We've found 1145 phrases for AI (0.1 seconds):

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 cat may look at a king »    Even a purported inferior has certain abilities, even in the presence of a purported superior

a chain is only as strong as its weakest link »    An organization (especially a process or a business) is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person. A group of associates is only as strong as its laziest member.

a closed mouth gathers no feet »    One who does not speak can be certain he won't say anything embarrassing.

a dumb priest never got a parish »    (Irish) Those who fail to speak up fail to get what they want.

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

a miss is as good as a mile »    A failure remains a failure, regardless of how close to success one has actually come.

a nod is as good as a wink »    The hint, suggestion etc can be understood without further explaining.

a picture is worth a thousand words »    Alternative form of a picture paints a thousand words.

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 pull of the hair for being unfair »    The general response to "A kick and a flick for being so quick", which is in turn a response in itself to "A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month".

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.

a watched pot never boils »    A process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it rather than engaging in other activities.

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

abide with »    To remain or live with someone.

able seaman »    ordinary sailor

abstract nonsense »    Details which involve diagram chasing.

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

according to »    Based on what is said or stated.

account for »    To explain by relating circumstances; to show that some one, thing or members of a group are present or have been processed.

acid test »    A rigorous test or appraisal of the quality or worth of something.

across the board »    Pertaining to all categories or things.

against all odds »    Despite seemingly insurmountable opposition or probability.

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

against the collar »    In a tight spot.

against the grain »    Contrary to what is expected; especially, of behavior different from what society expects.

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.

against the grain »    Unwillingly, reluctantly. It went much against the grain with him, i.e. it was much against his inclination, or against his pluck.

age before beauty »    A phrase said to allow older people to go before younger ones.

aim at »    To design for a particular audience.

air bed »    inflatable mattress

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

air out »    To discuss in the open.

air rage »    Disruptive behaviour on an aircraft.

all ears »    Awaiting an explanation.

all it's cracked up to be »    As good as claims or reputation would suggest.

all nations »    A composition of all the different spirits sold in a dram-shop, collected in a vessel into which the drainings of the bottles and quartern pots are emptied.

all things come to those who wait »    (dated) A patient seeker will be satisfied in due time; patience is a virtue.

all very well »    All right, to a certain extent.

all's fair in love and war »    unpleasant behavior is acceptable during love and conflict.

am I right or am I right »    Rhetorical question from somebody who has stated what they consider to be an unassailable truth.

an offer one can't refuse »    An offer from one side in any transaction with the results of failing to accept so unattractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.

and then some »    Used to confirm preceding utterance, while implying that what was said or asked is an understatement.

angle for »    To try to obtain something by subtle indirect means. Political manoeuvres, suggestion, etc.

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

apples and oranges »    Said of a comparison of items that are not comparable.

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.

are your ears burning »    Said of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.

arm candy »    An attractive, seemingly romantic companion who accompanies a person in public simply so that one or both of the individuals can gain attention, enhance social status, or create an impression of sexual appeal.

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.

ask for the moon »    To claim or desire something that one cannot have.

ask my arse »    A common reply to any question; still deemed wit at sea, and formerly at court, under the denomination of selling bargains.

at a stand »    In a state of confusion or uncertainty; undecided what to do next.

at cross purposes »    Against one another; contrary in direction or goals.

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

at loose ends »    In an uncertain position or situation.

at one's fingertips »    Readily available.

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

at the mercy of »    In the power of; defenceless/defenseless against.

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

au fait »    fully informed;

away with the fairies »    Not with it, dreaming, not all there.

babe in the woods »    A person who is innocent, naive, inexperienced, or helpless.

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

back-cloth star »    An actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.

bail out »    To secure the release of an arrested person by providing bail money.

bail out »    To remove water from a boat by scooping it out.

bail out »    To exit an aircraft while in flight.

bail out »    To rescue, especially financially.

bail out »    To leave or not attend.

bail out on »    To abandon, or stop supporting someone or something.

bale out »    Alternative spelling of bail out.

banged up »    Spending time in prison or jail.

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.

barrel of laughs »    That which is enjoyable or entertaining.

be after »    To try to obtain.

be in for »    To be able to expect or anticipate; to be about to suffer, generally said of something unpleasant.

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

be on the edge of one's seat »    To be in suspense; to wait eagerly or anxiously for some resolution.

be there for »    To be available to provide comfort and support for someone, especially in a period of difficulty.

be up against »    To be challenged by someone or something stronger than oneself.

bear up »    To sail close to the wind.

beat around the bush »    To treat a topic but omit its main points, often intentionally.

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

beat someone's brains out »    To beat someone very severely.

beat up »    To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.

beddable »    [...] feminine, great body great legs great taste, trained and beddable, Jesus, how beddable.

behind bars »    In jail or prison.

below the belt »    Of a punch, landing illegally, below the opponent's waist.

below the belt »    Unfair; dirty; not according to the generally accepted rules.

belt and suspenders »    Redundant systems, affording mutual backup in the event of one failing.

bend the truth »    To change or leave out certain facts of a story or situation, generally in order to elicit a specific response in the audience.

best laid plans »    A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.

bet the farm »    To be absolutely certain, to have no doubts.

better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all »    Having experience of love, even if it ended, is better than having no experience of love.Love is worthwhile despite the pain involved in separation.

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.

bid fair »    seem probable

bid fair »    seems probable

big break »    A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.

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

big mouth »    The mouth of someone who talks too much, especially by making exaggerated claims or by inappropriately revealing information.

big picture »    The main film in a double feature.

big up »    To proclaim or exaggerate the importance of.

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

bird of one's own brain »    One's own idea or conception.

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

bite the dust »    To quit, or fail.

bits and bobs »    A random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and things.

bitter end »    That part of an anchor cable which is abaft the bitts and thus remains onboard when a ship is riding at anchor.

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.

blaze a trail »    To set precedent or do something novel; to break new ground.

blaze a trail »    To show the way or proceed rapidly.

blow it »    To fail at something; to mess up; to make a mistake.

blow off »    To vent, usually, to reduce pressure in a container.

blow up »    To inflate or fill with air.

blow up »    To fail disastrously.

blow up in one's face »    To fail disastrously.

blow-by-blow »    Detailing every action or occurrence completely.

blue moon »    The third full moon in a quarter that contains four rather than the usual three full moons.

bluewash »    To tout a business or organization's commitment to social responsibility, and to use this perception for public relations and economic gain; to present a humanitarian front in this manner.

bluewash »    To use a blue paint or glaze.

bog standard »    Especially plain, ordinary, or unremarkable; having no special, excess or unusual features; plain vanilla.

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

boot camp »    A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.

boot camp »    Any short, intensive course of training.

boot camp »    Indoctrination, physical fitness training and basic instruction in service-related subjects for recruits in the Navy and Marine Corps.

born yesterday »    New, naive, innocent, inexperienced or easily deceived.

bottle out »    To fail to perform a promised or planned action due to lack of courage.

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.

brace of shakes »    The time taken for a sail to shake or shiver twice as a ship comes into the wind.

bragging rights »    The prerogative to praise oneself for an accomplishment or for possession of a superior characteristic.

brain fart »    A lapse in the thought process; an inability to think or remember something clearly.

brain fart »    Something ill-considered and said or done impulsively.

brain surgeon »    Someone very intelligent.

brain surgeon »    Someone who does brain surgery.

brain surgery »    Something that is overly complex, detailed or confusing.

brain surgery »    Surgery on any part of the nervous system, especially the brain; neurosurgery.

brain teaser »    puzzle

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.

brass monkey »    Said of the weather when it is very cold.

break a sweat »    January 2008, The Age - Walkovers blaze a trail for women's equal-pay theory.

break down »    To fail.

break down »    To give more detail.

break even »    To neither gain nor lose money.

break out »    To begin suddenly; to emerge in a certain condition.

break the bank »    To win more money than is available to be paid.

breath of fresh air »    Something relieving, refreshing, or new.

brickbat »    Reason Magazine: Daily Brickbat[1].

bridge »    A song contained within another song, often demarcated by meter, key, or melody.

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

bridge »    An elevated platform above the upper deck of a mechanically propelled ship from which it is navigated and from which all activities on deck can be seen and controlled by the captain, etc; smaller ships have a wheelhouse, and sailing ships were controlled from a quarterdeck.

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed »    Alert and in an eager, frisky, or playful mood; full of life.

bring it weak »    To fail to accomplish an accomplishable task or to make an attempt at less than maximum effort; to "half-ass" or "fake the funk".

bring round »    To resuscitate; to cause to regain consciousness.

bring up »    To raise children.

bucket down »    To rain heavily.

buoy up »    To uplift, hearten, inspire or raise the spirits.

burn down »    To completely burn, so that nothing remains.

