beg, borrow, or steal
Obtain by any possible means, as in You couldn't beg, borrow, or steal tickets to the Olympics. This term is often used in the negative, to describe something that cannot be obtained; Chaucer used it in The Tale of the Man of Law. [Late 1300s]
RELATED CONTENT
Imminent, Immanent, Or Eminent?When something is imminent, that means it’s impending. Immanent isn’t a typo, it means inherent. Eminent means distinguished. Imminent Imminent means likely to occur at any moment or impending. It refers to something that’s approaching, about to happen, anticipated, or threatening to occur. For example, in Coquette, author Frank Swinnerton uses the word to describe someone’s arrival: “While she was waiting, she one day received …
Sherbet Or Sherbert?In efforts to beat the summer heat, you may have encountered two different spellings of the same scrumptious treat: sherbet and sherbert. Why do both forms exist, and which one is correct? Sherbet (pronounced “shur-bit”) is the standard American spelling for the frozen mixture made from fruit and an additive of either milk, egg white, or gelatin. It comes from the name of a Persian drink …
Nearby words
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.