[at the most] See: AT MOST.
[at the outset]{adv. phr.} At the start; at the beginning. •/"You’ll live in the cheaper barracks at the outset; later you can move into the better cabins," the camp director said to the new boys./
[at the outside]{adv. phr.} Maximally; at the utmost. •/This old house can cost no more than $40,000 at the outside./
[at the point of]{prep.} Very near to; almost at or in. •/When Mary broke her favorite bracelet, she was at the point of tears./ •/The boy hurt in the accident lay at the point of death for a week, then he got well./ Compare: ABOUT TO(1), ON THE POINT OF.
[at the ready]{adj. phr.} Ready for use. •/The sailor stood at the bow, harpoon at the ready, as the boat neared the whale./
[at the same time]{adv. phr.} 1. In the same moment; together. •/The two runners reached the finish line at the same time./ Syn.: AT ONCE, AT ONE TIME. 2. In spite of that fact; even though; however; but; nevertheless. •/John did pass the test; at the same time, he didn’t know the subject very well./
[at the seams] See: BURST AT THE SEAMS.
[at the table] or [at table] {adv. phr.} At a meal; at the dinner table. •/The telephone call came while they were all at table./
[at the tip of one’s tongue] or [on the tip of one’s tongue] {adv. phr.} {informal} 1. Almost spoken; at the point of being said. •/It was at the tip of my tongue to tell him, when the phone rang./ •/John had a rude answer on the tip of his tongue, but he remembered his manners just in time./ 2. Almost remembered; at the point where one can almost say it but cannot because it is forgotten. •/I have his name on the tip of my tongue./
[at the top of one’s voice] or [at the top of one’s lungs] {adv. phr.} As loud as you can; with the greatest possible sound; very loudly. •/He was singing at the top of his voice./ •/He shouted at the top of his lungs./
[at this rate] or [at that rate] {adv. phr.} At a speed like this or that; with progress like this or that. •/John’s father said that if John kept going at that rate he would never finish cutting the grass./ •/So Johnny has a whole dollar! At this rate he’ll be a millionaire./ •/"Three 100’s in the last four tests! At this rate you’ll soon be teaching the subject," Tom said to Mary./
[at times]{adv. phr.} Not often; not regularly; not every day; not every week; occasionally; sometimes. •/At times Tom’s mother lets him hold the baby./ •/You can certainly be exasperating, at times!/ •/We have pie for dinner at times./ Syn.: FROM TIME TO TIME, NOW AND THEN, ONCE IN A WHILE.
[at will]{adv. phr.} As you like; as you please or choose freely. •/Little Bobby is allowed to wander at will in the neighborhood./ •/With an air conditioner you can enjoy comfortable temperatures at will./
[at wits end] See: AT ONE’S WIT’S END.
[at work]{adj. phr.} Busy at a job; doing work. •/The teacher was soon hard at work correcting that day’s test./ •/Jim is at work on his car./
[at worst] or [at the worst] {adv. phr.} 1. Under the worst conditions; as the worst possibility. •/When Don was caught cheating in the examination he thought that at worst he would get a scolding./ Compare: AT MOST. Contrast AT BEST. 2. In the least favorable view, to say the worst about a thing. •/The treasurer had certainly not stolen any of the club’s money; at worst, he had forgotten to write down some of the things he had spent money for./
[aught] See: FOR AUGHT at FOR ALL(2), FOR ALL ONE KNOWS.
[Aunt Tom]{n.}, {slang}, {originally from Black English} A successful professional or business woman who, due to her success in a masculine profession, doesn’t care about the women’s liberation movement or the passing of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. •/Hermione is a regular Aunt Tom, she’ll never vote for the ERA./
[avail] See: TO NO AVAIL or OF NO AVAIL.
[average] See: ON AN AVERAGE or ON THE AVERAGE, LAW OF AVERAGES.
[awe] See: STAND IN AWE OF.
[awkward age]{n.} Adolescence; awkwardness during adolescence. •/Sue used to be an "ugly duckling" when she was at the awkward age, but today she is a glamorous fashion model./
[AWOL] See: ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE.
[ax to grind]{n. phr.}, {informal} Something to gain for yourself: a selfish reason. •/In praising movies for classroom use he has an ax to grind; he sells motion picture equipment./ •/When Charles told the teacher he saw Arthur copying his homework from Jim, he had an ax to grind; Arthur would not let Charles copy from him./
B
[babe in the woods]{n. phr.} A person who is inexperienced or innocent in certain things. •/He is a good driver, but as a mechanic he is just a babe in the woods./ Compare: OVER ONE’S HEAD, BEYOND ONE’S DEPTH.
[baby] See: WAR BABY.
[baby boom]{n.} A sudden increase in the birth rate. •/The universities were filled to capacity due to the baby boom that followed World War II./
[baby grand]{n.} A small grand piano no longer than three feet, maximally four feet. •/This apartment can’t take a regular grand piano, so we’ll have to buy a baby grand./
[baby kisser]{n.}, {slang} A person campaigning for votes in his quest for elected political office; such persons often kiss little children in public. •/Nixon was a baby kisser when he ran for Vice President with Eisenhower./
[back] See: BACK OF or IN BACK OF, BEHIND ONE’S BACK, BRUSH BACK, COME BACK, CUT BACK, DOUBLE BACK, DRAW BACK, DROP BACK. EYES IN THE BACK OF ONE’S HEAD, FADE BACK, FALL BACK, FALL BACK ON, FLANKER BACK. FROM WAY BACK, GET BACK AT, GET ONE’S BACK UP, GIVE THE SHIRT OFF ONE’S BACK, GO BACK ON, HANG BACK, HARK BACK, HOLD BACK, LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK’S BACK, LOOK BACK, OFF ONE’S BACK, ON ONE’S BACK, PAT ON THE BACK, PIGGY-BACK, PIN ONE’S EARS BACK, PUT BACK THE CLOCK or TURN BACK THE CLOCK, PUT ONE’S BACK TO IT, SCRATCH ONE’S BACK, SET BACK, SET BACK ON ONE’S HEELS, SIT BACK, STAB IN THE BACK, TAKE A BACK SEAT, TAKE BACK, TALK BACK also ANSWER BACK, TURN ONE’S BACK ON, WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON ONE’S SHOULDERS or WORLD ON ONE’S BACK, WHILE BACK.