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.

bustle with »    To teem with; abound with; to exhibit an energetic and active abundance of a thing; to be full of a certain activity or active beings.

but seriously folks »    Directs attention to immediately preceding failed attempt at humor.

but then »    Then again, on the other hand; used to show that the opposite viewpoint is possible.

butter up »    To flatter, especially with the intent of personal gain.

button-down »    Serious; staid; businesslike.

by all means »    Yes certainly; definitely.

by leaps and bounds »    Rapidly. Said of making progress.

by no means »    Certainly not; definitely not.

by the numbers »    To do something exactly, precisely, or in a formulaic way.

by-the-numbers »    Done in a predictable manner; formulaic.

call out »    To specify, especially in detail.

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

can't wait »    To eagerly anticipate; to find it unbearable to wait for a forthcoming pleasurable event.

captain of industry »    A prominent business person who owns or is the highest-ranking executive of one or more major firms, especially one who has considerable wealth and influence.

carry on »    To have an illicit sexual liaison.

carry on »    To have or maintain.

carry on »    To take baggage or luggage onto an airplane, rather than check it.

carry one's weight »    To contribute or produce one's fair share, as of work, money, etc.

castle in the air »    A visionary project or scheme; a day-dream; an idle fancy; a pipe dream; any plan, desire, or idea that is unlikely to be ever realized; a near impossibility.

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.

catch air »    To make a jump.

catch big air »    Superlative of catch air; make a big jump high off the ground.

caucus race »    A political competition; the game of campaigning and one-upmanship to get votes and be elected.

cause a stir »    To cause controversy, or raise a disturbance.

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.

ceterum censeo »    A formulaic expression used to end a speech by reinforcing one, often unrelated, major view.

chain reaction »    A nuclear reaction in which particles produced by the fission of one atom trigger fissions of other atoms.

chain reaction »    A series of events, each one causing the next.

charity mugger »    A person employed by a charity, or by an intermediary fundraising agency employed by the charity, who stands in the street and invites passersby to set up standing orders or direct debits to make regular donations to the charity.

chase a rainbow »    To pursue something illusory, impractical, or impossible.

chase tail »    Partner.

cheat on »    To be unfaithful to.

cheat sheet »    A sheet of paper containing notes used to assist on a test.

cheaters never prosper »    One does not gain from cheating.

check in »    To announce or record one's arrival at a hotel, airport etc.

check is in the mail »    A common excuse used by debtors to put off creditors.

check out »    To obtain computer source code from a repository.

cheese down »    To coil the tail of a rope on deck so as to present a neat appearance.

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.

chicken out »    To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.

chuck it down »    To rain heavily.

chump-change »    Of or pertaining to something of little monetary value.

circle the wagons »    To draw a wagon train into a circle to allow the wagons to provide cover when under attack.

circle the wagons »    To prepare to defend against an attack.

cite chapter and verse »    To speak authoritatively, providing detailed factual information.

claim to fame »    That for which one has bragging rights; one's reason for being well-known or famous.

clear cut »    Straightforward, obvious, simple, or basic.

clothes don't make the man »    An aphorism meaning that you cannot judge a person solely by his appearance. Usually pertains to men.

clout list »    A usually secret list containing the names of people who are to be given special access, benefits, or influence in a political or social situation, especially as a result of having personal, professional, or financial relationships with those in authority.

cold comfort »    Much less reassurance, consolation, aid, or pleasure than one needs or desires.

collect dust »    To remain untouched and unused for a long period of time.

come a cropper »    To suffer some misfortune; to fail.

come about »    To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking.

come across »    To give an appearance or impression; to project a certain image.

come by »    To obtain; to get, now especially by chance or involuntarily.

come short »    Fail to meet (expectations or standards)

come to »    To recover consciousness after fainting etc.

come to »    To stop a sailing vessel, especially by turning into the wind. See also come about.

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

come to terms »    To accept or resign oneself to something emotionally painful.

come unstuck »    To get into trouble, to have an accident or mishap, to go off the rails.

concrete jungle »    An urban or other populated area containing a high density of buildings constructed of concrete or similar materials, especially one which lacks greenery and which seems unattractive, harsh, or unsafe.

cookie-cutter »    Of or pertaining to cookie cutters.

cookie-cutter »    Of or pertaining to identical looking things.

cop out »    To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner.

couple up »    To get into pairs.

crash and burn »    To fail utterly.

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

creature comfort »    Any small item or detail that makes a person comfortable and at home.

cross the aisle »    Of a member of a parliament, to resign from one's political party and join another party, resulting in moving from one's currently assigned desk or seat in the legislative chamber to a new desk or seat physically located with the other members of one's new party.

cross the aisle »    To vote, unite, or otherwise co-operate with members of another political party in order to achieve governmental or political action.

cross the floor »    To vote against one's own political party in parliament.

cry out »    To shout in a loud voice, due to pain, or fear, or unhappiness.

cry out against »    To complain strongly, usually as a group.

cry someone a river »    To try to obtain the sympathy of another person by complaining or sniveling.

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

cry wolf »    To raise a false alarm; to constantly warn others about an imagined threat, thereby failing to get assistance when a real threat appears.

crying shame »    It's a crying shame that so much money has been wasted on this pointless political campaign.

cube out »    To reach the volume limit of a container.

cue up »    The act of taking aim on the cue ball with the cue in a game of snooker, or billiards, etc.

curry favor »    To seek to gain favor by flattery or attention.

cut and dried »    Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.

cut in »    When painting, to paint edges, corners, or trim in preparation for rolling larger areas.

cut it out »    To stop; refrain from; halt.

cut one's teeth »    To begin; to gain early experience.

cut short »    Interrupt and curtail before the planned end time.

daily grind »    The difficult, routine, or monotonous tasks of daily work.

damn with faint praise »    To provide praise that is so minimal or inconsequential as to actually amount to criticism.

damp squib »    A firework that fails to go off, due to wetting.

damp squib »    Anything that doesn’t work properly, or fails to come up to expectations..

day in, day out »    Every day; daily; constantly or continuously; especially, of something that has become routine or monotonous.

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

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.

deal breaker »    To fail.

debris field »    Any area, non-dependent of locale, space, or contour, that contains the debris of wreckage, impact, sinking, or other material that once constituted a complete object. Debris fields can be found at the site of air crashes, water vessel sinking, explosions of buildings, collapses, and other events that render a whole entity into components, pieces, or other non-whole items.

deliver the message to Garcia »    ...grasp the demands and exactions of business life. He learns that the main thing to do is to "deliver the message to Garcia"....

devil is in the details »    The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable.

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

dirty laundry »    A clothes hamper or other container used to place unclean or soiled laundry.

dirty laundry »    Unflattering facts or questionable activities that one wants to remain secret, but which some other may use to blackmail with.

dirty money »    Money that is illegally gained, illegally transferred or illegally utilized. Especially money gained through forgery, bribery, or thievery.

discretion is the better part of valour »    It is often wise to refrain from seemingly brave speech or action.1597

divide and conquer »    A combination of political, military and economic strategies that aim to gain and maintain power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy.(computing) Applied to various algorithms, such as quicksort, that solve a problem by splitting it recursively into smaller problems until all of the remaining problems are trivial.(as imperative, proverb) In order to rule securely, don't allow alliances of your enemies.

do something with mirrors »    To jokingly pretend that one did something using magic mirrors, that one is a magician; a joking explanation of the fantastic or the unexplained.

do-or-die »    Requiring a determined or desperate effort to avoid the consequences of failure.

dog and pony show »    Originally, a small, traveling circus featuring animals as entertainment.

dog it »    To underperform; to lag behind; to fail to exert effort.

don't hold your breath »    "Don't wait." Said cynically to suggest that what has just been mentioned to is unlikely to happen soon or at all.

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 take any wooden nickels »    Do not permit yourself be cheated or duped; do not be naive.

dot the i's and cross the t's »    To take care of every detail, even minor ones; To be meticulous or thorough.

double cream »    dairy product

down the drain »    Wasted, squandered; irretrievable.

down the tubes »    Into a state of collapse or failure.

drain the swamp when up to one's neck in alligators »    (idiomatic) When performing a long and complex task, and when you've gotten utterly immersed in secondary and tertiary unexpected tangential subtasks, it's easy to lose sight of the initial objective. This sort of distraction can be particularly problematic if the all-consuming subtask or sub-subtask is not, after all, particularly vital to the original, primary goal, but ends up sucking up time and resources (out of all proportion to its actual importance) only because it seems so urgent.

draw stumps »    To declare an end to the days play, and remove the bails and sometimes the stumps.

drill down »    To examine information at another level or in greater detail; especially in a database, to navigate to a more detailed level or record.

drive the porcelain bus »    To vomit, especially while drunk or hung over.

drive-by media »    Media professionals who "spray" a bunch of repetitive misstatements, mistaken and misinterpreted news reports to cause excitement and confusion. They then figuratively "drive off" leaving the cleanup of their mess and hysteria to others, to correct and properly explain and interpret.

drop the ball »    To fail in one's responsibilities or duties, or to make a mistake, especially at a critical point or when the result is very negative.

drum up »    To generate or encourage; to campaign for.

dusty miller »    A formulaic phrase for a miller, related to the dust generated in the milling process.

dyed-in-the-wool »    Firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits; deeply ingrained in the nature of a person or thing.

e mail »    electronic message

ear trumpet »    old hearing aid

easy come, easy go »    Easily won and easily lost; usually said when resigned to a loss.

eat one's words »    To regret or retract what one has said.

end of the line »    The termination point of a railway or similar transportation system.

enough to make the angels weep »    Something so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.

err on the side of caution »    To act in the least risky manner in a situation where one is uncertain about the consequences.

