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

in the dark • in the limelight
in the dark —in ignorance; without information: Our gen-
eration was left in the dark about the harmful effects of ciga-
rettes.
in the limelight—(also: in the spotlight) in the center of atten-
tion: We knew our daughter would grow up to be an actor.
She was always in the limelight as a child.
in the disguise of someone • under the disguise of
someone
in the disguise of someone —
1
. disguised or dressed as smb.
else: There was a masquerade, in which Charles and some of
his courtiers appeared in the disguise of satyrs. 2. using a
specific guise as a means for smth.: He had appeared in the
disguise of a cop for two reasons. He had been certain that
the commissioner would not release any detailed informa-
tion…
under the disguise of someone — = in the disguise of someone
2: The thief gained entry to the premises under the disguise
of an inspector from the Electricity Board.
in the face of it • on the face of it
in the face of it—in defiance of smth.; notwithstanding
smth.: He didn’t have an easy life, and in the face of it his
humor was remarkable.
on the face of it—on a merely superficial view: The improve-
ments in housing standards should, on the face of it, have
helped to intensify family cohesiveness.
in the face of something • on the face of something
in the face of something —in the presence of smth.; when
confronted with smth.: He can’t possibly win in the face of
such difficulties.
on the face of something —from appearances of smth.; judging
from smth.: On the face of the results, the examination was
too difficult.
in the field • on the field
in the field —
1
. in an area of grassland for cattle or arable
land for crops: Hundreds of combines will be in the fields by
Wednesday. 2. in an outdoor athletic or sports area: Each
player in the field follows the progress of the game and con-
stantly tracks the movement of his eight teammates. 3. (Mil-
itary) at the scene of combat: They needed a more effective
way of using military forces in the field. 4. in the area of a