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

visiting book • visitors’ book
visiting book —
1
. a book containing the names of persons to
be visited: Julia will be missed at St. Christopher’s Hospital
and by the many people in her visiting book. 2. a book for
the signatures and comments of visitors to a museum, etc.:
The Bishop went and wrote his name in the visiting-book at
Gaunt House that very day.
visitors’ book — = visiting book 2: The Emperor Nicholas
“expressed himself much pleased,” as the visitors’ books have
it.
vital measurements • vital statistics
vital measurements —the measurements of a woman’s figure,
specifically bust, waist, and hips: She is blessed with a slender
body, but needs to find a way to stay in control of the vital
measurements.
vital statistics —
1
. statistics concerned with births, marriages,
deaths, etc.: The best data source for mortality is vital statistics
– 329 –
vital measurements

---

of deaths with medically-certified cause of death. 2. = vital
measurements: Regina wrote haphazardly to men, giving her
age and vital statistics. 3. (med.) the parameters important for
survival, such as blood pressure, heart rate, etc.: Monitoring
pads are attached prior to the surgery to allow the surgical
team to monitor vital statistics during the operation.
W
wait for someone • wait up for someone
wait for someone —
1
. remain in a place in expectation of a
person or thing: When she got there Tommy was waiting for
her on the front steps. 2. (of things) be ready or available for
a person to use: His car waited for him in the parking lot and
he jumped behind the wheel. 3. stop or pause so that another
person can catch up: The faster scouts will want to hike to
the next trail intersection and wait for the slower hikers.