[throw oneself at someone’s head] or [fling oneself at someone’s head] {v. phr.}, {informal} To try hard and openly to make a person love you. •/She threw herself at his head, but he was interested in another girl./ Compare: AT ONE’S FEET.
[throw one’s hat in the ring] or [toss one’s hat in the ring] {v. phr.}, {informal} To announce that you are going to try to be elected to an official position; become a candidate for office. •/Bill tossed his hat in the ring for class president./ •/The senator threw his hat in the ring for re-election./
[throw one’s weight around]{v. phr.}, {informal} To use one’s influence or position in a showy or noisy manner. •/John was the star of the class play, and he was throwing his weight around telling the director how the scene should be played./ •/Bob was stronger than the other boys, and he threw his weight around./ Compare: PULL RANK.
[throw open] 1. To open wide with a sudden or strong movement. •/He dashed in and threw open the windows./ 2. To remove limits from. •/The Homestead Act threw open the West./ •/When a hurricane and flood left many people homeless, public buildings were thrown open to shelter them./
[throw] or [feed one to the wolves] {v. phr.} 1. To turn someone into a scapegoat. •/In order to explain the situation to the media, the governor blamed the mayor and threw him to the wolves./ 2. To send into danger without protection. •/Mary was very shy. Her friends did not come to speak before the club in her place. They threw her to the wolves./ •/The boys on the football team were so small that when they played a good team they were thrown to the wolves./
[throw out] or [toss out] {v.} 1. To put somewhere to be destroyed because not wanted. •/He didn’t need the brush anymore so he threw it out./ Syn.: THROW AWAY(1). 2. To refuse to accept. •/The inspector tossed out all the parts that didn’t work./ 3. To force to leave; dismiss. •/When the employees complained too loudly, the owner threw them out./ Syn.: KICK OUT, TURN OUT(1). 4. To cause to be out in baseball by throwing the ball. •/The shortstop tossed the runner out./
[throw out of gear]{v. phr.} 1. To separate the gears of (a car or some other machine) when you want to stop it. •/When John wanted to stop, he threw the car out of gear and braked sharply./ 2. To stop or bother (what someone is doing or planning); confuse; upset. •/The whole country was thrown out of gear by the assassination of the President./ •/My mother’s illness threw my plans for the summer out of gear./
[throw over]{v.} To give up for another; break your loyalty or attachment to. •/Bob threw Mary over for a new girlfriend./ •/Tom threw over those who helped him run for class president after he was elected./
[throw the baby out with the bath (bathwater)]{v. phr.} To reject all of something because part is faulty. •/God knows that there are weaknesses in the program, but if they act too hastily they may cause the baby to be thrown out with the bathwater./
[throw the book at]{v. phr.}, {informal} To give the most severe penalty to (someone) for breaking the law or rules. •/Because it was the third time he had been caught speeding that month, the judge threw the book at him./
[throw together]{v.} 1. also [slap together] To make in a hurry and without care. •/Bill and Bob threw together a cabin out of old lumber./ •/The party was planned suddenly, and Mary threw together a meal out of leftovers./ 2. To put in with other people by chance. •/The group of strangers was thrown together when the storm trapped them on the highway./ •/Bill and Tom became friends when they were thrown together in the same cabin at camp./
[throw up]{v.} 1. {informal} or {slang} [heave up]. To vomit. •/The heat made him feel sick and he thought he would throw up./ •/He took the medicine but threw it up a minute later./ 2. {informal} To quit; leave; let go; give up. •/When she broke their engagement he threw up his job and left town./ 3. To build in a hurry. •/The contractor threw up some temporary sheds to hold the new equipment./ 4. To mention often as an insult. •/His father threw up John’s wastefulness to him./
[throw up one’s hands]{v. phr.} To give up trying; admit that you cannot succeed. •/Mrs. Jones threw up her hands when the children messed up the living room for the third time./ •/When Mary saw the number of dishes to be washed, she threw up her hands in dismay./
[throw up one’s hands in horror]{v. phr.} To be horrified; feel alarmed; give up hope of straightening things out; be shocked by something terrible. •/When Mrs. Brown saw the mess the children were making in her living room, she threw up her hands in horror./ •/Everybody threw up their hands in horror at the destruction caused by the hurricane./
[throw up the sponge] See: THROW IN THE SPONGE.
[thumb] See: ALL THUMBS, GREEN THUMB, TURN THUMBS DOWN, TWIDDLE ONE’S THUMBS, UNDER ONE’S THUMB or UNDER THE THUMB OF.
[thumb a ride]{v. phr.}, {informal} To get a ride by hitchhiking; hitchhike. •/Not having much money, Carl decided to thumb a ride to New York./
[thumb one’s nose]{v. phr.} 1. To hold one’s open hand in front of one’s face with one’s thumb pointed at one’s nose as a sign of scorn or dislike. •/After Bob ran into the house he thumbed his nose at Tom through the window./ 2. {informal} To look with disfavor or dislike; regard with scorn; refuse to obey. — Used with "at". •/Betty thumbed her nose at her mother’s command to stay home./ •/Mary thumbed her nose at convention by wearing odd clothes./ Compare: LOOK DOWN ON.
[thumb through]{v. phr.} To examine superficially; read cursorily. •/I have read "War and Peace" but Fran has only thumbed through it./
[thunder] See: BLOOD AND THUNDER, STEAL ONE’S THUNDER.
[thus and so] also [thus and thus] {adv. phr.} In a particular way; according to directions that have been given. •/The teacher is very fussy about the way you write your report. If you don’t do it thus and so, she gives you a lower mark./
[thus far] See: SO FAR.
[ticket] See: SPLIT TICKET, STRAIGHT TICKET, THE TICKET, WALKING PAPERS also WALKING TICKET.