act

act (or be) your age behave in a manner appropriate to your age and not to someone much younger.

2000Will SelfHow the Dead Live Don't be a fool, girl … Act yer age-think!

act the goat: seegoat.

act of God an instance of uncontrollable natural forces in operation.

☞ This phrase is often used in insurance contracts to refer to incidents such as lightning strikes or floods.

catch someone in the act surprise someone in the process of doing something wrong.

a class act: seeclass.

clean up your act: seeclean.

do a disappearing act: seedisappearing.

get your act together organize yourself in the manner required in order to achieve something. informal

2002New York Times There are still many who think all that the dirty, homeless man on the corner talking to himself needs is just to get his act together.

a hard (or tough) act to follow an achievement or performance which sets a standard difficult for others to measure up to.

2012Diamond Geezer Having said that, there's not the same buzz, is there? Maybe that's because the Olympics are a tough act to follow.

in on the act involved in a particular activity in order to gain profit or advantage. informal

2013Daily Telegraph Even the royals seem to have got in on the act, with the gift shop at Kensington Palace selling Grenadier Guards sleepsuits (£22.99) and Buckingham Palace flogging a Guardsman babygro for £12.95.

the old pals act: seeold.

read someone the riot act: seeread.