We've found 1112 phrases for ATE (0.1 seconds):

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush »    It is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere potential of a greater one.

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

a day late and a dollar short »    Action that was taken too late and too feeble to be of any use.

a different ballpark »    Something totally unrelated or of a vastly different scale or scope.

a penny saved is a penny earned »    A maxim for thrift that says that money not spent may be spent later, or may earn interest in the meantime

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.

about to »    Indicates something that will happen very soon; indicates that something is imminent.

according to »    Based on what is said or stated.

across the board »    Pertaining to all categories or things.

act like a bull in a china shop »    To act rudely or clumsily in a delicate situation.

adams ale »    water

add up »    To accumulate; to amount to.

after the fact »    Too late; after something is finished or final.

against the grain »    To sand or plane a piece of wood parallel or nearly parallel to the fibers such that splinters forming ahead of the tool originate below the cutting surface.

agree to disagree »    To tolerate each other's opinion and stop arguing; to acknowledge that an agreement will not be reached.

ahead of one's time »    Showing characteristics of changes yet to be; present in one's work before later advances in the field; coming earlier than could be generally accepted.

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

all hell breaks loose »    Vi A place or state of fury, turmoil, destruction, or chaos.

all out »    The state of a side having no more men to bat, thus ending its innings.

all right, my lover »    An informal affectionate greeting.

all that jazz »    Everything else related to something; other similar things.

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

along about »    Approximately; at around some time.

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.

an apple a day »    Healthy eating and living using traditional temperate-zone fresh foods.

and so forth »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

and so on »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

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

angel's advocate »    Someone who sees what's good about an idea and supports it.

answer back »    To reply to a question at a later time.

Apa Sâmbetei »    Saturday's waters.

April showers bring May flowers »    April, traditionally a rainy period, gives way to May, when flowers will bloom because of the water provided to them by the April rains.By extension, that a period of discomfort can provide the basis for a period of happiness.

apron string hold »    An estate held by a man during his wife's life.

ark ruffian »    Rogues who, in conjunction with watermen, robbed, and sometimes murdered, on the water, by picking a quarrel with the passengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, stripping, and throwing them overboard, etc. A species of badger.

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

arm's length »    Independent, but related.

as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly »    Foolish people repeatedly do foolish things.

as far as »    With respect to; as relates to.

as is »    In its present state or condition, especially as a contractual condition of sale.

as luck would have it »    As it happened; how it turned out; by good fortune; fortunately or luckily.

ask out »    To invite somebody, especially on a date.

assault and battery »    . This legal distinction exists only in jurisdictions that distinguish assault as threatened violence rather than actual violence.

assume the mantle »    To take on a specific role or position, along with any associated responsibilites.

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

at a moment's notice »    Immediately; instantaneously; without need of warning.

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

at all »    Indicating degree, quantity or frequency greater than zero; to the slightest degree, in any way, somewhat, rather.

at all hours »    Late into the night or early morning; when people ought to be sleeping.

at death's door »    About to die; in a life-threatening state of health.

at last »    In the end; finally; ultimately.

at once »    Immediately; now; right away.

at sixes and sevens »    In a state of confusion.

at sixes and sevens »    In a state of dispute or disagreement.

at the end of one's tether »    At the limit of one’s patience; frustrated or annoyed..

at the end of the day »    In summary; ultimately.

at the end of the road »    No longer in the competition. Voted off. Eliminated.

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

back burner »    A state of low urgency; a state of low current importance.

back office »    The IT and infrastructure support services for a company, separate from the public face of the business.

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

back water »    A very remote, rural area.

back-of-the-envelope »    Approximate, rough, simplified.

bad news »    News of unpleasant, unfortunate or sad events.

bad penny »    A person or thing which is unpleasant, disreputable, or otherwise unwanted, especially one which repeatedly appears at inopportune times.

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

ballpark estimate »    A ballpark figure, a very rough approximation.

ballpark figure »    An educated guess or estimation within acceptable bounds.

bang to rights »    Caught red-handed; in a guilty state.

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.

bar star »    A female who frequents bars or lounges, usually late at night.

barnburner »    Liberal faction of the New York state United States Democratic Party in the mid 19th century.

barrel »    A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads. Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.

barrel »    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.

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

batten down »    To close or make watertight, referring to hatches and cargo.

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

be all ears »    To listen carefully or eagerly; to anticipate.

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

be of two minds »    To be undecided or unsure; to equivocate; to have multiple opinions.

be the way to go »    Represent the best of all possible options or courses of action; pre-eminate over all other choices or alternatives.

be-all and end-all »    Something considered to be of the utmost importance; something essential or ultimate.

bear out »    To corroborate, prove, or confirm; to demonstrate; to provide evidence for.

beat off »    To masturbate.

beat one's meat »    To masturbate.

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

beat up »    To cause by some other means, injuries comparable to the result of being beaten up.

beat up »    Repeatedly bomb a military target or targets.

beat up »    To verbally assault repeatedly.

beefed out »    Muscular, often in an exaggerated way.

behind its time »    Showing characteristics of the past; present in one's work after later advances in the field; coming later than could be generally accepted.

bent on »    Completely determined; obstinate.

better an egg today than a hen tomorrow »    It is better to have a sure thing now than a possibility of more later.

beyond the black stump »    Extremely remote, outside the populated area.

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

big up »    To proclaim or exaggerate the importance of.

birds of a feather flock together »    People of similar character, background, or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another.

birds of the feather flock together »    People who are alike physically tend to congregate and socialize together, despite government efforts at forced integration.

bite someone's head off »    To severely berate someone.

black »    Illegitimate, illegal or disgraced.

black-on-black »    Something that is invisible or intentionally obfuscated, such as warnings or fine print.

blanket term »    A word or phrase that is used to describe multiple groups of related things. The degree of relation may vary. Blanket terms often trade specificity for ease-of-use; in other words, a blanket term by itself gives little detail about the things that it describes or the relationships between them, but is easy to say and remember. Blanket terms often originate as slang, and eventually become integrated into the general vocabulary.

bleeding edge »    Something very current, or modern where there may actually be a hazard or risk in using it, such as with potentially unstable software. The term relates to a sword.

bleep out »    To censor inappropriate spoken words by obscuring them with the sound of a bleep.

blind date »    A romantic meeting between two people who have never met before.

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 out »    To make something undecipherable; to obliterate.

blow away »    Flabbergast; scintillate; impress greatly.

blow chunks »    To be very bad, inadequate, unpleasant, or miserable; to thoroughly suck.

blow hot and cold »    To behave inconsistently; to vacillate or to waver, as between extremes of opinion or emotion.

blow out of proportion »    To overreact to or overstate; to treat too seriously or be overly concerned with.

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

blow the whistle »    To disclose information to the public or to appropriate authorities concerning the illegal or socially harmful actions of a person or group, especially a corporation or government agency.

blow up »    To inflate or fill with air.

blue state »    A state of the United States voting Democratic in a given election, or tending to vote Democratic in general.

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

booze can »    A nightclub or bar, especially one which operates illegally or is otherwise disreputable.

born in a barn »    Engaging in the annoying behavior of inappropriately, and usually neglectfully, leaving open a door or window.

borne out »    Substantiated.

box-office bomb »    A motion picture that generates relatively low revenue at the box office, especially that which is less than the budget for the motion picture.

branch out »    To attempt something new or different, but related.

break a sweat »    ' , Karon Karter - The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Pilates Method page 119.

break ground »    To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements.

break new ground »    By extension, to initiate a new venture.

break out »    To separate from a bundle.

break rank »    To march or charge out of the designated order in a military unit.

break the back of »    To achieve the greater part of some project.

break up »    To break or separate into pieces; to disintegrate or come apart.

break up »    To break or separate into pieces.

break up »    To stop a fight; to separate people who are fighting.

break wind »    To flatulate; fart; to expel gases generated during digestion through the anus.

brick by brick »    To create or build something in a steady, step-by-step fashion.

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

bridge »    A statement, such as an offer, that signals a possibility of accord.

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

bring down »    To make a legitimate rulership lose their position of power.

bring forth »    To create, generate, bring into existence.

bring it on »    Used to indicate one's willingness to accept a challenge, confront a threat, etc.

