[view] See: IN VIEW, IN VIEW OF, TAKE A DIM VIEW OF.

[vine] See: DIE ON THE VINE or WITHER ON THE VINE, CLINGING VINE.

[virtue] See: BY VIRTUE OF, MAKE A VIRTUE OF NECESSITY.

[visiting nurse]{n.} A nurse who goes from home to home taking care of sick people or giving help with other health problems. •/After John returned home from the hospital, the visiting nurse came each day to change his bandages./

[voice] See: AT THE TOP OF ONE’S VOICE, GIVE VOICE.

[voice box]{n.} The part of the throat where the sound of your voice is made; the larynx. •/Mr. Smith’s voice box was taken out in an operation, and he could not talk after that./

[voiceprint]{n.}, {technological}, {colloquial} The graphic pattern derived from converting an individual’s voice into a visible graph used by the police for identification purposes, much as fingerprints. •/They have succeeded in identifying the murderer by using a voiceprint./

[volcano] See: SIT ON A VOLCANO.

[volume] See: SPEAK VOLUMES.

[vote a straight ticket]{v. phr.} To not differentiate one’s ballot according to individual names and posts, but to vote for all candidates for all positions of the same party. •/"I never have time.to study the ballot in detail," Marie said, "and so I tend to vote a straight Republican ticket."/

[vote in]{v. phr.} To elevate to the status of "Law of the Land" by special or general ballot. •/Congress has finally voted in the Brady Law that requires that prospective gun owners wait a special period of time before making their purchase./

[vote one out]{v. phr.} To terminate one’s elected office by casting a negative vote about that person (judge, congressman, etc.), mostly so that someone else might occupy the same position. •/Congressman Smith was voted out last November in favor of Congresswoman Bradley./

[wade in] or [wade into] {v.}, {informal} 1. To go busily to work. •/The house was a mess after the party, but Mother waded in and soon had it clean again./ 2. To attack. •/When Bill had heard Jim’s argument, he waded in and took it apart./ •/Jack waded into the boys with his fists flying./

[wade through]{v. phr.} To read through something long and laborious. •/It took John six months to wade through Tolstoy’s War and Peace in the original Russian./

[wag] See: TONGUES TO WAG or TONGUES WAG.

[wagon] See: FIX SOMEONE’S WAGON, HITCH ONE’S WAGON TO A STAR, JUMP ON THE BAND WAGON, OFF THE WAGON, ON THE WAGON.

[wag one’s chin] See: BEAT ONE’S GUMS, CHEW THE FAT, CHEW THE RAG, SHOOT THE BREEZE.

[wait] See: LIE IN WAIT.

[wait at table] or [wait on table] or [wait table] {v. phr.} To serve food. •/Mrs. Lake had to teach her new maid to wait on table properly./ •/The girls earn spending money by waiting at table in the school dining rooms./

[waiting list]{n.} A list of persons waiting to get into something (as a school). •/The nursery school enrollment was complete, so the director put our child’s name on the waiting list./ •/The landlord said there were no vacant apartments available, but that he would put the Rogers' name on the waiting list./

[waiting room]{n. phr.} The sitting area in a doctor’s, lawyer’s, accountant’s, etc. office, or in a hospital, or other workplace, where people wait their turn. •/Some doctor’s offices have elegantly furnished waiting rooms with magazines, newspapers, and coffee for the patients./

[wait on] or [wait upon] {v.} 1. To serve. •/Sue has a summer job waiting on an invalid./ •/The clerk in the store asked if we had been waited upon./ 2. {formal} To visit as a courtesy or for business. •/We waited upon the widow out of respect for her husband./ •/John waited upon the President with a letter of introduction./ 3. To follow. •/Success waits on hard work./

[wait on hand and foot]{v. phr.} To serve in every possible way; do everything for (someone). •/Sally is spoiled because her mother waits on her hand and foot./ •/The gentlemen had a valet to wait on him hand and foot./ Compare: HAND AND FOOT.

[wait on table] See: WAIT AT TABLE.

[wait up]{v. phr.} To not go to bed until a person one is worried about comes home (said by parents and marriage partners). •/My mother always waited up for me when I went out as a young student./ •/She always waits up for her husband when he’s out late./

[wait upon] See: WAIT ON.

[wake] See: IN THE WAKE OF.

[walk] See: WIN IN A WALK.

[walk all over] See: WALK OVER.

[walk a tightrope]{v. phr.} To be in a dangerous or awkward situation where one cannot afford to make a single mistake. •/"When we landed on the moon in 1969," Armstrong explained, "we were walking a tightrope till the very end."/

[walk away with] or [walk off with] {v.} 1. To take and go away with; take away; often: steal. •/When Father went to work, he accidentally walked off with Mother’s umbrella./ •/How can a thief walk off with a safe in broad daylight?/ 2. To take, get, or win easily. •/Jim walked away with all the honors on Class Night./ •/Our team walked off with the championship./

[walking dictionary]{n. phr.} A person highly knowledgeable in matters of language use. •/If you want to know what "serendipity" means, ask my Uncle Fred. He is a professor of English and is also a walking dictionary./

[walking encyclopedia]{n. phr.} A polymath; a person very well versed in a number of different disciplines. •/My uncle is a veritable walking encyclopedia when it comes to the history of World War II./ Contrast: WALKING DICTIONARY.

[walking papers] or [walking orders] also [walking ticket] {n.}, {informal} A statement that you are fired from your job; dismissal. •/The boss was not satisfied with Paul’s work and gave him his walking papers./ •/George is out of work. He picked up his walking ticket last Friday./

[walk off with] See: WALK AWAY WITH.

[walk of life]{n. phr.} Way of living; manner in which people live. •/Many rich people have yachts; people in their walk of life can afford them./ •/The banker did not want his son to marry a girl in a different walk of life./ •/People from every walk of life enjoy television./ Compare: THE TRACKS.

[walk on air]{v. phr.}, {informal} To feel happy and excited. •/Sue has been walking on air since she won the prize./ •/His father’s compliment left Jed walking on air./ Compare: ON CLOUD NINE, ON TOP OF THE WORLD.

[walk on eggs]{v. phr.} To act with utmost caution due to being in a precarious position. •/Tom has been walking on eggs ever since he started working for a new boss in Cincinnati./

[walk out]{v.} 1. To go on strike. •/When the company would not give them higher pay, the workers walked out./ 2. To leave suddenly; especially to desert. •/He didn’t say he wasn’t coming back; he just walked out./ — Often used informally with "on". •/The man walked out on his wife and children./ Compare: LEAVE FLAT, LEAVE IN THE LURCH.

[walk over] or [walk all over] or [step all over] {v. phr.} {informal} To make (someone) do whatever you wish; make selfish use of; treat like a slave; impose upon. •/Jill is so friendly and helpful that people walk all over her./ •/We wanted the man’s business, so we let him step all over us./ Compare: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.