nearer

I'd like to live nearer the office.

The star grew—it grew with a terrible steadiness hour after hour, a little larger each hour, a little nearer the midnight zenith, and brighter and brighter, until it had turned night into a second day.


throughout

From Old English þurh ūt, equivalent to through + out. Compare German durchaus (“all the way, fully, absolutely”).

cog

And though a philosopher may live remote from business, the genius of philosophy, if carefully cultivated by several, must gradually diffuse itself throughout the whole society.

1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral., London: Oxford University Press, published 1973, §5:

“My father had ideas about conservation long before the United States took it up.[…]You preserve water in times of flood and freshet to be used for power or for irrigation throughout the year.[…]”

1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad:

But through the oligopoly, charcoal fuel proliferated throughout London's trades and industries. By the 1200s, brewers and bakers, tilemakers, glassblowers, pottery producers, and a range of other craftsmen all became hour-to-hour consumers of charcoal.

2006, Edwin Black, chapter 2, in Internal Combustion:

His spere went clene thrughout hys body, and so he fell downe deed.

1560, John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners, Arthur of Brytayn: the hystory of the moost noble and valyaunt knyght Arthur of lytell brytayne:

The dedlye sworde throughout my brest to stryke I will applye.

1561, John Heywood, Seneca's Hercules Furens:

His barnisht blad throughout his body share,

1756, William Hamilton, A New Edition of the Life and Heroick Actions of the renoun'd Sir William Wallace, page 33:

Palamon at seeing Arcite , feels a colde fwerde glide throughout his heart: he starts from his ambuscade, and instantly salutes Areite with the appellation of false traitour.

1778, Thomas Warton, The History of English Poetry:

(obsolete) Completely through, right the way through.


on the brink of

The old building seemed to be on the brink of collapse.

So in a week's time she was beginning to hearken to her mother when she spoke of incantations and charms for restoring love. She kenned it was sin, but though not seven days syne she had sat at the Lord's table, so strong is love in a young heart that she was on the very brink of it.

1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:

Very near, imminently approaching; ready to, about to.


take away

Five take away two is three. (5-2=3)


unto

Inherited from Middle English unto, from Old English *untō, *und tō, equivalent to un- (“against; toward; up to”) + to. Cognate with Old Frisian ont to ("until"; > Saterland Frisian antou (“until”)) (cf. Old Frisian und (“up to; till”), Old Frisian til (“till; to”)), Old Saxon untō, untuo (“until”), Old High German unze, unzi, unza (“until”), Old Norse und (“as far as; up to”), Gothic 𐌿𐌽𐍄𐌴 (untē, “until; as long as”).

gloss

"until"; > Saterland Frisian <i class="Latn mention" lang="stq">antou</i> (“until”)

do unto others as you would have them do unto you

sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof

Sir Gawain rode unto the nearby castle.

Come unto these yellow sands,
And then take hands;
Curtsied when you have, and kiss'd
The wild waves whist,
Foot it featly here and there,
And sweet sprites bear
The burthen.[…]

1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

Up to; indicates a motion towards a thing and then stopping at it.

And the Lord said unto Moses […]

So please my lord the duke and all the court
To quit the fine for one half of his goods
I am content; so he will let me have
The other half in use, to render it,
Upon his death, unto the gentleman
That lately stole his daughter:
Two things provided more,—[…]

c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

Again, whereas men affirm they perceive an addition of ponderosity in dead bodies, comparing them usually unto blocks and stones, whensoever they lift or carry them; this accessional preponderancy is rather in appearance than reality.

1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC:

[…] And, doubtless, unto thee is given
A life that bears immortal fruit
In such great offices as suit
The full-grown energies of heaven.

1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXXIX, page 61:

I do but sing because I must,
And pipe but as the linnets sing:
And unto one her note is gay,
For now her little ones have ranged;
And unto one her note is changed,
Because her brood is stol’n away.

1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXI, page 36:

Down to the last; encompassing even every.


midst

From Middle English middes, midst, myddest (“middle”), from Old English midde, reshaped in Middle English phrases like in middes (“in the middle”) by analogy with adverbs in -(e)s; also compare Old English on middan, tōmiddes. Forms in -(e)st are probably due to influence of superlatives.

Mildred comes home from work early only to discover her husband, Robert, midst of a lewd affair with their neighbor, Gladys.

She puts the period often from his place ; And 'midst the sentence so her accent breaks

1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC:


contra

Against; contrary or opposed to; in opposition or contrast to.


nearest

Mercury is the planet nearest the Sun.

Fastening one end of this at that point of the trunk of the tree which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it till it reached the peg and thence further unrolled it, in the direction already established by the two points of the tree and the peg, for the distance of fifty feet[…]


b/w

SnowAngel:maybe it's not healthy to like someone as much as i like him, but i can't help it. when things are good b/w us, they're so so good, he's, like, my soulmate, i swear to god.

2004, Lauren Myracle, ttyl, New York, NY: Amulet Books, →ISBN, page 66:


per pro

per procurationem; by the agency of (used when signing a letter in place of someone else)


adown

From Middle English adoun, from Old English adūn, earlier ofdūne (“down”), from of dūne (“off the hill”) (compare Latin ad vallum > Old French à val, used in the same way).

I fell from one dream into another; found myself wandering through impossible places; […] peering out into the darkness, to catch a sight of a vague figure standing somewhere in the shadow, and looking, with the sun streaming into my eyes and blinding me, adown long white roads filled with a multitude of people […]

1875, Charlotte Riddell, The Uninhabited House:


next to

Would you mind if I sit next to you?

Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Beside, alongside, by, adjacent to, or near.

The living room was the main gathering spot in Fine Manor, and next to that the most used room was the dining room, where, on Sunday nights, Larry and Mabel hosted card games, penny-ante poker nights, and even bingo nights...

2006, Steve Cox, Jim Terry, One Fine Stooge: Larry Fine's Frizzy Life in Pictures : an Authorized Biography, Cumberland House Publishing, →ISBN, page 59:

“Next to you, I'm all Lani has,” she confided. “But you knew that already, too, right?” He should have. That message came loud and clear. “She loves flowers, did you know that?” Jennie asked.

2016, Jill Shalvis, The Bachelor's Bed, Harlequin, →ISBN:

Immediately after, in choice or consideration; aside from.

This last he explained to me once, though the explanation didn't matter much, not next to the feeling of those low hairy clouds and the sea bashing itself against the shore. The explanation, in fact, made the poem less wonderful, ...

2002, Michael Hettich, Greatest hits, 1987-2001, Pudding House Publications, →ISBN, page 5:

As the world's drug habit shows, governments are failing in their quest to monitor every London window-box and Andean hillside for banned plants. But even that Sisyphean task looks easy next to the fight against synthetic drugs.

2013 August 10, “A new prescription”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:


all along

All along the beach, people were lounging on orange chairs. Why orange?

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see all, along.


til

From Middle English til, from Old English til (“to, until”), possibly from Old Norse til, both from Proto-Germanic *tilą (“goal”), or Proto-Germanic *til (“to, towards”). Compare to Old Frisian til.

I just don't know how to just come out in the blue and say it, so I just wait til it comes up...

2004 Nov, Harper, Gary W., Gannon, Christine, Watson, Susan E., Catania, Joseph A., and Dolcini, M. Margaret, “The Role of Close Friends in African American Adolescents' Dating and Sexual Behavior”, in Journal of Sex Research, volume 41, number 4, pages 351–362:

Let him wander round and kids gone meddle him til he get to fighting again.

2008 Winter, Michael Copperman, “Gone”, in Arkansas Review, volume 39, number 3, Arkansas State University, pages 139–145:

EVEN IF YOU MAKE ME WRITE IN THIS EVERY DAY TIL THEY LET ME OUT OF HERE

2010 May, James Parker, “Revenge of the Wimps”, in The Atlantic Monthly, volume 305, number 4, page 38:


o'er

non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger

We see him now — the old slouched hat cocked o’er his eye askew,
The shrewd, dry smile, the speech so pat, so calm, so blunt, so true.

1862, John Williamson Palmer, Stonewall Jackson's Way


a

* From Middle English a, o, from Old English a-, an, on.
* Unstressed form of on.

torn a pieces

I brush my teeth twice a day.

A Sundays

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v]:

Patent requests for machine learning activities grew on average by 28 percent a year between 2013 and 2016, the study found.
Audio (US): (file)

2019 February 3, “UN Study: China, US, Japan Lead World AI Development”, in Voice of America, archived from the original on 2019-02-07

To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by. Often occurs between two nouns, where the first noun occurs at the end of a verbal phrase.

To set the people a worke.

stand a tiptoe

(archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto.

The times, they are a-changin'.

1964, Bob Dylan (lyrics and music), “The Times They Are a-Changin'”:

(archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing.

It was a doing.

c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:

Jacob, when he was a dying

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Hebrews 11:21:

(archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in.

(archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into.

Stands here a purpose.

c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

a God’s name

(obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In.


a

Etymology tree
Proto-West Germanic *ab
Old English æf
Old English of
Middle English of
English a
From Middle English of, with apocope of the final f and vowel reduction.

etymon

The name of John a Gaunt.

What time a day is it?

c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

It’s six a clock.

1598, Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Euery Man in His Humour. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

Two bottles 'a whiskey for the way

Isis rode my mug like she was on a ten-inch dick, and as soon as she nutted I tossed her ass off a me and flipped her on her back, then fucked the shit outta her cause it was payback time.

2006, Noire [pseudonym], Thug-A-Licious: An Urban Erotic Tale, New York, N.Y.: One World, Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 152:


astraddle

[…] see that your men reload their muskets the meanwhile, ready for any old woman we may see riding through the air astraddle a broomstick.

1848, Joseph Holt Ingraham, chapter 2, in Mark Manly: or, The Skipper’s Lad, New York: Williams Brothers, page 15:

The used-to-be sheriff sat rakishly astraddle his horse.

1969, Maya Angelou, chapter 3, in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →LCCN, page 17:

He spies a group of Irish officers astraddle the road, conferring on horseback.

2011, Guy Vanderhaeghe, chapter 22, in A Good Man, Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, page 359:


all for

I'm all for people being able to speak their minds.

Esau sold Jacob his birthright all for a bowl of lentil stew.

