[up to no good]{adv. phr.} Intending to do something bad; perpetrating
an illicit act. •/We could tell from the look on Dennis the Menace’s face
that he was once again up to no good./
[up to one’s ears]{adv. phr.} Immersed in; covered with. •/"Around
final examination time," Professor Brown explained, "I am always up to my ears
in work."/
[up to one’s neck]{adv. phr.} Overwhelmed with; submerged in.
•/"During the summer season in our cottage by the lake," the Allens
complained, "we are usually up to our necks in uninvited guests."/ Compare:
UP TO ONE’S EARS.
[up to par] or {informal} [up to scratch] or {informal} [up
to snuff] 1. In good or normal health or physical condition. •/I have a
cold and don’t feel up to par./ •/The boxer is training for the fight but
he isn’t up to scratch yet./ 2. or [up to the mark] As good as usual; up
to the usual level or quality. •/The TV program was not up to par tonight./
•/John will have to work hard to bring his grades up to snuff./ Compare:
MEASURE UP.
[up to scratch] See: UP TO FAR.
[up to snuff] See: UP TO PAR.
[up to the chin in] or [in --- up to the chin] {adj. phr.},
{informal} Used also with "ears", "elbows", "eyes" or "knees" instead of
"chin", and with a possessive instead of "the". 1. Having a big or important
part in; guilty of; not innocent of; deeply in. •/Was Tom mixed up in that
trouble last night? He was up to his ears in it./ •/Mr. Johnson is up to
the eyes in debt./ •/Mrs. Smith is in debt up to her chin./ Compare: TO
THE HILT. 2. Very busy with; working hard at. •/Bob is up to his neck in
homework./ •/They are up to their elbows in business before Christmas./
3. Having very much or many of; flooded with. •/Mary was up to her knees in
invitations to go to parties./ Compare: KNEE-DEEP.
[up to the hilt] See: TO THE HILT.
[up to the last minute]{adv. phr.} Until the last possible moment;
until the very end. •/When I try to send in an important eyewitness report
from the scene of a major accident, I must keep working up to the last
minute./ Compare: TO THE BITTER END, UNDER THE WIRE.
[up to the mark] See: UP TO PAR(2).
[up-to-the-minute] See: UP-TO-DATE.
[urban homesteading]{n.}, {informal} Renovation and occupation
through cooperative ownership by tenants of previously abandoned city apartment
buildings. •/Urban homesteading is on the rise in many big American cities
these days./
[use] See: NO USE, PUT TO USE.
[used to(1)]{adj. phr.} In the habit of or familiar with. •/People
get used to smoking and it is hard for them to stop./ •/Farmers are used to
working outdoors in the winter./ •/After my eyes became used to the dim
light in the cave, I saw an old shovel on the ground./ •/On the hike Bob
soon got tired, but Dick did not because he was used to walking./
[used to(2)] or [did use to] {v. phr.} Did formerly; did in the
past. — Usually used with an infinitive to tell about something past.
•/Uncle Henry used to have a beard, but he shaved it off./ •/Did your
father use to work at the bank?/ •/People used to say that tomatoes were
poison./ — Sometimes used without the infinitive. •/I don’t go to that
school any more, but I used to./ •/We don’t visit Helen as much as we used
to./ •/I used to go to the movies often. Did you use to?/
[used to be] or [did use to be] {v. phr.} Formerly or once was.
•/Mary used to be small; but she has grown up./ •/Dick used to be the
best pitcher on the team last year; now two other pitchers are better than he
is./
[use every trick in the book]{v. phr.}, {informal} To avail
oneself of any means at all in order to achieve one’s goal, not exclusive of
possibly immoral or illegal acts. •/Algernon used every trick in the book to
get Maxine to go out with him, but she kept refusing./
[use one’s head] or {slang} [use one’s bean] or {slang} [use
one’s noodle] or {slang} use [one’s noggin] {v. phr.} To use your
brain or mind; think; have common sense. — Often used as a command. •/If you
used your bean you wouldn’t be in trouble now./ •/Never point a gun at
anybody, John. Use your head!/
[use up]{v. phr.} 1. To use until nothing is left; spend or consume
completely. •/Don’t use up all the soap. Leave me some to wash with./
•/Jack used up his last dollar to see the movies./ Compare: GIVE OUT(5). 2.
{informal} To tire completely; make very tired; exhaust; leave no strength
or force in. — Usually used in the passive. •/After rowing the boat across
the lake, Robert was used up./ Compare: GIVE OUT(4), WEAR OUT.
[utility room]{n.} A room in a house or building for machinery and
other things important in the daily use of the building and the work of the
people in it. •/There is a utility room upstairs where Mother does the
laundry./ •/The oil burner is kept in the utility room in the basement./
V
[vain] See: IN VAIN, TAKE ONE’S NAME IN VAIN.
[valor] See: DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR.
[value] See: FACE VALUE.
[vanish into thin air] See: DISAPPEAR INTO THIN AIR.
[vanishing cream]{n.} A cosmetic cream for the skin that is used
chiefly before face powder. •/Mrs. Jones spread vanishing cream on her face
before applying her face powder./
[vanity case]{n.} 1. A small case containing face powder, lipstick,
and other things and usually carried in a woman’s handbag; a compact. •/She
took out her vanity case and put lipstick on./ 2. A handbag or a small bag
carried by a woman and holding various toilet articles. •/She had the porter
carry her big bags and she herself carried her vanity case./
[variety show]{n.} A program that includes several different kinds of
entertainment (as songs, dances, comic skits and little dramas). •/Jane’s
father was the master of ceremonies of a variety show on TV./
[variety store]{n.} A store that sells many different kinds of things,
especially items that are fairly small and in everyday use. •/I went into a
variety store and bought some paint./ •/Five-and-ten cent stores are a kind
of variety store./
[vein] See: FREEZE ONE’S BLOOD or FREEZE THE BLOOD IN ONE’S VEINS, FREEZE
ONE’S VEINS.
[verbal diarrhea]{n. phr.} The inability to keep silent;
over-talkativeness. •/Archibald is a nice guy but he’s got verbal diarrhea
and he can’t shut up for a single minute./
[very] See: ALL VERY WELL.
[very well]{interj.}, {formal} Agreed; all right. — Used to show
agreement or approval. •/Very well. You may go./ •/Very well, I will do
as you say./ Compare: ALL RIGHT(2).
[vibrations] or [vibes] {n.} Psychic emanations radiating from an
object, situation, or person. •/I don’t think this relationship will work out — this guy has given me bad vibes./
[vicious circle]{n. phr.} A kind of circular or chain reaction in
which one negative thing leads to another. •/Some people take so many
different kinds of medicine to cure an illness that they develop other
illnesses from the medicine and are thus caught in a vicious circle./
[Vietnam syndrome]{n.}, {informal} An attitude in government
circles that diplomacy may be more effective in solving local political
problems in other countries than the use of military force, stemming from the
failure of the U.S. military intervention in Vietnam. •/The pundits of Foggy
Bottom display the Vietnam syndrome these days when it comes to Iran./