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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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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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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by all means »
Yes certainly; definitely.
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by no means »
Certainly not; definitely not.
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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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come across »
To give an appearance or impression; to project a certain image.
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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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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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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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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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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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gray area »
A part that is not clear or certain; something that is open to interpretation.
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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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here goes nothing »
Indicates a lack of confidence or certainty about the activity about to be tried.
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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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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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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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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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nail down »
Firm or certain.
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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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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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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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pink slip »
An automobile roadworthiness inspection certificate.
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preprogram »
To predispose to certain thoughts or behaviours.
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question mark »
Doubt or uncertainty.
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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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set in stone »
Permanent; certain; firm.
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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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social death »
The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.
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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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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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to be sure »
Admittedly, undoubtedly, certainly.
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touch-and-go »
Precarious, delicate, dangerous, risky, sensitive or of uncertain outcome.
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without fail »
Certainly; by all means; as a matter of importance.
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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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