service (redirected from be at service)

at someone's service

Fig. ready to help someone in any way. The count greeted me warmly and said, "Welcome to my home. Just let me know what you need. I'm at your service." The desk clerk said, "Good morning, madam. I'm at your service."

bring something into service

to begin to use something; to start something up. They are bringing a much larger boat into service next month. A newer machine will be brought into service next year.

See also: bring

Call my service.

Please don't call me directly, but through my answering service. (Not a friendly or encouraging invitation.) Good to talk to you, but I gotta go now. Call my service. I can't talk now. Call my service.

See also: call

come into service

to begin to be used; to begin to operate and function as designed. When did this elevator. come into service? I think that this machine came into service during World War II.

See also: come

go into service

to start operating. When will the new elevator go into service? It has already gone into service.

go into the service

to enter one of the military services. She went into the service when she got out of high school. I chose not to go into the service.

go out of service

[for something] to stop working; [for something] to have been turned off so it cannot be used. This elevator went out of service last week. How long has it been since this thing went out of service?

See also: out

in service

[of something] operating or operable. (See also put something in(to) service.) Is this elevator in service?

of service (to someone)

helping someone; serving someone. Good morning, madam. May I be of service to you? Welcome to the Warwick Hotel. May I be of service?

out of service

inoperable; not currently operating. Both elevators had been put out of service, so I had to use the stairs. The washroom is temporarily out of service.

See also: out

pay lip service (to something)

Fig. to express loyalty, respect, or support for something insincerely. You don't really care about politics. You're just paying lip service to the candidate. Don't sit here and pay lip service. Get busy!

See also: lip, pay

press someone or something into service

to force someone or something to serve or function. I don't think you can press him into service just yet. He isn't trained. I think that in an emergency, we could press this machine into service.

See also: press

put something in (to) service and put something into use

to start to use a thing; to make a device operate and function. I hope that they are able to put the elevator into service again soon. I am tired of climbing stairs. We will put it in service within an hour. When can we put the new copier into use?

See also: put

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give/pay lip service to something

to say that you agree with and support an idea or plan but not do anything to help it to succeed The company pays lip service to the notion of racial equality but you look around you and all you see are white faces.

See curl lip

See also: give, lip

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at somebody's service

ready to help someone as soon as they ask In this business, the customer comes first, and our employees need to remember that we are at their service.

press somebody into service

to persuade or force someone to do something Murphy pressed his sister into service to do the research.

See also: press

press something into service

to use something for an unusual purpose A few buses and trucks were pressed into service, but the vast majority of refugees walked.

See also: press

put something into service

to begin to use something The boat was sold to a Danish firm and put into service as a ferry on the North Sea.

Usage notes: usually said about something that is provided regularly

See also: put

see service (slightly formal)

to be a member of the military He saw service during the Seven Years War and became an aide to Frederick the Great.

See also: see