Note: The expression is not equivalent in meaning to the phrase rope someone into something—persuade or induce a person to do smth.: I was roped into the school dancing troupe and we performed in front of an audience. tight for money • tight with money tight for money —having insufficient money: My father didn’t know what to do; he’d only just started on his own, so he was tight for money as well. tight with money —unwilling to spend money: I don’t think he is a liberal. He’s tight with his money , and he wants to see the poor work for their money. tight on someone • tight with someone tight on someone—1. (of garments) fitting too closely; being too small for a person: The Navy’s largest dungaree shirt was tight on him, and he popped the buttons off when he expanded his chest. 2. (Sport) striving to limit the opponent’s options and freedom of movement: Chiasson … just fires the puck every time he gets it. And we’ve got to be aware of that; we’ve got to be tight on him. tight with someone —(coll.) 1. miserly with a person: Buxton wonders why Lemoine’s father is so tight with his son while lavishing money on Lemoine’s youngish stepmother. 2. on terms of close friendship with a person: Our families grew up together and I got really tight with him. till the cows come home • till the fat lady sings till the cows come home — do smth. continually for a very long time: She likes to watch cartoons very much, she can sit before the TV and watch it till the cows come home . till the fat lady sings—(U.S. sl.) till the end of smth.; until smth. is finally concluded (also: till the last dog is hung ): This team has got heart of gold and spirit of an eagle, and will fight till the fat lady sings . Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase till the pips squeak—(sl.) do smth. to the limit, even though it will make other people suffer (often with reference to excessive taxation): Throughout my working life, and more so recently I’ve been taxed till the pips squeak . tilt board • tilting board tilt board—an apparatus for testing perception of bodily position by rotating a blindfolded person: The subjects stood on the tiltboard with lower-extremity support and were asked to maintain a balanced position on the board. tilting board —(U.S.) a long plank set on a center mount for use in the game of seesaw: The outdoor toy called a seesaw has a number of regional names. In southeast New England it is called a tilt or a tilting board . time fire • timed fire time fire—artillery fire in which the projectile is intended to burst in air: Griffith told me to fire some hand grenades, which went off three or four feet above the trench and had the effect of artillery time fire . timed fire —target firing in which a given number of rounds are fired within a particular time limit: After the slow-fire course is complete, the targets are moved to 25 yards for timed fire . time service • time-serving time service—1. determination of the precise time as the work of an astronomical observatory: The time-service has also occupied part of the energy of the observatory. 2. shaping one’s behavior so as to please one’s superiors or to fit the dom- inant pattern of one’s times: This freedom from time-service gives a dignity to Heywood’s character. time-serving — = time service 2: It was all devotion, not time- serving as the vulgar thought. See also: serve one’s time / serve time. tip someone • tip someone off tip someone—give a gift of money to a waiter, porter, etc.: He ordered another beer, tipped the bartender five dollars on a five dollar beer, and went out. tip someone off—provide a person with privileged or secret information likely to bring useful results: A friend tipped me off on a great gift for my son’s birthday. tired from something • tired of something tired from something—physically tired; exhausted by smth.: Walter now plonked himself, tired from his walk, on the sofa. tired of something—(also: tired with something ) bored or mentally exhausted with smth.: This law limited any raising of property taxes, the people being tired of constant increases. to a point • to the point to a point—1. (also: to a fine point) thoroughly; completely: The idea is clear to a point : it is irrational to object to death, since we do not object to pre-natal nonexistence. 2. (also: up to a point) to a certain extent but not absolutely: To a point this is the sort of gamesmanship that attorneys, for better or for worse, do. to the point—relevant; pertinent to the matter or subject in question: He made a suggestion that was altogether to the point . to date • up to date to date—so far; until now: One hundred and fifty letters were sent out regarding membership renewals, with forty responses to date . up to date —in accordance with current fashion, technology, etc.: The need to be up to date might not have been the least of our driving forces for general progress. to death • to the death to death—1. until death results: Four members of a bush- walking club were burnt to death when trapped by a bush fire. 2. said of smb. sentenced to be executed: The Russian Em- bassy’s source confirmed that a Russian citizen had been sen- tenced to death in China. 3. (hyperbolic) utterly; completely: But I see you are tired to death , and will wish you good night. to the death—1. (of combatants) keep fighting until none is left alive: The British used to admire the men who fought to the death , paying the ultimate price. 2. struggle to the bitter end: What drove them was a corporate culture that made them fight to the death for their firms. to some purpose • to the purpose to some purpose—effectively; with good result: The mer- chants could concert together for the saving of their credit: and they did it to some purpose . to the purpose—pertinent to the matter or subject in ques- tion: John never wastes time; he speaks plainly and to the purpose . Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase on purpose—intentionally; not by chance: It wasn’t an accident—he broke the window on purpose . to someone’s teeth • to the teeth to someone’s teeth—(dated) directly to smb.’s face; in open defiance: The very men who had laughed the loudest at his jests, were now defying him to his teeth as a villain! to the teeth —(also: up to the teeth) fully; completely: A young farmer who is starting out and mortgaged to the teeth at the bank would not look at it the same way. – 323 – to someone’s teeth