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[as far as that goes] or [as far as that is concerned] or [so far as that is concerned] also [so far as that goes] <adv. phr.> While we are talking about it; also; actually. * /You don't have to worry about the girls. Mary can take care of herself, and as far as that goes, Susan is pretty independent, too./ * /I didn't enjoy the movie, and so far as that is concerned, I never like horror movies./ Syn.: FOR THAT MATTER, IN FACT. Compare: COME TO THINK OF IT.

[as follows] A list of things that come next; what is listed next. - Followed by a colon. * /My grocery list is as follows: bread, butter, meat, eggs, sugar./ * /The names of the members are as follows: John Smith, Mary Webb, Linda Long, Ralph Harper./ * /The route is as follows: From City Hall go south on Main Street to Elm Street, east on Elm to 5th Street, and south on 5th two blocks to the school./

[as for] <prep.> 1. In regard to; speaking of; concerning. * /We have plenty of bread, and as for butter, we have more than enough./ 2. Speaking for. * /Most people like the summer but as for me, I like winter much better./ Compare: FOR ONE'S PART.

[as good as] <adv. phr.> Nearly the same as; almost. * /She claimed that he as good as promised to marry her./ * /He as good as called me a liar./ * /We'll get to school on time, we're as good as there now./ * /The man who had been shot was as good as dead./ - Often used without the first "as" before adjectives. * /When the car was repaired, it looked good as new./

[as good as a mile] See: MISS IS AS GOOD AS A MILE.

[as good as one gets] See: GIVE AS GOOD AS ONE GETS.

[as good as one's promise] See: AS GOOD AS ONE'S WORD.

[as good as one's word] or [good as one's word] <adj. phr.> Trustworthy; sure to keep your promise. * /The coach said he would give the players a day off if they won, and he was as good as his word./ * /We knew she was always good as her word, so we trusted her./

[as hard as nails] <adj. phr.> Very unfeeling; cruel, and unsympathetic. * /Uncle Joe is as hard as nails; although he is a millionaire, he doesn't help his less fortunate relatives./

[aside] See: JOKING ASIDE, SET ASIDE.

[aside from] See: APART FROM.

[aside of] <prep.>, <dialect> Beside; by the side of. * /Mary sits aside of her sister on the bus./

[as if] or [as though] <conj.> 1. As (he, she, it) would if; in the same way one would if seeing to show. * /The baby laughed as if he understood what Mother said./ * /The book looked as though it had been out in the rain./ * /The waves dashed on the rocks as if in anger./ 2. That. * /It seems as if you are the first one here./

[as if one has come out of a bandbox] See: LOOK AS IF ONE HAS COME OUT OF A BANDBOX.

[as is] <adv.> Without changes or improvements; with no guarantee or promise of good condition. - Used after the word it modifies. * /They agree to buy the house as is./ * /He bought an old car as is./ Compare: AT THAT(1).

[as it were] <adv. phr.> As it might be said to be; as if it really were; seemingly. - Used with a statement that might seem silly or unreasonable, to show that it is just a way of saying it. * /In many ways children live, as it were, in a different world from adults./ * /The sunlight on the icy branches made, as it were, delicate lacy cobwebs from tree to tree./ Compare: SO TO SPEAK.

[ask] See: FOR THE ASKING.

[ask for] <v.>, <informal> To make (something bad) likely to happen to you; bring (something bad) upon yourself. * /Charles drives fast on worn-out tires; he is asking for trouble./ * /The workman lost his job, but he asked for it by coming to work drunk several times./ Compare: HAVE IT COMING, SERVE RIGHT, SIGN ONE'S OWN DEATH WARRANT.

[ask for one's hand] <v. phr.> To ask permission to marry someone. * /"Sir," John said timidly to Mary's father, "I came to ask for your daughter's hand."/

[ask for the moon] or [cry for the moon] <v. phr.> To want something that you cannot reach or have; try for the impossible. * /John asked his mother for a hundred dollars today. He's always asking for the moon./ Compare: PROMISE THE MOON.

