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.
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avant la lettre »
An example of a term before the term was coined. Describing a term used anachronistically.
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baggage »
Heavy baggage; women and children. Also a familiar epithet for a woman; as, cunning baggage, wanton baggage, &c.
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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.
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boot camp »
A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.
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boot camp »
Any short, intensive course of training.
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boot camp »
Indoctrination, physical fitness training and basic instruction in service-related subjects for recruits in the Navy and Marine Corps.
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breakfast of champions »
An ironic appellation for beer, junk food, or other foods implied to be unhealthy.
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brickbat »
For example, it's quite common for magazines to have a section called Bouquets and Brickbats for compliments and criticisms.
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case in point »
An example that illustrates a point.
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cat's meow »
A highly sought-after and fancy example of something.
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cat's pyjamas »
A highly sought-after and fancy example of something, usually referring to inanimate objects.
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caucus race »
A political competition; the game of campaigning and one-upmanship to get votes and be elected.
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champ at the bit »
To bite the bit, especially when restless.
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champ at the bit »
To show impatience or frustration when delayed.
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charley horse »
A muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg.
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clamp down on »
To take measures to stop something; to put an end to.
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cramp someone's style »
To restrict someone's free actions, or to give the impression of such.
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crying shame »
It's a crying shame that so much money has been wasted on this pointless political campaign.
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damp squib »
A firework that fails to go off, due to wetting.
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damp squib »
Anything that doesn’t work properly, or fails to come up to expectations..
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deep pockets »
An ample supply of money, especially money which one is willing to spend; the possessor of such money.
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dirty laundry »
A clothes hamper or other container used to place unclean or soiled laundry.
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dog's life »
A life of indolence where the individual may do as he or she pleases, just like a pampered dog.
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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.
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drum up »
To generate or encourage; to campaign for.
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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.
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face value »
The amount or value listed on a bill, note, stamp, etc.; the stated value or amount.
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flower »
The best examples or representatives of a group.
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follow suit »
To follow an example; to imitate.
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go on the rampage »
To behave violently or to riot.
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happy camper »
One who is thoroughly content or satisfied.
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head start »
For example, prior to the beginning of a race.
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in broad daylight »
In ample natural illumination, during the daytime.
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instance in »
To cite an instance; to adduce an example.
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kick the habit »
To recover from or quit an addiction or habit. For example, to quit smoking, drinking, burping, or drug addiction.
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lay it on the line »
To state something, for example an ultimatum, strongly and clearly.
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make an example of »
He made an example of the drunken sailor with twenty lashes, to show that he must have a sober crew.
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make an example of »
To punish someone so as to be a warning to others.
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mock up »
To create a model or demonstration; to create a preliminary version or sample.
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nut-cutting time »
Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.
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object lesson »
An example that typifies a principle.
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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.
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party pooper »
Someone who unnecessarily dampens fun.
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penny black »
old stamp
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perfect storm »
A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors.
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poster child »
One who is a prototypical or quintessential example of something.
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pound the pavement »
To campaign diligently; to seek something, such as business, employment, or answers.
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put a damper on »
To stop people from enjoying an activity.
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ramp up »
To increase rapidly to a new value.
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ramp up »
To be in the process of learning a new ability.
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ramp up »
Of a project or operation, to start up.
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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.
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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.
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run rampant »
To go unchecked or without control; to be wild or excessive.
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sacred cow »
Something which cannot be tampered with, or criticized, for fear of public outcry.
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see someone through »
To constitute ample supply for one for.
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smear campaign »
An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.
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spot check »
A cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something.
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spring to mind »
To appear suddenly in one's thoughts, often as an example of something.
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spruce up »
To refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance.
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stamp duty »
tax on documents
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stamp out »
To get rid of, eradicate.
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such as »
For example.
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take after »
To follow someone's example.
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tear up the pea patch »
To put on a notable performance, especially in sports; to go on a rampage.
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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.
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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.
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up the walls »
Very busy, swamped.
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up to here »
Overwhelmed, busy, buried or swamped.
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walk it off »
To walk or pace in order to relieve a pain or cramp.
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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.
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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.
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whistle-stop train tour »
A tour in a political campaign that makes many brief stops in small communities.
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you name it »
Used after a short list to show that further examples are unnecessary; all kinds of things.
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