vultures . Around you will be the expected wildlife of the African bush. vulturine eagle —a black-and-white eagle (Aquila verreauxii) of southern Africa: The vulturine eagle makes the mountain precipices its abode. earlier on • early on earlier on—at an earlier time: Oh, by the way, your son telephoned earlier on to say he wouldn’t be able to come. early on—at an early stage of smth.: We decided early on that we wanted to create a site that was attractive, but more importantly was easy to navigate. early bird • early man early bird —1. smb. who gets up early; an early riser: If you like to get up early, you are an early bird and will probably perform better in the morning. 2. smb. who arrives earlier than the expected or arranged time: Be an early bird to get a table at this restaurant which is usually very crowded. early man —a prehistoric human being: We need to under- stand the degree to which religion integrated with the life of the early man . Early English • Old English Early English —1. Middle and Early Modern English lan- guage (1066–1400): Yet another Early English text appears under the editorship of an American scholar. 2. the early style of Gothic architecture which developed in England in the 13th century: So far as architecture is concerned the book covers three periods, Early English , Geometric, and Early Dec- orated. Old English —the English language of the period before the Norman conquest in the 11th century: In this dictionary, the language of England before 1100 is called, as a whole, “Old English .” earth people • people of the Earth earth people —1. (also: earth-men) people whose life is closely associated with the natural or material (as opposed to the spir- itual) world: They are an earth people and their legend is hor- rific, dramatic, almost senseless. 2. (Earth people) residents of the planet Earth in science fiction (also: earth-men): It was discovered that some Earth people reacted violently to visitors from outer space. 3. (sl., joc.) people who are “normal,” that is, not alcohol or drug addicted: The brain of the alcoholic is different from that of “earth people .” First is the phenomenon of craving. people of the Earth —1. people of the world; people dwelling on the earth: It is essential that we people of the Earth elim- inate the fearsome specters of water shortages. 2. = earth people 2: It was the year 2107 and the people of the Earth had finally united in the cause of greater knowledge. Disease, famine and war had long gone away. East Indiaman • East Indian East Indiaman —(hist.) a sailing ship of large tonnage en- gaged in the East India trade: I have taken my berth in an East Indiaman which sails on the twentieth of June. East Indian—1. smb. descended from the indigenous peo- ples of the Indian sub-continent: East Indians is the name given to the descendants of those who came to British Guyana from India. 2. a person of mixed European and Asian parent- age: “Who is she?” “An East Indian , I should guess, by her dark complexion.” easy about someone • easy on someone easy about someone—free from worry or anxiety about smb.: He was quite easy about Agellius, who had, as he considered, successfully made off with himself. easy on someone—not strict or severe enough with a person: He deserves the punishment, but do be easy on him. eat a peck of dirt • eat dirt eat a peck of dirt—put up with insult and abuse; submit to humiliating treatment: In times of revolution a good many pecks of dirt have to be eaten . eat dirt—(coll.) 1. = eat a peck of dirt: Lord Fitzurse made up for the dirt which they had been eating by the splendor of his entertainment. 2. (also: eat someone’s dust) trail another competitor in a race: He was the leader in the bike race until he ate dirt and was passed by almost everyone else. See also: dirt-eater / dirt-eating. eat away • eat out eat away—eat continuously; eat as much as one likes: Be prepared to spend at least two hours chatting and eating away , relishing every minute of Fran’s delicious German cook- ing. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase eat away from home—have one’s meals in cafeterias, etc. rather than at home: When eating away from home , people eat either larger quantities or higher calorie foods. eat out—eat in a restaurant, etc. instead of at home: Some- times eating out can be cheaper than buying a weeks worth of groceries. Cf.: eat in—eat or dine at home: I would certainly recommend the hotel to people who prefer to eat in and cook for themselves. eat away at something • eat away something eat away at something—destroy smth. gradually: Attempts have been made to stop the Sphinx from eroding even more. The blowing sands in the desert are gradually eating away at it. eat away something—1. destroy smth. by eating: The mon- keys had eaten away most of the mangroves, and the only ones that remained were shielded by steel cages. 2. destroy smth. by chemical action: Structures such as bridges, buildings, and monuments are also at risk, as they can be literally eaten away by the acid. eat like a pig • make a pig of oneself eat like a pig —(also: eat like pigs) eat in a greedy or disgusting manner: He has terrible table manners, he eats like a pig . make a pig of oneself —(coll.) eat gluttonously; overindulge in food (also: pig oneself ): I’m afraid I made a pig of myself at dinner. eat off something • eat out of something eat off something—1. eat one’s food from a certain container: Put vegetables on oven safe plate (you will be eating off this plate) and put in toaster oven. 2. eat part of a piece of food: “She always brought in a cake for him,” Foley said. “People would eat off the cake for the rest of the day.” eat out of something— = eat off something 1: Whenever he eats lunch, he eats out of his own bowl and uses his own uten- sils that he keeps for himself. eat one’s head off • eat someone’s head off eat one’s head off—1. said of an animal whose upkeep costs more than it will sell for: That ox has been here all winter and ate his head off . 2. (coll.) eat excessively or gluttonously: I am not weighing in today as I just got back from New York and ate my head off while I was there. eat someone’s head off—(coll., also: bite someone’s head off ) speak to smb. in a rude and angry manner; severely criticize a person: I have the worst temper in the world and will eat your head off at the slightest thing. earlier on – 110 –