[tea] See: CUP OF TEA also DISH OF TEA.

[teach a lesson]{v. phr.} To show that bad behavior can be harmful. •/When Johnny pulled Mary’s hair, she taught him a lesson by breaking his toy boat./ •/The burns Tommy got from playing with matches taught him a lesson./

[teach the ropes] See: THE ROPES.

[team up with]{v. phr.} To join with; enter into companionship with. •/My brother prefers to do business by himself rather than to team up with anybody else./

[teapot] See: TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT.

[tear around]{v. phr.} To be constantly on the go; dash around. •/No one can understand how she manages to tear around from one social event to another and yet be a good mother to her children./

[tear down]{v.} 1. To take all down in pieces; destroy. •/The workmen tore down the old house and built a new house in its place./ 2. To take to pieces or parts. •/The mechanics had to tear down the engine, and fix it, and put it together again./ 3. To say bad things about; criticize. •/"Why do you always tear people down? Why don’t you try to say nice things about them?"/ •/Dorothy doesn’t like Sandra, and at the class meeting she tore down every idea Sandra suggested./

[tear into]{v. phr.} To attack vigorously, physically or verbally. •/The anxious buyers tore into the wedding gowns on sale at the famous department store./ See: RIP INTO.

[tearjerker]{n.} A sentimental novel or movie that makes one cry. •/Love Story, both in its novel form and as a movie, was a famous tearjerker./

[tear oneself away]{v. phr.} To force oneself to leave; leave reluctantly. •/The beaches in Hawaii are so lovely that I had to tear myself away from them in order to get back to my job in Chicago./

[tear one’s hair]{v. phr.} To show sorrow, anger, or defeat. •/Ben tore his hair when he saw the wrecked car./ •/The teacher tore his hair at the boy’s stupid answer./ •/It was time to go to class, but Mary had not finished the report she had to give, and she began tearing her hair./

[tears] See: BORE TO TEARS, CROCODILE TEARS.

[tear up]{v.} 1. To dig a hole in; remove the surface of; remove from the surface. •/The city tore up the street to lay a new water pipe./ •/Mother tore up the carpeting in the living room and had a new rug put in./ 2. To tear into pieces. •/Mary tore up the old sheets and made costumes for the play out of the pieces./ •/John tore up his test paper so that his mother wouldn’t see his low grade./

[tee off]{v.} 1. To hit the golf ball from a small wooden peg or tee to begin play for each hole. •/We got to the golf course just in time to see the champion tee off./ 2. {slang} To hit a ball, especially a baseball very hard or far. •/He teed off on the first pitch./ 3. {slang} To attack vigorously. •/The governor teed off on his opponent’s speech./ 4. {slang} To make (someone) angry or disgusted. •/It teed me off when Billy stole my candy./ •/Joe was teed off because he had to wait so long./

[teeth] See: TOOTH.

[tee up]{v.} To set the golf ball on the tee in preparation for hitting it toward the green. •/Arnold Palmer teed the ball up for the final hole./

[telepathy] See: MENTAL TELEPATHY.

[tell] See: DO TELL, I’LL SAY or I TELL YOU, I’LL TELL YOU WHAT, I’M TELLING YOU, YOU’RE TELLING ME, YOU TELL 'EM.

[tell apart]{v. phr.} To see the difference between; know each of. •/The teacher could not tell the twins apart./

[tell a thing or two]{v. phr.}, {informal} To tell in plain or angry words; scold. •/When John complained about the hard work, his father told him a thing or two./ •/If Bert thinks he would like to join the army, I’ll tell him a thing or two that will make him change his mind./ Compare: BAWL OUT, GIVE A PIECE OF ONE’S MIND, TELL OFF, THING OR TWO.

[tell it like it is]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To be honest, sincere; to tell the truth. •/Joe is the leader of our commune; he tells it like it is./

[tell it to the marines] or [tell it to Sweeney] {slang} I don’t believe you; Stop trying to fool me. •/John said, "My father knows the President of the United States." Dick answered, "Tell it to the marines."/

[tell off]{v.} 1. To name or count one by one and give some special duty to; give a share to. •/Five boy scouts were told off to clean the camp./ 2. {informal} To speak to angrily or sharply; attack with words; scold. •/Mr. Black got angry and told off the boss./ •/Bobby kept pulling Sally’s hair; finally she got angry and told him where to get off./ Syn.: TELL ONE WHERE TO GET OFF. Compare: GIVE A PIECE OF ONE’S MIND, LAY DOWN THE LAW, TELL A THING OR TWO.

[tell on]{v.} 1. To tire; wear out; make weak. •/The ten-mile hike told on Bill./ 2. {informal} To tell someone about another’s wrong or naughty acts.?—?Used mainly by children. •/Andy hit a little girl and John told the teacher on Andy./ •/If you hit me, I’ll tell Mother on you./

[tell tales out of school]{v. phr.} To tell something that is secret; tell others something that is not meant to be known. •/Don’t tell Jane anything. She is always telling tales out of school./ Compare: LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG, SPILL THE BEANS.

[tell one where to get off] or [tell one where to head in] {v. phr.}, {informal} To talk angrily to; speak to or answer with rough language; scold. •/Bob told Ted to get out of his way. Ted told Bob where to get off./ •/Mary laughed at Barbara’s hairdo. Barbara told Mary where to head in./ Compare: TELL A THING OR TWO, TELL OFF.

[tell time]{v. phr.} To read a clock or watch. •/Although Johnny is only three years old, he is already able to tell time./

[tell you what] See: I’LL TELL YOU WHAT.

[temper] See: GOD TEMPERS THE WIND TO THE SHORN LAMB, HOLD ONE’S TEMPER or KEEP ONE’S TEMPER, LOSE ONE’S TEMPER.

[temperature] See: RUN A TEMPERATURE.

[tempest in a teapot]{n. phr.} Great excitement about something not important. •/Bess tore her skirt a little and made a tempest in a teapot./

[tempt fate] or [tempt the fates] {v. phr.} To take a chance; run a risk; gamble. •/You’re tempting fate every time you drive that old wreck of a car./

[ten] See: DIME STORE or FIVE-AND-TEN, COUNT TO TEN.

[ten-four?]{v. phr.}, {interrog.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Do you understand? •/Is that a ten-four?/

[ten gallon hat]{n.}, {informal} A tall felt hat with a wide, rolled brim worn by men in the western part of the U.S. •/Men from the southwest usually wear ten gallon hats./

[ten roger]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} I acknowledge. •/That’s a ten roger./

[ten to one] or [two to one] {adv.} or {adj. phr.}, {informal} Almost certainly, nearly sure to be true; very likely to happen. •/Ten to one it will rain tomorrow./ •/It is ten; to one that Bill will be late./

[term] See: BRING TO TERMS, COME TO TERMS, IN SO MANY WORDS(2) or IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, IN TERMS OF.

[terror] See: HOLY TERROR.

[test] See: ROAD TEST, SCREEN TEST.

[tether] See: END OF ONE’S ROPE or END OF ONE’S TETHER.