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

buff the muffin »    To masturbate.

build up »    To accumulate, to pile up.

bump and grind »    A combination of movements resembling such a dance, as in road racing, whitewater kayaking, or exercising; any activity involving prolonged jarring or shaking.

bump and grind »    A sexually suggestive dance involving exaggerated hip movements, especially a striptease dance.

bundle of energy »    The energy associated with being lively, continually active, or industrious.

buried treasure »    Something, having been concealed for a long time, which later is found and is profitable.

buried treasure »    Treasure stashed underground or underwater.

burn rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

burn the midnight oil »    To work studiously, especially late into the night.

bust chops »    To nag; to berate or hound in an effort to elicit action.

busted flush »    A potential flush which ultimately was not filled.

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

but who's counting »    Used as a retort or comeback, often to deprecate oneself or another for excessive concern or attention to.

by a long shot »    By a wide margin; indicates a very big difference or disparity.

by the way »    Incidentally; a parenthetical statement not timely, central, or crucial to the topic at hand; foregone, passed by, something that has already happened.

call in »    To communicate with a base etc, by telephone.

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

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

carbon copy »    duplicate

carry a tune »    To produce music, especially to sing, with accurate pitch.

carry someone's water »    To do someone's bidding; to serve someone's interests.

carry water for »    To perform menial tasks for; to serve; to assist.

case in point »    An example that illustrates a point.

cash cow »    A product, service, or enterprise that generates ongoing, high net free cash flows.

cast pearls before swine »    To give things of value to those who will not understand or appreciate it.

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 that ate the canary »    A person who appears self-satisfied or smug, especially while concealing something mischievous, prohibited, or private.

cat that ate the canary »    A person whose appearance and behavior suggest guilt mixed with other qualities, such as satisfaction or feigned nonchalance.

cat's cradle »    Any complicated structure which appears to be without purpose.

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

catch a buzz »    To become slightly inebriated, but not yet be drunk.

catch hell »    Be severely reprimanded, punished, or beaten.

catch it »    Be severely reprimanded, punished, or beaten.

catch up »    To compensate for or make up a deficiency.

catmeat »    Someone who has been badly beaten.

caucus race »    The competitive process in which a political party selects their candidate, esp. presidential; a primary election via caucus.

center field »    The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and straight ahead left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.

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

chance'd be a fine thing »    Given to indicate that an aforementioned thing would be desirable but unlikely. Comparable to if I should be so lucky.

charge up »    To motivate, to instill someone with determination.

chase down »    To investigate the cause of something.

cheaters never prosper »    One does not gain from cheating.

check out »    Used to draw attention to something and stimulate excitement about it.

chew somebody out »    To berate; to shout at someone.

chew the cud »    To meditate or ponder before answering; to be deep in thought; to ruminate.

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

choke the chicken »    To masturbate.

cite chapter and verse »    To provide specific references from an authoritative book, as the Bible or a book of statutes or rules, to support a statement.

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

clay »    An earth material with ductile qualities.

clay »    The material of the human body.

clear the decks »    To remove, or fasten, all loose material, or partitions prior to a naval engagement.

clear up »    Of stormy weather, to dissipate, to become calm.

climb the walls »    To behave in a distressed or frantic manner; to feel very agitated.

clock up »    To accumulate a large amount of time.

clock up »    To accumulate a large distance.

cloud nine »    A state of happiness, elation or bliss; often used in the phrase on cloud nine.

cock a hoop »    elated

cold shoulder »    A deliberate act of disrespect; a slight or snub.

collect one's thoughts »    To become mentally composed, especially after being distressed, surprised, or disoriented; to become calm or organized in one's emotional state or thinking, as in preparation for a conversation, speech, decision, etc.

colt over the fence »    An illegitimate child.

come around »    To change one's mind, especially to begin to agree or appreciate what one was reluctant to accept at first.

come down to »    To depend upon, basically, ultimately or in essence.

come hell or high water »    Regardless of the hardships.

come on »    A statement or sometimes action reflecting sexual or relational interest.

come the acid »    To exaggerate.

come to »    To regard or specify, as narrowing a field of choices by category.

come to a head »    To suddenly make mature or perfected that which was inchoate or imperfectly formed.

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

come to think of it »    By the way; now that I think about it; indicates something brought to mind.

come up with »    To invent, create, or think of.

come what may »    In spite of anything that might happen; whatever may occur.

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

cook the books »    To manipulate accounting information, esp. illegally, by a corporation.

cook up »    To manufacture; to falsify; to devise an elaborate lie.

cool down »    To become less agitated.

cool down »    To cause to become less agitated.

cop-out »    Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out.

corporation pop »    Water.

cotton to »    To like; approve of, accept, or tolerate.

couldn't happen to a nicer »    Sarcastically asserts that those in question thoroughly deserve their fate.

cozy up »    With "to", to ingratiate oneself .

cradle robber »    A person who marries or becomes romantically involved with someone who is much younger or who employs or otherwise engages a young person for a purpose inappropriate for his or her age.

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

cross paths »    August 5 2004, SFGate.com.

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

cross the floor »    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.

crush out »    To force out or separate by pressure.

cry one's eyes out »    To weep for an elongated time, or in an excessive manner.

cuckoo clock »    ornate timepiece

cup of tea »    Whatever suits or interests one.

curate's egg »    A thing which has good and bad parts.

curveball »    An unexpected turn of events initiated by an opponent or chance.

cut off »    To isolate or remove from contact.

cut out »    Well suited; appropriate; fit for a particular activity or purpose.

cut the cheese »    To flatulate.

cut to the chase »    To get to the point; to get on with it; to state something directly.

cutting edge »    The forefront, or position of greatest advancement in some field.

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

dark horse »    A candidate who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice.

date with destiny »    An inevitable future event or encounter, especially one which is likely to be momentous.

dead »     : So hated by that they are absolutely ignored.

dead as a dodo »    That has become out of date.

dead as a doornail »    Unquestionably dead. Used for both inanimate objects and once living beings.

dead end »    A path or strategy that goes nowhere or is blocked on one end.

dead in the water »    Nearly dead, doomed.

dead men tell no tales »    Once someone is dead, they can no longer communicate, hence killing someone is the best way to keep him/her quiet.

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

deep end »    The part of a swimming pool with relatively deep water.

deep water »    A difficult or embarrassing situation.

deep water »    Waters suitable for deep-draft ships, especially ocean-going.

deer in the headlights »    A mental state of high arousal caused by anxiety fear, panic, surpriseand/or confusion, or substance abuse. The behavioral signs are like a deer subjected to a car's headlights, such as widely opened eyes and a lack of motor reactions.

desk jockey »    One who spends his or her time seated at a desk; especially one who is more concerned with procedure, paperwork, or administration than with its ultimate goal or practical consequence.

desperate times call for desperate measures »    In adverse circumstances actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.

desperate times require desperate measures »    Alternative form of desperate times call for desperate measures.

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

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

devil's advocate »    One who debates from a view which they may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity, or simply for the sake of argument.

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.

dictated but not read »    Dictated, as to a secretary or stenographer, but not proofread by the person who dictated the text so annotated.

dig up »    To excavate something.

dishpan hands »    Hands which are rough, reddish, and dry, as from irritation and chafing caused by immersion in hot water mixed with detergent.

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

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

do as I say and not as I do »    Don't imitate my behavior but obey my instructions.

do away with »    To destroy, eliminate, or make an end of.

do out »    to redecorate; to adorn

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

do up »    To redecorate a room etc.

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

does Macy's tell Gimbel's »    (US, dated, colloquial, rhetorical question) A rhetorical question with the implied answer being that competitors do not share business secrets with one another.

dog and pony show »    Any presentation or display that is overly contrived or intricate.

don't cry over spilt milk »    It is no use worrying about unfortunate events which have already happened and which cannot be changed.

don't put all your eggs in one basket »    Don't dedicate all your resources into one thing.

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

double Dutch »    A date where both man and woman pay for their portion of the bill.

double talk »    Lying, especially in a formal political statement.

down for the count »    Decisively beaten; rendered irrelevant for the long term.

down in the mouth »    Sad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.

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

drag one's feet »    To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.

drama queen »    Any exaggeratedly dramatic person.

draw a bath »    To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.

draw the line »    To set a boundary, rule, or limit, especially on what one will tolerate.

dress up »    To decorate; to prettify.

