[Father’s Day]{n.} The third Sunday in June set aside especially to honor fathers whether living or dead. •/The children gave nice presents to their father on Father’s Day./

[fat is in the fire] Something has happened that will cause trouble or make a bad situation worse. •/He found out you took it? Well, the fat’s in the fire now./

[fat of the land]{n. phr.} The best and richest food, clothes, everything. •/When I’m rich I’ll retire and live off the fat of the land./

[fault] See: AT FAULT, FIND FAULT, TO A FAULT.

[faultfinding]{n.} Recrimination; nagging; criticism. •/All of this constant faultfinding will only to lead to trouble between you and your wife./

[favor] See: CURRY FAVOR, IN FAVOR OF.

[favorite son]{n.} A man supported by his home state for President. •/At a national convention, states often vote for their favorite sons first; then they change and vote for another man./

[fear] See: FOR FEAR.

[fear and trembling] or [fear and trepidation] {n. phr.} Great fear. •/He came in fear and trembling to tell his father he had a bad report card./

[feast one’s eyes on]{v. phr.} To look at and enjoy very much. •/He feasted his eyes on the beautiful painting./

[feast or a famine]{n. phr.} Plenty or very little; big success or bad failure. •/In this business it’s either a feast or a famine./ •/He is very careless with his money, it is always a feast or a famine with him./

[feather] See: BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER, TAR AND FEATHER, FINE FEATHERS DO NOT MAKE FINE BIRDS, FUSS AND FEATHERS, MAKE THE FEATHERS FLY, RUFFLE FEATHERS.

[feather in one’s cap]{n. phr.} Something to be proud of; an honor. •/It was a feather in his cap to win first prize./ (From the medieval practice of placing a feather in the helmet of one who won honors in battle.)

[feather one’s nest]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To use for yourself money and power, especially from a public office or job in which you are trusted to help other people. •/The rich man told his lawyer to use his money after he died to build a hospital for poor people, but the lawyer feathered his own nest with the money instead./ •/The man feathered his nest in politics by getting money from contractors who built roads./ Syn.: LINE ONE’S POCKETS. 2. To make your home pleasant and comfortable; furnish and decorate your house. •/Furniture stores welcome young couples who want to feather their nests./

[fed up] ({informal}) also ({slang}) [fed to the gills] or [fed to the teeth] {adj. phr.} Having had too much of something; at the end of your patience; disgusted; bored; tired. •/People get fed up with anyone who brags all the time./ •/I’ve had enough of his complaints. I’m fed up./ •/He was fed to the teeth with television and sold his set to a cousin./ •/John quit football because he was fed to the gills with practice./ Compare: SICK AND TIRED.

[feed] See: BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS ONE, CHICKEN FEED, OFF FEED or OFF ONE’S FEED, SPOON FEED.

[feel] See: GET THE FEEL OF and HARD FEELING.

[feel a draft]{v. phr.}, {slang} To have the sensation that one is not welcome in a place; that one has gotten a cold reception. •/Let’s go, Suzie, I feel a draft./

[feel for someone]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be able to sympathize with someone’s problems. •/I can really feel for you, John, for losing your job./

[feel free to do]{v. phr.} To take the liberty to engage in an activity. •/Please feel free to take off your jackets; this is an informal party./

[feel in one’s bones] or [know in one’s bones] {v. phr.} To have an idea or feeling but not know why. •/I feel in my hones that tomorrow will be a sunny day./ •/I know in my bones that God will protect us./

[feel like]{v.}, {informal} To want to do or have. •/I don’t feel like running today./ •/I just don’t feel like pancakes this morning./

[feel like a million] or [feel like a million dollars] {v. phr.}, {informal} To be in the best of health and spirits. •/I feel like a million this morning./ •/He had a headache yesterday but feels like a million dollars today./ Compare: LOOK LIKE A MILLION.

[feel like a new man]{v. phr.} To feel healthy, vigorous, and well again after a major physical illness or emotional upheaval. •/Ted felt like a new man after his successful heart bypass operation./

[feel like two cents] See: TWO CENTS.

[feel low]{v. phr.} To be depressed; be in low spirits. •/I don’t know what’s the matter with Mary, but she says she has been feeling very low all afternoon./

[feel no pain]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be drunk. •/After a few drinks, the man felt no pain and began to act foolishly./

[feel one’s oats]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To feel frisky or playful; be eager and excited. •/The horses were feeling their oats./ •/When they first got to camp, the boys were feeling their oats./ 2. To act in a proud or important way. •/The new gardener was feeling his oats and started to boss the other men./

[feel one’s way]{v. phr.} To proceed cautiously by trial and error; probe. •/I won’t ask her to marry me directly; I will feel my way first./

[feel] or [look small] {v. phr.} To have the impression that one is insignificant, foolish, or humiliated. •/"I feel small next to Hemingway," the young student of creative writing said./

[feel out]{v.} To talk or act carefully with someone and find what he thinks or can do. •/The pupils felt out the principal about a party after the game./ •/John felt out his father about letting him have the car that evening./ •/At first the boxers felt each other out./ Compare: SOUND OUT.

[feel out of place]{v. phr.} To experience the sensation of not belonging in a certain place or company. •/Dave felt out of place among all those chess players as he knows nothing about chess./

[feel the pinch]{v. phr.} To be short of money; experience monetary difficulties. •/If we are going to have a recession, everybody will feel the pinch./

[feel up]{v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To arouse sexually by manual contact. •/You mean to tell me that you’ve been going out for six months and he hasn’t ever tried to feel you up?/ Contrast: COP A FEEL.

[feel up to something]{v. phr.}, {informal} To feel adequately knowledgeable, strong, or equipped to handle a given task. •/Do you feel up to jogging a mile a day with me?/ Contrast: BE UP TO SOMETHING.

[feet] See: FOOT.

[feet of clay]{n. phr.} A hidden fault or weakness in a person which is discovered or shown. •/The famous general showed he had feet of clay when he began to drink liquor./ •/The banker seemed to be honest, but he had feet of clay and was arrested for stealing./

[feet on the ground]{n. phr.} An understanding of what can be done; sensible ideas. Used with a possessive. •/John has his feet on the ground; he knows he cannot learn everything at once./ •/Ted dreams of sudden riches, but Henry keeps his feet on the ground and expects to work for his money./ •/Mrs. Smith was a dreamer, but her husband was a man with his feet on the ground./ Contrast: IN THE CLOUDS.