We've found 679 phrases for AM (0.147 seconds):

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

a camel is a horse designed by a committee »    An expression critical of committees

a dime's worth »    An insignificant amount.

a leopard cannot change its spots »    One cannot change one's own nature.1597, William Shakespeare, Richard II Act i, Scene 1 (First Folio):King. Lyons make Leopards tame.Mowbray. Yea but not change his ?pots.1611, King James Version of the Bible, Jeremiah 13:23:Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?1820, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe Chapter 32:End now all unkindness. Let us put the Jew to ransom, since the leopard will not change his spots, and a Jew he will continue to be.1918, Johnston McCulley, Thubway Tham's Inthane Moment:The leopard cannot change his spots, old boy.

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 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.

able seaman »    ordinary sailor

abstract nonsense »    Details which involve diagram chasing.

according to Hoyle »    In strict accordance with the rules, especially of card games; in the proper or expected manner.

across the board »    A racing bet where one bets that the same competitor will place in first, second and third.

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

adams ale »    water

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

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

add up »    To accumulate; to amount to.

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

after one's own heart »    Of a person: having the same ideas, opinions or behaviour as oneself.

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

albatross »    Any of various large seabirds of the family Diomedeidae ranging widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific and having a hooked beak and long narrow wings.

all at once »    All at the same time; all together.

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

all the same »    Anyway; nevertheless; nonetheless.

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

amateur hour »    A situation or activity in which the participants show a lack of skill, sound judgment, or professionalism.

amber nectar »    Lager beer.

Apa Sâmbetei »    "for nothing", "to no result", or that what you have done was destroyed or is rendered useless after you finish it.

Apa Sâmbetei »    Saturday's waters.

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

as long as »    The same length as.

as well »    To the same effect.

at a glance »    Upon cursory examination; an abbreviated review.

at heart »    In spirit; according to one's beliefs, views or feelings; deep down, really, fundamentally.

at large »    On the loose; roaming freely; not confined.

at latter Lammas »    Never.

at once »    At the same time; simultaneously; together.

avant la lettre »    An example of a term before the term was coined. Describing a term used anachronistically.

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

back gammon player »    A sodomite.

bad penny »    A counterfeit or damaged penny.

baggage »    Heavy baggage; women and children. Also a familiar epithet for a woman; as, cunning baggage, wanton baggage, &c.

bald eagle »    american bird

bang on about »    To keep talking endlessly about the same subject.

bang straw »    A nick name for a thresher, but applied to all the servants of a farmer.

bank night »    An event where patrons are enticed to buy entry tickets into some venue, for example a movie theater, with the anticipation that they will be entered into a drawing to win an amount of money if their ticket is drawn and they are on-site at the time of the winning.

bankers' hours »    The period between 10am and 3pm.

bar none »    Without exception; excluding nothing else of the same kind.

barrel »    The quantity which constitutes a full barrel. This varies for different articles and also in different places for the same article, being regulated by custom or by law. A barrel of wine is 31 1/2 gallons; a barrel of flour is 196 pounds; of beer 31 gallons; of ale 32 gallons; of crude oil 42 gallons.

barrel of monkeys »    Something very funny or amusing.

bash about »    To physically damage something or assault someone.

bat for both sides »    To be a batter for both teams in an amateur baseball game.

bat for the other team »    To be homosexual.

battle cry »    By extension, a strong motto or purpose statement, especially in regards to winning a goal in sports, games or work.

be in a spot of bother »    To have a slight problem, to be in a predicament.

beam up »    To be teleported over a long distance by means of a specific imaginary technology, specifically from the surface of a planet to an orbiting starship.

beam up »    To teleport another person or object in the same manner.

beat Banaghan »    An Irish saying of one who tells wonderful stories, or of something which is amazing and remarkable.

beat up »    To get something done, derived from the idea of beating for game.

been there, done that, bought the T-shirt »    Expresses the speaker's complete familiarity with a situation, with overtones of cynicism or exhaustion.

been there, done that, got the T-shirt »    Same as been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.

bench jockey »    A baseball term for a player, coach or manager who is annoying and distracts opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout bench with verbal repartee.

between a rock and a hard place »    Having the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary.

black »    Lacking cream, milk, and creamer.

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

blood is thicker than water »    Family relations and loyalties are stronger than relationships with people who are not family members.1866, Anthony Trollope, The Belton Estate, ch. 30,Blood is thicker than water, is it not? If cousins are not friends, who can be?circa 1915, Lucy Fitch Perkins, The Scotch Twins, ch. 5,The old clans are scattered now, but blood is thicker than water still, and you're welcome to the fireside of your kinsman!