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

drive one up the wall »    To make a person very angry or bored; to infuriate.

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

drop back »    Of a quarterback or other player in the backfield, to take a number of steps back from the line of scrimmage immediately after the snap or hike of the ball, to avoid defenders.

drop in »    . Often hyphenated drop-in.

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

dry out »    To have excess water evaporate or be otherwise removed.

due course »    Regular or appropriate passage or occurrence.

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

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.

each to his own »    Everyone is entitled to their own opinion or tastes.My housemate is a strict vegan. I personally could never not eat meat, but each to his own.

eat up »    To accept or believe entirely, immediately, and without questioning.

elbow grease »    Effort or hard work, especially physical work involving repeated motion of the forearm, such as scrubbing.

eleventh hour »    Nearly too late; the last minute.

empty vessels make the most sound »    noisy, opinionated people are often stupid.

engine room »    A compartment on a ship in which the engine machinery is located.

estate agent »    property seller

even keel »    A state of having one's emotions under control and balanced.

everything happens for a reason »    All events are purposeful.Everything happens for a reason, so there is no such thing as failure. Mary-Kate OlsenPeople like to say "everything happens for a reason." If you repeat that in your head long enough that starts to sound like "anything can happen with a razor." Laura KightlingerI believe that everything happens for a reason, but I think it's important to seek out that reason - that's how we learn. Drew Barrymore

evil twin »    A duplicate or counterpart of something or someone that acts in a contrary, nefarious, or insidious manner.

evil twin »    A rogue wireless access point installed near a legitimate one for purposes of eavesdropping or phishing.

f** with »    To mess with; to interact with in a careless or inappropriate way.

face value »    No more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation.

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

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

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

fall apart »    To break into pieces through being in a dilapidated state.

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

fall short »    To be less satisfactory than expected; to be inadequate or insufficient.

fashion plate »    A person who dresses in especially stylish fashions.

fashion plate »    A picture, usually an advertisement, showing the latest fashion in clothing.

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

fed up »    Frustrated, annoyed, tired .

federal case »    Any over-exaggerated ordeal.

feed into »    To be a tributary of another river or waterway.

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

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

fill in »    To fill; to replace material that is absent or has been removed.

filter down »    Of a liquid; to move slowly down to lower substrate levels.

final cut »    A group, after a selection process getting rid of other candidates.

fire hose »    A hose used to deliver water in case of fire.

fire on all cylinders »    To operate as effectively as possible.

first rate »    Superb, exceptional; of the best sort; very high quality.

first things first »    Deal with matters of highest priority first; deal with matters in logical sequence.1922, H. G. Wells, The Secret Places of the Heart, ch.4,"First things first," said Sir Richmond. If we set about getting fuel sanely, if we do it as the deliberate, co-operative act of the whole species, then it follows that we shall look very closely into the use that is being made of it.1999, Frank Pellegrini, "House Republicans Quell Mutiny Over Tax Bounty," Time, 23 Jul.,Judging by the polls

fish out »    To deplete the supply of fish in a given body of water.

fit to be tied »    Very agitated or distressed; enraged.

flat-earther »    A person who believes or advocates an outlandish, discredited theory; a person who refuses to acknowledge the truth despite overwhelming evidence.

flat-earther »    A person who believes or advocates the theory that the earth is flat.

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

flick the bean »    To masturbate by stimulating the clitoris.

flipside »    Later or tomorrow.

flower »    Of plants, a state of bearing blooms.

flower »    The best state of things; the prime.

follow suit »    To follow an example; to imitate.

fool's paradise »    A state of happiness due to illusion or false hope.

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

for the time being »    Temporarily; until later.

force of habit »    An act that has been repeated to the point where the performance of the act becomes automatic.

force someone's hand »    Bring about a situation which necessitates an agent to act, often causing a plan to be executed prematurely.

forewarned is forearmed »    Advance awareness of a situation, especially a risky one, prepares one to deal with it.1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash, ch. 4:[W]hatever a young gentleman of that age says to you, he says to many other ladies; but your experience is not equal to your sense; so profit by mine . . . forewarned is forearmed.1885, G. A. Henty, Saint George for England, ch. 4:Sometimes, they say, it is wiser to remain in ignorance; at other times forewarned is forearmed.circa 1903, Lucy Maud Montgomery, "Why Mr. Cropper Changed His Mind":"Well, Miss Maxwell, I think it only fair to tell you that you may have trouble with those boys when they do come. Forewarned is forearmed, you know."

four score and seven years ago »    As an opener, a sometimes sarcastic indicator to indicate a past event being mentioned is particularly important.

fourth estate »    Journalism or journalists considered as a group; the Press.

fourth estate »    Which governed legislation.

friend with benefits »    A friendship with no reserves when it comes to the release of shared sexual tension thus leading to sexual fraternization.

from my cold, dead hands »    A statement that something will not be taken away from you until the day you die.

from the get-go »    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

from the word go »    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

full as a goog »    Having eaten too much, or being drunk.

funny money »    A highly inflated currency.

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

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 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 back at »    To retaliate; to take revenge.

get bent out of shape »    To take offense; to become angry, agitated or upset.

get down to business »    To become involved with something work-related.

get high »    To intoxicate oneself with drugs or other substances.

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

get on somebody's nerves »    To annoy or irritate; to bother.

get on someone's wick »    To annoy or upset someone, usually by repeated disagreeable actions.

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

get somebody's goat »    To annoy, infuriate, bother, or incense.

get someone's back up »    To annoy a person either deliberately or inadvertently.

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

get the axe »    To be fired, axed, terminated.

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

give as good as one gets »    To behave toward others in a manner resembling or commensurate with their behavior towards oneself, especially in a situation where one is insulted or otherwise ill-treated.

give away the store »    To transact, trade, or negotiate badly, by paying, providing, or conceding too much to the other party.

give hostage to fortune »    To take an action or make a statement that is risky because it could cause you trouble later.

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

give some skin »    To greet or congratulate someone by slapping his or her palm; see slap me five.

give somebody what-for »    To admonish or berate; to speak angrily at somebody.

give the elbow »    To terminate the employment of.

go along with »    To comply with something, even if reluctantly; to accept or tolerate.

go blue »    Of states and counties, to be carried by a Democratic candidate in a given U.S. election.

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

go by the board »    To estimate the velocity of a boat or ship in knots by casting overboard the knotted line to whose end is attached the lead and thereafter counting the knots in the line as it goes aft along the side boards of the vessel.

go down »    To decrease; to change from a greater value to a lesser one.

go down the pan »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go down the tubes »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go downhill »    To worsen or degenerate.

go for »    To be equally valid or appropriate.

go mad »    Used to indicate that the second verb represents an action that is out of character.

go out with »    Date, be involved in a romantic relationship with.

go over »    To create a response or impression.

go red »    Of states or counties, to be carried by a Republican candidate in a given U.S. election.

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

go the distance »    To participate in a boxing match for its maximum number of rounds.

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

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

go to pot »    To decline or deteriorate.

go to seed »    To deteriorate; to decline into an unkempt or debased condition.

go to sleep »    An expression used to dismiss an extremely foolish statement, or to dismiss somebody that one does not feel like talking to.

go to the dogs »    To decline or deteriorate.

go to the mat »    To continue to struggle or fight until either victorious or defeated.

go too far »    To exceed an unstated limit, especially a limit of acceptable behaviour.

God works in mysterious ways »    Expressing confidence that a conundrum has a solution despite it not being apparent.Expressing that a seemingly unfortunate or unfavourable situation or change may be beneficial later or in the long run.Person A: It seems that I'm about to be fired from my job.Person B: Well, God works in mysterious ways - maybe it'll be the kick you need to apply to university...

going rate »    The current standard or usual price, rate, or salary for something.

going to the dogs »    In such a poor state that it should be left to the dogs.

gold standard »    A test or measure of comparison that is considered ultimate or ideal.

golden rule »    The principle that one should treat other people in the manner in which one would want to be treated by them.

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

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

good 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 old boy »    A male friend or chum, especially a schoolmate; a man with an established network of friends who assist one another in social and business situations; a decent, dependable fellow.

good riddance »    Used to indicate that a departure, or loss is welcome.

grate »    A horizontal metal grille through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.

