[from scratch]{adv. phr.}, {informal} With no help from anything done before; from the beginning; from nothing. •/Dick built a radio from scratch./ •/In sewing class, Mary already knew how to sew a little, but Jane had to start from scratch./ Compare: FROM THE GROUND UP.

[from the bottom of one’s heart] or [with all one’s heart] {adv. phr.} With great feeling; sincerely. •/A mother loves a baby from the bottom of her heart./ •/John thanked his rescuer from the bottom of his heart./ •/The people welcomed the returning soldiers from the bottom of their hearts./

[from the door] See: KEEP THE WOLF FROM THE DOOR.

[from the ground up]{adv. phr.} From the beginning; entirely; completely. •/After the fire they had to rebuild their cabin from the ground up./ •/Sam knows about baseball from the ground up./ •/The new cars have been changed from the ground up./

[from the heart]{adv.} Sincerely; honestly. •/John always speaks from the heart./

[from the word "go"]{adv. phr.} From start to finish; completely. •/He may look French but he is a New Yorker from the word "go."/

[from time to time]{adv. phr.} Not often; not regularly; sometimes; occasionally; at one time and then again at another time. •/Even though the Smiths have moved, we still see them from time to time./ •/Mother tries new recipes from time to time, but the children never like them./ Syn.: NOW AND THEN, AT TIMES, ONCE IN A WHILE. Compare: BY FITS AND STARTS, OFF AND ON.

[from --- to ---] 1. Used with a repeated word to show that something keeps on. Without ending. •/The world grows wiser from age to age./ •/He goes from day to day without changing his necktie./ — Also used in a short form like an adjective. •/The superintendent spends more time on plans for the future, and the principal handles the day-to-day problems of the school./ 2. Used with a repeated word to show that something happens again and again. •/She sells face cream from door to door./ •/The artist goes from place to place painting pictures./ — Also used in a short form like an adjective. •/Mr. Roberts began as a door-to-door salesman, and now is president of the company./ 3. Used with words showing opposite or extreme limits, often to emphasize that something is very large or complete. •/The eagle’s wings measured six feet from tip to tip./ •/Sarah read the book from cover to cover./ •/Mrs. Miller’s dinner included everything from soup to nuts./ •/That book is a bestseller from Maine to California./ •/The captain looked the boy over from head to foot./ •/The dog sniffed the yard from end to end in search of a bone./ •/This new car has been redesigned from top to bottom./ •/That bookstore has books on everything from archery to zoology./ •/The television show was broadcast from coast to coast./ •/He knows mathematics from A to Z./ — Sometimes used in a short form like an adjective. •/The airplane made a non-stop coast-to-coast flight./

[from under] See: OUT FROM UNDER, PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER.

[from way back]{adv. phr.} From a previous time; from a long time ago. •/They have known one another from way back when they went to the same elementary school./

[front] See: IN FRONT OF.

[front and center]{adv.}, {slang} Used as a command to a person to go to someone who wants him. •/Front and center, Smith. The boss wants to see you./

[front court]{n.} The half of a basketball court that is a basketball team’s offensive zone. •/The guard brought the ball up to the front court./

[front office]{n.}, {informal} The group of persons who manage a business; the officers. •/The front office decides how much the workers are paid./

[frown upon]{v. phr.} To look with disfavor upon somebody or something. •/Everybody in her family frowns upon her attachment to him./

[fruitcake] See: NUTTY AS A FRUITCAKE.

[fry] See: OTHER FISH TO FRY, OUT OF THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE, SMALL FRY.

[fuck around]{v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} 1. To be promiscuous. •/John fucks around with the secretaries./ 2. To play at something without purpose, to mess around. •/He doesn’t accomplish anything, because he fucks around so much./

[fuck off]{v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} 1. Go away! •/Can’t you see you’re bothering me? Fuck off!/ 2. To be lazy. •/John said "I don’t feel like working, so I’ll fuck off today."/ Compare: BEAT IT, GOOF OFF.

[fuck up]{v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To make a mess of something or oneself. •/Because he was totally unprepared, he fucked up his exam./ •/He is so fucked up he doesn’t know whether he is coming or going./

[fuck-up]{n.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} A mess; a badly botched situation. •/What a fuck-up the dissolution of the USSR created!/

[fuddy-duddy]{n.} A person whose ideas and habits are old-fashioned. •/His students think Professor Jones is an old fuddy-duddy./

[fuel] See: ADD FUEL TO THE FLAME.

[full] See: HAVE ONE’S HANDS FULL, IN FULL SWING, TO THE FULL.

[full blast]{adv.} At full capacity. •/With all the research money at their disposal, the new computer firm was going ahead full blast./

[full-bodied]{adj.} Mature; of maximum quality. •/The wines from that region in California have a rich, full-bodied flavor./

[full-fledged]{adj.} Having everything that is needed to be something; complete. •/A girl needs three years of training to be a full-fledged nurse./ •/The book was a full-fledged study of American history./

[full of beans]{adj. phr.}, {slang} 1. Full of pep; feeling good; in high spirits. •/The football team was full of beans after winning the tournament./ •/The children were full of beans as they got ready for a picnic./ 2. also [full of prunes] Being foolish and talking nonsense. •/You are full of prunes; that man’s not 120 years old./

[full of it] See: FULL OF THE OLD NICK.

[full of oneself]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Interested only in yourself. •/Joe would be a nice boy if he would stop being so full of himself./ Compare: BIG HEAD.

[full of prunes] See: FULL OF BEANS(2).

[full of the moon]{n. phr.}, {literary} The moon when it is seen as a full circle; the time of a full moon. •/The robbers waited for a dark night when the full of the moon was past./ Contrast: DARK OF THE MOON.

[full of the Old Nick] or [full of the devil] or [full of it] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Always making trouble; naughty; bad. •/That boy is full of the Old Nick./

[full tilt]{adv.} At full speed; at high speed. •/He ran full tilt into the door and broke his arm./

[fun] See: MAKE FUN OF.

[fun and games]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. A party or other entertaining event. 2. Something trivially easy. 3. Petting, or sexual intercourse. 4. (Ironically) An extraordinary difficult task. •/How was your math exam? (With a dismayed expression): — Yeah, it was all fun and games, man./

[fun house]{n.} A place where people see many funny things and have tricks played on them to make them laugh or have a good time. •/The boys and girls had a good time looking at themselves in mirrors in the fun house./