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

blow off steam »    To rant or shout in order to relieve stress; to vent.

blow someone out of the water »    To trounce; to defeat someone thoroughly, at a game or in battle.

blow the whistle »    To make a piercing sound which signals a referee's action or the end of a game.

blue whale »    largest mammal

bone up »    To study or cram, especially in order to refresh one's knowledge of a topic.

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.

borganism »    An organization of autonomous organisms that exhibit collectivism: individual "units" that have merged to yield a unified construct. Such an amalgam may possess a collective consciousness, arguably an emergent phenomenon of social networking.

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth »    Born rich or in a wealthy family.

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

bottom line »    The final balance; the amount of money or profit left after everything has been tallied.

bottom of the line »    The worst, the most lackluster, or lowest quality currently on the market, especially among selections in a product line.

bottom of the ninth »    In baseball, the second part of the ninth and final inning. The end of the game.

bounce back »    To recover from a negative without seemingly any damage.

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.

brass neck »    Gall, shamelessness, cheek.

brass-neck »    To behave boldly or shamelessly.

brass-necked »    Nervy; cheeky; shameless.

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

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

breakfast of champions »    An ironic appellation for beer, junk food, or other foods implied to be unhealthy.

brickbat »    For example, it's quite common for magazines to have a section called Bouquets and Brickbats for compliments and criticisms.

bring in »    To earn money for a company or for the family.

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

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

bull session »    An informal meeting among men.

bush league »    A low-ranking or inferior level among groups, professions, organizations, etc.

busman's holiday »    A holiday or vacation during which you do the same thing that you do for your usual work.

by the same token »    For a similar reason; in a similar manner; similarly; likewise; along the same lines.

call off the dogs »    During a one-sided sports contest, to remove the first-string unit of a team from the game after dominating the opponent.

camel through the eye of a needle »    Hyperbole to illustrate that something is almost impossible to do or to happen.

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

carry off »    Knowledge, confidence, or familiarity.

case in point »    An example that illustrates a point.

cash cow »    Someone or something which is a dependable source of appreciable amounts of money; a moneymaker.

cast aspersions »    To make damaging or spiteful remarks.

cast the first stone »    To act self-righteously in accusing another person, believing that one is blameless.

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.

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

cat's meow »    A highly sought-after and fancy example of something.

cat's pyjamas »    A highly sought-after and fancy example of something, usually referring to inanimate objects.

cat's pyjamas »    That new car was really the cat's pyjamas.

catch fire »    Become engulfed with flames.

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

chalk up »    To attribute, credit, or blame.

champ at the bit »    To bite the bit, especially when restless.

champ at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

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

charley horse »    A muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg.

check out »    To examine or inspect; to espy.

cheek by jowl »    In close proximity; crammed uncomfortably close together.

cheer on »    To cheer and support a team, to barrack, to root for.

chew the scenery »    To display excessive emotion or to act in an exaggerated manner while performing; to be melodramatic; to be flamboyant.

chip in »    To put into the pot the amount of chips or money required to continue.

chip on one's shoulder »    A form of challenge in the same spirit as a medieval knight throwing down his gauntlet.

chump change »    An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.

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

clam up »    To become silent; to stop talking, to shut up.

clamp down on »    To take measures to stop something; to put an end to.

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

clean up »    To make a large profit; to win by a large margin, or to win a large amount, especially in gambling. Also clean house.

clock up »    To accumulate a large amount of time.

close to home »    Affecting people close to, or within, ones family circle.

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 »    C. 1594, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, act 4, sc. 1.

come to »    To total; to amount to.

company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

consume mass quantities »    To eat or drink abundant amounts of food or beverage.

consume mass quantities »    To use large amounts of any resource.

correlation does not imply causation »    (statistics) The observed correlation between two parameters, say, the growth of a market and the growth of a neighbor's child may, in fact, have nothing to do with each other's causation.

cover one's ass »    To make preparations or take precautions to ensure that one is not blamed or punished for one's conduct.

cramp someone's style »    To restrict someone's free actions, or to give the impression of such.

cream in one's jeans »    To ejaculate while wearing one's trousers.

cream in one's jeans »    To experience an orgasm while clothed; to be thoroughly excited or delighted.

cream of the crop »    The best or most desirable among some selection.

cross paths »    To be, by chance, in the same physical place at the same time, as a result of two completely separate journeys.

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

crying shame »    A situation that is considered to be a disgrace, or deplorable.

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

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

cut down »    To reduce the amount of something.

damn by association »    Discredit or condemn a position, person, or thing by attacking those things with which he/she/it is associated.

damn the torpedoes »    Used to dismiss the risks of a dangerous action.

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

damned if one does and damned if one doesn't »    A dilemma where either choice results in a negative outcome.

