to have one's way: to arrange matters the way one wants (especially when
someone else doesn't want to same way) (also: to get one's way)
o My brother always wants to have his way, but this time our parents
said that we could do what I wanted.
o If Sheila doesn't get her way, she becomes very angry.
to look forward to: to expect or anticipate with pleasure
This idiom can be followed by a regular noun or a gerund.
o We're greatly looking forward to our vacation in Mexico.
o Margaret never looks forward to going to work.
LESSON 15
inside out: with the inside facing the outside
o Someone should tell little Bobby that his shirt is inside out.
o The high winds ruined the umbrella by blowing it inside out.
upside down: with the upper side turned toward the lower side
o The accident caused on car to turn upside down, its wheels spinning in
the air.
o One of the students was only pretending to read her textbook; the
teacher could see that the book was actually upside down.
to fill in: to write answers in (S); to inform, to tell (S)
For the second definition, the idiom can be followed by the preposition on and
the information that someone is told.
o You should be careful to fill in the blanks on the registration form
correctly.
o Barry was absent from the meeting, so I'd better fill him in.
o Has anyone filled the boss in on the latest public relation disaster?
to fill out: to complete a form (S)
This idiom is very similar to the first definition above. To fill in refers to
completing various parts of a form, while to fill out refers to completing a form
as one whole item.
o Every prospective employee must fill out an application by giving name,
address, previous jobs, etc.
o The teenager had some trouble filling the forms out by himself, so his
mother helped him.
to take advantage of: to use well, to profit from; to use another person's
weaknesses to gain what one wants
o I took advantage of my neighbor's superior skill at tennis to improve
my own ability at the game.
o Teddy is such a small, weak child that his friends take advantage of
him all the time. They take advantage of him by demanding money
and making him do things for them.
no matter: regardless of