[worlds apart]{adj. phr.} Completely different; in total disagreement. •/Jack and Al never agree on anything; they are worlds apart in their thinking./
[worm] See: EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM or EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM.
[worm in]{v. phr.} To insinuate oneself; penetrate gradually. •/By cultivating the friendship of a few of the prominent merchants, Peter hoped to worm his way into that exclusive elite of export magnates./
[worm may turn] Even the meek will ultimately rebel if always maltreated. •/Sam may think that he can continue to mistreat his wife, but, knowing her, I think that some day the worm may turn./
[warm out]{v. phr.} To learn through persistent questioning; draw out from. •/I finally wormed out of her the reason she broke off her engagement to Larry./
[worn to a frazzle]{adj. phr.} To be fatigued; be exhausted. •/I’m worn to a frazzle cooking for all these guests./
[worrywart]{n. phr.} A person who always worries. •/"Stop being such a worrywart," Bob said to Alice, who was constantly weighing herself on the bathroom scale./
[worse] See: BARK WORSE THAN ONE’S BITE, FOR BETTER OR WORSE or FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, FOR THE WORSE, GO FROM BAD TO WORSE.
[worse for wear]{adj. phr.} Not as good as new; worn out; damaged by use. — Used with "the". •/Her favorite tablecloth was beginning to look the worse for wear./ — Often used with "none" to mean: as good as new. •/The doll was Mary’s favorite toy but it was none the worse for wear./
[worst] See: GET THE WORST OF also HAVE THE WORST OF, IF WORST COMES TO WORST.
[worth] See: BIRD IN THE HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH, FOR ALL ONE IS WORTH, GAME IS NOT WORTH THE CANDLE, NOT WORTH A TINKER’S DAMN, WORTH A CENT.
[worth a cent]{adj. phr.} Worth anything; of any value. — Used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences. •/The book was old and it was not worth a cent./
[worth one’s salt]{adj. phr.} Being a good worker, or a productive person; worth what you cost. •/Mr. Brown showed that he was worth his salt as a salesman when he got the highest sales record for the year./ — Often used with "not" or "hardly". •/When the basketball team did so poorly, people felt that the coach was hardly worth his salt./ Compare: PAY ONE’S WAY(2).
[would-be]{adj.} Aspiring. •/The Broadway casting offices are always full of would-be actors./
[would that] or [I would that] or [would God] or [would heaven] {literary} I wish that. — Used at the beginning of a sentence expressing a wish; followed by a verb in the subjunctive; found mostly in poetry and older literature. •/Would that I could only drop everything and join you./ •/Would that my mother were alive to see me married./ Syn.: IF ONLY.
[wouldn’t put it past one]{v. phr.} To think that someone is quite capable or likely to have done something undesirable or illegal. •/Congressman Alfonso is insisting that he didn’t violate congressional ethics, but knowing both his expensive habits and his amorous escapades, many of us wouldn’t put it past him that he might have helped himself to funds illegally./
[wrack] See: GO TO WRACK AND RUIN.
[wrap] See: UNDER WRAPS.
[wrap one around one’s finger] See: TWIST ONE AROUND ONE’S LITTLE FINGER.
[wrapped up in]{adj. phr.} Thinking only of; interested only in. •/John has no time for sports because he is all wrapped up in his work./ •/Mary was so wrapped up in her book she didn’t hear her mother calling her./ •/Jean is so wrapped up in herself, she never thinks of helping others./ •/Mrs. Brown gave up her career because her life was all wrapped up in her children./ Compare: IN A WORLD OF ONE’S OWN (2b).
[wrap up] or [bundle up] {v. phr.} 1. To put on warm clothes; dress warmly. •/Mother told Mary to wrap up before going out into the cold./ 2. {informal} To finish (a job). •/Let’s wrap up the job and go home./ 3. {informal} To win a game. •/The Mets wrapped up the baseball game in the seventh inning./
[wreak havoc with]{v. phr.} To cause damage; ruin something. •/His rebellious attitude is bound to wreak havoc at the company./
[wrench] See: THROW A MONKEY WRENCH.
[wringing wet] adj. Wet through and through; soaked; dripping. •/He was wringing wet because he was caught in the rain without an umbrella./ •/He was wringing wet after working in the fields in the hot sun./
[write home about]{v. phr.} To become especially enthusiastic or excited about; boast about. — Often used after "to". •/Mary’s trip to the World’s Fair was something to write home about./ •/Joe did a good enough job of painting but it was nothing to write home about./ •/"That was a dinner worth writing home about!" said Bill coming out of the restaurant./
[write off]{v. phr.} 1. To remove (an amount) from a business record; cancel (a debt); accept as a loss. •/If a customer dies when he owes the store money, the store must often write it off./ Compare: CHARGE OFF. 2. To accept (a loss or trouble) and not worry anymore about it; forget. •/Mr. Brown had so much trouble with the new TV set that he finally wrote it off and bought a new one./ •/Jim’s mistake cost him time and money, but he wrote it off to experience./ Compare: CHARGE OFF(2). Contrast: CHALK UP(2). To say that (something) will fail or not be good; believe worthless. •/Just because the boys on the team are young, don’t write the team off./ Compare: COUNT OUT.
[write-off]{n.} A loss. •/This last unfortunate business venture of ours is an obvious write-off./
[writer’s cramp]{n.} Pain in the fingers or hand caused by too much writing. •/Holding your pencil too tightly for too long often gives you writer’s cramp./ Often used humorously to stress the idea that you have been doing a lot of writing./ •/By the time Mary finished her Christmas cards she complained of writer’s cramp./
[writer’s block]{n. phr.} A condition of being unable to write; a period when the words just won’t come. •/One of the more common problems writers occasionally experience is a writer’s block that may last a shorter or a longer time./ •/They say that the reason for Ernest Hemingway’s suicide was a severe and seemingly endless writer’s block./