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 man has a price »    Everyone can be bribed or corrupted for a certain price.

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.

faceplant »    The act of landing face first, often associated with bailing during extreme sports.

factor space »    A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.

facts on the ground »    A euphemism, similar to fait accompli, used as an oblique way of saying that discussions over the possession of a given piece of territory has been rendered moot by the presence of military forces.

fail over »    To automatically switch processing from a failed component in a critical system to its live spare or backup component.

fair and square »    Totally fairly and undoubtedly.

fair and square »    Within the applicable rules.

fair enough »    An expression used to concede a point; denotes that, upon consideration, something is correct or reasonable; an expression of acknowledgment or understanding.

fair game »    A game that is fair, that does not involve cheating etc.

fair game »    Actions permissible by the rules.

fair game »    An goal or object that may legitimately be sought.

fair off »    To clear.

fair sex »    Women collectively.

fair to middling »    Only tolerably good.

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 between two stools »    To attempt two tasks and fail at both, when either one could have been accomplished singly.

fall by the wayside »    To fail to be completed, particularly for lack of interest; to be left out.

fall off a truck »    Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession without having been paid for; to be acquired illegally.

fall off the back of a lorry »    Of an item of merchandise, to come into a perons's possession without having been paid for; to have been acquired illegally.

fall off the turnip truck »    To be naive, uninformed, or unsophisticated, in the manner of a rustic person.

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 on deaf ears »    Of a request, complaint, etc, to be ignored.

fall on one's face »    To fail, especially in a dramatic or particularly decisive manner.

fall over »    Of an argument, to fail to be valid.

familiarity breeds contempt »    The more acquainted one becomes with a person, the more one knows about his or her shortcomings and, hence, the easier it is to dislike that person.1894, H. Rider Haggard, The People Of The Mist, ch. 25:This was the beginning of evil, for if no man is a hero to his valet de chambre, much less can he remain a god for long in the eyes of a curious woman. Here, as in other matters, familiarity breeds contempt.

far be it »    A disclaimer stating that the person speaking will not do something.

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.

fend off »    Away; to turn away; to defend against; to repel with force or effort.

fifth wheel »    A type of trailer hitch, which consists of a horseshoe-shaped plate on a multi-directional pivot, with a locking pin to couple with the kingpin of a truck trailer.

fifth wheel »    A very large trailer that is towed with a pickup truck.

fifth wheel »    A very large truck trailer; an 18-wheeler.

fight a losing battle »    To try to do something so difficult that it will probably end in failure.

fight tooth and nail »    To use every means possible to overcome a difficult opposition.

fill in »    To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information.

final curtain »    The end to something which has longed for a long time.

find one's feet »    To grow in confidence in a new situation as one gains experience.

fine print »    The details, restrictions, terms, or conditions, especially of a contract, often printed in very small type.

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

fish or cut bait »    To choose between taking action now, or forgoing the opportunity and putting that energy into another endeavor; to decide.

fishtail »    The tail of a fish, or an object resembling this.

fix up »    To repair or refurbish.

flat-footed »    To firmly hold and maintain a decision; to stand one's ground.

flesh out »    To complete; to create details from a basic outline, structure or skeleton.

flower »    An inflorescence that resembles a flower, but actually contains many small florets, such as a sunflower.

fly in the ointment »    Something which ruins or spoils everything else; a nuisance or problem; an unpleasant or disagreeable detail.

fly the freak flag »    To behave in a unconventional or unrestrained manner; to exhibit the uninhibited side of one's personality.

food chain »    A hierarchy.

food chain »    The feeding relationships between species in a biotic community.

fool's errand »    A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.

footloose and fancy free »    Able to do as one pleases, unconstrained by social ties or responsibilities.

for keeps »    With an agreement or intention to retain what one gains or receives.

for kicks »    In order to obtain pleasure or excitement; for fun.

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

for the heck of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

for the hell of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

for the sake of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

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."

fountain of youth »    Anything reputed to have the power to restore health and vitality or to restore a youthful appearance.

freak flag »    Unconventional or unrestrained behavior; extreme, nonconformist views; the side of one's personality which harbors a tendency toward such behavior or such views.

free lunch »    Something obtained without any payment, obligation or effort.

free rein »    The absence of constraints; freedom to make decisions.

full marks »    To exclaim complete satisfaction with someone's efforts.

full of hot air »    Talking a lot, especially without saying anything of value or meaning.

funny money »    Money gained in a devious or sneaky manner.

gandy dancer »    A railway laborer, especially a member of a crew which carries rails and affixes them to ties.

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 rise out of »    To obtain a reaction from someone, especially one of annoyance.

get at »    gain access to

get down to brass tacks »    Deal with the important details.

get in »    To enter a place; to gain access.

get in someone's hair »    To annoy someone.

get in someone's hair »    To hinder someone or interfere with their actions.

get it over with »    To do or finish, especially said of something unpleasant.

get off »    To disembark from mass transportation, such as a bus or train.

get on somebody's case »    To lecture, berate, or complain to somebody, especially to find fault or criticize.

get one's feet wet »    To begin gaining experience; To take a risk and try something new.

get one's foot in the door »    To initiate contact or a relationship; to gain access, especially to an entry-level job.

get one's hands on »    To get; to obtain; to secure.

get something straight »    To understand; to clarify.

ghost train »    fairground attraction

give somebody a hand »    To help, aid, or assist.

give someone the chair »    To execute a person by means of the electric chair.

glimmer »    A faint light; a dim glow.

glimmer »    A faint or remote possibility.

go against the grain »    To defy convention; to do something in a manner that is unusual or out of the ordinary.

go apeshit »    To behave in an extreme manner; to act without restraint, especially by becoming explosively angry.

go back on »    To be treacherous or faithless to; betray; as, to go back on friends.

go back on »    To fail to keep; to renege on; as, to go back on one's promises.

go back to the drawing board »    To start again; to scrap a previous idea or plan and try again from the beginning.

go belly-up »    To fail or fold; especially, to close or shut down a business; to go out of business.

go down the pan »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go down the toilet »    To fail.

go down the tubes »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go Dutch »    To pay for one's own food and bills, or split the cost, when eating at a restaurant or going out for entertainment.

go for »    To endure, sustain or spend time.

go in one ear and out the other »    Failed to pay attention.

go large »    To have the wind at such an angle to the sail that the vessel gains its highest speed.

go the distance »    To have the endurance to see a difficult sustained challenge to its natural end without faltering.

go through the mill »    To experience the suffering or discipline necessary to bring one to a certain degree of knowledge or skill, or to a certain mental state.

go to the mattresses »    To go to war; to use ruthless tactics; to act without restraint.

go up against »    To challenge someone.

golden handcuffs »    Any arrangement or agreement designed to provide extremely favorable benefits or pay, so as to discourage participant from wanting to leave, especially to retain a choice employee.

gone to the dogs »    To have fallen into disrepair or ruin; to have been stagnant or depreciated.

good drunk »    A person who is cheerful and companionable when intoxicated, retaining reasonable control of his or her mental and emotional faculties.

good fences make good neighbors »    It is better to mind one's own business than get involved with other people's affairs.

good things come to those who wait »    A patient seeker will be satisfied in due time; patience is a virtue.

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

goodbye cruel world »    A call said before taking a stiff drink, especially a shot of vodka.

grain of salt »    A bit of common sense and skepticism. Generally used in some form of to take with a grain of salt.

granary »    A fertile, grain-growing region.

granary »    A storage facility for grain or sometimes animal feed.

gravy train »    A gorging on luxuries, since someone else foots the bill.

gravy train »    An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.

gray area »    A part that is not clear or certain; something that is open to interpretation.

group captain »    raf officer

grow a pair »    To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation in which one has so far failed to do so.

guinea pig »    A tailless rodent of the Cavia genus, with short ears and larger than a hamster; the species Cavia porcellus is often kept as a pet.

gunboat diplomacy »    The pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power.

gunshy »    Being afraid to use a gun.

hack into »    To gain unauthorized entry to, particularly by exploiting little-known weaknesses.

hair of the dog »    An alcoholic drink taken the morning after to cure a hangover or withdrawal symptoms.

hair-splitting »    The act of finding exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.

hair-splittingly »    With exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.

hand it to somebody »    To give somebody credit or praise.

hand waving »    Discussion or argumentation involving approximation, vagueness, educated guessing, or the attempt to explain or excuse vagaries.

