[to sea] See: PUT TO SEA.

[to shame] See: PUT TO SHAME.

[to size] See: CUT DOWN TO SIZE.

[to speak of]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Important; worth talking about; worth noticing. — Usually used in negative sentences. •/Did it rain yesterday? Not to speak of./ •/What happened at the meeting? Nothing to speak of./ •/Judy’s injuries were nothing to speak of; just a few scratches./ Compare: NOT TO MENTION.

[to spite one’s face] See: CUT OFF ONE’S NOSE TO SPITE ONE’S FACE.

[toss off]{v. phr.} 1. To drink rapidly; drain. •/He tossed off two drinks and left./ 2. To make or say easily without trying or thinking hard. •/She tossed off smart remarks all during dinner./ •/He thinks a reporter should be able to toss off an article every few hours./

[toss one to the sharks] See: THROW ONE TO THE WOLVES.

[toss out] See: THROW OUT.

[total] See: SUM TOTAL.

[to task] See: TAKE TO TASK.

[to terms] See: BRING TO TERMS, COME TO TERMS.

[to that effect]{adj.} or {adv. phr.} With that meaning. •/She said she hated spinach, or words to that effect./ •/When I leave, I will write you to that effect so you will know./

[to the best of one’s knowledge] As far as you know; to the extent of your knowledge. •/He has never won a game, to the best of my knowledge./ •/To the best of my knowledge he is a college man, but I may be mistaken./

[to the bitter end]{adv. phr.} To the point of completion or conclusion. — Used especially of a very painful or unpleasant task or experience. •/Although Mrs. Smith was bored by the lecture, she stayed to the bitter end./ •/They knew the war would be lost, but the men fought to the bitter end./

[to the bone]{adv.}, {slang}, {informal} Thoroughly, entirely, to the core, through all layers. •/I am dreadfully tired; I’ve worked my fingers to the bone./ See: ALSO WORK ONE’S FINGERS TO THE BONE.

[to the bottom] See: GET TO THE BOTTOM OF.

[to the contrary]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} With an opposite result or effect; just the opposite; in disagreement; saying the opposite. •/Although Bill was going to the movies, he told Joe to the contrary./ •/We will expect you for dinner unless we get word to the contrary./ •/School gossip to the contrary, Mary is not engaged to be married./ Compare: ON THE CONTRARY.

[to the effect that]{adj. phr.} With the meaning or purpose; to say that. •/He made a speech to the effect that we would all keep our jobs even if the factory were sold./ •/The new governor would do his best in the office to which he had been elected./

[to the eye]{adv. phr.} As it is seen; as a person or thing first seems; apparently. •/That girl looks to the eye like a nice girl to know, but she is really rather mean./ •/That suit appears to the eye to be a good buy, but it may not be./ Compare: AT FIRST GLANCE.

[to the fore]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} Into leadership; out into notice or view; forward. •/The hidden skill of the lawyer came to the fore during the trial./ •/In the progress of the war some new leaders came to the fore./

[to the full]{adv. phr.} Very much; fully. •/The campers enjoyed their trip to the full./ •/We appreciated to the full the teacher’s help./ Compare: TO THE HILT.

[to the gallery] See: PLAY TO THE GALLERY.

[to the good]{adv. phr.} On the side of profit or advantage; in one’s favor; to one’s benefit; ahead. •/After I sold my stamp collection, I was ten dollars to the good./ •/The teacher did not see him come in late, which was all to the good./

[to the grindstone] See: KEEP ONE’S NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE.

[to the heart] See: GET TO THE HEART OF.

[to the hilt] or [up to the hilt] {adv. phr.} To the limit; as far as possible; completely. •/The other boys on the team told Tom he couldn’t quit. They said, "You’re in this to the hilt."/ •/The Smith’s house is mortgaged up to the hilt./ Compare: HEART AND SOUL, TO THE FULL, UP TO THE --- IN.

[to the kings taste] or [to the queen’s taste] {adv. phr.} Perfectly; just as anyone could want it; very satisfactorily. •/The rooms in her new home were painted and decorated to the queen’s taste./ •/The soldiers dressed and marched to the king’s taste./

[to the letter]{adv. phr.} With nothing done wrong or left undone; exactly; precisely. •/He carried out his orders to the letter./ •/When writing a test you should follow the instructions to the letter./ Compare: TO A T.

[to the manner born]{adj. phr.} At ease with something because of lifelong familiarity with it. •/She says her English is the best because she is to the manner born./

[to the nth degree]{adv. phr.} To the greatest degree possible; extremely; very much so. •/Scales must be accurate to the nth degree./ •/His choice of words was exactly to the nth degree./

[to the point] See: COME TO THE POINT.

[to the punch] See: BEAT TO THE PUNCH.

[to the ribs] See: STICK TO ONE’S RIBS or STICK TO THE RIBS.

[to the salt mines] See: BACK TO THE SALT MINES.

[to the stump] See: TAKE THE STUMP or TAKE TO THE STUMP.

[to the sword] See: PUT TO THE SWORD.

[to the tune of]{adv. phr.}, {informal} To the amount or extent of; in the amount of. •/He had to pay to the tune of fifty dollars for seeing how fast the car would go./ •/When she left the race track she had profited to the tune of ten dollars./

[to the wall]{adv. phr.} Into a place from which there is no escape; into a trap or corner. — Usually used after "drive" or a similar word. •/John’s failing the last test drove him to the wall./ •/The score was 12-12 in the last minute of play, but a touchdown forced the visitors to the wall./ •/Bill had to sell his five Great Danes. The high cost of feeding them was driving him to the wall./

[to the wolves] See: THROW TO THE WOLVES.

[to the woods] See: TAKE TO THE WOODS.

[to the world] See: DEAD TO THE WORLD.

[to think of it] See: COME TO THINK OF IT.

[toto] See: IN TOTO.

[touch] See: COMMON TOUCH, IN TOUCH, LOSE TOUCH, OUT OF TOUCH,

[touch and go]{adj. phr.} Very dangerous or uncertain in situation. •/Our team won the game, all right, but it was touch and go for a while./ •/At one time while they were climbing the cliff it was touch and go whether they could do it./

[touch base with]{v. phr.} To confer or consult with one. •/Before we make a decision, I’d like to touch base with our financial department./

[touch bottom] See: HIT BOTTOM.

[touch off]{v.} 1. To cause to fire or explode by lighting the priming or the fuse. •/The boy touched off a firecracker./ Compare: SET OFF. 2. To start something as if by lighting a fuse. •/The coach’s resignation touched off a quarrel./ Compare: SET OFF.

[touch on] or [touch upon] {v.} To speak of or write of briefly. •/The speaker touched on several other subjects in the course of his talk but mostly kept himself to the main topic./ Contrast: DWELL ON.

[touch to the quick]{v. phr.} To hurt someone’s feelings very deeply; offend. •/His remark about her lack of education touched her to the quick./