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

come in useful • come into use
come in useful —prove helpful: Whittle’s experience of aer-
obatics came in useful, for he had to “land” the machine in
the water.
come into use —begin to be used: It is difficult to identify a
date when the terms “Whig” and “Tory” first came into use.
come into a fortune • run out of fortune
come into a fortune —acquire a large sum of money (as an
inheritance): Mary came into a fortune of a quarter of a mil-
lion. She was an only child.
run out of fortune —run out of good luck: Fortune has a
way of evening out. Even the bold will run out of fortune
sooner or later.
– 79 –
come into a fortune

---

come into contact with someone • make contact
with someone
come into contact with someone —meet smb.; associate with
a person: I feel uneasy when I come into contact with people
who have had a good education.
make contact with someone —(also: contact someone) get in
touch with a person: After about a month, I finally made con-
tact with him in Paris.
come into question • go into the question
come into question —
1
. become an issue for further consid-
eration or discussion: His credibility has to come into question
if he is going to make statements like the above. 2. become of
practical importance: The succession of masters was too rapid
to allow a change of language to come into question among
the people.
go into the question —consider the question thoroughly and
in detail: A happy person has no time for philosophy. He will
not go into the question of good and bad.
come into someone’s head • go to someone’s head
come into someone’s head —(of an idea, etc.) occur to a person;
come to mind (also: enter someone’s head): I write without any
sort of constraint or method, as things come into my head.
go to someone’s head —
1
. (of liquor) make smb. dizzy or
slightly drunk: The next four hours are spent sipping drinks
which go straight to Norma’s head. 2. (of success) excite a per-
son; make smb. conceited: Don’t let failure go to your heart
and don’t let success go to your head. 3. engross a person’s
whole attention: Unfortunately, he can’t spare you any time.
He’s very busy writing a book and it’s gone to his head.
See also: come to a head / come to mind.