one is not bothered—(coll.) is used to say that smth. is not important to a person: “Do you want tea or coffee?” “I’m not bothered .” one could care less • one couldn’t care less one could care less—(coll.) one is completely uninterested; one does not care at all: He is a lethargic guy who drifts along from day to day. If a bill doesn’t get paid he could care less . one couldn’t care less— = one could care less: Though he was great with clients, he couldn’t care less about his support peo- ple or the follow-up work they did for him. one could do with something • one couldn’t do with something one could do with something—1. one could make use of or benefit from smth.: You look as if you could do with a wash and brush up. Cf.: one could do without something—one could dispense with smth.; one could manage in spite of not hav- ing smth.: There were times when physicists ran from philos- ophers, being sure they could do without their advice and recommendations. 2. is used as an indirect way of ask- ing for smth.: I could just do with a nice cup of tea and a smoke. one couldn’t do with something—one couldn’t put up with or tolerate smth.: I just couldn’t do with only one pair of pants because I would have to do laundry too many times. one fine day • one of these fine days one fine day—(also: one day) 1. at some distant time in the future (used as a promise or prophecy): Neither was I to know that I should one fine day have a son who would make me very proud of him. 2. on a certain day in the past: But one fine day in early summer … Maxine found herself canceling an arrangement to meet a friend in town. one of these fine days—(also: one of these days) at some time in the future that may be quite soon (used as a promise or prophecy): One of these fine days he’ll realize what a fool he’s been. one has to go • one has to go some one has to go —(euph.) one needs to visit a washroom: I am unable to wait to use the restroom a lot of times that I have to go . one has to go some—(coll.) one must try harder or have to improve: For sheer results from a first-year garden in “totally worthless” soil, you’ll have to go some . one had better • one had rather one had better—said of smth. one should or must do for some practical reason: I decided I had better contact Farooq straightaway. I phoned both numbers from the hotel. one had rather—(also: one would rather) is used to indicate preference: I had rather see the portrait of a dog that I know, than all the allegorical paintings they can show me in the world. one has no time for someone • one hasn’t got all day for someone one has no time for someone—(coll.) is used to say that one strongly disapproves of the person mentioned: I have no time for people who preach equality and then take their holidays in the Bahamas. one hasn’t got all day for someone—(coll.) is used to say that one does not have any more time to spare on the person men- tioned: Come on, Gage, we haven’t got all day for you to take as coffee breaks! one in a thousand • thousand to one, a one in a thousand—said of a rare exception: He is a marvel of good humor, consideration and dignity—one in a thou - sand … thousand to one, a—said of a very great possibility: Don’t stray off the track!—if you do, it is a thousand to one you will never find it again. one of these days • one of those days one of these days —1. (also: one of these fine days) at some time in the future that may be very soon (used as a promise or prophecy): One of these days he will find a farm to let, big enough to bring up little children on it. 2. said of a day that is full of mishaps; a day when everything seems to go wrong: I had the feeling as soon as the Johnsons trooped in for coffee that it was going to be one of these days . Note: a) The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase these days—nowadays; at present: These days can- didates send swarms of advance men into every city before they arrive. b) The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase one day—(also: one fine day) 1. at some distant time in the future: One day she will be married and we all will somehow have to live without her. 2. on a certain day in the past: He came to me quite unexpectedly one day and asked me to join his business. one of those days— = one of these days 2: Oh, it’s one of those days . I bet you anything the horse breaks its legs. one-on-one • one-to-one one-on-one—(attrib.) 1. involving a direct contact between one person and another: Our school offers both one-on-one instruction with your own teacher and group instruction. 2. playing or fighting directly against a single opponent: I was quickly engaged in one-on-one combat with a tall, lean war- rior apart from the central conflict. one-to-one—1. said of pairing each element of a set with an element of another set: I strongly identified with this philos- ophy of enhancing social skills in children by pairing them one-to-one with college students. 2. = one-on-one 2: The brawl began as a one-to-one fight between a black inmate and a Latino, and escalated into a small melee with up to a dozen inmates. Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase one by one—one after another: I found these group ward rounds more efficient and also more enjoyable than seeing patients one by one . one step ahead • one step further one step ahead —a small advantage in a competitive situation: Credit card companies are turning to so-called smart cards in an effort to keep at least one step ahead of the scammers. one step further —at a more advanced level: If we can transfer this knowledge to the society we are one step further and the World Science Forum reaches one of its goals. one way or another • one way or the other one way or another—1. (also: in one way or another) by some means or other: They thought always about winning, and, one way or another , they almost always did win. 2. for any of various reasons: Captain Fitzgibbon wouldn’t come back from that last Ulster tour, one way or another . one way or the other—regarding either of the two possibil- ities: These men cannot both be correct so would somebody produce some evidence to prove the point one way or the other ? one way ride • one way street one way ride—(Underworld) a murder carried out by crim- inals who take their victim on a car journey: …Charlie Luciano—now nicknamed Lucky on account of a one way ride that he came back from. – 255 – one way ride