[all along] or () [right along] All the time; during the whole time. */I knew all along that we would win./ * /I knew right along that Jane would come./
[all at once] 1. At the same time; together. * /The teacher told the children to talk one at a time; if they all talked at one time, she could not understand them./ * /Bill can play the piano, sing, and lead his orchestra all at once./ 2. or [all of a sudden] Without warning; abruptly; suddenly; unexpectedly. * /All at once we heard a shot and the soldier fell to the ground./ * /All of a sudden the ship struck a rock./ Compare: AT ONCE.
[all better] Fully recovered; all well again; no longer painful. - Usually used to or by children. * /"All better now," he kept repeating to the little girl./
[all but] Very nearly; almost. * /Crows all but destroyed a farmer's field of corn./ * /The hikers were exhausted and all but frozen when they were found./
[all ears] , Very eager to hear; very attentive. - Used in the predicate. * /Go ahead with your story; we are all ears./ * /When John told about the circus, the boys were all ears./
[alley] See: BLIND ALLEY, DOWN ONE'S ALLEY or UP ONE'S ALLEY.
[alley cat] , 1. A stray cat. 2. A person (usually a female) of rather easy-going, or actually loose sexual morals; a promiscuous person. * /You'll have no problem dating her; she's a regular alley cat./
[all eyes] , Wide-eyed with surprise or curiosity; watching very closely. - Used in the predicate. * /At the circus the children were all eyes./
[all gone] Used up; exhausted (said of supplies); done with; over with. * /We used to travel a lot, but, alas, those days are all gone./
[all here] See: ALL THERE.
[all hours] , Late or irregular times. * /The boy's mother said he must stop coming home for meals at all hours./ * /He stayed up till all hours of the night to finish his school work./
[all in] , Very tired; exhausted. * /The players were all in after their first afternoon of practice./ Syn.: PLAYED OUT, WORN OUT.
[all in a day's work] or [all in the day's work] , Unpleasant or bad but to be expected; not harder than usual; not unusual. * /Keeping ants away from a picnic lunch is all in the day's work./ * /When the car had a flat tire, Father said that it was all in a day's work./ Compare: PAR FOR THE COURSE, PUT UP WITH.
