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

part of the phrase proper but form its immediate
lexical surrounding. Where an item has several

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meanings the definitions are grouped in num-
bered sequences of comparative importance.
Occasional comments of grammatical nature
pro vided in the dictionary usually signal some
grammatical restrictions in the usage of an ex-
pression which may refer to certain limitations
in tenses and aspects. Such notations and com-
ments may apply to the whole phrase or to some
of its meanings. Some entries have cross-refer-
ences, that is, contain instructions to look up
some other entries for the purpose of comparison
or caution.
Stylistically colored phrases are normally
accompanied by italicized notations which are
of special help when the user’s knowledge of the
language is inadequate as regards recognition of
their stylistic value and the ability to use them
in specific social contexts. Some of the phrases
des ignated as dated show signs of obsolescence
though may still be used within limited groups
of people, whereas expressions designated as ar-
chaic are not familiar to the majority of speakers.
Other labels may designate various occupational
and professional fields with which certain ex-
pressions are particularly associated. Phrases
con tained in the dictionary, both current and
obsolete, represent practically all principal styl-
istical strata: stylistically neutral phrases, collo-
quial, formal and literary expressions, expres -
sions normally confined to technical use, folksy
expressions, dialectal phrases, phrases pertaining
to professional or social jargon, slang, as well as
expressions peculiar to any of the principal re-
gional varieties of English. Expressions that are
not stylistically labeled are considered neutral
and may be used in all situations. When stylistic
comments apply to all numbered senses of a
phrase they are found before the numbered
senses, while comments that apply to any one
sense are found within the numbered sense be-
fore the definition. The mobility of borderlines
between various stylistic categories makes it at
times difficult to attach unequivocal stylistic tag
and stylistic status of many expressions shows
considerable fluctuations in different dic tio -
naries. Stylistically marked phrases must be used
with particular care because they reflect a special
relationship between speakers or a special social
occasion or setting. They belong to ironic, joc-
ular, derogatory, euphemistic or other stylis -
tically marked register and are labeled accord-
ingly. Many of them can only be used in
informal spoken English and are inadmissible
in formal written English. Phrases marked taboo
or coarse slang, included merely for the sake of
completeness, warrant special caution in this re-
spect because most of them deal with race, sex,
or ethnic origin and may have offensive or in-
sulting implications.
For readers who want to identify a vaguely
familiar expression that includes a particular sig-
nificant word, are not sure of the precise form
of an expression as listed in the dictionary, or
simply wish to explore the phrase-building po-
tential of individual words, the Phrase Index is
compounded by the Key Word Index in which
expressions are listed under their second or an-
other semantically dominating component, their
first component being given within the general
alphabetical arrangement of phrases in the dic-
tionary body and the Phrase Index. We chose to
also include as key words units forming the sec-
ond parts of hyphenated nominal compounds:
thus the reader can find “boat-train” under
“train,” “angel-water” under “water,” “copy-cat”
under “cat,” etc. While certain words can func-
tion as different parts of speech or refer to dif-
ferent homonyms, no attempt has been made to
reflect such differences in the Key Word Index.
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