[trail] See: BLAZE A TRAIL, ON THE TRACK OF or ON THE TRAIL OF.
[trail-blazer] See: BLAZE A TRAIL.
[trap] See: MIND LIKE A STEEL TRAP, SAND TRAP, SPEED TRAP.
[travel light]{v. phr.} To travel with very little luggage or with very little to carry. •/Plane passengers must travel light./ •/Tom and Fred traveled light on their camping trip./
[tread on the toes of] or [tread on one’s toes] See: STEP ON THE TOES OF or STEP ON ONE’S TOES.
[tread water]{v. phr.} To keep the head above water with the body in an upright position by moving the feet as if walking. •/He kept afloat by treading water./
[treat] See: TRICK OR TREAT.
[tree] See: BARK UP THE WRONG TREE, CAN’T SEE THE WOOD FOR THE TREES, UP A TREE.
[trembling] See: FEAR AND TREMBLING.
[trial] See: ON TRIAL.
[trial and error]{n.} A way of solving problems by trying different possible solutions until you find one that works. •/John found the short circuit by trial and error./ •/The only way Tom could solve the algebra problem was by the method of trial and error./
[trial balloon]{n.} A hint about a plan of action that is given out to find out what people will say. •/John mentioned the class presidency to Bill as a trial balloon to see if Bill might be interested in running./ •/The editorial was a trial balloon to test the public’s reaction to a change in the school day./
[trice] See: IN A FLASH also IN A TRICE.
[trick] See: DO THE TRICK, TURN THE TRICK.
[trick of the trade]{n. phr.}, {usually in plural}, {informal} 1. A piece of expert knowledge; a smart, quick, or skillful way of working at a trade or job. •/Mr. Olson spent years learning the tricks of the trade as a carpenter./ •/Any one can learn how to hang wallpaper, but only an expert can show you the tricks of the trade./ 2. A smart and sometimes tricky or dishonest way of doing something in order to succeed or win. •/The champion knows all the tricks of the boxing trade; he knows many ways to hurt his opponent and to get him mixed up./
[trick or treat]{n.} The custom of going from house to house on Halloween asking for small gifts and playing tricks on people who refuse to give. •/When Mrs. Jones answered the doorbell, the children yelled "Trick or treat." Mrs. Jones gave them all some candy./ •/On Halloween Bill and Tom went out playing trick or treat./
[trigger] See: QUICK ON THE TRIGGER.
[trigger happy] See: QUICK ON THE TRIGGER(1).
[triple threat]{n.} A football player who is able to pass, kick, and run all very well. •/The triple threat halfback was the star of the team./
[tripped out]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Incoherent, confused, faulty of speech, illogical; as if under the influence of drugs or alcohol. •/It was hard to make sense of anything Fred said yesterday, he sounded so tripped out./ See: SPACED OUT.
[trip up]{v.} 1. To make (someone) unsteady on the feet; cause to miss a step, stumble, or fall. •/A root tripped Billy up while he was running in the woods, and he fell and hurt his ankle./ 2. To cause (someone) to make a mistake. •/The teacher asked tricky questions in the test to trip up students who were not alert./
[trolley] See: OFF ONE’S ROCKER or OFF ONE’S TROLLEY.
[trot out]{v. phr.} To bring out for inspection; display. •/Don’t mention compact disks to Joe, or he’ll trot out his entire collection and we’ll be stuck here all night./
[trouble] See: BORROW TROUBLE, GO TO THE TROUBLE or TAKE THE TROUBLE.
[troubled waters] See: POUR OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS.
[trousers] See: WEAR THE TROUSERS.
[trowel] See: LAY IT ON.
[truck] See: PANEL TRUCK.
[true] See: COME TRUE, HOLD TRUE, RUN TRUE TO FORM.
[trump] See: HOLD ALL THE TRUMPS.
[trump card]{n.} Something kept back to be used to win success if nothing else works. •/The coach saved his star pitcher for a trump card./ •/Mary had several ways to get Joan to come to her party. Her trump card was that the football captain would be there./
[trump up]{v.} To make up (something untrue); invent in the mind. •/Every time Tom is late getting home he trumps up some new excuse./ •/The Russians were afraid he was a spy, so they arrested him on a trumped-up charge and made him leave the country./
[trust] See: IN TRUST.
[truth] See: CHILDREN AND FOOLS SPEAK THE TRUTH.
[try on]{v.} To put (clothing) on to see if it fits. •/She tried on several pairs of shoes before she found one she liked./ •/The clerk told him to try the coat on./
[try one’s hand]{v. phr.} To make an inexperienced attempt (at something unfamiliar.) •/I thought I would try my hand at bowling, although I had never bowled before./
[try one’s wings]{v. phr.} To try out a recently acquired ability. •/Marjorie just had her twelfth French lesson and wants to try her wings by speaking with our visitors from Paris./
[tryout]{n.} An audience at a theater or opera for would-be actors and singers. •/The Civic Opera is holding tryouts throughout all of next week. Maybe I’ll go and see if I can sing in the chorus./
[try out]{v. phr.} 1. To test by trial or by experimenting. •/He tried golf out to see if he would like it./ •/The scientists tried out thousands of chemicals before they found the right one./ •/The coach wants to try the new play out in the first game./ 2. To try for a place on a team or in a group. •/Tom tried out for the basketball team./ •/Shirley will try out for the lead in the play./ Compare: OUT FOR.
[tuck] See: NIP AND TUCK.
[tucker] See: BEST BIB AND TUCKER.
[tuck in]{v. phr.} To place the covers carefully around the person (usually a child) in bed. •/When I was a child, my mother used to tuck me into bed every night./
[tug-of-war]{n.} 1. A game in which two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, trying to pull the other team over a line marked on the ground. •/The tug-of-war ended when both teams tumbled in a heap./ 2. A contest in which two sides try to defeat each other; struggle. •/A tug-of-war developed between the boys who wanted to go fishing and those who wanted to go hiking./ •/Betty felt a tug-of-war between her wish to go to the movies and her realizing she had to do her homework./ •/The tug of war between the union men and management ended in a long strike./