nursery-girl • nurseryman nursery-girl—(also: nurserymaid) a woman looking after young children: She took it into her head to go to Boston, as a nursery girl , where she lived a few months. nurseryman—a man who owns, or works in, a nursery for plants: When their toddler handed them an acorn from the tree, Meyers, a nurseryman , planted it in their back yard. nurses’ home • nursing home nurses’ home—residential accommodation for the nurses employed by a hospital: They were sacked after a party in which they staged their own version of Florence Nightingale in the nurses’ home , dancing about in “shortie” nighties. nursing home—an institution providing health care, espe- cially for the elderly: “If I put a man in a room, beat him, starved him, the state will put me in jail,” Dr. Goldman said. “If I own a nursing home and do it, the state pays me.” nuts at something • nuts on something nuts at something —(sl.) very skilful at dealing with smth.: John’s always nuts at work and I’ve been feeling a bit with- drawn lately. I won’t even attempt to get caught up. nuts on something —(sl.) very fond of smth.; greatly devoted to smth. (also: nuts about something ): She was nuts on clean- liness, maybe she was just “nuts.” nuts on someone • nuts to someone nuts on someone—(sl.) said of smb. madly in love with a person: Michael’s such dead nuts on her that he’s getting dull. nuts to someone—(sl.) said of smth. affording pleasure to a person: I hadn’t had more than three hours’ sleep, and the snug warmth of that couch was just nuts to me. O Odd Fellow • odd fellow Odd Fellow—(U.S.) a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a social and charitable fraternity: Ask around, you would be surprised who is an Odd Fellow . If you do not know a member, consult the Lodge Directory. odd fellow —(also: odd man) a man who is regarded as eccen- tric or crazy: In general, Robert is an odd fellow , not under- stood by his friends, and unable to understand them at the same time. odd man • odd man out odd man—1. (also: odd fellow) a man who is regarded as eccentric or crazy: He was an odd man who seldom spoke, and when he did, it was often enigmatic. 2. the person in a group who, in case of a division of opinion, is able to give the casting vote: This fifth was the odd man whose casting vote would turn the scale. 3. (also: odd-job man) a person employed to do various small things in a house: Either can rest occa- sionally by employing an “odd man ,” of whom there are several … ready to do “odd” work. odd man out—1. a person who is left out of a group for some reason: George Payne was the odd man out losing a seat on the council by five votes to Schiada. 2. a person differing from all others of a group in some respect: The typical image of the artist in the era of capitalism has been an odd man out , non- conformist, often bohemian. odd one • odd one out odd one—1. a person or thing differing from all others of a group in some respect: Well, I guess I am the odd one here, because I truly enjoy the website for its content, the photog- raphy etc. 2. said of smth. not numerous or infrequently occurring: The season for them [ocean sunfish Mola mola] is quite short … but if you’re lucky you may see the odd one out of season. odd one out— = odd one 1: The original novel by Ian Fleming was an odd-one-out in the book series, describing as it did how an off-duty Bond saved a female hotelier. of a kind • of the kind of a kind —(also: of a sort) 1. of poor quality; not fully deserv- ing the name: He regards himself, I think, as an artist of a kind . 2. of the description mentioned: In his psychiatric prac- tice Peck encountered people of a kind that psychiatry had yet to define. 3. (in the phrase “two of a kind”) of the same class, nature, or character: David and Catherine were two of a kind , both fascinated with the social world and social climbing. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase kind of, a—(also: sort of, a) smth. like; resembling smth.: Living polyps form a kind of skin over the surface of the coral reef. of the kind—(also: of the sort) = of a kind 2: My chair-car was profitably well filled with people of the kind one usually sees on chair-cars. of a size • of some size of a size—having the same size: They were both of a size , rather smaller than I am, and happy in each other’s company whenever they got a chance. of some size—fairly large: We can trace the history of these quantitative variations … only when the differences between them are of some size . of a sort • of the sort of a sort—(also: of a kind) 1. of poor quality; not fully deserv- ing the name: There always are, or seem to be, celebrations of a sort on a twenty-firster. 2. of the description mentioned: One intriguing use of games is “cognitive experimentation,” of a sort that should appeal to linguists and logicians. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase sort of, a—(also: kind of, a) smth. like; resembling smth.: More people were gathered on both sides of the street, forming a sort of amphitheater. of the sort—(also: of the kind) = of a sort 2: These are real people of the sort that inhabit every local pub in the country. of age • of an age of age—1. having reached a certain age: All children must receive full-time education until they are at least fifteen years of age . 2. legally an adult: The legacy left him by his father is in the hands of trustees, as he is not yet of age . Note: The expression is not equivalent in meaning to the phrase of one’s age—used of a deceased person’s age on memorials, obit- uary notices, etc.: He came to this county in the year 1836, and was, at the time of his death, in the 69th year of his age . of an age —1. having reached an age when one is old enough to do smth.: The eldest boy Charles was of an age to be flying off and building a nest of his own. 2. of the same age: I got more mental stimulus from some of my school-fellows who were of an age with me. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase of a certain age—(euph., of a woman) no longer young; middle-aged: One sometimes sees women of a certain age who are still very beautiful. of all sorts • of sorts of all sorts—various; of all kinds: His ante-rooms were thronged with clients of all sorts . of sorts —(also: of a sort) of poor quality; not fully deserving – 245 – of all sorts