We've found 1025 phrases for AD (0.131 seconds):

a bad workman always blames his tools »    It is not the tools we use which make us good, but rather how we employ them.

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush »    It is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere potential of a greater one.

a few sandwiches short of a picnic »    Exhibiting disquiet or unsoundness of mind; not sane; mad.

a gentleman and a scholar »    An admirable person.

a good voice to beg bacon »    Said in ridicule of a bad voice.

a new broom sweeps clean »    New management will often make radical changes.

a picture paints a thousand words »    A visualisation is a better description than a verbal description.1971, David Gates (of Bread), If, from Manna album:If a picture paints a thousand wordsThen why can't I paint you;The words will never showThe you I've come to know.1989, Alan Kay, quoted in K?o-tung Huang, Timothy D. Huang, Introduction to Chinese, Japanese and Korean Computing, World Scientific, ISBN 9971506645, p. 9:Most human beings, no matter how familiar they are with abstract symbols, respond to voice and images better than written language. In other words, A picture paints a thousand words.2006, Paul Shakespeare, Building a Dune Buggy: The Essential Manual, ISBN 1904788734, p. 52:See accompanying diagram: a picture paints a thousand words, and all that!

a rising tide lifts all boats »    Benefits provided to a few may lead to conditions that are beneficial to all.

a scholar and a gentleman »    An admirable person.

a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down »    An otherwise unpleasant situation can be pleasant when a pleasant aspect is deliberately introduced.1999, Eli Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale: History, Genre, Meaning, Indiana University Press, ISBN 0253335833, page 372,One is known as the "sweetening parable," that is to say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Thus, when the aim is to preach to the people, to guide them along the "bitter," arduous path of upholding burdensome precepts and prohibitions, a tale can lighten the load, make the "medicine" easier "to swallow."2001, Maureen Reagan, First Father, First Daughter: A Memoir, Little, Brown, ISBN 0316736368, page 319,It put some fun into the tedious business of preparing for a presidential debate. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, right?2004, John Hoover, How to Work for an Idiot: Survive & Thrive... Without Killing Your Boss, Career Press, ISBN 1564147045, page 11,If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, a barrel of laughs can wash down the big pills you might need to swallow.

abide by »    To remain faithful to something or someone; to stand to; to adhere.

accident waiting to happen »    A thing or situation which is almost certain to eventually lead to an accident.

ace in the hole »    A hidden or secret strength, or unrevealed advantage.

ace of spades »    The playing card belonging to the spades suit and featuring one pip.

ace up one's sleeve »    A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.

acknowledge the corn »    To cop a plea; to admit to a small error but not a larger one.

act out »    To go through the process of a scene from a play, a charade or a pointless exercise.

ad fontes »    Go to the sources: An expression emphasizing the importance of conducting fundamental research and of consulting primary sources.

adams ale »    water

add fuel to fire »    To inflame a situation, to make a situation worse.

add fuel to the fire »    To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.

add insult to injury »    To further a loss with mockery or indignity.

add up »    To take a sum.

add up »    To accumulate; to amount to.

add up »    To make sense; to be reasonable or consistent.

add up to »    To have a particular effect.

Adds up »    To enhance. " Law of attraction adds up to the success in life."

admiral of the blue »    A landlord or publican wearing a blue apron, as was formerly the custom among men of that vocation.

against the clock »    In a time-restricted manner, to meet a deadline, hurriedly, timed.

against the grain »    To sand or plane a piece of wood parallel or nearly parallel to the fibers such that splinters forming ahead of the tool originate below the cutting surface.

ahead of one's time »    Showing characteristics of changes yet to be; present in one's work before later advances in the field; coming earlier than could be generally accepted.

ahead of the game »    Having completed a task before it is due; ready, prepared, or anticipating.

air out »    To expose to air; to leave open or spread out, as to allow odor or moisture to dissipate.

all of a sudden »    Adv suddenly, quickly.

all roads lead to Rome »    different paths can take one to the same goal

all set »    Ready; prepared.

all the marbles »    Everything; all that is to be had.

all-a-mort »    Sad; at death's door.

an apple a day »    Healthy eating and living using traditional temperate-zone fresh foods.

angel's advocate »    Someone who sees what's good about an idea and supports it.

another nail in one's coffin »    One in a series of factors which lead, or purport to lead, to downfall.

apple does not fall far from the tree »    A child grows up to be very similar to its parents, both in behavior and in physical characteristics.1842, E. A. Freidlaender (translator), Frederika Bremer (author), The Neighbours, ch. 10:It is impossible to look at Madam Rhen, without at once making the conclusion that she is pleasantness, hospitality, and loquacity itself; nor can one look upon her daughter Renetta without thinking, "the apple does not fall far from the tree!"1978, Dr. Isador Rosenfeld, "Doctor Asks Patient

April showers bring May flowers »    April, traditionally a rainy period, gives way to May, when flowers will bloom because of the water provided to them by the April rains.By extension, that a period of discomfort can provide the basis for a period of happiness.

ark ruffian »    Rogues who, in conjunction with watermen, robbed, and sometimes murdered, on the water, by picking a quarrel with the passengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, stripping, and throwing them overboard, etc. A species of badger.

arsy varsey »    Tumbling upside down; head over heels.

as good as one's word »    Faithful to a promise one has made.

as the crow flies »    In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.

as well »    In addition; also.

as you sow, so shall you reap »    The personal consequences of one's actions are in proportion to the good or bad intentions towards others.

at hand »    Readily available; within easy reach; nearby.

at loggerheads »    Unable to agree; opposing.

at odds »    on bad terms

at one's fingertips »    Readily available.

at peace »    Dead.

at sea »    Confused, lost, or adrift; bewildered.

at that »    In addition to what has been said; furthermore; moreover.

at the end of the road »    No longer in the competition. Voted off. Eliminated.

at the end of the road »    No longer living. Dead.

at the ready »    Ready; in a state of preparation or waiting; in position or anticipation.

back off »    To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act.

back to square one »    Located back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure.

backseat driver »    By extension, anybody offering unsolicited or unwelcome advice.

bad apple »    A person who is not wholesome, honest, or trustworthy, especially one who has an adverse influence on others.

bad blood »    A serious feud or grudge.

bad blood »    Feelings of hostility or ill will.

bad egg »    Someone whose behaviour is reprehensible or irresponsible; a rogue.

bad egg »    disreputable character

bad for you »    Unhealthy.

bad iron »    Bad luck.

bad joke »    A situation that is badly planned, or illogical.

bad luck »    ill-fortune

bad money drives out good »    Debased coinage (with low levels of precious metals) replaces purer coinage (with higher levels of precious metals).(metaphorically) Mediocre talent drives away real talent.

bad news »    An irritating, troublesome, or harmful person, situation, or thing.

bad news »    News of unpleasant, unfortunate or sad events.

bad penny »    A counterfeit or damaged penny.

bad penny »    A person or thing which is unpleasant, disreputable, or otherwise unwanted, especially one which repeatedly appears at inopportune times.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling of disappointment and frustration.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling of guilt, responsibility, or embarrassment as to cause nausea.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling something is morally despicable as to cause nausea.

bad to the bone »    Completely bad and evil; pure evil.

badge bunny »    A woman who is romantically attracted to police officers and who seeks out their companionship.

balance the books »    To add up all the debits and credits.

banyan day »    In British naval tradition, this originally referred to a day of the week when galley kitchens served no meat on board ship.

bark up the wrong tree »    To attempt or pursue the wrong thing; to take the wrong approach; to follow a false lead.

barrel »    A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads. Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.

bash in »    To break or dent badly by hitting violently.

basket case »    One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic or stress.

bawdy basket »    The twenty-third rank of canters, who carry pins, tape, ballads, and obscene books to sell, but live mostly by stealing.

be glad to see the back of »    To be glad to get rid of someone; to be glad someone has left.

be had up »    To be accused of, or arrested for a criminal act.

be my guest »    Do as you wish; go ahead; help yourself; go for it!.

be off »    To be working against a present or former addiction to.

beat a dead horse »    To persist or continue far beyond any purpose, interest or reason.

beat one's head against a stone wall »    To waste effort on a futile project.

beat the crap out of »    To beat really badly.

beat the shit out of »    To beat really badly.

beat up »    To feel badly guilty and accuse oneself over something. Usually followed by over.

beefed out »    Having been improved greatly or upgraded; beefed up.

behind its time »    Showing characteristics of the past; present in one's work after later advances in the field; coming later than could be generally accepted.

behind the bit »    An equestrian term, meaning that the horse is evading the bit.

behind the eight ball »    At a disadvantage.

believe you me »    An emphatic form of "believe me"; you [the subject] had better believe me [the speaker].

bells and whistles »    Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.

belly up »    Dead or defunct.

best of both worlds »    A combination of two seemingly contradictory benefits.

better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness »    In the face of bad times or hopelessness, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response than to complain about the situation.

beyond one's pay grade »    Beyond one's capability.

beyond one's pay grade »    Beyond one's level of authority.

big daddy »    Something or someone of importance.

big enchilada »    A very important person, especially the highest-ranking individual in an organization.

big enchilada »    Some item of high value, especially a top prize or reward.

big kahuna »    A boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.

bill of goods »    A set of misleading or deceptive claims; misinformation.

bite one's tongue »    An admonishment to someone who has said something unfeeling or harsh.

bite someone's head off »    To severely berate someone.

black »    Bad; evil.

blame Canada »    A catch phrase for shifting attention away from a serious social issue by laying responsibility with Canada.

blanket term »    A word or phrase that is used to describe multiple groups of related things. The degree of relation may vary. Blanket terms often trade specificity for ease-of-use; in other words, a blanket term by itself gives little detail about the things that it describes or the relationships between them, but is easy to say and remember. Blanket terms often originate as slang, and eventually become integrated into the general vocabulary.

blind »    A covering for a window to keep out light. The covering may be made of cloth or of narrow slats that can block light or allow it to pass.

blot one's copy book »    To damage one's own reputation through bad behavior.

blow chunks »    To be very bad, inadequate, unpleasant, or miserable; to thoroughly suck.

blue note »    Notes added to the major scale for expressive quality in jazz and blues music, particularly the flatted third, fifth and seventh.

bogged down »    Stuck; mired, as in detail, difficulty; delayed or made slower.

