[fell] See: AT ONE FELL SWOOP.

[fellow] See: HAIL-FELLOW-WELL-MET, REGULAR GUY or REGULAR FELLOW.

[fellow traveller]{n.} A sympathizer with a political movement who does not officially belong to the political party in question. •/Many Germans after World War II were innocently accused of being fellow travellers of Nazism./ •/During the McCarthy era, many Americans were accused of being Communist fellow travellers./

[fence] See: GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE, MEND ONE’S FENCES, ON THE FENCE.

[fence in] or [hedge in] or [hem in] {v.} To keep (someone) from doing what he or she would like to do. Usually used in the passive. •/Mary felt fenced in because her father would not let her drive a car or have dates with boys./ •/John didn’t like his job because he had to do the same kind of work all the time. He felt that he was hemmed in./

[fence-sitter]{n.} A person unable to pick between two sides; a person who does not want to choose. •/Daddy says he is a fence-sitter because he doesn’t know which man he wants for President./

[fence-sitting]{n.} or {adj.} Choosing neither side. •/You have been fence-sitting for too long. It is time you made up your mind./ Contrast: MAKE UP ONE’S MIND, TAKE SIDES.

[fence with] or [spar with] {v.} To talk with (someone) as if you were fighting like a swordsman or boxer; to give skillful answers or arguments against (someone). •/The governor was an expert at fencing with reporters at press conferences./

[ferret out]{literary} or [smell out] or [sniff out] {v.} To hunt or drive from hiding; to bring out into the open; search for and find. •/John ferreted out the answer to the question in the library./ •/Jane smelled out the boys' secret hiding place in the woods./

[few] See: MAN OF FEW WORDS, NOT A FEW, QUITE A FEW.

[few and far between]{adj. phr.} Not many; few and scattered; not often met or found; rare. — Used in the predicate. •/People who will work as hard as Thomas A. Edison are few and far between./ •/Places where you can get water are few and far between in the desert./ •/Really exciting games are few and far between./

[fickle finger of fate] See: ACT OF GOD.

[fiddle] See: PLAY SECOND FIDDLE.

[fiddle around] See: FOOL AROUND(3).

[fiddler] See: PAY THE PIPER or PAY THE FIDDLER.

[fiddle with]{v. phr.} To carelessly play with something. •/If Jimmy continues to fiddle with our computer, he is liable to ruin it./

[field] See: CENTER FIELD, LEFT FIELD, OUT IN LEFT FIELD, PLAY THE FIELD, RIGHT FIELD.

[field goal]{n.} 1. A score in football made by kicking the ball over the bar between the goal posts. •/The Giants were not able to make a touchdown but they kicked two field goals./ Compare: EXTRA POINT. 2. A score in basketball made by a successful shot through the basket not made on a free throw. •/A field goal counts two points./ Compare: FOUL SHOT, FREE THROW.

[fifth] See: TAKE THE FIFTH.

[fifth column]{n. phr.} A group or organization within a country that works to bring about the country’s downfall, usually through acts of espionage and sabotage. •/The Communist party in the United States was considered by Senator McCarthy to be the Soviet Union’s fifth column./

[flfty-flfty(1)]{adv.}, {informal} Equally; evenly. •/The two boys divided the marbles they won fifty-fifty./ •/When Dick and Sam bought an old car, they divided the cost fifty-fifty./

[fifty-fifty(2)]{adj.}, {informal} 1. Divided or shared equally. •/It will be a fifty-fifty arrangement; half the money for me and half for you./ 2. Half for and half against; half good and half bad. •/There is only a fifty-fifty chance that we will win the game./ Compare: HALF AND HALF.

[fight against time] See: RACING TO STAND STILL.

[fight fire with fire]{v. phr.}, {slightly formal}, {of Biblical origin} To fight back in the same way one was attacked; make a defense similar to the attack. •/The candidate was determined to fight fire with fire in the debate./

[fight it out] See: SLUG IT OUT.

[fighting chance]{n. phr.} A chance that necessitates struggle and courage; a slim chance. •/The doctor told the family that Jack had a fighting chance to recover./ •/Our business lost a lot of money, but we have a fighting chance to stage a comeback./

[fight off]{v. phr.} 1. To struggle against someone so as to free oneself; push an attacker back. •/Suzy fought off her two attackers in Central Park with a couple of karate chops./ 2. To strive to overcome something negative. •/After twelve hours at the computer terminal, Jane had to fight off her overwhelming desire to go to sleep./

[fight shy of]{v. phr.} To avoid; escape from. •/Jack always fights shy of anything that even remotely resembles serious work./

[fight tooth and nail] See: TOOTH AND NAIL.

[figure in]{v.} 1. {informal} To add to a total; remember to put down in figures. •/We figured in the travel expenses but forgot the cost of meals./ 2. To have a part in; be partly responsible for. •/Joe figured in all our touchdowns./ •/Mary’s good grades figured in her choice as class president./

[figure on]{v.} 1. To expect and think about while making plans. •/We did not figure on having so many people at the picnic./ •/He figured on going to town the next day./ Syn.: PLAN ON. 2. To depend on; be; sure about. •/You can figure on him to be on time./ Syn.: COUNT ON.

[figure out]{v.} 1. To find an answer by thinking about (some problem or difficulty); solve. •/Tom couldn’t figure out the last problem on the arithmetic test./ •/Sam couldn’t figure out how to print a program until the teacher showed him how./ •/Mary couldn’t figure out why her cake tasted so funny until she found salt mixed in the sugar bag./ Compare: FIND OUT(1). 2. To learn how to explain; understand. •/Laurence is an odd boy; I can’t figure him out./ Compare: MAKE OUT(2).

[figure up]{v. phr.} To calculate; add up. •/If you can figure up how many phone calls I’ve made from your home, I will pay you right away./

[fill in]{v.} 1. To write words needed in blanks; put in; fill. •/You should fill in all the blanks on an application for a job./ 2. {informal} To tell what you should know. •/The new boy didn’t know the rules so Bob filled him in./ •/The teacher filled in Mary about class work done while she was sick./ 3. To take another’s place; substitute. •/The teacher was sick and Miss Jones filled in for her./

[fill (in) the gap]{v. phr.} To supply a missing piece of information; provide a clue during the course of solving a mystery. •/Sherlock Holmes said, "These fingerprints are bound to fill the gap in our investigation."/

[fill one’s shoes]{v. phr.} To take the place of another and do as well; to substitute satisfactorily for. •/When Jack got hurt, the coach had nobody to fill his shoes./ •/Joe hopes to fill his father’s shoes./ See: IN ONE’S SHOES.

[fill out]{v.} 1. To put in what is missing; complete; finish; {especially}, to complete (a printed application blank or other form) by writing the missing facts in the blank spaces; to write down facts which are asked for in (a report or application.) •/After Tom passed his driving test he filled out an application for his driver’s license./ •/The policeman filled out a report of the accident./ 2. To become heavier and fatter; gain weight. •/When Bill was nineteen he began to fill out./ •/The girl was pale and thin after her sickness, but in a few months she filled out./