ahead of the game »
Having completed a task before it is due; ready, prepared, or anticipating.
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all one's eggs in one basket »
Devoting all of one’s resources to one thing.
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all one's eggs in one basket »
Investing heavily in just one area.
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and then some »
Used to confirm preceding utterance, while implying that what was said or asked is an understatement.
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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
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ask around »
To enquire about something to different people.
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ask for »
To increase the likelihood of something by persisting in some action; to invite.
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ask for »
request
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ask for »
make a request
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ask for it »
To provoke an unwanted action.
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ask for the moon »
To claim or desire something that one cannot have.
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ask in »
To invite someone to enter one's house.
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ask my arse »
A common reply to any question; still deemed wit at sea, and formerly at court, under the denomination of selling bargains.
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ask out »
To invite somebody, especially on a date.
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ask round »
To enquire about something to different people.
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ask round »
To invite someone to your house.
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asleep at the switch »
Neglectful of an important task, responsibility, or opportunity.
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ball-breaker »
A person or task which is excessively demanding or punishing.
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barrel »
A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads. Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.
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basket case »
One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic or stress.
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bawdy basket »
The twenty-third rank of canters, who carry pins, tape, ballads, and obscene books to sell, but live mostly by stealing.
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beaver away »
To busily undertake a large task.
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blow a gasket »
To become very angry or upset.
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bring it weak »
To fail to accomplish an accomplishable task or to make an attempt at less than maximum effort; to "half-ass" or "fake the funk".
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call on »
To request or ask of somebody; to select for a task.
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carry the message to Garcia »
To perform a requisite task despite obstacles.
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carry the message to Garcia »
To perform a requisite task without having been informed specifically by what method to do so.
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carry water for »
To perform menial tasks for; to serve; to assist.
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cherry pick »
To position oneself near the opponent's goal to attempt to receive an errant or intentional pass for an easy score, as in basketball or versions of soccer where offsides are not enforced.
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chicken out »
To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.
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cop-out »
An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out.
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cop-out »
Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out.
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copious free time »
A hypothetical time set aside for performing time-consuming tasks, however insinuating that the speaker really has no free time.
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crack on »
Task.
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daily grind »
The difficult, routine, or monotonous tasks of daily work.
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do the hard yards »
To perform a difficult task or tasks.
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don't look at me »
A response indicating that one is not willing or able to perform a task.
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don't put all your eggs in one basket »
Don't dedicate all your resources into one thing.
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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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eager beaver »
Who is very excited or enthusiastic to begin a task.
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enquire after »
To ask about the health of someone.
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fall between two stools »
To attempt two tasks and fail at both, when either one could have been accomplished singly.
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farm out »
To subcontract some task to another; to outsource.
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find out »
To discover, as by asking or exploring.
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fire off »
To ask an unexpected question rapidly.
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get moving »
To start hurrying to undertake a task.
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give of oneself »
To devote oneself unselfishly to a task, especially to give time and energy.
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go all the way »
To continue to the conclusion of a task or project.
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go away »
Command asking someone to leave them alone.
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go to work »
To begin performing some task or work.
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good to go »
Ready for some specific task or ready for normal activity, especially after preparation or recovery.
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hard pressed »
Having or likely to have difficulty or to find a task almost impossible.
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hardwired »
Designed to perform a specific task.
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have one's work cut out for one »
To face a large task or project.
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hunker down »
To take shelter; to prepare oneself for some eventuality; to focus on a task.
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inquire after »
To ask about the health of someone.
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inquire of »
To ask someone.
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it's better to ask forgiveness than permission »
The value of acting promptly and making a mistake requiring forgiveness is greater than value of delaying to get permission.
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knuckle down »
To get to work; to focus on a task.
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labor of love »
A task performed voluntarily without expectation of reimbursement; an altruistic work or undertaking.
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last minute »
Point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.
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leave no stone unturned »
To do a task very carefully and thoroughly, not missing any step.
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loaded for bear »
Thoroughly equipped, as for a demanding task or confrontation.
