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.
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a cat may look at a king »
Even a purported inferior has certain abilities, even in the presence of a purported superior
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a closed mouth gathers no feet »
One who does not speak can be certain he won't say anything embarrassing.
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accident waiting to happen »
A thing or situation which is almost certain to eventually lead to an accident.
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all very well »
All right, to a certain extent.
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apply oneself »
To put forth a concerted effort; to try; to focus.
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at a stand »
In a state of confusion or uncertainty; undecided what to do next.
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at loose ends »
In an uncertain position or situation.
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badge bunny »
A woman who is romantically attracted to police officers and who seeks out their companionship.
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bee in one's bonnet »
Something of particular interest or concern; an obsession.
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bend the truth »
To change or leave out certain facts of a story or situation, generally in order to elicit a specific response in the audience.
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best laid plans »
A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.
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bet the farm »
To be absolutely certain, to have no doubts.
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big deal »
Something very important, difficult, or of concern.
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blow out of proportion »
To overreact to or overstate; to treat too seriously or be overly concerned with.
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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.
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break out »
To begin suddenly; to emerge in a certain condition.
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bustle with »
To teem with; abound with; to exhibit an energetic and active abundance of a thing; to be full of a certain activity or active beings.
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but who's counting »
Used as a retort or comeback, often to deprecate oneself or another for excessive concern or attention to.
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by all means »
Yes certainly; definitely.
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by no means »
Certainly not; definitely not.
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catch out »
To discover or expose as fake or insincere.
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cherry pick »
To position oneself near the opponent's goal to attempt to receive an errant or intentional pass for an easy score, as in basketball or versions of soccer where offsides are not enforced.
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chicken out »
To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.
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clay »
A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.
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come across »
To give an appearance or impression; to project a certain image.
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couldn't happen to a nicer »
Sarcastically asserts that those in question thoroughly deserve their fate.
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crocodile tear »
A tear shed insincerely, in a false display of sorrow or some other emotion.
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cut and dried »
Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.
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dead as a doorknob »
Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead.
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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.
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due course »
A. 1399, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales.
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early bath »
Being shown a red card in soccer.
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err on the side of caution »
To act in the least risky manner in a situation where one is uncertain about the consequences.
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every man has a price »
Everyone can be bribed or corrupted for a certain price.
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fancypants »
Alternative spelling of fancy pants. The condition of being overly showy; concerned more about one's reputation than anything else.
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feed a cold, starve a fever »
Eating more will cure the common cold, and eating less will cure a fever.1887, J. H. Whelan, "The Treatment of Colds.", The Practitioner, vol. 38, pg. 180:"Feed a cold, starve a fever." There is a deal of wisdom in the first part of this advice. A person with a catarrh should take an abundance of light nutritious food, and some light wine, but avoid spirits, and above all tobacco.1968, Katinka Loeser, The Archers at Home, publ. Atheneum, New York, pg. 60:I have a cold. 'Feed a cold, starve a fever.' You certainly know that.2009, Shelly Reuben, Tabula Rasa, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN 015101079X, pg. 60:They say feed a cold, starve a fever, but they don't tell you what to do when you got both, so I figured scrambled eggs, tea, and toast.
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fine line »
A difference, albeit vague and difficult to discern.
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fool's errand »
A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.
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for my money »
Used to mark a statement made by the speaker as an opinion or something not known with certainty.
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for that matter »
As far as that is concerned.
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from the bottom of one's heart »
In earnest; sincerely; with one's full feeling.
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gandy dancer »
A railway laborer, especially a member of a crew which carries rails and affixes them to ties.
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give somebody pause »
To give somebody cause for concern.
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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.
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goon squad »
A group of individuals serving as enforcers, bodyguards, and the like, especially persons hired for such a purpose and using violent, thuggish methods.
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gray area »
A part that is not clear or certain; something that is open to interpretation.
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group captain »
raf officer
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hand down »
To forward to the proper officer .
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haul somebody over the coals »
To express anger with someone in no uncertain terms when they do something wrong.
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have butterflies in one's stomach »
To be nervous, uncertain, or anxious.
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hear the grass grow »
To be very aware or discerning; to pay attention to every small detail.
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heart to heart »
A sincere, serious, or personal conversation.
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here goes nothing »
Indicates a lack of confidence or certainty about the activity about to be tried.
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hot button »
A central issue, concern or characteristic, especially one that motivates people to make a choice.
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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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hunger is the best sauce »
Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.
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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.
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in no uncertain terms »
With great clarity, emphasis, or exactness; without any ambiguity.
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in vain »
In a disrespectful manner, especially when concerning religion.
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inside baseball »
Technical matters concerning baseball not apparent to spectators.
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inside joke »
A joke that is understood or meant to be understood only by certain people who are in the know about the details.
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it's all good »
Used to express unconcern.
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jump »
To employ a move in certain board games where one game piece is moved from one legal position to another passing over the position of another piece.
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knowledge is power »
With knowledge and/or education, one's potential or ability to succeed in the pursuit of his objectives will certainly increase.
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lay out »
To arrange in a certain way.
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live on »
To survive solely by consuming a certain thing.
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lock up »
To imprison or incarcerate someone.
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longpig »
Human flesh when cooked in cannabalistic rituals in certain Pacific Islands, due to the allegeded similarity to cooked pork.
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lose one's cool »
To become upset or disconcerted; to lose one's temper.
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make out »
To discern.
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mind one's own business »
To concern oneself only with what is of interest to oneself and not interfere in the affairs of others.
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nail down »
Firm or certain.
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never mind »
Do not be concerned.
