act

See:
  • a balancing act
  • a balancing/juggling act
  • a class act
  • a hard act to follow
  • a hard/tough act to follow
  • a Houdini (act)
  • a juggling act
  • a tough act to follow
  • act (one's) age
  • act (up)on (something)
  • act as
  • act for
  • act like you've been there before
  • act of Congress
  • act of faith
  • act of God
  • act on
  • act on instinct
  • act one's age
  • act out
  • act shoulder to shoulder
  • act the fool
  • act the goat
  • act the maggot
  • act up
  • act up to (something)
  • act your age
  • Act your age!
  • act/be your age
  • act/play the fool
  • act/play the goat
  • an act of faith
  • an act of God
  • an act of war
  • be a hard act to follow
  • be caught in the act
  • be in on the act
  • be shoulder to shoulder
  • be, stand, act, etc. shoulder to shoulder
  • be/get in on the act
  • catch (one) in the act
  • catch (one) in the act of (doing something)
  • catch in the act
  • catch red-handed
  • catch somebody in the act
  • caught in the act
  • class act
  • clean (one's) act up
  • clean act up
  • clean one’s act up
  • clean up
  • clean up (one's) act
  • clean up act
  • clean up your act
  • couldn't act (one's) way out of a paper bag
  • couldn't act (one's) way out of a wet paper bag
  • do a disappearing act
  • do a Houdini (act)
  • do a vanishing act
  • do/perform/stage a disappearing/vanishing act
  • Dutch act
  • get (one's) act together
  • get act together
  • get in on the act
  • get in the act
  • get into the act
  • get into/in the act, to
  • get one’s act together
  • get one's act together
  • get your act together
  • go into (one's) act
  • go into act
  • hard act to follow
  • hard/tough act to follow
  • have (one's) act together
  • high-and-mighty
  • high-wire act
  • in earnest
  • in on the act
  • in the act
  • in the act of (doing something)
  • it would take an act of Congress to (do something)
  • It would take an act of Congress to do
  • keep an act up
  • keep the act up
  • keep up an act
  • keep up the act
  • let (someone) in on the act
  • old pals act
  • oneself again
  • out of a paper bag
  • play the fool
  • pull a disappearing act
  • pull a Houdini (act)
  • pull a vanishing act
  • put on an act
  • read (one) the riot act
  • read (someone) the riot act
  • read the riot act
  • read the riot act, to
  • stand shoulder to shoulder
  • the Dutch act
  • the old pals act
  • tough act to follow
  • within rights
  • young at heart
References in classic literature
But although these plays were looked upon as an act of religion, they were not all solemn.
Each guild had its patron saint, and after a time the members of a guild began to act a play on their saint's day in his honor.
Until the people have, by some solemn and authoritative act, annulled or changed the established form, it is binding upon themselves collectively, as well as individually; and no presumption, or even knowledge, of their sentiments, can warrant their representatives in a departure from it, prior to such an act.
Limitations of this kind can be preserved in practice no other way than through the medium of courts of justice, whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void.
If we are to act, let it be in a theatre completely fitted up with pit, boxes, and gallery, and let us have a play entire from beginning to end; so as it be a German play, no matter what, with a good tricking, shifting afterpiece, and a figure-dance, and a hornpipe, and a song between the acts.
After a short pause, however, the subject still continued, and was discussed with unabated eagerness, every one's inclination increasing by the discussion, and a knowledge of the inclination of the rest; and though nothing was settled but that Tom Bertram would prefer a comedy, and his sisters and Henry Crawford a tragedy, and that nothing in the world could be easier than to find a piece which would please them all, the resolution to act something or other seemed so decided as to make Edmund quite uncomfortable.
From these two acts, it appears, 1st, that the object of the convention was to establish, in these States, A FIRM NATIONAL GOVERNMENT; 2d, that this government was to be such as would be ADEQUATE TO THE EXIGENCIES OF GOVERNMENT and THE PRESERVATION OF THE UNION; 3d, that these purposes were to be effected by ALTERATIONS AND PROVISIONS IN THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION, as it is expressed in the act of Congress, or by SUCH FURTHER PROVISIONS AS SHOULD APPEAR NECESSARY, as it stands in the recommendatory act from Annapolis; 4th, that the alterations and provisions were to be reported to Congress, and to the States, in order to be agreed to by the former and confirmed by the latter.
Besides, I don't suppose you will want your wife to act, so what does it matter if she plays Juliet like a wooden doll?
In the remainder of the present lecture I shall state in outline the view which I advocate, and show how various other views out of which mine has grown result from modifications of the threefold analysis into act, content and object.
"And the highest, finest, right conduct," I interjected, "is that act which benefits at the same time the man, his children, and his race."
And all that for the most foolish reason, which, one would think, was hardly worth mentioning: that is, that man everywhere and at all times, whoever he may be, has preferred to act as he chose and not in the least as his reason and advantage dictated.
"You are right, Laurence," said Grandfather, "and it was really amazing and terrible to see what a change came over the aspect of the people the moment the English Parliament had passed this oppressive act. The former history of our chair, my children, has given you some idea of what a harsh, unyielding, stern set of men the old Puritans were.
Before I open the First Act, I must announce, injustice to myself, that this Play is entirely the work of my own invention.
Before the beginning of the second act Pierre appeared in the stalls.
They were disputing, as far as he could make out, as to the interpretation to be put on the act and the exact meaning of the words: "liable to be called up for trial."