(of an undertaking) Merely for the sake of.


all over

He dropped the bucket and got paint all over the floor and his clothes.

(idiomatic) Everywhere; covering completely.

جَمِيع أَنْحَاء

jamīʕ ʔanḥāʔ


up against

If you try to change the school schedule like that, you'll be up against legions of angry parents.

(idiomatic) Facing; challenging, or opposing.

If the tree grows up against the garden wall then either the tree will be crowded and stunted or the wall will be pushed out.


towards

[tʰə̥ˈwɔːdz]

[tʰə̥ˈwɔɹ̠d̠z]

[tʰw̥ɔɹ̠d̠z]

From Middle English towardes, from Old English tōweardes, tōwærdes, equivalent to toward + -s (adverbial suffix).

Towards the following morning, the thermometer fell to 5°; and at daylight, there was not an atom of water to be seen in any direction.

1835, Sir John Ross, Sir James Clark Ross, Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a North-west Passage …, Volume 1, pages 284–5:

To the left towers the Jungfrau, with the train heading directly towards it.

1960 December, Voyageur, “The Mountain Railways of the Bernese Oberland”, in Trains Illustrated, page 752:

But with Goodison Park openly directing its full hostility towards Atkinson, Liverpool went ahead when Carroll turned in his first Premier League goal of the season after 70 minutes.

2011 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Everton 0-2 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:


wiz

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

(slang, especially represents slurred or drunken speech) Pronunciation spelling of with.


apres

2003, Rasheed Lumumba Jones et al. The Humours of Black Life http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0595246206&id=uCEBP_P04JcC&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&sig=JQRYacsNjABY5mMVEtCv0qEDZ6I
We must comment and critique the film while its in progress or else some crucial nuance of a technical or creative nature might be forgotten during an apres-movie discussion.


including

/ɪŋˈkluːdɪŋ/

All this has led to an explosion of protest across China, including among a middle class that has discovered nimbyism.

2013 August 10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:

All you have to do is to fill in the details, including your name and address and the amount you wish to give.

Such as, among which; introducing one or more parts of the group or topic just mentioned.

I have always argued that it is one that deserves a thorough-going policy review, which might come to all sorts of conclusions, including it is doing what the Government of the day wants it to.

2006 March 27, John Whiting (of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC), transcribed in The 2006 Budget: Fourth Report of [United Kingdom House of Commons Treasury Committee] Session 2005-06, Volume II, page 20

(rare, nonstandard) Introducing a finite clause.


ova

OK, get in dat pirogue ova dere, en be
still. Don't move hombre!!! We don't you and larry to flip!

2005 May 12, William Jennings, “Awww, shucks ...... Lunch is over”, in rec.music.classical.guitar (Usenet):

(nonstandard, dialectal) Pronunciation spelling of over.


with an eye towards

He began saving all the money he could, with an eye towards someday buying a house.

(idiomatic) With an intention, goal, or consideration to.


all up with

It's all up with him: he's bankrupt and has lost his family.

Over for, finished for. (with negative connotation)


as soon as

He might arrive as soon as three o'clock.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see as, soon.


withal

PIE word
 *wi
The adverb is derived from Middle English withal, with-al, withalle (“against, in opposition to; in association with, together with; by means of”), from with (“against; close to, near; directly opposite to; in the company of, together with; on, upon; within; etc.”, preposition) + al (“total number in a group, all, everyone, everything”). The word displaced Old English mid ealle.
The postposition is derived from the adverb.

What ſhall hit proffet a man, yf he ſhulde wyn all the whoole worlde: ſo he looſe hys owne ſoule? Or els what ſhall a man geve to redeme hys ſoule agayne with all?

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew xvj:[26], folio xxiij, verso:

Tam[burlaine]. Tis braue indeede, my boy, wel done, / Shoote firſt my Lord, and then the reſt ſhall follow. / Ther[idamas]. Then haue at him to begin withal.

c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The Second Part […], 2nd edition, part 2, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act V, scene i:

Time trauels in diuers paces, vvith diuers perſons: Ile tel you vvho Time ambles vvithall, vvho Time trots vvithal, vvho Time gallops vvithal, and vvho he ſtands ſtil vvithall.

c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 197, column 1:

You can take nothing from me ſir, / I vvill more vvillingly part vvith all, […]

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:

[I]n every nine miles diſtance, there is about ſix feet of the earth's ſvvell betvveen us and any object; ſo that a man that ſtood in a boat at that diſtance at ſea, vvould be totally unſeen, though vve took the beſt teleſcope to obſerve him vvithal.

a. 1775 (date written), Oliver Goldsmith, “Hydrostaticks”, in A Survey of Experimental Philosophy, Considered in Its Present State of Improvement. […], volume I, London: […] T. Carnan and F[rancis] Newbery jun., […], published 1776, →OCLC, book I, page 365:

[He has] produced new varieties of poison, more horribly deleterious than Nature, without the assistance of this learned person, would ever have plagued the world withal.

1844 December, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Rappaccini’s Daughter”, in Mosses from an Old Manse. […], new (2nd) edition, volume I, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, published 1854, →OCLC, page 116:

(archaic, Used postpositively, after the object, at the end of a clause or sentence): with.

Used postpositively; at the end of a clause or sentence; Used postpositively; at the end of a clause or sentence


bang on

I managed to arrive bang on five o’clock.

She’s bang on the dot, as usual.

(informal, British, Australia) Exactly at


in re

From Latin, literally meaning "in the matter [of]".

Various groups throughout the country are thinking in terms of having a counter-demonstration in re the Fundamentalists' March to Return Morality to America.

1979 December 29, Vern Hall-Smith, “Fundamentalists March”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 23, page 5:

(chiefly law) In the matter of; with regard to.


excepting

Nothing was to be sacrosanct or sacred, excepting reason itself.

It is pleasant to see the Chinese domestics and their families; or native ladies dressed in silks, their glossy hair held in by a broad black velvet band with a spray of pearls in front, being propelled along the bund in their hand-carts; but they are not used among Europeans, excepting after dark.

1875, John Thomson, The Straits of Malacca, Indo-China, and China, page 408:

with the exception of
with the exception of


afront

These four came all afront, and mainly thrust / at me. I made me no more ado, but took all their seven / points in my target, thus!

a. 1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 1, act 2, scene 4, lines 195–197:


outtake

From Middle English outtake, outtaken, from the past participle of outtaken (“to take out”). See above. Compare earlier Middle English outnime, out-neme (“except, except for”).

this is for everyone outtake my wife


modulo

/ˈmɒd͡ʒələʊ/

/ˈmɑd͡ʒəloʊ/

From Latin modulō, ablative of modulus (“a measure”).

21 and 84 are congruent to each other modulo 9, since both numbers leave the same remainder, 3, when divided by 9.

Thus 21 modulo 9 is 3, because when 21 is divided by 9, the remainder is 3.

21 is congruent to 3 modulo 9.

(mathematics) Given a specified modulus of.

"A is the same as B modulo C" means A is the same as B except for differences accounted for by C.

Thus, the underlying structure which I would assign to Navajo will be identical, modulo word order, to the one that we found to be projected in all of the languages studied in chapter 3.

1990, Margaret Speas, Phrase Structure in Natural Language, page 281:

Moreover, in the role of consumer, each individual (modulo his location) faces the same array of goods and services on sale to anyone who can pay the purchase price[.]

2002, Richard Arneson, “Egalitarianism”, in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:

(technical) Except for differences accounted for by.

In the Lisp programming language, the "tail recursion modulo cons" technique allows functions that would be tail recursive but for a cons call to be transformed into a tail recursive form.

All mammals, modulo the monotremes, give birth to live young.

I think it still holds up relatively well, modulo Joss Whedon's quirks, but a fuller version would probably have to include some more of the aftermath.

2019 March 23, AliasiSudonomo, “Doctor Horrible - 10 Years Later”, in rpg.net:

I recently upgraded my PC and bought a UHD monitor, but after installing Smite I realised that it is basically impossible to play it on a resolution bigger than 1080p, the reason being : basically everything modulo the HUD, does NOT scale with the resolution(everything from the minions to the ennemy^([sic]) health bar becomes tiny).

2019 August 6, Blaziken2222, “Smite on a 4k monitor”, in Reddit, r/Smite:

(extended use) With due allowance for (a specified exception or particular detail).


as of

All leave is cancelled as of now.

The server will be down for maintenance as of tomorrow afternoon.

Under the most splendid house in the city is still to be found the cellar where they store their roots as of old, and long after the superstructure has disappeared posterity remark its dent in the earth.

1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Economy”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC:

(idiomatic) At or by a specified time, with the implication that the said condition will be true from that time onward.


respecting

/ɹɪˈspɛktɪŋ/

I wrote to him respecting the proposed lawsuit.


froward

From Middle English froward, fraward, equivalent to fro + -ward. Compare Old English fromweard, framweard (“turned away, having the back turned”).

Whan Sir Galahad herde hir sey so, he was adrad to be knowyn; and therewith he smote hys horse with his sporys and rode a grete pace froward them.

1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum xvii”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book XIII, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:


furth

(obsolete or Scotland) Alternative form of forth.


according to

According to the directions, the glue takes 24 hours to dry.

According to him, every person was to be bought.

1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 2, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:

According to this saga of intellectual-property misanthropy, these creatures [patent trolls] roam the business world, buying up patents and then using them to demand extravagant payouts from companies they accuse of infringing them. Often, their victims pay up rather than face the costs of a legal battle.

2013 June 8, “Obama goes troll-hunting”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 55:

Based on what is said or stated by; on the authority of.

Our zeal should be according to knowledge.

1695, Thomas Sprat, A Discourse Made by Ld Bishop of Rochester To the Clergy of his Diocese:

there was only a frightening silence, unenlivened even by the invidious enquiries of former years, which culminated, according to its stern nature, in a still more frightening old woman, a figure awaiting her on the very doorstep.

Over the past 20 years, the station complex - including the main platform buildings, signal box and level crossing gates - has been lovingly restored, with the gates replaced according to original plans.

2022 December 14, Robin Leleux, “A royal occasion as heritage projects honoured: Wolferton”, in RAIL, number 972, page 61:

In a manner conforming or corresponding to; in proportion to; in accordance with. ,


bating

[A]nd bating a little wilfulness, and a little selfishness, and a little dandification, I don’t know a more honest, or loyal, or gentle creature.

