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

have a face as long as a fiddle • have a face made
of a fiddle
have a face as long as a fiddle —look dismal or extremely
– 161 –
have a face as long as a fiddle

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depressed: I saw you yesterday and you had a face as long as
a fiddle. What was the matter with you?
have a face made of a fiddle —(arch.) be irresistibly attractive:
A person who was well-liked had a face “made of a fiddle,”
meaning that it was always wreathed in smiles, as a fiddle has
a much-curled shape.
have a falling out • have a fallout
have a falling out—have an argument or disagreement, espe-
cially one that leads to strained relations: He was asked
whether he and Dave had had a falling out, and he totally
dodged the question.
have a fallout—(of an event or situation) have lasting negative
consequences: The controversy has had a fallout in parliament
with very little business being conducted over the past few
days.
have a fat chance • have a slim chance
have a fat chance—(coll.) hardly have any opportunity or
possibility: So far it looks like the bill has a fat chance to get
through.
have a slim chance — = have a fat chance: Asteroid spotted
in space by observatories has a slim chance of hitting Earth.
have a feel for something • have the feel of
 something
have a feel for something —have sensitivity for and under-
standing of smth.: The DJ definitely had a feel for the type
of music the kids would respond to.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase feel for something—
1
. attempt to find smth. by feeling
about with the hand: He felt for his matches and struck one
to look at his watch-face. 2. have pity for smth.; sympathize
with smth.: You truly and deeply felt for the land and the peo-
ple as though they were your own children.
have the feel of something —
1
. (of things) feel to the touch
like smth. else: This plastic is soft to the touch and has the
feel of fine leather. 2. be reminiscent of smth.: The neighbor-
hood has the feel of a small village and students mix freely
with professionals in its winding streets. 3. become accus-
tomed to the way smth. is used: I can drive better now that I
have the feel of this car’s steering.