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

buy the farm • sell the farm
buy the farm —(coll.) die, especially suddenly or violently
(also: buy it): Well, I almost bought the farm last weekend. A
friend was driving too aggressively and she put us into a dan-
gerous situation.
sell the farm —sell all one’s assetts to invest in a new venture;
act rashly or overreact: The economy has been tough on every-
one these days, but don’t sell the farm just yet. Cf.: who
wouldn’t sell a farm and go to sea —(Nautical catch phrase)
1
.
used to express one’s genuine delight at being at sea: Kettle looked
round at the elaborate fittings of the cabin. Lord! Who
wouldn’t sell a farm and go to sea? 2. used ironically when smth.
difficult has to be done: ’Tis when that order comes on cold,
blustering nights that “Jack” grimly mutters: “Who would not
sell a farm and go to sea?”
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase give away the farm— negotiate poorly or make a deal
that puts one at a serious disadvantage: He signed a law that
gave away the farm to big drug companies while leaving sen-
iors with hardly any benefits.
by a fraction • to a fraction
by a fraction —(also: by a hair’s breadth) by a very small de-
gree or amount: Hester does not change by a fraction her in-
tention to run away with Arthur.
to a fraction —(also: to a hair’s breadth) with great accuracy:
Escudero supposed that two hundred Mexican ounces would
compensate him to a fraction.
by a hair’s breadth • to a hair’s breadth
by a hair’s breadth —(also: by a fraction) by a very small de-
gree or amount: If I swerve by a hair’s breadth from the straight
line of the most rigid respectability, I’m done for.
to a hair’s breadth —(also: to a fraction) with great accuracy:
You had plenty of time to put your heads together before the
police arrived. I’m sure the stories would tally to a hair’s
breadth.