing it and the way to do it are equally idiomatic.) MIDWAY. Midway between two points or places. MIGHT. With might and main: with all one's might. The two combatants fought with might and main, Main, as used here, comes from an old English word meaning power, or might. MIND. Absence of mind: forgetfulness; the mental state of pr~ occupation, which causes one to do something without realising it (Not quite the opposite of presence of mind, for which see below,j Through absence of mind be walked out of the shop and left his purchases on the counter. More often absent-mindedness is used. Presence of mind: mental alertness which enables one to act quickly in an emergency. With great presence of mind he grabbed the child and pulled it out of the path of the oncoming car. In mind. This occurs mainly in the combinations bear in mind and keep in mind, i.e. remember, or not allow whatever is stilted to slip from one's mind. In judging his achievement we must bear in mind that he has,had no previous experience of this kind of work. At this point I cannot undertake to accept your suggestion, but I will keep it in mind. There is also have in mind, which explains itself. Have you anyone in mind for the vacant post? When I made that allusion to 'people who live by cheating others', I'd no-one particular in mind. In mind of: mainly in the expression put one in mind of= remind one of. ·· That man over there puts me in mind of a person who used to work with me. In two minds : undecided. I am still in two minds whether to take the house or not. Of one mind: of the same opinion. (Two people are of one mind, one of them is of one mind with the other.) You and I are of one mind on that matter. I am of one mind with you on that matter.

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Out of one's mind: mad. (The commonest combinations are be out of one's mind, go out of one's mind, send someone out of his mind, and drive someone out of his mind.) He must be out of his mind to act in that way. The poor-fellow went out of his mind. I wonder his troubles haven't driven him out of his mind. To mind. Occurs mainly in bring to mind and call to mind•. I remember his face, but I can't call his name to mind. The story you have just told brings to mind a strange thing that once happened to me. To my mind: in my opinion. (Colloquial, and used only in in the first person.) I'm surprised at his doing such a thing; it's dishonest, to my mind.

MINDFUL. Mindful of. She was always mindful of her obligations to others. MINISTER (Verb). Minister to a person's needs. A clergyman ministers to his parishioners. MINUTE (Noun). Both in a minute and for a minute may, of course, mean literally what they say, but in colloquial English they are more often used in the sense of 'in/for a short time'. . I'm only going down the road to post this letter; I'll be back in a minute. Could I borrow your English dictionary for a minute, please? For the minute : just at that moment : for a moment from then. The car suddenly swerved, and for the minute it looked as if it was going to hit the tree. From one minute to the next : used to convey the idea of fre. quent variation within a short period of time. The weather is so changeable that you don't know what to expect from one minute to the next. To the minute: used mainly in the expression punctual to the minute, i.e. exactly punctual. In colloquial English there is also the phrase not to the minute (not always strictly punctual). We reckon to have lunch at one o'clock, but we're not to the minute. You may still be able to get them on the telephone; they said they were leaving home at three, but they're usually not to the minute,

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MISCHIEF. Get into mischief, Even after be, where in might: be expected, it is always into that is used : 'Those children ar~ always into mischief', Similarly keep out of mischief, Do ::\ thing/or mischief: 'He just did it for mischief', MISTAKE. Mistake one thing or person/or another, By mis-. tal~e; but in mistake for. I took someone else's umbrella by mistake. I took someone else's umbrella in mistake for my own. MISTAKEN. When mistaken is used as a past participle it is followed by for : 'In my time I have been mistaken for a detec-. tive, a stock-broker, a parson and a commercial traveller•, Whe~ it is used predicatively, with the force of an adjective, it takes in or about. About indicates the matter concerning which one makes a mistake : 'I was mistaken about her age. I thought , she was over fifty, but she's only forty-eight'. In is used of · persons when it is some aspect or quality of their character that is in question : 'I always took him for an honest man, but it appears that I was mistaken in him'. It is also used of a statement, a fact, a belief, etc., in which there is a mistake : 'I was mistaken in what I told you yesterday', 'The ancients were Jnis ... taken in their belief that the earth was flat', MITIGATION. As a mitigation of or in mitigation of. The former means 'as something that mitigates', the latter 'by way of mitigating', You can hardly urge that as a mitigation· of the offence. You can hardly urge that in mitigation of the offence.

MIX. Mix one thing with another; mix two or more things together. Mix with other people, mix with those older than oneself, mix with the high and mighty, etc. ; mix in society, mix in the crowd, mix in the highest circles. That is to say, we mix with the members of a group thought of individually, we mix i"n a group thought of collectively. There is also mix in with. It sometimes means no more than mix with, except that it perhaps suggests a more thorough mixing ('He mixed the counterfeit coins in with the rest'), but where people are concerned it often expresses the idea of harm?~ous ~ g . ('We won't ask your cousin Mary; she won't lDlX' m with the other guests.') Mix among suggests a less close or intimate mixing than mix with : 'I've mixed among all classes of people, from dukes to dustmen'.

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MOAN. Moan with pain; moan (a colloquialism for 'complain') about one's misfortune, one's difficulties, etc. MODERATION. In moderation: to a moderate extent, I have no objection to drink, so long as it is taken in moderation. The phrase can also be used after a noun: 'Drink in.moderation can act as a stimulant'. MOIST. The grass was moist with dew; but moist from the dew. The former shows the nature of the moisture, the latter that from which the moisture results. (Cf. wet with rain and wet from the rain.) MOMENT. For a moment, for the moment, and in a moment are used in the same way as the corresponding idioms with minute, for which see above. At the moment : at this present moment, or at the moment (in the past) to which reference has been made, I know his address, but I cannot think of it at the moment. I should have been quite willing to lend him the book he asked for, but I hadn't it with me at the moment. Not for a moment: used as a strong or emphatic form of negative, as ifto deprecate any belief to the contrary. Not for a moment would I suggest that you did it deliberately. For a moment is similarly used with a negative verb. I wouldn't suggest for a moment that you did it deliberately, The latter is probably the commoner of the two in ordinary spoken English. MOOD. In a good mood, in a bad mood, in the mood/or something,

I like to go to the cinema when I feel in the mood for it, I'm not in the mood for joking. In spoken English the for adjunct is sometimes omitted, if it can be understood from the context. I don't go to the cinema regularly - only when I feel in the mood, MORAL (Noun). The moral of a story: there is a moral to the story, In is sometimes used when we profess to see a moral though none was intended, Thus if a person tells a story of how

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he paid a bill as soon as he received it, and then found he had been overcharged, another person may add, 'There's a moral in that: don't pay your bills till the last moment'. MORNING. In the morning may refer to the morning of anyday that is specified, but in spoken English it often refers to the morning of the day immediately after that on which the words are spoken, especially if they are spoken in the evening. She may have gone out now, so I will telephone her in the morning. OJ a morning: in the morning, as a general rule. (See Part I., under OF.) What time do you get up of a morning? The morning after the night before : a colloquial expression referring to tiredness, headache, etc., felt in the morning as an aftermath of a night of jollity or revelry. I

MORROW. On the morrow: on the next day. (Obsolete, except in literary English.) MORTGAGE. A person has a mortgage on a house or other property. The house or property is mortgaged with the person or institution that lends the money, MOST. At most: putting it at the highest estimate. We hayen't much farther to go-three miles at most, Sometimes at the most. For the most part: mainly; so far as the greater part or number is concerned. The audience consisted for the most part of people over forty. Make the most of. (1) Use so as to get the greatest result from. One shouid always make the most of one's opportunities. It's no good pining for what we haven't got; we must make the most of what we have. (2) Represent in such a way as to give the greatest possible significance to, However trivial his achievements were, he always made the most of them.

'.

MOTION. In motion: moving. 'Never get on or off a bus while it is in motion.' Similarly set in motion, put in motion, keep in motion.

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MOURN. Mourn may be used transitively ('We all mourn his loss'), or it may be followed by for ('England mourns for her dead across the sea'.-Laurence Binyon. 'No longer mourn for me when I am dead' , • • - Shakespeare.) The distinction of usage between the two is not clear-cut, but the study of a number of examples suggests that the following is the general tendency: (i) mourn is used with a direct object when the sense is 'regret', or 'realise something as a loss' ('We are all inclined to mourn the passing of old institutions') ; (ii) moiirn for is used when the sense is 'experience sorrow or grief'. It is usually followed by a noun or pronoun that refers to persons. Thus we mourn for a person, but mourn his loss or his death. Mourn over is also found. It is generally used of non-personal things : e.g. to mourn over one's misfortunes. MOURNING. In mourning: wearing black clothes or adopting other outward signs of mourning for the dead. Go into mourning: assume such clothes. MOUTH. By word of mo'.lth: by the spoken word. The message was delivered by word of mouth. Down in the mouth : Despondent. (Slang or colloquial.) He seems very down in the mouth about his chances of success. From hand to mouth. See under HAND. MUCH. Much of: much in respect of, or in the capacity of. (Used only in questions and in negative statements.) He's not much of a scholar. Is she much of a tennis-player? Make much of. (I) Understand to any great cxten~. I couldn't make much of what he said. (2) Treat (a person) as someone important. Everyone made much of the newcomer when he first arrived amongst them, but after a while they began to ignore him. . Much of a muchness: very much alike. (Colloquial.) There's very little to choose amongst them ; they're all much of a muchness. MUCHNESS. Used only in the expression much of a muchness~ for which see MUCH.