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long row to hoe »
A difficult or arduous task.
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loose end »
A small job that needs to be done, or minor problem that needs to be resolved, before a task can be considered complete.
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make a meal of »
To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.
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make quick work of »
To accomplish a specified task easily and quickly.
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make short work of »
To make a task quicker or easier.
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many hands make light work »
A large number of people co-operating can perform tasks easily.
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mess up »
To make unwanted mistakes in a given task, usually through distraction or obnoxious behavior.
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more haste, less speed »
When we are in a hurry, we often end up completing our task slower.
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moses basket »
portable cradle
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move the goalposts »
To alter the agreed basis, scope, standards or target of a procedure or task during its course, especially to do so to someone's advantage.
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new school »
A style, way of thinking, or method for accomplishing a task that is typical of the current era, as opposed to former eras.
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on the right track »
Using the correct general approach to a particular task or problem; pursuing something in a promising way.
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pass the hat »
To ask for money, especially from a group of people; to solicit donations or contributions.
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peel grapes »
To perform a menial task, eliminating trivial inconveniences.
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pick somebody's brain »
To seek information from someone knowledgeable; to ask questions of someone.
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piece of cake »
A job, task or other activity that is easy or simple to do.
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pull my finger »
A phrase used when playing a prank regarding flatulence, in which a mark is asked to pull the finger of the person playing the prank, who simultaneously flatulates so as to suggest a causal relationship between the pulling of the finger and the resulting expulsion of gas.
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pull one's finger out »
To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.
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pull strings »
To manipulate, especially by asking favours of.
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push one's luck »
To take an excessive risk or to attempt some task unlikely to succeed, especially after having already been unexpectedly lucky.
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put all one's eggs in one basket »
Rather than diversifying.
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put one foot in front of the other »
To walk, decomposed to stress the fundamentality of the task.
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put out feelers »
To explore or watch for; ask around; investigate.
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queer one's pitch »
To make a task more difficult for the speaker.
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quicumque vult »
A forward girl, ready to oblige every man that shall ask her.
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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.
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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".
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shoot first and ask questions later »
To act boldly.
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shoot first and ask questions later »
To take action with serious consequences without delay, preserving the benefit of surprise by not providing indication of one's intent.
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shy bairns get nowt »
If you're too shy, or don't ask, you will not get what you want.A' forgot te ask hor for me money back!Wye, shy bairns get nowt
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slam dunk »
A task expected to present no difficulty.
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smooth operator »
A person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.
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soft touch »
A comfortable situation; an easy task or undemanding occupation, especially one which is comfortably remunerative.
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squaring the circle »
A hopeless or impossible task.
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stroke of work »
With "do not do a", to do none of the assigned task at all.
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tag team »
Two or more people or groups acting alternately to accomplish some task.
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take to task »
To lecture, berate, admonish, or hold somebody accountable for his or her actions.
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task force »
A group of people working towards a particular task, project, or activity, especially assigned in a particular capacity.
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third time's a charm »
One is sure to succeed at a task or event on the third try.
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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.
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to hell in a handbasket »
To a bad state of affairs quickly.
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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
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too many cooks spoil the broth »
If too many people try to take charge at a task, the end product might be ruined.
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tough row to hoe »
A difficult or arduous task.
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underwater basket weaving »
"Sure, somewhere out there, college slackers were taking broom ball and underwater basket weaving." — The Columbus Dispatch, September 15, 2005.
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underwater basket weaving »
An easy and useless college or high school class.
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wade through »
To do a boring, repetitive research task.
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whistle past the graveyard »
To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; To proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.
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wild-goose chase »
A task whose execution is inordinately complex relative to the value of the outcome.
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work at »
To make a physical or mental effort to progress some specified task.
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wrap up »
To finish off a task completely.
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wrestling with a pig »
To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.
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you can't get a quart into a pint pot »
What is being discussed is not possible.They've asked me to get to New York by five o'clock, but you can't get a quart into a pint pot!
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zero in on »
To concentrate or focus one's attention on at task.
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