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth »    Note. The original nautical expression is just born with a silver spoon and describes those young gentlemen who were able to enter the Royal Navy without examination and whose promotion was assured. the converse was born with a wooden ladle.

box on the ear »    Administered on the victim's ear, usually by an educator, to enforce attention.

boys and their toys »    Used to evoke the idea that adult men sometimes dote excessively on machines, automobiles, and gadgets in a childish manner.

boys will be boys »    It is hard, often fruitless, to attempt to curb the natural playfulness and tendency to mischief of most growing boys.1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Chapter 13But just then there was a slight altercation between Master Tommy and Master Jacky. Boys will be boys and our two twins were no exception to this golden rule.Even grown men usually remain somewhat boyish in heart"Boys will be boys", grinned grandpa while he joined his adult son playing with the fancy train-set he gave his grandson for Christmas while the kid was in school.

brain-dead »    Having an irreversible loss of brain function and cessation of brain activity.

brain-dead »    Having no useful thoughts; stupid; ditzy.

brass monkey »    A cocktail of vodka, rum and orange juice, sometimes with the addition of galliano.

bread and butter »    Bread spread with butter.

bread and butter »    That which is central or fundamental, as to one's business, survival, or income; a staple or cornerstone.

breadwinner »    The member of a household who earns all or most of the income

break even »    To stay the same; to neither advance nor regress.

break ground »    To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements.

break someone's heart »    To cause a person to feel grief or sadness.

break up »    Of a telephone conversation, to cease to be understandable because of a bad connection.

brick by brick »    To create or build something in a steady, step-by-step fashion.

bridge »    A prosthesis replacing one or several adjacent teeth.

bridge »    A valence bond, atom or chain of atoms that connects two different parts of a molecule; the atoms so connected being bridgeheads.

bring down »    To make someone feel bad emotionally.

bring home the bacon »    To have a job and earn money or to lead a successful career.

broad across the beam »    Without fat on the hips and the bottom.

broad church »    A wide scope of philosophies and ideas.

broad in the beam »    Without fat on the hips and the bottom.

broad shoulders »    The ability to take criticism, or accept responsibility.

brown bread »    Bread with a brown colour as distinct from white bread, wholemeal, granary or other specific types of bread.

brown power »    The production of electricity made from conventional sources, such as coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power.

built like a tank »    Broad shouldered and of solid, muscular build.

bum rap »    A false accusation, or an injustice, especially one that leads to imprisonment.

bum steer »    Bad advice, regardless of intention.

bump and grind »    A combination of movements resembling such a dance, as in road racing, whitewater kayaking, or exercising; any activity involving prolonged jarring or shaking.

bump up »    To promote a person to a higher grade.

bump up »    To give a more prominent place to; to advance position in queue.

bunny hop »    A ground ball that hops along the field instead of rolling.

bunny hop »    A jump made where both wheels leave the ground.

burn rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

bury the lead »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

bury the lede »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

business before pleasure »    An admonishment that discharging one's obligations must take precedence over devoting time to pursuits meant solely for one's own gratification.

butt heads »    To argue uncompromisingly with someone.

butterfly upon a wheel »    An innocent person crushed by life's adversities.

buy to let »    To purchase a property as in investment, and to let it out for rental instead of living in it.

by the book »    In a manner which adheres strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.

by the way »    Incidentally; a parenthetical statement not timely, central, or crucial to the topic at hand; foregone, passed by, something that has already happened.

by the way »    [...] I had counted on a life-lease of the profits, whereas I only received those of a few short years. But this is by the way.

by trade »    As a profession; professionally.

by-the-book »    Adhering strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.

call a spade a spade »    To speak the truth; to say things as they really are.

call in »    To summon someone, especially for help or advice.

calling card »    A prepaid card or credit card, usually electronically readable, used to pay the charges when making a telephone call.

calling card »    A small printed card which identifies the bearer, traditionally presented for introduction when making a social visit to a home or when attending a formal social event or business meeting.

camel's nose »    A metaphor for a situation where the permitting of some small act will lead consequently to a larger undesirable act or circumstance.

carried away »    Made excessively emotional or excited.

carrot and stick »    Simultaneous rewards for good behavior and punishments for bad behavior.

cash in »    To profit from; to use an opportunity to maximum advantage, especially financially.

cat and mouse game »    Two individuals and/or groups repeatedly keeping check on each other in a suspicious or self-protective way, often with the goal of one or both parties trying to gain a malicious advantage over the other.

cat's cradle »    A children's string game.

cat's cradle »    Any complicated structure which appears to be without purpose.

catbird seat »    Expression used to describe an enviable position, often one of great advantage.

catch up »    To be reaching something that had been ahead.

catmeat »    Someone who has been badly beaten.

caveat lector »    Reader beware.

center field »    The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and straight ahead left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.

change horses in midstream »    To change plans or approaches at an inopportune time, such as when an effort is already underway, generally considered an inadvisable thing to do.

change one's mind »    To decide differently than one had decided before.

che sera sera »    Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1604, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus:Why then belike we must sin, / And so consequently die. / Aye, we must die an everlasting death. / What doctrine call you this ? Che, sera, sera: / What will be*, shall be; Divinity adieu. / These Metaphysics of Magicians, / And necromantic books, are heavenly.

cherry-pick »    To pick out the best, or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.

chickens coming home to roost »    Consequences visited upon someone who originally had appeared to escape them.

children should be seen and not heard »    Children should behave well and be quiet, especially in the presence of adults.

chopped liver »    A Jewish food made by frying liver and onions in schmaltz.

circular firing squad »    A political party or other group experiencing considerable disarray because the members are engaging in internal disputes and mutual recrimination.

clay »    A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.

clean code »    Software code that is formatted correctly and in an organized manner so that another coder can easily read or modify it.

clear cut »    Having had all vegetation removed.

climb up »    To make a gradual ascent or increase.

climb up »    To gradually ascend something.

close down »    To stop trading as a business.

close enough for government work »    It is not worth investing additional time on perfecting this thing.

close off »    To seal or block the entrance to a road, an area, or a building so that people cannot enter.

close the stable door after the horse has bolted »    To attempt to prevent a problem only to find it has already happened.

coals to Newcastle »    A pointless venture, in the sense of sending something to a place where it's made, or where they already have an abundance.

cock a snook »    To spread one hand, place the thumb on the nose and wriggle some of the fingers as a gesture of disrespect.

Cold hands, warm heart; Dirty feet, no sweetheart! »    A few old timer's "fun" way to compliment a lady & to find out if she could be courted.

come a cropper »    To fall headlong from a horse.

come clean »    To confess; admit.

come in »    Of a broadcast, such as radio or television, to have a strong enough signal to be able to be received well.

come of age »    To reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult.

come out of the closet »    To tell others about homosexuality, bisexuality or any minority or disapproved-of belief, preference, etc., where previously this had been kept secret.

come to a head »    To rapidly come to a turning point.

come to a head »    To suddenly make mature or perfected that which was inchoate or imperfectly formed.

come to a head »    To suddenly reveal that which has lain latent for a time.

company »    As he had worked for the CIA for over 30 years, he would soon take retirement from the company.

cop-out »    An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out.

cop-out »    Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out.

copper-bottomed »    Having lower parts made of or covered by copper.

coug it »    To suddenly lose a contest through reversal of fortune, mistakes, or bad judgment. The phrase is analogous to "blow it", or "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory".

count sheep »    To attempt to go to sleep by thinking of something boring, traditionally by counting imaginary sheep.

cradle robber »    A person who marries or becomes romantically involved with someone who is much younger or who employs or otherwise engages a young person for a purpose inappropriate for his or her age.

crane fly »    daddy longlegs

crashpad »    Any place used for temporary lodging.

crashpad »    In the aviation industry, used for a place of temporary lodging for airline flight crews.

creep up »    To advance with stealth, unnoticed.

crowned heads »    monarchs

cry the blues »    To complain, especially in order to obtain sympathy for one's own purportedly sad situation.

curate's egg »    A thing which has good and bad parts.

cut a wide swath »    To clear a broad track through a grassland, woodland, geographical region, or other area, either by natural means or by human action.

cut in »    Especially, to dance with someone who is already dancing by replacing his or her partner.

cut off one's nose to spite one's face »    To harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary.

cutie pie »    A small hand-held radiation meter.

cutting edge »    The forefront, or position of greatest advancement in some field.

cutting edge »    The sharp edge of the blade of a knife.

dead »     : So hated by that they are absolutely ignored.

dead »    Broken or inoperable.

dead »    Completely inactive; without power; without a signal.

dead »    Exact.

dead »    Figuratively, not alive; lacking life.

dead »    Full and complete.

dead »    No longer living.

dead »    No longer used or required.

dead »    Not in play.

dead »    Stationary; static.

dead »    Unproductive.

dead »    Without emotion.

dead »    Without interest to one of the senses; dull; flat.

dead air »    An unintended interruption in a radio broadcast during which there is no sound; a similar interruption of a television broadcast in which there is neither sound nor a video signal.

dead as a dodo »    That has become out of date.

dead as a dodo »    Undoubtedly and unquestionably dead.

dead as a doorknob »    Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead.

dead as a doornail »    Unquestionably dead. Used for both inanimate objects and once living beings.

dead duck »    A project that is doomed to failure from the start.

dead duck »    One who is in serious danger or trouble.

dead end »    A path or strategy that goes nowhere or is blocked on one end.

dead giveaway »    Obvious, easily apparent.

dead heat »    A close race or contest in which no winner is apparent.

dead in the water »    Nearly dead, doomed.

dead last »    The standings, often by a considerable margin to the next-to-last-place finisher or after an exceptionally poor showing or season.

dead men tell no tales »    Once someone is dead, they can no longer communicate, hence killing someone is the best way to keep him/her quiet.

dead of night »    Middle of the night.

dead on »    Exactly at.

dead ringer »    Someone or something that very closely resembles another; someone or something easily mistaken for another.

dead set against »    Completely opposed, with no possibility of a change of mind.

dead shot »    Perfect shooter

dead to rights »    With sufficient evidence to establish responsibility definitively.

dead tree edition »    Paper version of a publication that can be found online.

dead weight »    That which is useless or excess; that which slows something down.

dead weight »    Weight that does not move.

dead wood »    Dead limbs and branches still attached to a living tree.

dead wood »    Personnel no longer contributing to an organization.

deadbeat dad »    A man, especially one who is divorced or estranged from his partner, who fails to provide monetary child support when he is legally required to do so.

deadstick landing »    When a pilot lands a plane after the engine has died; a landing lacking any propulsion control.

deadweight »    A useless, usually encumbering factor.

deadweight »    The largest weight of cargo a ship is able to carry; i.e, the weight of a ship when fully loaded minus its weight when empty.

deathblow »    A strike or blow that leads to death, especially a coup de grace.

deer in the headlights »    A mental state of high arousal caused by anxiety fear, panic, surpriseand/or confusion, or substance abuse. The behavioral signs are like a deer subjected to a car's headlights, such as widely opened eyes and a lack of motor reactions.

deliver the message to Garcia »    What we need is people who get the job done, no matter how. We don't want pickers who'll only learn if we use their preferred learning method. Have you read "A Message to Garcia" ? That's what we need today - young people who can deliver the message to Garcia.

desk jockey »    One who spends his or her time seated at a desk; especially one who is more concerned with procedure, paperwork, or administration than with its ultimate goal or practical consequence.

desperate times call for desperate measures »    In adverse circumstances actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.

devil's advocate »    A canon lawyer appointed by the Church to argue against the canonization of the proposed candidate.

devil's advocate »    One who debates from a view which they may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity, or simply for the sake of argument.

dictated but not read »    Dictated, as to a secretary or stenographer, but not proofread by the person who dictated the text so annotated.