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..

damson jam »    fruit preserve

day out »    An excursion, returning home on the same day.

deep down »    Fundamentally; in essence; in reality; really.

deep pockets »    An ample supply of money, especially money which one is willing to spend; the possessor of such money.

deliver the message to Garcia »    Programmers are consistently dehumanized because so many do indeed deliver the message to Garcia only to be at best ignored.

diamond in the rough »    A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance.

diamond in the rough »    An uncut diamond.

diamonds are a girl's best friend »    A statement that suggests, while love is a luxury, material wealth (particularly jewellery) is more valuable in the long run.

dig up dirt »    To examine in order to find negative information for public opinion, usually with the purpose of embarrassing or discrediting a person.

dimber damber upright man »    The chief of a gang of thieves or gypsies.

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

dirty word »    The name of a topic that a person does not like to hear or discuss.

dismal science »    Nickname for economics or for the field of political economy.

do a »    To emulate the behavior/behaviour that is generally attributed to the individual named.

do a number on »    To damage; to treat harshly; to produce ill effects.

do one's damnedest »    To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.

do something with mirrors »    To insinuate one has performed a magic or optical trick with the use of hidden mirrors, insinuating trickery and sham.

dog's life »    A life of indolence where the individual may do as he or she pleases, just like a pampered dog.

don't be penny wise and pound foolish »    Don't be careful when it comes to spending small amounts of money, but careless when spending much larger amounts.Don't focus on minutiae and lose sight of the big picture; don't obsess over tiny inconsequential efficiencies while glaring inefficiencies are going on elsewhere.

double booked »    Of a single resource, reserved for two different users at the same time.

double cream »    dairy product

double Dutch »    A game of jump rope with two ropes and frequently two jumpers.

double Dutch »    A language game akin to pig Latin.

double Dutch »    Sex using a condom and the contraceptive pill at the same time.

double up »    To double the quantity, amount or duration of something.

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.

drama queen »    Any exaggeratedly dramatic person.

drama queen »    Who behaves and speaks in an overly dramatic manner so as to garner attention.

dribs and drabs »    A series of negligible amounts.

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.

drink from a firehose »    To take a small amount from an enormous, hard-to-manage quantity.

drip »    To put a small amount of a liquid on something, drop by drop.

drop a line »    A note or telegram.

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

dummy out »    From a video game in the process of localizing that game from a foreign country.

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

early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise »    platitude from Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym Poor Richard.

eat one's own dog food »    To test the beta programs that are in the test phase on one's own computers; to dogfood.

eat someone out of house and home »    C. 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2, Act II Scene I.

edge out »    To win in a contest or a game by a narrow margin of victory.

engine room »    The source of power in a team or other group.

enough is as good as a feast »    Just the right amount is as good as more than enough: there is no value in excess.

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

eye candy »    A very attractive person or persons, or the salient visible physical attributes of same.

eye up »    To examine closely something coveted.

f**ing hell »    An exclamation of anger.

f**ing hell »    An exclamation of great surprise.

face value »    The amount or value listed on a bill, note, stamp, etc.; the stated value or amount.

faceplant »    Death or defeat in popular multiplayer online games.

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.

fall for »    To be fooled; to walk into a trap or respond to a scam or trick.

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

fall on one's sword »    To voluntarily take the blame for a situation.

fall over »    Of a computer program, to crash.

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.

family jewels »    Testicles.

fat of the land »    The greatest part of anything; the finest and most abundant share of resources; the cream of the crop.

feast or famine »    A situation in which something is always either extremely abundant or in extremely short supply.

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

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

feel free »    Don't be ashamed, be my guest.

fencepost problem »    In computer programming, a problem dealing with how to treat the initial or boundary values of a discrete problem.

fifteen minutes of fame »    A very short time in the spotlight or brief flurry with fame, after which the person or subject involved is quickly forgotten.

fifteen minutes of fame »    Alternate form of 15 minutes of fame.

fire-breathing »    That emits flame from the mouth or nostrils.

first among equals »    A person or position that if formally equivalent to others in a group, but is superior in some attribute.

first among equals »    In the British and other parliamentary systems, a term used to describe the relationship of the prime minister to the other members of the cabinet.

flogging the land »    Damaging agricultural land through excessive grazing or clearing.

flower »    Typically including sepals, petals, stamens, and ovaries; often conspicuously colourful.

flower »    The best examples or representatives of a group.

follow in someone's footsteps »    To follow the same path as someone.

follow suit »    To follow an example; to imitate.

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

for goodness' sake »    This interjection expresses surprise or amazement.

forbidden fruit »    The fruit forbidden to Adam.

fresh off the boat »    Newly arrived from a foreign place, especially as an immigrant who is still unfamiliar with the customs and language of his or her new environment.

from the ground up »    From the beginning; starting with the basics, foundation, or fundamentals.

from time to time »    C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, act 3, sc. 3.

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

full whack »    The whole amount.

game face »    The expression of one who is prepared for or is facing a lot of difficult and/or undesirable work, especially when it is imminent.

game plan »    Any strategy devised to reach a given objective.

