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[for the better] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> With a better result; for something that is better. * /The doctor felt that moving Father to a dry climate would be for the better./ * /The new large print in the book is a change for the better./ Compare: TAKE A TURN. Contrast: FOR THE WORSE.

[for the birds] <adj. phr.>, <slang> Not interesting; dull; silly; foolish; stupid. * /I think history is for the birds./ * /I saw that movie. It's for the birds./

[for the books] See: ONE FOR THE BOOKS.

[for the devil] or [heck] or [the hell of it] <adv. phr.> For no specific reason; just for sport and fun. * /We poured salt into Uncle Tom's coffee, just for the heck of it./ See: DEVIL OF IT.

[for the hills] See: HEAD FOR THE HILLS.

[for the life of one] <adv.>, <informal> No matter how hard you try. - Used for emphasis with negative statements. * /I can't for the life of me remember his name./

[for the moon] See: ASK FOR THE MOON or CRY FOR THE MOON.

[for the most part] <adv. phr.> In general; mostly; most of the time; commonly; generally. * /European countries are, for the most part, tired of war./ Syn.: BY AND LARGE, ON THE WHOLE.

[for the nonce] See: FOR THE TIME BEING.

[for the ride] See: ALONG FOR THE RIDE.

[for the sake of] or [for one's sake] <adv. phr.> On behalf of; for the benefit of. * /For the sake of truth and freedom, Dr. Sakharov, the Soviet dissident, was willing to be banished from Moscow./ * /"Do it for my sake, please!" Tom begged./

[for the time being] also <literary> [for the nonce] <adv. phr.> For now; for a while; temporarily. * /I haven't any note paper, but this envelope will do for the time being./ * /She hasn't found an apartment yet; she's staying with her aunt for the time being./

[for the world] See: NOT FOR THE WORLD.

[for the worse] <adj. phr.> or <adv. phr.> For something that is worse or not as good, with a worse result. * /He bought a new car but it turned out to be for the worse./ * /The sick man's condition changed for the worse./ Compare: TAKE A TURN. Contrast: FOR THE BETTER.

[for to] <prep. phr.>, <dialect> So that you can; to. * /Simple Simon went a-fishing for to catch a whale./ Syn.: IN ORDER TO.

[forty winks] <n. phr.>, <informal> A short period of sleep; a nap. * /When the truck driver felt sleepy, he stopped by the side of the road to catch forty winks./ Compare: SHUT-EYE.

[forward] See: BACKWARD AND FORWARD, LOOK FORWARD TO, PUT ONE'S BEST FOOT FORWARD.

[forward wall] <n.> The line of a football team. * /Princeton 's line outplayed the Rutgers forward wall./

[for you] See: THAT'S --- FOR YOU.

[foul ball] <n.> A batted baseball that lands outside the foul line. * /Mickey hit a long foul ball that landed on the roof./

[foul line] <n.> 1. Either of two lines separating fair from foul ground in baseball. * /Willie hit the ball just inside the foul line for a double./ 2. A line across the upper end of a bowling alley across which a bowler must not step. * /John bowled a strike but it didn't count because he stepped over the foul line./ 3. A line on the floor in front of the basket in basketball, from which foul shots are made. * /Tony scored eight points from the foul line./

[foul out] <v.> 1. To make an out in baseball by hitting a foul fly ball that is caught. * /He fouled out to the catcher./ 2. To be forced to leave a basketball game because of getting more than the limit number of personal fouls. * /A professional basketball player is allowed six personal fouls before fouling out./

[foul play] <n.> Treachery; a criminal act (such as murder). * /After they discovered the dead body, the police suspected foul play./ * /"She must have met with foul play," the chief inspector said when they couldn't find the 12-year-old girl who had disappeared./

[foul shot] <n.> A free throw given in basketball to a player who has been fouled. * /Tony was given two foul shots when he was fouled while trying to shoot./ Compare: FIELD GOAL 2, FREE THROW.

[foul up] <v.>, <informal> 1. To make dirty. * /The birds fouled up his newly washed car./ 2. To tangle up. * /He tried to throw a lasso but he got the rope all fouled up./ 3. To ruin or spoil by stupid mistakes; botch. * /He fouled the whole play up by forgetting his part./ 4. To make a mistake; to blunder. * /Blue suit and brown socks! He had fouled up again./ 5. To go wrong. * /Why do some people foul up and become criminals?/

[foul-up] <n.> (stress on "foul") 1. <informal> A confused situation; confusion; mistake. * /The luncheon was handled with only one or two foul-ups./ 2. <informal> A breakdown. * /There was a foul-up in his car's steering mechanism./ 3. <slang> A person who fouls up or mixes things. * /He had gotten a reputation as a foul-up./

[foundation garment] <n.> A close-fitting garment designed for women to wear underneath their clothes to make them look slim; a piece of woman's underwear. * /Jane wears a foundation garment under her evening dress./

[four] See: HIT ON ALL FOUR, ON ALL FOURS.