368

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

MULTIPLE. One number is a multiple of another. MULTIPLY. Multiply one number by another. MURMUR (in the sense of' complain'). Followed by at or against. Usually murmur at a fact (e.g. murmur at having to do something) ; murmur against a proposal, a thing or a person (' No one so much as murmured against the new taxes'). Murmur about, which is also heard, is more vague, and suggests mere dissatis• faction rather than complaint or opposition: 'He never even murmured about the difficulty of the task'. MUSE. Muse on or upon something. Muse over is also used (e.g. to sit musing over past times). Perhaps it suggests something rather more desultory and prolonged than muse on.

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N NAG (Verb), Nag someone, or nag at someone, There is really no difference of meaning, except that perhaps na.g at suggests something more sustained and irritating than nag. · NAIL. 'Nail something on the wall' indicates the position of the thing in question. • Nail something to the wall' expresses the idea of attachment, Hence 'nail one's colours to the mast' (not on the mast). On the nail. Found in the expression pay on the nail, i.e. pay promptly. My policy has always been·to pay on the nail for whatever I have (The nail referred to is a stone table used in mediaeval markets for the settling of accounts. One is preserved in the municipal market at Bath.) Hit the nail on the head: state the plain truth or facts about a situation. What he said was very brief, but it hit the nail on the head. NAME. 'They named him John', 'He was named John' (not as John). In British English, when a child is given the same name as another person, it is named after the person in question; ~e Americans use/or. By name. (I) Using the name: e.g. mention a person by name : a friend of yours, Wilkinson by name. • • • (2) As regards, or to the extent of, one's name. I know him by name, but I have never met him. By the name of: having the name mentioned; named: e.g. a gentleman by the name of Baxter. In name : so far as the name is concerned; nominally. The. captain of the ship was captain in name only, for he exercised no authority. In the name of. (I) As representing; with the authority of. I arrest you in the name of the law. Open, in the name of the King. (2) As an invocation. What, in the name of goodness, docs all this mean?

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370

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

Of the/that name : having the/that name. (An alternative to by the name of, for which see above.)

Do you know a person of the name of Smith? No one of that name lives here. To one's name: belonging to one. (Colloquial.) He hasn't a penny to his name. I haven't a decent pair of shoes to my name. Generally used only in negative sentences, and of money or such personal possessons as one would normally be expected to have. Under the name of: using the·name of. Marian Evans wrote under the name of George Eliot. Did he publish the novel under his own name, or under a pseudonym? NATIVE. A native (noun) of a place or district; native (adjective) to a place or district. NATURAL. 'Fighting is natural to dogs' (i.e. in accordance with their nature), but 'It is natural/or dogs to fight', (See Part I, under FOR, 23.) NATURE. Against nature: contrary to nature (usually hUlll:m nature), People ,vill not submit to tyranny for ever; it's against nature. By nature: arising from one's nature, Tigers are cruel by nature. Some people are quick-tempered by nature. In the nature of: resembling, The flower was something in the nature of a daffodil, In the nature of things : arising from, or according to, the nature of things. In the.nature of things, you could hardly expect a person to feel very friendly towards one who had cheated him, In one's nature: part of one's nature, It is not in my nature to be jealous of other people's good fortune. Of a •· , • nature : having the kind of nature specified ; e.g. of a placid nature, of an inquisitive nature, of a quarrelsome nature.

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NEAR. Near, though strictly an adjective or adverb, often functions as a preposition (e.g. sit near the front, stand near the door), but it can also be followed by to. There is no definite distinction of usage, but the general practice seems to be (i) to prefer n:ar for location (' the person who stood near me', 'The bus stops near the Town Hall'), and near to for approach towards(' As we got near to London the traffic grew denser'); (ii) to prefer near-to where time is concerned ('It's getting near to Easter'), It must be confessed, however, that speakers and writers are by no means consistent in the matter. Rhythm or euphony may sometimes influence the choice. NECESSARY. A thing is necessary to someone or something that cannot do or exist without it ('Food is necessary to life', 'Are all these books really necessary to you?'); it is necessary for a purpose ('Hard work is necessary for success in life'). Necessary for is also used when the sense is 'in the case of', or 'where (whoever or whatever is mentioned) is concerned': e.g. 'Great patience and understanding are necessary for a teacher of infants'. Necessary for is, of course, the normal idiom in the structure noted under FOR, 23 in Part I. It is not necessary for you to go. NECESSITY. When necessity means 'the fact of something's being necessary', it is followed by of(' I regret the necessity of these measures', i.e. that these measures are necessary), When it simply means 'need' it takes for ('Is there any necessity for these measures?' 'There is no necessity for both ofus to go'), Necessity can also be followed by an infinitive (' There is no necessity to hurry'). Under the necessity takes of (' Most people are under the necessity of earning a living'). Of necessity : necessarily. (Rather formal, and not mtlch used.) We must all, of necessity, die sooner or later. NEED (Noun). The two idiomatic constructions with prepositions are need of and needfor. Need of is used only when need corresponds in sense to its verbal counterpart used as a verb of full meaning : i.e. to need something - to have need of something, We have no need of your advice, Let me know if there is anything you have need of, , Our projected tour had to be abandoned through need of money,

372

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

When need means • compelling circumstances•, or corre5POnds in sense to the auxiliary verb need, it takes for. There is no need for alarm. (Cf. • You needn't get al;J(tlled.') Is there any need for all this hurry? (Cf. 'Need tf'ere be all this hurry? ') There is no need for us to go yet. (Cf. 'We needn't io yet.') Sometimes there seems little to choose between need of and need/or: e.g. 'There is a need of more science teachers' '':!'here is a need for more science teachers'. In such cases of b1,dicates the nature of the need,/or what would satisfy the need, In need may be used without any preposition after it:

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

In preparation for: as a preparation for; in order to prepare for. We had better get in a good stock of coal, in preparation for the winter. The servants were cleaning the house, in preparation for the return of the family.

PREPARATORY. Preparatory to ('He bought a house in the country, preparatory to retirement'). 'PREPARE, The usual preposition is for (prepare for an examination, prepare for the holidays, prepare a person for bad news, , prepare the ground for seeds), but against is sometimes used when the meaning is 'prepare, or make preparations, to meet something unpleasant' (prepare against a drought, prepare one against bad news). PRESENCE. In the presence of: (I) When whoever is mentioned is present. The form must be signed in the presence of a witness. That is not the kind of story to be told in the presence of ladies. (2) Since, or as, whoever is mentioned is present. I was to have moved this resolution, but in the presence of Mr Mercer I think I should ask him to do it. (3) Before; face to face with ; in the company of. Entering the room, we found ourselves in the presence of the proprietor of the establishment. Presence of mind. See under MIND. PRESENT (Noun). (r) In the sense of gift. Give someone a present,; give a present to someone ; buy a present for someone ; make one a present of something (e.g. a present of money, of books, of a gold watch), Make one a present of (something) may also be used in contrast with asking for payment, or for the return of something that has been lent. I don't want any money for it (or you needn't trouble to return it), I'll make you a present of it. (2) In the sense of 'the time that now is•. At present : now; at the time of speaking, Mrs Brown is not at home at present. There are at present only two applications for the post.

( ,/ ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

For the present : for the time being. That will be enough for the present ; if I need any more I will let you know.

PRESENT (Verb). Present something to a person; present a person with something. On his retirement the firm presented him with a cheque. The cheque was presented to him by the managing director, PRESERVE. Preserve one from harm, danger, evil, etc. (though 'preserve one in danger' also exists, but with a rather different meaning, viz. when one is in danger). A solution to preserve woodfrom or against dzy rot. Preservative usually takes against. PRESIDE. Both at and over are used. Preside at a meeting merely expresses the idea of place or occasion ; preside over a meeting implies the idea of directing it and of exercising any necessary authority. Thus if there is any reference to the manner of presiding it is usually over that is required ('The chairman presided over the meeting with his usual tact and urbanity'). The. past participle presided, whether used independently or as part of a passive voice, is always followed by A meeting presided over by ••• ' 'The meeting was presided over by . • .).

over ('

PRESS (Noun). Go to press: go to the printer's, to be set up in type. (Of copy for newspapers, books, magazines, etc.) The newspaper goes to press at eleven o'clock each night. In the press : in process of being printed. He has already published three novels, and a fourth is in the press. PRESS (Verb). When press means 'demand or urge strongly', the thing demanded or urged is indicated by for (' If I am not satisfied I shall press for an inquiry into the matter'), Also with an object after the verb (' Several members pressed the Minister for a reply'). When press means 'urge to accept', the person so pressed is indicated by upon : e.g. press a gift, a favour, a drink upon someone. PRESSED. Pressed for time, money, etc. (i.e. short of; having barely sufficient of).

