[up to no good]{adv. phr.} Intending to do something bad; perpetratingan illicit act. •/We could tell from the look on Dennis the Menace’s facethat he was once again up to no good./

[up to one’s ears]{adv. phr.} Immersed in; covered with. •/"Aroundfinal examination time," Professor Brown explained, "I am always up to my earsin work."/

[up to one’s neck]{adv. phr.} Overwhelmed with; submerged in.•/"During the summer season in our cottage by the lake," the Allenscomplained, "we are usually up to our necks in uninvited guests."/ Compare:UP TO ONE’S EARS.

[up to par] or {informal} [up to scratch] or {informal} [upto snuff] 1. In good or normal health or physical condition. •/I have acold and don’t feel up to par./ •/The boxer is training for the fight buthe isn’t up to scratch yet./ 2. or [up to the mark] As good as usual; upto the usual level or quality. •/The TV program was not up to par tonight./•/John will have to work hard to bring his grades up to snuff./ Compare:MEASURE UP.

[up to scratch] See: UP TO FAR.

[up to snuff] See: UP TO PAR.

[up to the chin in] or [in --- up to the chin] {adj. phr.},{informal} Used also with "ears", "elbows", "eyes" or "knees" instead of"chin", and with a possessive instead of "the". 1. Having a big or importantpart in; guilty of; not innocent of; deeply in. •/Was Tom mixed up in thattrouble last night? He was up to his ears in it./ •/Mr. Johnson is up tothe eyes in debt./ •/Mrs. Smith is in debt up to her chin./ Compare: TOTHE HILT. 2. Very busy with; working hard at. •/Bob is up to his neck inhomework./ •/They are up to their elbows in business before Christmas./3. Having very much or many of; flooded with. •/Mary was up to her knees ininvitations to go to parties./ Compare: KNEE-DEEP.

[up to the hilt] See: TO THE HILT.

[up to the last minute]{adv. phr.} Until the last possible moment;until the very end. •/When I try to send in an important eyewitness reportfrom the scene of a major accident, I must keep working up to the lastminute./ Compare: TO THE BITTER END, UNDER THE WIRE.

[up to the mark] See: UP TO PAR(2).

[up-to-the-minute] See: UP-TO-DATE.

[urban homesteading]{n.}, {informal} Renovation and occupationthrough cooperative ownership by tenants of previously abandoned city apartmentbuildings. •/Urban homesteading is on the rise in many big American citiesthese days./

[use] See: NO USE, PUT TO USE.

[used to(1)]{adj. phr.} In the habit of or familiar with. •/Peopleget used to smoking and it is hard for them to stop./ •/Farmers are used toworking outdoors in the winter./ •/After my eyes became used to the dimlight in the cave, I saw an old shovel on the ground./ •/On the hike Bobsoon got tired, but Dick did not because he was used to walking./

[used to(2)] or [did use to] {v. phr.} Did formerly; did in thepast. — Usually used with an infinitive to tell about something past.•/Uncle Henry used to have a beard, but he shaved it off./ •/Did yourfather use to work at the bank?/ •/People used to say that tomatoes werepoison./ — Sometimes used without the infinitive. •/I don’t go to thatschool any more, but I used to./ •/We don’t visit Helen as much as we usedto./ •/I used to go to the movies often. Did you use to?/

[used to be] or [did use to be] {v. phr.} Formerly or once was.•/Mary used to be small; but she has grown up./ •/Dick used to be thebest pitcher on the team last year; now two other pitchers are better than heis./

[use every trick in the book]{v. phr.}, {informal} To availoneself of any means at all in order to achieve one’s goal, not exclusive ofpossibly immoral or illegal acts. •/Algernon used every trick in the book toget Maxine to go out with him, but she kept refusing./

[use one’s head] or {slang} [use one’s bean] or {slang} [useone’s noodle] or {slang} use [one’s noggin] {v. phr.} To use yourbrain or mind; think; have common sense. — Often used as a command. •/If youused your bean you wouldn’t be in trouble now./ •/Never point a gun atanybody, John. Use your head!/

[use up]{v. phr.} 1. To use until nothing is left; spend or consumecompletely. •/Don’t use up all the soap. Leave me some to wash with./•/Jack used up his last dollar to see the movies./ Compare: GIVE OUT(5). 2.{informal} To tire completely; make very tired; exhaust; leave no strengthor force in. — Usually used in the passive. •/After rowing the boat acrossthe lake, Robert was used up./ Compare: GIVE OUT(4), WEAR OUT.

[utility room]{n.} A room in a house or building for machinery andother things important in the daily use of the building and the work of thepeople in it. •/There is a utility room upstairs where Mother does thelaundry./ •/The oil burner is kept in the utility room in the basement./

V

[vain] See: IN VAIN, TAKE ONE’S NAME IN VAIN.

[valor] See: DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR.

[value] See: FACE VALUE.

[vanish into thin air] See: DISAPPEAR INTO THIN AIR.

[vanishing cream]{n.} A cosmetic cream for the skin that is usedchiefly before face powder. •/Mrs. Jones spread vanishing cream on her facebefore applying her face powder./

[vanity case]{n.} 1. A small case containing face powder, lipstick,and other things and usually carried in a woman’s handbag; a compact. •/Shetook out her vanity case and put lipstick on./ 2. A handbag or a small bagcarried by a woman and holding various toilet articles. •/She had the portercarry her big bags and she herself carried her vanity case./

[variety show]{n.} A program that includes several different kinds ofentertainment (as songs, dances, comic skits and little dramas). •/Jane’sfather was the master of ceremonies of a variety show on TV./

[variety store]{n.} A store that sells many different kinds of things,especially items that are fairly small and in everyday use. •/I went into avariety store and bought some paint./ •/Five-and-ten cent stores are a kindof variety store./

[vein] See: FREEZE ONE’S BLOOD or FREEZE THE BLOOD IN ONE’S VEINS, FREEZEONE’S VEINS.

[verbal diarrhea]{n. phr.} The inability to keep silent;over-talkativeness. •/Archibald is a nice guy but he’s got verbal diarrheaand he can’t shut up for a single minute./

[very] See: ALL VERY WELL.

[very well]{interj.}, {formal} Agreed; all right. — Used to showagreement or approval. •/Very well. You may go./ •/Very well, I will doas you say./ Compare: ALL RIGHT(2).

[vibrations] or [vibes] {n.} Psychic emanations radiating from anobject, situation, or person. •/I don’t think this relationship will work out — this guy has given me bad vibes./

[vicious circle]{n. phr.} A kind of circular or chain reaction inwhich one negative thing leads to another. •/Some people take so manydifferent kinds of medicine to cure an illness that they develop otherillnesses from the medicine and are thus caught in a vicious circle./

[Vietnam syndrome]{n.}, {informal} An attitude in governmentcircles that diplomacy may be more effective in solving local politicalproblems in other countries than the use of military force, stemming from thefailure of the U.S. military intervention in Vietnam. •/The pundits of FoggyBottom display the Vietnam syndrome these days when it comes to Iran./