[trip up]{v.} 1. To make (someone) unsteady on the feet; cause to miss a step, stumble, or fall. •/A root tripped Billy up while he was running in the woods, and he fell and hurt his ankle./ 2. To cause (someone) to make a mistake. •/The teacher asked tricky questions in the test to trip up students who were not alert./

[trolley] See: OFF ONE’S ROCKER or OFF ONE’S TROLLEY.

[trot out]{v. phr.} To bring out for inspection; display. •/Don’t mention compact disks to Joe, or he’ll trot out his entire collection and we’ll be stuck here all night./

[trouble] See: BORROW TROUBLE, GO TO THE TROUBLE or TAKE THE TROUBLE.

[troubled waters] See: POUR OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS.

[trousers] See: WEAR THE TROUSERS.

[trowel] See: LAY IT ON.

[truck] See: PANEL TRUCK.

[true] See: COME TRUE, HOLD TRUE, RUN TRUE TO FORM.

[trump] See: HOLD ALL THE TRUMPS.

[trump card]{n.} Something kept back to be used to win success if nothing else works. •/The coach saved his star pitcher for a trump card./ •/Mary had several ways to get Joan to come to her party. Her trump card was that the football captain would be there./

[trump up]{v.} To make up (something untrue); invent in the mind. •/Every time Tom is late getting home he trumps up some new excuse./ •/The Russians were afraid he was a spy, so they arrested him on a trumped-up charge and made him leave the country./

[trust] See: IN TRUST.

[truth] See: CHILDREN AND FOOLS SPEAK THE TRUTH.

[try on]{v.} To put (clothing) on to see if it fits. •/She tried on several pairs of shoes before she found one she liked./ •/The clerk told him to try the coat on./

[try one’s hand]{v. phr.} To make an inexperienced attempt (at something unfamiliar.) •/I thought I would try my hand at bowling, although I had never bowled before./

[try one’s wings]{v. phr.} To try out a recently acquired ability. •/Marjorie just had her twelfth French lesson and wants to try her wings by speaking with our visitors from Paris./

[tryout]{n.} An audience at a theater or opera for would-be actors and singers. •/The Civic Opera is holding tryouts throughout all of next week. Maybe I’ll go and see if I can sing in the chorus./

[try out]{v. phr.} 1. To test by trial or by experimenting. •/He tried golf out to see if he would like it./ •/The scientists tried out thousands of chemicals before they found the right one./ •/The coach wants to try the new play out in the first game./ 2. To try for a place on a team or in a group. •/Tom tried out for the basketball team./ •/Shirley will try out for the lead in the play./ Compare: OUT FOR.

[tuck] See: NIP AND TUCK.

[tucker] See: BEST BIB AND TUCKER.

[tuck in]{v. phr.} To place the covers carefully around the person (usually a child) in bed. •/When I was a child, my mother used to tuck me into bed every night./

[tug-of-war]{n.} 1. A game in which two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, trying to pull the other team over a line marked on the ground. •/The tug-of-war ended when both teams tumbled in a heap./ 2. A contest in which two sides try to defeat each other; struggle. •/A tug-of-war developed between the boys who wanted to go fishing and those who wanted to go hiking./ •/Betty felt a tug-of-war between her wish to go to the movies and her realizing she had to do her homework./ •/The tug of war between the union men and management ended in a long strike./

[tune] See: CALL THE TUNE, CHANGE ONE’S TUNE, IN TUNE, SING A DIFFERENT TUNE or WHISTLE A DIFFERENT TUNE also SING A NEW TUNE, TO THE TUNE OF.

[tune in] To adjust a radio or television set to pick up a certain station. •/Bob tuned in his portable radio to a record show./ •/Tom tuned in to Channel 11 to hear the news./

[tune out]{v. phr.} To not listen to something. •/"How can you work in such a noisy environment?" Jane asked Sue. "Well, I simply tune it out," she answered./

[tune up]{v.} 1a. To adjust (a musical instrument) to make the right sound. •/Before he began to play, Harry tuned up his banjo./ 1b. To adjust a musical instrument or a group of musical instruments to the right sound. •/The orchestra came in and began to tune up for the concert./ 2. To adjust many parts of (car engine) which must work together so that it will run properly. •/He took his car to the garage to have the engine tuned up./

[tune-up]{n.} 1. The adjusting or fixing of something (as a motor) to make it work safely and well. •/Father says the car needs a tune-up before winter begins./ 2. Exercise or practicing for the purpose of getting ready; a trial before something. •/The team went to the practice field for their last tune-up before the game tomorrow./ Syn.: WARM UP.

[turkey] See: TALK TURKEY.

[turn] See: AT EVERY TURN, BLOOD RUN COLD or BLOOD TURNS TO ICE, BY TURNS, CALL THE TURN at CALL ONE’S SHOTS(2), EVERY TIME ONE TURNS AROUND, IN TURN, NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN, OUT OF TURN, TAKE A TURN, TAKE TURNS, TO A T or TO A TURN.

[turn a blind eye]{v. phr.} To pretend not to see; not pay attention. •/The corrupt police chief turned a blind eye to the open gambling in the town./ •/Bob turned a blind eye to the "No Fishing" sign./ Compare: CLOSE ONE’S EYES.

[turn a cold shoulder] See: COLD SHOULDER.

[turn a deaf ear to]{v. phr.} To pretend not to hear; refuse to hear; not pay attention. •/Mary turned a deaf ear to Lois’s asking to ride her bicycle./ •/The teacher turned a deaf ear to Bob’s excuse./ Compare: COLD SHOULDER.

[turn a hand]{v. phr.} To do anything to help. — Usually used in the negative. •/When we were all hurrying to get the house ready for company, Mary sat reading and wouldn’t turn a hand./ Syn.: LIFT A FINGER.

[turn an honest penny]{v. phr.} To realize a good profit. •/Tom turned an honest penny in the soybean trading business./ Compare: PRETTY PENNY.

[turn back the clock] See: PUT BACK THE CLOCK.

[turn color]{v. phr.} To become a different color. •/In the fall the leaves turn color./ •/When the dye was added the solution turned color./

[turn down]{v.} 1. To reduce the loudness, brightness, or force of. •/The theater lights were turned down./ •/Turn down that radio, will you?/ •/The hose was throwing too much water so I turned down the water a little bit./ 2. To refuse to accept; reject. •/His request for a raise was turned down./ •/If she offers to help, I’ll turn her down./ •/Many boys courted Lynn, but she turned them all down./

[turn for the worse] See: FOR THE WORSE.

[turn in]{v.} 1. or [hand in] To give to someone; deliver to someone. •/I want you to turn in a good history paper./ •/When the football season was over, we turned in our uniforms./ 2. To inform on; report. •/She turned them in to the police for breaking the street light./ 3. To give in return for something. •/They turned in their old money for new./ •/We turned our car in on a new model./ Syn.: TRADE IN. 4. {informal} To go to bed. •/We were tired, so we turned in about nine o’clock./ Contrast: TURN OUT(4).

[turn in one’s grave] or [turn over in one’s grave] {v. phr.} To be so grieved or angry that you would not rest quietly in your grave. •/If your grandfather could see what you’re doing now, he would turn over in his grave./