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

PRESSURE. Under pressure. (I) Subjected to pressure. When a motor tyre is fully inflated it is under considerit;tle pressure. In extenuation of the offence, he asserted that for sevc~ months he had been under pressure from his creditors, (2) Because of pressure. It was alleged that he had signed the document un'ltr pressure. Of may be added to indicate the nature or source of J:ne pressure; e.g. under pressure of circumstances, business, etc• PRESUME. When presume merely means 'take for granted' it ts followed by a noun clause(' I presume you will be at the meetin~~) or by an accusative + infinitive construction (' They presumtd him to be dead'); when it means 'act presumptuously', it talIOMS

44I

object (' I do not relish my food as I used to', 'I do not relish the task') ; when it means • have a taste, flavour or suggestion', and therefore corresponds to the first sense of the noun, it is followed by of (a sentiment which relishes of cynicism, a literary style which relishes of the Authorised Version of the Bible). RELY. Rely on. Similarly, place reliance on. REMAIN. Note the expression remain to, expressing a combination of the ideas ofremain and belong to. Five hundred pounds is all that remains to him of the large fortune that he inherited from his father. We must take care to preserve the few liberties that remain to us. REMAND. Remand to prison, but remand in custody. A person who has been remanded is on remand. Place one on remand (not in remand). REMARK. Remark on oruponsomething(' Several people remarked upon the fine quality of the work'), but make or pass a remark about something or someone ('You shouldn't pass remarks about people in their hearing'). With verbs other than make and pass, however, on or upon is used (' I will not repeat his remarks on that subject', 'We should be interested to hear your remarks on the passage we have just read'). REMARKABLE. 'This part of the country is remarkable for its many historic houses.' REMEDY. When remedy is a verbal noun meaning 'remedying' it is followed by an objective of to indicate that which is remedied (the remedy of abuses, the remedy of social evils); when it is a common noun meaning 'something that remedies', for is used to indicate. that which is remedied (a remedy for a cold, a remedy for unemployment). REMEMBER. Remember ••• as. (I) Remember in the capacity or role of. History will remember Sir Winston Churchill as the man who led Britain to victocy in the Second World War. Sir Thomas More is remembered today as the author of Utopia.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

(2) Remember whatever is mentioned as having certain characteristics. I remember the village as a place of narrow streets and oldfashioned houses. Remember ••• for:· remember on account of. (Actually the for adjunct expresses not only the grounds on which someone or something is remembered, but also (and perhaps more strongly), the chief thing that is remembered about them.) We shall always remember him for his generosity to the poor. Remember • , , to: another way of saying 'give one's good wishes or compliments to'. Remember me to your father, My wife wishes to be remembered to you.

REMEMBRANCE. In remembrance of: in' order to remember: as a way of remembering. We observe Christmas in remembrance of the birth of Christ. REMIND. When remind means 'call or bring to mind', it takes of. That man sitting in the corner reminds me of your uncle Joe. That story you have just told reminds me of an experience I once had. When it means 'prompt one's memory', of is also the usual preposition, but about is also used. I may forget to repay the five pounds you lent me unless you remind me of it. (Or about it.) About (not of) is the prepositioh used when the words that follow it denote something concerning which, or in conne~on with which, a reminder is given. Did you remind him about that book he borrowed ? (I.e. that he has not yet returned it.) REMINISCENT. Reminiscent of (a poetic diction reminiscent of that of the nee-classicists). REMISS. Remiss in one's duties, the honouring of one's obligations, etc. REMONSTRATE. Remonstrate against something with which we disagree, or which we wish to alter (e.g. a decision, a course

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

443

of action, etc.), remonstrate with a person in an attempt to get him to change his ways, his ideas, etc. REMORSE. Feel remorse for one's past conduct. In remorse= on account of, or prompted by, remorse. In remorse for the suffering he had brought on innocent people, he vowed to live a life of austerity for the rest of his days. REMOTE. Remotefrom. Remote from towns he ran his godly race, Nor e'er had changed, nor wished to change, his place. -Goldsmith, The Deserted Village REMOVE. Remove a book from a shelf, a stain from a garment, etc. (not off or out of). Remove to a new address. 'Would you kindly remove yourself into the next room?' (Said humorously.) . At one remove : removed by one stage or degree, as in 'the heir at one remove', i.e. the heir of the heir. Similarly, at two removes, at several removes. RENOWNED. Renowned for that which makes one renowned or famous (renowned for courage, for wisdom, etc.). Other prepositions may, of course, be used to denote the field in which one is renowned : e.g. renowned in the highest scientific circles, renowned throughout the world, renowned amongst one's acquaintances. ·

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REPAIR ( =Mend). Under repair: being repaired. Traffic will be diverted while the road is under repair.

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REPAIR (=Go). Repair to (e.g. repair to the next room).

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REPENT. Repent of something one has done: 'There will come a day when you will repent of this'. Repent may also be used transitively (e.g. repent one's folly, repent one's crimes), but repent of is more usual in modern English. Repent with a reflexive object followed by of (' I repent me of my folly') is archaic.

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REPENTANCE. When repentance means 'the act of repenting' it takes of (the repentance of one's crimes); when it means 'a repentant frame of mind, or repentant feelings' it is followed by for: 'He shows no repentance for what he has done'.

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444

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

REPLACE. There are two constructions : (i) one thing or one person replaces another, (ii) we replace one thing with another (where with indicates that which is used as a replacement), .In the passive voice the former uses by ; the latter retains W'lth, Thus 'Mr Brown replaced Mr Smith as secretary' becomes 'Mr Smith was replaced by Mr Brown as secretary'; 'The~ removed all the damaged parts and replaced them with neyr becomes 'All the damaged parts were removed and replaced with new'. Occasionally we may be uncertain which preposition to use; e.g. 'The old hand-blown organ that used to be there bas been replaced (with or by?) a modern electric organ'. In s~cb cases we can usually decide by asking ourselves what the actl~e form would be. Here it would probably be 'A modern electrlC organ replaces (or has replaced) the old hand-blown one'; hence by is.needed in the passive. REPLENISH. Followed by with (replenish a pond with fish,· replenish a tank with water). REPLETE. Replete with food; a mind replete with curious' in" formation. Full to repletion. REPLETION. See REPLETE. REPLY. Reply to a correspondent, to a letter, to a question, etC, In reply (to): by way of reply (to). The question was repeated, but he said nothing in reply, In reply to your letter of October 25th, I have to state , • • REPORT. As a verb report may be used transitively (report ,9 _speech, report an accident or a burglary to the police), intraDW tively followed by a prepositional adjunct stating place, tiille, purpose, etc. (report to this office, report to the headmaster, report at 10.30, report for duty), or intransitively followed bY' on, indicating the matter or the person concerning which or wb0111 the report is to be made. The government is setting up a commission to report oil the coal industry, f At the end of every term a schoolmaster reports on each 0 his pupils. As a noun report may be followed by of (the report of a spee~ a lecture, etc. ; an unconfirmed report of an earthq~e 1al Ruritania), or by on (a report on the working of the Nation t Health. Service, a report on Smith Minor). Whereas a ,;efJo'I

- " ~ fruitfulness'-Keats, Ode to Autumn). A season for meanGror season appropriate to, or set aside for' ('There is a season J.' P. work, and a season for relaxation', 'The New Year is a se$so for making good resolutions'). ~ In season. (I) At the appropriate time, as 'a word in seasol'.J ' i.e. a piece of advice or admonition given at the right time. (2) Appropriate to the time of the year: 'Grouse is not in seaS~ ' at this time of the year'. (Used mainly of certain dishes or IdOV5 of food which, for one reason or another, are served only duri!lg: a particular part of the year.) Out of season. The opposite of in season : hence the expressi01> in season and out of season (or in season and out)=at appropri::ite and inappropriate times. He would discourse on his favourite topic in season and out of season. SEASON (Verb). Season a dish with herbs, spices, etc. Seasoll oneself to hard work, climatic conditions, etc. Sirnilar11• seasoned with and seasoned to respectively. SECEDE. Secedefrom. Secession/ram. SECESSION. See SECEDE. SECLUDE. Seclude oneself from society. A place secluded/rant public view. SECRET. In secret: secretly: e.g. to hold a meeting in secret, conduct negotiations in secret, etc. Keep something secret from one's friends, the neighbours, etc.

