powder

dry powder

finance Cash reserves kept to cover unforeseen future obligations or purchases; low-risk liquid assets or securities that can easily be converted to cash. I learned early on in my career that any viable business has to have dry powder ready for anything. I've kept a decent amount of dry powder on hand, so we should be able to get through your unemployment.

powder keg

A situation that could quickly become very volatile and dangerous. It became obvious we were sitting on a powder keg as the protests in the city became more frequent.

Could I use your powder room?

and Can I use your powder room?; May I use your powder room?; Where is your powder room?

Euph. a polite way to ask to use the bathroom in someone's home. (Alludes to a woman powdering her nose. Sometimes used jocularly by men. See also powder one's nose.) Mary: Oh, Sally, could I use your powder room? Sally: Of course. It's just off the kitchen, on the left. Tom: Nice place you've got here. Uh, where is your powder room? Beth: At the top of the stairs.

powder one's nose

and powder one's face

to depart to the bathroom. (Usually said by women, or jocularly by men.) Excuse me, I have to powder my nose. She just went out to powder her face.

See also: nose, powder

powder up

Sl. to drink heavily; to get drunk. Let's go out and powder up. He's at the tavern powdering up.

Put your trust in God, and keep your powder dry.

and Keep your powder dry.

Prov. Have faith that God will make sure that you win a conflict, but be prepared to fight well and vigorously. (Supposed to have been said by Oliver Cromwell; powder means gunpowder.) Bill: Am I going to win my lawsuit? Alan: All you can do is put your trust in God, and keep your powder dry.

See also: and, dry, keep, powder, put, trust

sitting on a powder keg

Fig. in a risky or explosive situation; in a situation where something serious or dangerous may happen at any time. (A powder keg is a keg of gunpowder.) Things are very tense at work. The whole office is sitting on a powder keg. The fire at the oilfield seems to be under control for now, but all the workers there are sitting on a powder keg.

take a powder

Sl. to leave; to leave town. (Underworld.) Why don't you take a powder? Go on! Beat it! Willie took a powder and will lie low for a while.

See also: powder, take

powder your nose

(spoken)

to use a public toilet “I'm going to powder my nose,” Vera said, following Elise out of the room.

Usage notes: usually said by women

See also: nose, powder

keep your powder dry

to be ready to do something if necessary We're not ready to start buying yet. We'll keep our powder dry until we think prices are as low as they'll go.

Etymology: from the idea that gunpowder (an explosive substance in the form of a powder) will not explode if it is wet

See also: dry, keep, powder

keep your powder dry

to be ready to take action if necessary All you have to do is keep your powder dry and await orders.

See also: dry, keep, powder

a powder keg

a situation that could suddenly become extremely dangerous

Usage notes: A powder keg was a wooden container for gunpowder (= a substance used for making explosions).

We left just before the revolution, realizing that we were sitting on a powder keg.

powder your nose

(humorous)

if a woman says she is going to powder her nose, she means she is going to go to the toilet Well, if you'll excuse me a moment, I'm going to powder my nose.

See also: nose, powder

take a powder

(American informal)

to leave a place suddenly, especially in order to avoid an unpleasant situation He saw the police coming and took a powder.

See keep powder dry

See also: powder, take

keep one's powder dry

Stay alert, be careful, as in Go ahead and take on the opposition, but keep your powder dry. This colloquial expression, which originally alluded to keeping gunpowder dry so that it would ignite, has been used figuratively since the 1800s but today is less common than take care.

See also: dry, keep, powder

sitting on a powder keg

In imminent danger, in an explosive situation, as in Our office is sitting on a powder keg while management decides whether or not to close us down . This metaphoric term alludes to sitting on a keg of gunpowder that could go off at any moment. [First half of 1900s]

take a powder

Make a speedy departure, run away, as in I looked around and he was gone-he'd taken a powder. This slangy idiom may be derived from the British dialect sense of powder as "a sudden hurry," a usage dating from about 1600. It may also allude to the explosive quality of gunpowder.

See also: powder, take

chicken powder

n. powdered amphetamine. (Drugs.) Those kids seem to be satisfied with chicken powder.

powder monkey

n. a specialist in the use of dynamite. (see also grease monkey.) How long do powder monkeys usually live?

powder one’s nose

1. and powder one’s face tv. to depart to the bathroom. (Usually said by women, or jocularly by men.) She just went out to powder her face.

2. tv. to use cocaine. John is in the bedroom powdering his nose. What a habit!

See also: nose, powder

powder one’s face

verb

See powder one’s nose

powder room

1. n. a small bathroom without bathing facilities in a private home, usually located for the convenience of guests. Excuse me, where is the powder room?

2. n. the ladies’ restroom in a public place, especially a restaurant; the place women go to powder their noses. (The emphasis is on comforts other than toilet facilities, such as mirrors, places to rest, and even a maid to help with emergency repairs of makeup or clothing.) The ladies went to the powder room. They’ll be back in a minute.

powder up

in. to drink heavily; to get drunk. He’s at the tavern powdering up.

powdered (up)

mod. alcohol intoxicated. Most of the bums in the gutter are really powdered.

powdered

verb

See powdered up

take a powder

tv. to leave; to leave town. (Underworld.) Bruno took a powder and will lie low for a while.

See also: powder, take

keep (one's) powder dry

To be ready for a challenge with little warning.

See also: dry, keep, powder

take a powder

To make a quick departure; run away.

See also: powder, take

sitting on a powder keg

In imminent danger. This phrase that arose in the early 19th century (if not before) suggests being atop a barrel of gunpowder that could explode at any time.

Take a powder!

Scram! This tough-guy phrase came from the days when a ladies' bathroom was euphemistically called the powder room, the place where women went, among other reasons, to apply makeup. As gangster movies would have us believe, a lady's escort who wanted to discuss a matter in privacy with another gent told her to “take a powder.” Similarly, a genteel way to say you were going to the ladies' room was “I'm going to powder my nose.”

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Urbano	oor-BAH-no	Italian, Spanish
Celestyn	tse-LES-tin	Polish
ÁSta	-	Ancient Scandinavian, Icelandic
Ophrah	AWF-rə (English)	Biblical
Wynne (2)	WIN	English (Rare)
Caleigh	KAY-lee, KA-lee	English (Modern)