die »    To stop living; to become dead; to undergo death.

dirty old man »    An adult male - usually middle-aged or elderly - who acts in a lecherous or lewd manner.

disc jockey »    radio presenter

dish out »    On to a dish ready for eating.

do a slow burn »    To experience a gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.

do drugs »    To abuse an illegal drug or drugs, especially as a result of chemical addiction.

do out »    to redecorate; to adorn

do someone proud »    To cause someone to feel pride, admiration, or satisfaction.

don't cry over spilt milk »    It is no use worrying about unfortunate events which have already happened and which cannot be changed.

don't shit where you eat »    (idiomatic, vulgar) One should not cause trouble in a place, group, or situation in which one regularly finds oneself.1998 April 14, Nelson Navarro, "Ever faithful, ever true," Manila Standard (Philippines) (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):The guiding principle is Don't shit where you eat. Office romances are always destructive of morale and objectivity.2003 Oct. 8, Jonathan Valania, "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Pussy," Philadelphia Weekly (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Limbaugh was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the NAB convention in, of all places, Philadelphia, thus violating the cardinal law of the animal kingdom: Don't shit where you eat.2006 Sept. 19, Michael Musto, "NY Mirror," Village Voice (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Mitchell refused to indulge in on-set romances with either gender. "You don't shit where you eat," he told me, plainly.

don't shoot the messenger »    The bearer of bad news should not be held accountable for the bad news.

don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs »    Don't presume to give advice to those who are more experienced.

double back »    To retrace one's steps; to go back where one has already gone.

down and out »    In trouble; in a bad time or situation or having very bad luck.

down in the dumps »    Sad; lacking engagement or enthusiasm.

down in the mouth »    Sad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.

down on one's luck »    Unlucky or undergoing a period of bad luck, especially with respect to financial matters.

down the road, not across the street »    Along the radial artery rather than across the wrist from side to side.

down to the wire »    At the very end of a process or project, especially one with a fast-approaching deadline.

draw on »    To advance, continue; to move or pass slowly or continuously, as under a pulling force.

draw out »    To improve a losing hand to a winning hand by receiving additional cards.

drift off »    To fall asleep in a gradual manner.

drug of choice »    Substance that a suspect is addicted to.

dumb down »    To convey some subject matter in simple terms, avoiding technical or academic language, especially in a way that is considered condescending.

dye in the wool »    To dye woolen fibers before they are spun into thread.

e pluribus unum »    A national motto of the United States of America, meaning "From many, one", or "out of many, one", referring to the integration of 13 independent colonies into one country, and that has taken an additional meaning, giving the pluralistic nature of American society from immigration.

eat crow »    To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.

eat humble pie »    To admit one's faults; to make a humiliating apology.

esprit de corps »    A shared spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to a cause among the members of a group, for example of a military unit.

every cloud has a silver lining »    In every bad situation there is an element of good1881, National Academy of Code Administration (U.S.), Folio, page 417:Every cloud has a silver lining; but in the old-fashioned meeting-houses every cloud of hymnal melody generally had a nasal lining before the congregation...1887, Shakers, Religion, page 36:that "a little reserve and thou'lt fail surely," will prove to be true in our experience. Every cloud has a silver lining and so has every sorrow,1918, George Jean Nathan, Performing Arts, page 222:But the most popular attitude toward what we may call "sad" plays is the peculiar one of believing that, since every cloud has a silver lining,

every silver lining has a cloud »    Every good situation has the potential to turn bad.2007, Diab A. Shetayh, Actuality : The Reality RequiemA great partnership isn't a self-maintaining entity. Perseverance and persistence make it thrive. For every silver lining has a cloud. Ignorance of this reality is not an option.

everything happens for a reason »    All events are purposeful.Everything happens for a reason, so there is no such thing as failure. Mary-Kate OlsenPeople like to say "everything happens for a reason." If you repeat that in your head long enough that starts to sound like "anything can happen with a razor." Laura KightlingerI believe that everything happens for a reason, but I think it's important to seek out that reason - that's how we learn. Drew Barrymore

f** someone over »    To exploit somebody in a way which result in an advantage to oneself, at the cost of the other party gaining a considerable disadvantage.

factotum »    Jack of all trades.

fade out »    A type of transition used in movies usually at the end of a scene, in which the transition fades to black from the cut.

fade out »    decrease gradually

fair weather friend »    Only when it is advantageous or easy.

faith will move mountains »    Belief in oneself (read sometimes as belief in God) can help one overcome any hurdle in life's path.

fall off the wagon »    To cease or fail at a regimen of self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an old habit or addiction.

fall short »    To be less satisfactory than expected; to be inadequate or insufficient.

far out »    New, radical and extreme.

fashion plate »    A picture, usually an advertisement, showing the latest fashion in clothing.

feather one's nest »    To achieve benefits, especially financial ones, by taking advantage of the opportunities with which one is presented; to amass a comfortable amount of personal wealth.

feed a cold, starve a fever »    Eating more will cure the common cold, and eating less will cure a fever.1887, J. H. Whelan, "The Treatment of Colds.", The Practitioner, vol. 38, pg. 180:"Feed a cold, starve a fever." There is a deal of wisdom in the first part of this advice. A person with a catarrh should take an abundance of light nutritious food, and some light wine, but avoid spirits, and above all tobacco.1968, Katinka Loeser, The Archers at Home, publ. Atheneum, New York, pg. 60:I have a cold. 'Feed a cold, starve a fever.' You certainly know that.2009, Shelly Reuben, Tabula Rasa, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN 015101079X, pg. 60:They say feed a cold, starve a fever, but they don't tell you what to do when you got both, so I figured scrambled eggs, tea, and toast.

feed the dragon »    To buy or sell products labeled as "Made in China.".

fiddle faddle »    nonsense

field day »    A parade day.

film out »    To transfer images or animation from videotape or digital files to a traditional celluloid film print.

first things first »    Deal with matters of highest priority first; deal with matters in logical sequence.1922, H. G. Wells, The Secret Places of the Heart, ch.4,"First things first," said Sir Richmond. If we set about getting fuel sanely, if we do it as the deliberate, co-operative act of the whole species, then it follows that we shall look very closely into the use that is being made of it.1999, Frank Pellegrini, "House Republicans Quell Mutiny Over Tax Bounty," Time, 23 Jul.,Judging by the polls

flat-earther »    A person who believes or advocates an outlandish, discredited theory; a person who refuses to acknowledge the truth despite overwhelming evidence.

flat-earther »    A person who believes or advocates the theory that the earth is flat.

flog a dead horse »    To attempt to get extra work out of a ship's crew during the dead horse period.

flog a dead horse »    To attempt to get more out of something that cannot give more.

flunk out »    Often requiring a retaking of the course or academic year.

flutter in the dovecote »    I further argued that the principal cause for the political deadlock that persisted for thirty years after the guns fell silent was Israeli intransigence rather than Arab intransigence. The appearance of the first wave of revisionist studies excited a great deal of interest and controversy in the media and more than a flutter in the academic dovecote. — Israel Confronts Its Past.

fly in the face of »    To act in a manner highly contrary to; to counteract or contradict.

fly-by-night »    Traveling businessmen and tradesmen.

follow suit »    To play a card of the same suit as the previous or leading card.

fool's paradise »    A state of happiness due to illusion or false hope.

fools rush in where angels fear to tread »    A person who does not plan ahead and think matters through becomes involved in risky or unfavorable situations which prudent people avoid.

for good measure »    As a precaution; just in case; added as an extra.

for my money »    Used to mark a statement made by the speaker as an opinion or something not known with certainty.

for the record »    Already publicly known.

forbidden fruit »    The fruit forbidden to Adam.

forewarned is forearmed »    Advance awareness of a situation, especially a risky one, prepares one to deal with it.1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash, ch. 4:[W]hatever a young gentleman of that age says to you, he says to many other ladies; but your experience is not equal to your sense; so profit by mine . . . forewarned is forearmed.1885, G. A. Henty, Saint George for England, ch. 4:Sometimes, they say, it is wiser to remain in ignorance; at other times forewarned is forearmed.circa 1903, Lucy Maud Montgomery, "Why Mr. Cropper Changed His Mind":"Well, Miss Maxwell, I think it only fair to tell you that you may have trouble with those boys when they do come. Forewarned is forearmed, you know."

four-leaf clover »    An uncommon variation of the clover, having four leaves instead of the usual three.

four-on-the-floor »    Characterised by a steady, uniformly accented beat with a 4/4 time signature.

friend with benefits »    A friendship with no reserves when it comes to the release of shared sexual tension thus leading to sexual fraternization.

from my cold, dead hands »    A statement that something will not be taken away from you until the day you die.

from scratch »    From the beginning; starting with no advantage or prior preparation; starting from raw ingredients.

fruit of one's loins »    C. 1950, Kay Boyle, "Adam's Death" in Fifty Stories , ISBN 9780811212069, p. 541.

fruit of the poisonous tree »    And which is therefore excluded from being admitted as evidence in a trial.

fruit salad »    dessert dish

fudge the issue »    Adopt a solution to a specific problem which does not address the larger, more general problem of which the specific problem is an instance.

full speed ahead »    A command, especially on military vessels, to move forward at maximum speed.

full speed ahead »    Maximum effort without reservations or delay.

gapers' block »    A traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or other roadside distraction.

garbage in, garbage out »    (computing, information technology) If input data is not complete, accurate, and timely, then the resulting output is unreliable and of no useful value.1963, Raymond Crowley, "Robot Tax Collector Seeks Indications of 'Fudging'," Times Daily (Alabama, USA), 1 April (retrieved 26 July 2010):Officials explained that the quality of the computer's work depends on the quality of the data fed into it. Neil Hoke, administrative assistant to Stewart, quoted an adage of computer men: "Garbage in, garbage out."2008, Roger K. Lewis, "'In Architectural Design, Brains and Talent Trump the Best Software," Washington Post, 19 July (retrieved 26 July 2010):The old caveat "GIGO"

get a leg up »    To gain some advantage; to get a head start.

get a load of »    To experience someone or something, especially by looking or listening.

get away with murder »    To do something bad or illegal and not be punished.

get it into one's head »    imagine

get out of bed on the wrong side »    To start the day in a bad mood for no apparent reason.

get ready »    prepare oneself

get someone's back up »    To annoy a person either deliberately or inadvertently.

get the bacon bad »    To be morbidly obese.

get the better of »    To overwhelm or overcome; to influence heavily; to tend to control or persuade.

gift of the gab »    The ability to talk readily, glibly, and convincingly.

gild the lily »    To embellish or improve something unnecessarily; to add superfluous attributes to something.

give away the store »    To transact, trade, or negotiate badly, by paying, providing, or conceding too much to the other party.

give head »    To perform oral sex on another person.

give in »    To droop the head.

give somebody the slip »    To evade, escape, or get away from somebody.

give somebody what-for »    To admonish or berate; to speak angrily at somebody.

glad rags »    best clothes

go ahead »    To proceed; to begin.