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

greatest thing since sliced bread »    A relatively recent invention likely to significantly improve people's lives.

green light »    A traffic light in its green state .

green state »    A state that is, or is perceived as, environmentally friendly.

grey area »    An area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories where the border between the two is fuzzy.

grind one's gears »    To annoy or irritate.

ground rules »    The basic rules or standards; whatever someone must know before proceeding.

grunt work »    That is considered undesirable and therefore delegated to underlings.

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

gun it »    To accelerate or speed up quickly or suddenly.

gut factor »    Feelings about what feels right or wrong, good or bad. An inner persuasion that one may feel convinced is the appropriate decision.

gut feeling »    An instinct or intuition; an immediate or basic feeling or reaction without a logical rationale.

half a mind »    A moderate inclination.

halfway decent »    No more than adequate.

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

handle with kid gloves »    To treat something very delicately or carefully.

handwriting on the wall »    Alternative form of writing on the wall. A divine prediction or sentence to fate.

hang up »    To terminate a phone call.

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

hard done by »    Used, cheated, dejected.

harsh one's mellow »    Disturbing someone otherwise in a state of calm.

harsh one's mellow »    To annoy or irritate; to bother.

hate somebody's guts »    To despise; to hate intensely or passionately.

have an eye for »    To have good taste; to have the ability to discriminate or identify quality.

have ants in one's pants »    To be agitated and constantly fidgeting.

have eyes bigger than one's belly »    To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

have eyes bigger than one's stomach »    To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

have had it up to here »    To have become very frustrated or angry; to have reached the limit of one's patience or forbearance.

have in mind »    To consider, to contemplate, to intend.

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 to do »    To relate; to be relevant.

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

heart of glass »    A very fragile romantic state.

heart of gold »    A kind, compassionate, or caring attitude; kindheartedness.

hell or high water »    Highly adverse circumstances; acts of God.

hem and haw »    To discuss, deliberate, or contemplate rather than taking action.

here and now »    immediately

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

high ground »    A location which is at a relatively high elevation, especially in comparison to the immediate surrounding area.

hindsight is 20/20 »    (idiomatic) In hindsight things are obvious that were not obvious from the outset; one is able to evaluate past choices more clearly than at the time of the choice.

historical figure »    A fictional or fabricated person who was was given historical importance in legends and myth.

hit home »    To be especially memorable or meaningful; to be fully understood, believed or appreciated.

hit the bricks »    To participate in a workplace strike or other job action; to participate in a public protest, especially one involving picketing.

hit the ground running »    To begin an activity immediately and with full commitment.

hit the spot »    To be particularly pleasing or appropriate; to be just right.

hog heaven »    A state of contented bliss.

hold forth »    Talk at great length; expatiate; harangue.

hold one's water »    To be patient; to control one's impulses.

hold one's water »    To hold one's urine.

hold out »    To set something aside or save it for later.

hold sway »    Dominate.

hold water »    To withstand scrutiny or criticism; to be valid.

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

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

hoover up »    Quickly, especially by taking it into the mouth directly from the plate rather than using cutlery.

hopped up »    Drugged; intoxicated.

horse of a different color »    An unrelated or only incidentally related matter with distinctly different significance.

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 heavy »    Passionate.

hot button »    A central issue, concern or characteristic, especially one that motivates people to make a choice.

hot chocolate »    warm drink

hot lunch »    A sexual act in which a pouch of clingfilm or similar material filled with faeces is placed in one of the participants' mouth and subsequently penetrated by the second participant.

hot mess »    A warm meal, usually cooked in a large pot, often similar to a stew or porridge; or, service of such a heated meal to soldiers.

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

hot off the presses »    Freshly printed, minted, written, or created.

hot potato »    An awkward or delicate problem with which nobody wants to be associated.

hot up »    To become more heated.

hothouse »    A heated greenhouse.

house cooling party »    A party to celebrate when a person decides to leave a house or flat, and sometimes to help prepare the space for the incoming residents.

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

hum and haw »    Procrastinate and take a long time before doing something or taking a decision.

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.

ice over »    To become covered in ice, usually of a body of water.

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 my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle »    (colloquial, vulgar, humorous) It is fruitless to speculate about counterfactual situations."We would have won the match if we'd had a decent goalkeeper.""And if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle!"

ill fated »    doomed

ill health »    A state of illness, or bad health.

in a state »    Agitated and anxious.

in cold blood »    In a ruthless and unfeeling manner; premeditated and deliberate.

in hot water »    In trouble; in the position of arousing somebody's anger or displeasure.

in line »    Suitable or appropriate; keeping with expectations, norms, ideals, or rules.

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

in order »    Appropriate, worthwhile.

in other words »    Stated or interpreted another way; introduces an explanation.

in shape »    In a good state of physical fitness or bodily appearance.

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

in the black »    Having positive net income; having greater income than expenses; making a profit.

in the cards »    Destined or fated to happen; predicted or foreseen.

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 loop »    Informed; up to date; current; part of the discussion.

in the running »    Of a candidate, potential or likely; worthy of consideration.

in the twinkling of an eye »    Immediately; instantaneously.

in the wake of »    In the noticeable disturbance of water behind .

into thin air »    Immediately and inexplicably out of sight.

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

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.

it's never too late to mend »    You

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

jump »    To cause oneself to leave an elevated location and fall downward.

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

jump at the chance »    To immediately accept an offer.

jump down »    To leave an elevated position to a lower position by one jump.

jump off »    To participate in the final round of an equestrian showjumping event.

jump off »    To move from an elevated place by one jump.

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.

keep a weather eye open »    To be alert; to concentrate on a matter in hand.

keep somebody posted »    To inform or to keep somebody up to date.

kick up the arse »    A severe reprimand, especially one to motivate someone into doing something.

kill off »    To eliminate, or make extinct.

kind »    Affectionate, showing benevolence.

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.

knacker's yard »    That area of a slaughterhouse where carcasses unfit for human consumption are rendered down to produce useful materials such as glue.

kneel before »    To kneel in front of someone or something, especially in order to worship or supplicate.

knock on wood »    To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted my a presumptuous statement.

knock up »    To impregnate, especially out of wedlock. See knocked up.

knock up »    To put together, fabricate, or assemble, particularly if done hastily or temporarily. See also knock together.

knock up »    In the morning as by knocking at the door; rouse; call; summon; also, to go door-to-door on election day to persuade a candidate's supporters to go to the polling station and vote. See also knocker up.

knock up »    To gently hit the ball back and forth before a tennis match, as practice or warm-up, and to gauge the state of the playing surface, lighting, etc. See knock-up.

knocked for a six »    to be defeated; outwitted; outfoxed; beaten

know like the back of one's hand »    To be intimately knowledgeable about something, especially a place.

knuckle under »    To yield or cooperate when pressured or forced to do so.

l'esprit de l'escalier »    The experience of thinking of a devastating rejoinder only after leaving the scene of the debate.

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

land of opportunity »    A nickname for the United States.

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

larger-than-life »    Of greater size or magnitude than is naturally or normally the case.

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

last word »    The final statement uttered by a person before death.

last word »    The finest, highest, or ultimate representative of some class of objects.

late bloomer »    A person who lives a child's life comparatively later than their peers.

late bloomer »    A person who reaches puberty comparatively later than their peers.

late model »    Recently designed or fabricated; new.

lay down »    To specify, institute, enact, assert firmly, state authoritatively, establish or formulate .

lay down the law »    To promulgate law.

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

lay open »    In Japan and South Korea, to publish a patent for initial public review, prior to the formal application for registration.

lay rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

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

lead »    A roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates.

lead »    A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing.

lead »    Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs.

lead »    To estimate velocity in knots.

leader of the free world »    The President of the United States.

left and right »    All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.

left field »    The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and to your left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.

left, right and center »    All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.

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.

lick one's chops »    To anticipate something eagerly.

life is like a box of chocolates »    Life is full of surprises, you never know what will happen next.

life of the party »    A person who participates in entertainment events in a very enthusiastic manner and who has a leading role in inspiring others to join in the spirit of festivity.

lift up »    To elevate to a higher position.

like the new time »    Furiously or vigorously, repeatedly.

like water off a duck's back »    Without immediate or lasting effects.

line one's pockets »    To accumulate personal wealth, especially in an illegal or morally objectionable manner.