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

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

get a kick out of »    To be delighted by; to be amused by.

get a room »    A jocular or sarcastic expression commanding a couple to stop displaying affection in public, and to rent a hotel or motel room to continue amorous activities in private.

get into one's stride »    To become familiar with something recently learnt.

get out of here! »    An exclamation of disbelief.

get stuck in »    To dedicate a large amount of effort towards.

get the chop »    To be eliminated from a competition in a reality television program.

give or take »    Approximately; plus or minus some unknown amount.

go by the board »    To be superseded, rejected, or obliterated; to pass by with little consequence; to amount to nothing.

go on the rampage »    To behave violently or to riot.

go round in circles »    To repeatedly do the same thing; without making any progress.

go the way of »    To end up the same way as. To receive the same fate as.

golden rule »    A fundamental rule or principle.

good old boy »    A friendly, unambitious, relatively uneducated, sometimes racially biased white man who embodies the stereotype of the folksy culture of the rural southern USA.

good on you »    An exclamation of encouragement or congratulation; well done.

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

grease payment »    A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.

great minds think alike »    Used to emphasize a coincidence, or two people reaching the same conclusion in any manner at the same time.

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

guilt trip »    A feeling of shame or embarrassment, especially if self-indulgent, unwarranted, exaggerated or felt over a significant period of time.

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.

ham fisted »    clumsy

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

hammer and tongs »    With tools indicating seriousness of intent and capability of harm.

hammer home »    Until or so that a person or group of people understands it.

hammer out »    To come to an agreement after much arguing.

happy camper »    One who is thoroughly content or satisfied.

hardball »    In baseball, a type of ball and baseball game, as opposed to softball.

have a scream »    To have a good time, to have a blast.

have egg on one's face »    To suffer embarrassment or humiliation; to damage one's reputation.

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

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

have one's name on it »    To be reserved for someone.

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

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

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

hide and seek »    children's game

hold a candle »    To compare; to be even remotely of the same quality, skill, etc. as another.

hold one's liquor »    To be resistant to intoxication or to show few signs of intoxication, even after consuming a significant amount of alcohol.

hold with the hare and run with the hounds »    To oppose an action or behavior and yet engage in the same action or behavior; to be a hypocrite.

horizontal mambo »    Sexual intercourse.

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

hospital pass »    A poorly executed pass to a team-mate causing the receiver to present an easy target for a defender, and thus be tackled hard.

hot and cold »    Ambivalent; having conflicting emotions.

hot potato »    A child's game in which players pass a ball or other item between them, with the object of avoiding being left holding the item when time expires.

household name »    A brand name that is well known to the great majority of households.

household name »    A genericized trademark or anepronym.

household name »    A very well-known public figure.

howdy-do »    Same as how-d'ye-do.

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

hustle and bustle »    A large amount of activity and work, usually in a noisy surrounding.

ice cream »    dessert item

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's all the same »    If it makes no difference; if nobody minds; if it doesn't bother anyone.

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

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

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

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 heaven's name »    An intensifier used with questions.

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

in one's element »    In a situation which is entirely appropriate or familiar.

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

in the same boat »    In the same situation or predicament; having the same problems.

in the twinkling of an eye »    Circa 1598, William Shakespeare, "The Merchant Of Venice".

in unity there is strength »    More can be accomplished by a team with a common goal, than individuals.

in your face »    An exclamation of derision or contempt.

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

it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God »    The rich can afford more immoral behavior than the poor.

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 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:

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.

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 rope »    A single jump in this game or activity, counted as a measure of achievement.

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.

just the same »    Anyway; despite.

keep somebody in stitches »    To keep somebody laughing hard or amused.

kettle of fish »    An awkward situation; a predicament.

kick off »    To make the first kick in a game or part of a game.

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

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

kicking and screaming »    With extreme reluctance.

kill the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

kindred soul »    Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself; kindred spirit.

kindred spirit »    Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself.

king »    A male monarch; member of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation.

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

knock about »    An informal game, usually football.

knock somebody's socks off »    To impress greatly; amaze; stun.

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.

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

lame joke »    An attempt at humor which is perceived to have been used previously to the point of being cliche, or was never funny to begin with.

land of opportunity »    A nickname for the United States.

laughing stock »    C. 1598, William Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, act 3, sc. 1.

lay it on the line »    To state something, for example an ultimatum, strongly and clearly.

lay the groundwork »    To create a foundation; to provide the basics or fundamentals.

