a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down »
An otherwise unpleasant situation can be pleasant when a pleasant aspect is deliberately introduced.1999, Eli Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale: History, Genre, Meaning, Indiana University Press, ISBN 0253335833, page 372,One is known as the "sweetening parable," that is to say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Thus, when the aim is to preach to the people, to guide them along the "bitter," arduous path of upholding burdensome precepts and prohibitions, a tale can lighten the load, make the "medicine" easier "to swallow."2001, Maureen Reagan, First Father, First Daughter: A Memoir, Little, Brown, ISBN 0316736368, page 319,It put some fun into the tedious business of preparing for a presidential debate. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, right?2004, John Hoover, How to Work for an Idiot: Survive & Thrive... Without Killing Your Boss, Career Press, ISBN 1564147045, page 11,If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, a barrel of laughs can wash down the big pills you might need to swallow.
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albatross »
A long-term impediment, burden, or curse.
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are your ears burning »
Said of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.
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back burner »
A section of a stove used to keep some pots warm while one focuses on others.
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back burner »
A state of low urgency; a state of low current importance.
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back-burner »
Having low urgency; not currently important.
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barn burner »
Any successful or impressive event.
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barnburner »
Liberal faction of the New York state United States Democratic Party in the mid 19th century.
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bring owls to Athens »
Perhaps we have not been sufficiently aware that talking about access and its implications in Scandinavia is like bringing owls to Athens. — Herbert Burkert.
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buried treasure »
Something, having been concealed for a long time, which later is found and is profitable.
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buried treasure »
Treasure stashed underground or underwater.
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burn a hole in one's pocket »
To cause someone to be tempted to spend money.
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burn down »
To burn to nothing.
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burn down »
To completely burn, so that nothing remains.
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burn one's bridges »
To destroy one's path, connections, reputation, opportunities, etc.
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burn one's candle at both ends »
To work extremely or excessively hard; to work too hard for good health or peace of mind.
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burn one's fingers »
To harm oneself; to suffer consequences of one's actions.
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burn out »
To extinguish due to lack of fuel.
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burn out »
To tire due to overwork.
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burn rubber »
To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.
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burn the midnight oil »
To work studiously, especially late into the night.
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burn up »
To catch fire and burn until destroyed.
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burn up »
To destroy by burning.
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burn up »
To anger; to annoy.
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burnt to a crisp »
Inedible.
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burst someone's bubble »
To disillusion; to disabuse someone of a false notion or rationalization that has grown comfortable.
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bury the hatchet »
To stop fighting or arguing; to reach an agreement, or at least a truce.
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bury the lead »
To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.
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bury the lede »
To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.
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crash and burn »
To fail utterly.
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cut red tape »
To reduce bureaucracy.
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dig in »
To make a burst of hard work.
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do a slow burn »
To experience a gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.
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due course »
A. 1399, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales.
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ears are burning »
Being the topic of discussion in another place; or sensing that this is happening.
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go red »
To become sunburnt.
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go up in smoke »
To catch fire and burn.
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hopping mad »
Extremely angry; furious to the point of outburst.
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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.
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it's all grist to the mill »
Everything referred to in the present context has some sort of use.1999, Simon Blackburn, Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (Oxford University Press paperback, ISBN 0199690871), ch. 7 section 6: "Kant
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kick the habit »
To recover from or quit an addiction or habit. For example, to quit smoking, drinking, burping, or drug addiction.
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labor of love »
A task performed voluntarily without expectation of reimbursement; an altruistic work or undertaking.
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last burst of fire »
A final effort or warning.
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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.
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lay rubber »
To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.
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lay to rest »
To bury one who has died.
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nut-cutting time »
Time to gather nuts before they are taken by other animals or buried in snow.
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off the hook »
Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure.
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oil burner »
A device whose operation causes apparent combustion of lubricating oil.
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oil burner »
A heating device which burns fuel oil; an oil furnace.
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oil burner »
A machine that uses oil as its fuel.
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on the back burner »
Not immediate; inactive; receiving less than full or regular attention.
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pay out »
To distribute money; to disburse.
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potter's field »
A public place where strangers, paupers, and criminals are buried.
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powers that be »
The holders of power or the authorities in a given situation, especially as seen as being faceless or unreasonably bureaucratic.
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proverbs run in pairs »
Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.
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red tape »
A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.
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round of applause »
An outburst of clapping among a group or audience. Often asked for by the Master of Ceremonies at a concert or other performance.
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second banana »
A comedian who plays a secondary or supporting role, especially as straight man and traditionally in vaudeville or burlesque theatre.
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six feet under »
Buried six feet underground; not alive; dead.
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slow burn »
A gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.
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soft sawder »
"If she goes to act ugly, I'll give her a dose of "soft sawder"; that will take the frown out of her frontispiece...!" —Thomas Haliburton, "The Trotting Horse" — first usage.
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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.
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the straw that broke the camel's back »
A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something.
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throw a fit »
To become angry, enraged, or upset; to act or react with an outburst, as by shouting, swearing, etc.
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throw a wobbly »
To burst out into a verbal uproar.
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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
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top banana »
The principal comedian in a vaudeville or burlesque show.
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two cents »
A nearly worthless amount, alluding to placing a copper penny on each of the eyelids of a pauper's or slave's body before burial.
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up to here »
Overwhelmed, busy, buried or swamped.
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white elephant »
An ornament etc that is unwanted or is a financial burden; an unprofitable investment.
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