in virtue of something—by reason of smth.; on account of smth.: He was given a position on the board in virtue of his long association with the company. by word of mouth • mouth words by word of mouth—hear about smth. from another person: I can’t remember seeing it advertised much, so most people probably hear about it by word of mouth . mouth words—1. form words silently with one’s lips: Since the mansion was wired with microphones, Howard would mouth words silently when she wanted to have a private con- versation. 2. speak in an indistinct way: Patients treated in the intensive care unit communicate primarily through head nods and mouthing words . bypass something • pass something by by-pass something—1. make a detour (round a town, etc.): The scheme has been referred to as “the Selborne by-pass,” but it does not bypass Selborne at all. 2. avoid or ignore smth. (by using an alternative approach): I will now try to explain in detail how to bypass this problem. pass something by—walk past smth. (without paying atten- tion): You take it for a stone cross … and you pass it by incu- riously. C call box (UK) • call box (U.S.) call box (UK)—(also: phone box) a telephone booth: Mrs. Johnson is now urging the woman to come forward, after the caller did not leave her contact number and phoned from a call box . call box (U.S.)—emergency telephone installed along the sides of many highways, on university campuses, etc.: Drivers can use call boxes in case of an accident or other emergency. call boy • call man call boy —1. a man who calls up actors in a theater for duty: Indignant denials were interrupted by the call-boy knocking on the door and calling for Second Act beginners. 2. a mes- senger on a steamer, in a hotel, etc.: He obtained summer work as a part-time messenger — a job referred to at that time as call boy . 3. a young male prostitute (who makes appoint- ments by phone): Hustlers fall into two categories: the street variety and models (call boys ). call man—a man available for emergency call, such as a part-time fireman: The call man nearest to the emergency situation was dispatched, since only one person manned the fire station. call girl • call-button girl call girl —a prostitute who makes appointments by phone: Police found the names of the call girls in classified ads and phone books. call-button girl—(sl.) a prostitute frequenting hotels: Pros- titutes, “call-button girls ” as they call themselves, roam from airport to airport, operating from the airport hotels. call in on someone • call on someone call in on someone—pay a short visit (to a friend, etc.): We would call in on Patrick on the way to your mother’s. call on someone—1. visit a person for business or official reasons: A doctor called on her and found she had come down with pneumonia. 2. appeal to a person for smth.: Lord Berke- ley called on all his friends to help him. call in one’s chips • cash in one’s chips call in one’s chips—use one’s influence or social connections (to gain an advantage, etc.): That point needs making, before Mr. Clinton’s friends in the labor unions try to call in their chips . cash in one’s chips—1. sell smth. in order to raise money: Many mutual fund investors picked up the phone yesterday, but decided not to cash in their chips after all. 2. (U.S. sl.) die: Got a phone call from Herb the other day informing me that Yochum had finally cashed in his chips at the ripe old age of 94. call names • name names call names—subject a person to angry or violent attack in words: He replied to my innocent jokes by calling names . name names —mention people (involved in some reprehen- sible activity) by name: Valachi has named names and drawn a master plan of the Syndicate (which the underworld refers to as Cosa Nostra). Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase drop names—(also: name-drop) familiarly mention the names of distinguished people in order to imply one’s own impor- tance: The man who shot her, incidentally, is called Lord Lich- field — just one of the names dropped thuddingly at every op- portunity. call of duty • duty call call of duty —smth. that a person is required to do by one’s moral or social obligations: It was cruel of me to ask him to recount the events of the fateful day but it was the call of duty . Cf.: (above and) beyond the call of duty—doing much more than should normally be expected of one (originally of heroic police officers, fire fighters, etc.): The deep level of care and compassion that was demonstrated to me was beyond the call of duty . duty call—a visit undertaken as a duty or as part of one’s social obligations: They had accepted a dinner invitation over in Arlington—a duty call , as Andy termed it. call of nature • call of the wild call of nature —1. the urge to go and explore new (undevel- oped) regions: I felt the call of nature most strongly and began, like the citizens in Hardy’s poem, to “dream of the south and west.” 2. (euph.) is used of a need to go to the toilet: He would suggest dropping in at the Monico, pretext a call of nature . 3. said of the natural desires and instincts: You must expect George to start being interested in girls at his age. It’s the call of nature . call of the wild— = call of nature 1: Several times my father made an attempt to settle down, but the call of the wild would prove too strong. call one’s shots • call the shots call one’s shots—1. tell in advance the result of a game, etc.: Nothing ever happens as John says it will. He is very poor at calling his shots . 2. announce what one is about to do; reveal one’s plans, etc. beforehand: You can hardly expect so adroit a politician to call his shots . call the shots—(also: call all the shots) be in charge; decide on the course of action: Tom is a first-rate leader who knows how to call the shots . Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase call shotgun—(coll.) claim the seat beside the driver in an au- tomobile: If someone has successfully called shotgun , this gives them no right whatsoever to correct the driver on their navi- gation skills. call someone down • call someone up call someone down—reprimand a person severely: He was called down again because of being late. call someone up—1. telephone smb.: Maybe one day I’ll call by word of mouth – 64 –