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

lion »    An individual who shows strength and courage, attributes associated with the lion.

lock up »    To imprison or incarcerate someone.

long finger »    A state of postponement or procrastination.

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.

long shot »    A master shot, the primary wide shot of a scene into which the closeups will be edited later.

look daggers »    To stare sharply at someone to indicate disapproval without actually speaking.

look forward »    To anticipate or expect; especially, to expect something to be pleasant.

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

look into »    To investigate, explore, or consider.

look-in »    A chance to participate, compete, or succeed.

lose face »    To lose the respect of others, to be humiliated or experience public disgrace.

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

louse up »    Mess up; confuse; put into a state of disorder.

lower the boom on »    To terminate or abolish something.

luck out »    To experience great luck; to be extremely fortunate or lucky.

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

mad money »    A sum of money kept in reserve or to insulate oneself financially in the event of the sudden breakdown of a relationship in which one is economically dependent.

magnum opus »    greatest work

make a meal of »    To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.

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

make a virtue of necessity »    To make the best of a difficult situation; to recast or portray an action or situation in which one has no alternatives as an action or situation which was deliberately chosen on its merits.

make do with »    To get along with whatever is available.

make light of »    To regard without due seriousness; to joke or disregard inappropriately.

make out »    To designate as the recipient.

make out »    To fabricate a story.

make over »    To renovate or to convert to a different use.

make the cut »    To succeed; to be chosen out of a field of candidates or possibilities.

make the welkin ring »    By extension of , to celebrate or revel.

make up »    To compensate, fill in or catch up.

man up »    To staff adequately; to staff up; to successfully fill all needed labor positions.

mark my words »    Listen to me; used before a statement one wishes to emphasize.

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

mess of pottage »    Something of trivial value, especially of immediate value.

mess up »    To discombobulate, utterly confuse, or confound psychologically; to throw into a state of mental disarray.

mill around »    To move or circulate in a confused or disorderly manner within a limited area.

mine arse on a bandbox »    An answer to the offer of any thing inadequate to the purpose for which it is proffered, like offering a bandbox for a seat.

miss the boat »    To fail to take advantage of an opportunity; to overlook or be too late to pursue an option or course of action.

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

monkey on one's back »    A state of persistent distress or worry or the cause of such a state.

move heaven and earth »    To do whatever is necessary, including extreme or unusual actions; to go to extremes.

move out »    To vacate one's place of residence.

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

mull over »    To think deeply about something; to ponder, deliberate or ruminate.

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.

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

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

needle in a haystack »    Something that is difficult or impossible to locate; something impossibly complex or intractable.

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

neither here nor there »    Not important; having no significance or influence on the question at hand; not related; not relevant; not germane; not pertinent.

never mind »    I withdraw my previous statement.

night owl »    One who stays up late at night or goes to bed late.

nine day wonder »    Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.

no good deed ever goes unpunished »    Used to express the idea that beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility.

no good deed goes unpunished »    Used to express the idea that beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility.

no smoke without fire »    Indicative of the fact that gossip or accusations are often substantiated by fact.

nod off »    To fall asleep, especially while in a seated position or in inappropriate circumstances.

non-starter »    An idea or argument that cannot be sensibly debated.

nosebleed seat »    A seat high in the back of bleachers, stands, or the balcony at a theater.

not have a leg to stand on »    To lack support, as in an argument, debate, or negotiation.

not to put too fine a point on it »    Used to apologise for a possibly impolite statement one is making.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; signifies a strong aversion.

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

now you're talking »    A phrase indicating agreement with a previously stated suggestion to change a course of action.

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

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

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 »    Indicates a more or less habitual activity during the given part of the day.

of course »    Acknowledges the validity of the associated phrase.

of course »    Asserts that the associated phrase should not be argued, particularly if it is obvious or there is no choice in the matter.

of course »    Indicates enthusiastic agreement.

of late »    In the recent past; recently; lately.

off the bat »    From the start; immediately; right away.

off the beaten path »    In a secluded location; in a place which is not frequently visited or not widely known.

off the beaten track »    In a place or places not commonly visited.

off the mark »    Inaccurate; not correct or appropriate.

off-the-wall »    Greatly inappropriate.

old school »    Characteristic of a style, outlook, or method employed in a former era, remembered either as inferior to the current style, or alternately, remembered nostalgically as superior or preferable to the new style, the older denoting something that would be considered out of date or out of fashion to some, but as such, is considered by others as cool and hip.

on acid »    Exaggerated, bizarre or unpredictable.

on at »    to pester; to irritate; to annoy

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

on ice »    Performed by ice skaters as an ice show.

on pins and needles »    Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.

on purpose »    Purposefully; with intention; deliberately.

on sight »    Immediately when sighted.

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

on sufferance »    Unwillingly agreed to or barely tolerated.

on tenterhooks »    In a state of suspense or apprehension.

on the anvil »    Refers to anything in the making, being created, or in production, especially in the metalworking field.

on the back burner »    Not immediate; inactive; receiving less than full or regular attention.

on the clock »    Remunerated per unit of time.

on the clock »    Working at one's job; occupied in some manner during one's hours of remunerated employment.

on the cuff »    On credit, with payment to be made later.

on the double »    Rapidly or immediately.

on the loose »    Not incarcerated or in captivity; not under control.

on the make »    Actively seeking an opportunity for self-advancement; eager to ingratiate oneself to others in order to secure some advantage.

on the pull »    Seeking the intimate company of a member of the opposite sex.

on the up-and-up »    Legitimate; honest; upright.

on thin ice »    In a dangerous, hazardous, or delicate situation; at risk.

one can't hold two watermelons in one hand »    do not attempt to take on more than you can handle

one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »    A cliché used to exaggerate an accomplishment or milestone..

one swallow does not a summer make »    One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.

one swallow doesn't make a summer »    One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.

one thousand »    Used in a common chronometric counting scheme, in which each iteration is sequentially numbered and supposed to be approximately one second in length.

one who hesitates is lost »    A person who spends too much time contemplating what to do may miss a valuable but fleeting opportunity.

one's bark is worse than one's bite »    The individual acts threatening but is relatively harmless.

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

one-night stand »    A single sexual encounter between two individuals, where at least one of the parties has no immediate intention or expectation of establishing a longer-term sexual or romantic relationship. As the phrase implies, the relationship lasts for only one night.

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

ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny »    (biology, social sciences, art, philosophy) The physical, cultural, moral, or intellectual development of each individual passes through stages similar to the developmental stages of that individual's species, society, or civilization.1905, J. A. Harris, "The Importance of Investigations of Seedling Stages," Science, New Series, vol. 22, no. 554, p. 186:With reference to seedling stages the statement that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny must be made with great reserve.1961, M. E. Wolfgang, "Pioneers in Criminology: Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909)," The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science, vol. 52, no. 4, p. 367:Haeckel maintained that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny, and this idea was incorporated by Lombroso into his parallelism between the criminal and the child.2002, B. S. Jackson, "Models in Legal History: The Case of Biblical Law," Journal of Law and Religion, vol. 18, no. 1, p. 11:For even if we accept that "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny," those responsible for the drafting of ancient legal documents were not children, and are hardly to be endowed with some form of infantile mentality.

opt in »    To choose to participate in something.

opt out »    To choose not to participate in something.

or so »    approximately; there abouts

out of date »    Not current, outmoded, out of style, or too old to be used.

out of line »    Inappropriate or unsuitable, especially by reason of being unmannerly or indelicate.

out of order »    Inappropriate or unsuitable.

out of place »    Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or inappropriate for the circumstances.

out of the box »    Immediately, without intervention from the customer.

out of the loop »    Not informed up to date; current; not kept part of the discussion.

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

out of the question »    Impossible to even contemplate.

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

out of whole cloth »    Fabricated, fictitious.

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

overkill »    An unnecessary excess of whatever is needed to achieve a goal.

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

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

pan out »    By swirling dirt or crushed rock in a pan of water, in the manner of a traditional prospector seeking gold.

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

park the car in Harvard Yard »    A sentence used to illustrate that the Boston accent is non-rhotic; typically pronounced "pahk the cah in Hahvad Yahd".

pass muster »    To adequately pass a formal or informal inspection.

pass on »    To convey or communicate.

