a dumb priest never got a parish »
(Irish) Those who fail to speak up fail to get what they want.
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a miss is as good as a mile »
A failure remains a failure, regardless of how close to success one has actually come.
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able seaman »
ordinary sailor
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abstract nonsense »
Details which involve diagram chasing.
|
am I right or am I right »
Rhetorical question from somebody who has stated what they consider to be an unassailable truth.
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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.
|
another nail in one's coffin »
One in a series of factors which lead, or purport to lead, to downfall.
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at hand »
Readily available; within easy reach; nearby.
|
at one's fingertips »
Readily available.
|
back to square one »
Located back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure.
|
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.
|
be there for »
To be available to provide comfort and support for someone, especially in a period of difficulty.
|
bear up »
To sail close to the wind.
|
beat up »
To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.
|
behind bars »
In jail or prison.
|
belt and suspenders »
Redundant systems, affording mutual backup in the event of one failing.
|
best laid plans »
A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.
|
bite the dust »
To quit, or fail.
|
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.
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blaze a trail »
To set precedent or do something novel; to break new ground.
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blaze a trail »
To show the way or proceed rapidly.
|
blow it »
To fail at something; to mess up; to make a mistake.
|
blow up »
To fail disastrously.
|
blow up in one's face »
To fail disastrously.
|
blow-by-blow »
Detailing every action or occurrence completely.
|
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.
|
bottle out »
To fail to perform a promised or planned action due to lack of courage.
|
brace of shakes »
The time taken for a sail to shake or shiver twice as a ship comes into the wind.
|
brain surgery »
Something that is overly complex, detailed or confusing.
|
brass monkey »
A cocktail of vodka, rum and orange juice, sometimes with the addition of galliano.
|
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 the bank »
To win more money than is available to be paid.
|
brickbat »
Reason Magazine: Daily Brickbat[1].
|
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.
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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".
|
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.
|
but seriously folks »
Directs attention to immediately preceding failed attempt at humor.
|
call out »
To specify, especially in detail.
|
chase tail »
Partner.
|
check is in the mail »
A common excuse used by debtors to put off creditors.
|
cheese down »
To coil the tail of a rope on deck so as to present a neat appearance.
|
cite chapter and verse »
To speak authoritatively, providing detailed factual information.
|
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 short »
Fail to meet (expectations or standards)
|
come to »
To stop a sailing vessel, especially by turning into the wind. See also come about.
|
come unstuck »
To get into trouble, to have an accident or mishap, to go off the rails.
|
cop out »
To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner.
|
crash and burn »
To fail utterly.
|
creature comfort »
Any small item or detail that makes a person comfortable and at home.
|
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.
|
cut short »
Interrupt and curtail before the planned end time.
|
daily grind »
The difficult, routine, or monotonous tasks of daily work.
|
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 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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
dirty laundry »
Unflattering facts or questionable activities that one wants to remain secret, but which some other may use to blackmail with.
|
do-or-die »
Requiring a determined or desperate effort to avoid the consequences of failure.
|
dog it »
To underperform; to lag behind; to fail to exert effort.
|
dot the i's and cross the t's »
To take care of every detail, even minor ones; To be meticulous or thorough.
|
down the tubes »
Into a state of collapse or failure.
|
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.
|
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.
|
e mail »
electronic message
|
end of the line »
The termination point of a railway or similar transportation system.
|
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,
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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
|
faceplant »
The act of landing face first, often associated with bailing during extreme sports.
|
fail over »
To automatically switch processing from a failed component in a critical system to its live spare or backup component.
|
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 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 one's face »
To fail, especially in a dramatic or particularly decisive manner.
|
fall over »
Of an argument, to fail to be valid.
|
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.
|
fine print »
The details, restrictions, terms, or conditions, especially of a contract, often printed in very small type.
|
fishtail »
The tail of a fish, or an object resembling this.
|
flesh out »
To complete; to create details from a basic outline, structure or skeleton.
|
fly in the ointment »
Something which ruins or spoils everything else; a nuisance or problem; an unpleasant or disagreeable detail.
|
fool's errand »
A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.
|
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"
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get down to brass tacks »
Deal with the important details.
|
go back on »
To fail to keep; to renege on; as, to go back on one's promises.
|
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 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.
|
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.
|
hard as nails »
Very hard; tough.
|
hash out »
To work through the details of something; especially to work through difficulties.
|
head scratcher »
December 2007, W:Daily News Tribune - Golden Globes nominations a head-scratcher.
|
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.
|
hightail it »
To hurry or run; often, to flee.
|
hit the nail on the head »
To identify something exactly; to arrive at exactly the right answer.
|
hit the trail »
To leave or depart.
|
hold somebody's hand »
To guide somebody through the basics or assist with excessively small details.
