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

waste water • wasted water
waste water —water that has been used in some industrial
process: The liquefaction process could give off up to 4.8 mil-
lion gallons of wastewater per day.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase waste of water—
1
. (also: waste of waters) a vast expanse
of water: It seemed to her that her life was like that gull’s —
the world stretched before her, like a great waste of water,
shoreless and desolate. 2. the continued use of more water than
is needed: These taps start dripping after being used for some
time, causing a great waste of water every year.
wasted water —water used without a good purpose or in
greater amount than is necessary: An inefficient irrigation sys-
tem can cost you hundreds of dollars each month in wasted
water.
watch for something • watch out for something
watch for something —wait for smth. that’s going to happen
or expected to appear: Watch for our new improved product,
which will be on the market next week.
watch out for something —(also: look out for something ) 
1
. be
on guard for smth. dangerous or undesirable : I’m always
watching out for mistakes that I may have missed before. 2.
look after smth.; protect smth. from harm: Participants watch
out for their neighbour’s property and report suspicious activ-
ities to the police. 3. = watch for something 
1
: However, we
will be running it [competition] again in the future. Watch
out for our briefing events later this year.
watch the clock • watch the time
watch the clock —
1
. keep one’s eye on the clock to avoid
being late, etc.: They work under the beady eye of their crew
chief, who monitors their progress and constantly watches the
clock, counting the minutes. 2. (also: clock-watch) keep one’s
eye on the clock waiting for the end of one’s work day (used
showing disapproval): The man who watches the clock and is
afraid he will do too much will never get very far in the milling
business. Cf.: clock-watcher —(derog.) a man who takes care not
to exceed his minimum working hours; smb. who quits at once
when it is time: I don’t want to be a clock-watcher, and appre-
ciate that my working conditions are better than most peo-
ple’s.
watch the time —
1
. = watch the clock 
1
: Trying to read a book,
she watched the time tick round until it was a reasonable
time to get undressed and try to sleep. 2. wait for the right
moment or opportunity: This is the chance to live in dreams
and to watch the time for dreams to become your own reali-
ties.