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

leave somebody holding the bag »    To abandon somebody, leaving the responsibility or blame.

left-handed compliment »    A complimentary remark which is ambiguous or ineptly worded, so that it may be interpreted as having an unflattering or dismissive sense.

lemonize »    To damage something and then deny or be aloof from the damage.

less is more »    That which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; simplicity is preferable to complexity; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.1855, Robert Browning, "Men and Women":Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.1954, "'Less Is More'," Time, 14 Jun.:The essence of Mies's architectural philosophy is in his famous and sometimes derided phrase, "Less is more." This means, he says, having "the greatest effect with the least means."2007, Gia Kourlas, "Dance Review: An Ordered World Defined With Soothing Spareness," New York Times, 3 Mar. (retrieved 22 Oct. 2008):The program, which features two premieres

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

level up »    To progress to the next level of player character stats and abilities. Often used in role-playing games when the character has aquired enough experience points.

lie in wait »    prepare an ambush

life's not all skittles and beer »    Skittles and Beer refers to the carefree, indulgent bar life; skittles being a British pub game. Thus, life's not all skittles and beer means that not everything is about pleasure.

light bucket »    Nickname for a reflecting telescope, especially one with a relatively large aperture and suitable for observing deep sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies.

lion »    A famous person.

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 down »    To get used to something shameful.

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

Loose cannon »    A cannon that breaks loose during battle or a storm and causes serious damage to the ship and its crew.

Loose cannon »    An uncontrolled or unpredictable person who causes damage to his own friends, faction, political party, etc.

lose touch »    To cease to be familiar with someone or something or to cease to communicate or have contact.

lubrication payment »    A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.

lucky break »    A stroke of luck; a fortunate event, particularly of the sort that propels one to success, fame, etc.

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.

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

make a killing »    To win or earn a large amount of money.

make a living »    To earn enough income to support oneself and, if applicable, one's family.

make a name for oneself »    To gain fame.

make a virtue of necessity »    C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, act 4, sc.1.

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 an example of »    To punish someone so as to be a warning to others.

make book »    To gamble, either by placing or taking bets.

make game of »    To ridicule; to jest.

make it »    To become famous and successful.

make it big »    To become famous and successful.

mama's boy »    A male person, especially a young man or boy, who is overly attached to or influenced by his mother; a sissy.

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

many a mickle makes a muckle »    (UK) a lot of small amounts together, become a large amount.

meatball surgery »    A nickname for surgery that is meant to be performed rapidly to stabilize the patient as quickly as possible.

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

mess up »    To damage; injure.

mint sauce »    serve this with lamb

mock up »    To create a model or demonstration; to create a preliminary version or sample.

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

mouse potato »    A person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer.

movie star »    famous film actor

muck around »    Means the same as muck about.

mug's game »    A foolish, profitless, or hopeless undertaking.

mutton dressed as lamb »    A mature woman dressed in a style more suited to a young woman, especially if a deliberate attempt to appear young.

name and shame »    So as to single them out for individual blame and censure.

nickel and dime »    Small time; operating on a small scale; involving small amounts of money; petty or cheap.

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.

nightcap »    The second game of a doubleheader.

nine lives »    Durability; near immunity to damage.

no screaming hell »    Something that is not particularly effective or impressive; something that is below expectations.

not a zack »    No amount of money; no money at all.

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

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    Ambrose Bierce, The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Vol. 8.

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

nothing flat »    Amount of time; no time at all.

noughts and crosses »    pen and paper game

nugget of truth »    A small amount of truth in a generally untrue statement.

nugget of truth »    January 2008, Chicago Tribune - Clinton's Hispanic edge over Obama.

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

nuts and bolts »    The basic, inner workings of something; the fundamentals or basics; that which makes something operate, on a basic level.

object lesson »    A lesson taught using a familiar or unusual object as a focus.

object lesson »    An example that typifies a principle.

object lesson »    Anything used an example or lesson which serves to warn others as to the outcomes that result from a particular action or behavior, as exemplified by the fates of those who followed that course.

odd and curious »    A way to designate special coins, namely coins that are both odd and imperfect or seriously damaged.

of an »    Belonging to the same.

off one's game »    C. 1910, Ralph Henry Barbour, "The Dub" in The New Boy at Hilltop and Other Stories.

off one's game »    Performing in any activity below one's usual level; behaving in an irregular, inept, or awkward manner; feeling unwell.

off one's game »    Playing or competing below one's usual level of performance.

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

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

old hat »    Something uninteresting, hackneyed, or passé due to overuse or long-standing familiarity..

old hat »    Something with which one is very familiar, or in which one is experienced or skilled.

old maid »    card game

old money »    Families that have been wealthy for generations or members of such families.

old testament »    part of the bible

on board »    Even when I am on board the plane, I can never feel secure that my luggage is, too.

on board »    Is that new teammate properly on board yet?.

on board »    It's a good idea, but let's see if we can get a few more of the management team on board.

on steroids »    To a greater degree, exaggerating the characteristics of the previously named object.

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

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

on the game »    Working as a prostitute.

on the same wavelength »    In rapport or complete accord.

