not a word—not even one word, spoken or written: They seated themselves and ate their breakfast together, and still not a word was said. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the humorous catchphrase not a word to Bessie—(dated) used in circumstances calling for secrecy: I had a rather close encounter with the gate … (not a word to Bessie !) but happily the car was unblemished. no worries • not to worry no worries—(Austral. coll.) that’s OK; no problem (used as an expression of reassurance): She asked me whether she could stay in my place during her stay in Singapore. “Sure, no wor - ries ,” I said. not to worry—(coll.) is used to say that smth. need not be a cause of concern: The government had no money, but not to worry , he said, because he had private friends who would foot the bill. nominate someone for something • nominate someone to something nominate someone for something—propose a person as a can- didate for a position: A National Republican Convention will be held for the purpose of nominating candidates for President and Vice President. nominate someone to something—appoint a person to a posi- tion or office: The Popes have continued to nominate bishops to the lost Patriarchates; but these bishops have resided at Rome. none but • none other but none but—no other person or thing except the one men- tioned: None but the very few could ever appreciate the ideal of the man, much less understand it. none other but—(also: none other than) is used to emphasize the importance of the person or thing mentioned: The archi- tect was none other but James Gibbs, also famous for designing the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London. normal school • special school normal school —an institution with a two-year program for the training of teachers (chiefly for the elementary grades): One key element of the teacher training philosophy was to maintain a “practice” or “demonstration” school attached to the Normal School . special school —a school for the teaching of children who are mentally or physically handicapped: The baby had been sent to a special school because she had been born with a kind of sickness. north light • North Lights north light—a window, especially in a studio roof facing north: I went to his tiny studio. He’d simply put a high north light in the roof of a small bedroom. North Lights—(also: Northern Lights) the aurora borealis: I stood looking up at the North Lights , which shot up the heaven to a great height. Northwest Territories • Northwest Territory Northwest Territories—a huge area of sub-arctic and arctic Canada: When the nights are dark in autumn and winter, the northern lights come out in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Northwest Territory—(U.S. hist.) an area created by Congress in 1787, covering present-day Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota: A committee of Congress, headed by James Monroe, made a report about a plan for governance of the Northwest Territory . not a bit • not a little not a bit—not at all; not in the least: I haven’t slept all night and I am not a bit tired. not a little —to a considerable extent: They were not a little surprised to see me, and not a little annoyed either. Note: The expression does not fully correlate in meaning with the phrase no little—1. (followed by a noun) much: It requires no little care and patient investigation to arrive at a correct conclusion. 2. = not a little: Both were deeply interested, im- mensely impressed, and no little surprised by what they saw. not a thing • not the thing not a thing —nothing at all: “And you didn’t hear anything, or see anything?” asked Perry Mason. “Not a thing .” not the thing—not proper or befitting: New York was a metropolis, and in metropolises it was “not the thing ” to arrive early at the opera. not born yesterday • yesterday’s man not born yesterday—1. not naïve or easily fooled: It shouldn’t surprise anyone who wasn’t born yesterday that these ads that sound too good to be real are just that. 2. old enough to know or remember smth.: Anyone who wasn’t born yesterday remembers the old Mexican Village restaurant, or at least has heard tales of its fame. yesterday’s man—a person, especially a celebrity, whose career is over or on the decline: Even if Labor wins a sizable majority, Blair’s time is over … he is yesterday’s man . See also: new man / old-timer. not count one’s chickens before they are hatched • not cross one’s bridges before one comes to them not count one’s chickens before they are hatched—(usually imper.) not anticipate some expected benefit because it may not happen: You’re expecting to make a lot of money but don’t count your chickens before they are hatched . not cross one’s bridges before one comes to them—(usually imper.) not worry unnecessarily about future problems until they happen: Don’t cross your bridges before you come to them —but you’ll recollect that a stitch in time saves nine. not even think of something • not think much of something not even think of something—(usually imper.) not even con- sider the idea: Except that I want to see your sin-stained coun- tenance, I should not even think of a week in Paris. not think much of something —(also: think little of something ) have a poor opinion with regard to smth.: He gives very good dinners, but I don’t think much of his cellar. not half • not the half not half —(coll.) 1. not nearly; not at all: But why don’t you come to my room? I have some Scotch—not half bad. 2. (emphatic) only a fraction or a small part of smth.: So, I have to read that and write about it. And that’s not half of my homework. not the half— = not half 2: He accused them of being responsible for the error, and that’s not the half of the story. not half bad • not so bad not half bad—(coll.) quite good: The machine is not half bad . It’s very quiet, and it performs as well as the PC on gen- eral office applications. not so bad—only a little bad: The weather is not so bad now as we are off the mountain but there is still mist covering the peaks. not have a leg to stand on • not have the legs not have a leg to stand on —(of an argument, opinion, etc.) be no worries – 242 –