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

pass through »    To infiltrate.

pay the fiddler »    To contribute in order to participate.

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

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

pick up »    To clean up; to return to an organized state.

pick up speed »    accelerate

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

pickle »    An affectionate term for a loved one.

pile up »    To collect or accumulate, as a backlog.

pink slip »    An automobile roadworthiness inspection certificate.

pissin like a race horse »    To urinate profusely.

pissing contest »    A boys' prankish competition to determine who can urinate the furthest up a wall.

pissing contest »    An argument which is instigated, or exacerbated while consuming alcohol.

play ball »    To work together; to cooperate.

play fast and loose »    To be recklessly inaccurate, inappropriate, or otherwise ignoring guidelines and conventions.

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

play second fiddle »    To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.

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

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

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.

point out »    To tell, remind, indicate to someone.

pony in the barn »    An exciting and real prospect, something to be legitimately excited about.

possession is nine-tenths of the law »    One who has possession of a thing has some right to it; a popular statement of the doctrine of adverse possession.

potter's clay »    A person or people created and shaped by God.

pour oil on troubled waters »    To calm something or someone who is tenacious or misbehaving.

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

private branch exchange »    Telephone lines.

private eye »    A private personal detective, employed to gather information about someone.

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

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

prove out »    To demonstrate the feasibility of.

puff out »    To inflate.

puff up »    To inflate with air.

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

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.

pull one's finger out »    To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.

pull one's own weight »    To do the work that one is obligated to.

pull one's weight »    To do the work that one is obligated to.

pull rank »    To assert one's authority over a subordinate who disagrees.

pull strings »    To manipulate, especially by asking favours of.

pump up »    To inflate by means of a pump.

pump up »    To inflate with a pumping action.

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

put a stop to »    To terminate or abolish something.

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

put an end to »    To terminate or abolish something.

put down »    To halt, eliminate, stop, or squelch, often by force.

put down »    To replace the telephone receiver and terminate a call. To hang up.

put down to »    To state the cause of a situation.

put forth »    To give or supply; to make or create.

put forward »    To change the time in a time zone to a later time.

put off »    To procrastinate.

put one's foot down »    To make a car go faster, accelerate.

put out feelers »    To explore or watch for; ask around; investigate.

put someone's back up »    To annoy someone deliberately.

put something into perspective »    To compare with something similar to give a clearer, more accurate idea.

put the clock forward »    To change the time in a time zone to a later time.

put through the wringer »    To interrogate or scrutinize closely; to subject to some trial or ordeal.

put to the test »    To test something or someone; to evaluate, scrutinize or explore by testing or experimentation.

put up with »    To tolerate, suffer through, or allow, esp. something annoying.

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

quantum mechanics »    Something overly complicated or detailed.

quarter of »    "I need twenty minutes to get to the shop." "You'll be late. It's already a quarter of.".

question mark »    The punctuation mark “?”, used at the end of a sentence to indicate a question..

quick-and-dirty »    Done or constructed in a hasty, approximate, temporarily adequate manner, but not exact, fully formed, or reliable for a long period of time.

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

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

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

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

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

read between the lines »    To infer a meaning that is not stated explicitly.

read somebody the riot act »    To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.

real men don't eat quiche »    (aphorism, humorous) The stereotypical man does not do things that are considered effeminate, as to do so would imply they are effeminate.

red state »    A state of the United States voting Republican in a given election, or tending to vote Republican in general.

rex-pat »    A repeat expatriate, one who becomes ex-patriated a second time.

ridden hard and put away wet »    Mistreated; not properly cared for.

ride roughshod over »    To act in a bullying or inconsiderate manner; to display disregard towards someone or something.

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

right as rain »    Correct; factually accurate.

right away »    Very soon; quickly; immediately.

right back »    Used in several informal constructions to indicate return -- especially imminent return to a point of origin.

rip off »    To charge an exorbitant or unfair rate.

roach coach »    Whimsically, a catering or food truck.

rob the cradle »    To use a young person for a purpose inappropriate to his or her age.

robber baron »    In Europe, an aristocrat who charged exorbitant fees or otherwise exacted money from people who journeyed across land or waterways which he controlled.

Rome wasn't built in a day »    It takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive.

root up »    To dig or pull up by the roots; to deracinate.

ropable »    Upset; irate.

rough around the edges »    In need of refinement; unsophisticated.

round down »    To the greatest integer that is not greater than it, or to some other lower value, especially a whole number of hundreds, thousands, etc.

round up »    To the smallest integer that is not less than it, or to some other greater value, especially a whole number of hundreds, thousands, etc.

rub somebody the wrong way »    To bother, disturb, irritate, or annoy.

rule of thumb »    A general guideline, rather than a strict rule; an approximate measure or means of reckoning based on experience or common knowledge.

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

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

run a bath »    To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.

run for one's money »    A difficult challenge for the person indicated, especially one involving a competitive situation.

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

run off »    To operate by a particular energy source.

run on »    To operate with a particular energy source.

run on fumes »    By extension, to operate with few resources or little money.

run on fumes »    To operate a vehicle that is low on fuel.

run up »    To accumulate a debt.

sabre-rattling »    Any threat, such as one company threatening another with a lawsuit.

say goodbye »    To separate from someone.

scissorbill »    The black skimmer bird native to the Atlantic states, USA.

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

scratch that »    To disregard, omit, or ignore the previous statement.

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.

screen out »    To use a screen, grate, sieve or similar means to separate large from small objects or particles.

screw it »    "I don't care enough to continue"; whatever.

screw this »    "I don't care enough to continue"; "This is too stressful for me"; whatever.

sea legs »    The ability, when walking aboard ship, to anticipate the motion of the deck so as to walk steadily without losing balance.

second childhood »    A childlike state in any adult, resulting from mental illness, trauma, or other conditions.

second childhood »    The period or state of cognitive decline of an elderly person, characterized by childlike judgment and behavior.

second fiddle »    A sidekick or subordinate, or the role of such a person.

see red »    To be angry or irritated.

see you later »    A phrase used at parting, and not necessarily implying that the person being addressed will be seen later by the speaker.

sell »    To pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act.

sell »    To promote a particular viewpoint; to manipulate towards a desired end.

sell-by date »    The final date on which a perishable product can be legally sold to the public.

sell-by date »    Used to indicate that something, or someone, is old and out of date.

send up »    To imitate someone or something for the purpose of satirical humour.

separate the wheat from the chaff »    To select only that which is of value.

serpentine »    Of, or having attributes associated with, the mythological serpent, such as craftiness or deceitfulness.

serpentine »    Sinuous; curving in alternate directions.

set aside »    To separate and reserve something for a specific purpose.

set off »    To begin; to cause; to initiate.

sexual congress »    Loose translation of the title of Aristophanes' play Ecclesiazousae, more literally translated as Assemblywomen.

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

shit one's pants »    To involuntarily defecate into one's pants or other clothing.

shit or get off the pot »    To choose between taking action now, or foregoing the opportunity until a later date.

shoo-in »    A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.

shoot first and ask questions later »    To act boldly.

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.

shoot one's mouth off »    To make reckless or exaggerated statements.

shoot oneself in the foot »    To deliberately sabotage an activity in order to avoid obligation, though it causes personal suffering. Origins in first world war trench warfare.

shore up »    To strengthen, reinforce, or consolidate.

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

shotgun approach »    An approach in which the subject is indiscriminate and haphazard, using breadth, spread, or quantity in lieu of accuracy, planning, etc.

show off »    To exhibit; to demonstrate one's skill, talent, etc. for its own sake.

shroud »    One of the two annular plates at the periphery of a water wheel, which form the sides of the buckets; a shroud plate.

shut down »    To close, terminate, or end.

shy bladder »    An inability to urinate in the presence of others.

silver screen »    By extension, the movies or that related to movies or cinema.

silver-tongued »    Eloquent and articulate.

since when »    Used to indicate doubt as to the veracity of a statement.

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 soprano »    Castrated or injured in the testicles.

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

sit on it »    To wait or hesitate.

sit out »    To decline to participate; particularly, to decline to dance.

sit still »    To accept, tolerate, or acquiesce.

sit through »    To unwillingly stay seated until the end of an event.

size up »    To evaluate; to estimate or anticipate the magnitude, difficulty, or strength of something.

skate on thin ice »    In a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.

