In the act
1.
In the process of doing something. For example, The police caught the robber in the act, or I was in the act of closing the window. [ Second half of 1600s ]
2.
Performing sexual intercourse, as in Her father caught them in the act. [ Late 1500s ]
Read Also:
- In the barrel
adjective phrase Without money; broke: A red hot pimp like you ain’t got no business being in the barrel [1940s+ Black; fr the archetypal image of a destitute man who wears a barrel for clothing]
- In the belly of the beast
adverb phrase In an extremely difficult plight; beleaguered: Esa-Pekka Salonen is in the belly of the beast. The brilliant young Finnish conductor has begun his third season as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic [1990s+; perhaps an allusion to the plight of Jonah, swallowed by a great fish]
- In the blood
see: in one’s blood
- In the boat
Related Terms man in the boat
- In the bubble
adjective In winning form; playing very well; in the zone, on a roll [mid-1980s+ Sports; said to have been the reply of basketball player Julius Erving when he was asked what a winning streak felt like]