one’s take on something • one’s takeaway on something one’s take on something—(coll.) one’s opinion on smth.: What’s your take on automobile electronics? Do they make cars more reliable, longer lasting, safer and cleaner? one’s takeaway on something—(coll.) the knowledge and skill one has obtained through some personal experience: My take - away on the soy milk: It didn’t do me any harm. one’s time of life • time of one’s life one’s time of life—1. is used with reference to a person’s age, specifically middle age: The ignorant will be apt to think it an occupation ill suited to my time of life . 2. (euph.) meno- pause in women: Aidan has already threatened me with psy- chiatrists. He says it is “my time of life .” time of one’s life—1. a particular period in a person’s life: She told me about Oxford. It evidently was the pleasantest time of her life . 2. (in the phrase “have the time of one’s life”) a period of exceptional enjoyment: We will design a program that is so much fun that you will have the time of your life . See also: lifetime / time of life. only child, an • only child, the only child, an—a child without any brothers or sisters: I was an only child and he was an only child. For those basic reasons, I’ve always felt a connection to him. only child, the—1. = only child, an: He was missing all the attention that was coming his way when he was the only child . 2. a single child involved in a situation: I remember Sumitro because he was the only child with parents from India. open a book on something • open book, an open a book on something—(Bookmakers) take bets on certain contests: There is a good deal of interest in the outcome of this ballot, so I thought it might be fun to open a book on the event. open book, an —used of a person or thing that can be readily examined or understood: He kept to himself personally, but his military life was an open book . See also: close the book on something / close the books on some- thing. open a can of worms • open up a can of whoop-ass open a can of worms —create a situation that will cause much trouble or scandal: The investigation into how these expensive trips were paid for opened a can of worms . Cf.: open a whole new can of worms—expose a lot of new serious problems: They aren’t saying that it is immutable, but that if you start changing it you open a whole new can of worms . open up a can of whoop-ass —(U.S. sl., usually used as a threat) punish or hurt smb. verbally or physically: Well, don’t make me worry ever again or I’ll open up a can of whoop ass ! open-armed • open-handed open-armed—ready to receive people with enthusiasm: There they are, all waiting open-armed for tourists to arrive. When I traveled in April, the hotels were brim-full. open-handed —treating people in a generous, liberal way: Being an open-handed woman, Kathleen offered to read my manuscript (which was still in the typewritten stage). open house • open housing open house—1. said of general hospitality and readiness to welcome guests at any time: Their home was an open house where the door was never locked and everyone was welcome. 2. a social event, such as a presentation, which everybody can attend: The format of the meeting was an open house in which the design concepts were presented for public review. open housing —(U.S.) property that can be rented or bought without restriction on racial or ethnic ground: The objection, apart from prejudice, is usually economic because open hous - ing may drive down values of real estate. open question • open-end question open question —an issue not yet finally decided that can still be discussed: There was no clear resolution on this except to note that this remains an open question . Note: The expression is not equivalent in meaning to the phrase open to question—used of statements, assertions, etc. that are doubtful and subject to challenge or disagreement: The govern- ment have always known that the status of these islands is open to question . open-end question—(also: open-ended question) a question so phrased as to encourage an expression of opinion (as dis- tinguished from a simple negative or affirmative): The reading test consists of open-end questions based on different texts of various subjects and length. open sea • open water open sea—1. the part of the sea not closed in by land (not a bay or harbor): A “black south-easter,” the wind most feared on this coast, forced most of the fleet to run for open sea . 2. the part of the sea outside the territorial jurisdiction of any country: The real place of meeting between the Englishman and the Spaniard was on the open sea . 3. sea that is practically free from ice and navigable: It is probable that an open sea stretches to the Antarctic pole. open water— = open sea 3: Von Wrangell found open water —or what is now often called a “Polynia,” an open sea. open to someone • open with someone open to someone—(of a shop, restaurant, etc.) accessible to people who may come: The library is not open to the public this week. open with someone—willing to honestly and frankly talk about things with another person: Parents should try to be open with their children. open town • wide-open town open town—1. (U.S.) a town characterized by a lack of restrictions on places for drinking, gambling, etc.: They form a Committee to clean up San Francisco, and as chairman they take the man who’s been running it as an open town for sixteen years. 2. an undefended town exempt from enemy bombard- ment because of its great historical importance: It may mean surrender in return for such quite valueless concessions as “no bombing of open towns .” wide-open town — = open town 1: He has been elected three times because the citizens want a wide-open town . open up on someone • open up to someone open up on someone—1. start shooting at a person: Just as we reached that spot a group of soldiers opened up on us with rockets, automatic rifles, and grenades. 2. subject a person to a harsh verbal assault or criticism: When we’d killed most of a bottle of wine discussing the literary projects, she opened up on me. open up to someone—1. (also: open up with someone) talk to smb. frankly or intimately: Although he never answered—or perhaps because of it — I opened up to him completely, telling him things I’d never told anyone. 2. become more accepting of a person: I stayed during the breaktime, so a few of the boys stayed also. They finally opened up to me especially the quiet ones. opera bouffe • opera buffa opera bouffe—a type of light or satirical French opera: Each – 257 – opera bouffe