[asleep at the switch] <adj. phr.> 1. Asleep when it is one's duty to move a railroad switch for cars to go on the right track. * /The new man was asleep at the switch and the two trains crashed./ 2. <informal> Failing to act promptly as expected, not alert to an opportunity. * /When the ducks flew over, the boy was asleep at the switch and missed his shot./

[as likely as not] <adv. phr.> Probably. * /As likely as not, he will disappear forever./

[as long as] or [so long as] <conj.> 1. Since; because; considering that. * /As long as you are going to town anyway, you can do something for me./ 2. Provided that; if. * /You may use the room as you like, so long as you clean it up afterward./

[as luck would have it] <adv. clause> As it happened; by chance; luckily or unluckily. * /As luck would have it, no one was in the building when the explosion occurred./ * /As luck would have it, there was rain on the day of the picnic./

[as much] <n.> The same; exactly that. * /Don't thank me, I would do as much for anyone./ * /Did you lose your way? I thought as much when you were late in coming./

[as much as] <adv. phr.> 1. or [much as] Even though; although. * /As much as I hate to do it, I must stay home and study tonight./ 2. or [so much as] Just the same as; almost; practically; really. * /By running away he as much as admitted that he had taken the money./ * /You as much as promised you would help us./ * /The clerk as much as told me that I was a fool./ Compare: AS GOOD AS. 3. See: FOR AS MUCH AS.

[as of] prep. At or until (a certain time). * /I know that as of last week he was still unmarried./ * /As of now we don't know much about Mars./

[as one goes] See: PAY AS ONE GOES.

[as one man] <adv. phr.> Unanimously; together; involving all. * /The audience arose as one man to applaud the great pianist./

[as regards] <prep.> Regarding; concerning; about. * /You needn't worry as regards the cost of the operation./ * /He was always secretive as regards his family./

[as soon as] <conj.> Just after; when; immediately after. * /As soon as the temperature falls to 70, the furnace is turned on./ * /As soon as you finish your job let me know./ * /He will see you as soon as he can./

[as the crow flies] <adv. clause> By the most direct way; along a straight line between two places. * /It is seven miles to the next town as the crow flies, but it is ten miles by the road, which goes around the mountain./

[as the story goes] <adv. phr.> As the story is told; as one has heard through rumor. * /As the story goes, Jonathan disappeared when he heard the police were after him./

[as though] See: AS IF.

[as to] <prep.> 1. In connection with; about; regarding. * /There is no doubt as to his honesty./ * /As to your final grade, that depends on your final examination./ Syn.: WITH RESPECT TO. 2. According to; following; going by. * /They sorted the eggs as to size and color./

[as usual] <adv. phr.> In the usual way; as you usually do or as it usually does. * /As usual, Tommy forgot to make his bed before he went out to play./ * /Only a week after the fire in the store, it was doing business as usual./

[as well] <adv. phr.> 1. In addition; also, too; besides. * /The book tells about Mark Twain's writings and about his life as well./ * /Tom is captain of the football team and is on the baseball team as well./ 2. Without loss and possibly with gain. * /After the dog ran away, Father thought he might as well sell the dog house./ * /Since he can't win the race, he may as well quit./ * /It's just as well you didn't come yesterday, because we were away./

[as well as] <conj.> In addition to; and also; besides. * /Hiking is good exercise as well as fun./ * /He was my friend as well as my doctor./ * /The book tells about the author's life as well as about his writings./

[as yet] <adv. phr.> Up to the present time; so far; yet. * /We know little as yet about the moon's surface./ * /She has not come as yet./

[as you please] 1. As you like, whatever you like or prefer; as you choose. * /You may do as you please./ 2. <informal> Very. - Used after an adjective or adverb often preceded by "as". * /There was Tinker, sitting there, cheerful as you please./ * /She was dressed for the dance and she looked as pretty as you please./

[at a blow] or [at a stroke] or [at one stroke] <adv. phr.> Immediately; suddenly; with one quick or forceful action. * /The pirates captured the ship and captured a ton of gold at a blow./ * /A thousand men lost their jobs at a stroke when the factory closed./ * /All the prisoners escaped at one stroke./ Compare: AT ONCE, AT ONE TIME.

[at all] <adv. phr.> At any time or place, for any reason, or in any degree or manner. - Used for emphasis with certain kinds of words or sentences. 1. Negative * /It's not at all likely he will come./ 2. Limited * /I can hardly hear you at all./ 3. Interrogative * /Can it be done at all?/ 4. Conditional * /She will walk with a limp, if she walks at all./ Syn.: IN THE LEAST.

[at all costs] <adv. phr.> At any expense of time, effort, or money. Regardless of the results. * /Mr. Jackson intended to save his son's eyesight at all costs./ * /Carl is determined to succeed in his new job at all costs./

[at all events] See: IN ANY CASE.

