something

Do you want to make something of it?

something that you say to someone who disagrees with you in order to threaten them and offer to fight them. 'That's my beer you're drinking.' 'Do you want to make something of it?'

See also: want

have something going with someone (informal, informal)

if you have something going with someone, you are having a sexual relationship with them. She had something going with a guy on the staff. Larry's obviously had a thing going with her for several months now.

See also: going

look like something the cat brought/dragged in (informal)

if someone looks like something the cat brought in, they are very untidy and dirty. You can't possibly go to school like that - you look like something the cat dragged in!

See also: brought, cat, drag, like, look

pull something out of the bag

to suddenly do something which solves a problem or improves a bad situation. They're really going to have to pull something out of the bag tonight if they want to qualify for the championship.

See also: bag, pull

something to write home about

be nothing much to write home about - to not be especially good or exciting. If England won the World Cup, that would be something to write home about!

See also: about, home, write

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have something to prove

to need to show that you can succeed when people expect you to fail. After two dismal seasons, the players on this team feel they have something to prove.

Usage notes: also used in the negative form have nothing to prove or not have anything to prove to have no reason to persuade others you can succeed, because you have already succeeded: He was as famous as he wanted to be, and felt he no longer had anything to prove.

See also: prove

(do you) know something

are you aware of something. You know something? Drinking and driving don't mix! Know something? I'm pretty disgusted with you!

See also: know

leave something to be desired

to be not very good or not as good as you would like. And if you think my driving leaves something to be desired, his driving is even worse!

See also: desire, leave

make something of yourself

to achieve success. I want to make something of myself so that my family will be proud of me. She worked hard in school, hoping she could make something of her life.

make something out of nothing

to say that something is a problem when it is not. You seem to think I'm making something out of nothing, but I think these letters are important.

Usage notes: often used to ask someone if they want to disagree or fight about something: Yeah, I like Lee's movies – you want to make something of it?

See also: nothing

something else

unusual. You think you're something else, but you're really just like all the rest of us.

See also: else

something or other

something whose exact nature you do not know or have forgotten. He's a professor of something or other and now he's living in China.

somehow or other

See also: other

something to do with

connected in some way. How a ball travels after it is hit has something to do with the laws of physics. I wonder if cell phones have something to do with people bumping into things when they walk.

nothing to do with

start something

to begin an argument or fight. He's always starting something — he doesn't know when to keep quiet.

See also: start