be put up against the wall • be up against the wall be put up against the wall —said of smb. about to be executed by shooting: His appeal was turned down…. The day came round and he was put up against the wall to be shot. be up against the wall(also: have one’s back against the wall) have run out of options; be pushed to the last extremity: When I was up against the wall and couldn’t pay my bills, I knew I had to do something. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase come up against a blank wall—(also: come up against a brick wall) encounter an insurmountable obstacle or difficulty: We come up against a blank wall . There is a total unwilling- ness to hear our side of the story. be quit of someone • be quits with someone be quit of someone—be free or rid of a person: “On the whole,” she continued thoughtfully, “it would be much better if he died. I mean, I’d feel more finally quit of him .” be quits with someone—be even with smb. by repaying a debt or by means of retaliation: He was quits with all the world, and loved others as little as he thought they loved him. be reflected in something • reflect on something be reflected in something—be clearly shown in smth.: The low level of interest in the election has been reflected in the unwillingness of the citizens to vote. reflect on something—bring smth. into question or disfavor: Your behavior reflects on the good name of the school. be related to someone • relate to someone be related to someone—be connected by family to smb.: I am distantly related to the Rochesters by the mother’s side. relate to someone—1. concern a person: When it doesn’t relate to me I can’t find the energy to worry about it. 2. communicate or deal with other people: Children need to learn to relate to other children. be ringed • be rung be ringed—1. be encircled or surrounded: The village was ringed by a wall of sharp-thorned acacia branches woven tightly together. 2. (of birds) have a numbered ring attached to their legs, so that various aspects of the bird’s life can be studied: The first birds to be ringed in southern Africa were Cape Griffons. be rung —(of a bell, gong, etc.) be caused to sound: The first peal in North America was rung at Christ Church, Philadel- phia, in 1850. be seated • be unseated be seated—1. (imper.) is used as an invitation to sit down: Thank you all for being here today and please be seated . 2. be placed in a chair or other seat: Once they were seated in her office, she started to explain the problem. 3. be established in a position of power or authority: Churchill won and was seated as a Liberal member in the 1906 election. be unseated —be removed from office: No first-term gover- nor has been unseated in the state since 1918. be set on doing something • be set to do some- thing be set on doing something—be determined to do smth.: Roberts was outraged, and thereafter he and Nieuwendyk were set on leaving the team. be set to do something—be ready and prepared to do smth.: We were set to enjoy the weekend in a deluxe room overlook- ing Downtown Disney. be soft in the head • have a hard head be soft in the head—(coll.) be foolish or mentally retarded (also: be weak in the head): One of the curses of being a sci- ence-fiction writer is that unsophisticated people assume you to be soft in the head . Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase be weak-minded—be not firm or resolute enough: He was a good guy, but was manipulated…. I guess you could say he was weak minded . have a hard head—be practical and determined, not in- fluenced by sentiments: He’s not the suit and tie you all think he is. He has a hard head but he also has a heart. be sold on someone • be sold out to someone be sold on someone—(U.S. coll.) be accepted by a person as worthy: When we first moved in, our neighbors seemed cold and unfriendly, but now we are sold on them. Cf.: be sold on something—be persuaded to recognize the worth or desirability of smth.: Parliament, and presumably the citizens, were sold on the idea of creating the Child Support Agency. be sold out to someone—(coll.) be betrayed deceitfully to smb.: He had little support from the English aristocracy who felt that they had been sold out to Rome. be someone’s right-hand man • stay on the right side of someone be someone’s right-hand man—act as a person’s chief assis- tant: I’m counting on you being my right-hand man . stay on the right side of someone—(also: keep on the right side of someone) continue to be friendly with smb.: It will pay you to stay on the right side of the boss, as if you annoy him it could cost you your job. be stiff-necked • have a stiff neck be stiff-necked—(also: be hard-necked) be stubborn or haughty: She was stiff-necked , but he would make her see rea- son. have a stiff neck—suffer from a condition in which the head cannot be moved without pain: By the time the train pulled into the station, he had a stiff neck and an aching back. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase have the neck—(coll.) have the insolence; be presumptu- ous enough to do smth.: I asked her how she had the neck to come to the area to open a community center, while she was cutting community jobs. be stuck for something • be stuck on something be stuck for something(coll.) be unable to obtain smth.: An undergraduate is no longer “stuck” for a dinner, a seat at a play, a railroad ticket. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase stick up for something(coll.) declare oneself in favor of smth.; support a cause: I shall always like him the better for “sticking up” for old New England. be stuck on something—(coll.) feel a strong attraction to smth.; be captivated with smth.: I am stuck on the idea that what we are missing most in our culture today is truth. be stuck on someone • be stuck with someone be stuck on someone—(sl.) feel a strong attraction to a person: You’d say she was kind of stuck on the fellow at the first meet- ing although it was a blind date. be stuck with someone —(coll.) be unable to get rid of an un- wanted person: The truly sad thing is that I am stuck with him for the rest of my life. be stuck up • be stuck-up be stuck up—1. (sl.) said of an armed robbery: It was only the previous night that he had been “stuck up ,” with a pistol at his head. 2. (coll.) be hindered from proceeding on a jour- ney, etc.: Luckily, we got stuck up in a town and not in the middle of nowhere. be put up against the wall – 42 –