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

hang on »    wait

happily ever after »    Living happily until death. Typically associated with fairy tales.

hard as nails »    Very hard; tough.

has-been »    A formerly popular or influential person whose popularity or effectiveness has peaked and is now in decline. Typically said of professionals or celebrities whose primary success is behind them.

hash out »    To work through the details of something; especially to work through difficulties.

hatchet job »    A treatment which serves primarily to disparage its subject; a piece of criticism which aims to destroy a reputation.

haul somebody over the coals »    To express anger with someone in no uncertain terms when they do something wrong.

have a bone to pick »    To have a complaint or grievance with somebody.

have a pair »    To be manly.

have been around »    To be experienced in worldly matters; to be seasoned, not naive.

have butterflies in one's stomach »    To be nervous, uncertain, or anxious.

have it in for »    To be very angry at; to have a grudge against.

have one's back to the wall »    To have no other options remaining.

have one's ducks in a row »    To be organized; to have one's affairs in order; specifically, to have a multi-person effort coordinated towards the exact same goal.

have one's ears lowered »    To get a haircut.

have one's wits about one »    To remain calm, composed, or aware.

have someone by the short hairs »    To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled.

he who smelt it dealt it »    (colloquial, originally) A person who calls attention to or complains about a fart is likely trying to pretend it wasn't his or her own.(colloquial, by extension) Used to suggest that a person calling attention to or complaining about a given problem may in fact be the source of the problem.

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.

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

hear the grass grow »    To be very aware or discerning; to pay attention to every small detail.

hear, hear »    Let us hear and applaud the previous speaker; I endorse the previous statement; Expression of support, agreement, or enthusiasm for what has just been said.

hell raiser »    wild pleasure seeker

helping hand »    Any assistance, help or aid.

hen's teeth »    Anything very rare or impossible to obtain is said to be like finding hen’s teeth.

here goes nothing »    Indicates a lack of confidence or certainty about the activity about to be tried.

here you are »    Said when you hand something over to someone or do a favour to them, usually to draw the recipient's attention to the exchange; Equivalent to “thank you” when receiving something..

hide nor hair »    A trace, indication, or evidence, especially of a person.

high road »    A main road or highway.

hightail it »    To hurry or run; often, to flee.

highway robbery »    Said of excessive or exorbitant prices.

hike up »    To raise or increase sharply.

his back is up »    He is offended or angry; an expression or idea taken from a cat; that animal, when angry, always raising its back. An allusion also sometimes used to jeer a crooked man.

history repeats itself »    Things that have happened in the past will happen again.

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

hit the rock »    To make a gesture to show celebration, friendship, or to be part of a secret handshake by one person raising their fist so the fist is pointing at the person and the other person lightly punches the fist.

hit the rock »    To use crack cocaine.

hit the trail »    To leave or depart.

hold back »    To act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power.

hold back »    To contain; stop.

hold down »    To restrain; to check.

hold on »    Wait a short while.

hold one's breath »    To wait, as if breathlessly.

hold one's horses »    To be patient; to wait.

hold one's tongue »    To keep quiet; especially, to leave something unsaid.

hold somebody's hand »    To guide somebody through the basics or assist with excessively small details.

hold someone's feet to the fire »    To maintain personal, social, political, or legal pressure on someone in order to induce him or her to comply with one's desires; to hold someone accountable for his or her actions.

hold the fort »    To maintain a secure position.

hold the phone »    Stop; wait; woah. What's this? Look at this!.

hold up »    To wait or delay.

hold up one's end »    To hold up one's end of the bargain; to fulfill one's promise or obligation.

hold with the hare and run with the hounds »    To remain neutral by attempting to placate two factions or both sides of a controversy.

hold your fire »    Wait, don't retaliate, calm down, be quiet.

holding pattern »    A path taken by an aircraft waiting to land.

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

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.

hook, line and sinker »    Naively or unquestioningly.

hospital pass »    A throw that stays in the air long enough that it allows too many people to get underneath it, increasing the risk of injury and a trip to the hospital. Thus, a hospital pass.

hot air »    boastful talk

hot air »    empty talk

hot mess »    Refers to a person, thing, or situation in such a state of disarray or disapproval by peers, often in reference to physical appearance, perceived to be disastrously embarrassing, pitiful, or beyond repair.

how-d'ye-do »    A troublesome state of affairs.

if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail »    With limited tools, single-minded people apply them inappropriately or indiscriminatelyIf a person is familiar with a certain, single subject/has with them a certain, single instrument, they may have a confirmation bias to believe that it is the answer to/involved in everything.

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 looks could kill »    A phrase said upon catching sight of someone's giving you a particularly nasty look of discontent or disapproval.

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

in a pinch »    In an urgent or difficult situation; when no other solution is available.

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

in detail »    Thoroughly; including every detail.

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 for an inch, in for a mile »    Given that one is partly involved in or committed to a project, action, position, etc., there is no reason to refrain from becoming fully involved or fully committed.

in front of one's nose »    Plain; clearly apparent; obvious.

in layman's terms »    Explaining something in simple words.

in line »    On a queue; waiting one's turn for something.

in line »    Positioned in a straight line.

in no uncertain terms »    With great clarity, emphasis, or exactness; without any ambiguity.

in shape »    In good condition, repair; in a good state.

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

in the face of »    Despite, against, contrary to.

in vain »    19C, Friedrich Nietzsche.

in vain »    In a disrespectful manner, especially when concerning religion.

in vain »    Without success; ending in failure.

ins and outs »    The details or fine points of something.

inside job »    A crime or other illicit action committed by or with the help of someone either employed by the victim or entrusted with access to the victim's affairs and premises.

inside joke »    A joke that is understood or meant to be understood only by certain people who are in the know about the details.

into detail »    Thoroughly; including every detail.

into thin air »    Immediately and inexplicably out of sight.

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

it ain't the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

it is not the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

it isn't the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

it never rains but it pours »    Unfortunate events occur in quantity.

it takes two to tango »    Some things need the active cooperation of two parties; blame is to be laid on both parties in a conflict.

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 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

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 up »    To raise, hoist, or lift a thing using a jack, or similar means.

jack up »    To raise, increase, or accelerate; often said of prices, fees, or rates. See also jack up the price.

jacktar »    Nickname for a sailor in the Royal Navy.

jew down »    To bargain or haggle with a seller in order to obtain a lower price for a good or service.

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.

jumble sale »    fundraising event

jumbo jet »    airliner

jump »    To employ a move in certain board games where one game piece is moved from one legal position to another passing over the position of another piece.

jump »    To employ a parachute to leave an aircraft or elevated location.

jump »    To propel oneself rapidly upward such that momentum causes the body to become airborne.

jump rope »    The activity, game or exercise in which a person must jump, bounce or skip repeatedly while a length of rope is swung over and under, both ends held in the hands of the jumper, or alternately, held by two other participants. Often used for athletic training and among schoolchildren. Variations involve speed, chants, varied rope and jumper movement patterns, multiple jumpers and/or multiple ropes.

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

just for fun »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

keel over »    To collapse in a faint; to black out; to die.

keep a weather eye open »    To maintain a background awareness of something; to remain alert to changes without it occupying your full attention.

keep an eye open »    To maintain vigilance for a possibly dangerous situation.

keep an eye open »    To maintain vigilance for someone or something.

keep down »    To restrain or control.

keep from »    To prevent or restrain ; refrain or cause refrain.

keep it up »    To maintain one's erection.

keep it up »    To maintain or continue a positive streak.

keep on »    To remain in an existing position.

keep one's cool »    To remain composed, calm, and even-tempered, especially in a provocative situation.

keep one's eye on the ball »    My ethos has always been to be very straight with people, tell it as it is. It doesn't often make people happy but I found that over a period of time it's better to be that way. So being straight, also being very focused on your objectives, keep your eye on the ball and not get deflected away from it.

keep one's eye on the ball »    To maintain one's concentration fixed on one important theme.

keep one's mouth shut »    To keep a secret; to refrain from speaking indiscreetly or carelessly.

keep one's options open »    To not commit to a decision, to keep various options available.

keep one's pecker up »    Remain cheerful; keep smiling.

keep out »    To refrain from entering a place or condition.

keep out »    To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.

keep out of »    To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.

keep quiet »    Remain silent.

keep quiet »    To refrain from talking about something; to keep a secret.

keep straight »    To avoid confusing or mixing up something; to keep something clear or organized.

keep up »    To maintain; to preserve; to prevent from deteriorating.

keep up »    To ensure that one remains well-informed about something.

keep up with »    To manage to remain beside or just behind that is moving away from one.

keep your hair on »    An admonition to stay calm.

kept up »    maintained

kernel of truth »    A core accuracy at the heart of a claim or narrative which also contains dubious or fictitious elements.

kick the bucket »    Of a machine, to break down such that it cannot be repaired.

kick up »    Into the air while running or walking or driving.

kick up a fuss »    To show annoyance, or to complain loudly about something, often when it is of little importance in reality.

kill the fatted calf »    To begin a festive celebration and rejoicing for someone's long-awaited return.

