[water down]{v.} To change and make weaker; weaken. •/The Senatorargued that the House should water down the bill before passing it./ •/TheAfrican American did not accept watered down Civil Rights legislation./•/After talking with the management about their demands, the workers agreedto water them down./ •/The teacher had to water down the course for aslow-learning class./

[watered down]{adj.} Weakened; diluted. •/The play was adisappointing, watered down version of Shakespeare’s Othello./

[waterfront] See: COVER THE WATERFRONT.

[watering hole] or [place] {n. phr.} A bar, pub, or nightclub wherepeople gather to drink and socialize. •/I like "The Silver Dollar" — it ismy favorite watering hole in all of Sidney, Nebraska./

[Waterloo] See: MEET ONE’S WATERLOO.

[water over the dam] or [water under the bridge] {n. phr.}Something that happened in the past and cannot be changed. •/Since thesweater is too small already, don’t worry about its shrinking; that’s waterover the dam./ Compare: CRY OVER SPILLED MILK.

[water under the bridge] See: WATER OVER THE DAM.

[water wagon] See: ON THE WAGON.

[way] See: ALL THE WAY or THE WHOLE WAY, BY THE WAY, BY WAY OF, COME A LONGWAY, CUT BOTH WAYS or CUT TWO WAYS, EVERY WHICH WAY, FROM WAY BACK, GO OUT OFONE’S WAY, HARD WAY, HAVE A WAY WITH, IN A BAD WAY, IN A BIG WAY, IN A FAMILYWAY, IN A WAY, IN ONE’S WAY or IN THE WAY, KNOW ONE’S WAY AROUND or KNOW ONE’SWAY ABOUT, LEAD THE WAY, MAKE ONE’S WAY, MAKE WAY, NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN,NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT, ON THE WAY or ON ONE’S WAY, PARTING OF THE WAYS, PUT INTHE WAY OF or PUT IN ONE’S WAY, PUT OUT OF THE WAY, RUB THE WRONG WAY, SEEONE’S WAY CLEAR.

[way off]{adj. phr.} At a great distance from a particular point (saidof a discrepancy). •/We were way off on our calculations; the house cost ustwice as much as we had thought./

[wayside] See: FALL BY THE WAYSIDE.

[way the wind blows] or [how the wind blows] {n. phr.} Thedirection or course something may go; how things are; what may happen. •/Mostsenators find put which way the wind blows in their home state before voting onbills in Congress./

[ways and means]{n. plural} Methods of getting something done orgetting money; how something can be done and paid for. •/The boys were tryingto think of ways and means to go camping for the weekend./ •/The UnitedStates Senate has a committee on ways and means./

[wear] See: IF THE SHOE FITS — WEAR IT, WASH AND WEAR, WORSE FOR WEAR.

[wear and tear]{n. phr.} Deterioration through use. •/After 75,000miles there is usually a lot of wear and tear on any car./

[wear away] See: WEAR DOWN.

[wear blinders] or [blinkers] {v. phr.} To refuse or be unable toconsider alternative ways of thinking or acting. •/Anybody who disputes theimportance of learning languages is wearing blinders./

[wear down], [wear off] or [wear away] {v.} 1. To remove ordisappear little by little through use, time, or the action of weather.•/Time and weather have worn off the name on the gravestone./ •/Theeraser has worn off my pencil./ •/The grass has worn away from the pathnear the house./ 2. To lessen; become less little by little. •/The peoplewent home as the excitement of the fire wore off./ •/John could feel thepain again as the dentist’s medicine wore away./ 3. To exhaust; tire out, winover or persuade by making tired. •/Mary wore her mother down by begging sothat she let Mary go to the movies./ Compare: DIE OUT.

[wear on]{v.} 1. To anger or annoy; tire. •/Having to stay indoorsall day long is tiresome for the children and wears on their mother’snerves./ 2. To drag on; pass gradually or slowly; continue in the same oldway. •/Johnny tried to wait up for Santa Claus but as the night wore on, hecouldn’t keep his eyes open./ •/As the years wore on, the man in prisongrew old./ •/The boys' quarrel wore on all afternoon./

[wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve] also [pin one’s heart on one’ssleeve] {v. phr.} To show your feelings openly; show everyone how youfeel; not hide your feelings. •/She wears her heart on her sleeve. It’s easyto see if she is sad or happy./ •/Sometimes it is better not to pin yourheart on your sleeve./ Compare: OPEN ONE’S HEART.

[wear out]{v.} 1a. To use or wear until useless. •/Bobby got a toytruck that would run on a battery, and he used it so much that he soon wore itout./ •/The stockings are so worn out that they can’t be mended anymore./ Compare: GIVE OUT(4), USE UP. 1b. To become useless from use or wear.•/The old clock finally wore out./ •/One shoe wore out before theother./ 2. or [tire out] To make very tired; weaken. •/The childrenplayed inside when it rained, and they soon wore out their mother./ •/WhenDick got home from the long walk, he was all worn out./ — Often used with"oneself". •/Don’t wear yourself out by playing too hard./ Compare: GIVEOUT(4). 3. To make by rubbing, scraping, or washing. •/The waterfall has wornout a hole in the stone beneath it./

[wear out one’s welcome]{v. phr.}, {informal} To visit somewheretoo long or come back too often so that you are not welcome any more. •/TheSmith children have worn out their welcome at our house because they never wantto go home./ •/This hot weather has worn out its welcome with us./

[wear the trousers] or [wear the pants] {v. phr.}, {informal}To have a man’s authority; be the boss of a family or household. •/Mr. Wilsonis henpecked by his wife; she wears the trousers in that family./ •/Mrs.Jones talks a lot but Mr. Jones wears the pants in their house./ Compare:RULE THE ROOST.

[wear thin]{v.} 1. To become thin from use, wearing, or the passing oftime. •/My old pair of pants has worn thin at the knees./ •/This old dimehas worn very thin./ 2. To grow less, or less interesting; decrease. •/Thejoke began to wear thin when you heard it too many times./ •/The teacher’spatience began to wear thin when he saw that no one knew the lesson./

[wear well]{v.} 1. To continue to be satisfactory, useful, or likedfor a long time. •/My old overcoat has worn very well./ •/Their marriagehas worn well./ •/That author wears well./ Compare: STAND UP(2). 2. Tocarry, accept, or treat properly or well. •/Grandfather wears his yearswell./ •/Tommy has won many honors but he wears them well./

[weasel out]{v. phr.} To renege on a previous promise; not keep anobligation for some not always straight reason. •/I’m so tired I think I amgoing to weasel my way out of going to that meeting this afternoon./

[weasel word]{n.}, {informal} A word which has more than onemeaning and may be used to deceive others. •/When the thief was beingquestioned by the police, he tried to fool them with weasel words./

[weather] See: FAIR-WEATHER FRIEND.

[weather eye]{n.} 1. Eyes that can tell what the weather will be.•/Grandfather’s weather eye always tells him when it will rain./ 2. Eyesready or quick to see; careful watch. — Usually used in phrases like "keep aweather eye on", "open", or "out for". •/Mrs. Brown kept a weather eye on thechildren so they wouldn’t hurt each other./ •/Keep a weather eye out forUncle George at the store./ •/Keep a weather eye open for deer./ •/Thepolice have a weather eye out for the robbers./ Compare: LOOK OUT.