in the world

in the world
on earth & in creation & in the world
Fig. really; indeed; in fact. (Used as an intensifier after

who, what, when, where, how.

) •

What on earth do you mean?

How in creation do you expect me to do that?

Who in the world do you think you are?

* * *
or[on earth] {adv. phr.}, {informal} Of all possible things; ever. - Usually used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as "who", "why", "what", etc. * /Where in the world did you find that necktie?/ * /The boys wondered how on earth the mouse got out of the cage./ * /Betty could not understand what on earth the teacher meant./

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • The World Factbook —   …   Wikipedia

  • The State of the World — is a book published annually since 1984 by the Worldwatch Institute. The series attempts to identify the Earth’s most significant environmental challenges. The 1998 through 2003 editions are available as a free (PDF) download from… …   Wikipedia

  • The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World — The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: from Marathon to Waterloo is a book written by Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy and published in 1851 . This book tells the story of the fifteen military engagements (from Marathon to Waterloo) which,… …   Wikipedia

  • The World Tomorrow — is a now defunct radio and television half hour program which had been sponsored by the Radio Church of God (later renamed Worldwide Church of God while under the direction of Herbert W. Armstrong.) A fifteen minute version of the radio program… …   Wikipedia

  • The World (archipelago) — The World is a man made archipelago of 300 islands constructed in the shape of a world map and located 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.cite web|url= http://www.ameinfo.com/133896.html |publisher= AMEInfo… …   Wikipedia

  • The World as Will and Representation — The title page of the expanded 1844 publication The World as Will and Representation (Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung) is the central work of the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. The first edition was published in December 1818,[1] and… …   Wikipedia

  • The World Is Round — is a science fiction novel by Tony Rothman published in 1978 by Ballantine Books.infobox Book | name = The World Is Round title orig = translator = image caption = Cover of first edition (paperback) author = Tony Rothman illustrator = cover… …   Wikipedia

  • The Way of the World — is a play written by British playwright William Congreve. It premiered in 1700 in the theatre in Lincoln s Inn Fields, England. It is widely regarded as being one of the best Restoration comedies written and is still performed sporadically to… …   Wikipedia

  • The World (Tarot card) — The World (XXI) is a trump or Major Arcana card in the tarot deck. It is usually the final card of the Major Arcana or tarot trump sequence. In the tarot family of card games, this card is usually worth five points. Description In the early… …   Wikipedia

  • The World at Six — is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation s national dinner hour radio newscast, airing Monday to Friday from 6 to 6:30 p.m. on CBC Radio One.On Saturdays and Sundays, the program airs with the title The World This Weekend . In the Maritime… …   Wikipedia

  • The Funniest Joke in the World — is the most frequently written title used in to refer to a Monty Python s Flying Circus comedy sketch, it is also known by two other phrases that appear within it, Joke Warfare and Killer Joke , the latter being the most commonly used spoken… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”