[widow] See: GOLF WIDOW.

[wiener roast] or [hot dog roast] {n.} A party where frankfurtersare cooked and eaten over an outdoor fire. •/For his birthday party, John hada wiener roast in his backyard./ •/Mary’s Girl Scout troop had a hot dogroast on their overnight hike./

[wig] See: BIG CHEESE or BIG WIG.

[wild] See: RUN WILD, SOW ONE’S WILD OATS.

[wildcat strike]{n.}, {informal} A strike not ordered by a laborunion; a strike spontaneously arranged by a group of workers. •/The garbagecollectors have gone on a wildcat strike, but the union is going to stop it./

[wild goose chase]{n. phr.} An absurd and completely futile errand.•/I was on a wild goose chase when I was sent to find a man who never reallyexisted./

[wild pitch]{n.} A pitch in baseball that is so high, so low, or sofar from the plate that the catcher cannot catch it and a base runner can moveto the next base. •/The runner went to second base on a wild pitch./

[will] See: AT WILL, OF ONE’S OWN ACCORD or OF ONE’S OWN FREE WILL.

[will not hear of]{v. phr.} Will not allow or consider, refuseattention to or permission for. •/I want to go to the show tonight, but Iknow my mother will not hear of it./ •/Mary needs another day to finish herbook report, but the teacher won’t hear of any delay./ •/John’s father toldhim he would not hear of his having a car./

[win] See: HEADS I WIN, TAILS YOU LOSE.

[wind] See: GET WIND OF, GOD TEMPERS THE WIND TO THE SHORN LAMB, GONE WITHTHE WIND, IN THE WIND, IT’S AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NOBODY GOOD, SECOND WIND,STRAW IN THE WIND, TAKE THE WIND OUT OF ONE’S SAILS, THREE SHEETS IN THE WINDor THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND, THROW CAUTION TO THE WIND, WAY THE WIND BLOWS orHOW THE WIND BLOWS.

[windbag]{n.} Someone who talks too much; a boring person. •/UncleJoe goes on and on; he is a boring windbag./

[windfall]{n.} An unexpected gift or gain of sizeable proportion.•/The unexpected retroactive pay raise was a most welcome windfall./

[window] See: GO OUT THE WINDOW.

[window dressing]{n. phr.} An elaborate exterior, sometimes designedto conceal one’s real motives. •/All those fancy invitations turned out to benothing but window dressing./ •/All he really wanted was to be introducedto my influential father-in-law./

[wind up]{v.} 1. To tighten the spring of a machine; to make it workor run. •/Mary wound up the toy car and let it run across the room./ •/Hedoesn’t have to wind up his watch because it is run by a battery./ 2. To makevery excited, nervous, upset. — Usually used in the past participle. •/Theexcitement of her birthday party got Jane all wound up so she could notsleep./ 3. {informal} To bring or come to an end; finish; stop. •/Johngot two hits and wound his afternoon up with a home run./ •/Before Jim knewit, he had spent all his money and he wound up broke./ •/The boys followedthe path to the left and wound up where they started./ Syn.: END UP. Compare:FINISH OFF, TURN OUT(6). 4. To put (your business or personal affairs) inorder; arrange; settle. •/Fred wound up his business and personal affairsbefore joining the Navy./ 5. To swing your arm with the ball just beforepitching to a batter. •/The pitcher wound up quickly and then threw acurve./

[wing] See: CLIP ONE’S WINGS, LEFT-WING, ON THE WING, RIGHT-WING, UNDERONE’S WING.

[win hands down]{v. phr.} To win conclusively and without externalhelp. •/The opposition was so weak that Dan won the election hands down./

[win in a walk] or [win in a breeze] {v. phr.}, {informal} Towin very easily; win without having to try hard. •/Joe ran for classpresident and won in a walk./ •/Our team won the game in a breeze./Compare: HANDS DOWN.

[wink] See: FORTY WINKS, SLEEP A WINK.

[wink at]{v.} To allow and pretend not to know about (a rule or lawbeing broken). •/John was not allowed to stay out late at night, but hisparents winked at his being five minutes late./ •/A judge should never winkat any law-breaking./

[winning streak]{n.} A series of several wins one after the other.•/The team extended their winning streak to ten./

[win one’s spurs]{v. phr.} 1. In old times, to be named a knight withthe right to wear little sharp spikes on your heels. •/A young squire won hisspurs in battle./ 2. To win fame or honor. •/The young lieutenant won hisspurs by leading an attack on enemy machine guns./ •/Edison won his spursas an inventor while rather young./ •/He has yet to win his spurs as a bigleague ball player./

[win out]{v. phr.} To win after a rather protracted struggle. •/Thelawsuit lasted a long time, but we finally won out./

[win over]{v. phr.} To convert to one’s position or point of view.•/The Democrats offered him a high-level executive position and thus way wonhim over to their side./

[wipeout]{n.} A total failure. •/The guy is so bad at his job thathe is a total wipeout./

[wipe out]{v.} 1. To remove or erase by wiping or rubbing. •/Theteacher wiped out with an eraser what she had written on the board./ Compare:RUB OUT. 2. {informal} To remove, kill, or destroy completely. •/Theearthquake wiped out the town./ •/Doctors are searching for a cure thatwill wipe out cancer./ •/The Indians wiped out the soldiers who were sentto stop their attacks./ Compare: RUB OUT, STAMP OUT.

[wipe out an old score] See: SETTLE A SCORE.

[wipe the floor with] or [wipe up the floor with] See: MOP THE FLOORWITH.

[wire] See: ACROSS THE WIRE, DOWN TO THE WIRE, PULL STRINGS or PULL WIRES.

[wise] See: GET WISE, PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH, PUT WISE, THE WISER.

[wisecrack]{n.} A joke or witty remark usually made at someone else’sexpense. •/The comedians kept up a steady stream of wisecracks./

[wise guy]{n. phr.}, {informal} A person who acts as if he weresmarter than other people; a person who jokes or shows off too much •/Bill isa wise guy and displeases others by what he says./

[wise up to]{v. phr.}, {slang} To finally understand what isreally going on after a period of ignorance. •/Joe immediately quit his jobwhen he wised up to what was really going on./

[wish on]{v.} 1. To use as a lucky charm while making a wish. •/Marywished on a star that she could go to the dance./ •/Bob wished on his luckyrabbit’s foot that he could pass the test./ 2. or [wish off on]{informal} To get rid of (something unwanted) by passing it on to someoneelse. •/Martha did not like to do the dishes and wished the job on to herlittle sister./ •/Tom got a very ugly tie for his birthday and when Billy’sbirthday came, Tom wished the tie off on Billy./

[wit] See: AT ONE’S WITS' END, KEEP ONE’S HEAD or KEEP ONE’S WITS ABOUTONE, SCARE OUT OF ONE’S WITS.

[witch-hunt]{n. phr.} A hysterical movement during which people arepersecuted for having views (political or religious) considered different orunpopular. •/During the McCarthy era many innocent Americans were accused ofbeing Communists, as Republican patriotism deteriorated into a witch-hunt./

[with a free hand] See: FREE HAND.

[with a grain of salt] or [with a pinch of salt] See: TAKE WITH A GRAINOF SALT.