10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CLEAN UP ONE'S ACT»
Discover the use of
clean up one's act in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to
clean up one's act and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Oxford Dictionary of English
... no government starts with a clean sheet. 2(keep a clean sheet) (in a football
match) prevent the opposing side from scoring. clean up one's act informal begin
to behave in a better way, especially by giving up alcohol, drugs, or illegal ...
2
American Slang: Cultural Language Guide to Living in the USA
Clean up one's act: improve one's performance. You'll be fired if you don't clean
up your act. Cleaned out: without money; loss of assets; broke. That last hand of
poker cleaned me out until next payday. Clean up: take or win in great amounts.
Joseph Melillo, Edward M. Melillo,
2004
3
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, Second Edition
Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s. act 0 In addition to the idioms
beginning with ACT, also see CATCH RED-HANDED (IN THE ACT); CLEAN UP (
oNE's ACT); DO A DISAPPEARING ACT; GET oNE's ACT TOGETHER; HARD
ACT To ...
4
Allen's Dictionary of English Phrases
Mario Puzo The Godfather 1969 The author... came west on Johnny's invitation,
to talk it over without agents or studios getting into the act. clean up one's act to
stop behaving badly or irresponsibly and start to act in a more acceptable or ...
5
Reading English News on the Internet: A Guide to Connectors, ...
2.14 To clean up one's act Meaning: To improve oneself; to study harder; to act
correctly Meaning in your language: Usage: A (person) should clean up his/her
act 1. The school board representative will really need to clean up his act if he ...
6
The Chambers Dictionary
... to the standard of: to fulfil: clean up one's act (colloq) to regulate one's activities
, put one's affairs in good or proper order: get in on or get into the act (colloq) to
start participating in something apparently profitable already taking place in order
...
7
Cassell's Dictionary of Slang
[CLEAN UP v.1 (1)] clean up one's act v. [1960s+] (orig. US) to modify or improve
one's behaviour. [SE clean up + ACT n. (1)] clean up the kitchen n. (also sweep
up the kitchen) [1930s-40s] (US short order) an order for hash or a hamburger.
8
A Year in the Life of an ESL Student: Idioms and Vocabulary ...
... quitting my job at the end of next month. clean up one's act (to) i. – improve
one's behavior He never pays attention in class, so the teacher told him to clean
up his act. open up (to) i. – become available Look, a parking space just opened
up.
9
Bloomsbury Dictionary of Idioms
A new management often makes a clean sweep of factory rules and regulations.
clean up one's act improve one's conduct; stop behaving badly, irresponsibly, etc.
If the British press doesn't clean up its act, it will rightly face tough legislation to ...
10
Stedman's Guide to Idioms: Know the Lingo
Clean up (one's) act To reform one's conduct. The orderly was told to clean up his
act if he wanted to keep his job. Clear sailing Progress made without any difficulty
. After the initial crisis, it was clear sailing, and the patient continued to make ...
2 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CLEAN UP ONE'S ACT»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term
clean up one's act is used in the context of the following news items.
Your Dreams: Analyst Lauren Lawrence reveals the secrets behind …
More often than not, a bathroom often signifies the wish to clean up one's act. In this view, the bleeding is a blood-letting of sorts; it represents ... «New York Daily News, Jan 15»
How to get out of a debt trap
When overleveraged, it is best to start looking to clean up one's act. This will ensure that the huge debt isn't a drain on your take-home salary. «Rediff, Oct 09»