[till the last gun is fired] or [until the last gun is fired] {adv. phr.} Until the end; until everything is finished or decided. •/Fred always liked to stay at parties until the last gun was fired./ •/The candidate didn’t give up hope of being elected until the last gun was fired./
[tilt] See: FULL TILT.
[tilt at windmills]{v. phr.}, {literary} To do battle with an imaginary foe (after Cervantes' Don Quixote). •/John is a nice guy but when it comes to departmental meetings he wastes everybody’s time by constantly tilting at windmills./
[time] See: ABOUT TIME, AGAINST TIME, AT A TIME, AT ONE TIME, AT THE SAME TIME, AT TIMES, BEHIND THE TIMES, BEHIND TIME, BIDE ONE’S TIME, BIG TIME, EVERY TIME ONE TURNS AROUND, FOR THE TIME BEING, FROM TIME TO TIME, GIVE A HARD TIME, HAVE A TIME, HIGH TIME, IN GOOD TIME, IN NO TIME, IN THE NICK OF TIME, IN TIME, KEEP TIME, LESS THAN NO TIME, LIVE ON BORROWED TIME, MAKE TIME, MARK TIME, ONCE UPON A TIME, ON ONE’S OWN TIME, ON TIME, PASS THE TIME OF DAY, SMALL-TIME, TAKE ONE’S TIME, TWO-TIME.
[time and again] or [time and time again] {adv.} Many times; repeatedly; very often, •/I’ve told you time and again not to touch the vase!/ •/Children are forgetful and must be told time and time again how to behave./
[time and a half]{n. phr.} Pay given to a worker at a rate half again as much as he usually gets. •/John got time and a half when he worked beyond his usual quitting time./ •/Tom gets one dollar for regular pay and a dollar and a half for time and a half./
[time is ripe] The best time has come for doing something. •/The Prime Minister will hold elections when the time is ripe./ •/Lee saw his mother was upset, so he decided the time was not ripe to tell her about the broken window./
[time of day] See: NOT TO GIVE ONE THE TIME OF DAY.
[time off]{n. phr.} A period of release from work. •/If I had some time off this afternoon, I would finish writing the letters I promised to my family./
[time of one’s life]{n. phr.} A very happy or wonderful time. •/John had the time of his life at the party./ •/I could see that she was having the time of her life./
[time out]{n. phr.} Time during which a game, a lecture, a discussion or other activity is stopped for a while for some extra questions or informal discussion, or some other reason. •/He took a time out from studying to go to a movie./ •/The player called time out so he could tie his shoe./ •/"Time out!" — The students said, "Could you explain that again?"/
[tin ear]{n. phr.} 1. A lack of sensitivity to noise. •/The construction noise doesn’t bother Fred; he’s got a tin ear./ 2. A lack of musical ability; state of being tone deaf. •/People with a tin ear make poor choir members./
[tingle] See: SPINE-TINGLING.
[tinker’s damn] See: NOT WORTH A TINKER’S DAMN.
[Tin Pan Alley]{n. phr.} The pop music industry. •/What kind of music will Tin Pan Alley come up with this year?/
[tip] See: AT THE TIP OF ONE’S TONGUE, FROM TIP TO TIP.
[tip off]{v.}, {informal} To tell something not generally known; tell secret facts to; warn. •/The class president tipped off the class that it was the superintendent’s birthday./ •/The thieves did not rob the bank as planned because someone tipped them off that it was being watched by the police./ Compare: PUT WISE.
[tip the balance] See: TIP THE SCALES(2).
[tip the scales]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To weigh. •/Martin tips the scales at 180 pounds./ 2. or [tip the balance] To have important or decisive influence; make a decision go for or against you; decide. •/John’s vote tipped the scales in our favor, and we won the election./ Compare: TURN THE TIDE.
[tired] See: DEAD TIRED, SICK AND TIRED.
[tire out] See: WEAR OUT(2).
[tit for tat]{n. phr.} Equal treatment in return; a fair exchange. •/Billy hit me, so I gave him tit for tat./ •/I told him if he did me any harm I would return tit for tat./ •/They had a warm debate and the two boys gave each other tit for tat./ Compare: GET BACK AT, EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.
[to a conclusion] See: JUMP TO A CONCLUSION.
[to a crisp] See: BURN TO A CRISP.
[to a degree]{adv. phr.} 1. {Chiefly British} Very; to a large extent. •/In some things I am ignorant to a degree./ 2. Somewhat; slightly; in a small way; rather. •/His anger was, to a degree, a confession of defeat./ •/To a degree, Mary was to blame for Bob’s failing mathematics, because he spent much time with her when he should have been studying./
[to advantage]{adv. phr.} So as to bring out the good qualities of; favorably; in a flattering way. •/The jeweler’s window showed the diamonds to advantage./ •/The green dress showed up to advantage with her red hair./
[to a fault]{adv. phr.} So very well that it is in a way bad; to the point of being rather foolish; too well; too much. •/Aunt May wants everything in her house to be exactly right; she is neat to a fault./ •/Mary acts her part to a fault./ •/John carries thoroughness to a fault; he spends many hours writing his reports./
[to a halt] See: GRIND TO A HALT.
[to a large extent] See: IN GREAT MEASURE.
[to all intents and purposes]{adv. phr.} In most ways; in fact. •/The president is called the head of state, but the prime minister, to all intents and purposes, is the chief executive./
[to a man]{adv. phr.} Without exception; with all agreeing. •/The workers voted to a man to go on strike./ •/To a man John’s friends stood by him in his trouble./ Compare: EVERY LAST MAN.
[to and fro]{adv. phr.} Forward and back again and again. •/Father pushed Judy in the swing, and she went to and fro./ •/Busses go to and fro between the center of the city and the city limits/ •/The man walked to and fro while he waited for his phone call./ Compare: BACK AND FORTH.
[to another tune] See: DANCE TO ANOTHER TUNE.
[to a T] or [to a turn] {adv. phr.} Just right; to perfection; exactly. •/The roast was done to a turn./ •/His nickname, Tiny, suited him to a T./ Compare: TO THE LETTER.