1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 54, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

‘The laws of religious society, bating those which are only subservient to the order necessary to their execution, are immutable, not subject to any authority of the society, but only proposed by and within the society, but made by a lawgiver without the society, and paramount to it.’

1673-4, John Locke, On the Difference between Civil and Ecclesiastical Power, Indorsed Excommunication

I replied, That he was a very unworthy man, if it were true, to speak slightingly of a family, which was as good as his own, bating that it was not allied to the peerage […].

1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LXXIX”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; […], →OCLC:

There is but little I have heard from you which I did not expect to hear, and which I ought not to have expected; because, bating one circumstance, it is all very true.

1817 December 31 (indicated as 1818), [Walter Scott], chapter XIII, in Rob Roy. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 303:


atop

He sat atop the mountain, waiting for the end of the world.

For example, when trailers containing new automobiles were first piggybacked two areas of potential damage became evident: (1) diesel locomotive exhaust left a film of oil on the new autos; and (2) auto windshields could be scarred or cracked by the metal-tipped "tell-tales" which warn men atop trains of oncoming bridges or tunnels.

1960 November, David Morgan, “"Piggyback"—U.S. success story”, in Trains Illustrated, page 684:

A virtue is made out of a necessity, with the child feeling far more atop and master of his oddness, his behavior now deliberate or even clever.

1966, The Minnesota Review, volume 6, page 242:

"And other things," she echoed, nodding slowly and resting her body a little more atop him again.

2006, Dewey Lambdin, The Gun Ketch, page 48:

2014, Paul Salopek, Blessed. Cursed. Claimed., National Geographic (December 2014)https://web.archive.org/web/20150212214621/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/pilgrim-roads/salopek-text
“Monotheism was born here,” Goren tells me atop a cliff overlooking the sheet of iron-colored water.

He sat atop of the mountain, waiting for the end of the world.


along about

If you ask for it back Sunday he might return it along about Wednesday.

(idiomatic, informal) Approximately; at around some time.


on the verge of

He was finally on the verge of success.

Every time I thought he was on the verge of telling us, he decided to say something else instead.


to do with

what does that have to do with the price of tea in China

do

syntactic marker to avoid repetition of an earlier verb

As I recall, his book had to do with alien abductions.

Used directly after the verb have or have got.

Does this have anything to do with the party you were planning?

The two concepts are often confused, but they actually have very little to do with each other.

Yes, I have a car, but what does that have to do with whether I am qualified for a desk job?

Used after the verb have or have got and a pronoun or determiner.

She says she doesn't want anything to do with him anymore.

Used after a pronoun or determiner without the verb have or have got.


next door

Next door the kirk was an olden tower, built in the time of the Roman Catholics [...].

1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song (A Scots Quair), Polygon, published 2006, page 17:


pending

Pending the outcome of the investigation, the police officer is suspended from duty.

Pending the investigation, the police officer is suspended from duty.


excluding

Our lucky free draw winner will be treated to dinner, bed and breakfast, but the holiday must be taken before December, 1991 (subject to availability and excluding bank holidays).


nr

Bed + Cont Bkfst for Lesbians and Gay Men in a country village house 2 hrs fr Bos. Yr-round. Nr lakes, hikes, skiing.

1985 April 6, “Vermont Guesthouse (classified advertisement)”, in Gay Community News, page 12:


as far as

as far as the next town

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see as, far, as.

As far as financing, there will be no problems.

As far as food—still no nausea or problems.

2004, Susan Maria Leach, Before & After: Living & Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery (non-fiction), HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 21:

As far as food, the fire department will have hot dogs and brats.

2007 July 28, “Stateline Area News in Brief”, in Beloit Daily News (Broadsheet):

As far as food, Courville had expected to have his pick of barbecue and beef jerky […]

2007 July 27, Jodi Rogstad, “The lure of the frontier echoes far”, in Wyoming Tribune Eagle:

"We put a lot of emphasis into the training of our staff, as far as food knowledge, wine knowledge," he said.

2007 August 5, Susan Frick Carlman, “Pasta and more”, in Naperville Sun:

(sometimes proscribed; see usage note) With respect to; as relates to.


in front of

after

antonym(s) of “at or near the front part of”

away from

antonym(s) of “in the presence of (someone)”

Both parties met in front of the Castle, the torch-bearers numbering nearly one hundred.

1872, Charles Hardwick, Traditions, Superstitions, and Folklore:

At or near the front part of (something).

Don't fight in front of the children!

What happened to me was, right in front of my eyes- I was there with my brother- and right in front of my eyes, they, a team of monkeys came by to this poor guy that sells fruit for a living- and, I don't know, probably that was all his kids were gonna eat from the, you know, the money he had to make, you know, sell the fruit. But all of the sudden just a bunch of monkeys came by robbed the whole thing he had. It was like thirty of them, just robbed him blind the poor guy. He was chasing them all over. He would chase one and they would jump off and then come back and it was like the funniest thing I've ever seen.

2006 May 9, Penn Jillette, Michael Goudeau, quoting Sareen, 11:30 from the start, in Penn Radio:

In the presence of, in view of (someone).

I'll take the one in front of the black one.

Write ‘Professor’ in front of her name.

Several people are in front of me in line. The woman next in front of me is older, probably in her fifties.

a. 2002, “Mandi”, quoted in Nicholas E. Brink, Grendel and His Mother: Healing the Traumas of Childhood Through Dreams, Imagery, and Hypnosis, Baywood Publishing Company, Inc. (2002), page 1

We determined that the car driver’s transportation of multiple teen passengers, limited driving experience, and likely impairment from effects of cannabis at the time of the crash adversely affected her judgment of the danger of entering the intersection in front of the approaching combination vehicle.

2024, NTSB, Intersection Crash Between Passenger Car and Combination Vehicle, Tishomingo, Oklahoma, March 22, 2022:

Located before, ahead of, previous to (someone or something).


alow

From Middle English alowe, equivalent to a- + low.


wd

(Internet slang) Abbreviation of with the.


because of

Because of being tired, she left earlier than the rest.

On account of; due to, for the purpose of.

as gevolg van

on account of, by reason of, for the purpose of


'twixt

Since I have your good leave to go away,
I will make haste: but, till I come again,
No bed shall e’er be guilty of my stay,
Nor rest be interposer ’twixt us twain.

c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

I think that ’twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon.

1851, Sojourner Truth, Frances Dana Barker Gage, Ain't I a Woman?:

(archaic, literary) Contraction of betwixt.


in view of

Mr. Thomas adds that, by the time it was scrapped, Kingsley was in very bad condition, little more than a shell in fact. In view of the rough usage to which the engine had been subjected, this is not surprising.

1953 April, “Notes and News: Locomotive Notes”, in Railway Magazine, page 283:

France, he said, was “almost a Bolshevik country”, in view of the “hidden scandals” such as that of the former Budget minister Jerome Cahuza

2013 June 16, John Lichfield, “Forget Russia's problems – it's France that's almost Bolshevik, says Gérard Depardieu”, in The Independent:

They stopped when they were in view of the town.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see in, view, of.


what with

She was sleeping very badly these days, what with the new baby and all the activity surrounding him.

What with it being too late and raining, we decided to stay home.

It was hard to take him seriously, though, what with his multi-colored eye makeup.

2009 October 29, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Mr Stink, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:

(idiomatic, informal) Owing to; because of; as a result of.


ower

From Middle English ower, a variant of Middle English over. Compare Scots ower (“over”), English o'er (“over”). More at over.

Get ower thor noo!


atwix

From Middle English atwix, atwixen, from a- + twix, twixt ("among"), from a- + tweox (“twofold”), from Proto-Germanic *twiskaz (“twofold, double”).

der

(Geordie) between; betwixt [from 14th c.]


maugre

From Middle English maugre, from Anglo-Norman malgré, from mal (“bad”) + gre (“pleasure, grace”) (from Old French, from Latin gratum).

He saugh a mayde walkinge him biforn, / Of whiche mayde anon, maugree hir heed, / By verray force he rafte hir maydenheed;

c. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, edited by Skeat, The Wife of Bath's Tale:

He chains the Deev in the centre of the mountain, and at the suit of Merjân hastens to attack another powerful Deev named Houdkonz; but here, alas! fortune deserts him, and, maugre his talismans and enchanted arms, the gallant Tahmuras falls beneath his foe.

1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 31:

(obsolete) Notwithstanding; in spite of.


bove

Probably an aphetic form of above. Alternatively, this word may continues Middle English bove, boven, from Old English bufan, from Proto-West Germanic *biobanā, from *bi (“by”) + *ufanā (“from above”). Compare West Frisian boppe, Dutch boven and Low German baven, boven.

Her Sea-god syre she dearely did perswade,
 T'endow her sonne with threasure and rich store,
 Boue all the sonnes, that were of earthly wombes ybore.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:


aout

... and aout he come rasher nor iver, knockin' here and knockin' there, tell you couldn't hardly sleep for he.

1895, Harry Jones, Fifty Years: Or, Dead Leaves and Living Seeds, page 144:

Git aout, else I'll split yer faice !

1919, Thomas Burke, Out and about London, page 115:

Ye see, they was able to live both in ant aout o' water–what they call amphibians, I guess.

1936, H.P. Lovecraft, Shadow Over Innsmouth:


off of

Card. What, art thou lame?
Simpc. I, God Almightie helpe me.
Suff. How cam'st thou so?
Simpc. A fall off of a Tree.

1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

Do, my dearest child, get me off of this difficulty, and I can have no other […].

1741, [Samuel Richardson], Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […]; and J. Osborn, […], →OCLC:

The coach bounced up and down in such a terrific way that it jolted the buttons all off of Horace’s coat, […]

1870–1871 (date written), Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter XX, in Roughing It, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company [et al.], published 1872, →OCLC, page 151:

"The green curtains that hung there for years and years... have been taken down and the blood-red cardinal velvet curtains have been hung up, and they have taken the green top off of the President's desk and put a red one on that..."

1928 September 28, “Eye of Gawd”, in Time:

You're just too good to be true / I Can't take my eyes off of you.

1967, Bob Crewe / Bob Gaudio, Can't Take My Eyes Off You:

Though it was only bass and drums I could hear, you could tell it was that (Don't Fear) The Reaper, offof Some Enchanted Evening.

