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[write-off]{n.} A loss. •/This last unfortunate business venture of ours is an obvious write-off./

[writer’s cramp]{n.} Pain in the fingers or hand caused by too much writing. •/Holding your pencil too tightly for too long often gives you writer’s cramp./ Often used humorously to stress the idea that you have been doing a lot of writing./ •/By the time Mary finished her Christmas cards she complained of writer’s cramp./

[writer’s block]{n. phr.} A condition of being unable to write; a period when the words just won’t come. •/One of the more common problems writers occasionally experience is a writer’s block that may last a shorter or a longer time./ •/They say that the reason for Ernest Hemingway’s suicide was a severe and seemingly endless writer’s block./

[write-up]{n.} A report or story in a newspaper or magazine. •/There was a write-up of the accident in the newspaper./ •/I read an interesting write-up about the President in a new magazine./

[write up]{v.} 1. To write the story of; describe in writing; give a full account of. •/Reporters from many newspapers are here to write up the game./ •/The magazine is writing up the life of the President./ 2. To put something thought or talked about into writing; finish writing (something). •/John took notes of what the teacher said in class and he wrote them up when he got home./ •/The author had an idea for a story when he saw the old house, and he wrote it up later./

[writing] or [handwriting on the wall] {n. phr.}, {literary} A warning; a message of some urgency. •/"This nuclear plant is about to explode, I think," the chief engineer said. "We’d better get out of here in a hurry, the handwriting is on the wall."/

[wrong] See: BARK UP THE WRONG TREE, BET ON THE WRONG HORSE, GET OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT, GET UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED, IN THE WRONG, LAUGH ON THE WRONG SIDE OF ONE’S MOUTH, RUB THE WRONG WAY.

[wrong side of the tracks] See: THE TRACKS.

[wrought up] See: WORKED UP.

X

[x-double minus]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Extremely poorly done, bad, inferior (said mostly about theatrical or musical performances). •/Patsy gave an x-double minus performance at the audition and lost her chance for the lead role./

[x-rated]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Pertaining to movies, magazines, and literature judged pornographic and therefore off limits for minors. •/My son celebrated his 21st birthday by going to an x-rated movie./