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs »    To seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit.

knock up »    To become exhausted or worn out; to fail of strength; to become wearied, as with labor; to give out.

knowledge is power »    With knowledge and/or education, one's potential or ability to succeed in the pursuit of his objectives will certainly increase.

la goutte d'eau qui fait d%C3%A9border le vase »    The drop of water that makes the vase overflow.

la goutte d'eau qui fait d%C3%A9border le vase »    The final thing that is too much and forces a reaction; the straw that broke the camel's back.

laced-up »    Restrained; uptight.

landing strip »    A cultivated pubic hair pattern in which much of the pubic hair is removed, leaving only a central vertical line or rectangle.

landing strip »    A runway for aircraft, especially one which is auxiliary or temporary.

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 burst of fire »    A state of exertion where one gives one's all; expending all of one's remaining energy in a final effort to achieve one's goal.

last resort »    The only remaining, unwanted, option or choice.

latch onto »    To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something.

lay an egg »    To produce a failure or flop; to do something which is unsuccessful.

lay hands on »    To find, obtain or procure.

lay low »    To remain hidden or to hide oneself.

lay out »    To arrange in a certain way.

leave nothing to the imagination »    He stripped down to a pair of see-through briefs that left nothing to the imagination.

let down »    To disappoint; to betray or fail somebody.

let one's hair down »    To relax and enjoy oneself.

let somebody down »    To fail somebody; to disappoint or to fail to uphold a commitment.

let someone have it »    To verbally assail someone.

lick one's wounds »    He's just off licking his wounds. He'll be back to try again.

lie in wait »    prepare an ambush

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.

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

lion »    A large cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly to much of Europe. The term may apply to the species as a whole, to individuals, or to male individuals. It also applies to related species like mountain lions.

lion's den »    The lair of a lion.

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).

live on »    To survive solely by consuming a certain thing.

log out »    To exit an account in a computer system so that it doesn't recognize you until you log in again.

long drink »    Any drink containing more than 5 ounces of liquid and less than 9 ounces. Typically, a long drink will have lots of ice and mixer.

longpig »    Human flesh when cooked in cannabalistic rituals in certain Pacific Islands, due to the allegeded similarity to cooked pork.

look forward to »    To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure.

look up »    To obtain information about something from a text source.

loose ends »    unresolved details

lost errand »    A mission likely to fail.

low blow »    A rhetorical attack that is considered unfair or unscrupulous.

low blow »    An unfair or illegal blow that lands below the opponent’s waist; a groin attack..

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

lucky dip »    A game in which prizes are covered up and mixed together in a container, so that contestants can dip their hand into the container and randomly pull out a prize.

main verte »    Green thumb.

make a mountain out of a molehill »    To treat a problem as greater than it is; to blow something out of proportion; to exaggerate the importance of something trivial.

make a name for oneself »    To gain fame.

make a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

make amends »    To repair a relationship; to make up; to resolve an argument or fight; to make reparations or redress.

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 do with »    To get along with whatever is available.

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

make head or tail of »    To understand even minimally.

man up »    His station, prepared for departure of an aircraft, ship, etc.

mark up »    To increase the price of something between its wholesale and retail phase.

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

measure twice and cut once »    (literally, carpentry) One should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may be necessary to cut again, wasting time and material.1872, "Dressmaking," Hall's Journal of Health, vol. 19, no. 12, p. 280:Look at Carpenters! . . . In old times it was a proverb "Measure twice, and cut once."(figuratively, by extension) Plan and prepare in a careful, thorough manner before taking action.2008, Hilary Johnson, "Mergers rattle bank relations," Financial Week, 9 Nov. (retrieved 9 Nov. 2008):Mr. Paz noted that since the onset of the credit crisis, eBay, like other companies, hasn

meaty »    Of, relating to, or containing meat.

member for Barkshire »    Said of one troubled with a cough, vulgarly styled barking.

memory lane »    A set of recollections available to be reviewed, especially accompanied by a feeling of nostalgia.

mend fences »    To repair damage to a friendship or relationship after a disagreement or other mishap.

mend one's ways »    To recognise one's failings and attempt to remedy them.

mince words »    To restrain oneself in a conversation by withholding some comments or using euphemisms.

mind one's own business »    To concern oneself only with what is of interest to oneself and not interfere in the affairs of others.

mind the store »    To remain present in a retail business, in order to maintain the security of the premises and to serve customers.

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.

miss the mark »    To fail to hit the target.

miss the mark »    To fail to reach the result that was intended.

miss the point »    To fail to grasp the meaning of an utterance.

mixed bag »    Any bag containing a mixture of something.

mop up »    To fix problems; to correct or repair.

mother hen »    An outspoken and overprotective woman dealing with others' affairs.

mouth of a sailor »    The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.

move the goal posts »    To unilaterally change the rules, or terms of an agreement, especially in an unfair or underhand way.

muck in »    To join in attaining a common aim.

my arse »    Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

my eye »    Expression of disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

my foot »    Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

nail biter »    A nervous or uncomfortable situation.

nail biter »    An engaging or exciting cliffhanger.

nail biter »    One who bites or chews his or her fingernails.

nail down »    To attach with nails.

nail down »    Firm or certain.

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.

neither fish nor fowl »    Said of something not easily categorized or not fitting neatly into any established group.

night person »    A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours, and who usually sleeps during part of the daytime.

nightcap »    A warm cloth cap worn while sleeping, often with pajamas. Nightcaps were common in northern Europe before central heating was available, when homes were cold at night.

nighthawk »    A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours.

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

no brainer »    Something that supposedly doesn’t take much intellectual thought. Whoever says that something is a no brainer is usually the one with no brains.

no fear »    certainly not

no pain, no gain »    One must be willing to endure some inconvenience or discomfort in order to achieve worthwhile goals.

no spring chicken »    Said of a person who is no longer particularly young.

no-show »    An absence; somebody who doesn't show up or a failure to show up.

noarch »    Short for "no architecture". It is a term used mainly in package management systems to mark packages which are architecture independent. Such packages usually contain graphics, documentation or similar data that can be used on any architecture.

nose candy »    Cocaine.

not a sausage »    Jill: Not a sausage I'm afraid, I'm just visiting.

not all it's cracked up to be »    Not as good as claimed; falling short of expectations.

not have the faintest »    To not know; to have no idea.

not leave one's thoughts »    Said when one keeps thinking about something.

not long for this world »    Unlikely to remain for much time.

not win for losing »    To repeatedly fail in one's gambles or efforts.

nothing to it »    Easy; simple or straightforward.

nothing ventured, nothing gained »    If one takes no risks, one will not gain any benefits.

off the chain »    Crazy and exciting; delirious and wild. By analogy to a frenetic dog when unleashed.

off the chain »    Free from work or direct supervision. In reference to slave labor, where workers are chained, or to the figurative chain of workers of an assembly line.

off the rails »    In an abnormal manner, especially in a manner that causes damage or malfunctioning.

off the rails »    Insane.

off the rails »    Off the intended path.

off the rails »    Out of control.

off the wagon »    No longer maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from an undesirable habit, especially drinking alcohol.

off-the-shelf »    As purchased or as commonly available, without modification or customization.

oil colour »    painting

oil painting »    works of art

old hand »    A person who is experienced at a certain activity.

old maid »    card game

old masters »    great painters

on air »    broadcast

on hand »    Available; ready; in stock.

on hold »    Waiting on a telephone call.

on one's feet »    Being well again after a bout of illness.

on the brain »    Obsessively in mind.

on the bubble »    Uncertain of success.

on the clock »    In the official time remaining in a game or other sporting event.

on the defensive »    Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression.

on the level »    Honest, sincere, straightforward.

on the line »    On a level with the eye of the spectator; said of a picture, as hung in an exhibition of pictures.

on the ropes »    Leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, as when exhausted and nearing defeat or collapse.

on the ropes »    Showing signs of imminent failure or collapse.

on the straight and narrow »    Honest; proceeding according to rules and plans.

on the wagon »    By extension, maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit.

on the whole »    For the most part; apart from some insignificant details.

once again »    Again.

one good turn deserves another »    One act of kindness should be paid back by another act of kindness.

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

one-hit wonder »    A musical performer or musical group known for a single hit song, especially after failing at later attempts at success.

one-track mind »    That said to be possessed by someone who is obsessed with something or only able to think of one thing.

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.

or what »    Or something else; allows for the existence of an unexpressed alternative to what was said.

out of house and home »    Gail White, Partying with the Intelligentsia.

out of place »    She comes in out of the storm with not a hair out of place.

out of reach »    Inaccessible or unattainable.

out of stock »    Temporarily unavailable for sale.

out of the mouths of babes »    The greatest wisdom comes from children, who are not afraid or weary of the world and its pressures.

out of the woods »    Out of peril; likely to recover or prevail over trouble; finished with the worst or most threatening part of a problem or illness.

out of thin air »    From non-existent resources.

out of touch »    No longer maintaining contact or communications.

outshout »    To merit the most attention or praise.

over and over »    Repeatedly; again and again; many times.

over the transom »    Said of an unsolicited work submitted for publication.

pain in the ass »    Something that causes discomfort or is otherwise troublesome.

pain in the butt »    A nuisance; a source of trouble or annoyance.

pain in the neck »    Someone or something which is annoying, irritating or inconvenient.

paint oneself into a corner »    To create a predicament or problem for oneself; to do something that leaves one with no good alternatives or solutions.

paint the town red »    To party or celebrate in a rowdy, wild manner, especially in a public place.