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I ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

SECURE (Adjective). Secure from attack, from one's enemies, from fear, from the cold, etc. But usually make secure against : e.g. make a house secure against burglars, against fire, against the weather. Make secure to when the idea is that of fastening one thing securely to another : e.g. make a row of bookshelves secure to the wall. (See also SAFE.) SECURE (Verb). When secure means 'make safe', the same prepositions are used as for the adjective (for which see the previous entry), though perhaps from, instead of against, is found more frequently with the verb than with the adjective. It became a standing joke with Mr Higgins to ask Mr Dudgeon ••• if he had made any more inventions lately for securing houses from robbers. -Mrs Gaskell, The Squire's Story Against, however, would be equally correct here. When secure means 'get', or 'obtain' (e.g. secill'e a bargain, secure a ticket for a concert), it takes various prepositions (from, by,for) according to the sense. When it combines the two senses of obtaining and making safe, it is followed by to, to indicate the person or party who benefits. The Dissenters' Chapels Act of r844 secured to the various dissenting bodies the right to retain possession of their chapels if their doctrines had been preached there for the past twenty-five years. SECURITY. As security ; as a pledge against possible financial loss : e.g. to deposit the deeds of a house with a bank as security for a loan. For security: in order to ensure security. For security, the door was chained as well as locked. In security: securely; in a secure state (e.g. to dwell in security), Security from or against a possible danger: e.g. security from molestation, security from theft, security against fire. SEE. See about: attend to; take steps to do or to bring about something. (Not used often in the passive.) I must see about getting that television set repaired. Often followed simply by a noun, the verbal notion being understood from the situation or the circumstances. , Have you seen about the railway tickets ? (I.e. have you bought them ?)

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

See i"nto. The same meaning as look into, i.e. in\>e~t·gate • • • 1 ' mqwremto. See over. The same as look over, i.e. inspect (see over a. house, a factory, etc.) . See through. (r) Detect the trickery, deception, cittJ.:>licity, etc., in a scheme, a proposal or a story. Anyone but a fool could see through that story. ( 2) Detect the real character or motives of a person as distinct from those which he professes or displays to the world. For all his pious pretentions, it did not take us 1011g to see through him. See to. (r) Attend to. There is something wrong with this washing-machlne • I must get someone to see to it. (Or' I must get it seen t~, ) I'm busy at the moment ; I'll get one of the assista.nts t~ see to you. (2) Attend to something in order to make sure that it is done or comes to pass. . You won't be disturbed by their rowdiness again; l:'11' see to that. Note also the expression see to it that, follo_wed by a clause, The meaning is similar to that given above. · See to it that you are not late again. I'll see to it that there is no repetition of this delay, SEEK. Seek is generally used transitively (seek one's fortune seek an opportunity, seek promotion), but seek_for is also used'. It suggests rather more earnestness and persistence, and lays more stress on the purpose, than does the plain verb seek (e.g. 'He went from village to village, seeking for work'). Contrast 'I will seek an opportunity of meeting you', and 'He was always seeking for an opportunity to advance his own interests'. Seek after is now archaic, except in the expression much sought after : 'Early editions of Shakespeare's plays are much sought after by collectors', SEIZE. In its literal sense seize is normally transitive, but when the reference is to mental alertness or agility and the meaning is that of pounce, it is followed by on or upon (' He was quick to seize upon a point', 'He would seize upon any excuse to justify himself'). Note also the expression sefae hold of: 'He seized hold of the first weapon that came to hand'.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

Seized of is a legal term, meaning 'possessed of'. , , seized in his own right, from many generations, of one, and that the best and largest, of the three farms into which our parish is divided.-R. D. Blackmore, Lorna Doone, chap. i. ,

-SELF. For the pronouns in -self and -seZ.Ves, see under ONESELF. SEND. Send for. (1) Send in order to obtain (send for some bread, send for a prospectus). (2) Send in order to fetch; summon (send for a doctor, send for the police, send for an ambulance). Send to Coventry : ostracise; refuse to associate with or to speak to a person, as a form of punishment for something by which he has incurred the displeasure of his fellows. (Originally a schoolboy punishment, but now sometimes practised by workmen against a fellow workman. The allusion to Coventry has never been satisfactorily explained.) SENIOR. One person is senior to another (e.g. senior to me by about two years). SENSE. In one's senses: sane, (Sometimes in one's right senses.) The opposite idea is expressed by out of one's senses. No one in his (right) senses would believe such a fantastic story as that. He must be out of his senses to act in that way, SENSIBLE. Sensible about something (i.e. adopting or showing a sensible attitude). Sensible of one's kindness, of the gravity of a situation, etc. (i.e. aware of). This latter use is not very frequent in present-day English. SENSITIVE. Sensitive to light, sound, criticism, etc. SENTENCE. Sentence one to imprisonment, death, transportation. A sentence of five years' imprisonment. Under sentence : having been sentenced, as under sentence of death. SENTIMENT. Have friendly/kindly/hostile sentiments towards one, Have sentiment (i.e. sentimental feeling) for something. (Used mainly in negative sentences.) Young people today have no sentiment for things of the past.

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

Have sentiment (or no sentiment) about something one does ot something that happens. You must punish him even though he is your friend ; you must have no sentiment about it. SEPARATE. Both verb and adjective are followed by from: separate one thing from another ; keep one thing separate fr()l11 another. Separate things into groups, classes, etc. SEQUEL. Usually followed by to (the sequel to an occurrence,: novel, a play, etc.); but when sequel means' consequence, !f5 or outcome', of is more often used: 'The sequel of thiS advised action is not difficult to foresee'.

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SERVE. Serve a meal, food, drink, etc., to on~; serve one f()1t'hll11 meal, food, drink, etc. Similarly, a shop assistant serves customer with goods or commodities. 11 Serve a person with a summons; serve a summons on person. 'th A sailor serves in a particular vessel (not on), and a soldi~r fll~e a particular regiment: e.g. 'During the war he served with Welch Fusiliers'. Serve on a committee or similar body. Serve as : serve in the capacity of. e He could have had a commission, but he preferred to s~ as a private. Serve for : do duty as ; take the place of. able)• An upturned box served for a table (or served them for at But as is also used in this sense. . tbe Serve in a shop, in a bar (when bar means the room), in baf kitchen; but serve at table, at a counter, at a bar (whell means the counter in the bar-room).

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SERVICE. Service (i.e. serving by working for) with a company; but services to a company, organisation, or indi~. (i.e. efforts or work on behalf of). rt'! He was presented with a cheque in recognition of fo years' service with the company. ucll I can assure you that your services to the firm are ll1 appreciated. ,9 Service (in the sense of 'serving') of the communitY, otle country; one's fellows, food in a restaurant, etc. His whole life was devoted to the service of others. ·etJ.iC In some restaurants the service of the food is not as hygt as it might be.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

471

. A service (i.e. a religious service) of thanksgiving, of intercession, etc. At one's service: available for one's service or use. I am at your service whenever you should need my advice, Bence to place something at one's service. In service, (1) being used. (Of public service vehicles.) There arc buses over twenty years old which are still in service. 2 ( ) Working as a domestic servant. B~r eldest daughter was in service, and the other two worked in a shop. Bence go out to service, send a girl out to service. service: serviceable; useful; helpful. To is added to cate the person to whom the service is rendered. i~hall only be too pleased to help, if I can be of service to you. is professional knowledge bas been of great service to us. l.ls~a~t service: no longer able to serve or be useful. (Not often in present-day English.) Sir Roger de Coverley still provided board and lodging for several of his former domestics, though they had long been past service.

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Sl!l', Set about. · (I) Start the performance of some act!Vlty. . ' They set about the task rather unwillingly. As ~oon as she arrived she set about tidying up the room. Assail, either physically or with words. (Colloquial.) ~he ?ttle fellow rolled up his sleeves and set about the bully. ' ethlistened attentively to what his critics had to say, and S en he set about them. et against. (I) Strongly opposed to, (Adjective.) l! She seems to be set against having electric light in the house, e~P;een stronger is dead set against. The opposite itlea is ( 2) S ssed ~y set on, for which see below. ;t beside and compared with, or balanced against. (Verb.) (3) Se he a~vantages must be set against the disadvantages. t beside and subtracted from. (Verb.) , In calculating the liability to tax, legitimate expenses ins curred Will be set against the amount received. rela~~;t ~ase: ~ake (someone) easy in his mind, or in social to set iJhip and mtercourse : 'A considerate host should seek 8 guests at ease'. (See also under EASE.) ( ) 2

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

Set at naught: place no value upon; pay no regard to. All the counsel of those wiser and more experienced that1 himself, he set at naught. (Rather formal.) · Set by the ears: set at variance; cause dissensions or disagree• ment amongst. The mere mention of the subject set the whole company bY the ears. Set for. (r) Ready to start on or for. (Adjective.) We are now set for the journey/for the seaside. Also all set (for). r (2) In a state or situation which indicates or promises whateV'e is stated. (Adjective.) At last we seem set for a period of-prosperity. · (3) Set a piece of mechanism so that it operates at the time stated: e.g. set the alarm for half-past six. · ·s Set on. (r) Attack physically. (An unexpected attack 1 usually implied.) As he turned the corner a gang of ruffians set on him, Also set upon. (2) Determined; very desirous of. (Adjective.) Young Jack is set on having a motor bike. . Once he's set on an idea, there's no talking him out ~f.1\ Set on fire: ignite. Used both transitively and intrans10V'e Y (set something on fire; something easily sets on fire).

