in a family way

in a family way
*in a family way & *in the family way
Fig. pregnant. (*Typically: be \in a family way; get someone \in a family way.) •

I've heard that Mrs. Smith is in a family way.

Our dog is in the family way.

* * *
or[in the family way] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Going to have a baby. * /Sue and Liz are happy because their mother is in the family way./ * /The Ferguson children are promising kittens to everyone because their cat is in a family way./ Compare: WITH CHILD.

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • family way — noun : condition of being pregnant used with in and the or a she is in the family way again Mary W. Shelley she gets herself in a family way and is then, as a matter of course, married off G.H.Shuster …   Useful english dictionary

  • family way — noun Date: 1796 condition of being pregnant used with in and the or a < she is in a family way > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • family way — noun See in a family way …   Wiktionary

  • family way —    see in the family way …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • In a family way — Family Fam i*ly, n.; pl. {Families}. [L. familia, fr. famulus servant; akin to Oscan famel servant, cf. faamat he dwells, Skr. dh[=a]man house, fr. dh[=a]to set, make, do: cf. F. famille. Cf. {Do}, v. t., {Doom}, {Fact}, {Feat}.] 1. The… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • In the family way — Way Way, n. [OE. wey, way, AS. weg; akin to OS., D., OHG., & G. weg, Icel. vegr, Sw. v[ a]g, Dan. vei, Goth. wigs, L. via, and AS. wegan to move, L. vehere to carry, Skr. vah. [root]136. Cf. {Convex}, {Inveigh}, {Vehicle}, {Vex}, {Via}, {Voyage} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • In the family way — Family Fam i*ly, n.; pl. {Families}. [L. familia, fr. famulus servant; akin to Oscan famel servant, cf. faamat he dwells, Skr. dh[=a]man house, fr. dh[=a]to set, make, do: cf. F. famille. Cf. {Do}, v. t., {Doom}, {Fact}, {Feat}.] 1. The… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • in a family way — or[in the family way] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Going to have a baby. * /Sue and Liz are happy because their mother is in the family way./ * /The Ferguson children are promising kittens to everyone because their cat is in a family way./ Compare:… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • in the family way — (euphemistic) Pregnant • • • Main Entry: ↑family in the family way see under ↑family • • • Main Entry: ↑way * * * in the family way informal old fashioned phrase pregnant …   Useful english dictionary

  • in\ a\ family\ way — • in a family way • in the family way adj. phr. informal Going to have a baby. Sue and Liz are happy because their mother is in the family way. The Ferguson children are promising kittens to everyone because their cat is in a family way. Compare …   Словарь американских идиом

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