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.

painting rocks »    Pointless or futile work organised by the government, supposedly to increase employment but in fact merely disguising the unemployment level.

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

paper trail »    A written record, history, or collection of evidence.

paper trail »    The records left by a person or organization in the course of activities.

pardon me »    Sorry; said as an apology.

party crasher »    Someone who attempts and often gains entry to a party or club to which they were not invited, often using social engineering techniques. The party crasher usually tries to blend into the party so as not to be kicked out.

pass out »    To faint; fall asleep.

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

pass the buck »    To transfer responsibility or blame from oneself onto another; to absolve oneself of concern for a given matter by claiming to lack authority or jurisdiction.

pay one's dues »    To acquire status or to earn the right to enjoy certain benefits, especially through lengthy experience, hardship, or service to an organization.

pay the bills »    To provide enough income to sustain one's lifestyle.

pay up »    To pay for something in total, after a certain amount of time after receiving a purchase.

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.

pelt of the dog »    An immoderate, excessive quantity of alcohol drunk the morning after whilst suffering withdrawal symptoms or a hangover, which goes beyond alleviating the complaint to causing drunkenness; cf. hair of the dog.

pencil pusher »    One who does routine office work; someone involved mainly in paperwork.

pendre la cr%C3%A9maill%C3%A8re »    To have a housewarming party.

peter out »    To dwindle; to trail off; to diminish to nothing.

pick somebody's brain »    To seek information from someone knowledgeable; to ask questions of someone.

pick up »    To lift; to grasp and raise.

pinch and a punch for the first of the month »    Said the first day of a new month, accompanied by a pinch and a punch to the victim.

pipe down »    To be quiet; to refrain from being noisy.

piss and moan »    To complain, especially needlessly and loudly.

pit against »    To set someone in opposition to someone else.

pitched battle »    A hostile engagement involving sustained, full-scale fighting between opposing forces in close combat.

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

play one against another »    To manipulate two persons into competing against one another in a way that benefits the person carrying out the manipulation.

play possum »    To feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lay low.

play the race card »    To assert that race or racism is responsible for a course of events, especially when race is not of particular significance to the issue in question; to attempt to inspire a particular reaction by raising the issue of race.

play the same tape »    To repeat exactly what one previously said or did.

play to the gallery »    To appeal to the least sophisticated parts of an audience in order to obtain maximum approval.

poacher turned gamekeeper »    A person who now works against the same people they once supported.

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.

point of no return »    The point in an aircraft's flight when there is insufficient fuel to reverse direction and return to the place of origin.

pope's nose »    The tail end piece of a cooked chicken.

potter about »    To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.

potter around »    To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.

pound the pavement »    To campaign diligently; to seek something, such as business, employment, or answers.

prawn cocktail offensive »    A strategy of the Labour Party in winning over important people in the world of finance.

preprogram »    To predispose to certain thoughts or behaviours.

prevail upon »    To convince; to persuade.

pride comes before a fall »    A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.

problem child »    A child who is particularly difficult to raise or educate, especially due to a lack of self-control and disruptive and antisocial behavior.

pronunciamiento »    A military uprising or coup in Spain or the Spanish American republics, particularly in the 19th century. They received this designation because coups were usually accompanied by a statement declaring the existing government null and void.

proverbs come in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0155511130, page 325:Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.

proverbs go in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1932, Bertrand Russell,

proverbs hunt in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.

proverbs often come in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.

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.

puddle jumper »    A small passenger airplane, typically used for shorter connecting trips to smaller airports.

puff up »    To inflate with air.

pulcher »    Beautiful, fair.

pull out »    To remove something from a container.

pull the other leg »    In imperative/precative form, used to imply that the speaker does not accept or believe what another has just said.

pull the other one, it's got bells on »    Monty Python's Holy Grail.

pump iron »    To lift weights; to engage in weight or strength training.

pure and simple »    Plain and unadorned.

pushing up daisies »    Dead.

put across »    To explain or state something clearly and understandably.

put down »    To land an aircraft.

put hair on somebody's chest »    To make a person stronger or more masculine.

put on airs »    To become haughty, to assume a haughty manner.

put on the dog »    To dress up; to put on airs; to make a show of wealth and/or importance; to be pretentious.

put one's money where one's mouth is »    More generally, to take an obvious stake in the truth of a claim that one is making.

put oneself across »    To explain one's ideas and opinions clearly so that another person can understand them and get a picture of your personality.

put paid to »    To stop something once and for all.

put paid to »    To mark a bill or a debt record as "paid".

put up one's dukes »    Prepare to fight; literally, to raise your fists.

put words in somebody's mouth »    To attribute to somebody something he or she did not say; to claim inaccurately that somebody said or intended something.

quantum mechanics »    Something overly complicated or detailed.

question mark »    Doubt or uncertainty.

quick-and-dirty »    Of or pertaining to the creation or repair of software or hardware in a manner which permits operation within a brief period of time, although with compromised functionality or reliability.

rack one's brain »    To struggle to think of or remember something.

rag bagger »    A sailboat, usually a cruising sailboats which tend to carry and store lots of supplies along the deck, or any sailboat that looks like a neglected vessel, or messy vessel.

rag bagger »    A sailor who tends to sail on messy cruising vessels.

rag the puck »    To retain possession of the puck by skillful skating and stickhandling without attempting to score, as a deliberate tactic intended to use up time.

rain cats and dogs »    To rain very heavily.

rain check »    In social interactions, a polite way to turn down an invitation, with the implication one is simply postponing it and that another time would be acceptable.

rain check »    To provide a service at a later date.

rain cheque »    Any postponement, especially of an offer.

rain cheque »    Any voucher or note issued by a store to allow a customer to get a special or sale price later if an item is out of stock.

rain dogs and cats »    To rain very heavily.

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

rain or shine »    Regardless of what the circumstances are, and how the weather is.

rain pitchforks »    To rain heavily.

rained cats and dogs »    poured

rainy day »    A difficult period of need, when things do not go right.

raise a hand »    To raise one's arm and hand.

raise a hand »    To volunteer.

raise a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

raise Cain »    To behave in a disruptive manner.

raise Cain »    To cause trouble.

raise hell »    To cause a great disturbance.

raise one's hand »    To dare to question.

raise one's hand »    To volunteer.

raise somebody's hackles »    Make someone angry.

raise the bar »    To raise standards or expectations, especially by creating something to a higher standard.

raise the flag and see who salutes »    It generates, usually as a preliminary step.

raise the spectre »    To cause concern that something unfortunate might happen.

raise the stakes »    To increase in significance or risk.

raise the stakes »    To raise the stakes of a hand of poker.

rake »    A set of coupled rail vehicles, normally coaches or wagons.

rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic »    To do something pointless or insignificant that will soon be overtaken by events, or that contributes nothing to the solution of a current problem.

reckon with »    To settle accounts with or to settle claims with.

red face test »    A hypothetical test of a person's embarrassment, that is either passed or failed. Saying one passes the red face test means one would not blush and thus would not be embarrassed by disclosing something to others or doing something, and saying one fails the red face test means a situation would cause them discernible embarrassment.

remains to be seen »    Is not yet known.

ride one's luck »    To avoid failure only by good fortune.

ride the rails »    To travel by railway train, trolley, etc.

right as rain »    Correct; factually accurate.

right as rain »    Very good; healthy.

rip off »    To charge an exorbitant or unfair rate.

rip to shreds »    To rip up, so that only shreds remain.

rock the boat »    To disturb the status quo or go against rules or conventions, as in an effort to get attention.

rocket science »    Anything overly complex, detailed or confusing.

rocket scientist »    Someone qualified to understand or handle that which is overly complex, detailed or confusing; a genius.

roll down the windows »    To flail one's arms in a circular motion when off-balance, as to mimic the act of rolling down a car window.

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

round out »    To make more complete by adding details.

rub up against »    To touch something with one's body.

rub up against »    To touch another person with one's body in a sexually stimulating manner.

rub up against »    Of pets. To touch a person's body in a friendly manner, seeking attention.

rubber-chicken dinner »    A formal dinner or event thrown by politicians to raise funds.

rule out »    To cross an item out by drawing a straight line through it, as with a ruler.

rum go »    An odd affair; a surprising event; a confusing experience; a queer thing.

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.

rumor mill »    A group or network of persons who originate or promulgate gossip and other unsubstantiated claims.

run away with »    To leave secretly with another person. Usually with the intention of getting married or of living together against the wishes of the family.

run by »    To inform someone briefly of the main points of an idea.

run down »    To criticize someone or an organisation, often unfairly.

run for »    To try to obtain political position through the democratic voting process.

run hot and cold »    To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure.