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111 A chance action may sometimes set on foot a whole tt11 of events. Set to work; start working•. They set to work as soon as they arrived. e• Set to work on a task, project, etc. ; set to work to do soIXl thing (' He set to work to dig the garden'). - tar' But set someone to work means 'give him work to do', or ' 8 him working'. It is followed by on or at. 01115 They set him to work on a project for insulating ro against loss of heat. .. I set him to work at mowing the lawn. An infinitive is also possible, but is less frequent. Of+ the und states the nature of the activity, the infinitive the en which it is directed. Set upon. See set on. Set one's cap at. See under CAP.·

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

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et eyes on: see: 'I had never set eyes on the person before•, de .e! one's eyes on: see, (Generally used in connexion with ev!inng. or coveting something one sees.) 'That child wants rYthlng he sets his eyes on.' Set one's face against: oppose strongly. I l!ave always set my face against any proposal that would unpose a greater burden of taxation on the country, Set one's heart on: wish very much for. She had set her heart on having a pearl necklace for her birthday. Set one's mind on: determine to have or do something. I suppose I shall have to buy my wife that fur coat, since she's set her mind on it. · If he once sets his mind on doing something, it takes a lot to dissuade him. Set one's mind to: give or apply one's mind to (a task). S You Won't find the work difficult, if only you set your mind to it. Val et much by : esteem highly ; regard as being of much worth or ue, (Found mainly in negative sentences.) I don't set much by the opinion of people like him. Set store by : attach importance to, III e is not the kind of person who sets store by social position, don't set much store by what the neighbours think.

SETTLE caus : Settle a bill, a debt, or a quarrel. Settle a person= (' If hill; to submit or to cease from annoyance, argument, etc.

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you any further trouble, let me know; I'll settle take e was very truculent at first, but when I threatened to com e matter to law, that settled him'). Settle with a person= S Pose one's differences with him. decie~e to (or down to) one's work. Settle on (i.e. come to a a di 810,n regarding) a plan, a spot for a picnic. Settle an area or · fro~~ct with people 'King James I settled Ulster with families In cotland '). Settle money or property on or upon someone. of , the last few years settle for has come into use, in the sense ain/gree to have, take, or accept one particular thing from ngst others', After a good deal of discussion and argument about what they should have for breakfast, they settled for bacon and eggs, 'I'he men's representatives asked for an increase of a pound ~Week; the employers offered fifty pence. In the end ey settled for seventy-five pence.

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

SEVEN. At sixes and sevens. See SIX. SEVER. Sever one thing from another. SEVERE. Severe with a person=severe in one's treatment of (' He was very severe with his children'). Severe on a person=severe in one's judgement of, or in reprimanding or imposing a penalty on. (' I think you are too severe on the boy',' Many people felt that the judge had been rather severe on the prisoner, considering the circumstances of the case.') Severe in one's judgements, expression of opinion, treatment of others, etc. SHAMBLE. Shamble across the room, up or down the road, in one's gait. SHAME. Shame a person into doing something ; i.e. cause hiro to do it by making him feel ashamed. Bring shame on oneself, one's family, etc. Hence the reproachful exclamation Shame on you/ (='That brings shame on you•, or 'You ought to be ashamed of yourself') and the expression to cry shame on someone (=to reproach him with the shamefulness of his conduct). For shame. (r) On account of shame. If I had done such a thing as that I should not be able to look people in the face for shame. (2) An exclamation meaning, 'That is shameful', In shame: because of shame; prompted by shame. He hung his head in shame. To shame. Found chiefly in the expression put to shame, meaning: (r) Cause to feel ashamed: 'The generosity towards him of one whom he had treated so badly put him to shame'. (2) Show up as very much inferior. This picture is far and away the best of the whole group ; it puts all the others to shame. With shame : on account of a feeling of shame : 'She blushed with shame•. SHAPE. Get or put something i'nto shape. Also (colloquial) lick into shape. ('He's rather inexperienced at the moment, but we'll soon lick him into shape.')

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In shape; (x) In respect of shape•. A quince is something like a pear in shape. (2) Shaped properly: shaped as it should be. That hat of yours doesn't seem to be in shape. (3) In good health, or (in connexion with a physical activity) well practised or well trained. He is the best player we have when he is really in shape. Also in good shape. In the shape of. (x) Having the shape of: e.g. an object in the shape of a cigar. (2) In the form of, They presented him with a token of their esteem in the shape of a cheque for fifty pounds. Note: in the shape of is sometimes used as a piece of jargon for kind of or sort of (e.g. 'What have you in the shape of biscuits ? ', i.e. 'What kind of biscuits have you?'). This should be avoided. Out of shape: not having the right shape: e.g. 'The front wheel of the bicycle was out of shape, and several spokes were broken'.

SHARE. Share in something ; share something with others. If I win a prize, I'll share it with you. You shall share in the winnings. ( Share means ' divide' ; share in means 'participate in', 01 'have a share of',) Share something between two people, but among more than two. A share in and a share of. The difference is as follows : a share of means 'a part of', whereas a share in suggests participation. Thus while we can say either, 'You shall have a share in the winnings' or, 'You shall have a share of the winnings', and feel that they amount to more or less the same thing, we can say only, 'I an1 sure he had a share in the crime'. SHEATHE. Usually sheathe with (the example given by Wyld's Universal English Dictionary is 'sheathe a ship's bottom .with copper'); but when the sense is 'enclose~ or 'envelop', in is more often used (e.g. a metal rod sheathed in rubber or some other insulating material). SHELF. On the shelf: set aside as of no further use. The chief combinations are be on the shelf, put on the shelf, lay on the shelf

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

and leave on the shelf. In colloquial English ui:ed of a spim:ter who has no longer much prospect of marriage. If she doesn't marry very soon, she'll find herself left on the shelf. SHELTER. Shelter from the rain, the wind, the storm, etc. Also transitively : I will build a house with deep thatch, To shelter me from the cold. -Hilaire Belloc, The South Country For the place where one shelters, various prepositions are used : e.g. shelter £n the entrance to a shop, under a tree, behina a wall. Note also the phrase to get under shelter (' As the storm burst, the crowds rushed to get under shelter'). Under (the) shelter of= being sheltered by: e.g. to do something under shelter of one's position; make allegations under shelter of a pseudonym. The definite article is generally omitted only when shelter is used figuratively; when it is used literally it is customary to insert the article (e.g. to address the crowd under the shelter of an umbrella). SHIFT. Shift for oneself: manage without the assistance of others, In his hour of need his former friends deserted him and left him to shift for himself. I am tired of helping him ; in future he can shift for himself. Make shift with that which we use in default of what we really need ; make shift on resources that are really insufficient (make shift on five pounds a week). · A body of workmen works in shifts (i.e. a certain number work for one part of the day, and others for another part), but the individual workman works on shifts (sometimes he works for one period of the day, sometimes for another). Hence. to be C/11 shift-work (or on shifts). SHOE. Be in someone's shoes: be in his position or predicament. (The reference is always to an unpleasant or unfortunate position.) I wouldn't be in your shoes for all the wealth in the world. Step into someone's shoes: succeed to the place or position which he formerly held. Hence step into dead men's shoes= succeed to the position formerly held by someone who has died. I don't call that delicate, stepping into u dead man's shoes in such haste, ' -Stanley Houghton, The Dear Depa_rteil

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

477

(Here a pun is involved, since the person to whom the remark is directed has actually put on a pair of slippers belonging to his father-in-law, who is thought to be dead.) SHORE. Off shore: on or in the sea, but only a little distance from the shore. On shore: on the land, as contrasted with 'on the water'. SHORT. Short (=having insufficient) of money, time, breath, etc. Short of (i.e. in respect of) stature, but in the arm, leg, sleeves. Short of may also mean:(I) Less than. The collection amounted to a few pence short of ten pounds. Hence/all short of=not come up to (e.g. fall short of what was expected, fall short of one's previous achievement). (2) Without going as far as or to the extent of. He will do anything short of murder to achieve his ends. This is the only thing to do, short of scrapping the whole project. At short notice: short notice having been given (e.g. to take on a task at short notice). For short: for the sake of shortness; as a shoi:tened form. His real name was Thomas, but he was called Tom for short. Give short shrift to: kill summarily. · The invading army gave short shrift to anyone who fell into its hands. . The literal meaning of shrift is 'confession and absolution' (often before death). · In short: in a shortened form; expressed more briefly. 'My address,' said Mr Micawber, 'is Windsor Terrace, City Road. I - in short,' said Mr Micawber, with the same genteel air, and in another burst of confidence - 'I live there.'-Dickens, David Copperfield, chap. xi. In short supply~ A piece of modern jargon for scarce: 'Apples are likely to be in short supply this winter'. Make short work of: dispatch very quickly. The children made short work of the trifles and jellies. SHOT. A shot in the arm: something that stimulates or gives fresh energy. (Metaphorical.) A reduction in taxation would be a ~hot in the arm for industry.·

478

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

(The reference is not to a shot from a gun, but to one from ii hypodermic syringe, injected into a person's arm as a stim.u}a11t to his energies.) A shot in the dark : a guess made at random. (Metaphorical.) The suggestion was just a shot in the dark, but it turned out to be correct. · A shot in the locker : money or some other resource held ill reserve (' He hadn't a shot in his locker'). A metaphor from riawl warfare of old times. Like a shot : very quickly ; without delay : 'He was off file a shot', 'He came out like a shot with the answer'. SHOULDER. A chip on the shoulder: a standing grudge or grievance. (The possessive adjectives his, her, their, etc., may also be used instead of the.) The trouble with George is that he has a chip on his shoulder. Put one's shoulder to the wheel: exert onseelf. If we are to overcome our difficulties everyone must put his shoulder to the wheel. Rub shoulders with: associate with, though not necessarily very intimately. During a long lifetime I have rubbed shoulders with all sortS and conditions of people. Shoulder to shoulder: side by side, with the shoulder of one almost touching the shoulder of another. Found chiefly in the expression stand shoulder to shoulder.