1995, Alan Warner, Morvern Callar, Vintage, published 2015, page 13:


instead of

From Middle English in stede of, in stude of (“instead of”, literally “in stead of, in place of”), equivalent to in + stead + of. Cognate with Saterland Frisian insteede, ansteede (“instead of”), West Frisian ynstee (“instead of”), German anstatt (von) (“instead of”), Danish i stedet (“instead of”).

He walked to school instead of taking the car.

And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 4:16:

Then we relapsed into a discomfited silence, and wished we were anywhere else. But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud, and with such a hearty enjoyment that instead of getting angry and more mortified we began to laugh ourselves, and instantly felt better.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

(if a gerund is expressed with a verb form) ahelyett, hogy


S.T.

Abbreviation of subject to, used in optimisation problems.


atilt

A butterfly flew into the garden, danced a stately minuet mid-air, courtsied, and settled atilt the top rail of the old “snake fence.”

1911, Jennie Brooks, Under Oxford Trees, Cincinnati: Jennings and Graham, page 80:

1982, Jean Scott Wood Creighton (as J. S. Borthwick), The Case of the Hook-billed Kites, New York: St. Martin’s Press, Chapter 11, p. 29,
[He] was balanced atilt a wooden chair, his legs resting on a low file cabinet.

With his shy grin, bushy black hair, and thick plastic-framed glasses riding atilt his nose, Reza looked like a high school techno-whiz temporarily locked out of the computer lab.

2004, Tracy Dahlby, chapter 11, in Allah’s Torch,, New York: William Morrow, page 146:


back in

back in the time of the dinosaurs

back in the ’60s


in for

The forecasters say that we are in for a very cold winter.

England seem in for a tough match against Italy.

About to encounter or undergo; usually said of unwelcome things in prospect.


apart from

"All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?" - Monty Python, Life of Brian

Except for; besides, (postposition) apart.


'round

I’m sure I look demure enough, as I go ’round the city, / And do my best to hide the fact that I am young and pretty, / And I, therefore, cannot see, when I go out to preach, / Why men must say to me that I’m a perfect peach; […]

1897, Hugh Morton [pseudonym; Charles Morton Stewart McLellan], “They All Follow Me”, in Wehman’s Song Book, number 61, New York, N.Y.: Henry J. Wehman, […], →OCLC, page 10, column 1:

Morning might never come 'round these parts / Sun never gonna come up


aslant

From Middle English aslant (“at an angle, in a curve; from the side, deviously”), from on slante; equivalent to a- + slant.

inh

There is a willow grows aslant a brook,
That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream.

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii]:

I oft have passed your cottage, and still prais’d
Its beauty, and that trim orchard-plot, whose blossoms
The gusts of April shower’d aslant its thatch.

1816, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Zapolya, London: Rest Fenner, published 1817, Scene 1, p. 45:

But aslant this particular glass reclined a single, white, wintry rose, possibly the last rose ever, its invalid complexion infused with a delicate transcendent green.

1979, Patrick White, The Twyborn Affair, Penguin, published 1981, Part 2, p. 209:

(archaic, literary) Diagonally over or across.


close to

The chair was close to the window.

They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect.

1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:

Old Applegate, in the stern, just set and looked at me, and Lord James, amidship, waved both arms and kept hollering for help. I took a couple of everlasting big strokes and managed to grab hold of the skiff's rail, close to the stern.

1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:


endlong

From Old English andlang ( > along), re-formed by popular etymology in Middle English as end + long; partly from Old Norse cognate endlangr.

(archaic) Along (as opposed to across), from end to end of.


by virtue of

Modification of Middle English in vertu of, a calque of Anglo-Norman par vertu de or Middle French par la vertu de (“by the authority of”); from Old French vertu (“goodness; honour; valour; virtue”) (whence English virtue (“(obsolete) inherent power of a god or other supernatural being; inherent power or efficacy of something”)).

cog

Moreouer the perfit beleue of this article, worketh in all true chriſten people, aloue to continue in this vnitie, and afeare to be caſte out of the ſame, and it worketh in them that be ſinners and repentant, great comforte, and conſolacion, to obteine remiſſion of ſinne, by vertue of Chriſtes paſſion, and adminiſtracion of his ſacramentes at the miniſters handes, ordained for that purpoſe, [...]

1543 June 8, Henry VIII of England, “The Nynthe Article. The Holy Catholike Churche.”, in A Necessary Doctrine and Erudicion for Any Chrysten Man, Set furth by the Kynges Maiestye of Englande, &c., imprinted at London: […] by Thomas Berthelet, […], →OCLC:

But in the high Court of Parliament, every Man by virtue of the King's Authority, by Writ under the Great Seal, hath a judicial Place; and ſo conſequently the killing of every of them had been a ſeveral Treaſon, and Crimen læſæ Majeſtatis.

1605 February 16, “The Tryal of the Conspirators Concern’d in the Gunpowder-Plot, on Monday the 27th of January, Anno 1605. [Julian calendar] and in the Third Year of King James the First, in Westminster-Hall, before the Lords Commissioners there; [...]”, in [Thomas Salmon], editor, A Compleat Collection of State-Tryals, and Proceedings upon Impeachment for High Treason, and Other Crimes and Misdemeanours; […] In Four Volumes, volume I, London: Printed for Timothy Goodwin, […]; John Walthoe […]; Benj[amin] Tooke […]; John Darby […]; Jacob Tonson […]; and John Walthoe Jun. […], published 1719, →OCLC, page 193, column 1:

I call that an Inſtitution that hath an efficacie in it for the attaining of ſuch an end by virtue of the Inſtitution, not by virtue of any naturalneſſe that is in the thing. [...] So in preaching the Word, and Eccleſiaſticall cenſures, there is more to be expected, more efficacie to work upon the ſoule, for the ſpirituall man; by virtue of the Inſtitution, then there is in the naturall things that are done there.

1642 July 28, Jer[emiah] Burroughes [i.e., Jeremiah Burroughs], “The Sixth Lecture. Hosea I. the middle of the 11. Verse.”, in An Exposition of the Prophecie of Hosea. […], London: Printed by W. E. and J. G. for R. Dawlman, published 1643, →OCLC, page 151:

[Samuel Keme] became [...] a retainer, if I miſtake not, to the family of Edward Wray of Ricot Eſq, Patron of the ſaid Church, by virtue of his marriage with Elizabeth the dau[ghter] and heir of Francis L[ord] Norris Earl of Berks[hire].

1691, [Anthony Wood], “SAMUEL KEME”, in Athenæ Oxonienses. An Exact History of All the Writers and Bishops who have had Their Education in the Most Ancient and Famous University of Oxford from the Fifteenth Year of King Henry the Seventh, Dom. 1500, to the End of the Year 1690. […], volume II (Completing the Whole Work), London: […] Tho[mas] Bennet […], →OCLC, column 341:

[W]e found there was but one way; Don Clavijo ſhould demand the young lady in marriage before the curate, by virtue of a promiſe under her hand, which I dictated for the purpoſe, and ſo binding, that all the ſtrength of Sampſon himſelf could not have broken the tie.

1749, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, “The Account which the Disconsolate Matron Gives of Her Misfortune”, in [Peter Anthony] Motteux, transl., edited by [John] Ozell, The History of the Renowned Don Quixote de la Mancha. […], 8th edition, volume IV, London: […] W[illiam] Innys, […], →OCLC, part II, pages 32–33:

We guarantee by virtue of our power and the confidence of those who accept the guarantee; it is given by means of a word, which is accepted as a pledge for the future performance of a contract; [...]

1826, George Crabb, “To Guarantee, be Security, be Responsible, Warrant”, in English Synonymes, with Copious Illustrations and Explanations. Drawn from the Best Writers, new enlarged edition, London: Printed for Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, […]; and Simpkin and Marshall, […]; by C. Baldwin, […], →OCLC, page 173, column 1:

Sir Isaac Newton was the first person to theorize that any two objects would be attracted towards each other by virtue of their masses, and that strength of the force of attraction – the gravitational force – would depend on the masses of the two objects and their distance apart.

1999, Steve Farrow, “Key Idea 4.1: Sources and Forms of Energy”, in The Really Useful Science Book: A Framework of Knowledge for Primary Teachers, 2nd edition, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: RoutledgeFalmer, published 2006, →ISBN, section 4 (Physical Processes), page 147:

England's domination of the first half was almost total, but they somehow contrived to allow Tunisia to raise themselves off the floor by virtue of rank carelessness from [Gareth] Southgate's side.

2018 June 18, Phil McNulty, “Tunisia 1 – 2 England”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 2019-04-21:

For nearly the entire television age, his mother was the visual representation of royalty. His wedding was one of the biggest TV events of the 20th century, but he came first in “Charles and Diana” only by virtue of birth and, perhaps, the alphabet.

2023 May 6, James Poniewozik, “Charles III Was Crowned King. But Can He Ever Be the Star?”, in The New York Times:

(idiomatic) (originally) By the authority or power of; (now) because of; on the grounds of; by reason of.


no

From Middle English no, na, from Old English nā, nō (“no, not, not ever, never”), from Proto-Germanic *nai (“never”), *ne (“not”), from Proto-Indo-European *ne, *nē, *nēy (negative particle), equivalent to Old English ne (“not”) + ā, ever, always. Cognate with Scots na (“no”), Saterland Frisian noa (“no”), West Frisian né (“no”), nea (“never”), Dutch nee (“no”), Low German nee (“no”), German nie (“never”), dialectal German nö (“no”), Danish nej (“no”), Swedish nej (“no”), Icelandic nei (“no”). More at nay.

نَعَم

used to show agreement with a negative question (in some languages this response is the usual word for "yes")

means yes, but used in response to a negative question

ei (usually receives a possessive suffix and often followed by a verb:) en

Ug no like veggie.

(colloquial, usually humorous) not, does not, do not, etc.

ní hea.

The verb of the question is repeated in negated form; if there is no verb, then


to the power of

Two to the power of four equals sixteen. 2⁴=16.


in light of

The United Nations then became the one great attempt to establish a formal institution to unify the world, especially in light of the darkness that preceded it.

2015, Roy Posner, A New Way of Living, page 103:

In light of such conceptualisations of the power of linguistic landscapes, we set out to examine the connection between the visual landscape and the spoken landscape in our institution[.]