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

one and the same »    The same person or thing. Used to emphasize the identity or equivalence of two things.

one another »    Used of a reciprocal relationship among a group of more than two people or things; compare each other.

one-night stand »    An occasion when a performer or team of them expects to perform at a theater for a single evening.

out of place »    Amongst all those horsey people I felt quite out of place.

pachyderm »    A member of the obsolete taxonomic group Pachydermata, grouping of thick-skinned, hoofed animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant, pig and horse.

pachyderm »    Someone with thick skin. It is used for animals such as an elephant or a hippopotamus.

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.

party pooper »    Someone who unnecessarily dampens fun.

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.

patience of Job »    An great amount of patience.

patience of Job »    From the Bible, James Ch.5 V.11.

pay through the nose »    To pay a high price, especially an exorbitant or excessive amount, either in money or in some other manner.

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.

peaches and cream »    A very enjoyable experience.

peaches-and-cream »    Of facial complexion, smooth, with attractive yellow-pink coloring.

penny black »    old stamp

penny wise and pound foolish »    Prudent and thrifty with small amounts of money, but wasteful and profligate with large amounts.

perfect storm »    A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors.

perp walk »    The intentional public display before news cameras of someone in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public interest, demonstrating the authorities' effectiveness, or shaming the person.

pickle »    A children’s game with three participants that emulates a baseball rundown.

pig out »    They watched the game and pigged out on chips and pizza.

pin tuck »    narrow ornamental fold

pipe dream »    A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely work; a near impossibility.

pipe dream »    fanciful hope

play ball »    An expression used at the beginning of a game of baseball.

play for love »    To play a game of cards without stakes.

play games »    To deceive, to lie about one's intentions.

play Old Harry »    Blenkiron and I have been moving in the best circles as skilled American engineers who are going to play Old Harry with the British on the Tigris. — John Buchan, "Greenmantle", 1916..

play the field »    To date more than one person at the same time.

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

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

plus  »    (literally) The more it changes, the more it's the same thing (sometimes loosely translated as the more things change, the more they stay the same).Although the outward appearance may change, fundamentals are constant.

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

point the finger »    To accuse; to direct or imply blame.

point the finger at »    To accuse or blame.

pore over »    To examine something carefully and attentively.

poster child »    One who is a prototypical or quintessential example of something.

potter »    One who makes pots and other ceramic wares.

potter's clay »    I am the potter’s clay.

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

preprogram »    To predispose to certain thoughts or behaviours.

preprogram »    To program something in advance.

pretty penny »    A considerable amount of money; a high price or a high income.

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.

pronunciamiento »    A pronouncement or "declaration".

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

pull a »    To emulate a behaviour generally attributed to the individual named.

pull teeth »    To remove teeth, usually because they are diseased or damaged.

punch bowl waterfall »    A plunging waterfall descending from a narrow stream into a pool.

put a damper on »    To stop people from enjoying an activity.

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

put down »    To pay an initial amount of money on a large purchase.

put down »    To add a name to a list.

put one foot in front of the other »    To walk, decomposed to stress the fundamentality of the task.

put the cat among the pigeons »    If you set the cat among the pigeons, you will cause a flutter in the dovecote.

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

put the cat among the pigeons »    To cause alarm.

put the hammer down »    To drive quickly; to step on the accelerator.

quite a bit »    A considerable amount.

ramp up »    To increase rapidly to a new value.

ramp up »    To be in the process of learning a new ability.

ramp up »    Of a project or operation, to start up.

reach for the stars »    To have high hopes, to be ambitious.

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

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

ride the short bus »    To have a need for a special education program, as because learning disabled.

ride the short bus »    To participate in a special education program, such as for those with learning disabilities.

ring a bell »    To seem at least vaguely familiar.

ring back »    To make another phone call to the same person.

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

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

rock the house »    To jam at a concert, get down.

round of applause »    An outburst of clapping among a group or audience. Often asked for by the Master of Ceremonies at a concert or other performance.

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

run 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 for the roses »    A college football game or series of games played with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the championship Rose Bowl game.

run for the roses »    Nickname for the Kentucky Derby horse race.

run into the ground »    To discuss ad nauseam.

run out of steam »    To run out of energy; to run out of motivation.

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

run rampant »    To go unchecked or without control; to be wild or excessive.

run roughshod over »    To treat roughly or without care, respect, or moderation; to act without control; to damage.

run the gamut »    To encompass the full range or variety possible.

run to »    To reach a particular maximum amount, size, value, etc.

