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[foul-up]{n.} (stress on "foul") 1. {informal} A confused situation; confusion; mistake. •/The luncheon was handled with only one or two foul-ups./ 2. {informal} A breakdown. •/There was a foul-up in his car’s steering mechanism./ 3. {slang} A person who fouls up or mixes things. •/He had gotten a reputation as a foul-up./

[foundation garment]{n.} A close-fitting garment designed for women to wear underneath their clothes to make them look slim; a piece of woman’s underwear. •/Jane wears a foundation garment under her evening dress./

[four] See: HIT ON ALL FOUR, ON ALL FOURS.

[four bits]{n.}, {slang} Fifty cents. •/Tickets to the play are four bits," said Bill./ Compare: TWO BITS.

[four corners]{n.} All parts of a place. •/People came from the four corners of the world to see him./ •/He has been to the four corners of the country./ Compare: ALL OVER.

[four-eyes]{n.}, {slang} A person who wears glasses. — A rude expression, •/Hey, four-eyes, come over here./

[four-leaf clover]{n.} A small green plant with four leaves which many people think means good luck because clover plants usually have three leaves. •/John has a four-leaf clover in his pocket. He thinks he will have good luck now./

[fourth class]{n.} A class of mail that is not sealed and weighs a pound or more, that includes things that are bought and sold and sent in the mail, and printed things that are not second or third class mail. •/Bill sent away 98 cereal box tops and a dollar and got back a sheriff’s badge and gun in the mail by fourth class./

[fourth-class(1)]{adj.} Belonging to the fourth class of mail. •/The package weighed a pound and a half, so it had to be sent by fourth-class mail./

[fourth-class(2)]{adv.} By fourth-class mail. •/How did the company mail the package? Fourth-class./

[fourth world]{n.}, {informal} The poor nations of the world, as distinguished from the oil-rich nations of the third world. •/Sri Lanka will never join OPEC, since it is a fourth world nation./

[fowl] See: NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL.

[fox and geese]{n. phr.} A tag game in which the player representing the fox tries to catch one of the players representing geese as they run around the outside of a circle.

[fraidy-cat] or [fraid-cat] or [scaredy-cat] or [scared cat]{n.}, {informal} A shy person; someone who is easily frightened. — Usually used by or to children. •/Tom was a fraidy-cat and wouldn’t go in the water./

[frame of mind]{n. phr.} One’s mental outlook; the state of one’s psychological condition, •/There is no use trying to talk to him while he is in such a negative frame of mind./

[freak]{n.}, {slang} 1. A good, or well-liked person, the opposite of a square, someone with long hair and who is likely (or known) to be a marijuana smoker or a drug user. Also said of homosexuals. •/Is Joe a square, establishment type? — Oh no, he’s a regular freak./ 2. [--- freak] An enthusiast, a person who does or cultivates something in excess. •/Ellen is a film-freak./

[freak-out(1)]{n.}, {slang} An act of losing control; a situation that is bizarre or unusual. •/The party last night was a regular freak-out./

[freak out(2)]{v. phr.}, {slang} To lose control over one’s conscious self due to the influence of hallucinogenic drugs. •/Joe freaked out last night./

[free] See: FOR FREE, MAKE FREE, MAKE FREE WITH, OF ONE’S OWN ACCORD or OF ONE’S OWN FREE WILL.

[free agent]{n.} A professional player who does not have a contract with a team. •/The Giants signed two free agents who had been released by the Cardinals./

[free and easy]{adj.} Not strict; relaxed or careless. •/The teacher was free and easy with his students./ •/He had a free and easy way of acting that attracted many friends./ •/They were free and easy with their money and it was soon gone./

[free ball]{n.} A ball in football that is in play, that is not in the possession of anyone, that is not a legally thrown forward pass, and that belongs to the first team which can grab it. •/A Notre Dame player fell on a free ball and recovered it for his team./

[free enterprise]{n. phr.} A system in which private business is controlled by as few government rules as possible. •/The United States is proud of its free enterprise./

[free hand]{n.} Great freedom. •/The teacher had a free hand in her classroom./ •/Bob put paint on the fence with a free hand./ Compare: FREE REIN.

[freeload]{v.} To have oneself supported in terms of food and housing at someone else’s expense. •/When are you guys going to stop freeloading and do some work?/

[free rein]{n.} Freedom to do what you want. •/The king had free rein in his country./ •/Father is strict with the children, but Mother gives them free rein./ Compare: FREE HAND.