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

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

skin diver »    underwater swimmer

sleep in »    To sleep late; to go on sleeping past one's customary or planned hour.

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

sleep with the fishes »    To be killed and have one's body disposed off in the sea or other body of water.

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

slow down »    Decelerate.

slow up »    To slow, slow down, decelerate.

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

snake oil »    Any product with exaggerated marketing but questionable or unverifiable quality.

so on and so forth »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

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

softroader »    . This involves increased ground clearance with tyre, wheel, and suspension tweaks, skid plates and refers to mini SUV or wagons.

song and dance »    An excessively elaborate story or excuse used to justify something.

sort of »    Approximately; in a way; partially; not quite; somewhat.

sort out »    To organise or separate into groups, as a collection of items, so as to make tidy.

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

sound off »    To hold forth about something in an opinionated manner.

space out »    To stupefy, intoxicate, disorient, or lose attention or focus, especially by the use of drugs.

space out »    To plant seedlings etc at regular intervals with a calculated space between them.

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

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

spark off »    To initiate something by providing the necessary conditions.

speak one's mind »    To state one's thoughts or opinions honestly or frankly.

speak to »    To resonate with, to strike a chord in.

speak up »    To make oneself or one's opinions known; to advocate or assert oneself.

spectator sport »    Something, especially a process or activity, which is a popular object of observation; an activity which a person prefers to watch rather than to participate in.

speed up »    To accelerate, to increase speed.

spill one's seed »    To masturbate or to ejaculate when the penis has been withdrawn from one's partner.

spin a yarn »    To tell or create a story, especially one which is lengthy or far-fetched.

spit the dummy »    To a situation childishly, in an angry or frustrated manner.

split up »    Separate, disassociate, cause to come apart.

spring fever »    A feeling of invigoration and restlessness associated with the arrival of the warm weather and renewal of nature in the spring season.

spring fever »    A feeling of laziness or listlessness associated with the arrival of the warm, comfortable weather of the spring season.

squirrel away »    To stash or hide; to hoard, collect, save, or accumulate; to create a reserve, stash, or hoard of some supply, so as to recall a squirrel's burying of nuts.

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

stamp out »    To get rid of, eradicate.

stand for »    To advocate, to support.

stand for »    To tolerate.

stand up »    To stand immediately behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a slow or spin bowler, and to attempt to stump the batsman.

stars in one's eyes »    The state of being overly or extremely impressed with something; enchanted with romance.

start up »    To begin to operate.

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

stately home »    mansion

stave off »    To prevent something from happening; to obviate or avert.

step out »    To date, to be in a romantic relationship.

step up »    To increase speed or rate.

step up »    accelerate

step up to the plate »    To initiate action; to assume a responsibility.

stew in one's juices »    To be alone and self-absorbed in an uncomfortable state of mind, especially while experiencing the unpleasant effects of one's own actions.

stick in the mud »    A person unwilling to participate in activities, often because he or she believes the activity is not wholly kosher; a party pooper.

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

sticking point »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place.

sticking-place »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking point.

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

still water runs deep »    A person with a calm appearance has, or may have, considerable inner emotion, character, or intellect

still waters run deep »    A person with a calm appearance has, or may have, considerable inner emotion, character, or intellect.

stitch up »    To maliciously or dishonestly incriminate someone.

stock phrase »    A phrase frequently or habitually used by a person or group, and thus associated with them.

stop and smell the roses »    To relax; to take time out and enjoy or appreciate life.

stop the lights »    An interjection expressing exasperation or incredulity. or to illustrate the humour in a situation.

straight away »    Very soon; quickly; immediately.

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

straighten out »    To eliminate confusion from or concerning.

stretch the truth »    To exaggerate, often to the point where the truth is obscured or lost.

strike through »    Partly obliterate text by drawing a continuous line through the centre thereof, usually to indicate the deletion of an error or obsolete information.

string up »    To suspend by means of rope, cord or similar material.

suck off »    To fellate a man until he ejaculates.

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

sugarcoated »    Coated with sugar.

sugarcoated »    Made superficially more attractive. This often implies the reality has faults that are being hidden.

swallow one's pride »    To set aside one's feelings of pride and adopt a more humble or appropriate stance.

swim with sharks »    To operate among dangerous people.

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

swing state »    A state which may vote Democratic or Republican, in a given election or generally; a purple state.

switch off »    To alternate between; to trade.

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

take a crap »    To defecate.

take a leak »    To urinate.

take a seat »    To sit down; to become seated.

take a shit »    To defecate.

take apart »    To move someone away from others to be able to talk to, or give them something in private.

take away »    To remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it.

take away »    To leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later.

take back »    To retract an earlier statement.

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

take it easy »    Immediately calm yourself down; your state of panic does not help.

take off »    To imitate, often in a satirical manner.

take out of context »    To interpret something in a manner in which it was not intended to be understood, often deliberately.

take over »    To appropriate something without permission.

take part »    To participate or join.

take sitting down »    To tolerate, accept, or acquiesce; to take no action.

take things as they come »    To accept and deal with events as they occur, with a composed state of mind.

take to task »    To lecture, berate, admonish, or hold somebody accountable for his or her actions.

talk down »    To negotiate a lower price.

talk is cheap »    It is easy to make boastful or unrealistic statements which are not supported by actions or evidence.

talk out of turn »    To make a remark or provide information when it is inappropriate or indiscreet to do so, or when one does not have permission or the authority to do so.

talk out one's ass »    To speak authoritatively on a subject which one actually knows little about; to exaggerate.

talk someone's ear off »    To talk excessively or far more than is wanted or appreciated.

talk through one's hat »    To speak lacking expertise, authority, or knowledge; to invent or fabricate facts.

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

tall tale »    A greatly exaggerated, fantastic story.

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

tee off »    To irritate, vex, or annoy.

tell off »    To speak to someone rudely, disrespectfully or angrily; to berate; to unleash one's fury verbally towards someone.

tell you the truth »    Used to positively assert the frank honesty of an associated statement of set of statements; equivalent to "to you tell the truth".

test the waters »    To explore or probe, as before making a commitment.

that does it »    Expression of annoyance or frustration; indicates that one has reached the limit of one's patience or temper.

that's just me »    Indicates the expression of a personal opinion, but often used ironically as an understatement.

the Devil »    Used to add emphasis to a question or statement.

the end all-be all »    Something ultimate; the best part of something; the thing which solves all problems associated with something.

the end of one's rope »    At the limit of one’s patience, when one is so frustrated or annoyed that one can no longer take it..

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get »    (vulgar) The sexual satisfactions that one receives from a spouse or romantic partner are not sufficient to compensate for the significant periods of bad faith and unpleasant treatment which such relationships routinely involve.1971, Allen Churchill, The Literary Decade, ISBN 9780135375228:Years later she expressed her disillusionment with sex by saying, "The fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."1999, Ben Sonnenberg, Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy, ISBN 9781582430454, p. 93:Maitland got drunk at his parties and threw his arm around you and pulled you over to his wife and made you look down her dress, saying, "The trouble with marriage is that the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."2008, Joseph Heywood, Blue Wolf In Green Fire, ISBN 9781599213590, p. 63:"I can't believe a little pussy got me into dis mess." "Shit happens," Service said. "Sometimes the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."

the man »    The oppressive powers that be, including the government and corporations; the system, as coordinated outside of one’s control..

the other day »    Recently; lately; a few days ago.

the rabbit died »    A statement spoken to indicate one's own pregnancy, or that someone has found out they are pregnant.

the terrorists will have won »    Phrase used following a description of an activity to indicate that if that activity is not continued or carried out, those who seek to disrupt normal activities through terror will have succeeded, an which is an unacceptable result.

them's the facts »    That's the truth, that's how it is; frequently used in reference to an unfortunate truth.

there but for the grace of God go I »    A recognition that others' misfortune could be one's own, if it weren't for the blessing/kindness/luck bestowed by fate or the Divine.Man's fate is in God's hands.More generally, our fate is not entirely in our own hands.

there you have it »    That is it; that is the situation or state of things.

there's no time like the present »    Now (i.e., the present time) is an appropriate time to take a particular action.

thick as thieves »    Intimate, close-knit.

think of England »    To tolerate or endure bad sex. Used in conjunction with "I just lie on my back and.." "I just go through the motions and..." etc.