[at all hazards] <adv. phr.> With no regard for danger; at any risk; regardless of the chances you must take. * /The racer meant to win the 500-mile race at all hazards./

[at all hours] <adv. phr.> Any time; all the time; at almost any time. * /The baby cried so much that we were up at all hours trying to calm her down./

[at a loss] <adj. phr.> In a state of uncertainty; without any idea; puzzled. * /A good salesman is never at a loss for words./ * /When Don missed the last bus, he was at a loss to know what to do./

[at anchor] <adj. phr.> Held by an anchor from floating away; anchored. * /The ship rode at anchor in the harbor./

[at any rate] <adv. phr.> In any case; anyhow. * /It isn't much of a car, but at any rate it was not expensive./ Compare: AT LEAST(2), IN ANY CASE.

[at a premium] <adv. phr.> At a high price due to special circumstances. * /When his father died, Fred flew to Europe at a premium because he had no chance to buy a less expensive ticket./

[at arm's length] See: KEEP AT A DISTANCE or KEEP AT ARM'S LENGTH.

[at a set time] <prep. phr.> At a particular, pre-specified time. * /Do we have to eat in this hotel at a set time, or may we come down whenever we want?/

[at a snail's pace] See: SNAIL'S PACE.

[at a straw] See: GRASP AT STRAWS.

[at a stroke] See: AT A BLOW or AT A STROKE.

[at a time] <adv. phr.> At once; at one time; in one group or unit; together. * /He checked them off one at a time as they came in./ * /He ran up the steps two at a time./ See: EVERY OTHER. * /They showed up for class three and four at a time./

[at bay] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> In a place where you can no longer run away; unable to go back farther; forced to stand and fight, or face an enemy; cornered. * /The dog ran the rat into a corner, and there the rat turned at bay./ * /The police chased the thief to a roof, where they held him at bay until more policemen came to help./ Compare: BRING TO BAY.

[at best] or [at the best] <adv. phr.> 1. Under the best conditions; as the best possibility. * /A coal miner's job is dirty and dangerous at best./ * /We can't get to New York before ten o'clock at best./ Compare: AT MOST. Contrast: AT WORST. 2. In the most favorable way of looking at something; even saying the best about the thing. * The /treasurer had at best been careless with the club's money, but most people thought he had been dishonest./

[at both ends] See: BURN THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS.

[at call] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> 1. Ready or nearby for use, help, or service; on request. * /Thousands of auto insurance agents all over the country are at the insured person's call, wherever he may travel./ 2. At the word of command; at an order or signal. * /The dog was trained to come at call./

[at close range] <adv. phr.> Close by; in proximity. * /The police officer fired at the fleeing murder suspect at close range./

[at cross purposes] <adv. phr.> With opposing meanings or aims; with opposing effect or result; with aims which hinder or get in each other's way. * /Tom's parents acted at cross purposes in advising him; his father wanted him to become a doctor; but his mother wanted him to become a minister./

[at death's door] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> Very near death; dying. * /He seemed to be at death's door from his illness./

[at each other's throats] <prep. phr.> Always arguing and quarreling. * /Joan and Harry have been at each other's throats so long that they have forgotten how much they used to love one another./

[at ease] or [at one's ease] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> 1. In comfort; without pain or bother. * /You can't feel at ease with a toothache./ 2. or [at one's ease] Comfortable in one's mind; relaxed, not troubled. - Often used in the phrase "put at ease" or "put at one's ease." * /We put Mary at her ease during the thunderstorm by reading her stories./ Compare: AT HOME(2). Contrast: ILL AT EASE, ON EDGE. 3. Standing with your right foot in place and without talking in military ranks. * /The sergeant gave his men the command "At ease!"/ Compare: PARADE REST.

[at every turn] <adv. phr.> Every time; all the time; continually without exception. * /Because of his drinking, the man was refused a job at every turn./

[at face value] <prep. phr.> What one can actually hear, read, or see; literally. * /John is so honest that you can take his words at face value./ * /This store's advertisements are honest; take them at face value./

[at fault] <adj. phr.> Responsible for an error or failure; to blame. * /The driver who didn't stop at the red light was at fault in the accident./ * /When the engine would not start, the mechanic looked at all the parts to find what was at fault./ Syn.: IN THE WRONG.

[at first] <adv. phr.> In the beginning; at the start. * /The driver didn't see the danger at first./ * /At first the job looked good to Bob, but later it became tiresome./ * /There was a little trouble at first, but things soon were quiet./

[at first blush] <adv. phr.> When first seen; without careful study. * /At first blush the offer looked good, but when we studied it, we found things we could not accept./

[at first glance] or [at first sight] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> After a first quick look. * /At first sight, his guess was that the whole trouble between the two men resulted from personalities that did not agree./ * /Tom met Mary at a party, and it was love at first sight./

[at great length] <prep. phr.> 1. In great detail. * /Jim told us the story of his life at great length./ 2. For a long time. * /The boring speaker rambled on at great length./