2019, Li Huang, James Lambert, “Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers”, in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, →DOI, page 2:

(idiomatic, Australia, Canada, US) given, considering

The star, 55, who has stepped away from her singing career in light of her health woes, was visibly emotional as she walked onstage with the support of eldest son […]

2024 February 4, “Celine Dion makes SHOCK appearance at Grammys 2024 amid battle with incurable stiff-person syndrome - as she presents historic award to tearful Taylor Swift”, in dailymail.co.uk:


along of

It’s all along of you that he ventured to do what he did.

1841 February–November, Charles Dickens, “Barnaby Rudge. Chapter 3.”, in Master Humphrey’s Clock, volume II, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC:

"Flint was cap'n; I was quartermaster, along of my timber leg.[…]"

1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, chapter 11, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:

You will find yourself in trouble all along of that nonsense, if you don't do what I say.

1888, Harry Castlemon, “Chapter 16”, in The Steel Horse:

Turning against your own poor father, to set them bloody-minded soldiers on him! And now he'll be taken and hanged, and I shall be a poor miserable widow woman all along of you!

1896, Charlotte Mary Yonge, The Carbonels:


'bout

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout. I need a man like that.

2010, Nikki Carter, Not A Good Look, page 20:


as per

Gentlemen—As per the rules of your Honorable Body, I advertised for bids for crockery, etc., that might be required by the various Cook County institutions from April 1st to June 30th, 1894, as per specifications on file in my office.

1895, C. Mamer, Official Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, Illinois. 1893/1894, page 403:

Consistent, or in accordance, with; according to


as to

As to your earlier question, I don't think I know the answer.

grading as to size and color

According to; in a manner conforming or corresponding to; in proportion.


due to

Rising unemployment due to the economic downturn is spreading.

The accident was due to the breaking of one of the blades of the propeller on the left side.

1908, “Fatal fall of Wright airship”, in The New York Times:

The steamship was due to arrive in the Port of New York tomorrow.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see due, to.


mang

From Middle English mang, mangis, imang, emang, variants of Middle English on mang, in mange, from Old English on ġemang. More at among.


in between

Univerbation of in + between, perhaps in imitation of similar phrases as in the middle of, in the midst of, etc.


FBO

(US, finance) Initialism of for the benefit of (e.g., on a check or other financial instrument sent to a custodian).


fulla

Both parts, fulla shit.”

2011, Donald E Westlake, Why Me?, →ISBN:

He's fulla . . . fulla crap.

2012, C.G. Gardiner, Melting Pot Blues, →ISBN, page 45:

Ted's always fulla good stories.

2014, Ray Garton, Trailer Park Noir, →ISBN:


uv

That gives them an advantage over their better-known peers, the Invisible Scratch Pickles: on the recent single "Invisbl Skratch Piklz vs. da Klamz uv Deth" the San Franciscans can spin heads with their superathletic scratching, but the side-length cut doesn't hold up as a piece of music.

1997 October 17, Peter Margasak, “Return of the Turntable/ Reich and Wrong”, in Chicago Reader:

On the scale of linguistic complexity, basic leet is about on a par with pig Latin, and with five minutes' practice just about anyone can crank out elegant prose such as: y c@N' p30p13 R3kO9nIZ3 eh 834UTy uv 1337???

2003 January 10, Cecil Adams, “The Straight Dope”, in Chicago Reader:

(sometimes leetspeak) Eye dialect spelling of of.


by means of

"By means of the Golden Cap I shall command the Winged Monkeys to carry you to the gates of the Emerald City," said Glinda, "for it would be a shame to deprive the people of so wonderful a ruler."

1900, L. Frank Baum, chapter 23, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:

Some stone was being loaded into standard gauge wagons by means of a portable conveyor belt.

1951 June, “Notes and News: The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 423:


on account of

[…] and His Imperial Majesty further agrees to pay to the British Government the sum of Three Millions of dollars, on account of debts due to British subjects by some of the said Hong merchants (or Cohong), who have become insolvent, and who owe very large sums of money to subjects of Her Britannic Majesty.

On behalf of the (monetary) account of; (idiomatic, originally figurative) for the sake of.

The rebuilding of damaged stations is proceeding slowly, on account of the shortage of building materials and the pressing needs of housing, but steady progress is being made.

1951 March, E. J. Tyler, “Post-War Recovery on the Netherlands Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 157:

‘My brother,[…], is at Radley, on account of my parents thinking it a bad idea to have us both at the same school.’
‘On account of your being twins?’ said Adrian.
‘Right, on account of my mother OD-ing on fertility drugs.[…]’

1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, →OCLC, section I, pages 18–19:

(idiomatic) Because of, due to, owing to.


wiv

Fer, as the poit sez, me 'eart 'as got / The pip wiv yearnin' fer - I dunno wot.

1915, C.J. Dennis, The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, published 1916, page 13:

It's about time somebody sent me a tip for Thundercats. Such a classy little game, so fast, such marvy graphics, so pretty, so why no tips? Who knows, p'raps folks spend so much time noodling about wiv the game, they haven't got any time left to lift a pen and send me a letter.

1988, Your Sinclair, number 27, page 45:

Yeah, the little weasel’s right. I am goin’ to run away wiv Burt in ’is van.” The woman strutted over to the rat catcher, and took his hand. “We share a deep love of each other.”

2012, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Ratburger, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:

(informal, nonstandard) Pronunciation spelling of with.


in the face of

in the face of growing pressure, the company changed its logo

Significant rail projects have been mothballed before in the face of changed circumstances - in particular, the LNER Woodhead project which was postponed due to wartime conditions and not revived until 1948, as money became available after nationalisation.

2020 December 2, Industry Insider, “The costs on cutting carbon”, in Rail, page 76:

Responsible for public affairs, business strategy, corporate development and finance, he [Donald Tang] now faces the task of getting an initial public offering over the line in London after ditching earlier plans to list in New York in the face of US political opposition.

2024 July 13, Laura Onita, Eleanor Olcott, “Shein's master of reinvention treads tricky path to IPO”, in FT Weekend, page 11:

They declare ringing confirmation for their theories even in the face of feeble data.

1999 March 20, Natalie Angiers, The Guardian:

2018, Vassilis Vassilikos, ... And Dreams Are Dreams
His daughters were serious. In fact the elder one had joined the Communist Youth, where the kids were almost puritanical, growing up with principles in the face of the triple enemy: capitalism-imperialism-Americanocracy.


over to

Let's go over to Peter Smith, our commentator at the match.

Over to you, John.

Now, over to our man in Tokyo for an on-the-spot report.

Used on television or radio to indicate a change to another reporter or commentator.


thro'

all times I have enjoy'd
Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone; on shore, and when
Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades (10)
Vext the dim sea

And quickly thro' the spacious building fly ;

1838, Thomas Eagles, Brendallah, A Poem, Whittaker & Co., section LXII, page 112:

Hoe, hoe, hoe your row
Thro' the summer heat
 Merrily do your bit
 Cheerily stick to it
Raising beans and wheat!

traditional, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”Scholastic Kids:


doon

This "impressive" 1893 James Miller railway terminus was, according to Canmore, "designed in a grand style in order to cope with the large volume of holidaymakers arriving from Glasgow to travel 'doon the water' at the height of the summer season".

2023 March 22, Dr Joseph Brennan, “Grand buildings on the list... and lost: Greenock Princes Pier”, in RAIL, number 979, page 52:


on to

My cat just jumped on to the keyboard.

The thought-police were on to my plans of world domination.

Fortunately “the F.B.I. was on to them” and foiled the plot, but the alleged kidnapping conspiracy, Walter argues, is a harbinger of worse to come.

2022 January 12, Ross Douthat, “Let’s Not Invent a Civil War”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Now. On to the system of active water uptake.

Let's go on to item 3 in the list.

Used to indicate, or signpost, logical progression to a new topic in a talk or discourse.


for the love of

(idiomatic) Used to form interjections expressing exasperation.


ontop

"[…] he wen' t'row da buggah right ovah da cleef too, ontop all da res'."

1980, O. A. Bushnell, Ka'A'Awa: A Novel About Hawaii in the 1850s, page 85:

Senor Poochie at his feet, reclining like a Queen; and Nino eyeing them from ontop the table, her paws resting on an empty plate.

2005, Red Jordan Arobateau, Fisherpeople., page 97:

We pulled over to the shore, dragged the boat up ontop the sandbar, stretched our legs and ate some sandwiches.

2006, Dan Bomkamp, Thanks Thunderfoot, page 152:


with respect to

To calculate acceleration, you need to differentiate velocity with respect to time.

independent variable
independent variable

(mathematics) Taking as the independent variable.


vpon

An other vpon the same.
What strange aduenture?

1602, A Poetical Rapsody containing, Diuerse Sonnets, Odes, Elegies, Madrigalls, and other Poesies (some by Francis Davison)

1620, George Wither, Exercises vpon the First Psalme:


vnto

And for a drinke offering, thou ſhalt offer the third part of an Hyn of wine, for a ſweete ſauour vnto the Lord.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Numbers 15:7, column 1:

A helpe vnto deuotion: containing certaine moulds, or formes of prayer (title)

1632, Samuel Hieron, A helpe vnto deuotion: containing certaine moulds, or formes of prayer:


aboot

c. 1686, Ed. Halley, “An Hiſtorical Account of the Trade Winds and Monſoons, obſervable in the Seas between and near the Tropicks, with an attempt to aſſign the Phyſical Cauſe of the ſaid Winds”, re-printed in Miſcellanea Curioſa: Containing a Collection of ſome of the Principal Phænomena in Nature, Accounted for by the Greateſt Philoſophers of this Age; Being the Moſt Valuable Diſcourses, Read and Delivered to the Royal Society, for the Advancement of Phyſical and Mathematical Knowledge, As alſo a Collection of Curious Travels, Voyages, Antiquities, and Natural Hiſtories of Countries; Preſented to the ſame Society, second edition, volume I, R. Smith (1708), page 65,
The one is, why, notwithſtanding the narroweſt part of the Sea between Guinea and Brazile be aboot five hundred Leagues over, yet Ships bound to the Southward, ſometimes, eſpecially in the Months of July and August, find a great difficulty to paſs it.

Maister Fothergill West and the meenister say that I maun tell all I can aboot General Heatherstone and his hoose, but that I maunna say muckle aboot mysel'.

