be clear about something • be in the clear over something be clear about something —understand smth. completely: Let us be clear about this: the pirates of 1964, like the pirates of old, are simply out after money. be in the clear over something—be out of a difficulty or trou- ble caused by smth.: Is the Government in the clear yet over the composition of the committee? be content with something • content oneself with something be content with something—be satisfied with smth.; be will- ing to accept smth.: The questionnaire results showed that 98 percent of students were “content” with their housing situa- tion. content oneself with something—be satisfied with just one thing and not bother with other things: She hadn’t said much but had contented herself with smoking cigarettes and smil- ing. be crashed out of something • be crushed out of something be crashed out of something—fail to perform well enough to stay in a competition: India’s hopes of getting a further gold went up in smoke when Gopichand was crashed out of the men’s quarter-finals. be crushed out of something—be ousted of a business, etc.: Rockefeller would approach oil companies with two choices: either sell their company to him, or be crushed out of pro- duction. be crowded out of something • crowd out of something be crowded out of something—1. be forced out of premises for lack of room: They were crowded out of the room, but sat in the next peering in at the door eagerly. 2. be ousted from an office, market, etc.: Low-skilled adults are often crowded out of their jobs as better-educated teenagers are drawn into the work force. crowd out of something—go out of a place in a crowd: The crowd—mostly younger people—complained about the movie fiercely as they crowded out of the theater. be cut out for the work • one’s work is cut out for one be cut out for the work —be entirely suited for some work or activity: There’s no better way to tell if you’re cut out for the work than hands-on experience. one’s work is cut out for one—(also: have one’s work cut out for one) have a lot of work to do; have a hard task ahead: If you want to shatter the lake trout record, your work is cut out for you . be dead in the water • sleep with the fishes be dead in the water—(of a task, project, etc.) be unable to make progress; be a failure: Without an effective leader, our plans for expansion are dead in the water . sleep with the fishes—(Underworld) be murdered and have the body disposed of (also: swim with the fishes): I think I could persuade you to cooperate. That is, unless you’d like to sleep with the fishes . be dead nuts on something • be dead set on some- thing be dead nuts on something—1. (coll.) placed precisely on the surface of smth.: He caught me dead nuts on the chin, Pepe thought as he lay on the ground. 2. (coll.) exactly correspond to smth.: The styling of the new convertible is dead nuts on what a car in this class should be: bold and aristocratic. 3. (sl.) be very fond of smth.; be delighted with smth.: Quite frankly, I wasn’t dead nuts on meeting with them. be dead set on something—be fixed in one’s purpose; be de- termined on doing smth.: The administration is dead set on trying to destroy unions. Cf.: make a dead set at something— make a determined effort to gain smth.: People can’t be allowed to make a dead set at a property like this. be death on someone • be the death of someone be death on someone—(coll.) 1. be fatal to a person; be very effective in acting against smb.: The new teacher is death on students who come late to class. 2. be very fond of a person: Fanny hasn’t forgotten you … she was always death on you English chaps. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase die on someone(also: go dead on someone) 1. die while in the charge or care of a person: “I want to look after her while she’s in England.” “Suppose she died on you?” 2. (of an appa- ratus, appliance, etc. in smb.’s care) break down; cease to function: My car died on me, and I couldn’t get it started. be the death of someone—(coll.) 1. said of things (especially done repeatedly) which upset or irritate a person: Forty, if she’s a day, wears pince-nez and an air of brisk efficiency that will be the death of me. 2. said of smb. who is exceptionally funny or ridiculous: Lili’s capering seemed the funniest thing she had ever seen. “Stop, Lili, stop! You’ll be the death of me!” be down for something • be down to something be down for something—said of a person or thing listed for some activity: Mr. Stansfield’s bill was down for second read- ing on Wednesday. be down to something—have only a little money or goods left: On the seventh day after the wreck, he was down to his last pint of water. See also: be up for something / be up to something. be dressed in rags • have the rags on be dressed in rags —be dressed in old torn clothes: The work was carried out manually by wretched, scarecrow figures dressed in rags . have the rags on—(sl.) 1. wear a special kind of clothes: He had the rags on , getting into character, and it just took me aback for a minute. Cf.: have the glad rags on—wear one’s best clothes or formal attire: Having arrived it was time to get the glad rags on and go to dinner in the town. 2. (also: have the rag on) have one’s menstrual period: Lana doesn’t feel like going out tonight. She’s got the rags on . be empty-handed • have one’s hands full be empty-handed—1. having received or gained nothing: Due to three successive droughts, most farmers are empty- handed . 2. be unarmed: You will learn not only to use weap- ons, but also to defend against someone who has one while you are empty-handed . have one’s hands full—have much work to do; be very busy: The plumber had his hands full and could not take another job for two weeks. be evident • be in evidence be evident—be obvious; be easy to see or understand: It was evident to me that writing must be in God’s great plan for my life. be in evidence —1. be actually present: He was not about, so I looked outside, but he was not in evidence . He had not yet risen. 2. be prominent or conspicuous: He was not in evidence , to any considerable extent, in the voluntary societies of the college. be clear about something – 34 –