| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| in the slammer |
in jail, in prison
|
Marv's been in the slammer four times. He knows prison life.
|
| in the tank |
in jail, in prison, in the slammer
|
While he was in the tank, he studied science and history.
|
| in the throes |
in the middle of some work, caught up in a process
|
We're in the throes of repairing an old house. What a job!
|
| in the wink of an eye |
very quickly, in a split second
|
In the wink of an eye, the coin disappeared from the man's hand.
|
| in the works |
in the plans, to be built
|
I've heard there's a housing project in the works.
|
| in the worst way |
very much, a lot
|
Hal wants a Porsche in the worst way. He loves sports cars.
|
| in these parts |
in this part of the country; neck of the woods
|
We haven't seen a bear in these parts for years.
|
| in time |
before the deadline, within the time limit
|
The check arrived just in time. We flew to Hawaii the next day.
|
| in touch |
phone or write a letter, keep in touch
|
Have you been in touch with your family in China?
|
| in tough |
in a difficult battle, against a tough opponent
|
If you play Ivan in the tennis tournament, you'll be in tough.
|