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

run something by »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run something past »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run up against »    Begin to encounter problems with someone or something.

rush hour »    The times of the day when traffic jams are commonplace, due mainly to people commuting to or from work.

said and done »    Agreed to and accomplished or finished.

sainted »    Simple past tense and past participle of saint.

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

scotch mist »    fine rain

scream »    An entertaingly outrageous person.

screw the pooch »    To screw up; to fail in dramatic and ignominious fashion.

scrounge up »    To seek or find despite a lack of apparent resources or availability.

sea dog »    old sailor

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

second nature »    A mindset, skill, or type of behavior so ingrained through habit or practice that it seems natural, automatic, or without a basis in conscious thought.

second sight »    clairvoyance

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 the light »    To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight.

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.

senior note »    A bond that takes priority over other debt securities sold by the issuer. In the event the issuer goes bankrupt, senior debt must be repaid before other creditors receive any payment.

serpentine »    Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of snakes.

set in stone »    Permanent; certain; firm.

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

set sail »    depart

set straight »    To correct; to make right or true.

set the Thames on fire »    To achieve something amazing; to do something which brings great public acclaim.

shoot oneself in the foot »    To act against one's own interests, e.g., by saying what one is really thinking.

shoot the moon »    To attain great heights, a high value, or a numerically high measurement.

short fuse »    The personality trait of being quick to anger.

short hairs »    Pubic hair.

short on looks »    Plain, unattractive.

short temper »    The personality trait of being quick to anger.

shotgun »    A one-story dwelling with no hallways or corridors, with the rooms arranged in a straight line. Mostly heard in the southern United States.

shy bairns get noot »    (Geordie) Alternative spelling of shy bairns get nowt.

shy bairns get nowt »    If you're too shy, or don't ask, you will not get what you want.A' forgot te ask hor for me money back!Wye, shy bairns get nowt

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 cocktail somewhat like a martini.

silver bullet »    Any straightforward solution perceived to have great effectiveness or bring miraculous results.

silver-tongue »    The trait of being clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way.

sing the praises of »    To commend someone's attributes to others.

sink or swim »    To fail or succeed, no matter what.

sit on »    To block, suppress, restrain.

sit on it »    To wait or hesitate.

sit on the fence »    To remain neutral on a certain topic, to not have a stance or opinion.

sit out »    To lean out to the windward side of a sailboat in order to counterbalance the effects of the wind on the sails.

sit still »    To remain motionless.

sit tight »    To wait patiently.

sitting pretty »    Having a comfortable or certain supply of money or resources.

skeleton crew »    The minimum number of personnel needed to operate and maintain an item at its most simple operating requirements, such as a ship or business, during an emergency or shut down, and at the same time, to keep vital functions operating.

skin and bones »    Said of one who is emaciated; very skinny, as from lack of nutrition.

skinny as a rail »    Especially of a person, very skinny.

slippery slope »    A chain of events that, once initiated, cannot be halted; especially one in which the final outcome is undesirable or precarious.

slippery slope »    A logical argument that follows a chain of events or causes and effects to some conclusion.

smear campaign »    An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.

smell like a rose »    To be regarded as appealing, virtuous, or respectable; to be untainted or unharmed.

snail's pace »    A very slow pace.

snake oil »    A type of 19th century patent medicine sold in the United States that claimed to contain snake fat, supposedly a Native American remedy for various ailments.

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

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 much for »    An expression of disregard, or resignation; something said upon giving up, quitting, or disposing of something.

so quiet one can hear a pin drop »    Said during a lull in a normally bustling place or scene, or as the result of a sudden dramatic or tense moment.

soapbox »    A crate for packing soap, or, by extension, any inexpensive crude platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it, especially when used for speeches.

social death »    The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.

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.

sort out »    To separate from the remainder of a group; often construed with from.

sour grapes »    A putting down or expression of disdain about something that one desires but cannot have.

spare tire »    Excess weight or fat accumulated near the waist.

spare tyre »    A large stomach and rolls of fat around the waist.

speak for »    To claim, reserve, or occupy.

speak up »    To talk more loudly or plainly.

splice the mainbrace »    To have a drink.

split hairs »    Tedious details; minutiae.

spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar »    To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.

sprain one's ankle »    To be pregnant.

squeaky wheel gets the grease »    The person who complains or speaks up most loudly receives the redress or attention which he or she seeks.

squint like a bag of nails »    To squint very much, as though one's eyes were directed as many ways as the points of a bag of nails.

staircase wit »    Thinking of an idea or course of action too late to use it effectively, or the tendency to do so.

stand back »    To maintain a safe distance from a hazard.

stand back »    To abstain from participation.

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

stand by »    To remain loyal or faithful.

stand corrected »    Said to acknowledge someone who corrects something that one says or writes that was not correct.

stand down »    To wait; to stop pursuing or fighting.

stand one's ground »    To maintain or stick by an opinion or position; to remain resolute in the face of opposition.

stand the test of time »    To remain useful or valued over a long period of time; to last a long time.

stand up against »    To defy or challenge someone.

standard fare »    Menu items or dining options which are regularly available in a restaurant or other place where food is served.

standard fare »    The usual price for travel by air, rail, or another means of transport.

start over »    To begin again; to return to the beginning.

state of affairs »    A specific situation; a set of circumstances.

stay put »    To remain in one fixed place.

stay up »    To remain awake, to not go to bed.

step in front of a moving train »    To sacrifice one's own life for a noble and loyal cause.

stick around »    To stay; to linger; to remain.

stick one's nose in »    To be nosy; to meddle or interfere in the affairs of another.

stick with »    To remain close by.

stickhandle »    To maintain individual possession of the puck or ball by controlling it with movements of one's stick, especially to do so in a skillful manner.

sticking point »    A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation.

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.

stiff upper lip »    The quality of being resolute and showing self-restraint, associated with stereotypical British people.

still life »    type of painting

straight away »    Very soon; quickly; immediately.

straight face »    A face that is expressionless, especially not laughing.

straight from the horse's mouth »    Directly from the source; firsthand.

straight from the shoulder »    Done in a direct manner; blunt.

straight man »    A member of a team of comic performers who plays a supporting role by helping to set up jokes and punch lines through engaging in preparatory dialog with the principal comedian; a foil who plays such a role in theatrical comedy.

straight out of the chute »    Something done immediately, or "from the beginning". Taken from rodeo routine: the bucking bronco, or bull, or the calf for the calf-roping contest is kept in a narrow pen, a chute, until it is released and dashes out to its fate.

straighten out »    To make straight.

straighten out »    To correct or rectify.

straighten out »    To eliminate confusion from or concerning.

straighten out »    To correct; to stop doing something wrong.

strap on a pair »    To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation where one has so far failed to do so.

strike while the iron is hot »    To act on an opportunity promptly; to avoid waiting.

strip off »    To remove anything by stripping, e.g. items of clothing or paint from the side of a ship.

success has many fathers, failure is an orphan »    Many will seek credit for success, few will accept responsibility for failure.

suck it up »    To put up with something; to deal with something, such as pain or misfortune, without complaining.

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

sure as eggs is eggs »    Absolutely certain.

sweat »    Fluid that exits the body through pores in the skin usually due to physical stress and/or high temperature for the purpose of regulating body temperature and removing certain compounds from the circulation.

sweet dreams »    Phrase said to someone before they fall asleep, wishing them a good sleep.

swing for the fences »    To act in a way that might generate a very good result, but which also has a large chance of failing.

swing for the fences »    To swing at the ball as hard as possible, with the aim of getting a home run, increasing the chance of missing the ball.

swings and roundabouts »    Offsetting gains and losses.

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.

sword and sorcery »    Of or pertaining to a genre of narratives—including short stories, novels, television shows, films, and computer games—which combines wizardry and other fantastical supernatural elements with violent combat using medieval weaponry..

tail between one's legs »    A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.

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

take a dive »    To lose or fail intentionally.

take a number »    Recognize that many others are in the same situation; recognize that one's concerns are not of high priority; be prepared to wait.

take aback »    Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.

take against »    To stop liking someone. Become unfriendly.

take against »    He took against me when I was promoted over him.

take back »    To regain possession of something.

take down »    To write a note. Usually to record something that is said.

take for granted »    To give little attention to or to underestimate the value of, to fail to appreciate.

take heart »    Be courageous; regain one's courage.

take it or leave it »    It is said when a situation has to be accepted without change.

take it to the bank »    Said to emphasize that something is known for sure.

take lying down »    To endure without complaint or protest.

take off »    To leave the ground and begin flight; to ascend into the air.

take one's hat off to »    To publicly praise or thank.

take the wind out of someone's sails »    To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue.

talk the talk »    Speak like an expert, claim to be knowledgeable about something.

talk turkey »    To talk or negotiate plainly, frankly, or seriously.

tear one's hair out »    To react with extreme agitation.

tear up »    Or against.

tell it to Sweeney »    I do not believe what you said.

tell it to the marines »    I do not believe what you said.

tell tales »    To be lying, to be making false claims.

that'll be the day »    Said in reply to something that one believes will never happen.