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SHOW. All over the show: colloquial or slang for 'all over the place', i.e. 'everywhere', or 'widely scattered'. That firm has shops all over the show. The contents of the drawer had been scattered all over the show. For show : for the sake of show. The ornaments serve no useful purpose ; they are only put there for show. ·(Often, though not always, used disparagingly.) In show: by way of show; only as a show or exhibition, and not in reality, By an unfortunate accident the actor was stabbed in reality, and not merely in show. On show : being shown or exhibited. Some of her paintings are on sh~w in the local art gallery.

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Also put on show: 'We haven't room to put all our goods on show'. SHRINK. Shrink (i.e. recoil) from a sight, from a thought or idea,from doing something; but a garment shrinks with washing, or in the wash. SHROUD. Followed by in: 'The hills were shrouded in mist', 'He loves to shroud things in mystery'. SHY. (r) Adjective. Usually shy of (' Small children are often shy of anyone they do not know', 'I should be shy of undertaking the task until I knew exactly what it involved'), but shy with (=in the presence of) is also found : e.g. ' She is shy with strangers'. Fight shy of: be reluctant to do or undertake whatever is mentioned. (2) Verb. Shy from or away from a task, a proposal, etc. (i.e. recoil from). He shied from the idea of venturing on s~ch a hazardous undertaking. But a horse shies at something that frightens it. (The colloquial verb to shy in the sense of 'to throw' has no connexion with the verb treated above.) SICK. Sick (i.e. nauseated) at a sight. Sick (i.e. vomiting) from or with overeating. Sick (i.e. experiencing nostalgia, or an overpowering desire) for home, a change of scene, etc. Sick (i.e. tired) of rice pudding, listening to one's complaints, etc. Also heartily sick of, sick and tired of, and sick to death of. Sick in the sense of ill, followed by of (e.g. sic!~ of the palsy) is now archaic, except in a few phrases like sick of a fever. Sick at heart : very sad. Sick in mind and body : mentally and physically sick. SIDE. Side with someone (i.e. declare oneself on his side) or, less frequently, against someone. Take sides (note the plural) in a cruarrel or dispute, but on an issue. Take sides with or against someone. At the side of. (r) Situated, placed, lying, etc., beside. There was a garage/path/garden at the side of the house. (2) Compared with. (Colloquial.) She is quite clever at the side of the the other girls. My suit looks quite shabby at the side of yours.

ENGLISII PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

By the side of. Often more or less the same as the first meanmg given above for at the side of, though strictly there is a difference. In at the side of, side denotes the position in relation to the noun which follows of, whereas in by the side of it denotes the actual side or facet. Thus a path at the side of the house denotes the position of the path in relation to the house (not in front, or behind, but at the side). A path by the side of the house means 'near to the side wall of the house'. Similarly, 'The child stood at the side of his mother' (relative position, as contrasted with before or behind);but 'The child stood by the side of his mother' (by, or near to, his mother's side). On the side. In addition to the obvious meaning, the colloquial use in the sense of 'secretly' should be noticed: e.g. to do something on the side ; money made on the side. In addition to my wages I manage to make about two pounds a week on the side. (For on the large side, on the dear side, etc., see LARGE.) On the side of (or on someone's side). (1) Giving support to in a conflict or dispute: 'Whose side are you on?', 'Italy entered the war on the side of Germany'. (2) In the direction of: e.g. to err on the side ofleniency. In this sense of the phrase a genitive is not normally used, though one may occur in poetry: e.g. ' E'en his failings leaned to virtue's side'.-Oliver Goldsmith, The Deserted Village. On the side of the angels : supporting what is good or righteous. (A misunderstanding of the words of Benjamin Disraeli : 'Is man an ape or an angel? Now I am on the side of the angels'. Presumably Disraeli meant that he would prefer to think of man as an angel rather than as an ape.) • Put on one side : set apart or aside, usually for some future purpose. I'll sort through these magazines, and put on one side those that I wish to keep. Anything I have left over from my week's wages I usually put on one side, for emergencies. Put to one side: set aside as unwanted, at least for the time being. . After tasting the soup she put it to one side. The speaker put the question to one side, apparently not wishing to answer it. · If you don't care for the olives, put them to one side. To one side may also mean 'in the direction of one side': e.g. 'The shed was leaning to one side',

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SIEGE. Lay sfege to a town. SIGHT. Have, catch, gain, get, lose sight of something or someone. At sight: immediately on seeing, allowing no delay, as •shoot someone at sight'. At first sight: when first seen. I recognised him at first sight. At first sight the house appeaed to be empty. By sight, Used chiefly in the expression to know one by sight, i.e. by frequently seeing him, but not as a friend or acquaintance. Often contrasted with to speak to (' I know him by sight, but not to speak to'). In sight. (1) Able to be seen: 'Land is in sight', 'There was not a house in sight'. (2) In a position where one, or something, is able to be seen: e.g. to keep in sight ; to keep one in sight, In sight of may mean eitl1er 'able to see' or 'able to be seen·by' that or those denoted by the word after of. Thus in sight of land obviously means 'able to see land', in sight of the enemy may mean either that we can see the enemy, or that the enemy can see us, according to circumstances and context. In the sight of: as seen by. All men are equal in the sight of God. On sight: immediately on seeing. (The same as at sight.) Out of sight: unable to be seen. (The opposite of in sight.) Within sight : within the range of one's sight, or within the distance that one can see: e.g. keep within sight. Also metaphorically: 'We are within sight of our goal'. SILENCE, In silence : silently (pray in silence), or silent (stand in silence). SIMILAR. One thing is similar to another. SIMULTANEOUS. with.

Simultaneous with.

Also simultaneously

SIN. Sin (or a sin) against God, society, good taste, etc. In sin. Found mainly in the expressions born in sin (which reflects the idea that' man is inherently sinful), and live in sin, i.e. live together as man and wife without having married. Like sin : very strongly; intensely, Found chiefly in the colloquial expression 'hate a person like sin'.

482

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

SINCERE. Sincere in one's professions, beliefs, etc. SI·T. Various prepositions may be used, according to the idea to be expressed (at, by, in, near, on, under arc only a few), but the following special cases should be noted. Sit for. Sit for an examination (i.e. take an examination); sit for a portrait (i.e. sit in order to have one's portrait painted). Sit on. (1) Be a member of a committee or a similar body (sit on a committee). (2) Repress. (Colloquial.) That young fellow has far too much to say; it's about time someone sat on him. Also sz't on a proposal, a suggestz'on, etc. Sit 011 the fence : refuse to commit oneself to a course of action or an opinion one way or the other. Sit under: be the pupil of. Sometimes also a person who attends a particular church regularly is said to sit under the minister.

SIX. At sixes· and sevens : in a state of confusion. Originally at · six and seven. All is uneven, And everything is left at six and seven. -Shakespeare, King Richard II, Act II, sc. 2. Hit someone for six: hit someone vigorously and send him reeling. (The figure is taken from the game of cricket.) The expression is slang or colloquial. SIZE. In size: in respect of size, as' not much to choose between them in size'. Of a size : of the same size : 'The two were very much of a size', SKATE. Skate on thin ice: do something rather foolish that may have dangerous consequences. SKIN. By the skin of one's teeth: narrowly; by a very narrow margin. It was only by the skin of his teeth that he escaped punishment. Soaked to the skin: wet through, The rain came down in torrents, and in only a few minutes we were soaked to the skin. Also used actively: 'The rain soaked us to the skin'.

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SLATE; Have something on the slate: have it on credit. (Colloquial.) The idea is that of recording the transaction on a slate, for future payment. C Are you paying now?' th~ landlord asked, C or are you having it on the slate?' SLEEP. Be asleep, but go to)leep (not go asleep). Walk or talk in one's sleep (i.e. while one is asleep). Sleep on something: leave it for the time being, and give it further consideration later. That's as far as we can get towards a solution now. The best thing is to sleep on it for a while, and then some new ideas may occur to us. SLOW. Slow of mind, understanding, etc. Slow in one's move- · ments. Slow at doing something (e.g. slow at paying, slow at learning a language). Also with an infinitive: slow to grasp a point.

