place

phrases

• all over the place

  1. 1

     in or to many different places

     I travel all over the place in my job.

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  2. 2

     in a messy state

     You couldn't find anything because his papers were all over the place.

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  3. 3

     British not well planned or organized

     Their taxation plans, frankly, are all over the place.

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• as if you own the place

  if someone behaves as if they own the place, they behave in an annoying way that shows they think they are very important

  Richard was strutting around as if he owned the place.

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• be no place for

  to not be an appropriate place for someone or something

  A damp climate is no place for someone with asthma.

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• change/swap/trade places (with someone)

  to take someone's position while they take yours

  I'd love to swap places with someone famous, just for a day.

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• fall/fit into place

  1. 1

     if something falls or fits into place, you suddenly understand something that you previously have been unable to understand

     It all fell into place when I learned he'd been to New York that weekend.

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  2. 2

     if things fall or fit into place, they start to happen in the way that you want them to

     After weeks of total chaos, suddenly everything just fell into place.

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• going places

  starting to be successful

  a company that is really going places

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• have no place

  to not be appropriate or right in a particular situation

  She believed that religious teaching had no place in the school curriculum.

  there is no place for...:

  There's no place for sentiment when you're negotiating a business deal.

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• in place

  1. 1

     to exist and be capable of being used

     We didn't have the systems in place to deal with so many orders.

     A staff of four counselors is in place to handle calls to the new hotline.

     put something in place:

     We need to put safeguards in place to prevent this type of accident from occurring again.

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  2. 2

     in the correct position

     The chairs were not yet in place for the concert.

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  3. 3

     American without leaving the position that you are in. The British expression is on the spot

     We had to run in place for five minutes.

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• in someone's place

  used for talking about what you would do if you were in the same situation as someone else

  Wouldn't you do the same if you were in Bill's place?

  put yourself in someone's place (=imagine what a situation is like for someone):

  If you think you've got problems, put yourself in my place.

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• in place of

  or in something's place

  instead of something or someone

  The idea was to abandon the communist model, and create a market economy in its place.

  In place of ordinary light bulbs, you could use fluorescent lamps.

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• in places

  in some areas but not all areas

  The wall was damaged in places.

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• out of place

  1. 1

     if someone feels out of place or is out of place, they feel uncomfortable in a particular situation or place, or they do not belong there

     I felt very out of place among Helen's high-class friends.

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  2. 2

     if something looks out of place, it is in a position where it does not belong or look good

     It's a lovely table but it would look out of place with all our antique furniture.

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  3. 3

     in the wrong position

     Mel looked immaculate with not even a hair out of place.

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• place of work/business/residence

  formal
  the area where you work/have your business/live

  He lives in a studio apartment near his place of work.

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• place of worship

  formal
  a church or other building where people hold religious ceremonies

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• take someone's place

  or take the place of someone

  to do something instead of someone else

  No one could ever take the place of her father.

  Joe resigned as chairperson in 1999 and I took his place.

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• take something's place

  or take the place of something

  to be used instead of something else

  DVD systems are rapidly taking the place of VCRs.

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• take your place

  1. 1

     to go to a particular position so that you are ready to do something

     Bjorn took his place at the microphone.

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  2. 2

     to become part of a particular group of people or things

     The restaurant has taken its place among the finest eating establishments in the city.

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