think tank »    A group of which performs research and develops reports and recommendations on topics relating to strategic planning or public policy, and which is usually funded by corporations, interest groups, or government.

think up »    To create in one’s mind; to invent..

third rate »    inferior

those who will not when they may, when they will they shall have nay »    (archaic) One should take immediate advantage of an opportunity that may not be available later.

three-martini lunch »    A leisurely, expensive, midday meal associated with drinking, which is tax-deductible because business is discussed.

throw cold water on »    To belittle or dismiss; to cast doubt upon; to debunk.

throw dirt enough, and some will stick »    If enough allegations are made about someone or something, then even if they are all untrue, people's opinion of the person or thing will be diminished.1759, John Wesley, letter to John Downes, Rector of St. Michael's, Wood Street, read at Wesley Center Online at [1] on 14 Oct 06.I hope...that you are ignorant of the whole affair, and are so bold only because you are blind...And blind enough; so that you blunder on through thick and thin, bespattering all that come in your way, according to the old, laudable maxim, 'Throw dirt enough, and some will stick.'1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, read at fullbooks.com on 14 Oct 06,But whatever harm a spiteful tongue could do them, he took care should be done. Only throw dirt enough, and some will stick.1864, John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Penguin Classics (1994), p. 10,Archbishop Whately used to say

throw enough mud at the wall, 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 in at the deep end »    To introduce a person to a new situation without adequately preparing him or her.

throw money away »    To spend money foolishly or indiscriminately; to waste money without regard of the consequences.

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 the baby out with the bathwater »    To discard something valuable, often inadvertently, in the process of removing waste.

tick off »    To annoy, aggravate.

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

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

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

time and material »    A form of contractual compensation involving payment for materials used and at agreed rates for the those involved in performing the services.

tin ear »    Insensitivity to and inability to appreciate the elements of performed music or the rhythm, elegance, or nuances of language.

to a fare-thee-well »    To the greatest extent or to completion; to a state of refinement or perfection.

to date »    Until now; until the present time.

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

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

to say the least »    Used to suggest that what was previously stated was an understatement.

to tell the truth »    An attestation to the truthfulness and frankness of an associated statement.

to the gills »    Entirely or extremely; to the greatest degree possible.

tonic water »    mixer

too bad »    It is unfortunate that.

too bad »    That's a pity; that's unfortunate.

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

touch base »    To consult, visit, or communicate with.

touch oneself »    To masturbate.

touch%C3%A9 »    An acknowledgement of the success, appropriateness or superiority of an argument, sometimes used sarcastically to mock one's opponent's absurd logic.

touch%C3%A9 »    Used in a conversation or debate to concede a point as true, often in response to a successful counter of one's own logic.

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

tough love »    The compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures, to attempt to improve someone's behavior.

tout de suite »    Immediately, right away.

track down »    To hunt for or locate; to search for; to find.

trigger-happy »    Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.

trip out »    To hallucinate as a result of drugs.

turn a blind eye »    To ignore or deliberately overlook, especially with respect to something unpleasant or improper.

turn a phrase »    To create a particular linguistic expression which is strikingly clear, appropriate, and memorable.

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

turn away »    To rotate the body or head so as not to face someone or something.

turn into a pumpkin »    Used to indicate a curfew, or the time by which one must depart.

turn out »    To turn or rotate outwards or out of something.

turn over »    To flip over; to rotate top to bottom.

turn the other cheek »    To accept a punishment or an injury and not act out revenge or retaliate.

turn upside down »    To flip over; to rotate top to bottom.

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

twist of fate »    An unfortunate turn of events.

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

two wrongs don't make a right »    (ethics) A wrongful action is not a morally appropriate way to correct or cancel a previous wrongful action.1915, William MacLeod Raine, The Highgrader, ch. 15:"But when it comes to taking what belongs to another

under the influence »    Drunk; intoxicated; affected by alcohol.

under the weather »    Somewhat intoxicated or suffering from a hangover.

under the wire »    At the last minute; before the deadline; barely on time; nearly late.

underwater basket weaving »    "Sure, somewhere out there, college slackers were taking broom ball and underwater basket weaving." — The Columbus Dispatch, September 15, 2005.

underwater basket weaving »    An easy and useless college or high school class.

unwashed masses »    Of people who are considered by someone to be somehow uneducated, uninformed, godless, or in some other way unqualified for inclusion in the speaker's elite circles.

up for »    Willing to participate in; interested in.

up to scratch »    Sufficient; adequate; of acceptable or satisfactory quality.

up to snuff »    Adequate; of acceptable or quality; satisfying an appropriate standard.

up-to-date »    Current; recent; the latest.

up-to-date »    Informed about the latest news or developments.

victory at sea »    Ocean conditions very windblown and messy, possibly to the point of being inimical to surfing and other water sports.

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

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

walk the line »    To participate in the procession at a graduation ceremony; to graduate.

wall off »    To separate with a wall.

wank off »    To masturbate.

wank off »    To sexually stimulate another's penis.

warm up »    To make an audience enthusiastic or animated before a show.

wash away »    To eliminate, or destroy by fast moving water, such as in a flood, or a high sea.

wash away »    To eliminate, in a figurative sense.

wash out »    To wear away by the flow of water; to erode.

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

wash up »    To be carried on to land by water.

waste breath »    To speak in a manner which is needless or futile; in discussion or argument to make points which are not appreciated or heeded.

watch one's mouth »    In the imperative form, used as a warning to avoid or stop using inappropriate language, especially profanity, or disrespectful utterances.

water down »    To dilute; to add water.

water down »    To make weaker.

water down »    To simplify or oversimplify; to make easier; to make less difficult.

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

water to my mill »    What energizes you; what stimulates you.

water under the bridge »    Something in the past that cannot be controlled or undone, but must be accepted, forgiven, or forgotten.

watered-down »    Diluted; containing extra water.

watered-down »    Weakened or simplified.

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

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.

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

what do I know »    Implies that a statement is based on a guess or assumption rather than on knowledge or evidence.

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

whatever floats your boat »    What makes you happy; what stimulates you.

whatever it takes »    Anything that may be required to achieve an objective.

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

when the cat's away the mice will play »    In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.

when the shit hits the fan »    A reference to the messy consequences of a secret or private situation becoming public.

when, as, and if »    Used to indicate the timing and contingency of some obligation in contracts, especially financial.

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.

white coat hypertension »    Elevated blood pressure measured by a medical practitioner and deemed to result from the patient's emotional response to the medical environment.

white lie »    A deliberate, untrue statement which does no harm or is intended to produce a favorable result.

white marriage »    An unconsummated marriage.

white trash »    A poorly educated white person with low moral and social standards and low social status.

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

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.

whole enchilada »    All of something or a group of related things taken in totality.

whomp up »    To incite or generate.

wide of the mark »    Inaccurate.

wild-goose chase »    A task whose execution is inordinately complex relative to the value of the outcome.

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

wipe somebody's eye »    To defeat; to humiliate.

wipe the slate clean »    To forget about previous differences and disagreements, and make a fresh start.

with a vengeance »    Intensely motivated; resolute; forceful.

with bated breath »    "holding one's breath".

with bated breath »    Eagerly; with great anticipation.

work out »    To calculate.

world-beater »    Someone or something superior to all others of its sort.

wrap up »    To summarize or recapitulate.

wring out »    To squeeze a wet material, either by twisting with one's hands, or by passing it through a wringer, to remove the water.

write one's own ticket »    To be empowered to choose whatever job, financial arrangement, or course of action one desires.

yak shaving »    Any apparently useless activity which, by allowing you to overcome intermediate difficulties, allows you to solve a larger problem.

yank off »    To masturbate.

yellow journalism »    Material published in a broadcast or periodical, such as a tabloid newspaper or magazine, which is sensationalistic and of questionable accuracy and taste.

you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink »    You can show someone how to do something, but you can't make them do it.

you can't take it with you »    It is not possible to take one's material wealth to whatever world may await one after death.1900, E. Phillips Oppenheim, A Millionaire of Yesterday, ch. 6:"The clause which

you know it »    Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.

you knows it »    Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.

you knows it »    You're right; I wholeheartedly agree with your statement.

zero in on »    To concentrate or focus one's attention on at task.

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