go bad »    putrefy

go bananas »    To go mad.

go by the board »    To estimate the velocity of a boat or ship in knots by casting overboard the knotted line to whose end is attached the lead and thereafter counting the knots in the line as it goes aft along the side boards of the vessel.

go down that road »    To settle a way of doing something; do decide to do something in a particular way.

go down the road »    A way of doing something; to do something in a particular way.

go mad »    To become insane.

go mad »    Used to indicate that the second verb represents an action that is out of character.

go native »    To adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants, especially when dwelling in a colonial region; to become less refined under the influence of a less cultured, more primitive, or simpler social environment.

go to pot »    To come to a bad end.

go to someone's head »    To strongly affect a person, especially to the detriment of their senses or mental faculties.

go without saying »    To be obvious, apparent or clear, or already established.

good to go »    Ready for some specific task or ready for normal activity, especially after preparation or recovery.

good to go »    Ready for use or ready for normal operation, especially after repair or renewal.

goodbye cruel world »    An exclamation made before commiting suicide, or in a suicide note.

goon squad »    A group of individuals serving as enforcers, bodyguards, and the like, especially persons hired for such a purpose and using violent, thuggish methods.

grab bag »    A gift, purchase, etc. whose contents are concealed until after a selection is made.

greatest thing since sliced bread »    A relatively recent invention likely to significantly improve people's lives.

greenwash »    A false or misleading picture of environmental friendliness used to conceal or obscure damaging activities.

grin like a Cheshire cat »    To smile broadly, especially in a self-satisfied way.

groaning »    That is heavily laden.

grow up »    To mature and become an adult.

gut factor »    Feelings about what feels right or wrong, good or bad. An inner persuasion that one may feel convinced is the appropriate decision.

gut reaction »    An instantaneous reaction made without thought.

had better »    Should; ought to; need to.

halfway decent »    No more than adequate.

ham it up »    To act or emote, especially to overact or act badly.

hand grenade »    small explosive device

hang an arse »    To hang back, to be afraid to advance.

hang by a thread »    To be in danger, calling for precise caution. To be in a precarious situation.

hang paper »    To write a bad check.

hard-nosed »    Hardheaded.

harsh one's mellow »    To make someone feel bad emotionally.

hatchet man »    Someone who carries out brutal and unpleasant duties on behalf of another, such as firing dead wood employees.

have a way with »    To be skilled, adept, or graceful in something.

have eyes in the back of one's head »    To be particularly, especially uncannily, observant; a perceived ability to see in all directions at once.

have had it up to here »    To have become very frustrated or angry; to have reached the limit of one's patience or forbearance.

have it made »    To have accomplished all there is to do; to have no further work or difficulty; to have achieved a lifestyle characterized by good fortune and comfort.

have one's head in the clouds »    To daydream; to think about matters other than the present reality.

have one's head in the clouds »    To have fantastic or impractical dreams; to think impractically.

head and shoulders »    "He was head and shoulders above the others in the law firm.".

head and shoulders »    "She was head and shoulders better than any of her rivals.".

head and shoulders »    To a considerable degree; better; outstanding.

head for »    go towards

head for the hills »    To go to a safe place; to seek refuge; to flee.

head for the hills »    To travel to a higher elevation, especially to a rural region on vacation.

head girl »    senior female pupil

head honcho »    The person in charge; the highest-ranking person in an organization.

head over heels »    At top speed; frantically.

head over heels »    Hopelessly smitten.

head over heels »    Tumbling upside down.

head scratcher »    A device used to scratch the head.

head scratcher »    A particularly puzzling or confusing event.

head scratcher »    December 2007, W:Daily News Tribune - Golden Globes nominations a head-scratcher.

head scratcher »    July 2002, Fox News - Attorney: Williams' Kids Near Compromise About Father's Remains.

head south »    Alternative form of go south; to decrease or become unfavorable; to take a turn for the worse.

head start »    For example, prior to the beginning of a race.

head start »    A factor conducive to superiority and success.

head to toe »    Entirely; completely; over one's full body.

head up »    To lead or take the lead; to direct; to take charge.

head-in-the-sand »    Exhibiting disregard or denial of a problem or threat.

head-on »    Direct, abrupt, blunt or unequivocal; not prevaricating.

head-on »    Of a collision, from the front or in the direction of motion.

heads or tails »    A game to bet upon a which side of a coin lays face up after it is thrown.

heads up »    Used as an informal warning, caution, or call for attention; pay attention!.

heads will roll »    Some people will be fired for incompetence.

heads-up »    A warning or call to pay attention; an advisory notice.

heavy-hearted »    Sad, melancholy.

hell on earth »    A very unpleasant situation; torment, particularly when widespread.

hell or high water »    Highly adverse circumstances; acts of God.

high ground »    A position of advantage or superiority in a conflict or competition.

high road »    A course of action which is honorable, dignified, or respectable.

high road »    A main road or highway.

hit one out of the ballpark »    To hit a fair ball so well that the ball flies over all of the spectators' seats and lands outside the stadium.

hit the headlines »    To appear prominently in the news, especially on the front page.

hit the jackpot »    To realise a huge load of luck; to receive a more favorable outcome than imagined.

hit the nail on the head »    To identify something exactly; to arrive at exactly the right answer.

hit the pavement »    To get moving in an automobile or other road vehicle.

hit the road »    To begin traveling in an automobile or other road vehicle.

hit the road »    To leave a place; to go away.

hit upon »    To address.

hold all the aces »    To be in a strong position when one is competing with someone else, having all the advantages.

hold up one's end »    I'm holding up my end and you had better hold up yours.

holding pattern »    Any failure to advance; useless or unproductive activity.

home in on »    To focus or narrow down to something; to find or draw closer, as by trial and error or a gradual seeking process.

homeless dumping »    The practice of hospital employees or emergency workers releasing homeless patients on the streets instead of placing them into the custody of a relative or shelter or retaining them in a hospital where they may require expensive medical care.

hopping mad »    Extremely angry; furious to the point of outburst.

horse opera »    A theatrical production, film, or program on radio or television depicting adventures of characters in the American Old West; a western.

hospital pass »    Exempting one from regular activities, to instead visit a hospital.

hotheaded »    Easily excited or angered.

house of cards »    A structure made by laying cards perpendicularly on top of each other.

household name »    A genericized trademark or anepronym.

humble pie »    A pie made from the offal of deer or hog.

hunger is a good sauce »    (dated) Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.1854, Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew, Tom Taylor, Shirley Brooks, Francis Cowley Burnand, Owen Seaman, Punch, Vol. XXVI, Punch Publications Ltd., page 74:His bread and cheese were somewhat dry, to be sure; his ale had become flat, and considerably warmer than was desirable; but hunger is a good sauce, and thirst is not particular.

if it ain't broke, don't fix it »    Leave something alone; avoid correcting, fixing, or improving what is already sufficient, as it could end up being detrimental

if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle »    (colloquial, vulgar, humorous) It is fruitless to speculate about counterfactual situations."We would have won the match if we'd had a decent goalkeeper.""And if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle!"

if pigs had wings »    Never.

if pigs had wings »    Shortened form of if pigs had wings they would fly.

if pigs had wings they would fly »    (colloquial) Expresses speakers skepticism toward a hypothetical argument by another.

if the mountain won't come to Muhammad »    "If one cannot get one's own way, one must bow to the inevitable.".

if you can't beat them, join them »    If your adversaries are stronger than yourself, it is better to join the adversaries.

ill advisedly »    unwisely

ill health »    A state of illness, or bad health.

in Abraham's bosom »    No longer living. Dead.

in addition »    Also; as well; besides.

in addition »    also

in aid to this fact »    In addition to; and futhermore.

in black and white »    Having it displayed using shades of gray/gray rather than colour/color .

in black and white »    Using shades of grey/gray rather than colour/color.

in broad daylight »    In a blatant and publicly visible manner.

in broad daylight »    In ample natural illumination, during the daytime.

in business »    Ready to proceed in a desired activity.

in for a dime, in for a dollar »    Americanised form of in for a penny, in for a pound.1983, Allen Drury, Decision, p. 356:In for a dime, in for a dollar, he thought crazily, and said what he had to say in a voice he forced to stay level and calm.1998, Ellen Miller, Like Being Killed, p. 47:In for a dime, in for a dollar. I whispered to Gerry,

in order »    Ready, prepared; orderly; tidy.

in process of time »    In the course of time; as time goes on; gradually; in due course.

in spades »    Beyond doubt.

in spades »    To excess, a lot, considerably; without restraint.

in the hospital »    Admitted as a patient in a hospital.

in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king »    Among others with a disadvantage or disability, the one with the mildest disadvantage or disability is regarded as the greatest.Even someone without much talent or ability is considered special by those with no talent or ability at all.

in the making »    In development; in the process of being made.

inside track »    Any advantage.

instance in »    To cite an instance; to adduce an example.

it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings »    There are more developments yet to come.

it pays to advertise »    Good qualities do not get rewarded automatically.

it's a long road that has no turning »    encouragement when things are not going well. Just as a long road eventually has a turning, problems also eventually have a solution, even though one might have to wait.

it's all Greek to me »    I tried reading the instructions, but it’s all Greek to me..

it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good »    There is usually something of benefit to someone, no matter how bad the situation.

it's not the whistle that pulls the train »    Boasting and loud talk should not be mistaken for the work that produces real achievements; bravado is no proof of action.1956, James Reston, "Washington: It's Not the Whistle that Pulls the Train," New York Times, 1 July, p. E8:

it's not what you know but who you know »    For success, and especially to obtain employment, one's knowledge and skills are less useful and less important than one's network of personal contacts.1951, G. P. Bush and L. H. Hattery, "Federal Recruitment of Junior Engineers," Science, vol. 114, no. 2966, p. 456:Eighty-four students referred to political influence as a disadvantage of federal employment with such remarks as: "There are too many political connections necessary . . . it's not what you know but who you know

ivory tower »    A sheltered, overly-academic existence or perspective, implying a disconnection or lack of awareness of reality or practical considerations.

jack of all trades »    One competent in many endeavors, especially one who excels in none of them.

jack of all trades, master of none »    A master of integration, who knows enough from many learned trades and skills to be able to bring their disciplines together in a practical manner; a polymath; a renaissance man.

jack of all trades, master of none »    A person who has a competent grasp of many skills but who is not outstanding in any one.

joe job »    An act of e-mail spamming where the sender's identity and address are those of an innocent third party, intended either to tarnish that person's reputation or to flood that person's e-mail with bounces.

jug ears »    Ears whose plane is markedly not parallel to the plane of the head.

jump rope »    The length of rope, sometimes with handles, casing or other additions, used in that activity.

jump the gun »    To trade securities based on information that is not yet public; to trade on inside information.

jump the queue »    To move into a queue ahead of others who have been waiting longer or that have a higher priority; push in.

keep away from »    To evade.

keep up »    To stay even or ahead.

keep your hair on »    An admonition to stay calm.

keep your shirt on »    An admonition to be more patient or to calm down.