[four bits] <n.>, <slang> Fifty cents. * /Tickets to the play are four bits," said Bill./ Compare: TWO BITS.

[four corners] <n.> All parts of a place. * /People came from the four corners of the world to see him./ * /He has been to the four corners of the country./ Compare: ALL OVER.

[four-eyes] <n.>, <slang> A person who wears glasses. - A rude expression, * /Hey, four-eyes, come over here./

[four-leaf clover] <n.> A small green plant with four leaves which many people think means good luck because clover plants usually have three leaves. * /John has a four-leaf clover in his pocket. He thinks he will have good luck now./

[fourth class] <n.> A class of mail that is not sealed and weighs a pound or more, that includes things that are bought and sold and sent in the mail, and printed things that are not second or third class mail. * /Bill sent away 98 cereal box tops and a dollar and got back a sheriff's badge and gun in the mail by fourth class./

[fourth-class(1)] <adj.> Belonging to the fourth class of mail. * /The package weighed a pound and a half, so it had to be sent by fourth-class mail./

[fourth-class(2)] <adv.> By fourth-class mail. * /How did the company mail the package? Fourth-class./

[fourth world] <n.>, <informal> The poor nations of the world, as distinguished from the oil-rich nations of the third world. * /Sri Lanka will never join OPEC, since it is a fourth world nation./

[fowl] See: NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL.

[fox and geese] <n. phr.> A tag game in which the player representing the fox tries to catch one of the players representing geese as they run around the outside of a circle.

[fraidy-cat] or [fraid-cat] or [scaredy-cat] or [scared cat] <n.>, <informal> A shy person; someone who is easily frightened. - Usually used by or to children. * /Tom was a fraidy-cat and wouldn't go in the water./

[frame of mind] <n. phr.> One's mental outlook; the state of one's psychological condition, * /There is no use trying to talk to him while he is in such a negative frame of mind./

[freak] <n.>, <slang> 1. A good, or well-liked person, the opposite of a square, someone with long hair and who is likely (or known) to be a marijuana smoker or a drug user. Also said of homosexuals. * /Is Joe a square, establishment type? - Oh no, he's a regular freak./ 2. [--freak] An enthusiast, a person who does or cultivates something in excess. * /Ellen is a film-freak./

[freak-out(1)] <n.>, <slang> An act of losing control; a situation that is bizarre or unusual. * /The party last night was a regular freak-out./

[freak out(2)] <v. phr.>, <slang> To lose control over one's conscious self due to the influence of hallucinogenic drugs. * /Joe freaked out last night./

[free] See: FOR FREE, MAKE FREE, MAKE FREE WITH, OF ONE'S OWN ACCORD or OF ONE'S OWN FREE WILL.

[free agent] <n.> A professional player who does not have a contract with a team. * /The Giants signed two free agents who had been released by the Cardinals./

[free and easy] <adj.> Not strict; relaxed or careless. * /The teacher was free and easy with his students./ * /He had a free and easy way of acting that attracted many friends./ * /They were free and easy with their money and it was soon gone./

[free ball] <n.> A ball in football that is in play, that is not in the possession of anyone, that is not a legally thrown forward pass, and that belongs to the first team which can grab it. * /A Notre Dame player fell on a free ball and recovered it for his team./

[free enterprise] <n. phr.> A system in which private business is controlled by as few government rules as possible. * /The United States is proud of its free enterprise./

[free hand] <n.> Great freedom. * /The teacher had a free hand in her classroom./ * /Bob put paint on the fence with a free hand./ Compare: FREE REIN.

[freeload] <v.> To have oneself supported in terms of food and housing at someone else's expense. * /When are you guys going to stop freeloading and do some work?/

[free rein] <n.> Freedom to do what you want. * /The king had free rein in his country./ * /Father is strict with the children, but Mother gives them free rein./ Compare: FREE HAND.

[free throw] <n.> A shot at the basket in basketball without interference from opponents. * /Mike scored the winning point on a free throw./ Compare: FIELD GOAL(2), FOUL SHOT.

[free-for-all] <n.> 1. Unlimited, free access to something everybody wants. * /The Smith's party was a lavish free-for-all; everybody could eat and drink as much as they wanted./ 2. A barroom, tavern, or street fight in which everybody participates. * /The celebration after the soccer game victory turned into an uncontrollable free-for-all./

[freeze] See: BLOOD RUNS COLD or BLOOD FREEZES.

[freeze one's blood] See: BLOOD RUNS COLD.