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 dogs bark, but the caravan goes on »    Life goes on, even if some will try to stop or talk against progress.

the early bird gets the worm »    Whoever arrives first has the best chance of success; some opportunities are only available to the first competitors.

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 long and short of it »    The gist; the essence or substance; the most important or salient features; said of a summary or digest.

the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak »    (proverbs) For much as one wishes to achieve something, the frailties of the human body often make it impossible.

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 whistle does not pull the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

the whistle doesn't pull the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

then again »    From another point of view; on the other hand; on second thought.

there are plenty more fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there are plenty of fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there is an exception to every rule »    Usually said in a situation when the rule is incorrect and unusable.

there may be snow on the rooftop but there is fire in the furnace »    Even if a person is in his or her senior years, with gray hair, he or she can still have ambition and energy, especially sexual energy.

think better of it »    To change one's mind; especially to decide against.

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 skips of a louse »    Said about some trifling or insignificant matter.

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 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

tickle someone's fancy »    To amuse, entertain, or appeal to someone; to stimulate someone's imagination in a favorable manner.

tide over »    To support or sustain someone, especially financially, for a limited period.

tie up »    To occupy, detain, keep busy, or delay.

tiger team »    An engineering or other group assembled to tackle especially difficult or critical problems, often outside the normal chain of command.

time after time »    Again and again; repeatedly; every time; always.

time and tide »    Shortened form of time and tide wait for no man

time and tide wait for no man »    action is necessary without delay

tin god »    An individual that abuses or exceeds his authority over others, frequently in petty ways; for example a low-level manager in situational comedies and other entertainment.

tipping it down »    Raining heavily.

to a T »    Precisely; exactly; perfectly; with great attention to detail.

to be sure »    Admittedly, undoubtedly, certainly.

to go »    Served in a package or takeout container so as to be taken away from a restaurant rather than eaten on the premises.

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

today we are all »    August 12, 2008:, Robert Barnes, "McCain to Georgian President: "Today, We Are All Georgians"", Washington Post.

too big for one's boots »    Far less capable than one's claims to be.

tooth and nail »    Viciously; with all one’s strength or power; without holding back..

top of the morning »    A generic greeting said to someone in the morning.

touch down »    To land an aircraft.

touch-and-go »    Precarious, delicate, dangerous, risky, sensitive or of uncertain outcome.

trailer park trash »    Lower-class people who live in trailer parks.

trailer trash »    Deleted from the movie trailer. Not included in theatrical run.

trailer trash »    Trailer park trash.

train wreck »    An inevitable disaster.

train wreck »    The aftermath of a train crash.

trench mouth »    Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a severe bacterial infection of the gums, typically characterized by inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration, necrotized tissue, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, and halitosis.

true blue »    Indubitably loyal or faithful.

tune out »    To fail to pay attention to; to ignore.

turn a hair »    To become afraid or visibly upset.

turn against »    To rebel or oppose something formerly supported.

turn against »    To rotate against or in opposition to something.

turn on »    To rebel; to go against something formerly supported.

turn tail »    To flee; to run away; to leave.

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

turnabout is fair play »    It is allowable to retaliate against an enemy's dirty tricks by using the same ones against him.

twiddle one's thumbs »    To circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored.

twiddle one's thumbs »    To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.

twist in the wind »    To be unassisted and without comfort in a situation likely to result in distress or failure.

twist in the wind »    To wait for an uncomfortably long period of time.

two can play that game »    The tactics and/or strategies of an enemy can be used against him.

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

two-second rule »    A rule of thumb for safe driving by which a driver must maintain a two-second distance from the vehicle in front.

under sail »    With sails unfurled; powered by the wind.

under way »    A vessel is said to be underway when she is not anchored, moored, aground, or beached[1]. Compare with make way.

up against »    Facing; challenging, or opposing.

up against »    In contact with, abutting.

up for grabs »    Available for anyone to obtain, claim or win.

up in the air »    Literal: up in or into the sky or air.

up the ante »    To raise the stakes of a hand of poker.

up to »    Against; next to; near; towards.

up-and-coming »    Emerging; aspiring; improving; beginning to attract attention or critical acclaim.

uphill battle »    A challenge with the odds of success stacked strongly against.

upset the applecart »    To spoil carefully laid plans or arrangements; to spoil something.

valley of death »    The phase of a startup business beginning with the entrepreneur's fulltime commitment to it and ending when the business has achieved sustainable cash flow.

wail on »    To strike an opponent heavily and repeatedly in a fight.

wail on »    To beat heavily on anything.

wait for the other shoe to drop »    To await a seemingly inevitable event, especially one which is not desirable.

wait for the other shoe to drop »    To defer action or decision until another matter is finished or resolved.

wait up »    To stay awake waiting for somebody to return.

wait up »    Wait.

walk it off »    To deal with an negative emotional event without complaint; to take it like a man.

walk it off »    To walk or pace in order to relieve a pain or cramp.

walk the line »    To maintain an intermediate position between contrasting choices, opinions, etc..

walk the talk »    To do what one said one could do, or would do, not just making empty promises. To walk one's talk is to be innocent of hypocrisy.

walking on air »    very happy

warm down »    Gentle excercise at the end of a training session before cooling off.

warts and all »    Of or pertaining to a description or other depiction which reveals the full range of characteristics of a person or thing, including the shortcomings and imperfections.

wash over »    Said of the way an emotion affects one suddenly.

wash over »    Of open water. To surge over the banks, or other retaining structure.

watered-down »    Diluted; containing extra water.

wear down »    To have one's long hair styled in a free, low-hanging, unencumbered style; i.e., not in an up-do or ponytail.

wear out »    To deteriorate or become unusable or ineffective due to continued use, exposure, or strain.

wear out »    To exhaust; to cause or contribute to another's exhaustion, fatigue, or weariness, as by continued strain or exertion.

wear out »    To become exhausted, tired, fatigued, or weary, as by continued strain or exertion.

well ain't that the catfish in the trap »    A sentence commonly spoken in the Southern United States. It can often be used in place of "well, I'll be damned". Used to express surprise.

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.

wheel around »    To transport someone or something to various locations by pushing a wheeled transporter such as a wheelchair or a wheelbarrow or trolley.

when all is said and done »    In the end; ultimately.

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

when it's at home »    Plainly; in plain English; when it comes down to it; at it's most basic level.

when you're up to your neck in alligators, it's easy to forget that the initial objective was to drain the swamp »    Only because it seems so urgent.

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.

whistle walk »    The path slaves took to deliver food from the kitchen building of a plantation to the main dining room. Slaves were expected to whistle during this walk in order to assure their masters that they were not eating the food.

whistle-stop »    A small train station.

whistle-stop train tour »    A tour in a political campaign that makes many brief stops in small communities.

whistle-stop train tour »    Any travel that's quick and with only brief pauses.

whitewash »    A lime and water mixture for painting walls and fences bright white.

whomp on »    To assail with overwhelming force; to defeat decisively.

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.

window dressing »    The decorative display of retail merchandise in store windows.

window dressing »    These latest modifications are mere window dressing, the same problems remain.

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.

without fail »    Certainly; by all means; as a matter of importance.

woo back »    To gain somebody back by wooing him or her.

work against the clock »    To work very quickly because you know you only have a very limited period of time to do something.

work one's tail off »    Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.

work out »    To habitually exercise rigorously, especially by lifting weights, in order to increase strength or muscle mass or maintain fitness.

wrap in the flag »    To claim one's cause deserves support for patriotic reasons or that one's own motives are patriotic.

write off »    unrepairable car

yank out »    To remove something like a nail, or a tooth with one quick strong pull.

yellow-bellied »    Pertaining to an animal or reptile that has a yellow belly.

yield up »    To give something against one's will.

you bet »    Certainly; you're welcome; a reply to thank you or to a request.

you bet »    Expresses support, agreement, certainty or emphasis.

you can hang your hat on that »    It's something to put faith in, to rely upon or trust (when used in a positive connotation).

you can say that again »    That is very true.

you can't fight city hall »    (chiefly US) Nothing can be done to change the situation, because it is a governmental decision.I see they're going to build the airport after all. I suppose you can't fight city hall.

you can't say fairer than that »    That is good, reasonable, or fair; one cannot hope for a better decision or outcome.

you can't take it with you »    It is not possible to take one's material wealth to whatever world may await one after death.1900, E. Phillips Oppenheim, A Millionaire of Yesterday, ch. 6:"The clause which

you can't teach an old dog new tricks »    It is impossible, or almost impossible, to change people's habits or traits or mindset.

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.

you never know what you've got till it's gone »    Good friends and acquaintances shouldn't be taken for granted.

zero in »    To focus one's aim; to zoom in and center on something.

zero in on »    To aim precisely at a target.

zoom in »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a larger image, or a closer view.

zoom in »    So as to make it larger and possibly more detailed.

zoom out »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a smaller image, or a more distant view.

zoom out »    So as to make it smaller and possibly less detailed.

New:  We also know Zip Codes FYI!