[put-up]{adj.} Artificially arranged; plotted; phony; illegal. •/The FBI was sure that the bank robbers worked together with an insider and that the whole affair was a put-up job./

[put up a (brave, good, etc.) flght]{v. phr.} To resist. •/He put up a good fight but he was bound to lose in the end to the older, more experienced chess player./

[put up a (brave] or [good) front] {v. phr.} To act courageously, even though one is actually afraid. •/When Joe was taken in for his open heart surgery, he put up a brave front, although his hands were shaking./

[put up or shut up]{v. phr.}{informal} 1. To bet your money on what you say or stop saying it. — Often used as a command; often considered rude. •/The man from out of town kept saying their team would beat ours and finally John told him "Put up or shut up."/ 2. To prove something or stop saying it. — Often used as a command; often considered rude. •/George told Al that he could run faster than the school champion and Al told George to put up or shut up./

[put upon]{v.} To use (someone) unfairly; expect too much from. — Used in the passive or in the past participle. •/Martha was put upon by the bigger girls./ •/Arthur was a much put-upon person./

[put up to]{v. phr.}, {informal} To talk to and make do; persuade to; get to do. •/Older boys put us up to painting the statue red./ Compare: EGG ON.

[put up with]{v.} To accept patiently; bear. •/We had to put up with Jim’s poor table manners because he refused to change./ •/The mother told her children, "I refuse to put up with your tracking in mud!"/ Compare: STAND FOR.

[put wise]{v.}, {slang} To tell (someone) facts that will give him an advantage over others or make him alert to opportunity or danger. •/The new boy did not know that Jim was playing a trick on him, so I put him wise./ — Often used with "to". •/Someone put the police wise to the plan of the bank robbers, and when the robbers went into the bank, the police were waiting to catch them./ Compare: TIP OFF.

[put words into one’s mouth]{v. phr.} To say without proof that another person has certain feelings or opinions; claim a stand or an idea is another’s without asking; speak for another without right. •/When he said "John here is in favor of the idea." I told him not to put words in my mouth./

[q] See: MIND ONE’S P’S AND Q’S.

[Q.T.] See: ON THE Q.T.

[qualms] See: HAVE (NO) QUALMS ABOUT.

[quantity] See: UNKNOWN QUANTITY.

[quarterback sneak]{n.} A football play in which the quarterback takes the ball from the center and dives straight ahead in an attempt to gain a very short distance. •/Johnson took the ball over on a quarterback sneak for a touchdown./

[queen] See: HOMECOMING QUEEN.

[queer fish]{n.} A strange or unusual person who does odd things. •/Uncle Algernon dresses in heavy furs in the summer and short-sleeved shirts in the winter. No wonder everyone considers him a queer fish./

[queer oneself]{v. phr.} To act in such a manner as to offend others and thus one’s own chances or position. •/Phil has queered himself with many girls by his erratic behavior./

[quest] See: IN SEARCH OF also IN QUEST OF.

[question] See: BEG THE QUESTION, BESIDE THE POINT or BESIDE THE QUESTION, BEYOND QUESTION also WITHOUT QUESTION, CALL IN QUESTION, IN QUESTION, INTO QUESTION, OUT OF THE QUESTION, POP THE QUESTION.

[quick buck] See: FAST BUCK.

[quick on the draw] See: QUICK ON THE TRIGGER.

[quick on the trigger] or [trigger happy] {adj. phr.} Ready to shoot without warning; fast with a gun. •/He’s a dangerous criminal quick on the trigger./ 2. {informal} Fast at answering questions or solving problems. •/In class discussions John is always quick on the trigger./

[quick on the uptake]{adj. phr.} Smart; intelligent. •/Eleanor is very witty and quick on the uptake./

[quick study]{n. phr.} One who acquires new skills and habits in record time. •/Sue is new at her job but people have confidence in her because she is a quick study./

[quit] See: CALL IT QUITS.

[quite a bit] See: QUITE A LITTLE.

[quite a few] or [quite a number] also {formal} [not a few] {n.} or {adj. phr.} Rather a large number; more than a few. •/Quite a few went to the game./ •/The basket had quite a few rotten apples in it./ — The phrase "quite a number" is used like an adjective only before "less", "more". •/Few people saw the play on the first night but quite a number more came on the second night./ — Sometimes used like an adverb. •/We still have quite a few more miles to go before we reach New York./ Syn.: GOOD MANY, NOT A FEW. Compare: A FEW, A NUMBER.

[quite a little] or {informal} [quite a bit] also {formal} [not a little] {n.} or {adj. phr.} Rather a large amount; rather much; more than a little. •/We are not finished; quite a little is left to do./ •/Cleaning the backyard needed quite a little work./ — The phrase "quite a bit" is used like an adjective only before "less", "more". •/Six inches of snow fell today, and quite a bit more is coming tonight./ — Sometimes used like an adverb. •/Harry was sick quite a little last winter./ Compare: A LITTLE, A LOT, QUITE A PEW.

[quite a number] See: QUITE A FEW.

[quite the thing]{n. phr.} The socially proper thing to do. •/In polite society it is quite the thing to send a written thank you note to one’s host or hostess after a dinner party./

[rabbit] See: JACK-RABBIT START.

[race] See: DRAG RACE, RAT RACE.

[race against time]{v. phr.} To be in a great hurry to finish a given project by a specified deadline. •/The workers were racing against time to finish the campus modernization project./

[race to stand still]{v. phr.} To be so far behind in one’s work that one must exert an effort similar to that needed to win a race in order simply not to fall even further behind. •/"Could you review this book for us, Professor Brown?" the editor asked. "Unfortunately, no," the professor answered. "I’m so behind in my work that I am racing to stand still."/

[rack and ruin]{n. phr.} Complete decay; condition of decline. •/The entire house had been so neglected that it had gone to rack and ruin./

[rack one’s brain]{v. phr.} To try your best to think; make a great mental effort; especially: to try to remember something you have known. •/Bob racked his brain trying to remember where he left the book./ •/Susan racked her brain trying to guess whom the valentine came from./ •/John racked his brain during the test trying to solve the problem./

[radio ham]{n. phr.} Someone whose hobby is the operating of shortwave radio. •/The code letters C.Q. are used by radio hams to invite other radio hams to join in the conversation./

[rag] See: CHEW THE FAT or CHEW THE RAG, GLAD RAGS.

[rag doll]{n.} A doll made of cloth and filled with soft stuffing. •/My baby brother won’t go to bed without his rag doll./

[ragged] See: RUN RAGGED.

[rag trade]{n. phr.} The clothing industry. •/My brother is working in the rag trade, manufacturing dresses./