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

sabre-rattling »    A flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.

sacred cow »    Something which cannot be tampered with, or criticized, for fear of public outcry.

same difference »    It makes no difference; it amounts to the same thing.

same old story »    What usually happens, a happening which is not surprising.

scope out »    To examine; to scout; to investigate; to check out.

scrape together »    To collect, assemble or gather small amounts , from various sources, with some difficulty.

scream »    A form of singing associated with the metal and screamo styles of music. It is a loud, rough, distorted version of the voice; rather than the normal voice of the singer.

scream »    An entertaingly outrageous person.

scream »    Used as an intensifier.

scream bloody murder »    To protest loudly or angrily.

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

sea legs »    Alternative name of surimi.

see someone through »    To constitute ample supply for one for.

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".

send away »    To send to a particular place for a long time, as a family member, an employee, etc.

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

shell out »    To use a program's "shell escape" function to execute an unrelated command or to invoke a subsidiary, interactive shell.

shoot 'em up »    A short story, novel, television show, film, computer game, or other narrative which depicts considerable gunplay.

shoot the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

shoot through like a Bondi tram »    To leave in haste.

sick joke »    A joke which is in poor taste, especially one which depicts as amusing a situation which the listener considers to be tragic or disgusting.

sign in »    To sign one's name on a list when entering somewhere.

sign in »    To take some action to access a secured program or web page on a computer; to log in.

sing from the same hymnbook »    To make the same or similar statements, especially to express the same opinions in public as a result of a prior agreement.

singing from the same hymnbook »    Present participle of sing from the same hymnbook.

sit back »    To recline while still in a seated position, with one's back on the frame of the seat.

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 in the game »    A stake; something at risk.

skip rope »    To jump over a rope, both of whose ends are held by the jumper or by two others, while the rope is moved under the jumper's feet in a continual rhythm; to play the game of jump rope or exercise by jumping rope.

skirt chaser »    A man with amorous intentions who habitually seeks out female companionship.

slam dunk »    A task expected to present no difficulty.

slam dunk »    An impressively forceful dunk.

slam dunk »    Tacking on top of the wind of the following yacht in close quarters.

slanging match »    A row; an argument in which names are called.

sleep together »    To be intimate with another person in the same bed.

small change »    A minor or insignificant amount of money.

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

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.

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.

so-and-so »    A name used to take the place of an epithet.

so-and-so »    A placeholder name, used when a name is not known; a generic name.

so-called »    Same as above, without the negative connotation.

so-called »    So named; called by such a name, with a very strong connotation that the item is not worthy of that name.

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

spare tyre »    An extra tyre carried in case one of the vehicle's tyres is damaged or deflated.

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

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

spot check »    A cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something.

spring to mind »    To appear suddenly in one's thoughts, often as an example of something.

spruce up »    To refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance.

squaring the circle »    The historical problem of how to construct, using compass and ruler, a square having the same area as a given circle.

stage of the game »    A point in the progress of an ongoing dispute or process.

stamp duty »    tax on documents

stamp out »    To get rid of, eradicate.

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

sticks and stones »    Evocative of the saying "sticks and stones may (or will) break my bones, but words (or names) will never hurt (or harm) me".1957, Brendan Gill, The Day the Money Stopped

stop up »    To increase the aperture of a photographic lens, moving from an f/stop represented by a higher number to an f/stop represented by a lower number and causing more light to pass into the camera.

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.

such as »    For example.

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

sweet william »    flower

swim with sharks »    To operate among dangerous people.

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..

tag team »    Two or more people or groups acting alternately to accomplish some task.

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

take a bath »    To lose a large amount of money in an investment.

take a gamble »    To risk; to try something risky.

take a gander »    To take a look; to check or examine.

take a look »    To examine or observe.

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 a powder »    To leave in a hurry; run away; scram; depart without taking leave or notifying anyone, often with a connotation of avoiding something unpleasant or shirking responsibility.

take after »    To follow someone's example.

take apart »    To soundly defeat someone, or a team.

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

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

take the fall »    To assume blame for oneself.

take the heat »    To take the blame; to be the focus of anger or scrutiny; to take the consequences.

take the rap »    To be blamed or punished for something, especially for the actions of another.

take to the cleaners »    To take a significant quantity of a person's money or valuables, through gambling, unfavorable investing, fraud, litigation, etc.

tar with the same brush »    To characterize using the same undesirable attribute, especially unjustly.

team up »    To join into a team, or into teams.

team up with »    To associate with another in a joint enterprise.

tear up »    To damage.

tear up the pea patch »    To put on a notable performance, especially in sports; to go on a rampage.

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 company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

the more things change, the more they stay the same »    A proverb making the observation that turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.

the name of the game »    The overall purpose; the principal goal, or objective.

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 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.

there's no I in team »    A team game is focused on the team, not on the individual.

third string »    A unit of players that plays behind the first and second strings; a junior varsity team.

thrash out »    To discuss something so fully as to resolve a problem or conflict; to hammer out.

through and through »    Completely; entirely; fundamentally.

