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treat
how's life (treating you)?
How are you? How is everything in your life? (Said as an informal greeting.) Hey, John, great to see you again! How's life treating you? Hi Murray, how's life?
be in for a treat
To be guaranteed to receive or experience something unexpectedly pleasant or beneficial. Is this your first time seeing this movie? Gosh, you're in for a treat!
Dutch treat
A situation in which two people agree to split the cost of something or pay for their own share, usually a meal. Since Bob and Sue were just friends, neither ever objected to a Dutch treat when they went out to dinner.
treat them mean, keep them keen
Neglecting a romantic partner (or a potential romantic partner) keeps him or her interested in you. A: "Why hasn't Tom called me yet? I thought he liked me." B: "Maybe he thinks that 'treat them mean, keep them keen' actually works."
*case of something
1. an instance of something. (*Typically: be ~; have ~.) This is a case of police brutality. They should not have injured the suspect.
2. an occurrence of a disease. (*Typically: be ~; look like ~; treat ~.) I am suffering from a case of the flu.
Dutch treat
a social occasion where one pays for oneself. (Viewed by some as insulting to the Dutch.) "It's nice of you to ask me out to dinner," she said, "but could we make it a Dutch treat?" The office outing is always a Dutch treat.
handle someone with kid gloves
Fig. to be very careful with a touchy person. Bill has become so sensitive. You really have to handle him with kid gloves. You don't have to handle me with kid gloves. I can take it.
How's the world (been) treating you?
Inf. How are you? Hi, Jane. How's the world treating you? How's the world been treating you, Bill?
stand someone to a treat
to pay for a treat for someone. Come on. Let's go out and eat. I'll stand you to a treat. It seems as if I am always standing someone to a treat.
treat someone (for something) (with something)
to attempt to cure someone's illness, injury, or disease with something. The doctor treated me for the flu with aspirin. It didn't work, but it was cheap. They treated him for his broken bones. Ann treated him with the appropriate therapy.
treat someone or something as something
to deal with someone or something as something. Please don't treat me as a guest. You treat the editorial board as a needless barrier.
treat someone or something like someone or something
to deal with someone or something as if the person or thing were really someone, a type of a person, or something. I like him. He treats me like a king. He treats Jane like Mary—he ignores them both.
treat someone to something
to provide and pay for something for someone as a gift or as entertainment. I will be delighted to treat you to dinner. After the play, they treated themselves to pie and coffee.
trick or treat
Give me a treat of some kind or I will play a trick on you! (The formulaic expression said by children after they ring someone's doorbell and the door is answered on Halloween. It is now understood to mean simply that the child is requesting a treat of some kind—candy, fruit, popcorn, etc.) "Trick or treat!" cried Jimmy when the door opened. Mr. Franklin opened the door to find four very small children dressed like flowers standing silently on his doorstep. After a moment, he said, "Isn't anyone going to say 'Trick or treat'?"
treat somebody like dirt
to deal with someone in a manner that shows no respect for them If you treat your customers like dirt, they won't come back to your shop.
treat somebody with kid gloves
also handle somebody with kid gloves to deal with someone very gently or carefully While he treated writers with kid gloves, he was unpleasant to everyone else.
Etymology: based on the literal meaning of kid gloves (gloves made of very soft, smooth leather)
a Dutch treat
an occasion when two or more people agree to share the cost of something, especially a meal She and Callahan often met for lunch. It was always a Dutch treat.
handle/treat somebody with kid gloves
to be very polite or kind to someone who is important or easily upset because you do not want to make them angry or upset
Usage notes: Kid gloves are gloves made from very soft leather which would feel very soft if someone touched you with them.
Linda can be a very difficult woman - you've really got to handle her with kid gloves. go down a treat
(British & Australian) if something goes down a treat, people enjoy it very much His animal impressions went down a treat with the children. A cup of tea would go down a treat.
treat somebody like dirt
to behave badly towards someone in a way that shows that you do not respect them I don't know why she stays with him. He treats her like dirt.
treat somebody like muck
(informal) to treat someone without respect or kindness Mick treats his girlfriend like muck, but she's crazy about him.
See handle with kid gloves, work a treatwork a treat
(British & Australian informal) to be very effective If you want to get rid of that wine stain, put some salt on it, it works a treat.
Dutch treat
An outing or date in which each person pays his or her own expenses. For example, Her parents agreed that she might date if it were a Dutch treat. The related expression go Dutch means "to go on a date with each person paying their own way," as in Students often elect to go Dutch. The first term dates from about 1870, and the variant from the early 1900s.
treat like dirt
Behave badly or show contempt toward, as in Her boss treats all the secretaries like dirt. This idiom uses dirt in the sense of "something worthless," a usage dating from the mid-1300s.
trick or treat
A greeting by children asking for treats on Halloween and threatening to play a trick on those who refuse to give them. For example, The children went from house to house, shouting "Trick or treat!" [c. 1940]
treat as
v. To regard and handle someone or something in some way: The king had received warnings of an uprising, but treated them as a joke. I refuse to be treated as a second-class citizen.
treat of
v. To deal with some subject or topic in writing or speech: The essay treats of courtly love.
treat to
v. To provide someone with some food, entertainment, or gifts at one's own expense: She treated her brother to dinner and a movie. I treat myself to a day in the country once in a while.
treat with
v. To engage in negotiations with someone so as to reach a settlement or agree on terms: If they are unwilling to treat with us, we will be forced to attack.