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

under the daisies • under the rose
under the daisies —(euph.) dead and buried: He gradually
declined for twelve months, and next harvest-time he was
under the daisies.
under the rose —in secret; in strict confidence: Any business
transacted privately, or under the rose, is said to be done upon
the sly.
under the wire • under wire
under the wire —just before a deadline; at the last possible
moment: Nancy mailed off her application, and it got in just
under the wire.
Note:
The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the
phrase over the wire—(dated) speaking on the telephone (also:
on the wire): The second advertisement shows a Victorian-
looking man speaking over the wire to a woman.
under wire —
1
. (of an area) fenced with barbed wire: There
is the outer perimeter of the military unit, which is under
wire, nearby our house. 2. (of railroads) electrified: The United
States at that time had more miles of track “under wire” than
any other country.
under water • underwater
under water —beneath the surface of the water: “I was
flying!” Ben says. “And I could see things under water from
the sky like turtles and coral reefs. It was good!”
underwater —(attrib.) situated or utilized beneath the sur-
face of the water: The underwater cable allows to fulfill the
traffic needs of broad band telecommunications and cable TV.
underground railway (UK) • underground railway
(U.S.)
underground railway (UK)—the underground railway trans-
port system in a large city: The growing population made
traveling in London very difficult, and it was thought that an
underground railway would solve many congestion problems.
underground railway (U.S.)—(hist.) the chain of safe houses
used by slaves escaping from the South prior to the abolition
of slavery: Windsor was an important terminal of the Under-
ground Railway. Fugitive slaves landing near this spot found
in Canada protection under the British flag.