Meaning: abies fraseri

n.
small fast-growing but short-lived fir of southern Alleghenies similar to balsam fir but with very short leaves

fr Idiom, Proverb

a breath of fresh air

a nice change, a new presence Having Lan around the house is a breath of fresh air - she's so nice.

a fraidy cat

a child who is afraid to jump etc., chicken """Ian's a fraidy cat!"" the boys shouted. ""Ian's afraid to jump!"""

a free-for-all

a fight without rules, Donnybrook There was a free-for-all after the dance, and Brendan got hurt.

a free hand

complete authority, freedom to control The President gave Ms. Drake a free hand in choosing the colors.

a freeze on

"a stoppage; a decision to stop spending, hiring etc." Right now there's a freeze on hiring at the plant - no hiring.

a fresh pair of eyes

a different reader, one who has not seen the writing A fresh pair of eyes may find many errors in this report.

a fresh start

starting again, a new life In Canada, you will have a fresh start. You can begin a new life.

afraid so

"sorry, but it is true; believe me, yeppers" """Did he spend all of our money?"" ""Yes, 'fraid so."""

bats in the belfry

crazy, eccentric I think that he has bats in the belfry. His ideas are absolutely crazy.

bigger fish to fry

more important people to meet or do business with Don't bother fighting with him. You've got bigger fish to fry.

Black Friday

the day the stock market crashed (failed) in 1929 In the 1980s, there were days to remind us of Black Friday.

blood from a stone

(See get blood from a stone)

bolt from the blue

(See like a bolt from the blue)

brain is fried

brain is very tired or ruined by drug abuse After writing six exams, my brain was fried - too much studying!

break fresh ground

deal with something in a new way The researchers were able to break fresh ground in their search for a cancer cure.

breath of fresh air

(See a breath of fresh air)

cut from the same cloth

from the same family, very similar Ty and Ed are cut from the same cloth - both are serious and quiet.

don't know him from Adam

do not know who he is, have never met him The man says he knows me, but I don't know him from Adam.

don't know your ass from a hole in the ground

you are ignorant, you are mistaken, mixed up He said one member of the cult was so confused he didn't know his ass from a hole in the ground.

everything from soup to nuts

a lot of food or things, a variety of groceries His shopping cart was full. He had everything from soup to nuts.

fair-weather friend

a person who is a friend only when one is successful He is a fair-weather friend only and you can

fall from grace

lose approval The politician fell from grace with the public over the money scandal.

fast friends

close friends, permanent friends Sue and I became fast friends when we were in Grade 4.

feel free

feel that you may do it, by all means Feel free to use the library. You can read and study there.

footloose and fancy free

carefree, not committed, devil-may-care When the kids moved out, we were footloose and fancy free!

fraidy-cat

someone who is easily frightened (used by children) The little boy called his friend a fraidy-cat because he wouldn

frame

cause you to look guilty, set you up He framed you. He lent you his car, then reported it as stolen.

frame of mind

mood, mental attitude, state of mind I'm not in the right frame of mind to listen to your poem.

frame of mind (good or bad)

one

frazzled

having tired nerves, going in circles I'm frazzled! Gift shopping takes all my nervous energy.

freak/freak out

show surprise or disbelief, flip, go ballistic Mom will freak when I tell her we're married.

free and easy

informal He has a free and easy attitude about his work.

free-for-all

(See a free-for-all)

free hand

great freedom to do something We had a free hand in designing the new sport

freebie

a free ticket etc., a sample Some drug companies advertise through freebies - free pills.

freeload

receive free food or rent, a handout Do social programs encourage freeloading? It's a good question.

freeze out

keep from a share in something by unfriendly or dishonest treatment They froze him out of the profits that they made on the sale of land.

freeze-up

when the lakes and ground freeze (November) We want to dig the hole for the basement before freeze-up.

freeze wages

keep wages the same, not increase wages, dig in their heels To control spending, the board is going to freeze our wages - no salary increases for one year.

fresh

(See get fresh)

fresh legs

players who are rested, players who are not tired """We need fresh legs out there!"" the coach yelled. ""They're tired!"""

fresh out

do not have any, all used up I wish I could lend you some rice, but I'm fresh out.

fresh pair of eyes

(See a fresh pair of eyes)

fresh start

(See a fresh start)

freshen up

wash your hands etc., use the washroom If you want to freshen up, you can use our bathroom.

friends with

a friend of, a good friend """Are you friends with Carla?"" ""Yes. She's my best friend."""

friggin

damn, cotton-picking, darn, flipping Then the friggin string broke and the friggin marbles fell all over the friggin floor!

frightened to death

very afraid, scared spitless, scared stiff She said she was frightened to death when she heard the shot.

from A to Z

know everything about something He knows about cars from A to Z.

from day one

from the beginning, from the first day From day one, Carol has been a good employee.