|
holding pattern »
Any failure to advance; useless or unproductive activity.
|
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.
|
in a pinch »
In an urgent or difficult situation; when no other solution is available.
|
in detail »
Thoroughly; including every detail.
|
in vain »
Without success; ending in failure.
|
ins and outs »
The details or fine points of something.
|
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.
|
jacktar »
Nickname for a sailor in the Royal Navy.
|
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.
|
keep one's options open »
To not commit to a decision, to keep various options available.
|
knock up »
To become exhausted or worn out; to fail of strength; to become wearied, as with labor; to give out.
|
lay an egg »
To produce a failure or flop; to do something which is unsuccessful.
|
let down »
To disappoint; to betray or fail somebody.
|
let somebody down »
To fail somebody; to disappoint or to fail to uphold a commitment.
|
let someone have it »
To verbally assail someone.
|
loose ends »
unresolved details
|
lost errand »
A mission likely to fail.
|
low-hanging fruit »
Easily obtained gains; what can be obtained by readily available means.
|
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.
|
mark up »
To increase the price of something between its wholesale and retail phase.
|
memory lane »
A set of recollections available to be reviewed, especially accompanied by a feeling of nostalgia.
|
mend one's ways »
To recognise one's failings and attempt to remedy them.
|
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.
|
mouth of a sailor »
The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.
|
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.
|
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.
|
no-show »
An absence; somebody who doesn't show up or a failure to show up.
|
not win for losing »
To repeatedly fail in one's gambles or efforts.
|
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-shelf »
As purchased or as commonly available, without modification or customization.
|
on hand »
Available; ready; in stock.
|
on the ropes »
Showing signs of imminent failure or collapse.
|
on the whole »
For the most part; apart from some insignificant details.
|
one-hit wonder »
A musical performer or musical group known for a single hit song, especially after failing at later attempts at success.
|
out of house and home »
Gail White, Partying with the Intelligentsia.
|
out of stock »
Temporarily unavailable for sale.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
pendre la cr%C3%A9maill%C3%A8re »
To have a housewarming party.
|
peter out »
To dwindle; to trail off; to diminish to nothing.
|
pope's nose »
The tail end piece of a cooked chicken.
|
prawn cocktail offensive »
A strategy of the Labour Party in winning over important people in the world of finance.
|
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.
|
pull the other one, it's got bells on »
Monty Python's Holy Grail.
|
quantum mechanics »
Something overly complicated or detailed.
|
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.
|
rake »
A set of coupled rail vehicles, normally coaches or wagons.
|
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.
|
ride one's luck »
To avoid failure only by good fortune.
|
ride the rails »
To travel by railway train, trolley, etc.
|
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.
|
round out »
To make more complete by adding details.
|
run hot and cold »
To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure.
|
scissorbill »
And railroad term for someone who refused to join the union or who openly colluded with management to thwart the union.
|
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
|
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.
|
set sail »
depart
|
silver bullet »
A cocktail somewhat like a martini.
|
sink or swim »
To fail or succeed, no matter what.
|
sit out »
To lean out to the windward side of a sailboat in order to counterbalance the effects of the wind on the sails.
|
skinny as a rail »
Especially of a person, very skinny.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
strap on a pair »
To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation where one has so far failed to do so.
|
success has many fathers, failure is an orphan »
Many will seek credit for success, few will accept responsibility for failure.
|
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.
|
tail between one's legs »
A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.
|
take a dive »
To lose or fail intentionally.
|
take aback »
Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
|
take for granted »
To give little attention to or to underestimate the value of, to fail to appreciate.
|
take the wind out of someone's sails »
To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue.
|
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 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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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
|
to a T »
Precisely; exactly; perfectly; with great attention to detail.
|
tooth and nail »
Viciously; with all one’s strength or power; without holding back..
|
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.
|
tune out »
To fail to pay attention to; to ignore.
|
turn tail »
To flee; to run away; to leave.
|
twist in the wind »
To be unassisted and without comfort in a situation likely to result in distress or failure.
|
under sail »
With sails unfurled; powered by the wind.
|
up for grabs »
Available for anyone to obtain, claim or win.
|
wail on »
To strike an opponent heavily and repeatedly in a fight.
|
wail on »
To beat heavily on anything.
|
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.
|
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.
|
whomp on »
To assail with overwhelming force; to defeat decisively.
|
window dressing »
The decorative display of retail merchandise in store windows.
|
without fail »
Certainly; by all means; as a matter of importance.
|
work one's tail off »
Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.
|
yank out »
To remove something like a nail, or a tooth with one quick strong pull.
|
zoom in »
So as to make it larger and possibly more detailed.
|
zoom out »
So as to make it smaller and possibly less detailed.
|
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