1889, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 8, in The Mystery of Cloomber:

1926 August, Zane Grey, “From Missouri”, re-printed in The Lawless West, Dorchester Publishing (2007), →ISBN, page 12,
“Heah he reads in a Kansas City paper aboot a schoolteacher wantin’ a job out in dry Arizonie. And he ups an’ writes her an’ gets her a-rarin’ to come. Then, when she writes an’ tells us she’s not over forty, then us quits like yellow coyotes. […]”


in advance of

He travelled in advance of his master, making the necessary arrangements.


anigh

Inherited from Middle English aneh, equivalent to a- + nigh.


agaynst

And from thence he went agaynſt yͤ inhabiters of Debir (but Debir was called Kiriath Sepher afoꝛetyme.)

1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Judges j:[3], folio xiij, recto, column 2:


on the heels of

A quarrelsome band of footsore sulky niggers trod on the heels of the donkey.

1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 219, column 2:

On the heels of the little lop-sided man appeared an overgrown dolt of a fat youth, followed by another youth.

1915, Jack London, chapter 5, in Mutiny of the Elsinore:

[T]he men got out quickly, the first ones running on the heels of those who had gotten out of the Mercedes.

2001, Yonatan Netanyahu, The Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu, →ISBN, page 288:

Hard on the heels of of punctuality and reliabilty comes capacity. That's either trains frequent enough to meet demand, or long enough.

2023 April 5, Philip Haigh, “Comment: Pay deal a positive result”, in RAIL, number 980, page 3:

(idiomatic) In close pursuit of; close behind.

One woe doth tread upon another's heel.

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii]:

To avoid these dreadful consequences, that tread upon the heels of those allowances to sin, will be a task of far more difficulty.

1644, J[ohn] M[ilton], chapter 4, in The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce: […], 2nd edition, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, book 2:

[A] familiar voice chimed instantly in on the heels of my last word, […]

1870–1871 (date written), Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “”, in Roughing It, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company [et al.], published 1872, →OCLC, page 553:

[W]hen such accidents kept happening, one on the heels of another, even the most callous public could not help asking questions.

1917, Upton Sinclair, chapter 32, in King Coal:

As it happened, the shooting came on the heels of a two-day “peace march” against American drone aircraft targeting suspected Islamist militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas close to the border with Afghanistan.

2012 October 13, “Pakistan’s politics: The peace and love tour”, in The Economist:

(idiomatic, of events, facts, etc.) Closely following; in succession immediately after.


ov

Respelling of of popularized by Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth.

Scholar ov the unlight / Great volcano ov excrement

(very rare, nonstandard) Alternative spelling of of


but for

I once did lend my body for his wealth,
 Which, but for him that had your husband's ring,
 Had quite miscarried: […]

c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

She had a woman to take care of her called Mrs Poole — an able woman in her line, and very trustworthy, but for one fault — a fault common to a deal of them nurses and matrons — she kept a bottle of gin by her, and now and then took a drop over-much.

1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], Jane Eyre. An Autobiography. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC:

But for that beneficent drug, not one of those men would have slept a moment during that fearful night.

In the whole extent of the house, which but for the old woman remained otherwise empty, Mr. Hyde had only used a couple of rooms

1886 January 5, Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC:

In reconditioning existing locomotives, carriages and wagons, it is intended to replace obsolete types which would have been scrapped but for the war and to embody the latest scientific improvements.

1945 March and April, “Higher speeds”, in Railway Magazine, page 67:

But for the stinging cold of January, this Casanova would not have taken shelter behind the coffeehouse window, […].

1992, Najīb Maḥfūẓ, Sugar Street, page 48:

Except, except for, not counting; were it not for.


arter

His right name was Compeyson; and that's the man, dear boy, what you see me a-pounding in the ditch, according to what you truly told your comrade arter I was gone last night.

1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, chapter III, in Great Expectations […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, […], published October 1861, →OCLC:

It was the money left me, and the gains of the first few year wot I sent home to Mr. Jaggers - all for you - when he first come arter you, agreeable to my letter.

1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, chapter XXXIX, in Great Expectations […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, […], published October 1861, →OCLC:

"Is he asleep at last?"...

2000, Alexander Kent, Colours Aloft!, McBooks Press, →ISBN, page 115:

"Aye, sir. So 'e should, arter what I put in 'is Madeira!"


along the lines of

I was thinking along the lines of writing to the local paper, to see if we can get some reaction.

"The railman on the platform, whom I knew well, looked a bit bemused and asked what I was doing. Thinking it a silly question, I said something along the lines of 'what do you think? I'm going home to bed'.
"He then said 'but you don't live here anymore'.

2022 September 7, “Stop & Examine”, in RAIL, number 965, page 71:


aginst

(dialect, nonstandard) Archaic spelling of against.


agin

From Scots agin, variant form of again (“against”).

[The Court] said: "Young man, this ere Court is satisfied that there ain't nothin' in the laws of Vermont agin tippin' over a churn full of sap. […] But I want ye should remember one thing—that this ere Court has made up his mind that it's a very naughty trick, and it's a shame that there's so many maple-trees in the State, and no law agin tippin' over sap."

1859, Harper's New Monthly Magazine, volume 19, page 278:

when I got to that old shackly brick store by the Temperance Tavern, I backed up agin the wall to have another think.

1876, Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, page 228:

[Howland Owl:] Boy! There's prejudice for you... I got a pure, pristine boy here an' you're agin him.
 [Porky Pine:] I ain't AGIN him... I jus' ain't FOR him...

1960 September 22, Walt Kelly, Pogo, comic strip, →ISBN, page 183:

(dialectal, colloquial, or now often humorous) Alternative form of against


abowt

May 20th, after dynner, I with my brother, Mr. Justice Yong, went to the Archebishop of Canterbury to Lambeth, abowt the personagis who used me well.

1842, John Dee, The Private Diary of Dr. John Dee, page 34:

(obsolete, outside of dialects) Alternative spelling of about


alongst

Probably from earlier alonges, from Middle English alongest, alonge, on longe, from Old English onlong, andlang. By surface analysis, along + -st (excrescent ending).


anear

the measure of misery anear us

1860, Isaac Taylor, “(please specify the page)”, in Ultimate Civilization and Other Essays, London: Bell and Daldy […], →OCLC:

And soon I heard a roaring wind: / It did not come anear; / But with its sound it shook the sails, / That were so thin and sere.

1798, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:

As slowly, one by one, / The stars appear, / My burdened heart I lift, / And feel to God anear.


rel

Since M#x5F;0 and M#x5F;1 are cobordant rel boundary and f#x5F;0,f#x5F;1 are n-connected, the number #x5C;delta#x3A;#x3D;#x5C;frac12(#x5C;mathrm#x7B;rk#x7D;H#x5F;nM#x5F;0-#x5C;mathrm#x7B;rk#x7D;H#x5F;nM#x5F;1) is a nonnnegative integer.

1994, N[ikita] Netsvetaev, “Diffeomorphism Criteria for Simply Connected Even-Dimensional Manifolds”, in Oleg Viro, editor, Topology of Manifolds and Varieties (Advances in Soviet Mathematics [series] 18), American Mathematical Society, →ISBN, page 237:

The following notations are in common use: H#x3A;f#x5C;simeqg (rel A) means that H is a homotopy rel A from f to g....

1997, Paul Selick, Introduction to Homotopy Theory (Fields Institute Monographs), American Mathematical Society, →ISBN, page 15:

Then in n#x5C;gen', there is a map h#x3A;Z#x5C;toZ' such that h#x7C;A#x3D;g and gf#x5C;simeqf'h rel A, so the diagram above is commutative up to homotopy rel A.

2002, Allen Hatcher, Algebraic Topology, Cambridge, →ISBN, page 355:

(mathematics) Abbreviation of relative to.


outen

From Middle English outen, uten, from Old English ūtan (“from outside, on the outside, without”), from Proto-Germanic *ūtanē (“from without, outside of”), from Proto-Indo-European *úd (“up, over”). Cognate with Middle Low German ûten (“out, forth”), German außen (“outside, out”), Swedish utan (“without, free from”). More at out.

der

[…] so if any of you ginks are me frien's yeh better keep outen here so's yeh won't get hurted.

1914 October – 1916 July, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Mucker, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published 31 October 1921, →OCLC:

And there was silence again. Then: ‘And you sent that girl away, didn't you? With the money outen that box?’

1953, James Baldwin, “Gabriel's Prayer”, in Go Tell It on the Mountain (Penguin Classics), London: Penguin Books, published 2001, →ISBN:

(archaic or dialectal) Out; out of; out from.


on pain of

From on + pain (“suffering inflicted as punishment or penalty”) + of; compare French sous peine de.

On paine of death, no perſon be ſo bold, / Or daring, hardy, as to touch the liſtes, / Except the Martiall and ſuch officers / Appoynted to direct theſe faire deſignes.

1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:

[N]o flattery for't: / No lick-foote, paine of looſing your proboſcis:[…]

[1629 (first performance), B[en] Jonson, The New Inne. Or, The Light Heart. […], London: […] Thomas Harper, for Thomas Alchorne, […], published 1631, →OCLC, Act II, scene vi:

Seb[astian]. […] [M]y duty, then, / To interpoſe; on pain of my diſpleasure, / Betwixt your Swords[.] / Dor[ax]. On pain of Infamy / He ſhould have diſobey'd.

1690, [John] Dryden, Don Sebastian, King of Portugal: […], London: […] Jo. Hindmarsh, […], →OCLC, Act IV, page 105:

Translated, it was a warning to the Claytons to refrain from reporting the loss of the revolvers, or from repeating what the old sailor had told them—to refrain on pain of death.

1912 October, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Tarzan of the Apes”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as “Out to Sea”, in Tarzan of the Apes, New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, 1914 June, →OCLC, page 16:

The White Queen is offered for sacrifice six times in succession, and must be refused each time on pain of checkmate!

1943 January, Irving Chernev, “Chess Thrillers”, in Chess Review:

Used to warn of consequences if a specified act is done or not done: subject to the punishment of (some penalty); or (generally) subject to the circumstance of (some thing).

op straffe van

subject to the punishment or (generally) circumstance of


sence

(dialectal) Alternative spelling of since


thanks to

Amy was given a scholarship thanks to her excellent grades.

