A see TAKE ABACK. abide In addition to the idioms beginning with ABIDE, also see CAN'T STAND (ABIDE). abide by Accept and act in accordance with a decision or set of rules; also, remain faithful to. For example, All members must agree to abide by the club regulations, or A trustworthy man abides by his word. An older sense of the verb abide, "remain," is still familiar in the well-known 19th-century hymn "Abide with Me," which asks God to stay with the singer in time of trouble. [Early 1500s] a bit 1. A small amount of anything; also, a short period of time. For example, Here's a bit of wrapping paper, or It'll be ready in a bit, or Just wait a bit. [c. 1600] 2. Somewhat or rather, as in It stings a bit, or Will you have a bit more to eat? [Second half of 1600s] Also see BIT BY BIT; NOT A BIT. about In addition to the idioms beginning with ABOUT, also see AT ABOUT; BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH; BRING ABOUT; CAST ABOUT; COME ABOUT; DO AN ABOUT-FACE; GET ABOUT; GO ABOUT (ONE'S BUSINESS); HOW ABOUT (THAT); JUST ABOUT; KNOCK ABOUT; LAY ABOUT; MAN ABOUT TOWN; MUCK ABOUT; NOSE ABOUT (AROUND); NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT; ORDER SOMEONE ABOUT; OUT AND ABOUT; SEE ABOUT; SEND SOMEONE ABOUT SOMEONE'S BUSINESS; SET ABOUT; THAT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF IT; UP AND ABOUT; WHAT ABOUT SOMEONE (SOMETHING). about time Long past the right time; also, approximately the right time. Thus, It's about time you went to bed can mean either that you should have gone to bed much earlier (often stated with emphasis on the word time), or that now is the appropriate time for you to retire. [Early 1900s] For a synonym, see HIGH TIME.
about to 1. Ready to, on the verge of, as in I was about to leave when it began to rain, or He hasn't finished yet but he's about to. This usage was first recorded in Miles Coverdale's 1535 translation of the Bible (Joshua 18:8). 2. not about to. Having no intention of doing something, as in The shop steward was not about to cross the picket line, or Are you staying longer?? No, I'm not about to. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s] above In addition to the idioms beginning with ABOVE, also see ALL (NONE) OF THE ABOVE; CUT ABOVE; HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE; OVER AND ABOVE. above all More than anything else, as in A winter hike calls for good equipment, but above all it requires careful planning. This phrase first appears in William Langland's Piers Ploughman (1377), in which the narrator exhorts readers to love the Lord God above all. Also see FIRST AND LAST. above and beyond More than is required. This somewhat redundant expression? above and beyond here both denote excess? often precedes the call of duty, which means exceeding what a particular job requires. Thus Putting in overtime without pay is above and beyond the call of duty. Also see OVER AND ABOVE. aboveboard see OPEN AND ABOVEBOARD. above suspicion So trustworthy as never to be suspected of wrongdoing, as in "The wife of Caesar must be above suspicion" (Charles Merivale, A History of the Romans under the Empire, 1850). The phrase was given further currency when it was used for the title of a very popular World War II spy film starring Joan Crawford (Above Suspicion, 1943). A similar idiom using above in the sense of "beyond" is above the law, usually describing an individual or business behaving as though exempt from rules or laws that apply to others. to be continued....