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

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

throw one's toys out of the pram »    To lose one's temper; to throw a tantrum.

throw shapes »    To act tough or put up a front. For example, to threaten a person by making "karate chops" at them, without actually doing harm or knowing karate.

throw under the bus »    To betray or blame; to use as a scapegoat.

thus and so »    A generic thing; a placeholder name.

thus and such »    A placeholder or generic name for something.

tickle pink »    To thoroughly delight or amuse; to elate.

tickle somebody's funny bone »    To amuse; to strike somebody as funny.

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

tiger team »    A specialized group tasked with testing the effectiveness of an organization's ability to protect assets by attempting to circumvent, defeat or otherwise thwart that organization's internal and external security.

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

timeserver »    A device, node or program that distributes the correct time to clients in a network.

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.

to thine own self be true »    The easiest person to deceive is oneself."This above all:to thine own self be true,and it must follow, as the night the day,Thou canst not then be false to any man." -William Shakespeare

today we are all »    September 12, 2001: Jean-Marie Colombani, "Today, We Are All Americans", Le Monde.

tomorrow is another day »    Tomorrow will bring new opportunities and a fresh start for one's endeavors.1600, author unknown, "Phillidaes Love-call to her Coridon, and his replying" (song), in England's Helicon, printed at London by I.R. for John Flasket:Phil. Yonder comes my Mother, Coridon,whether shall I flie?Cor. Under yonder Beech my lovely one,while she passeth by.Say to her thy true-Love was not heere,remember, remember,to morrow is another day:1896, Amelia E. Barr, A Knight of the Nets, ch. 8:"Well, well, my dear lass, to-night we cannot work, but we may sleep. . . . Keep a still heart tonight, and tomorrow is another day."1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, ch. 63:"Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."2005, Fran Schumer, "JERSEY: In Princeton, Taking On Harvard's Fuss About Women," New York Times, 19 June (retrieved 18 Aug. 2009):"Half of me is depressed

tone down »    To make a television program, piece of writing, etc. less offensive and so more suitable for a family audience.

top dollar »    The maximum amount of money that an item, service, or worker is worth; a very high price.

top of the line »    The best, fanciest, or highest quality, especially among selections in a product line.

toss-upness »    The quality of being a toss-up, usually used in reference to a toss-up state in American presidential elections.

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.

try out »    To undergo a test before being selected for a team etc.

tuits »    Virtual tokens for an amount of time or attention that a particular issue would need to resolve.

turn down »    To reduce the amount of something by means of a control, such as the volume, heat, or light.

turn heads »    To garner a considerable amount of attention.

turn loose »    To roam freely or to act freely.

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

turn to stone »    To metamorphosise into stone.

turn up »    To increase the amount of something by means of a control, such as the volume, heat, or light.

turn upside down »    To thoroughly examine.

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

two birds with one stone »    Any two things that were performed or completed at the same time by one action.

two bob »    A small amount of value.

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

two cents »    A nearly worthless amount, alluding to placing a copper penny on each of the eyelids of a pauper's or slave's body before burial.

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

uncle sam »    the us government

under the microscope »    Under close scrutiny or examination.

up the walls »    Very busy, swamped.

up to »    Considering all members of an equivalence class the same.

up to here »    Overwhelmed, busy, buried or swamped.

walk and chew gum at the same time »    To do something very easy.

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

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

wash one's hands of »    To absolve oneself of responsibility or future blame for.

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

way out »    excellent, amazing

wear out »    To cause to become damaged, useless, or ineffective through continued use, especially hard, heavy, or careless use.

weather the storm »    To reach the end of a very difficult situation without too much harm or damage.

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.

well, I never »    An exclamation of great 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.

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

what it says on the tin »    Exactly what is described or what one would expect from the name.

whatever creams your twinkie »    Do what you will, whatever makes you happy.

whatsamatta »    What is the matter? What is wrong?.

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.

whipped cream »    dessert topping

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

white elephant »    An ornament etc that is unwanted or is a financial burden; an unprofitable investment.

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

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

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

wits' end »    A. 1911, John Muir, in John Muir and Michael P. Branch, John Muir's Last Journey: South to the Amazon and East to Africa, 2002, page 138.

work the room »    To interact enthusiastically with the attendees at an event, by moving among them, greeting them, and engaging them in conversation.

world »    A great amount.

wreak havoc »    To cause damage, disruption, or destruction.

write off »    To record an notional expense such as amortization or depreciation.

you name it »    Used after a short list to show that further examples are unnecessary; all kinds of things.

you're never too old to learn »    It is possible to learn new things, at any age; (implying) follow your desires and dreams

yours sincerely »    A polite formula to end a letter, especially when the recipient’s name is known to the sender.

zip it »    Be quiet; the same as zip one's lip.

New:  We also know Zip Codes FYI!