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

earth people • people of the Earth
earth people —
1
. (also: earth-men) people whose life is closely
associated with the natural or material (as opposed to the spir-
itual) world: They are an earth people and their legend is hor-
rific, dramatic, almost senseless. 2. (Earth people) residents of
the planet Earth in science fiction (also: earth-men): It was
discovered that some Earth people reacted violently to visitors
from outer space. 3. (sl., joc.) people who are “normal,” that
is, not alcohol or drug addicted: The brain of the alcoholic is
different from that of “earth people.” First is the phenomenon
of craving.
people of the Earth —
1
. people of the world; people dwelling
on the earth: It is essential that we people of the Earth elim-
inate the fearsome specters of water shortages. 2. = earth people
2: It was the year 2
1
07 and the people of the Earth had finally
united in the cause of greater knowledge. Disease, famine and
war had long gone away.
East Indiaman • East Indian
East Indiaman —(hist.) a sailing ship of large tonnage en-
gaged in the East India trade: I have taken my berth in an
East Indiaman which sails on the twentieth of June.
East Indian —
1
. smb. descended from the indigenous peo-
ples of the Indian sub-continent: East Indians is the name
given to the descendants of those who came to British Guyana
from India. 2. a person of mixed European and Asian parent-
age: “Who is she?” “An East Indian, I should guess, by her
dark complexion.”
easy about someone • easy on someone
easy about someone —free from worry or anxiety about smb.:
He was quite easy about Agellius, who had, as he considered,
successfully made off with himself.
easy on someone —not strict or severe enough with a person:
He deserves the punishment, but do be easy on him.