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

on the credit side 
(in credit)
on the cuff
(off the cuff )
on the danger list 
(at danger)
on the deck 
(on deck)
on the decks 
(on deck)
on the downhill slide 
(on the downhill
side)
on the drawing board 
(on board)
on the drink 
(in drink)
on the edge 
(on edge)
on the edge of one’s seat
(on edge)
on the end 
(on end)
on the face of it 
(in the face of it)
on the face of something
(in the face
of something )
on the feed
(off one’s feed)
on the field
(in the field)
on the fire
(on fire)
on the fly
(in flight)
on the front 
(at the front)
on the game
(on one’s game)
on the ground 
(off the ground)
on the half hour 
(half-hourly)
on the hazard
(at hazard)
on the hook
(on one’s own hook)
on the hour
(on the clock)
Phrase Index
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362 –

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on the in with something 
(in on some-
thing )
on the instant
(in an instant)
on the kill 
(in on the kill)
on the knife-edge of something 
(at
the cutting edge of something )
on the large side 
(on a large scale)
on the level
(on a level)
on the line 
(on line)
on the lines 
(on line)
on the loose 
(in the loose)
on the make
(in the making )
on the market 
(at the market)
on the money
(in the money)
on the move
(on the go)
on the occasion 
(on occasion)
on the occasion of something
(by
occasion of something )
on the off chance 
(on the chance)
on the other side 
(on the other side of
the fence)
on the other side of the hill 
(on the
other side of the fence)
on the other side of the tracks
(on the
other side of the fence)
on the outside
(at the outside)
on the peg 
(off the peg )
on the pills 
(on the pill)
on the premises 
(on the house)
on the queer
(in Queer street)
on the quiet
(at quiet)
on the rack
(off the shelf )
on the razor’s edge of something 
(on
the cutting edge of something )
on the right 
(in the right)
on the right side of the hedge 
(on the
wrong side of the tracks)
on the rise
(at the rise)
on the road 
(in the road)
on the ropes
(on the rope)
on the run 
(at a run)
on the saddle
(in the saddle)
on the sauce 
(in the ketchup)
on the sea 
(in the sea)
on the shelf 
(off the shelf )
on the shop floor
(on the floor)
on the side
(on one’s side)
on the side of someone
(at the side of
someone)
on the side of something
(at the side of
something )
on the sidelines 
(on one’s side)
on the spur 
(in the heat of the moment)
on the spur of the moment
(in the
heat of the moment)
on the stocks
(in the stocks)
on the streets
(on the street)
on the stretch 
(at a stretch)
on the stroke
(off one’s stroke)
on the tack
(on the right tack)
on the tap 
(on tap)
on the tape
(on tape)
on the track of someone
(in the track
of someone)
on the trail
(at the trail)
on the trots 
(on the trot)
on the up and up 
(on the up)
on the uppers
(on the up)
on the wagon
(on the bandwagon)
on the way 
(in the way)
on the whole
(in the whole)
on the wrong side of the tracks
on the wrong track
(on the wrong side
of the tracks)
on thin ice
(on ice)
on tick
(on the tick)
on time
(in time)
on tiptoe
(on one’s toes)
on to someone
(on at someone)
on top of something
(on the top of
something )
on top of the world
(at the top of the
heap)
on tow 
(in tow)
on trial
(in trial)
on trust
(in trust)
on velvet
(in velvet)
on view
(on the view)
on view of something
(in view of
something )
on wings
(on the wing )
on your bike
(get off one’s bike)
once and again 
(once again)
one by one
(one-on-one)
one cannot but 
(one can but)
one cannot do better than 
(one can do
worse than)
one can’t help oneself 
(help oneself )
one couldn’t care less 
(one could care
less)
one couldn’t do with something
(one
could do with something )
one day 
(one of these days)
one final thing 
(last thing, the)
one final word 
(last word, the)
one had rather 
(one had better)
one has to go some 
(one has to go)
one hasn’t got all day for someone
(one has no time for someone)
one is not bothered
(one can’t be both-
ered)
one of these fine days
(one fine day)
one of those days
(one of these days)
one step further 
(one step ahead)
one way or the other
(one way or
another)
one way street 
(one way ride)
one will not have someone do some-
thing
(have someone do something )
one will not have someone doing
something
(have someone do some-
thing )
one won’t have it 
(one will have it)
one would give his right arm 
(chance
one’s arm)
one wouldn’t shout if a shark bit him
(one wouldn’t say boo to a goose)
one-to-one 
(one-on-one)
one’s better self 
(one’s better half )
one’s eyes are bigger than his stomach
(give someone the big eye)
one’s luck is in
(be in luck)
one’s luck is out 
(luck it out)
one’s mind wanders 
(one’s mind is set)
one’s night out 
(one’s night off )
one’s number comes up 
(one’s lucky
number comes up)
one’s own man 
(one’s man)
one’s own master
(master of oneself )
one’s palm itches 
(have an itching
palm)
one’s second self 
(one’s second nature)
one’s takeaway on something 
(one’s
take on something )
one’s work is cut out for one 
(be cut
out for the work)
only child, the 
(only child, an)
only if 
(if only)
only just 
(just about)
open-and-shut case
(closed case)
open book, an 
(open a book on some-
thing )
open-end question
(open question)
open-handed 
(open-armed)
open housing
(open house)
open one’s mind 
(keep an open mind)
open someone’s eyes 
(keep one’s eyes
open)
open to question 
(open question)
open up a can of whoop-ass 
(open a
can of worms)
open up to someone
(open up on some-
one)
open water
(open sea)
open with someone 
(open to someone)
opera buffa
(opera bouffe)
or whatever 
(or what)
oral signal 
(aural signal)
orchard house
(garden house)
Order of St. Michael and St. George,
the 
(Order of St. Michael, the)
order of the day
(day order)
orderly book
(order book)
other side, the 
(other side of the coin)
other side of the hill, the 
(other side of
the coin)
out and out 
(out and away)
out-and-outer 
(outer man)
out for the count
(down for the count)
out in the cold
(out cold)
out in the field
(out in left field)
out of action 
(in action)
out of bounds to someone 
(beyond the
bounds of something )
out of condition
(not in a condition)
out of consideration for something
(in consideration of something )
out of hand 
(off hand)
out of hours 
(out of one’s time)
out of humor
(in no humor)
out of limits 
(beyond limits)
out of one’s depth
((in depth)
out of one’s element 
(exposed to the
elements)
out of one’s hands
(off one’s hands)
out of one’s line
(out of line)
out of one’s mind
(out of mind)
out of one’s own head
(out of one’s
head)
out of one’s tree 
(at the top of the tree)
out of oneself 
(beside oneself )
out of pity 
(for pity’s sake)
out of place 
(out of a place)
out of pocket
(out of one’s own pocket)
out of position
(in no position)
out of season
(out of one’s time)
out of shape 
(bent out of shape)
– 363 –
Phrase Index

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out of sight
(out of one’s sight)
out of temper 
(in a temper)
out of the blue
(out in the blue)
out of the box
(out of one’s box)
out of the cards
(off the cards)
out of the common
(in common)
out of the game 
(off one’s game)
out of the question 
(in question)
out of the wood
(from the wood)
out of this world
(in the next world)
out of time
(out of one’s time)
out of true 
(it is not true)
out of wind 
(out of the wind)
out of work
(off work)
out on one’s ear
(on one’s ear)
out on one’s feet
(on one’s feet)
outact someone 
(act something out)
outdo someone 
(do someone out of
something )
outdoor man
(outer man)
outlast something 
(last out something )