shift for oneself
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Also, fend for oneself. Provide for one's own needs, as in Don't worry about Anne; she's very good at shifting for herself, or The children had to fend for themselves after school. The first term, using shift in the now obsolete sense of “manage,” was first recorded about 1513; the variant, using fend for in the sense of “look after,” was first recorded in 1629.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Words nearby shift for oneself
shiest, shift, shiftable, shift bid, shifter, shift for oneself, shifting cultivation, shifting spanner, shift key, shiftless, shift lever
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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