Thanks to that penny he had just spent so recklessly [on a newspaper] he would pass a happy hour, taken, for once, out of his anxious, despondent, miserable self. It irritated him shrewdly to know that these moments of respite from carking care would not be shared with his poor wife, with careworn, troubled Ellen.

1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter I, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, →OCLC; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], [1933], →OCLC, page 0056:

Because of; normally used with a positive connotation, though it can be used sarcastically.


upwards of

The cheap ones won't last, while a good quality product could cost upwards of $500.

"[…] The quay is upwards of 1,000 feet in length, and capable of accommodating more than 100 sail of traders; and there are generally a considerable number of vessels of from 40 to 300 tons burden, from various parts of the world, waiting to receive their cargoes."

1945 May and June, Charles E. Lee, “The Penrhyn Railway and its Locomotives—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 142, text published 1848:


pre

From Latin prae (“in front of”); see pre-.


(text messaging, Internet slang, slang) Abbreviation of before.


i.q.

From the Latin īdem (“same”) + quod the neuter nominative of quī (“what”).

Cleopatris, Egypti, i. q. Arsinoe Heroopolitana.

1851, William Hazlitt, The Classical Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Ancient Geography, Sacred and Profane, London: Whittaker & Co., →OCLC, page 113:

כָּרְסֵא, the throne; m. n., i. q. Hebr. כִּסֵּא, סּ being changed into רס.

1859, George Longfield, An Introduction to the Study of the Chaldee Language, London: Whittaker & Co., →OCLC, page 157:

Bejuthno, i.q. Bojudno

1871, John Bannister, A Glossary of Cornish Names, London: Williams & Norgate, →OCLC, page 8:


fao

Abbreviation of for the attention of. Used on an address or label, specifies an individual to whom the document should be delivered, usually put on when the address is of an organisation.


FAO

Alternative letter-case form of fao (“for the attention of”)


in on

She was in on the surprise from the beginning.

We had to let him in on it after he overheard some of us talking.

Part of or privy to; involved in (something private, especially a plan or plot).


a'

SIL. What, a' God's name, could come into the heads
Of this people to make them rebel?
ERN. Why, religion; that came into their heads
A' God's name.
GER. But what a devil made the noblemen
Rebel? they never mind religion.

1661, Samuel Tuke, "The Adventures of Five Hours", in 1876, Robert Dodsley, William Carew Hazlitt, A Select Collection of Old English Plays, page 217


such as

Waterbirds, such as the duck or the gull, are common in the area.

The San Juan market is Mexico City's most famous deli of exotic meats, where an adventurous shopper can hunt down hard-to-find critters such as ostrich, wild boar and crocodile.

2013 July 26, Nick Miroff, “Mexico gets a taste for eating insects […]”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 32:

I was never in a country such as that.

A plan such as you propose will never succeed.

No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or[…]. And at last I began to realize in my harassed soul that all elusion was futile, and to take such holidays as I could get, when he was off with a girl, in a spirit of thankfulness.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:

тако́й ... как

e.g. "такой день (denʹ) как ..." - a day such as ...


on the point of

Whether health care should remain free at the point of need is not a new controversy.

As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once.

1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

The old building seemed to be on the point of collapse.

(idiomatic) Very near to; ready to; just about to; such that something is imminent.


no matter

Shortened from earlier it makes no matter, it is no matter.

As an experienced geologist, he can identify any rock no matter where he finds it.

No matter what the excuse, you must not be late.

We can fix your plumbing no matter the problem.

I'll pick you up at the airport on Friday no matter when your flight arrives.

No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.

The result in Greece meant Tottenham could not progress, no matter how many goals they scored against Rovers but, after making nine changes to his starting line-up, Harry Redknapp will be pleased with the performance of his fringe players.

2011 December 15, Marc Higginson, “Shamrock Rovers 0-4 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport:

Irrespective of, regardless of, in spite of.


atween

From Middle English atwene. Equivalent to a- + twain.

The silver strings of heavenly harp atween:
And let there glide by many a pearly car,
Pink robes, and wavy hair, and diamond jar

1816, John Keats, On Leaving Some Friends at an Early Hour:

That's jest a specimen o' the kind of stoopidity as always seems to be a layin' atween property and poverty, atween capital and labor, atween you settin' thar with yer soft ways and yer soft dress ag'in you, and me, and the bed, and the chair, and the wall, and the end on't.

1871, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward, The Silent Partner:


'pon

Compare identically formed Swedish på, Norwegian på, Danish på.

So he thought over various plans for relief, and finally hit pon that of professing to be fond of Pain-killer.

1876, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter 12, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hartford, Conn.: The American Publishing Company, →OCLC:


in favor of

Many people are in favor of capital punishment.

For; in support of; approving, supporting.

He endorsed the note in favor of his uncle who had lent them the money.

He left school after just three years in favor of a professional sports career.


f/k/a

formerly known as
formerly known as#English


like unto

In the Heavens, in the Earth, in the Waters, under the Earth, is none like unto thee.

1843, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, Book 1, chapter 6, Aristocracy of Talent:

Truly, the first condition is indispensable, That Wisdom be there: but the second is like unto it, is properly one with it.

1843, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, Book 3, chapter 12, Reward:

(archaic, chiefly biblical, in adjective or adverb phrases that express resemblance) like, similar to

I think all things to be damage, or loss, for the excellent knowledge's sake of Christ Jesus my Lord...and to know also the fellowship of his passions, that I might be made like unto his death.

a. 1536, William Tyndale, Expositions and notes on sundry portions of the Holy Scriptures, published 1849, Exposition of Matthew:

(obsolete, in adjectival prepositional phrases expressing conformity or conformableness) conforming to, conformable to

Go to then, and desire God to print this profession in thine heart, and to increase it daily more and more; that thou mayest be full shapen like unto the image of Christ, in knowledge and love.

(obsolete, in adverbial prepositional phrases following verbs or participles of making, conforming, or thinking) like

conforming; or thinking; conforming; or thinking


quoad

It seems to have been rather on this ground that quoad Hughes, who was a volunteer, the defendant had not been guilty of any negligence at all […]

1884, Horace Smith, A treatise on the law of negligence:


ever since

The people have been rejoicing ever since the election.


outside of

It never happens outside of the story-books that a baby so deserted finds home and friends at once.

1890, Jacob A[ugust] Riis, “Waifs of the City’s Slums”, in How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 188:

'Don't think of what's past!' said she. 'I am not going to think outside of now. Why should we! Who knows what to-morrow has in store?'

1891, Thomas Hardy, chapter LVIII, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume III, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC, phase the seventh (Fulfilment), page 260:

Of all the queer collections of humans outside of a crazy asylum, it seemed to me this sanitarium was the cup winner. […] When you're well enough off so's you don't have to fret about anything but your heft or your diseases you begin to get queer, I suppose.

1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter V, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, pages 115–116:

A book is a man’s best friend outside of a dog, and inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.

1954, Jim Brewer, Boys' Life, volume 44, number 2, Think and Grin, page 78, column 1:


nought-withstanding

nought withstanding
nought withstanding#English

Alternative spelling of nought withstanding


nought withstanding

Alternative spelling of noughtwithstanding


mauger

I 've read in school-boy days,—thy cousin bees,
(Mauger the din of warming-pans and matrons)
Would swarm around the lips of Sophocles
Mistaking the sweet muses for their patrons;...

1827, Lydia Sigourney, Poems, To a Wasp, page 181:


as regards

As regards too our Indian possessions, the idea of any thing being feared from Russia in that quarter, at however distant a period, is treated by the politicians of the day as an idle mockery...

1833, James Conolly, Remarks on the Foreign Policy in England, as regards Portugal and Greece, section 35:


rather than

I'd prefer a dog rather than a cat.


dead against

We had hauled up here to the S.W., in order to go sharp round the southern extreme of the Maldiva Archipelago, and, if possible, proceed by the northern, or short route, and run our westing down in 4° or 5° south latitude ; but, as we got to the westward, we found the wind more dead against us, so that we were obliged to steer south again.

1828, James Silk Buckingham, The Oriental Herald, page 410:

“The person who was most dead against playing the game was Stuart,” says Mick. “But he’s definitely a lot more relaxed about it these days.”

2005, Paul Whitelaw, Belle and Sebastian: Just a Modern Rock Story, page 260:

Unequivocally and intransigently opposed to.


in aid of

- What's that coaster in aid of?

- This table gets stained by cups very easily.

(UK, informal) for the sake of, for (usually placed at the end of a question when quizzing a person about why they have done something)


in the thick of

In the thick of the railway controversies of his day, Francis naturally had his prejudices. It seems that he cordially disliked the aristocracy in general.

1951 December, Michael Robbins, “John Francis's "History of the English Railway"”, in Railway Magazine, page 800:

His stories about Huey, Eleanor and Jack, and other bigwigs of various worlds, reveal a life lived in the thick of legend.

1991 August 24, Lewis Gannett, “Gore Stories”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 6, page 8:

Rooney was fit to return to United's line-up after missing two games with an ankle injury - and he was in the thick of the action right away as he raced on to Dimitar Berbatov's pass only to send a presentable finish wide from an acute angle.

2011 January 15, Phil McNulty, “Tottenham 0 - 0 Man Utd”, in BBC:

(idiomatic) In the middle of (something difficult).


in the light of

In the light of the Sun

2007, Lawrence A. Hoffman (editor), My People′s Prayer Book: Traditional Prayers, Modern Commentaries, Volume 1: The Sh′ma and Its Blessings, page 51,
The angels lived endlessly in the light of God′s chariot, praising God by saying “Holy, Holy, Holy,” just as Isaiah had seen.

In the illumination from (a source of light).

In the light of faith I gain wisdom in the wisdom of the Word your Son; in the light of faith I am strong, constant, persevering; in the light of faith I have hope: It does not let me faint along the way.

1980, Catherine of Siena, translated by Suzanne Noffke, The Dialogue, New Jersey: Paulist Press, page 365:

2005, Simon Blackburn, “hermeneutic circle," entry in The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, page 165,
Similarly, we may hold that the past can only be understood in the light of the present, and the present only understood in the light of the past.

In the light of cases such as this, one should perhaps be careful about suggesting general disapproval of ‘consumer’ objections to wind farm development.