[freeze out] <v.>, <informal> To force out or keep from a share or part in something by unfriendly or dishonest treatment. * /The other boys froze John out of the club./

[freeze over] <v.> To become covered with ice. * /The children wanted the lake to freeze over so they could ice-skate./

[French fried potato] or [French fry] <n.> A narrow strip of potato fried in deep fat. - Usually used in the plural. * /Sue ordered a hamburger and french fries./

[French leave] <n.> The act of slipping away from a place secretly and without saying good-bye to anyone. * /"It's getting late," Rob whispered to Janet. "Let's take French leave and get out of here."/

[fresh from] <adj.> Recently returned from; experienced in. * /Tom was fresh from two years in Paris and was very condescending in matters pertaining to cuisine and wines./

[friction tape] <n.> Black cloth tape with one sticky side used around electric wires. * /The boy fixed his cracked baseball bat with some friction tape./

[Friday] See: GIRL FRIDAY.

[friend] See: BOY FRIEND, FAIR-WEATHER FRIEND, GIRL FRIEND, LADY FRIEND, MAKE FRIENDS.

[friends with] Friendly to; a friend of. * /Alice found several girls to be friends with on the first day of school./ * /At first I didn't like John, but now I am friends with him./

[frightened out of one's wits] See: OUT OF ONE'S WITS.

[frightened to death] See: TO DEATH.

[fritter away] See: FOOL AWAY.

[fro] See: TO AND FRO.

[frog] See: BIG FROG IN A SMALL POND, LITTLE FROG IN A BIG POND.

[from bad to worse] See: GO FROM BAD TO WORSE.

[from grace] See: FALL FROM GRACE.

[from hand to hand] <adv. phr.> From one person to another and another. * /The box of candy was passed from hand to hand./ * /Jane brought her engagement ring, and it passed from hand to hand until all the girls had admired it./

[from hand to mouth] See: LIVE FROM HAND TO MOUTH.

[from little acorns] See: GREAT OAKS FROM LITTLE ACORNS GROW.

[from Missouri] <adj. phr.>, <slang> Doubtful; suspicious. * /Don't try to fool me. I'm from Missouri./

[from mouth to mouth] <adv. phr.> See: BY WORD OF MOUTH.

[from pillar to post] <adv. phr.> From one place to another many times. * /Sarah's father changed jobs several times a year, and the family was moved from pillar to post./

[from rags to riches] <adv. phr.> Suddenly making a fortune; becoming rich overnight. * /The Smiths went from rags to riches when they unexpectedly won the lottery./

[from scratch] <adv. phr.>, <informal> With no help from anything done before; from the beginning; from nothing. * /Dick built a radio from scratch./ * /In sewing class, Mary already knew how to sew a little, but Jane had to start from scratch./ Compare: FROM THE GROUND UP.

[from the bottom of one's heart] or [with all one's heart] <adv. phr.> With great feeling; sincerely. * /A mother loves a baby from the bottom of her heart./ * /John thanked his rescuer from the bottom of his heart./ * /The people welcomed the returning soldiers from the bottom of their hearts./

[from the door] See: KEEP THE WOLF FROM THE DOOR.

[from the ground up] <adv. phr.> From the beginning; entirely; completely. * /After the fire they had to rebuild their cabin from the ground up./ * /Sam knows about baseball from the ground up./ * /The new cars have been changed from the ground up./

[from the heart] <adv.> Sincerely; honestly. * /John always speaks from the heart./

[from the word "go"] <adv. phr.> From start to finish; completely. * /He may look French but he is a New Yorker from the word "go."/

[from time to time] <adv. phr.> Not often; not regularly; sometimes; occasionally; at one time and then again at another time. * /Even though the Smiths have moved, we still see them from time to time./ * /Mother tries new recipes from time to time, but the children never like them./ Syn.: NOW AND THEN, AT TIMES, ONCE IN A WHILE. Compare: BY FITS AND STARTS, OFF AND ON.

[from --- to ---] 1. Used with a repeated word to show that something keeps on. Without ending. * /The world grows wiser from age to age./ * /He goes from day to day without changing his necktie./ Also used in a short form like an adjective. * /The superintendent spends more time on plans for the future, and the principal handles the day-to-day problems of the school./ 2. Used with a repeated word to show that something happens again and again. * /She sells face cream from door to door./ * /The artist goes from place to place painting pictures./ - Also used in a short form like an adjective. * /Mr. Roberts began as a door-to-door salesman, and now is president of the company./ 3. Used with words showing opposite or extreme limits, often to emphasize that something is very large or complete. * /The eagle's wings measured six feet from tip to tip./ * /Sarah read the book from cover to cover./ * /Mrs. Miller's dinner included everything from soup to nuts./ * /That book is a bestseller from Maine to California./ * /The captain looked the boy over from head to foot./ * /The dog sniffed the yard from end to end in search of a bone./ * /This new car has been redesigned from top to bottom./ * /That bookstore has books on everything from archery to zoology./ * /The television show was broadcast from coast to coast./ * /He knows mathematics from A to Z./ - Sometimes used in a short form like an adjective. * /The airplane made a non-stop coast-to-coast flight./