[to the wall]{adv. phr.} Into a place from which there is no escape; into a trap or corner. — Usually used after "drive" or a similar word. •/John’s failing the last test drove him to the wall./ •/The score was 12-12 in the last minute of play, but a touchdown forced the visitors to the wall./ •/Bill had to sell his five Great Danes. The high cost of feeding them was driving him to the wall./
[to the wolves] See: THROW TO THE WOLVES.
[to the woods] See: TAKE TO THE WOODS.
[to the world] See: DEAD TO THE WORLD.
[to think of it] See: COME TO THINK OF IT.
[toto] See: IN TOTO.
[touch] See: COMMON TOUCH, IN TOUCH, LOSE TOUCH, OUT OF TOUCH,
[touch and go]{adj. phr.} Very dangerous or uncertain in situation. •/Our team won the game, all right, but it was touch and go for a while./ •/At one time while they were climbing the cliff it was touch and go whether they could do it./
[touch base with]{v. phr.} To confer or consult with one. •/Before we make a decision, I’d like to touch base with our financial department./
[touch bottom] See: HIT BOTTOM.
[touch off]{v.} 1. To cause to fire or explode by lighting the priming or the fuse. •/The boy touched off a firecracker./ Compare: SET OFF. 2. To start something as if by lighting a fuse. •/The coach’s resignation touched off a quarrel./ Compare: SET OFF.
[touch on] or [touch upon] {v.} To speak of or write of briefly. •/The speaker touched on several other subjects in the course of his talk but mostly kept himself to the main topic./ Contrast: DWELL ON.
[touch to the quick]{v. phr.} To hurt someone’s feelings very deeply; offend. •/His remark about her lack of education touched her to the quick./
[touchup]{n.} 1. A small repair; a small amount of paint. •/Just a small touchup here and there and your novel may be publishable./ 2. Redoing the color of one’s hair. •/My roots are showing; I need a touchup./
[touch up]{v.} 1. To paint over (small imperfections.) •/I want to touch up that scratch on the fender./ •/The woodwork is done, but there are a few places he has to touch up./ 2. To improve with small additions or changes. •/He touched up the photographic negative to make a sharper print./ •/It’s a good speech, but it needs a little touching up./ 3. {slang} To talk into lending; wheedle from. •/He touched George up for five bucks./
[tough act to follow]{n. phr.} A speech, performance, or activity of such superior quality that the person next in line feels and thinks that it would be very difficult to match it in quality. •/Sir Lawrence Olivier’s performance of Hamlet was a tough act to follow in every sense./
[tough break] See: TOUGH LUCK, TOUGH SHIT.
[tough cat]{n.}, {slang} A man who is very individualistic and, as a result, highly successful with women. •/Joe is a real tough cat, man./
[tough cookie]{n. phr.} An extremely determined, hardheaded person, or someone with whom it is unusually difficult to deal. •/Marjorie is a very pretty girl, but when it comes to business she sure is one tough cookie./
[tough it out]{v. phr.} To live through and endure a trying situation. •/The tourists got lost in the desert without a compass, and they had to tough it out for three days on a single bottle of water./
[tough luck]{n. phr.} An informal way to say that one had that coming; it serves one right. •/So your date didn’t show up, eh? Tough luck, fellow./
[tough nut to crack] See: HARD NUT TO CRACK.
[tough row to hoe] See: HARD ROW TO HOE.
[tough shit]{n. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} See: HARD CHEESE, TOUGH LUCK.
[tough sledding] See: HARD SLEDDING.
[tourist trap] See: CLIP JOINT.
[to use] See: PUT TO USE.
[tow] See: IN TOW.
[towel] See: THROW IN THE SPONGE or THROW IN THE TOWEL.
[tower of strength]{n. phr.} Someone who is strong, helpful, and sympathetic, and can always be relied on in times of trouble. •/John was a veritable tower of strength to our family while my father was in the war and my mother lay ill in the hospital./
[town] See: GO TO TOWN, ON THE TOWN, PAINT THE TOWN RED.
[town and gown]{n.} The residents of a college town and the students and teachers of the college. •/The senator made a speech attended by both town and gown./ •/There were fights between town and gown./
[toy with an] or [the idea] {v. phr.} To consider an idea or an offer periodically without coming to a decision. •/He was toying with the idea of accepting the company’s offer of the vice presidency in Tokyo, but he was unable to decide./
[to your hat] See: HANG ON TO YOUR HAT or HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT.
[trace] See: KICK OVER THE TRACES also JUMP THE TRACES.
[track] See: COVER ONE’S TRACKS, IN ONE’S TRACKS, INSIDE TRACK, JUMP THE TRACK, KEEP TRACK, LOSE TRACK, MAKE TRACKS, OFF THE BEATEN TRACK, ON THE TRACK OF, THE TRACKS.
[track down]{v.} To find by or as if by following tracks or a trail. •/The hunters tracked down game in the forest./ •/She spent weeks in the library tracking the reference down in all their hooks on the subject./ Compare: HUNT DOWN.
[trade] See: CARRIAGE TRADE, HORSE TRADE, TRICKS OF THE TRADE.
[trade in]{v.} To give something to a seller as part payment for another thing of greater value. •/The Browns traded their old car in on a new one./ Syn.: TURN IN(3).
[trade-in]{n.} Something given as part payment on something better. •/The dealer took our old car as a trade-in./ — Often used like an adjective. •/We cleaned up the car at trade-in time./
[trade on]{v.} To use as a way of helping yourself. •/The coach traded on the pitcher’s weakness for left-handed batters by using all his southpaws./ •/The senator’s son traded on his father’s name when he ran for mayor./
[trading stamp]{n.} One of the stamps that you get (as from a store or gas station) because you buy something there; a stamp you get with a purchase and save in special books until you have enough to take to a special store and trade for something you want. •/Mother always buys things in stores where they give trading stamps./