A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

tug at something • tug something
tug at something —pull hard at smth. such as a rope: Don’t
tug at the leash or become impatient…. Your cat will be com-
pelled to cooperate by your calm steadfastness.
tug something —move smth. by pulling or dragging forcibly:
Navigation is difficult with sand shoals; boatmen wade waist
deep for more than an hour tugging the boat.
turn a trick • turn the trick
turn a trick —(sl.) 
1
. have casual sexual relations, especially
for money: Some of the young prostitutes live at home and
turn tricks merely for pocket money. 2. (Underworld) commit
a successful robbery: Campbell’s claim was that he hadn’t
turned a trick in a year but the money had to be coming from
somewhere.
turn the trick —accomplish one’s purpose; achieve the re -
quired result: It is our hope and prayer that Mr. Farley may
turn the trick. We should be glad to see any administrator
make a go of the postal service.
turn in on oneself • turn oneself in
turn in on oneself —have as little as possible to do with other
people: She has become introverted, turned in on herself, and
has broken off contact with the world that she no longer
knows.
turn oneself in —give oneself to the police: It seems that
Ford’s brother, Rod, had convinced him to turn himself in,
although he did not actually realize what Ford had done.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase turn in—(coll.) go to bed: After we had a late dinner,
we decided to turn in for the night.
turn on someone • turn to someone
turn on someone —(coll.) attack smb. with hostile words;
speak angrily to a person: Why did she turn on me like that?
Have I said something to offend her?
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the