kick off the team »    In sports, to dismiss an athlete from a team, usually for misconduct, poor academic performance or other offenses.

kick the habit »    To recover from or quit an addiction or habit. For example, to quit smoking, drinking, burping, or drug addiction.

kids will be kids »    You cannot expect children to act like adults.

kill off »    To represent or portray as being dead.

kitchen table software »    Especially in the early years of personal computers, a set of computer programs developed by an entrepreneurial advanced amateur or self-employed professional computer programmer in his or her own home; software developed by a small business using the services of such programmers.

knock on wood »    A self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.

knock out »    To render someone unconscious, as by a blow to the head.

knock up »    In the morning as by knocking at the door; rouse; call; summon; also, to go door-to-door on election day to persuade a candidate's supporters to go to the polling station and vote. See also knocker up.

ladies and gentlemen »    Used to address an audience.

ladies first »    A phrase encouraging polite gentlemanliness, allowing the ladies to go before the men.

ladies man »    Alternative spelling of lady's man.

ladies' man »    Alternative spelling of lady's man.

lady abbess »    A bawd, the mistress of a brothel.

lady of the night »    Prostitute.

lady or tiger »    A pure gamble with highly divergent outcomes.

lady's man »    A man who attracts women and enjoys their company.

lady's man »    A womanizer.

lapsed academic »    A person formerly employed as a professor or researcher in a university or other institution of higher education, especially one who no longer attempts to remain current in his or her former academic field.

last minute »    Point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.

laundry list »    Originally, a list of articles of clothing that had been sent to be laundered.

lay off »    made redundant

lay rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

lead »    A roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates.

lead »    A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing.

lead »    Bullets.

lead »    I would have the tower two stories, and goodly leads upon the top. — Bacon.

lead »    Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs.

lead »    To estimate velocity in knots.

lead »    Used in pencils.

lead »    Vertical space in advance of a row or between rows of text. Also known as leading.

lead a charmed life »    To always be lucky and safe from danger.

lead down a garden path »    To mislead; to seduce.

lead nowhere »    To have no purpose, to result in nothing.

lead someone down the garden path »    To deceive, hoodwink.

lead time »    The amount of time between the initiation of some process and its completion, e.g. the time required to manufacture or procure a product; the time required before something can be provided or delivered.

leader of the free world »    The President of the United States.

leading lady »    starring actress

leaf through »    Rapidly reading short sections at random.

leave well enough alone »    To leave something alone; to avoid attempts to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient.

leave well enough alone »    To leave something alone; to avoid attempts to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient

legal beagle »    A skillful and adroit attorney.

legal eagle »    A skillful and adroit attorney.

lemonize »    To add lemon.

let the cat out of the bag »    To disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently.

letters after one's name »    A list of abbreviations, separated by commas, representing the academic qualifications and civil or military honours achieved by a person.

level-headed »    Sensible; rational; possessing sound judgment.

life of the party »    A person who participates in entertainment events in a very enthusiastic manner and who has a leading role in inspiring others to join in the spirit of festivity.

life's a bitch »    An expression of acceptance of misfortune.1950, Joy Davidman, Weeping Bay, page 184:She'd have been willing enough to use them, poor dead little bitch. Life's a bitch. Life's a bad joke.

like father, like son »    A son will have traits similar to his father upon reaching adulthood.

little pitchers have big ears »    Small children often overhear more of what is said than adults realize or desire.1844, Charlotte M. Yonge, Abbeychurch, ch. 2:Seeing me listening to something she was saying to Mamma, she turned round upon me with that odious proverb, "Little pitchers have long ears."1939, "Bedtime Bedlam," Time, 17 Apr.:A caution to U. S. parents, but a joy to radio merchandising, is the dread truth that little pitchers have big ears.2002, Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, ISBN 9780743455961, p. 185:I suppose he might say pushed or went woowoo, but took a shit is, I fear, very much in the ballpark (little pitchers have big ears, after all).

loaded for bear »    Mentally prepared for a daunting situation or confrontation.

loaded for bear »    Thoroughly equipped, as for a demanding task or confrontation.

loaded word »    Any word, set phrase or idiom that has strong positive or negative connotations beyond their ordinary definition.

long absent, soon forgotten »    Love fades away when people are distant and don't keep close physical contact.

long goodbye »    Nickname for Alzheimer's disease, especially for the final phase of the disease, during which the patient suffers a progressive decline of cognitive and motor skills and gradually loses the ability to recognize and to communicate with family and friends.[1]; nickname for the relationship between a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease and that person's family or friends.

long ways, long lies »    Someone who comes back from a far-off country can tell lies without fear of being contradicted.

look off »    To mislead by directing one's apparent attention away from one's true object of intent.

look out for number one »    To act in one's own interests; to act in a manner advantageous primarily to oneself.

look over »    To scan-read and check for errors.

look to »    To seek inspiration or advice from someone.

look up to »    To show respect or admiration for.

loose ends »    Leftover items that have not been addressed or attended to.

lord of the flies »    A ruler over a worthless kingdom; leader of a meaningless microcosm.

lose one's head »    To go crazy.

lose one's mind »    To become mad, insane.

lose out »    To be at a disadvantage.

low road »    A course of action which is undignified, wrongful, or otherwise unseemly.

low-hanging fruit »    Easily obtained gains; what can be obtained by readily available means.

lump in one's throat »    A feeling of emotional sadness. On the point of crying.

lump to one's throat »    A feeling of emotional sadness. On the point of crying.

mad as a March hare »    Crazy, demented.

mad money »    A sum of money kept in reserve or to insulate oneself financially in the event of the sudden breakdown of a relationship in which one is economically dependent.

mad money »    A sum of money, often relatively small in amount, kept in reserve to use for impulsive, frivolous purposes.

made in China »    Cheaply manufactured in East Asia.

made in China »    Manufactured in the People's Republic of China.

made in China »    Of poor or low quality.

made in Japan »    Cheaply manufactured in East Asia.

made in Japan »    Manufactured in Japan.

made in Japan »    Of poor or low quality.

made in the shade »    In a condition characterized by comfort, success, easy living, or general well-being.

make a meal of »    That is the eleventh edit that you have made to that word, you are really making a meal of it.

make a pig's ear of »    To do badly; to make a mess of.

make an example of »    He made an example of the drunken sailor with twenty lashes, to show that he must have a sober crew.

make an exhibition of oneself »    She had far too much to drink and made an exhibition of herself by flirting with everyone.

make for »    head towards

make hay »    To take advantage of an opportunity.

make head or tail of »    To determine to be good or bad.

make head or tail of »    To understand even minimally.

make headway »    To progress; to move forward.

make the grade »    To prove satisfactory; to be successful or worthy of merit.

man made »    artificial

man of parts »    A man that is talented in multiple areas of life. This includes but is not limited to the area of seduction. He puts very little emphasis on memorized scripts or "peacocking" and instead relies on individualized ways to charm a woman.

man up »    To "be a man about it"; to do the things a good man is traditionally expected to do, such as: taking responsibility for the consequences of one's actions; displaying bravery or toughness in the face of adversity; providing for one's family, etc.

man up »    To staff adequately; to staff up; to successfully fill all needed labor positions.

managerial inbreeding »    Bad management, caused by managers making poor selection choices in recruitment, rewards, and promotions of the staff that report to them, leading to another generation of managers who lack the necessary skill sets to reward and promote the most effective staff.

mark up »    To add coding to text so that it will display properly on a computer.

marry in haste, repent at leisure »    Getting married too soon will lead to a bad marriage.

marry in haste, repent at leisure »    Two things together too soon will lead to problems.

match made in heaven »    A marriage that is likely to be happy and successful because the two people are very compatible with each other.

match made in heaven »    A very successful combination of two people or things.

match made in hell »    A marriage that is likely to be unhappy or abusive and unsuccessful because the two people are very incompatible with each other.

match made in hell »    A very unsuccessful or conflicting combination of two people or things.

me three »    Used to express agreement, after someone has already said "me too".

melon head »    A dimwit, a fool.

melon head »    A melon-headed whale.

middle of the road »    Having a centrist attitude or philosophy; not extreme, especially politically.

middle of the road »    Of a type of melodic popular music that has wide appeal.

mind you »    Used to draw attention to adjacent words.

mine arse on a bandbox »    An answer to the offer of any thing inadequate to the purpose for which it is proffered, like offering a bandbox for a seat.

misfortunes never come singly »    bad things or situations always come in groups, they never come in a single way.

miss the boat »    To fail to take advantage of an opportunity; to overlook or be too late to pursue an option or course of action.

mixed bag »    Something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a mixture of advantages and disadvantages.

mixed blessing »    Something that has both good and bad features.

mixed message »    Any communication that is contradictory, inconsistent, or unclear, especially in its motive or intent.

mocking is catching »    An admonishment to be careful of criticising others, lest the same happen to you.Mocking is Catching was the title of a 1726 song by Henry Carey.

money talks »    It is easier to accomplish goals using money instead of just talk.

monkey on one's back »    An addiction, especially to narcotic drugs.

monkey wrench »    A wrench with a smooth adjustable jaw to grip different sizes of nuts.

moses basket »    portable cradle

mouth breather »    A person who routinely inhales and exhales through the mouth, instead of through the nose.

move the goalposts »    To alter the agreed basis, scope, standards or target of a procedure or task during its course, especially to do so to someone's advantage.

mutual admiration society »    A group of two or more people, in a workplace or other social environment, who routinely express considerable esteem and support for one another, sometimes to the point of exaggeration or pretense.

ne'er cast a clout til May be out »    Advice not to change from winter clothes to summer clothes until June, as there is often a sudden cold snap in May.

necker's knob »    A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.

nice guy »    An adult male who seeks sexual attraction and romantic intimacy, but only finds cordial friendship and platonic love.

nightcap »    The second game of a doubleheader.

nip and tuck »    So evenly matched that the advantage shifts from one to the other, and the outcome is uncertain.

no ifs, ands, or buts »    Period; exactly so; without modification, limitation, or addendum.

no news is good news »    A lack of information about a situation suggests that nothing bad has happened.

no slouch »    Pretty good; not bad.

nobody's perfect »    Used when someone's mistakes or flaws are acknowledged, to remind that everyone else makes mistakes and has flaws1995, New York Magazine Vol. 28, No. 5, 30 January 1995, The de-moralization of society (Book Review)Hypocrisy, particularly in sexual matters, is excused on the grounds that hey, nobody's perfect, and at least folks back then felt bad enough to lie.2000, Madonna, Nobody's PerfectI feel so sad. What I did wasn't right. I feel so bad and I must say to you: Sorry, but nobody's perfect. Nobody's perfect. What did you expect? I'm doing my best

not a pretty sight »    Something disappointing, disquieting, disreputable, or otherwise unworthy of admiration.

not bad »    Reasonably good.

not be caught dead »    To refuse completely to do something.

not half bad »    Pretty good; okay; decent.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    Ambrose Bierce , The Fiend's Delight In conclusion, his respect for letter-writing ladies is so great that he would not touch one of them with a ten-foot pole.

