wind (redirected from putting the wind up)

be in the wind

to be likely to happen soon. From my recent conversations with Sara I get the feeling that change is in the wind.

be scattered to the four winds (literary)

if a group of things or people are scattered to the four winds, they are sent to different places which are far away from each other. Homes were destroyed and families were scattered to the four winds.

See also: four

be spitting in/into the wind (very informal)

to waste time trying to achieve something that cannot be achieved. The government is spitting in the wind if they think a few regulations will stop multinational companies from avoiding tax. Trying to get a pay increase here is like pissing in the wind.

See also: spit

be three sheets to the wind (old-fashioned)

to be drunk. Bobby was already three sheets to the wind when we arrived.

See also: sheet, three

break wind

to allow gas to escape from your bottom, especially loudly. At a wedding that I attended last summer, one of the guests broke wind very loudly during the groom's speech.

See also: break

get a/your second wind (British, American & Australian, American)

to suddenly have new energy to continue doing something after you were feeling tired. After two hours we could hardly walk another step, but we got a second wind as we neared home.

See also: second

get wind of something

to hear a piece of information that someone else was trying to keep secret. I don't want my boss to get wind of the fact that I'm leaving so I'm not telling many people.

get/put the wind up someone (British & Australian, informal)

to make someone feel anxious about their situation. Say you'll take him to court if he doesn't pay up - that should put the wind up him.

It's an ill wind (that blows nobody any good).

something that you say which means most bad things that happen have a good result for someone. But it's an ill wind. The wettest June in history has replenished the reservoirs.

See also: ill, it's

leave someone to twist in the wind (American)

if someone is left to twist in the wind, they are left in a very difficult situation by the actions of another person. The director resigned and left the rest of the department twisting in the wind, waiting to see if the project would continue.

See also: leave, twist

run like the wind

to run very fast. She's very slight in build and she can run like the wind.

See also: like, run

sail close to the wind

1. to take risks which could cause problems or danger. We may have just enough fuel to get there, but we'll be sailing a bit close to the wind. (often in continuous tenses)

2. to do something that is dangerous or only just legal or acceptable. I think she realized she was sailing a little too close to the wind and decided to tone down her criticism.

See also: close, sail

see which way the wind is blowing

to see how a situation is developing before you make a decision about it. I think we ought to talk to other members of staff and see which way the wind's blowing before we make any firm decisions.

See also: blow, see, way

a straw in the wind

something that shows you what might happen in the future. There were one or two straws in the wind yesterday that suggested an offensive was imminent. (usually plural)

See also: straw

take the wind out of someone's sails

to make someone feel less confident or less determined to do something, usually by saying or doing something that they are not expecting. I was going to tell him the relationship was over when he greeted me with a big bunch of flowers and it rather took the wind out of my sails.

See also: sail, take

throw caution to the wind(s)

to take a risk. You could always throw caution to the wind and have another glass of wine.

See also: caution, throw

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get a second wind

to have increased energy or strength after feeling tired or weak. The automobile industry seems to have gotten a second wind. Fred somehow got his second wind about halfway through the race.

See also: second

get wind of something

to learn about something secret. As soon as we got wind of the concert, I ordered tickets.

in the wind

likely to happen soon. Did he know that a promotion and pay raise were in the wind?

sail close to the wind

to take risks. We thought she was sailing a bit close to the wind in her business deals, but she claimed everything was legal.

Usage notes: often refers to doing something that may not be legal or acceptable

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of sail close to the wind (= to sail a boat as near as possible to the direction the wind is coming from)

See also: close, sail

straw in the wind

something that shows you what might happen in the future. There were straws in the wind that suggested a strike was likely.

Usage notes: usually used in the plural, as in the example

See also: straw

take the wind out of your sails

to make you feel less confident or determined. I was really mad at him, but he greeted me with flowers, which immediately took the wind out of my sails.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of take the wind out of someone's sails (= to slow down a competing boat by catching the wind in your own sails and preventing it from filling the other boat's sails)

See also: sail, take

throw caution to the wind

to take a risk. As a young man he was always ready to throw caution to the wind.

See also: caution, throw

to the four winds

in all directions. It would be a disaster if we allowed all that know-how to be scattered to the four winds.

the four corners of the earth

See also: four

(leave someone to) twist in the wind

1. to keep someone waiting for a decision or answer. Carolyn was left twisting in the wind for about a week, and so were several other people who interviewed for the job.

2. to be forced to exist without support or help. Some workers were fired and left to twist in the wind after many years on the job. People know she's ambitious and are afraid she might leave the company twisting in the wind if a better job came along.

See also: twist

which way the wind is blowing

how something will probably develop. It wasn't hard to tell which way the wind was blowing when the judge spoke to the jury. Peter quickly saw which way the wind was blowing and tried to comfort the worried parents.

See also: blow, way

wind down (something)

to end or cause something to end gradually. The storm finally began to wind down after four hours of heavy rain. We wound down our affairs in Europe and left for home.

See also: down

wind up

to reach a place or condition. If he continues to spend money this way, he's going to wind up in bankruptcy. How did you ever wind up in this little town in the middle of nowhere?

wind up (something)

to end or finish something. The meeting just wound up, so let's go to lunch now. We should be able to wind the discussion up by 10 o'clock.