They acquired Joan Miro pictures painted in the manner of a 4-year-old struggling to come to terms with the human face. again and again • every now and again again and again —(also: time and again) habitually; repeat- edly: I was absorbed in “The Cloud on the Sanctuary,” reading it again and again . every now and again—(also: now and again) occasionally; from time to time: Every now and again the ear could catch the sudden splash of pike meeting pike. agree on something • agree to something • agree with something agree on something—1. have the same view about smth.: Mu- sicians rarely agree on the way a piece of music should be played. 2. decide on smth.: We’ve agreed on Spain for our holiday next year. agree to something—(of a suggestion, statement, etc.) view with favor; accept what has been proposed: Neither the peo- ple, nor their representatives, would agree to the plan. agree with something—1. go along with a person in an opin- ion or statement: It is great what Martin has done and I agree with his comment. 2. (of two versions, accounts, etc.) be similar or fully correspond: This bill doesn’t agree with my calcula- tions. ahead of one’s time • before one’s time ahead of one’s time(of people, new ideas, etc.) too advanced to be accepted by one’s contemporaries: Men who are ahead of their time can lead the present into the future. before one’s time—1. before a person was born, had arrived, etc.: There was at one time a little cinema, but that was before my time . 2. before the due or expected time: His poverty, and continual harassment by the authorities had made him old be - fore his time . 3. = ahead of one’s time: Robert Owen, with his enlightened ideas on working conditions in factories, was be - fore his time . Note: The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the phrase not before its time— used of smth. that should have been done long ago: At last they are installing electric light in the main streets, and not before its time . ahead of time • before time ahead of time—(usually showing approval) earlier than ex- pected: The homework was finished ahead of time so he went out to play. before time —prematurely; before the due or expected time: So far was prepunctuality carried, that Her Majesty was ten minutes before time . aim at something • aim for something aim at something—1. point the weapon or object in the di- rection of smth.: He aimed at the far wall and squeezed the trigger. 2. plan or hope to achieve smth.: We are now aiming at a higher production level. aim for something— = aim at something 2: For most people, aiming for a higher position at once is the key to job search success. air boat • inflatable boat air boat—1. a seaplane with a boatlike fuselage: This class of seaplanes, variously termed “flying-boat” and “air-boat ,” consists essentially of a long boat-shaped hull, wherein the passengers’ seats are contained. 2. a shallow-draft boat driven by an airplane propeller: A Pandora’s Box is opening to release a flood of airboats on the long-suffering landscape of crowded Southern Ontario. inflatable boat—an air-filled rubber boat (for use in an emergency, etc.): The crewmen had to be pulled from the freezing water by colleagues in an inflatable boat . air gun • air gunner air gun—a gun in which compressed air is used to propel the charge: Darned if he didn’t up with this here air gun and plunk me with a buckshot it carried. air gunner —an aircrew member whose job is to operate a gun: Too old for piloting he became an air gunner with 235 Squadron Coastal Command. air lane • airline air lane —(also: airway) a regular route of travel for aircraft: This will enable controllers to squeeze an extra 20 percent traffic into the crowded air lanes . airline —1. company that carries passengers and cargo by airplane: The airline has announced it will run daily service to Florida. 2. a tube through which air is passed under pres- sure: Any big truck lives and dies, steers and brakes, on its air-lines . air letter • airmail letter air letter —(also: aerogramme) a sheet of light paper forming a letter for sending by airmail: An air letter is written on a special form supplied by the Post Office. airmail letter —a letter to be sent by air: Aerogrammes are less expensive than an airmail letter and have the same delivery time. alien from something • alien to something alien from something—differing in nature or character from smth.: I am a Christian; therefore, many of the tenets of Bud- dhism are alien from my faith. alien to something—contrary or opposed to smth.: I could not consent to the introduction into our national life of a de- vice so alien to all our traditions as the referendum. alive to something • alive with something alive to something—aware of smth.; conscious of smth.: He was alive to the danger that pressure might be put on the po- lice, and he might be forced to take ill-advised action. alive with something—teeming with smth.; full of smth.: The lake was alive with alligators. These could be seen basking along the low banks... all along • all along the line all along—all the time: Her employer said he had suspected the girl of pilfering all along . all along the line —at every point in the course of an activity: These newer family magazines are making the older ones fight for existence all along the line . all at once • at once all at once —suddenly and abruptly: There comes over him, all at once , a sort of cold, creepy shudder. at once—1. immediately: She doesn’t know where he is... otherwise she would drive to his address at once . 2. simulta- neously; at the same time: Fire service says we cannot be in two places at once . all but • anything but all but—almost; nearly: We’re all but finished now. We’ll be ready in a moment. anything but—not at all: My father was anything but pleased when he heard my story. all day and every day • all the days of one’s life all day and every day —during the whole of one day and for a number of days afterwards: We had glorious weather, sun- shine all day and every day . – 13 – all day and every day