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

in order of something • in the order of something
in order of something — arranged according to some specified
criterion: This arrangement of items in order of size or other
value, is called by statisticians an array.
in the order of something —
1
. approximately; roughly:
Britain’s contribution is something in the order of five per
cent. 2. = in order of something: Counting from below upwards
the members arise in the order of their age.
in ordinary • in the ordinary way
in ordinary —
1
. added to the titles of people regularly serving
royalty: The King’s painter to Charles IX was Henry Mellein,
and his painter-in-ordinary was Conrad de Vulcop. 2. (of a
ship) laid up for repairs; not fit for service: When ships are
said to be in ordinary … they are in one of three stages of
readiness for commission and active service.
in the ordinary way —
1
. as is usual: Had it been decided to
wash the coal in the ordinary way instead of dry cleaning it,
additional ovens would have been necessary. 2. if the circum-
stances were normal or usual: In the ordinary way he would
have come with us, but he is not feeling well.
in pain • in pains
in pain —suffering physical pain or discomfort caused by
injury or disease: They lay rolling themselves on the ground,
heavily groaning in pain.
in pains —
1
. (of a woman) in the throes of childbirth: I
remember that in the film, the husband of the woman in pains
was sitting far from the scene. 2. = in pain: She saw herself
test it on a criminal — a rapist, and she saw how much he was
in pains. 3. (followed by Infinitive) making a particular effort
to do smth.: He was in pains to stress that the main task of
government was the defense of the rich against the poor.