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foul
run foul of (someone or something)
To be in severe disagreement, trouble, or difficulty with someone or something; to be at odds with someone or something, especially due to disobeying rules or laws. Always look into the laws of any place you visit, or you may end up unwittingly running foul of the local police. Ms. Banks has run foul of this university for the last time. She is no longer welcome here!
cry foul
To protest against something that has happened. A: "How could you go through my things without asking?" B: "Oh, don't cry foul—I was just looking for my sweater and I found it. It's not a big deal." Dad cried foul when I forgot to put gas in his car after borrowing it.
fall (a)foul
To become disliked or to come in conflict with due to one's actions, often resulting in further trouble or conflict. Used in the phrase "fall (a)foul of (someone or something)." Since you're new here, be careful not to fall afoul of Bill—he'll keep you off of every case if he's mad at you. I fell foul of the committee, and now, I'm not sure how to improve my reputation.
foul ball
In baseball, a ball that is hit past the foul line (and thus outside the playing field). I started to run as soon as I heard the bat hit the ball, but it turned out to be a foul ball, so I had to go back to second base.
party foul
A jocular term for behavior that is inappropriate, irritating, or unacceptable at a party or other social event. Stop it! Taking handfuls of hors d'oeuvres is definitely a party foul. I can't believe I just spilled wine on the carpet—total party foul!
fall (a)foul of someone or something
and run (a)foul of someone or somethingto get into a situation where one is opposed to someone or something; to get into trouble with someone or something. Dan fell afoul of the law at an early age. I hope that you will avoid falling afoul of the district manager. She can be a formidable enemy. I hope I don't run afoul of your sister. She doesn't like me.
foul one's own nest
Fig. to harm one's own interests; to bring disadvantage upon oneself. (Alludes to a bird excreting into its own nest. See also It's an ill bird that fouls its own nest.) He tried to discredit a fellow senator with the president, but just succeeded in fouling his own nest. The boss really dislikes Mary. She certainly fouled her own nest when she spread those rumors about him.
foul out (of something)
[for a basketball player] to be forced out of a game because of having too many fouls. The center fouled out in the first fifteen minutes. Two other players fouled out soon after.
foul play
illegal activity; bad practices. The police investigating the death suspect foul play. Each student got an A on the test, and the teacher imagined it was the result of foul play.
foul someone or something up
to cause disorder and confusion for someone or something; to tangle up someone or something; to mess someone or something up. Go away! Don't foul me up any more. You've fouled up my whole day. Watch out! You're going to foul up my kite strings.
foul up
to blunder; to mess up. Please don't foul up this time. The quarterback fouled up in the first quarter, and that lost us the game.
fouled up
messed up; ruined; tangled up. (Usually as fouled-up when attributive.) This is sure a fouled-up mess. You sure are fouled up, you know.
It's an ill bird that fouls its own nest.
Prov. Only a foolish or dishonorable person would bring dishonor to his or her self or his or her surroundings.; Only a bad person would ruin the place where he or she lives. (See also
foul one's own nest.)
I don't like my new neighbor. Not only does he never mow his lawn, he covers it with all kinds of trash. It's an ill bird that fouls its own nest. use foul language
Euph. to swear. There's no need to use foul language. When she gets angry, she tends to use foul language.
foul up
to make a mistake I'm sorry, I fouled up - I meant to send the last message just to Frank, not the whole group.
foul up something
also foul something up1. to spoil something by making a mistake or doing something stupid It takes the same amount of time to do things right as to foul them up.
2. to damage a machine or system Too much aspirin can really foul up your stomach.
no harm, no foul
there is no problem if no serious damage was done In his excitement, he deleted all the files, but they were restored later from a backup copy - no harm, no foul.
Etymology: from the use of this phrase in basketball (a sport) to say that if an action that is against the rules has no effect on the results of the game, there should be no foul (punishment)
run afoul of somebody/something
(slightly formal) to act in a way not allowed by rules or the law fall afoul of somebody/something Rodman ran afoul of the team's rules and was kept out of the next game. He ran afoul of his supervisor, who complained to the mayor about his work.
by fair means or foul
if you try to achieve something by fair means or foul, you use any method you can to achieve it, even if it is not honest or fair He was determined to become senator, by fair means or foul.
fall foul of somebody
to upset someone, so that they do not like you and try to harm you Officials who fall foul of the mayor find themselves exiled to the most boring departments.
fall foul of something
(slightly formal) to break a law or a rule, and often be punished If their market share grows too large, they will fall foul of anti-monopoly laws.
foul play
1. actions which are not fair or honest A virus wiped out all our computer-held records. We suspect foul play on the part of an ex-employee.
2. murder It's not clear why the man drowned, but the police haven't ruled out foul play.
See fall foul of, fall foul offoul-mouthed
someone who is foul-mouthed swears a lot He was foul-mouthed and violent.
foul one's nest
Also, foul one's own nest. Hurt one's own interests, as in With his constant complaints about his wife, he's only fouling his own nest. This metaphoric expression transfers a bird's soiling of its nest to human behavior. [Mid-1200s]
foul play
Unfair or treacherous action, especially involving violence. For example, The police suspected he had met with foul play. This term originally was and still is applied to unfair conduct in a sport or game and was being used figuratively by the late 1500s. Shakespeare used it in The Tempest (1:2): "What foul play had we, that we came from thence?"
foul up
Blunder or cause to blunder; botch, ruin. For example,
He's fouled up this report, but I think we can fix it, or
Our plans were fouled up by the bad weather. This expression is widely believed to have originated as a euphemism for
fuck up. [
Colloquial; c. 1940]
run afoul of
Also, run foul of. Come into conflict with, as in If you keep parking illegally you'll run afoul of the police. This expression originated in the late 1600s, when it was applied to a vessel colliding or becoming entangled with another vessel, but at the same time it was transferred to non-nautical usage. Both senses remain current.
foul out
v.1. Sports To be put out of a game for exceeding the number of permissible fouls: After committing his fifth foul, the center fouled out and walked off the court.
2. Baseball To strike out by hitting a fly ball that goes foul but is still caught: He fouled out on a pop fly near the dugout on the third base line.
foul up
v.1. To blunder because of mistakes or poor judgment: I've tried many times to pass this test, but this time I really fouled up.
2. To cause someone or something to blunder: The howling dogs distracted me and fouled up my concentration. The pain in my hand fouled me up and I couldn't aim my camera.
3. To clog or became entangled in something: The seaweed fouled up the propeller blades. The dangling cables fouled the machinery up, thereby causing the breakdown.
foul mouth
n. a person who uses obscene language habitually. Sally is turning into a real foul mouth.
foul up
1. in. to blunder; to mess up. The quarterback fouled up in the first quarter, and that lost us the game.
2. n. a blunder; an error. (Usually foul-up.) That was a fine foul-up! Is that your specialty?
fouled up
mod. messed up; ruined; tangled up. You sure are fouled up, you know.