| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| a total stranger |
one you have never seen, a perfect stranger
|
"Can I give you a ride home?" "No. You're a total stranger."
|
| a touch of |
a little illness, minor symptoms
|
Mary's not feeling well today. She has a touch of the flu.
|
| a tough act to follow |
a performance that is not easy to equal
|
Gail danced very well. That is a tough act to follow.
|
| a tough call |
a difficult decision, a hard choice
|
Was the goal scored before the game ended? It's a tough call.
|
| a tough row to hoe |
(See a hard row to hoe)
|
|
| a tough time of it |
a time of stress or bad luck, a rough time of it
|
When Bev left home she had a tough time of it. She had no job.
|
| a tower of strength |
a person who helps you during a crisis, a brick
|
When my parents were killed in an accident, Harry was a tower of strength to me.
|
| a wake-up call |
a warning, a caution, wake up and smell the coffee
|
"I got a D on my English test!" "Is it a wake-up call to work harder?"
|
| a wash |
not owing each other, call it square
|
You owe me $20, but you gave me a CD, so it's a wash, eh.
|
| a wash-out |
a failure, a lost cause
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No one attended the concert. It was a wash-out.
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