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

try 
(have a try at something; have a try
for something)
tub 
(blood-tub)
tube 
(boob tube; in the tube)
tune 
(sing a different tune)
turk 
(young turk)
turkey 
(go cold turkey; not say pea-
turkey; not talk turkey; talk cold
turkey; walk turkey)
turn 
(another turn of the screw; in
turn; in turns; not know where to
turn; speak out of turn; take a turn;
take turns)
twice 
(think twice)
two 
(have two strings to one’s bow; in
two; in two’s; it takes two to make a
bargain; it takes two to tango; kill
two birds with one stone; make two
bites of a cherry; number two; num-
ber twos; run after two hares; serve
two masters; take two bites of a
cherry; that makes two of us)
uncle 
(everybody and their uncle; talk
like a dutch uncle)
under 
(down under)
uneasy 
(feel uneasy about something;
feel uneasy at something)
union 
(come into the union; go into
the union)
up 
(bottom up; bottoms up; have an
up on someone; on the up; on the
up and up; what’s up; what’s up
with)
upper 
(on the uppers)
upstairs 
(man upstairs)
use 
(be used to doing something; come
into use; have a use for something;
have no use for something; have the
use of something)
useful 
(come in useful)
usher 
(gentleman usher; gentleman
usher of the black rod)
utmost 
(at the utmost; to the utmost)
valley 
(silicon valley)
veil 
(behind the veil; draw a veil over
something; under the veil)
velvet 
(in velvet; on velvet)
venus 
(girdle of venus)