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never you mind »
Do not concern yourself with it; it is none of your business.
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nip and tuck »
So evenly matched that the advantage shifts from one to the other, and the outcome is uncertain.
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no fear »
certainly not
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not give a monkey's »
Not to have the slightest interest or concern.
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old hand »
A person who is experienced at a certain activity.
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on the bubble »
Uncertain of success.
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on the level »
Honest, sincere, straightforward.
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on the loose »
Not incarcerated or in captivity; not under control.
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pachyderm »
A member of the obsolete taxonomic group Pachydermata, grouping of thick-skinned, hoofed animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant, pig and horse.
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pass out »
To graduate, usually marked by the ceremony at the end of their training.
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pass the buck »
To transfer responsibility or blame from oneself onto another; to absolve oneself of concern for a given matter by claiming to lack authority or jurisdiction.
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pay one's dues »
To acquire status or to earn the right to enjoy certain benefits, especially through lengthy experience, hardship, or service to an organization.
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pay up »
To pay for something in total, after a certain amount of time after receiving a purchase.
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payback's a bitch »
Usually a complete sentence as an interjection: I am amused that someone got their revenge on you...but you certainly had it coming.
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pick up »
To notice, detect or discern, often used with "on".
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pink slip »
An automobile roadworthiness inspection certificate.
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pissing contest »
An argument which is instigated, or exacerbated while consuming alcohol.
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potter »
One who makes pots and other ceramic wares.
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preprogram »
To predispose to certain thoughts or behaviours.
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put someone in mind of »
To remind someone of; to inspire a mental image or awareness of; to cause thoughts concerning.
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put two and two together »
To figure out; to deduce or discern.
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question mark »
Doubt or uncertainty.
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raise the spectre »
To cause concern that something unfortunate might happen.
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read somebody's lips »
To discern what somebody is saying by watching the shape of the mouth rather than by hearing the sounds of the words.
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red face test »
A hypothetical test of a person's embarrassment, that is either passed or failed. Saying one passes the red face test means one would not blush and thus would not be embarrassed by disclosing something to others or doing something, and saying one fails the red face test means a situation would cause them discernible embarrassment.
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rock the house »
To jam at a concert, get down.
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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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ruffle some feathers »
To disturb; to arouse resentment, anger, or concern.
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rumor campaign »
A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.
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see the forest for the trees »
To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the bigger picture, or the broader, more general situation. Generally used in the negative.
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set in stone »
Permanent; certain; firm.
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side issue »
An issue or topic which is not of direct significance to a primary concern.
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sit on the fence »
To remain neutral on a certain topic, to not have a stance or opinion.
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sitting pretty »
Having a comfortable or certain supply of money or resources.
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smoke signal »
An indirect message or indication, especially concerning a future event.
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soccer player »
footballer
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social death »
The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.
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stir-crazy »
Of a prisoner, mentally unbalanced due to prolonged incarceration.
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straighten out »
To eliminate confusion from or concerning.
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sure as eggs is eggs »
Absolutely certain.
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sweat »
Fluid that exits the body through pores in the skin usually due to physical stress and/or high temperature for the purpose of regulating body temperature and removing certain compounds from the circulation.
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sword and sorcery »
Of or pertaining to a genre of narratives—including short stories, novels, television shows, films, and computer games—which combines wizardry and other fantastical supernatural elements with violent combat using medieval weaponry..
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take a number »
Recognize that many others are in the same situation; recognize that one's concerns are not of high priority; be prepared to wait.
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tempus fugit »
time flies (used as an alternative to this phrase)."Meanwhile, the irreplaceable time escapes", expressing concern that one's limited time is being consumed by something which may have little intrinsic substance or importance at that moment.
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that's that »
There is nothing more to say or to do concerning the matter.
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that's the way life is »
That is the way things happenCertain things cannot be changed, helped or improved; struggle and objection are pointless.1935, Louis Bromfield, The Man Who Had Everything [1], page 279:That's the way life is, and there's no use trying to go against it.1979, Jay Edward Abrams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption [2], ISBN 0310511011, page 45:There are no standards, no values; that's the way life is. Learn to accept it and slide with it. Stop fighting it.2002, B. Eugene Ellison, Rings of the Templars, ISBN 059524050X, page 337:Shit happens; that's the way life is. In fact, I want you to take an additional thousand for your efforts.
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the long arm of the law »
The body of law enforcement officers.
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to be sure »
Admittedly, undoubtedly, certainly.
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tone up »
To strengthen and make the muscles of the body firmer by regular excercise.
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touch a nerve »
To make a remark or perform a deed which produces a strong response, especially an emotional response such as anxiety or annoyance, because it calls to mind something which has been a source of concern or embarrassment.
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touch-and-go »
Precarious, delicate, dangerous, risky, sensitive or of uncertain outcome.
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trench mouth »
Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a severe bacterial infection of the gums, typically characterized by inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration, necrotized tissue, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, and halitosis.
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two left feet »
Exhibiting particular clumsiness, especially at dancing or at soccer.
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walk the line »
To participate in the procession at a graduation ceremony; to graduate.
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warm down »
Gentle excercise at the end of a training session before cooling off.
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what of it »
So what? Who cares? Expresses disinterest, disregard or lack of concern.
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whisper campaign »
A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.
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without fail »
Certainly; by all means; as a matter of importance.
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wooden-top »
Uniformed police officers.
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you bet »
Certainly; you're welcome; a reply to thank you or to a request.
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you bet »
Expresses support, agreement, certainty or emphasis.
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yours sincerely »
A polite formula to end a letter, especially when the recipient’s name is known to the sender.
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