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

action man • man of action
action man —a person who makes a show of being very vig-
orous and energetic: I had very little in common with the sort
of larger-than-life action man I played in film after film.
man of action —smb. who does things and is not content to
just meditate or talk: Foscolo was intended for a man of action
and strife: ease and fortune unnerved and demoralized him.
actual time • real time
actual time —the time to be compared with the standard or
expected time: The actual time of its [Indian summer] occur-
rence and the character of the weather appear to vary for dif-
ferent regions.
real time —
1
. the time during which an event occurs: The
date displayed by monitors is from the previous day, mak ing
it almost impossible to know the real time of air pollution. 2.
said of the processing of data which occurs as it is generated:
A higher speed in computers means that they can more easily
engage in activities in what we call “real time.”
Note: 
Neither expression is equivalent in meaning to the phrase
true time—the time according to the position of the sun: True
(nonrelative) time can only be measured by using a constant,
such as the objective speed of light.
Adam and Eve • Adam-and-Eve
Adam and Eve —
1
. said of men and women in general: The
great dual law which makes Adam and Eve one humanity, the
dry land and the seas one globe. 2. (U.S. diners) two poached
or fried eggs: Diner lingo is one example of a mnemonic device
that aids memory. “Adam and Eve” refers to two eggs, usually
poached.
Adam-and-Eve —a North American orchid: A woman will
carry a piece of Adam-and-Eve root in a little bag round her
neck. It’s really Aplectrum hyemale, useful in bronchial trou-
bles.