SLUR. A slur on a person or his character, but a slur in one's speech, SLY. On the sly : stealthily; surreptitiously. When she thought no one was looking she opened the cupboard and took a few sweets on the sly. SMELL. Smell of (give out an odour of, as smell of petrol) ; smell at (sniff at), Sometimes he would cry aloud, when he was at his club at night, 'Oh I Keep the rats out of the convicts' buryingground I Don't let them do that I' Or, 'There's two of them smelling at the baby in the garret'. -Dickens, The Uncommercial Traveller SMOTHER. When smother means 'cover thickly' it is usually followed by in, but with is also sometimes used. Be careful, or you'll smother your clothes in grease. The fields were smothered in daisies. I don't lilce my food smothered with sauce. _When the meaning is 'stifle', with (indicating the instrument) is the normal preposition. They tried to smother the flames with a damp blanket. ·

484

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

SNEER. Sneer at someone or something. SNEEZE. Not to be sneezed at: not to be despised. (Colloquia},) So generous an offer is not to be sneezed at. This is a set phrase, which cannot be varied. We cannot say for instance, 'You shouldn't sneeze at such a generous offer>' or 'He sneezed at the offer'. ' SNIFF. Sniff may be used transitively (sniff the air), or it may be followed by at (sniff at a bottle, sniff at a flower, a dog sniffing at the door). SOAK. Followed by in when the idea is that of immersion (soak clothes or vegetables in water), and usually also when soak means 'saturate' (soak a rag in petrol), but with is also used, and is the more idiomatic of the two when the soaking could not have been done by immersion (' Before planting the bushes, soak the ground with water'). The same applies to the past participle soaked when used predicatively : e.g. a rag soaked in/with petrol • ground soaked with water. By is, of course, used after a passiy; voice to denote the agent : 'Our garments were soaked by the rain'. SOLACE (Noun). 'His children were the solace of his old age• (i.e. that which solaced). ' Sleep is a great solace for troubled minds' (i.e. that which will solace : cf. a cure for a cold). 'A person's religion should be a solace to him in times of trouble and aflliction' (i.e. that from which he derives solace : cf, a comfort to one). SOLUBLE. Soluble in water, etc. SOLUTION (the noun from solve). When solution means 'the act or process of solving', it takes of ('This piece of evidence may help us in the solution of the problem'). When it means' an answer or explanation arrived at as a result of solving', of is also the preposition used ('We are no nearer a solution of the problem than we were when we started'). When the sense is that of a solution attaching, belonging or applying to, of may again be used, but to is just as frequent: e.g. 'The solution of/to the problem on page xo will be published next week'. 'There seems to be no solution to the problem'. (Not of.) SORE (i.e. annoyed). Sore about something.

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SORROW. In sorrow. (I) Experiencing sorrow, aa 'to comfort those in sorrow'. (2) Prompted by sorrow: 'He spoke more in sorrow than in anger'. With sorrow : sorrowfully; accompanied by sorrow. It is with sorrow that I have to break to you the news of your mother's death. Express sorrow jor something one has done : express one's sorrow at something that has occurred. No one took very seriously his expression of sorrow for his misdeeds. I am writing to express my sorrow at the death of your father. SORRY. Sorry for a person; sorry (i.e. regretful or repentant) for something one has done; sorryaboutsomethingthathas happened, I feel sorry .for that poor woman ; she has had more than her fair share of troubles. There will cornea day when you will be sorry foryour conduct. I am sorry about your misfortune. Sorry about may also be followed by a noun denoting a person, but the reference is always to something concerning the person, not to the person himself: e.g. ' I am sorry about your wife', i.e. that she is ill, that she has had an accident, etc. Feel sorry for oneself: indulge in self-pity. She would be much better in health if she did not feel so sorry for herself.

SORT (Noun). Sort of. In the strict sense a sort of means a particular kind of(' A pippin is a sort of apple'), but it is often used colloquially in the sense of 'something resembling' (' A sort of coughing noise could be heard in the next room'). From this develops the quasi-adverbial use in such sentences as, 'He sort of coughed'. OJ a sort. Used in a depreciatory sense: 'He runs a car of a sort', i.e. it is not a very good one. Of the sort. Added to something, anything and nothing, and meaning 'of that kind'. He is a solicitor, or something of the sort. After anything and nothing it usually loses its strict meaning and becomes merely an emphatic way of referring back specifically to something that has been mentioned before, You said you would lend me five pounds. - I said nothing of the sort. (Or 'I didn't say anything of the sort'.)

486

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

Out of sorts: not very well (in health), (Colloquial.) I am feeling out of sorts today,

SORT (Verb=be in accord with), Sort with: 'Such conduct hardly sorts with his position as a clergyman'. (Rather formal.) SOUP. In the soup: in trouble; in a difficult position. (Slang). If you go on living at this extravagant rate you'll spend every penny you've got, and then you'll be in the soup. SOW (Verb). Sow a field with corn. SPARKLE. 'The hilt of King Arthur's sword Excalibur sparkled with jewels'. 'Her eyes sparkled with pleasure.' SPEAK. (1) Speak of and spcali about. The two are often inter• changeable, but there is a tendency to use spcal~ of when the meaning is 'mention' (' He very rarely spoke of his war experi· ences', 'He speaks of retiring at the end of the year') or 'refer to~ ('Were you speaking of me when you made that remark?'), and speak about when a rather more detailed or lengthy treatment of a subject is implied ('We couldn't get him to speak about his war experiences'). Note the use of to speak of in the sense of 'worth mentioning' (usually in negative senses). We have had no sunshine to speak of for the whole of this week. His injuries were nothing to speak of. Speak well of one: give a good report of one. Everyone that knows him speaks well of him. (2) Speak to and speak with. Normally, speak to a person; but speak with may be used when a conversation or an exchange of remarks or views is implied (e.g. 'May I speak with you for a moment?'). But when the idea is that of 'address', only to can be used : ' I have often passed him in the street, but I have never spoken to him'. (3) Speak for. (1) Speak on behalf of, or as representing. In making this statement I speak for all the Old Age Pensioners of this parish. (ii) Speak on behalf or in support of: e.g. to speak for a candidate at an election, to speak for an applicant for a post, to speak for a motion.

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

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Speak for oneself. (i) Speak on behalf of oneself, as opposed to speaking for others. What others think I do not know: I can only speak for myself. (ii) Speak on behalf of oneself, as opposed to needing others to speak for one. Generally found only in the expression {something) speaks for itself, i.e. is its own recommendation. The fact that he was chosen from almost a hundred candidates, all of them well qualified, speaks for itself. (4) Speak on. Speak on a given topic. At our next meeting Dr. J.B. Whiteley will speak on 'The Effects of Alcohol on the Heart'. I have spoken on that subject a number oftimes. (S) On speaking terms. 'Are you on speaking terms with him?' may, and usually does, mean, 'Do you know him well enough to speak to him?', but to say that two people are not on speaking terms usually implies that they are not speaking to each other because they have had a quarrel.

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SPEC. (Abbreviation of speculation). On spec : on the off-chance of a successful outcome. (Colloquial.) We did not know whether you would be at home or not; we just called on spec. SPECIAL. Special to. 'For supper we had a dish we were told was something special to that part of the country.' SPECIALISE. Specialise in a particular kind of goods, products, etc. : e.g. a firm that specialises in high-grade steel, a shop that specialises in tea and coffee. But specialise on something, when the sense is 'devote oneself specially to, acquire a special knowledge of, or make a special study of'. Nowadays scholars tend to specialise on one particular branch of a subject. SPECULATE. Speculate on: e.g. to speculate on one's chances of · success, speculate on the outcome of the negotiations. But speculate in stocks and shares. SPECULATION. Speculation on or about (much speculation on/ about the Government's intentions). Speculation in property, mining shares, etc.

