age (redirected from acts age)

*of age

old enough to marry, buy alcohol, or to sign legal agreements. (*Typically: be ~; Come ~.) Now that Mary is of age, she can buy her own car. When I'm of age, I'm going to get married and move to the city.

Act your age!

Behave more maturely! (A rebuke for someone who is acting childish. Often said to a child who is acting like an even younger child.) Child: Aw, come on! Let me see your book! Mary: Be quiet and act your age. Don't be such a baby!

See also: act

age before beauty

a jocular and slightly rude way of encouraging someone to go ahead of oneself; a comical, teasing, and slightly grudging way of indicating that someone else should or can go first. "No, no. Please, you take the next available seat," smiled Tom. "Age before beauty, you know."

See also: beauty, before

age out (of something)

[for an adult] to grow [mentally or in years] out of certain behavior or out of a group or classification that is based on age. (Jargon.) Most of them tend to age out at about 35.

See also: out

go on for an age and go on for ages

Fig. to continue for a very long time. The symphony seemed to go on for an age. It seemed to go on for ages.

in a coon's age and in a month of Sundays

Rur. in a very long time. (The coon is a raccoon.) How are you? I haven't seen you in a coon's age. I haven't had a piece of apple pie this good in a coon's age.

in an age of years

Rur. in a long time. How have you been? I haven't talked to you in an age of years. Jane hasn't ridden a horse in an age of years.

See also: year

in this day and age

Fig. now; in these modern times. Bill: Ted flunked out of school. Mother: Imagine that! Especially in this day and age. Bill: Taxes keep going up and up. Bob: What do you expect in this day and age?

See also: and, day, this

live to the (ripe old) age of something

to survive to a specific [advanced] age. Sally's aunt lived to the ripe old age of one hundred. Ken lived to the age of sixty-two.

See also: live

ripe old age

a very old age. Mr. Smith died last night, but he lived to a ripe old age—99. All the Smiths seem to reach a ripe old age.

See also: old, ripe

tender age of

the young age of... She left home at the tender age of 17 and got married to a rock singer.

See also: tender

The age of miracles is past.

Prov. Miracles do not happen nowadays. I'm afraid this old vacuum cleaner can't be fixed. The age of miracles is past.

See also: miracle, past

What's your age?

Sl. Hello, how are you? Tim: What's your age? Joe: Hey, Tim, what's going on with you? Yo, Sam! What's your age?

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somebody of a certain age  (humorous)

used to avoid saying that a person, usually a woman, is no longer young but is not yet old It's a clothes boutique which caters for women of a certain age.

See also: certain

Act your age!

something that you say to someone who is being silly to tell them to behave in a more serious way Oh, act your age, Chris! You can't expect to have your own way all the time. I always want to tell middle-aged men in sports cars to act their age.

See also: act

come of age  (slightly formal)

1. to reach the age when you are an adult and are legally responsible for your behaviour So what of all the fifty-thousand youngsters who come of age this spring? Who will they be voting for?

2. something or someone that has come of age has reached full, successful, development After years of sophisticated mimicry, Japanese design has come of age.

See Act age!

See also: come

in this day and age

in modern times She said she was appalled that so much injustice could exist in this day and age.

See also: and, day, this

live to a ripe old age

to live until you are very old Both his grandparents lived to a ripe old age.

See also: live, old, ripe

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come of age

1. to become an adult Your son's children have now come of age. Of all the kids who come of age this year, how many will actually vote? Related vocabulary: grow up

2. to develop completely The idea of equality in the workplace has come of age.

See also: come

in this day and age also (in) this day and time

now In this day and age you must have computer skills if you want to get a job. The girl was held under conditions that are hard to imagine in this day and time.

Usage notes: used to emphasize a difference between this time and time past

See also: and, day, this

of a certain age

who are not young Adults of a certain age might want to spend a couple of hundred dollars more for a larger monitor that will be much easier on their eyes.

Usage notes: used to avoid saying middle aged or old

See also: certain