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

only 
(if only)
open 
(wide open; widely open)
operation 
(theater of operations)
– 389 –
Key Word Index

---

operator 
(block operator)
option 
(have an option on something;
have the option of something)
orchestra 
(leader of an orchestra)
order 
(by order of someone; day order;
doctor’s orders; enter a religious
order; in order; in order of some-
thing; in orders; in short order; in
the order of something; mail order;
not in order; on order; on orders;
post-office order; postal order;
receiving order; reception order;
short order; take holy orders; take
one’s orders; take orders; tall order;
to order; under orders; under the
orders of someone)
ordinary 
(in ordinary; in the ordinary
way)
out 
(all out; down and out; from out
to out; have an out; in and out; ins
and outs; inside and out; inside out;
out and out; sell-out; selling out; up
and out; way out; well out of it)
outside 
(at the outside; on the outside)
oven 
(bun is in the oven, the)
over 
(it is all over and done with; it is
all over but the shouting; it’s all over
with someone; it’s someone all over;)
overboard 
(go overboard)
overtime 
(be on overtime)
own 
(each to his own; of one’s own; on
one’s own)
pain 
(at pains; give someone a pain;
give someone pain; in pain; in pains)
palace 
(gin palace; ice palace)
palm 
(grease someone’s palm; have an
itching palm; one’s palm itches)
pan 
(throw someone into the frying
pan)
pants 
(ant’s pants; by the seat of one’s
pants; catch someone with his pants
down; have hot pants; keep one’s
pants on; wear hot pants; wear the
pants)