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

feel strong • feel strongly
feel strong —
1
. be in good health: I had just celebrated my
birthday and was feeling strong after a short vacation. 2. be
in a strong position: Saddam makes war in only two sets of
cases: when he feels weak and when he feels strong!
feel strongly —be convinced; firmly believe : We all felt
strongly that a pilot ought to have a clear, visual reference to
his surroundings. Cf.: feel strongly about something: adopt a
stern attitude about smth. which cannot be easily ignored:
Holding up a sign in public in protest over something you
feel strongly about takes a lot of courage.
feel the pulse of something • have a feel on the
pulse of something
feel the pulse of something —(also: keep one’s finger on the pulse
of something ) keep track of the current developments and
trends in smth.: What consummate skill must be his who thus
feels the pulse of fashion, recognizing in its beat the indications
of this or that tendency…
have a feel on the pulse of something —have sensitivity for
and understanding of smth.: In day to day dealing with cross-
sections of society, they tend to have a feel on the pulse of
society: its ills, travails and aspirations.
feel uneasy about something • feel uneasy at
something
feel uneasy about something —feel unsettled because one is
not sure that smth. is correct or wise: Many managers feel
uneasy about promoting women to higher jobs.
feed one’s pussy
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feel uneasy at something —feel troubled or anxious at the
thought or sight of smth.: I felt uneasy at the thought of their
going home alone at that late hour.
Festival of Lanterns, the • Festival of Lights, the
Festival of Lanterns, the —
1
. the concluding part of the new-
year celebration according to the old Chinese calendar: The
Festival of Lanterns takes place at the end of the Chinese New
Year Celebration, on the fifteenth day of the first moon. 2. a
great popular festival of Japan when the spirits of ancestors
are supposed to revisit the household altars: For three days in
mid July, Japanese Buddhists celebrate Obon, or the Festival
of Lanterns.
Festival of Lights, the —
1
. Hanukkah (the Jewish festival of
lights commemorating the victory of the Maccabees over Anti-
ochus of Syria): Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights,
involves the lighting of candles for eight days. 2. Diwali (one
of the major religious festivals in India, dedicated to the God-
dess Kali): In India at Diwali, the festival of lights, houses are
lit with candles and the Earth becomes like the heavens.