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

be pleased with oneself • please oneself
be pleased with oneself —be much satisfied with what one
does: He was very pleased with himself after he had passed his
driving test.
please oneself —do whatever one likes, without having to
obey others: We don’t have to be back by a certain time; we
can just please ourselves.
be poorly • be poorly off
be poorly —be feeling unwell: “Kate, your mistress is poorly
this morning, and prefers you not go in to her.” “Poorly? Oh,
but sir, she will want her tea…”
be poorly off —have very little money: Many of the Africans
who came here as refugees more than a decade ago are still
poorly off.
be put into execution • be put to execution
be put into execution —(also: be carried into execution) be car-
ried out: The plan was put into execution and this was the
beginning of the manufacture of woolen fabrics.
be put to execution —
1
. = be put into execution: The plan was
put to execution, and the group of three moved down, along-
side of the rocky wall. 2. suffer the penalty of death: Michael
Malik was put to execution in Trinidad. He was accused of
murdering a British woman Gale Benson…
– 41 –
be put into execution

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be put up against the wall • be up against the wall
be put up against the wall —said of smb. about to be executed
by shooting: His appeal was turned down…. The day came
round and he was put up against the wall to be shot.
be up against the wall—(also: have one’s back against the wall)
have run out of options; be pushed to the last extremity: When
I was up against the wall and couldn’t pay my bills, I knew I
had to do something.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase come up against a blank wall—(also: come up against
a brick wall) encounter an insurmountable obstacle or difficulty:
We come up against a blank wall. There is a total unwilling-
ness to hear our side of the story.