ON THE WARPATH/RAMPAGE
looking for a fight; very angry and upset with someone or something.
1. I decided to get out of the house until my father calms down. He was really on the warpath when he saw that I had damaged his new car.
2. The manager is on the rampage. He found out that the company management doesn't plan on keeping him after they close his department. He's really angry.
The expression suggests the stereotypical behaviour of American Indians who were described as on the warpath (literally on the way to war) when they were preparing for a fight.

ON THIN ICE (SKATE/TREAD)
in an unsafe or risky position; without much support.
1. Steve is going to run into trouble if he continues to arrive late at work. He's on thin ice with the boss already because he spends more time talking on the phone than working.
2. Anita is in serious trouble at the university. Her grades are poor and unless she does well on her final exams, she may be skating on thin ice.
The expression suggests how danger¬ous it is to tread (walk) or skate on ice that, although frozen, is not thick enough to support one's weight.

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON
very, very rarely.
1. Jean's parents encouraged her to accept the job with the prestigious company in New York. They told her that a job offer like that comes along only once in a blue moon.
2. Roger and Sandy like to stay at home. They rarely travel and they almost never go out to dinner. They go to the movies once in a blue moon.

OPEN BOOK
a person who doesn't hide anything about himself or herself. It can also refer to a person's life (sentence 1) or a person's mind in which nothing is hidden.
1. Cindy hides nothing about her life. Her life is an open book.
2. James and John are as different as night and day. James is an open book but John is very
The expression suggests that a person who is an open book is easy to "read," or understand.

OPEN MIND, (KEEP) AN
to be willing to listen to and consider all sides of an issue; not to have made up one's mind in advance; to be objective.
1. Julie's father's mind was made up. He had already decided not to let her have her own car. She said that he didn't have an open mind about the matter, and that he had not given her a fair chance to persuade him.
2. I have almost decided to vote for the conservative candidate but I'm still willing to listen to what the other candidates have to say. I'm trying to keep an open mind about all the candidates until election day.
Similar to: (be) open-minded. Antonym: (be) close-minded.

OUT OF THE BLUE
unexpectedly, and often suddenly.
1. We were walking down the street when from out of the blue an old class¬mate we hadn't seen for years appeared.
2. Pam was driving down the highway when, out of the blue, a truck crossed in front of her and she had to slam on her brakes.
Synonym: out of a clear blue sky.

OUT OF THE FRYING PAN AND INTO THE FIRE
from a bad situation to one that is even worse.
1. Edith's parents were happy when she broke off her friendship with Ralph. Then she started seeing George, who is an even worse influence on her. She's jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.
2. Tim didn't like the extra responsibility of being an assistant manager but now he's decided to accept the position of full manager. He's leaping out of the frying pan into the fire.

OUT OF THE WOODS
out of danger; out of a very difficult situation.
1. The doctor told the boy's parents that he was no longer in danger of dying. The boy had made it through the night and his high fever had returned to normal. He would get better now. He was out of the woods.
2. There was quite a scandal brew¬ing and it looked like it would cause the downfall of several high-ranking government officials. Fred thought he had avoided being touched by the scandal, but he wouldn't be completely sure for a few weeks. He wasn't out of the woods yet.
The expression is often used to describe no longer being in danger of dying. It can also be used to describe situations equally critical, such as the demise of a company or the death of someone's political life.

OUT TO LUNCH
absent-minded, unaware or confused (sentence 1); ignorant on some topic (sentence 2); harmlessly crazy or out of touch with reality (sentence 3).
1. I somehow managed to erase an entire computer disk. I cant believe I was so absent-minded! I'm really out to lunch.
2. You don't know what you're talking about! You're out to lunch.
3. That old soldier is a little out to lunch. He wanders around here telling everyone old war sto¬ries as though the war was just yesterday.
Similar to: (not) know if one is coming or going (sentence 1); (not) know beans about something; all wet; for the birds (sentence 2); bats in one's belfry; off one's rocker; have a screw loose (sentence 3).
Antonym: on the ball

OVER A BARREL
in a difficult situation or position; at a disadvantage.
1. They agreed on the price of the car with the salesman but now they find they can't borrow that much from the bank. They are over a barrel because they've already put down a deposit and they'll lose it if they can't come up with the rest of the money.
2. I had to borrow some money from a colleague at work. Now he wants me to help him fix his car on Saturday. I really don't have time to do it, but he's got me over a barrel since I owe him a favor.
Similar to: (put someone) on the spot; in a bind; in a fix; between a rock and a hard place; between the devil
and the deep blue sea.

OVER THE HILL
too old to be of much value.
1. Jim is old now and can't do much work these days. He's over the hill.
2. Don't you dare tell me I'm over the hill. I may be old but I still feel as young as I did thirty years ago.
Synonym: past one's prime. The ex¬pression is used for people and animals, but not for nonliving things.