farm (redirected from farming)

buy the farm and buy it

Sl. to die; to get killed. (The farm is a burial plot.) I'll pass through this illness; I'm too young to buy the farm. He lived for a few hours after his collapse, but then he bought it.

See also: buy

farm someone out 

1. [for someone in control] to send someone to work for someone else. I have farmed my electrician out for a week, so your work will have to wait. We farmed out the office staff.

2. to send a child away to be cared for by someone; to send a child to boarding school. We farmed the kids out to my sister for the summer. We farmed out the kids.

See also: out

farm something out 

1. to deplete the fertility of land by farming too intensely. They farmed their land out through careless land management. They farmed out their land.

2. to send work to someone to be done away from one's normal place of business; to subcontract work. We farmed the assembly work out. We always farm out the actual final assembly of the finished units.

See also: out

sell the farm and bet the farm

Fig. to liquidate all one's assets in order to raise money to invest in something. It's a risky proposition. I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

See also: sell

You can bet the farm (on someone or something).

Rur. You can be certain of someone or something. This is a good investment. You can bet the farm on it. You can bet the farm that Joe is gonna get that job.

See also: bet, can

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a funny farm  (humorous)

a hospital for people who are mentally ill

Usage notes: This expression may be offensive in some situations.

If things get much worse they'll be carrying me off to the funny farm.

See also: funny

bet the farm/ranch  (American)

to spend almost all the money you have on something that you think might bring you success (often + on ) TV networks are obviously willing to bet the ranch on special sports events - they paid millions to broadcast the Olympics.

See also: bet

factory farming

a system for producing eggs, meat, and milk quickly and cheaply by keeping animals in small closed areas and giving them food which makes them grow quickly They've launched a campaign against the abuses of factory farming. (mainly British)

See also: factory

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bet the farm

to risk everything you have because you are certain of something bet the ranch No matter how confident you are in the future, you should never bet the farm on one idea.

See also: bet

farm out somebody (to somebody) also farm somebody out (to somebody)

to give someone to someone else who will take care of them She farmed out her children to her brother for two weeks.

See also: out

farm out something (to somebody) also farm something out (to somebody)

to give work or responsibilities to other people Magazines often farm out articles to freelance writers. If you can't finish the reports by next week, you should farm them out.

See also: out