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

Wizard of Oz, The • Wonderful Wizard of Oz,
The
Wizard of Oz, The —the title of the first film version (
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939)
of the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Star Wars is a com-
bination of Flash Gordon, The Wizard of Oz, and almost every
western ever screened.
Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The —the title of the popular chil-
dren’s novel (
1
900) by L. Frank Baum: Since its publication,
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has become America’s greatest
and best-loved homegrown fairytale.
woman about town • woman of the town
woman about town —(dated) a woman who socializes in
fashionable circles: This was none of those affairs of a season
that distract men and women about town. This was the real
thing!
woman of the town —
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. a woman inhabitant or fellow inhab-
itant of a town: Grace’s tumble from upstanding woman of
the town to a disheveled, confused outcast is interesting
enough. 2. (dated) a woman with loose morals: Trollope came
to lunch. Told me of his trouble with Harry wanting to marry
a woman of the town.
woman’s man • woman-man
woman’s man —(pl. women’s men) a man who is fond of
female company (also: ladies’ man): I am finally meeting my
friend who works out with weights twice weekly, has money,
and is a woman’s man for sure!
woman-man —(derog.) an effeminate, delicate man: That
was the guide she turned to — the woman-man, the dabbler
in paint-boxes, the critic of carpets and wallpapers. Cf.: man-
woman—(contemptuous) a tough, aggressive, or businesslike
woman (pl. men-women): That stage of progress has been
passed, and, as an outcome, we have the “Emancipated Wo -
man,” or “Man-Woman.”
word by word • word for word
word by word — reading one word after another; following
the exact order of words: Skip-read all you want through the
book, but go through the last page word by word.
word for word — stated or translated in exactly the same words
as the original: You need not use quotation marks unless the
statement is word-for-word as it appears in your source.