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488

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

SPEED. At speed: at a high speed; e.g. to travel at speed. SPEND. Spend money, time, energy, etc., on something or on a person. In certain cases in can also be used : e.g. 'He spends a lot of money on entertaining friends' or' He spends a lot of money in entertaining friends'. On suggests the object for the attainment of which the money is spent ; in suggests that in the course of which the money is spent. Generally speaking, in can be used only (a) before a gerund, (b) before a noun which expresses a verbal notion: e.g. 'All his spare money was spent on books, on his garden, on drink', etc., but 'All his spare time was spentin studying Greek, in cultivating his garden' or 'in the study of Greek, in the cultivation of his garden', SPIRIT. In spirits: jovial, jolly, (Rather old-fashioned, In modern English, in go(!d spirits.) Before the party had been going half an hour everyone was in good spirits. !n a spirit of: animated by, or actuated by, the kind of spirit that is stated (e.g. 'The remark was made in a spirit of mockery'), Out of spirits: rather depressed or unhappy. SPONGE (Live as a parasite). Sponge on someone. SPUR. On the spur of the moment : without previous thought or intention. We may sometimes have cause to regret word:, that are uttered on the spur of the moment. SPY. Spy on someone. Spy for (i.e. on behalf of) an enemy. Spy i'nto one's affairs. SQUARE. On the square. (r) Honest, i.e. above board. (z) Honestly. (Colloquial.) See that all your transactions are on the square. At all stages the negotiations have been conducted on the square. SQUINT. Squint at someone or something. Also 'take/have a squint at' (a colloquialism for 'take/have a casual look at'). STAFF. On the staff: a member of the staff. The most frequent idioms are be on the staff(' He is on the staff') and get on the staff (' I hope to get on the staff one day'), ··

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

STAKE. Stake one's. money, reputation, etc., on something. At stake: in a position of risk, depending on the outcome of events: e.g. 'Our liberties are at stake', 'Your whole future is at stake'. STALEMATE. A stalemate is reached; things are at a stalemate, (A figure of speech from the game of chess.) STAND, Stand agai'nst: stand in opposition to: 'That fence will not stand against the wind', 'His case would not stand against the weight of evidence to the contrary'. Also make a stand against: e.g. make a stand against injustice, slavery, oppression, etc. Stand by: remain loyal, or true to : e.g. stand by one's word, stand by a promise, stand by a friend. Stand for. (1) Assume a standing position as appropriate to, or to show respect for. . Everyone stood for the National Anthem/for the Lord Mayor· /for the benediction. (2) Stand (i.e. offer oneself) as a candidate for: e.g. stand for parliament, stand for the city council. Also 'stand in the interests, or on behalf, of' : 'In the coming by-election Mr Jackson is to stand for the Conservatives', (3) Represent; stand in place of: 'The initials R.L.S. stand for Robert Louis Stevenson'. (4) Have as one's aim or purpose: 'The Socialists stand for nationalisation of the basic industries, whereas the Conservatives stand for free enterprise'. (5) Tolerate : 'I am not going to stand for that kind of behaviour'. (Colloquial.) Stand on: insist on observing, or on due regard being had to. Found chiefly in the phrases stand on ceremony and stand on one's dignity (' Help yourself to whatever you want; don't stand on ceremony', 'It is not easy to get on to friendly terms with a person who always stands on his dignity'). But to take a stand on and take one's stand on (in both of which, of course, stand is a noun) have a rather different meaning. The former means 'take up a firm position concerning', and the latter 'take as a basis for one's case, position or contention'. If only you take a stand on the matter you will probably get your way. In making my application I take my stand on the ruling given in the case of Brookes v. Stringer.

490

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

Stand up to : oppose with determination. A bully often respects a person who will stand up to him, and not allow himself to be intimidated. Stand up for: give one's support to; exert one's energies on behalf of. One should always stand up for the weak and oppressed. He wa.s a person who would stand up for what he thought right, no matter what the cost to himself. STARE, Stare at someone or something ; stare into a mirror or a shop-window. Stare one in theface=stare into one's face. Also used figuratively: 'I don't know how he can be so cheerful, with bankruptcy staring him in the face'. START. Start (i.e. give a slight jump) at a noise, an exclamation, etc. Start (begin) on a task, a project, etc.=take the first steps in connexion with ('They haven't started on the job yet'). Sometimes the object is the name of the thing on which the activity is to be performed, and we are left to understand the nature of the activity from the context or the situation: e.g. 'The decorators have finished the dining-room and are starting on the kitchen tomorrow'. Start on something may also mean 'deal with it as the first thing, or the first step, in a larger project', We've three rooms to decorate altogether, I think we'd better start on the dining-room, Also make a start on. , Start with : (1) Have as a beginning, We started the meal with soup. Browning's poem The Patriot starts 'with the line, 'It was roses, roses all the way'. (2) Have at the beginning. The school started with three hundred pupils ; now there are double that number. (3) Take the form of, at the beginning, His illness started with a slight cough. To start with : at the beginning; in the first place. To start with, the day was fine, but then it turned showery. There are several reasons why we decided against the proposed scheme, To start with, it would be too costly.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

49I /Other phrases to note are at the start, from the start, and s1'nce the start of. Get off to a good/bad start. A piece of modern jargon for 'start well' or 'start badly', as the case may be. STEADFAST. Steadfast in one's faith, allegiance, loyalty, etc.; but steadfast to one's principles. STEAL. Steal a march on someone : manage cleverly or cunningly to get one step ahead of him, and so to gain an advantage. (Almost always used metaphorically.) The young man stole a march on his rivals by ingratiating himself with the young lady's father. STEAM. Under one's own steam : by one's own power or energies, without assistance from others. (Colloquial.) Two members of the party were given a lift in a car for the last few miles, but the rest of us, weary as we were, managed to finish the journey under our own steam. STEEP, Steep something in hot water. A person steeped in a knowledge of the classics. STEP. In step, out of step. In step, or out of step, with the others, with the times, etc. STEW. Stew something in boiling water. Stew in one's own juice : fend for oneself; do as best one can, without the help of others. (Colloquial.) I am tired of giving him advice which he does not heed; henceforth he can stew in his own juice. STICK (Verb). Stick on and stick to. The difference is that stick on suggests position, whereas stick to suggests adhesion or attachment (e.g. stick a stamp on an envelope, but 'The stamp would not stick to the envelope'). The following constructions, in which stich is followed by a preposition, are all colloquial. Stick at. (1) Persev~re in; continue doing something; apply oneself diligently to : e.g. stick at one's work, stick at one's books. (2) Draw the line at; scruple to go beyond. Found chiefly in the expression stick at notlring. He'll stick at nothing to gain his ends. (I.e. He will use any means, honest or dishonest.)

492

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

Stick by: remain loyal or constant to: e.g. stick by a friend, s'.;ick by a decision, promise, etc. Stick out for: insist on having; refuse to make any concessions on: e.g. stick out for a reduction in working hours, for an extra six pounds a week, etc. Stick to. (r) Remain loyal or constant to; not deviate from: e.g. stick to one's friends, stick to the point, stick to the facts. (2) Keep (often, though not always, dishonestly or illegitimately). She handed over the purchase, but stuck to the change. If you are in no hurry for the return of the book, I'll stick to it for the time being. Stick up for: give one's support to; refuse to yield on: e.g. stick up for a person, stick up for a political party, stick up for one's principles. Stick up for oneself: refuse to yield where one's own interests are concerned; refuse to allow oneself to be treated unfairly. Stttcll up : haughty. . Stuck with. (r) Unable to get any further with. Will you help me with this mathematical problem? I'm stuck with it. (2) Unable to get rid of. If we don't sell this car soon, we shall be stuck with it.

STICKLER. · A stickler for accuracy, tidiness, etc. STIGMA. A stigma on a person, his character, etc. STIGMATISE. Stigmatise something or someone as. STIMULATE. Stimulate one to activity. Also followed by an infinitive (stimulate one to do something). STINK. Usually stink of, but with is also used. Stink of refers to the smell, stink with the cause of the smell. The place stank of stale beer. The stables stank with the sweat of the horses. STIPULATE. Stipulate/or. STOCK. Stock a garden with flowers, a shop with goods, etc. Take stock of (e.g. take stock of all the goods in the warehouse, take stock of one's position), Goods are in stock or out of stock (also have an article in stock, keep something in stock).

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ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS

493

Stocli-in-trade : the stock necessary to a tradesman for carrying on his business. Metaphorically, favourite devices used by certain persons or types of persons, as 'those cliches which are the stock-in-trade of the street-corner orator', STOP. Stop (i.e. prevent) one from doing something: 'We tried to stop the fire from spreading'. Stop at nothing. The non-colloquial equivalent of stick at nothing, for which see above, under STICK. STORE. Jn store for: awaiting. (Figurative.) I have a surprise in store for you. Set store by. See under SET. STORM (Verb). Storm at a person, about something that has happened, or something that has annoyed one, He stormed at me for five minutes on end. Through the open door we could hear him storming about the way he had been treated. Also storm into the room, out of the room, up and down the room, etc. A storm in a teacup : a great deal of fuss about a very trivial matter, STRAIN. Strain af_ter: make great efforts to try and produce or obtain: e.g. to strain after effect. Strain at : exert great effort on, in pulling or pushing : e.g. a dog straining at the leash. , Strain at a gnat: raise objections to something out of all proportion to its seriousness. (From Matthew xxiii, 24: 'Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel'.) Under (the/a) strain: subjected to (the/a) strain. · The horse pulled at the heavy load until it collapsed under the strain. What with business anxieties and domestic worries, he has been under a great strain for the past few months. No one can give of his best when he is working under strain. STRAITS. In dire straits. Sometimes followed by for, indicating the.nature of the straits : e.g. in dire straits for money. STREET. In standard usage a house or business premises are situated in a particular street(' Selfridge's is in Oxford Street'), '