be stuck-up —(coll.) be conceited; insolently refusing to be companionable: Most people when they meet me expect me to be mean or “stuck-up ” because of the title. be taken ill • take it ill be taken ill—come down with a disease: The assigned at- torney originally scheduled to try the case was taken ill sud- denly. take it ill —(formal) be offended: I beg you not to take it ill that I failed to answer your greeting. My anger prevented a reply… be talked out • be talked out of something be talked out—be tired by talking: Well, you now know all my opinions on the subject; my throat is dry, I’m talked out . be talked out of something—be persuaded not to do smth.: He had to be talked out of leaving at the beginning of this week. be the cock in the henhouse • rule the roost be the cock in the henhouse— said of a male in an all-female environment: He made her tell patients that breast exposure was a “normal procedure,” and referred to himself as “the only cock in the henhouse .” rule the roost—be the boss or manager, especially at home: But who really rules the roost ? Possibly his wife Sybil — equally keen to be seen as a pillar of society and equally blinkered as to life in the real world. be there for me • be there or be square be there for me—help me when I need it; be supportive: They told us that they would be there for me and help me through the difficult time I was about to face. be there or be square —you better be there because everyone of importance will be there: Cassidy is having a gallery open- ing…. There’s an intimate dinner party immediately follow- ing, so be there or be square . Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase you had to be there—used to say that to appreciate the situation you should have been there: There was such a feeling of solidar- ity and unity and peacefulness, you had to be there to feel it. be through something • be through with some- thing be through something—endure smth.; live through a partic- ular experience: These were experienced fishermen. They had been through many storms on this sea before. be through with something —1. eventually accomplish smth.: When she was through with this aria, she asked the audience to be silent, and then she spoke. 2. (coll.) have had enough of smth.; be tired of smth.: I’m through with this job; I must find something more interesting. be titanic • go titanic be titanic —said of smth. gigantic: Zana’s efforts are titanic . Whatever be her motivation, no one can deny the importance of what she has done. go titanic —(sl.) not succeed; fail: An incident that happened recently involved a joint project that nearly went titanic . be too big for one’s boots • fill one’s boots be too big for one’s boots—(also: be too big for one’s shoes) be too proud and conceited: That showed … his arrogance in acting like a puffed up politician who is too big for his boots . fill one’s boots—(UK coll.) 1. have or acquire as much of smth. as one wants: Come on everybody, fill your boots , the food is on the table. 2. score lots of goals: He would have filled his boots in European football; it’s a shame that such a player will end up with just one medal. be too far gone • go too far be too far gone —be in an advanced stage of a particular con- dition (suffering from illness, etc.): We tried to make him un- derstand, but he was too far gone to take in what we were say- ing. Note: The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the phrase be a bit gone—(sl.) be crazy or insane: The cook scratched his head; he had a chat with the overseer afterwards, and they agreed that the traveler was a bit gone . go too far —go beyond the limits of what is considered rea- sonable: If this was an olive branch, Dondolo was tempted to take it, just because he had gone too far . See also: go far / go far afield. be under the cat’s paw • make a cat’s paw of some- one be under the cat’s paw—live under the control of some dom- ineering person: She might claim adulthood in every sense of the word…. She would no longer be under the cat’s paw of her stepmother. make a cat’s paw of someone—make another person a tool or instrument to accomplish one’s own purpose: She simply made a cat’s-paw of you, Basil. I can see it now, darling, I did not then. be under the delusion • be under the illusion be under the delusion —1. hold a false opinion or belief: Any- one who is under the delusion that corrupt governments are only in the Third World has better think again. 2. hold a belief that may be a symptom of madness: He was charged with shoplifting but the man was under the delusion that the su- permarket belonged to him. be under the illusion— = be under the delusion 1: Often our world is under the illusion that power comes in the form of money. be up for something • be up to something be up for something—1. (of a house, car, etc.) intended for sale or repairs: How long has this house been up for sale? 2. be considered for a position, a job, etc.: I believe he’s up for re-admission to the society at the next committee meeting. 3. facing criminal charges: I hear the gardener is up for the rob- bery at the big house. 4. (coll.) willing to do smth. or interested in doing smth.: If you’re up for straight drinking, go to an izakaya, usually explained as a Japanese pub. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase be hard up for something—be short of smth.; not have enough of smth.: I was hard up for cash so I was willing to do whatever I could, within reason. be up to something—1. feel well enough or be able to do smth.: Mother hasn’t been up to much recently, while her leg was bad. 2. be about to engage in smth. mischievous or rep- rehensible: I felt sure he was up to no good when I saw him hanging about the back door. 3. be well aware of smb.’s dis- honest tricks, etc.: But surely, all that’s taken care of by the customs authorities? They must be up to all the dodges. 4. equal smth. in standard: I wonder whether his latest book was up to your expectations? See also: be down for something / be down to something. be used to doing something • used to do some- thing be used to doing something —be accustomed to doing smth.: He is quite used to working hard. used to do something —said of a constant or frequent practice in the past: He used to come every Friday and order a pint of bitter. – 43 – be used to doing something