nothing to sneeze at »    Not bad; decent; acceptable; worthwhile.

nudge nudge wink wink »    A phrase added at the end of the sentence to hint that the speaker is referring to something else, euphemistically.

nut-cutting time »    Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.

off one's dot »    Off one's rocker; bananas; mad.

off the radar »    Unlikely to happen, or be important in the near future or tending to escape detection or attention.

off the top of one's head »    Without great thought or investigation; extemporaneous; natural; offhand.

off-roader »    A vehicle that is designed to drive off the road.

oh, well »    An expression of disappointment or resignation; too bad; pity.

old time used to be »    Roberta, lyrics by Leadbelly.

on air »    broadcast

on hand »    Available; ready; in stock.

on hand »    close by; ready to help

on its merits »    Considering only intrinsic good points and bad points, without prejudice or other considerations, such as procedural ones.

on one's soapbox »    Stating or professing one's opinion; attempting to persuade others of something.

on opposite sides of the barricades »    Of starkly different, opposite views on an issue.

on the cuff »    On credit, with payment to be made later.

on the ladder »    Figuratively a property ladder, owning property.

on the make »    Actively seeking an opportunity for self-advancement; eager to ingratiate oneself to others in order to secure some advantage.

on top of »    In addition to something else.

one brick short of a full load »    Not mentally sound; insane.

one brick short of a full load »    Stupid.

one can run but one can't hide »    There is nothing someone can do to evade something.You can run but you can't hide.

one of his majesty's bad bargains »    A worthless soldier, a malingeror.

one of those days »    A bad day.

one step forward, two steps back »    A situation in which progress is more than offset by adverse developments.

ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny »    (biology, social sciences, art, philosophy) The physical, cultural, moral, or intellectual development of each individual passes through stages similar to the developmental stages of that individual's species, society, or civilization.1905, J. A. Harris, "The Importance of Investigations of Seedling Stages," Science, New Series, vol. 22, no. 554, p. 186:With reference to seedling stages the statement that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny must be made with great reserve.1961, M. E. Wolfgang, "Pioneers in Criminology: Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909)," The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science, vol. 52, no. 4, p. 367:Haeckel maintained that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny, and this idea was incorporated by Lombroso into his parallelism between the criminal and the child.2002, B. S. Jackson, "Models in Legal History: The Case of Biblical Law," Journal of Law and Religion, vol. 18, no. 1, p. 11:For even if we accept that "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny," those responsible for the drafting of ancient legal documents were not children, and are hardly to be endowed with some form of infantile mentality.

orange up »    To make more prominent by making orange or adding orange colour.

out of house and home »    Helping Your Dog Adjust to a New Home, The Progressive Animal Welfare Society.

out of kilter »    Disturbed; out of order; not working or adjusted properly.

out of reach »    The adult magazines were out of reach of toddlers.

out of the frying pan, into the fire »    From an already bad situation to a worse one.

out on the tiles »    I've had a pint of bitter and now I'm feeling better and I'm out on the tiles." Led Zeppelin in their song "Out on the tiles", 1970.

out the window »    Made obsolete; altered drastically as a result of situational change.

over a barrel »    In a disadvantageous or helpless situation, in which one may be controlled or victimized.

over and out »    Used to signal the end of a conversation, especially one conducted by CB radio or the like.

over my dead body »    Under no circumstances; absolutely not.

over one's head »    More complex or confusing than one can understand; beyond one’s comprehension..

over one's head »    Performing at a level greatly superior to one's usual level of performance.

own up »    To acknowledge, confess, or admit guilt. Often used with to.

ox is in the ditch »    This is a big problem; there is unavoidable or demanding work ahead.

paint with a broad brush »    To describe a class of objects or a kind of phenomenon in general terms, without specific details and without attention to individual variations.

palace politics »    The relationships and interactions of top-level officials, advisors and other powerbrokers within a government, especially as involving internal rivalry and intrigue.

pan out »    By swirling dirt or crushed rock in a pan of water, in the manner of a traditional prospector seeking gold.

paper »    A sheet material used for writing on or printing on , usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.

paper »    A written document that reports scientific or academic research and is usually subjected to peer review before publication in a scientific journal or in the proceedings of a scientific or academic meeting .

parade of horribles »    A parade featuring a progression of people wearing comic and grotesque costumes.

parade of horribles »    A rhetorical device employing a series of progressively more terrible results following from an act.

pardon my French »    Please excuse my swearing or bad language.

pare down »    To reduce by paring or a similar gradual process.

park the car in Harvard Yard »    A sentence used to illustrate that the Boston accent is non-rhotic; typically pronounced "pahk the cah in Hahvad Yahd".

pass muster »    To adequately pass a formal or informal inspection.

pass out »    To graduate, usually marked by the ceremony at the end of their training.

pay one's dues »    To outlay money which is owed as a membership fee or price of admission.

payback's a bitch »    Usually a complete sentence as an interjection: I am amused that someone got their revenge on you...but you certainly had it coming.

pearl of wisdom »    A succinct, insightful saying, piece of advice, or moral precept.

pickin' and grinnin' »    Vigorously playing folk or country music on a stringed musical instrument, especially the guitar or banjo, while smiling broadly.

pink slip »    An automobile roadworthiness inspection certificate.

piss and vinegar »    Exuberance or enthusiasm, especially to an excessive degree; bravado; youthful energy.

play along »    To take part in a charade, deception, or practical joke.

play dumb »    To pretend to be slow-witted or lacking in specific knowledge, usually in order to avoid responsibility or to gain some advantage.

plead the fifth »    To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.

plead the fifth »    To refuse to answer a question, or refuse to speak, especially when the response would reflect badly on the speaker.

point blank »    The distance between a gun and a target such that it requires minimal effort in aiming it. In particular no allowance needs to be made for the effects of gravity, target movement or wind in aiming the projectile.

possession is nine-tenths of the law »    One who has possession of a thing has some right to it; a popular statement of the doctrine of adverse possession.

power up »    To become ready for operation as a result of the provision of electrical power.

preach to the choir »    Speaking as if to convince a person or group of something which that person or group already believes.

preprogram »    To program something in advance.

pretzel »    A toasted bread or cracker usually in the shape of a loose knot.

prevail upon »    To convince; to persuade.

prevention is better than cure »    it is better to prevent the creation of a bad thing, than to destroy it.

price on one's head »    A compensation for capturing or killing a person, especially someone guilty of a crime.

proverbs run in pairs »    Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.

pull away »    To move ahead.

pull one's head in »    To withdraw as a turtle might; to discontinue support of a particular argument.

pull out »    To maneuver a vehicle from the side of a road onto the lane.

pull somebody's leg »    To tease someone; to lead someone on; to goad someone into overreacting. It usually implies teasing or goading by jokingly lying.

pure and simple »    Plain and unadorned.

push one's luck »    To take an excessive risk or to attempt some task unlikely to succeed, especially after having already been unexpectedly lucky.

pushing up daisies »    Dead.

put away »    To take a large lead in a game.

put down »    To administer euthanasia to, as an animal too old or ill to cure.

put down »    To add a name to a list.

put on »    To record, to add to a record or document.

put one foot in front of the other »    To move forward, progress steadily.

put the cat among the pigeons »    Professor Stephen Hawking put the cat among the pigeons last week with his cheery remarks about comet Machholz-2, which some astronomers believe could be heading our way. — The Times, 19 September 1994.

quarter of »    "I need twenty minutes to get to the shop." "You'll be late. It's already a quarter of.".

quick on the uptake »    Able to readily understand things; intelligent.

quick-and-dirty »    Done or constructed in a hasty, approximate, temporarily adequate manner, but not exact, fully formed, or reliable for a long period of time.

quicumque vult »    A forward girl, ready to oblige every man that shall ask her.

Rabbit »    Caught like a rabbit in the headlights.

rain on someone's parade »    To disappoint or discourage someone.

rake »    The sloped edge of a roof at or adjacent to the first or last rafter.

rat run »    A small road that people venture down when they want to sneak off the motorway and take a short cut.

read between the lines »    To infer a meaning that is not stated explicitly.

read lips »    To lipread.

read out »    To read something and say the words to inform other people.

read out »    To read some data and inform the person using the device.

read somebody the riot act »    To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.

read somebody's lips »    To discern what somebody is saying by watching the shape of the mouth rather than by hearing the sounds of the words.

real job »    A job that can't be replaced advantageously by a machine or a procedure.

reap what one sows »    To receive as a reward or harvest in the same measure as one's exertions, in a good or a bad sense. To receive justice.

reckon without »    To ignore that which cannot readily be ignored.

red herring »    A clue that is misleading or that has been falsified, intended to divert attention.

rediscover fire »    To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well known and widely practiced at a prior time in human society.

reinvent the wheel »    To redo work unnecessarily when it has already been done satisfactorily; to rethink an already working system, technique, etc. in a pointless attempt to improve it.

rest on one's laurels »    To rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further.

ride tall in the saddle »    To act or conduct oneself in a manner that is imposing, impressive, resolute, or manly.

ride tall in the saddle »    To ride a horse in an erect, imposing manner.

road apple »    Horse manure, especially when deposited on a road.

road movie »    A film in which much of the action takes place during a journey, especially one involving overland travel.

road to Damascus »    A road to Damascus moment, or change, is an important point in someone's life where a great change, or reversal, of ideas or beliefs occurs.

road to Damascus »    That was my Road to Damascus moment. They played one hit after another and this is the song I remember most clearly.

roadwarrior »    A person who carries a mobile device such as a laptop or PDA and uses wireless internet connections to work.

roadwarrior »    Alternative spelling of road warrior.

rob the cradle »    To marry or become romantically involved with a much younger person.

rob the cradle »    To use a young person for a purpose inappropriate to his or her age.

robber baron »    Especially in the 19th-century and early 20th-century, a business tycoon who had great wealth and influence but whose methods were morally questionable.

root cause »    An initiating cause of a chain of events which leads to an outcome or effect of interest.

rose-colored glasses »    Glasses that are tinted in a pink or rose shade.

rough and ready »    Crude or unpolished, but still fit for use; good enough.

round out »    To make more complete by adding details.

round the bend »    Crazy, mad or insane.

rub it in »    To add insult to injury; to emphasize one's strengths or another's weaknesses in a manner that degrades another.

rub off on »    To adapt to a way of behaving after constant exposure to it.

rules are made to be broken »    it is acceptable to break rules.

rumor campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

run down »    To read quickly a list or other short text.

run into »    To blend into; to be followed by or adjacent to without there being a clear boundary.

run into the ground »    To discuss ad nauseam.

run off »    To leave someone without prior advice.

run out the clock »    To preserve a lead in a game by retaining possession, to waste time.

run through »    To pervade, of a quality that is characteristic of a group, organisation, or system.

run through »    To impale a person with a blade, usually a sword.

salad years »    The inexperienced, youthful prime of an individual, group, organization or entity.