2007, Jane Holder, Maria Lee, Environmental Protection, Law and Policy: Text and Materials, page 712:

(figuratively, chiefly UK and Canada) Based on conclusions derived from (a source of knowledge, evidence or inspiration).


in bed with

People also ask me what was it like being in bed with Sean Connery. I said, ‘Fine.’

2020 November 3, Stuart Jeffries, quoting Tsai Chin, “Tsai Chin: 'What was it like being in bed with Sean Connery? Fine'”, in The Guardian:

He's not for the company; he's in bed with the investment bankers.

On the central issue in foreign affairs—the Iraq war—these ministers have been in bed with the Tories from the outset.

2004 March 3, Paul Foot, “In bed with the Tories”, in The Guardian:

(figuratively) Engaging in a close mutually beneficial relationship, especially secretly and illicitly.


across from

The gym is across from the lounge. It is behind the lobby.
Audio (US): (file)

2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)


apropos of

Calque of French à propos de. See apropos

Apropos''' of pruning the grape, it may be pointed out here that this can be done when the season's growth has lost its green appearance and assumed a brown or greyish color.

1901 July 5, Claude Fuller, “Some Winter Reminders”, in The Agricultural Journal and Mining Record, volume 4, number 9, page 262:

Concerning; with regard to; about; apropos; in relation to.


with regard to

I am writing with regard to the advertisement that you placed in last week's Daily News.

The Last Wish has a lot on its mind with regard to its characters, especially Puss himself.

2022 December 20, Leigh Monson, “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish review: Antonio Banderas leads the best film yet in the Shrek franchise”, in AV Club:


as opposed to

in contrast to, rather than, instead of; particularly used in defining a concept by providing an example that does not fall inside the concept.


viâ

From Latin viā, ablative singular form of via (“way, road”).

Stahel's calvary division moved from Warrington, viâ Gainesville, to Fairfax Court-house.

1886: Comte De Paris, The Battle of Gettysburg, page 248http://books.google.com/books?id=woP8IV7zHGwC&pg=PA248

In the spring of 1857, I, with several friends, left Hongkong for Shanghai, viâ Foochow, in the small coasting steamer Antelope.

1890 February 28, W. S. Wetmore, “RECOLLECTIONS OF LIFE IN CHINA IN THE FIFTIES.”, in North-China Herald and Supreme Court & Consular Gazette, volume XLIV, number 1178, Shanghai, →OCLC, page 256, column 1:

As to the roads into Manchuria, recent researches prove absolutely that the mediæval Chinese envoys to the Nüchêns followed the present high-road round from Peking, through Shan-hai Kwan, Mukden, Kirin or Changchun, to Alchuk and Sansing. So with the modern Corean road from Söul, or P’ing-yang, by way of I-chou, whence either viâ Mukden and the Manchu road, or viâ the Fêng-hwang road and Kin-chou, where the latter joins the former : these were the roads of ancient times. The Kitan roads I have been over, for the most part, myself ; they are simply the high-roads from Peking through the various passes of the Great Wall, and to this day the caravans of laden camels or mules, the droves of horses, the herds and flocks driven in for sale may be seen coming through in the winter season exactly as they came 2,000 years ago.

1901, Edward Harper Parker, “Trade Routes”, in China: Her History, Diplomacy and Commerce from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, →OCLC, →OL, pages 79–80:

To the right are the Lignes de Normandie (England viâ Dieppe or Le Havre).

1907, Karl Baedeker, Paris and environs: with routes from London to Paris; handbook for travellers, page 32:

The foundries produced, in 1909, 74,000 tons of pig-iron which were exported viâ Shang-hai to Japan and even to America.

1912, Claudius Madrolle, Northern China, the Valley of the Blue River, Korea, 2nd edition, Hachette & company, page 386:


tofore

From Middle English tofore, toforn, from Old English tōforan (“in front of”), from tō (“to”) + foran (“front, fore-part”, n.), dative case of fora (“front”). Compare Dutch tevoren (“previously”), German zuvor (“before, previously”). More at to, fore.


by dint of

He succeeded by dint of effort, not talent.

[T]he Scythians perceiuyng they coulde not ouercome them by dint of ſwoorde and warre, changed their fight, & went againſt them with whippes and ſcourges, at the ſight whereof the ſeruant[s] remembring their olde condicion, were ſore abaſhed and ſubmitted them ſelues, takying worthy punyſhment for their offence.

1560, Thomas Cooper, “The Seconde Parte [of Lanquettes Chronicle]”, in Coopers Chronicle, Conteininge the Whole Discourse of the Histories as well of This Realme, as All Other Countreis, […], new edition, London: […] [[I]n the house late Thomas Berthelettes], →OCLC, folio 27, recto:

[H]is aunceſtours did deſire / By dint of blade, not bagges of droſſe, to honour to aſpire.

1576, George Whetstone, “The Arbour of Vertue, […]”, in The Rocke of Regard, […], London: […] [H. Middleton] for Robert Waley, →OCLC; republished in J[ohn] P[ayne] Collier, editor, The Rocke of Regard, […] (Illustrations of Early English Poetry; vol. 2, no. 2), London: Privately printed, [1867?], →OCLC, pages 149–150:

Ethelred manfully entred the battaile, and ſo ſeconded his brother, & ouer-tyred Soldiers, that hee made way by dint of his ſword through the thickeſt of their almoſt-conquering enemies; [...]

1623, John Speed, “Ethelred the Tvvo and Tvventieeth King of the VVest-Saxons, and the Twenty Third Monarch of the Englishmen, His Acts, and Issue”, in The Historie of Great Britaine vnder the Conqvests of the Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], 2nd edition, London: […] George Hvmble, […], →OCLC, paragraph 8, page 383:

He [Tertullian] was naturally exceeding Hot and Impatient, [...] to this natural Stock of Fire, and the joint Force of Letters, was added a ſurprizing Vivacity of Wit, edged with a Keeneſs peculiar to himſelf, ſo that he cou'd drive an Argument as far by dint of Reaſon, and clinch it as ſeverely by dint of Wit, as moſt Men living; [...]

1709, William Reeves, “A Preliminary Discourse to Tertullian’s Apologetick for the Christians”, in The Apologies of Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Minutius Felix, in Defence of the Christian Religion, […] In Two Volumes, volume I, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC, page 136:

Other instances might be cited of parties without any capital at all, who, by dint of mere credit, were enabled, while the aspect of the market favoured their views, to make purchases to a very great extent.

1848, John Stuart Mill, “Influence of Credit on Prices”, in Principles of Political Economy: With Some of Their Applications to Social Philosophy. […], volume II, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], →OCLC, book III (Exchange), § 5, page 65:

Nobs, by dint of much scrambling and one or two narrow escapes from death, had managed to follow us up the cliff and was now curled between me and the doorway, having devoured a piece of the dried meat, which he seemed to relish immensely.

1918 September–November, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Land That Time Forgot”, in The Blue Book Magazine, Chicago, Ill.: Story-press Corp., →OCLC; republished as chapter VIII, in Hugo Gernsback, editor, Amazing Stories, part II, number 12, New York, N.Y.: Experimenter Publishing, March 1927, →OCLC, page 1141, column 2:

By dint of learning by doing over thirty years or more, Japanese LCD manufacturers have so honed their production technologies that they can secure a yield of perfect products of as much as 90 percent in a typical production batch.

2005 April 21, Eamonn Fingleton (witness), “Statement of Eamonn Fingleton, Economic Author: Unsustainable: How Economic Dogma is Destroying American American Prosperity: Tokyo, Japan”, in China’s High Technology Development: Hearings before the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission, One Hundred Ninth Congress, First Session […], Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 136:

There can be a tendency to think of mathematical research as being carried out by a solitary thinker, conquering intellectual hurdles by dint of sheer thought.

2021, Timothy Y. Chow, Re: Clarification of Skepticism, in: FOM [Foundations of Mathematics] mailing list, Mar 4 2021

بِسَبَبّ

by the force of; by means of — see also by means of

Hierocles [of Alexandria] in this Place follows the Thought of Socrates, who in the Phædon of Plato deplores the hard Fate of Men, who by dint of Hearing the Ignorant diſpute and contradict every thing, imagine with themſelves that there is no ſuch thing as clear, ſolid and ſenſible Reaſons; and perſuade themſelves that every thing is uncertain.

1707, [André] Dacier, “Verses XXI, XXII, and XXIII”, in [anonymous], transl., The Life of Pythagoras, with His Symbols and Golden Verses. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, footnote (a), page 265:

As a development organization, it [the United Nations Development Programme] competes with other parts of the UN system for funds and attention, but more especially with the World Bank, which has become a substantial presence in developing countries, in terms of resources and influence. UNDP has also retained a coordination role, by dint of history and because of its broad mandate. But the two roles do not sit easily.

2012, Stephen Browne, “The Future of the UN Development System”, in United Nations Development Programme and System, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 108:

This is a book about poverty. It is a book about why some people in seventeenth and early-eighteenth-century England ended up so destitute that they called upon formal poor relief for support. [...] You were more likely to end up poor if you were landless, or lived away from your relatives, or simply by dint of being female.

2014, Jonathan Healey, “Preface”, in The First Century of Welfare: Poverty and Poor Relief in Lancashire, 1620–1730, Woodbridge, Suffolk: The Boydell Press, Boydell & Brewer, →ISBN, page XII:

(by extension) Because of; by reason of.


ahead of

A hill loomed ahead of them.

The island bore but little a-head of us.

1754, Henry Fielding, The Journal of a Voyage to Lisbon:

He's giving a series of concerts in London ahead of his international tour.

You have a long trip ahead of you.

Peter has a lot of work ahead of him.

I arrived at the suite half an hour ahead of Jack.

He is far ahead of his class in math.

The Reggie Clemons case has been a cause of legal dispute for the past two decades. Prosecutors alleged that he and his co-defendants brutally cut short the lives of Julie and Robin Kerry, sisters who had just started college and had their whole adult lives ahead of them.

2012 August 21, Ed Pilkington, “Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die?”, in The Guardian:


aprés

2004, Brian Thacker, The Naked Man Festival http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1741143993&id=p7sjIR5_LIAC&pg=PA205&lpg=PA205&sig=RsH_YwTjv0QzNYFqosuU126tcLY
After dinner we decided to take an aprés-lobster stroll around town.