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

do good to someone
– 100 –

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do right by someone • put someone right
do right by someone —treat smb. fairly in moral or legal
terms: I oppose this bill because it does not do right by our
disabled veterans.
put someone right—(also: put someone to rights) 
1
. make smb.
well again: Since there is nothing wrong with him really, a
placebo will put him right. 2. correct smb.’s ideas or informa-
tion about smth.: His ignorance of the world is not abnormal
for an American … his advisors will put him right on foreign
affairs.
do someone credit • give someone credit
do someone credit—(of smb.’s action or behavior) add to a per-
son’s reputation (also: do someone honor): Your obvious sincer-
ity does you credit and I may owe you an apology.
give someone credit—
1
. praise a person for his behavior or
some good quality: He gave my father the real information
and my father always gave him credit. 2. trust a customer to
pay at some future time what he owes: Everybody is eager to
give me credit — I get new credit card offers in the mail all the
time.
do someone honor • do the honors
do someone honor —
1
. pay deserved tribute to a person:
Twenty heads of state attended the Queen’s coronation to do
her honor. 2. (of smb.’s action or behavior) add to a person’s
reputation (also: do someone credit): Her behavior in such a
difficult situation does her honor.
do the honors —act as the host; serve one’s guests: You do
the honors and pour out the tea while I bring in the cakes.
do someone in the eye • hit someone in the eye
do someone in the eye —(sl.) cheat or defraud a person: He
handed her a gold chain of curious workmanship. “Unless I’ve
been done in the eye it’s an old one.”
hit someone in the eye —
1
. make a strong impact on smb.: I
drove about in a smart red-wheeled coach. Anyhow, it hit my
colleagues badly in the eye. 2. give a person a shock: Modern
young men’s manners now really quite hit you in the eye.