scissorbill »    And railroad term for someone who refused to join the union or who openly colluded with management to thwart the union.

scratch one's head »    To puzzle, ponder, or wonder about something.

sea legs »    The ability, when walking aboard ship, to anticipate the motion of the deck so as to walk steadily without losing balance.

seagull approach »    The occurence of casual, ill-informed and hasty decisions or comments made by outside authorities who lack an understanding of the local issues or a real understanding of the facts of a particular situ.

second banana »    A comedian who plays a secondary or supporting role, especially as straight man and traditionally in vaudeville or burlesque theatre.

second childhood »    A childlike state in any adult, resulting from mental illness, trauma, or other conditions.

see the forest for the trees »    To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the bigger picture, or the broader, more general situation. Generally used in the negative.

see through »    To be able to predict or read someone.

see you later »    A phrase used at parting, and not necessarily implying that the person being addressed will be seen later by the speaker.

sell a bargain »    A species of wit, much in vogue about the latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, and frequently alluded to by Dean Swift, who says the maids of honour often amused themselves with it. It consisted in the seller naming his or her hinder parts, in answer to the question, What? which the buyer was artfully led to ask. As a specimen, take the following instance: A lady would come into a room full of company, apparently frightened, crying out "It is white, and follows me!" As soon as someone responded "What?" she sold him the bargain, by saying "Mine arse".

sell ice to Eskimos »    To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous.

sell out »    To abandon one's supporters or principles to seek profit or other personal advantage.

seller's market »    An excess of demand over supply, leading to abnormally high prices; a market condition favoring the seller.

set off »    To count an addition in one thing against a reduction in something else.

shape up »    To improve; to correct one's bad habits or behavior.

sharp cookie »    One who is intelligent, bright, or sharp; especially, one who can identify attempts to deceive or mislead.

shit happens »    Bad things happen, and there is nothing we can do about it.

shit-eating grin »    A broad smile indicating self-awareness that may suggest self-satisfaction, smugness, discomfort, or embarrassment.

shoot one's bolt »    To use up one's resources, especially a singular one or one not readily restored.

shot in the dark »    A guess, attempt, or choice made with little or no evidence or knowledge.

shotgun »    A gun which fires loads consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.

shotgun approach »    An approach in which the subject is indiscriminate and haphazard, using breadth, spread, or quantity in lieu of accuracy, planning, etc.

shotgun wedding »    A wedding in which the bride is already pregnant.

shroud »    Especially, the dress for the dead; a winding sheet.

shy bladder »    An inability to urinate in the presence of others.

sign off »    Term used to describe the closing of a radio or television station's studios and cessation of a broadcasting signal, usually during the overnight hours.

sign on »    The time of day when a radio or television station begins broadcasting, usually after being off the air for several hours.

silver bullet »    A bullet made of silver, usually with reference to the folkloric belief that such bullets are the only weapons which can kill a werewolf.

sing along »    A gathering or event where participants are encouraged to add their voices in song.

sitting pretty »    In a favorable situation, especially a situation in which one possesses an advantage.

six feet under »    Buried six feet underground; not alive; dead.

sleep on »    To consider after a period of sleep, implying a decision will be made the next day.

sleepy head »    A very tired person.

slop bowl »    One of the four components of the traditional tea set. Tea drinkers emptied their unwanted, cold tea into the slop bowl before refilling their cups with fresh, hot tea.

slow burn »    A gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.

snake oil »    Snake oil is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat joint pain.

snap someone's head off »    To suddenly and sharply rebuke or insult a person, especially in response to a harmless remark.

snazz up »    To improve appearance or appeal by increasing stylishness or functionality, or by adding other attractive features.

snow job »    An attempt to persuade a person using flattery or deception.

snow on the mountaintop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

snow on the rooftop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

so there »    A defiant expression used to finish a poorly-made argument.

sob story »    A sad story told to make others feel sympathy for the teller.

soft shoe »    A speech, explanation, sales pitch, or other set of remarks delivered in a restrained or conciliatory manner in order to persuade, distract, or otherwise influence someone.

soft touch »    A person or group which is sympathetic, accommodating, easily overcome, or easily persuaded, especially one which loans or readily gives money to another.

softroader »    . This involves increased ground clearance with tyre, wheel, and suspension tweaks, skid plates and refers to mini SUV or wagons.

soldier on »    To continue or persist, despite adversity or difficulty.

some days you get the bear, other days the bear gets you »    One cannot always overcome a powerful adversary.

something awful »    Intensely or extremely; badly; in the worst way.

sow one's wild oats »    To indulge in a period of irresponsible behavior, particularly sexually; Often used in reference to young adults or to the recently divorced.

sow one's wild oats »    To spread one's genes around by impregnating many females.

spaghetti western »    Nickname for a motion picture produced by an Italian-based company and filmed in Europe, depicting a tale of cowboys and desperadoes set in the American Old West.

spanner »    A hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts.

spark spread »    The difference between the cost of the fuel required to produce a unit of electricity, and the price of that same unit of electricity.

speak to »    To address a particular topic.

speak up »    To make oneself or one's opinions known; to advocate or assert oneself.

spice up »    To enhance the flavor of something by adding spice to it.

spread out »    Become further apart.

spread out »    To place items further apart.

square off »    To get ready for a fight.

square up »    To get ready for a fight.

stamp out »    To get rid of, eradicate.

stand by »    To wait in expectation of some event; to make ready.

stand for »    To advocate, to support.

stand off »    To prevent any would-be attacker from coming close by adopting an offensive posture.

stand stock still »    Paul Travers' Adventures, by Sam T. Clover.

start off on the wrong foot »    To begin badly; especially, to begin a relationship badly.

steal a march on »    To get ahead of someone or something by starting earlier.

step down »    To gradually reduce something, a little at a time, as an electronic step down transformer.

stick with »    To follow or adhere to.

sticking point »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place.

sticking-place »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking point.

stone dead »    Utterly dead.

stop dead »    To stop suddenly.

stop on a dime »    To stop dead; stop suddenly.

storm in a tea-kettle »    A big fuss made in a small context.

straw poll »    A survey of opinion which is unofficial, casual, or ad hoc.

suck up »    To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.

suffer fools gladly »    To be tolerant of stupidity or incompetence in other people.

sugarcoated »    Made superficially more attractive. This often implies the reality has faults that are being hidden.

swallow one's pride »    To set aside one's feelings of pride and adopt a more humble or appropriate stance.

swear off »    To quit or cease completely, or to promise to quit, as of a bad habit.

sweet hereafter »    Heaven; paradise as enjoyed in the afterlife.

swing the lead »    To pretend to be unwell so that you do not have to work.

switch off »    To alternate between; to trade.

sword and sandal »    Of or pertaining to a genre of books or films relating fantasy-adventure tales involving heroic exploits in ancient or biblical times.

take a bead on »    To aim a gun at something.

take a leaf out of someone's book »    To adopt an idea or practice of another person.

take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves »    If you take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things.1750, Chesterfield, letter 5 Feb. (1932) IV. 1500:Old Mr. Lowndes, the famous Secretary of the Treasury, ?used to say?Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.1912, G. B. Shaw, Pygmalion ii. 132:Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves is as true of personal habits as of money.1979, R. Cassilis, Arrow of God, iv. xvii.:Little things, Master Mally. Look after the pennies, Master Mally, and the pounds will look after themselves.1999,

take in »    To foster or adopt a child informally.

take its toll »    To affect, especially negatively; to damage or degrade; to cause destruction.

take liberties »    To behave disrespectfully, especially to make unwanted sexual advances.

take one's lumps »    To endure through criticism or other adversity.

take over »    To adopt a further responsibility or duty.

take someone's point »    To agree with what a person says; to understand a person's argument and be persuaded by it.

take the biscuit »    To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.

take the cake »    To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.

take the lead »    To assume leadership over a group.

take the lead »    To become the leader, to advance into first place.

take the offensive »    To attack instead of defending; to be bold and proactive.

take the piss »    Are you takin' the piss? You'll get yer 'ead bashed in.

take the shadow for the substance »    To be easily deceived, credulous, superficial.

take to »    To adapt to; to learn, grasp or master.

take to task »    To lecture, berate, admonish, or hold somebody accountable for his or her actions.

take up »    That which takes up or tightens; specifically, a device in a sewing machine for drawing up the slack thread as the needle rises, in completing a stitch.

talk over »    To persuade someone; to talk around.

talking head »    A pundit who discusses issues of the day, especially one on TV.

tall in the saddle »    Imposing, impressive; resolute; manly.

taper off »    To diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.

tell off »    To rebuke, to reprimand, or to admonish.

that's the way life is »    That is the way things happenCertain things cannot be changed, helped or improved; struggle and objection are pointless.1935, Louis Bromfield, The Man Who Had Everything [1], page 279:That's the way life is, and there's no use trying to go against it.1979, Jay Edward Abrams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption [2], ISBN 0310511011, page 45:There are no standards, no values; that's the way life is. Learn to accept it and slide with it. Stop fighting it.2002, B. Eugene Ellison, Rings of the Templars, ISBN 059524050X, page 337:Shit happens; that's the way life is. In fact, I want you to take an additional thousand for your efforts.

the Devil »    Used to add emphasis to a question or statement.

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get »    (vulgar) The sexual satisfactions that one receives from a spouse or romantic partner are not sufficient to compensate for the significant periods of bad faith and unpleasant treatment which such relationships routinely involve.1971, Allen Churchill, The Literary Decade, ISBN 9780135375228:Years later she expressed her disillusionment with sex by saying, "The fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."1999, Ben Sonnenberg, Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy, ISBN 9781582430454, p. 93:Maitland got drunk at his parties and threw his arm around you and pulled you over to his wife and made you look down her dress, saying, "The trouble with marriage is that the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."2008, Joseph Heywood, Blue Wolf In Green Fire, ISBN 9781599213590, p. 63:"I can't believe a little pussy got me into dis mess." "Shit happens," Service said. "Sometimes the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."

the nose knows »    Despite the addressee's belief that the speaker was unaware of something, the speaker, in fact, was already aware.

the road to hell is paved with good intentions »    well-intended acts can lead to disaster

the shoe is on the other foot »    The roles of people in a situation have been reversed, such the advantage has shifted to a party which was previously disadvantaged.

the straw that broke the camel's back »    A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something.

the upper hand »    An advantage or lead.

thick and thin »    Both good and bad times.

thin end of the wedge »    Something that if allowed or accepted to a small degree would lead to systematic encroachment.

think of England »    To tolerate or endure bad sex. Used in conjunction with "I just lie on my back and.." "I just go through the motions and..." etc.

think the world of »    To have a good opinion; to esteem; to admire.

those who will not when they may, when they will they shall have nay »    (archaic) One should take immediate advantage of an opportunity that may not be available later.

three Rs »    The basic education any child can expect to receive, but not necessarily limited to reading, writing and arithmetic.

three Rs »    The basic education received in primary schools. Literally; reading, writing and arithmetic.

throw away »    To place a son or daughter for adoption.

