| Weal and woe |
joy and sorrow |
We must learn to bear weal and woe of life patiently. |
| Wear and tear |
damage caused by use |
Wear and tear of the machinery is known as depreciation in accountancy. |
| Well disposed to |
friendly or helpful to somebody |
One is always well disposed to those who are honest and hard working. |
| When the crunch comes |
the moment of decision |
Brave persons never despair when the crunch comes. |
| White elephant |
anything with less utility and more expenditure |
The Public Sector Undertakings have proved white elephants to our economy. |
| Will o' the wisp |
elusive, unreal |
To Romantic poets reality appears to be will o? the wisp. |
| Willy-Nilly |
whether one wishes or not |
Willy Nilly, she has to agree to the views of her husband all the time. |
| Win hands down |
win easily |
Australia won hands down in the Davis Cup finals. |
| Window shopping |
to look at goods displayed but not for buying |
Though I did not have any mind to make purchases, I just went out window shopping in the evening. |
| With a high hand |
oppressively |
He was a king who ruled his subjects with a high hand. |
| With open arms |
cordially, warmly |
When my cousin came back from England after ten years he was welcomed with open arms by all the relatives. |
| Within an ace of |
escape by narrow margin |
When our team was within an ace of victory, Iraq scored a last minute goal to draw the game. |
| Writing on the wall |
signal, warning |
The factory owner read the writing on the wall and closed down the factory. |
| Wry face |
disappointed look |
He made a wry face when he was refused admission to the college of his choice. |
