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[no use crying over spilled milk] or [no use crying over spilt milk] See: CRY OVER SPILLED MILK.

[now] See: EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, HERE AND NOW, JUST NOW.

[now and then] or [now and again]{adv. phr.} Not often; not regularly; occasionally; sometimes. •/Now and then he goes to a ball game./ •/The maid broke a dish now and then./ Syn.: AT TIMES, FROM TIME TO TIME, ONCE IN A WHILE. Compare: EVERY NOW AND THEN, OFF AND ON.

[nowhere] See: OUT OF NOWHERE.

[nowhere near] See: ANYTHING LIKE.

[now --- now]{coord. adv.} Sometimes… sometimes; by turns; at one time… then at another. — Often used with adjectives that are very different or opposite, especially to show change. •/The weather changed every day; it was now hot, now cool./ •/The band played different songs, now fast, now slow; now soft, now loud./ •/Billy ran so quickly he seemed to be all over the field; he was now here and now there./

[no way]{adv.} Not at all; never; under no circumstances. •/Do you think I will do the house chores alone? No way!/

[no wonder] also [small wonder]{adj.} Not surprising; to be expected. •/It is no wonder that the children love to visit the farm./ •/The Browns didn’t go to the fair. Small wonder — they dislike large noisy crowds./

[now or never]{adv. phr.} Exclusively at the present time. •/Mike said, "Now that Paul has resigned, there is a perfect place for you. It is now or never!"/

[now that]{conj.} Since; because; now. •/Now that dinner is ready, wash your hands./ •/You came early, but now that you’re here, take off your coat./ Syn.: INASMUCH AS.

[nth] See: TO THE NTH DEGREE.

[nuisance] See: PUBLIC NUISANCE.

[nuke]{v.} To fix any meal in a microwave oven. •/When we are in a hurry, we nuke some beef./

[nuke a tater]{v. phr.} 1. To bake a potato in a microwave oven. •/"We have no time for standard baked potatoes in the oven," she said. "We’ll just have to nuke a tater."/

[null and void]{adj.} Not worth anything; no longer valid. •/Both the seller and the buyer agreed to forget about their previous contract and to consider it null and void./

[number] See: A NUMBER, ANY NUMBER, DAYS ARE NUMBERED, GET ONE’S NUMBER, HOT NUMBER, QUITE A FEW or QUITE A NUMBER.

[number among]{v. phr.} Consider as one of; consider to be a part of. •/I number Al among my best friends./

[number one(1)] or [Number One(1)]{n. phr.}, {informal} Yourself; your own interests; your private or selfish advantage. Usually used in the phrase "look out for number one". •/He was well known for his habit of always looking out for number one./

[number one(2)]{adj. phr.} 1. Of first rank or importance; foremost; principal. •/He is easily America’s number one golfer./ 2. Of first grade; of top quality; best. •/That is number one western steer beef./

[nurse] See: VISITING NURSE.

[nurse a drink]{v. phr.}, {informal} To hold a drink in one’s hand at a party, pretending to be drinking it or taking extremely small sips only. •/John’s been nursing that drink all evening./

[nurse a grudge]{v. phr.} To keep a feeling of envy or dislike toward some person; remember something bad that a person said or did to you, and dislike the person because of that. •/Torn nursed a grudge against John because John took his place on the basketball team./ •/Mary nursed a grudge against her teacher because she thought she deserved a better grade in English./

[nursing home] See: CONVALESCENT HOME.

[nut] See: HARD NUT TO CRACK or TOUGH NUT TO CRACK.

[nut case]{n. phr.} A very silly, crazy, or foolish person. •/I am going to be a nut case if I don’t go on a vacation pretty soon./

[nuts about] See: CRAZY ABOUT.

[nuts and bolts of]{n. phr.} The basic facts or important details of something. •/"Ted will he an excellent trader," his millionaire grandfather said, "once he learns the nuts and bolts of the profession."/

[nutshell] See: IN A NUTSHELL.

[nutty as a fruitcake]{adj. phr.}, {slang} Very crazy; entirely mad. •/He looked all right, as we watched him approach, but when he began to talk, we saw that he was as nutty as a fruitcake./

[oak] See: GREAT OAKS FROM LITTLE ACORNS GROW.

[oars] See: REST ON ONE’S OARS.

[oath] See: TAKE OATH.

[oats] See: FEEL ONE’S OATS, SOW ONE’S WILD OATS.

[obey the call of nature] See: ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE.

[occasion] See: ON OCCASION.

[occupy oneself]{v. phr.} To make oneself busy with. •/Having retired from business, he now occupies himself with his stamp collection./

[oddball]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} An eccentric person; one who doesn’t act like everyone else. •/John is an oddball — he never invites anyone./