trace (redirected from traces)

kick over the traces

Fig. to do what one is meant not to do; to rebel against authority. (Alludes to a horse that steps on the wrong side of the straps that link it to whatever it is pulling.) At the age of sixty, Walter kicked over the traces and ran away to Brazil. All these young kids seem to want to kick over the traces.

See also: kick

lose trace of someone or something

Rur. to fail to maintain a way of finding someone or something. I lost trace of Walter after we left high school. I lost trace of the stock certificates after about twenty years.

See also: lose

trace someone or something (back) (to someone or something)

to trail or track the origin of someone or something back to someone or something. We traced her back to the car she had ridden in, but lost her trail at that point. We traced the letter back to her. See if you can trace back the check to its writer.

trace around something

to press something against paper and draw a line around the edges that are in contact with the paper. Trace around this piece of material and cut out a new pattern. If you trace around the edges carefully, you will end up with a good drawing of the outline.

See also: around

trace over something 

1. to draw over something lightly. Trace over the drawing to make it a little darker. I had to trace over it twice to make it visible.

2. to copy something by placing a thin sheet of paper over it and drawing an outline of the thing to be copied. Trace over this picture and then photocopy about ten copies for us all. This needs to be traced over again.

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kick over the traces  (British & Australian)

to do what you want and not show any respect for authority

Usage notes: Traces are long pieces of leather which join a vehicle to the horse which is pulling it. If a horse kicks over the traces, it kicks its legs over these pieces of leather and goes out of control.

Some kids go straight to university and spend the first year kicking over the traces.

See also: kick

sink without trace

to be forgotten about completely, after being popular for a while They enjoyed brief success with their second album and then sank without trace.

See get teeth into

See also: sink, without