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

senior citizen • senior resident
senior citizen —(euph.) an elderly person; an old age pen-
sioner: There are no euphemisms in Dutch for being old —
no “senior citizen,” no “golden-ager.”
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase senior man—
1
. a person superior to others in standing:
“What if he refuses to go with them?” “They’ll be senior men,
they’ll pull rank.” 2. (U.S.) a student in his final year at a uni-
versity or high school: Tees Rowing Club, whose senior men’s
sell-out
– 292 –

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crew finished second in their division, are seeking new mem-
bers.
senior resident—(U.S.) a medical graduate who has com-
pleted an internship and serves in residence at a hospital:
Never disturb the senior resident when he is on his rounds,
unless the place is on fire.
sensible about something • sensible of something
sensible about something —showing a reasonable attitude
towards smth.: Market research has shown us that people are
far more health conscious and far more sensible about what
they drink.
sensible of something —aware of smth.; realizing smth.: How
natural for a woman sensible of her humble circumstances not
to wish to unveil the total intimacy of her house to passing
strangers.
sensitive about something • sensitive to something
sensitive about something —easily offended or worried about
smth.: You really must stop being so sensitive about your
accent.
sensitive to something —
1
. susceptible or vulnerable to smth.:
If the enamel of your tooth has worn to where the sensitive
part of the tooth is exposed, it can make your tooth sensitive
to cold. 2. showing a deep understanding of other people’s
feelings, difficulties, etc.: We’re trying to make people more
sensitive to the problems faced by working mothers.