throw dirt enough, and some will stick »    If enough allegations are made about someone or something, then even if they are all untrue, people's opinion of the person or thing will be diminished.1759, John Wesley, letter to John Downes, Rector of St. Michael's, Wood Street, read at Wesley Center Online at [1] on 14 Oct 06.I hope...that you are ignorant of the whole affair, and are so bold only because you are blind...And blind enough; so that you blunder on through thick and thin, bespattering all that come in your way, according to the old, laudable maxim, 'Throw dirt enough, and some will stick.'1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, read at fullbooks.com on 14 Oct 06,But whatever harm a spiteful tongue could do them, he took care should be done. Only throw dirt enough, and some will stick.1864, John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Penguin Classics (1994), p. 10,Archbishop Whately used to say

throw down »    Admirably or forcefully.

throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick »    Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.2005, Mike Busson (poster on UKScreen forum) Re: Voiceovers!, read at [1] on 02 Nov 06,In terms of places to send your URL or CD's, there's no easy answer. It really is a case of throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.2005, "forwardone" (administrator posting on the HYIPForum), re: Alertpay phishing email, read at [2] on 02 Nov 06,I also think that sometimes they send out phishing e-mails in the hope that it`ll hit people who do have an account with a particular organization. You know, throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick theory.2006, Rob Manuel, How to be funny, read in Comedy Soup on the BBC website at [3] on 02 Nov 06,Throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick. Be prolific and don't be afraid to make stuff that's rubbish. If you keep trying eventually you'll get there.2006, Rex Pierce, Re: [303rd-Talk] D Day read on 303rd Bomb Group Talk Forum at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Believe the planners worked on the principle of "throw enough mud at the wall, and some of it will stick".If enough (perhaps false or reckless) accusations are made against someone, his reputation will suffer, whether or not this is deserved2006, "money" (poster on eTalk Money), Some thoughts about compact surfing, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,Word of advice NVUS time to distance yourself from LuukH as quickly as possible and dish some dirt, otherwise well the saying goes - throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.

throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick »    Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.2001, And still no one is shouting stop. read in The Kingdom archives at [1] on 02 Nov 06,Many team managers are of the philosophy that if you throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick. They believe that team preparation is all about physical fitness. They run the players into the ground and they believe they will be "flying on the day".2001, Robert McCrum, Let them eat cake, in The Observer 16 Dec 01, read on Guardian Unlimited site at [2] on 02 Nov 06,Australian publishing boomed and in the past 10 years the country's literary culture has undergone a mini golden age, capped by Carey's triumph at the 2001 Booker Prize. As one Australian arts administrator said to me many years ago: 'Listen, mate, if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.'2001, Chris Collin, Re: 2-cp speys on The Strathspey Server mailing list archive at [3] on 02 Nov 06,I am finding that "if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick". It doesn't always work of course (especially on the nights when the class is mostly the beginners), but the class seems to thrive on the challange.2005, Ray Craft (poster on The right scale blog), Fitzhooie and his Burden, read at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Prosecutors everywhere have bad habits of overcharging lots of cases, knowing that if the throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick.2005, Sean Kelleher, Spike Milligan: His part in our downfall in Business 07 Aug 05, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,As long as there is negligible regulation and enforcement anyone can actually try and do the job...Weak regulation allows the industry to build strategies on full time recruitment. The theory goes: throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.c2005, Everything You've Learned About Marketing Is Wrong, read on LINC Performance website at [6] on 02 Nov 06,They have the money to continue to believe in the repetition side of the equation. You throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick. But it still isn

throw in at the deep end »    To introduce a person to a new situation without adequately preparing him or her.

throw the baby out with the bathwater »    To discard something valuable, often inadvertently, in the process of removing waste.

time out of mind »    A lengthy duration of time, longer than is readily remembered.

timeserver »    A person who conforms to current opinions, especially for reasons of personal advantage; an opportunist.

tip one's hand »    To inadvertently reveal any secret, particularly a secret that puts one at an advantage or disadvantage.

to be sure »    Admittedly, undoubtedly, certainly.

to go »    Belonging to the subgroup that have not passed or have not been finished or have not been addressed yet.

to hell in a handbasket »    To a bad state of affairs quickly.

to the victor go the spoils »    The winner of a conflict wins additional benefits, beyond just the subject of the conflict.

tomato tomato »    Uses insignificant pronunciation difference to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.

too bad »    It is unfortunate that.

too bad »    That's a pity; that's unfortunate.

top banana »    The boss, the leader.

top shelf »    Books, magazines, or movies that have adult content, or soft-core porn.

touch up »    To make slight corrections or adjustments; to fill in or perfect.

touched in the head »    Demented, slightly mentally deficient.

tough luck »    Bad luck.

travel junkie »    Who are using their time and money to seek out adventure holidays and travel.

tread lightly »    To proceed carefully; especially, to seek to avoid causing offense.

trick of the trade »    A shortcut or other quick, or very effective way of doing things, that professional workers learn from experience.

trigger-happy »    Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.

trip to the woodshed »    An occasion on which a reprimand or punishment is administered.

truth be told »    Used when admitting something one might otherwise lie about, e.g. to keep up appearances or be polite.

try one's hand »    To attempt a skill, craft, or trade.

tuits »    If I had more tuits.[1].

tune in »    To select a channel, station, etc., as on television or radio.

tune up »    To make adjustments to an engine in order to improve its performance.

turn away »    To rotate the body or head so as not to face someone or something.

turn away »    To refuse to admit someone.

turn back »    No turn a dial anticlockwise or adjust a clock or other meter to an earlier time or reading.

turn heads »    To garner a considerable amount of attention.

turn off »    To leave a road; exit.

turn on »    To enter a road.

turn on its head »    To completely change.

turn out »    To leave a road.

turn over a new leaf »    To engage in self-improvement; to begin a good habit or shed a bad habit.

turn the air blue »    To speak a stream of bad language; to curse and swear.

turn the tables »    To reverse a situation, such that the advantage has shifted to the party which was previously disadvantaged.

two heads are better than one »    Some problems may be solved more easily by two (or more) people working together than by one working alone.

two wrongs don't make a right »    (ethics) A wrongful action is not a morally appropriate way to correct or cancel a previous wrongful action.1915, William MacLeod Raine, The Highgrader, ch. 15:"But when it comes to taking what belongs to another

under one's belt »    Already done; within one's experience; practiced.

under the radar »    Without attracting notice; in an undetected or secretive manner.

under the table »    Secretly or without reporting, especially of payments made or business transacted.

under the weather »    Experiencing adversity.

under the wire »    At the last minute; before the deadline; barely on time; nearly late.

up a creek without a paddle »    In a difficult situation, without any help. Superlative form of up a creek: most up a creek.

up shit creek without a paddle »    Alternative form of up the creek without a paddle.

up the creek without a paddle »    In a difficult situation with no means of rectifying it.

up the wall »    Crazy, mad.

up to scratch »    Sufficient; adequate; of acceptable or satisfactory quality.

up to snuff »    Adequate; of acceptable or quality; satisfying an appropriate standard.

upper crust »    The topmost layer of a bread, pastry dish, or other item with a hardened coating.

valley of death »    Lord Alfred Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade.

valley of the shadow of death »    Valleys on earth one must walk through, that is, part of the human experience.

vice squad »    police department

wade in »    To interrupt someone, or a situation, by doing or saying something abruptly, or forcefully, and usually without thinking about the consequences.

wade through »    To do a boring, repetitive research task.

walk in the snow »    An occasion when a momentous career decision is made, especially a decision to resign or retire.

walk the line »    To participate in the procession at a graduation ceremony; to graduate.

warm up »    To prepare for executing an already-learned activity by a limited amount of additional practice.

wash out »    To cancel due to bad weather.

watch one's head »    To look out for things one's head might bump into.

water down »    To dilute; to add water.

water over the dam »    An event or set of events which has already happened and cannot be changed.

wear off »    To disappear because of being abraded, over-polished, or abused.

whack-a-mole »    The practice of trying to stop something that persistently occurs in an apparently random manner at the point where the occurrence is noticed, such as terminating spammers' e-mail accounts or closing pop-up advertisement windows.

what goes around comes around »    The status eventually returns to its original value after completing some sort of cycle.A person's actions, whether good or bad, will often have consequences for that person.

what in God's name »    Used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning question.

what is more »    Furthermore, or in addition, moreover.

what on Earth »    Used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning question.

what the Devil »    Used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning question.

what the dickens »    Euphemism for what the Devil, used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning a question.

what's the good of »    What is the purpose or advantage of.

when in Rome »    Adjust to local customs.

when it rains, it pours »    If a person encounters bad luck, more bad luck will follow.

when the cat's away »    People are likely to take advantage of the absence of authority or enforcement of compliance.

when the cat's away the mice will play »    In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.

where there's muck there's brass »    (UK, Irish) There is money to be made in unpleasant dirty jobs.

whisper campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

who's 'she', the cat's mother%3F »    A rebuke especially directed towards children for having referred to their mother, or any other woman in the third person, instead of using a properly respectful title or their name when appropriate.

whole enchilada »    All of something or a group of related things taken in totality.

why in God's name »    Used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning question.

why on Earth »    Used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning a question.

why the dickens »    Euphemism for why the Devil, used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning a question.

willful ignorance »    A bad faith decision to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt. It may also be shown as for a person to have no clue in a decision but still goes ahead in their decision.

win over »    To persuade someone, gain someone's support, or make someone understand the truth or validity of something.

winter rat »    An old, unattractive automobile, purchased for little money, to be driven during brutal Great Lakes winters while the owner's "good" car remains garaged and protected from corrosive road salt for the season.

with no further ado »    Without any other formalities; with no further delay.

without further ado »    With no further ado.

wooden spoon »    A spoon made from wood.

word to the wise »    A piece of advice.

work out »    To extract gradually.

work the room »    To interact with one's audience, taking queues from its reactions and adapting one's performance or words to elicit the audience's attention and enthusiasm.

worth one's salt »    Competent or adept.

wouldn't you know it »    Expresses dismay or annoyance, especially at bad luck or misfortune.

wrestling with a pig »    To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.

write down »    To make a downward adjustment in the value of an asset.

yank off »    To remove something, like a piece of cloth or bread, by tearing it with one quick strong pull.

yellow journalism »    Material published in a broadcast or periodical, such as a tabloid newspaper or magazine, which is sensationalistic and of questionable accuracy and taste.

you are what you eat »    If you eat well, you will be well; but if you eat badly you will feel bad

you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar »    It's easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude than with rude demands and negativity.

you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink »    You can show someone how to do something, but you can't make them do it.

you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear »    It is not possible to produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.

you can't polish a turd »    (vulgar) Something inherently bad cannot be improved.

you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows »    You don't need an expert to tell you what you already know.

you get more with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone »    It is advantageous not to rely solely on being nice.

you made your bed, now sleep in it »    A moralizing rejection said to someone looking for an easy out, especially of a situation they put themselves into.

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