family

crown jewels

1. The precious jewels, and the regalia or which they are featured, of a monarch or sovereign, as worn or used on a state occasion. One of the greatest mysteries of 20th-century Ireland was the case of the Irish Crown Jewels, which were stolen from Dublin Castle in 1907 and never recovered.

2. slang A man's genitals, especially the testicles. When she heard he had an affair, she kicked him right in the crown jewels.

family jewels

slang Male genitalia, especially the testicles. An allusion to the testes' role in producing offspring and thus maintaining the family line. When she heard he had an affair, she kicked him right in the family jewels.

family man

A man devoted to taking care of his wife and children. Paul goes home every night after work and never likes to spend time away from his wife and kids. He's a real family man.

(all) in the family

restricted to one's own family, as with private or embarrassing information. Don't tell anyone else. Please keep it all in the family. He only told his brother because he wanted it to remain in the family.

black sheep of the family

Fig. the worst member of the family. Mary is the black sheep of the family. She's always in trouble with the police. He keeps making a nuisance of himself. What do you expect from the black sheep of the family?

family that prays together stays together

Prov. Families who practice religion together will not break apart through divorce or estrangement. Mother believed that the family that prays together stays together and insisted that we all say prayers every night.

How's the family?

and How's your family?

an expression used on greeting to ask about the state of the person's immediate family. Bob: Hello, Fred. How are you? Fred: Fine, thanks. Bob: How's the family? Fred: Great! How's yours? Bob: Couldn't bebetter. "How's the family?" asked Bill, greeting his boss.

*in a family way

and *in the family way

Fig. pregnant. (*Typically: be ~; get someone ~.) I've heard that Mrs. Smith is in a family way. Our dog is in the family way.

See also: family, way

like one of the family

as if someone (or a pet) were a member of one's family. We treat our dog like one of the family. We are very happy to have you stay with us, Bill. I hope you don't mind if we treat you like one of the family.

run in the family

[for a characteristic] to appear in many (or all) members of a family. My grandparents lived well into their nineties, and it runs in the family. My brothers and I have red hair. It runs in the family.

in the family way

also in a family way

pregnant Have you heard that Jean's in the family way?

Usage notes: used by people who think it is not polite to say pregnant, or for humorous effect, and sometimes used in the form put someone in the family way (to make someone pregnant): They plan to get married now that he's put her in the family way.

See also: family, way

run in the family

also run in somebody's family

to be a common quality among members of a particular family His father and uncle were basketball stars in college, so athletic ability runs in the family.

a family man

a man who likes to spend a lot of time with his wife and children He was known as a devoted family man who was closely involved in community life.

in the family way

(old-fashioned)

pregnant Have you heard that Jean's in the family way?

See run in the family

See also: family, way

run in the family

if a particular quality or ability runs in the family, a lot of people in that family have it Athletic ability runs in the family: his father played basketball in college and his mother was a high school athlete.

crown jewels

1. A prized possession or asset, as in The Iliad and Odyssey are the crown jewels of ancient literature, or The software products are the company's crown jewels. This usage transfers the value of royal jewels to some other object. [Late 1800s]

2. Also, family jewels. The male genitals, especially the testicles. For example, She gave the would-be mugger a hard kick in the family jewels. A slang euphemism, the term dates from the 1970s, and the variant from the early 1900s.

in the family way

Pregnant, as in Mary's in the family way again. This euphemistic expression dates from the late 1700s and may be dying out.

See also: family, way

run in the blood

Also, run in the family. Be characteristic of a family or passed on from one generation to the next, as in That happy-go-lucky trait runs in the blood, or Big ears run in the family. The first term dates from the early 1600s, the second from the late 1700s.

family jewels

n. the testicles. (Jocular and euphemistic. They are necessary to produce a family.) Hey, careful of the family jewels!

in a family way

and in the family way

mod. pregnant. I hear that Britney is in a family way.

See also: family, way

in the family way

verb

See in a family way

See also: family, way

in the family way

Pregnant.

See also: family, way

start a family

To conceive or have a first child.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Fishke	-	Yiddish
Kohaku	ko-hah-koo	Japanese
Jackie	JAK-ee	English
Mefodiy	-	Russian (Archaic)
Torborg	-	Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Edith	EE-dith (English), E-dit (German, Swedish)	English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch