We've found 2073 phrases for DE (0.116 seconds):

a camel is a horse designed by a committee »    An expression critical of committees

a friend in need is a friend indeed »    A true friend is one who helps you when you are in need.

a golden key can open any door »    Sufficient money can accomplish anything.

a great deal »    Very much; to a great extent; a lot; lots.

a life of its own »    An independent existence with some characteristics of life.

a nod is as good as a wink »    The hint, suggestion etc can be understood without further explaining.

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 riddle wrapped up in an enigma »    Something very mysterious and hidden.

a rising tide lifts all boats »    Benefits provided to a few may lead to conditions that are beneficial to all.

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.

a stopped clock is right twice a day »    A normally unreliable person or instrument can occasionally provide correct information, even if only by accident.

abide by »    To accept a decision or law and act in accordance with it; to conform to; to acquiesce; as, to abide by an award.

abide by »    To remain faithful to something or someone; to stand to; to adhere.

abide with »    To remain or live with someone.

about time »    Far past the desired time.

absence makes the heart grow fonder »    When someone or something is faraway, you realise how much you love (or miss) them or it.

abstract nonsense »    Details which involve diagram chasing.

abut on »    To border on.

accident of birth »    Reference to the fact that various benefits or detriments to the life of a person arise from the circumstances into which that person was born, these being entirely beyond his control.

accident waiting to happen »    A thing or situation which is almost certain to eventually lead to an accident.

ace in the hole »    A hidden or secret strength, or unrevealed advantage.

ace of spades »    The playing card belonging to the spades suit and featuring one pip.

ache for »    To desire, or want something, or someone, very much.

across the pond »    On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

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

act on »    To act decisively on the basis of information received or deduced.

act out »    To go through the process of a scene from a play, a charade or a pointless exercise.

actions speak louder than words »    It is more effective to act directly than to speak of action.

after one's own heart »    Of a person: having the same ideas, opinions or behaviour as oneself.

against all odds »    Despite seemingly insurmountable opposition or probability.

against the clock »    In a time-restricted manner, to meet a deadline, hurriedly, timed.

age before beauty »    A phrase said to allow older people to go before younger ones.

aim at »    To design for a particular audience.

albatross »    A double eagle, or three under par on any one hole.

albatross »    A long-term impediment, burden, or curse.

albatross »    Any of various large seabirds of the family Diomedeidae ranging widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific and having a hooked beak and long narrow wings.

all at once »    Unexpectedly; without warning; all of a sudden.

all eyes »    Gazing at devotedly.

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

all holiday »    A saying signifying that it is all over with the business or person spoken of or alluded to/.

all in all »    everything considered

all kidding aside »    Used to attempt to make a serious point in a jocular conversation.

all of a sudden »    Adv suddenly, quickly.

all of the sudden »    Suddenly, rapidly.

all one's eggs in one basket »    Devoting all of one’s resources to one thing.

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

all over the board »    Showing a wide range of values with no particular pattern.

all over the map »    Widely scattered or distributed; numerous and differing greatly.

all talk and no cider »    All talk and no results.

all things being equal »    Without considering or being affected by external factors.

all thumbs »    Clumsy; awkward; not dextrous.

all told »    With everything included, counted or summed.

all-a-mort »    Sad; at death's door.

almost doesn't count »    Near success (or correctness) is not deemed success (or correctness).

am I right or am I right »    Rhetorical question from somebody who has stated what they consider to be an unassailable truth.

an offer one can't refuse »    An offer from one side in any transaction with terms so attractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.

an offer one can't refuse »    An offer from one side in any transaction with the results of failing to accept so unattractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.

and counting »    Used to show that the number previously mentioned is continuously changing, i.e. increasing or decreasing.

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.

Apa Sâmbetei »    "for nothing", "to no result", or that what you have done was destroyed or is rendered useless after you finish it.

apple does not fall far from the tree »    A child grows up to be very similar to its parents, both in behavior and in physical characteristics.1842, E. A. Freidlaender (translator), Frederika Bremer (author), The Neighbours, ch. 10:It is impossible to look at Madam Rhen, without at once making the conclusion that she is pleasantness, hospitality, and loquacity itself; nor can one look upon her daughter Renetta without thinking, "the apple does not fall far from the tree!"1978, Dr. Isador Rosenfeld, "Doctor Asks Patient

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.

argue out »    To discuss to reach an agreed conclusion, or decision.

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's length »    Distant, detached.

arm's length »    Independent, but related.

arse over tit »    Tumbling; falling; upside-down; unstable or unbalanced.

arsy varsey »    Tumbling upside down; head over heels.

as all get-out »    Extremely; to a superlative degree; very much.

as good as one's word »    Faithful to a promise one has made.

as long as »    Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; so long as.

ask for the moon »    To claim or desire something that one cannot have.

ask my arse »    A common reply to any question; still deemed wit at sea, and formerly at court, under the denomination of selling bargains.

ass over teakettle »    Tumbling upside down.

at a pinch »    By the skin of one’s teeth; only just; Deo volente; perhaps; if you’re lucky..

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 cross-purposes »    Mutually misunderstanding each other's plans, intentions or meanings.

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

At ease with nudity »    ISM free identification with nude recreation

at heart »    In spirit; according to one's beliefs, views or feelings; deep down, really, fundamentally.

at home »    In one's place of residence.

at one's beck and call »    In servitude to; at one’s command.

at peace »    Dead.

at sea »    Confused, lost, or adrift; bewildered.

at stake »    In danger; hazarded; pledged; at risk.

at the end of the road »    No longer living. Dead.

at the mercy of »    In the power of; defenceless/defenseless against.

autem cackler »    Dissenters of every denomination.

autem diver »    Pickpockets who practice in churches; also churchwardens and overseers of the poor.

autem gogler »    Pretended French prophet.

avant la lettre »    An example of a term before the term was coined. Describing a term used anachronistically.

baby blues »    Period and feeling of depressiveness after giving birth; a less severe form of postnatal depression.

back away »    Of your attention on the thing in front being avoided.

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

back up »    To provide support or the promise of support.

back-cloth star »    An actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.

back-to-back »    Identical or similar and sequential.

backfoot »    To put on the defensive; to put off balance.

bad money drives out good »    Debased coinage (with low levels of precious metals) replaces purer coinage (with higher levels of precious metals).(metaphorically) Mediocre talent drives away real talent.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling something is morally despicable as to cause nausea.

balance the books »    To add up all the debits and credits.

ball-breaker »    A person or task which is excessively demanding or punishing.

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

banged up »    Physically injured or wounded.

bank on »    To be sure of something. To depend on it.

banyan day »    In modern usage it refers to a picnic or cookout for the ship's crew.

baptism by fire »    A change in initial attitude or ideals through a traumatic situation.

baptism by fire »    A trying ordeal that was not experienced before.

barge in »    To intrude; to enter or interrupt suddenly and without invitation.

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 »    A solid drum, or a hollow cylinder or case.

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.

barrow man »    A man under sentence of transportation; alluding to the convicts at Woolwich, who are principally employed in wheeling barrows full of brick or dirt.

bash in »    To break or dent badly by hitting violently.

basket case »    One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic or stress.

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

bawl out »    To deliver a loud, hard scolding or lecture; to reprimand.

be at one's beck and call »    To be in the position of serving someone in any way they desire, usually unwillingly.

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

be taken ill »    Due to sudden illness.

be there for »    To be available to provide comfort and support for someone, especially in a period of difficulty.

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

bear down on »    To approach someone in a very determined way.

bear in mind »    Remember; consider; note.

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

beat a dead horse »    To persist or continue far beyond any purpose, interest or reason.

beat around the bush »    To delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant.

beat Banaghan »    An Irish saying of one who tells wonderful stories, or of something which is amazing and remarkable.

beat up »    To alarm by a sudden attack.

beat up »    To get something done, derived from the idea of beating for game.

beats me »    I don't know; I have no idea.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder »    Individuals have different inclinations on what is beautiful. Individuals have different beauty standards.

beauty is only skin deep »    What matters is a person's character, rather than his/her appearance.

beaver away »    To busily undertake a large task.

because you touch yourself at night »    Used to humourously deflect a request for a reason.

beefed out »    Having been improved greatly or upgraded; beefed up.

been to the rodeo »    Exposed to conmen and hucksters; experienced.

been to the rodeo »    N.d., Alan Neff, Precious Tribes, Vicious Lies, page 72.

bells and whistles »    Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.

belly up »    Dead or defunct.

belt and suspenders »    Redundant systems, affording mutual backup in the event of one failing.

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.

bent on »    Completely determined; obstinate.

beside oneself »    Overcome; consumed by an emotion.

beside the point »    Irrelevant, moot.

best laid plans »    A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.

better than sex »    Superlative; wonderful.

better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all »    Having experience of love, even if it ended, is better than having no experience of love.Love is worthwhile despite the pain involved in separation.

between the jigs and the reels »    Eventually, despite all the confusion.

beyond one's pay grade »    Beyond one's capability.

beyond one's pay grade »    Beyond one's level of authority.

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

beyond the pale »    Describing behaviour that is considered to be outside the bounds of morality, good behaviour or judgement in civilised company.

big deal »    Something very important, difficult, or of concern.

big kahuna »    A boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.

big sleep »    Death.

big wheel »    A person with a great deal of power or influence, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

bill of goods »    A set of misleading or deceptive claims; misinformation.

bird of one's own brain »    One's own idea or conception.

birds and bees »    Informal sex education, especially describing the sexual activity of animals rather than that of people.

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

bit on the side »    Secondary lover, mistress.

bite the bullet »    To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to continue moving forward.

black »    Overcrowded.

black magic »    Magic derived from evil forces, as distinct from good or benign forces; or magic performed with the intention of doing harm.

black-on-black »    A description of the colors of an automobile .

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.

blaze a trail »    To set precedent or do something novel; to break new ground.

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.

blind »    A covering for a window to keep out light. The covering may be made of cloth or of narrow slats that can block light or allow it to pass.

blind »    Any device intended to conceal or hide; as, a duck blind.

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

blow off steam »    To rant or shout in order to relieve stress; to vent.

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

blow up »    To explode or be destroyed by explosion.

blow up »    To explode something or somebody or destroy something or injure or kill somebody by explosion.

blow up »    To suddenly get very angry.

blow-by-blow »    Detailing every action or occurrence completely.

blue devils »    Low spirits; depression.

blue note »    Notes added to the major scale for expressive quality in jazz and blues music, particularly the flatted third, fifth and seventh.

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

blurt out »    To say suddenly, without thinking.

bogged down »    Stuck; mired, as in detail, difficulty; delayed or made slower.

bone up »    To study or cram, especially in order to refresh one's knowledge of a topic.

boo boo »    blunder

booby prize »    A prize or status, often unwelcome, awarded as a joke or disincentive to the loser of a contest or for poor performance.

boot camp »    A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.

born on the Fourth of July »    Demonstratively patriotic.

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth »    Note. The original nautical expression is just born with a silver spoon and describes those young gentlemen who were able to enter the Royal Navy without examination and whose promotion was assured. the converse was born with a wooden ladle.

born yesterday »    New, naive, innocent, inexperienced or easily deceived.

boss about »    To act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.

boss around »    To act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.

bottle up »    Keep suppressed and hidden.

bottoming the house »    The process by where someone cleans their house 'from top to bottom'. It is a very thorough clean indeed, even more so than 'spring cleaning'.

bought the farm »    Simple past tense and past participle of buy the farm: died; often refers to death in battle.

bowl a googly »    Something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.

bowl over »    To overwhelm with astonishment or wonder; to flabbergast.

boxer shorts »    underwear

boys and their toys »    Used to evoke the idea that adult men sometimes dote excessively on machines, automobiles, and gadgets in a childish manner.

boys will be boys »    It is hard, often fruitless, to attempt to curb the natural playfulness and tendency to mischief of most growing boys.1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Chapter 13But just then there was a slight altercation between Master Tommy and Master Jacky. Boys will be boys and our two twins were no exception to this golden rule.Even grown men usually remain somewhat boyish in heart"Boys will be boys", grinned grandpa while he joined his adult son playing with the fancy train-set he gave his grandson for Christmas while the kid was in school.

brain fart »    Something ill-considered and said or done impulsively.

brain surgery »    Something that is overly complex, detailed or confusing.

brain-dead »    Having an irreversible loss of brain function and cessation of brain activity.

brain-dead »    Having no useful thoughts; stupid; ditzy.

break a leg »    To perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

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

break away »    To leave suddenly.

break down »    To decay.

break down »    To give more detail.

break into »    To begin suddenly.

break out »    To escape, especially forcefully or defiantly.

break out »    To begin suddenly; to emerge in a certain condition.

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

break up »    Of a telephone conversation, to cease to be understandable because of a bad connection.

bridge »    A construction or natural feature that spans a divide.

bridge »    A device which connects two or more computer buses, typically in a transparent manner.

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

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.

bridge »    An unintended solder connection between two or more components or pins.

bridge »    Any of several electrical devices that measure characteristics such as impedance and inductance by balancing different parts of a circuit.

bridge »    Cue for extended or tedious shots. Also called a spider.

bright-line rule »    A clear-cut, easy to make decision.

bright-line rule »    A clearly defined rule or standard, comprised of objective factors, which leaves little or no room for varying interpretation.

bring forward »    To call up for consideration.

bring off »    To succeed in doing something considered to be very difficult.

bring out »    To make a shy person more confident.

bring owls to Athens »    To undertake a pointless venture, one that is redundant, unnecessary, superfluous, or highly uneconomical.

bring owls to Athens »    Who brings owls to Athens? — Euelpides, in Aristophanes' Birds.

bring to the table »    To provide a suggestion.

broad church »    A wide scope of philosophies and ideas.

broad shoulders »    The ability to take criticism, or accept responsibility.

broken vessel »    A person who is destroyed or forgotten, or who feels flawed or broken.

broken-hearted »    Alternative spelling of brokenhearted. Feeling depressed, despondent, or hopeless, especially over losing a love.

brown power »    The production of electricity made from conventional sources, such as coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power.

brown thumb »    Lack of skill at growing plants; something possessed by a poor gardener.

brush up »    To review; to improve an existing but rusty or under-developed skill.

buckle down »    To put forth the needed effort; to focus; become serious; apply oneself.

build a better mousetrap »    To invent the next great thing; to have a better idea.

built like a brick shithouse »    Of a person, with an exceptionally well-developed chest.

built like a tank »    Broad shouldered and of solid, muscular build.

bum around »    To wander around idly to no purpose; to loaf or loiter.

bum rap »    An undeservedly unfavorable portrayal or reputation.

bump into »    To collide with something.

bump off »    To kill, especially to murder.

bump up »    To increase something suddenly.

bump up »    To promote a person to a higher grade.

bunny hop »    A jump made where both wheels leave the ground.

buried treasure »    Treasure stashed underground or underwater.

burn one's bridges »    To destroy one's path, connections, reputation, opportunities, etc.

burn up »    To catch fire and burn until destroyed.

burn up »    To destroy by burning.

bury the lead »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

bury the lede »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

bush telegraph »    A system used by undeveloped societies in remote regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds, word-of-mouth relay, or smoke signals.

business before pleasure »    An admonishment that discharging one's obligations must take precedence over devoting time to pursuits meant solely for one's own gratification.

busted flush »    Anything which ends up worthless despite great potential.

busy work »    Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.

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

butt-naked »    Stark-naked, completely nude.

buy straw hats in winter »    Of stocks, to buy when both demand and price is low, sell when demand and price is high.

buy time »    Purposefully cause a delay to something, in order to achieve something else.

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

by all means »    Yes certainly; definitely.

by far »    To a considerably large extent, easily.

by no means »    Certainly not; definitely not.

by one's lights »    According to one's understanding.

by one's own hand »    As a result of one's own actions, especially with reference to death by suicide.

by the by »    Used to introduce a new topic; incidentally.

by the way »    His mother will be coming for dinner tomorrow, and, by the way, she volunteered to bring dessert.

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.

by trade »    As a profession; professionally.

call a spade a spade »    To speak the truth; to say things as they really are.

call it even »    To declare debts resolved or favors or other exchange equitable.

call it quits »    To conclude; to quit or stop an activity.

call off the dogs »    During a one-sided sports contest, to remove the first-string unit of a team from the game after dominating the opponent.

call on »    In a classroom, to select a student.

call out »    To specify, especially in detail.

call out »    To order into service; to summon into service.

call the shots »    To make the decisions;to be in charge;to give orders.

call up »    An order to report for military service.

calling card »    A small printed card which identifies the bearer, traditionally presented for introduction when making a social visit to a home or when attending a formal social event or business meeting.

camel's nose »    A metaphor for a situation where the permitting of some small act will lead consequently to a larger undesirable act or circumstance.

can of worms »    A complex, troublesome situation arising when a decision or action produces considerable subsequent problems.

Cannon fodder »    Military personnel who are regarded as expendable when attacking the enemy.

captain of industry »    A prominent business person who owns or is the highest-ranking executive of one or more major firms, especially one who has considerable wealth and influence.

carried away »    Made excessively emotional or excited.

carry a torch for »    [2] To harbor feelings of love despite not being in a relationship; generally unrequited or after a relationship has ended, and sometimes implying secret feelings. There is the implication of keeping hope alive.

carry away »    To break under sudden pressure of violent wind.

carry coals to Newcastle »    To do something that is unneeded or redundant.

carry off »    Knowledge, confidence, or familiarity.

carry the message to Garcia »    To perform a requisite task despite obstacles.

cash cow »    Someone or something which is a dependable source of appreciable amounts of money; a moneymaker.

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

castle in the air »    A visionary project or scheme; a day-dream; an idle fancy; a pipe dream; any plan, desire, or idea that is unlikely to be ever realized; a near impossibility.

cat in the meal-tub »    Something concealed; a hidden danger.

catbird seat »    Expression used to describe an enviable position, often one of great advantage.

catch flies »    An ostensible product of awkwardly having one's mouth open wide.

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

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

catch on »    To begin to understand; to realize or detect.

catch up »    To pick up suddenly.

catch up »    To provide with news.

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

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

caught between the devil and the deep blue sea »    Having a choice between two alternatives, both undesirable.

caught with one's hand in the cookie jar »    Observed or apprehended while committing a theft, especially while embezzling money.

caveat lector »    Reader beware.

center field »    The defensive position in the outfield in the middle, typically played by a player that can run fast.

chalkface »    A musical concept or genre in which music is completely improvised and never played twice. Most often mixing elements of hip-hop, metal, punk and avant-garde jazz.

champ at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

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.

change horses in midstream »    To change plans or approaches at an inopportune time, such as when an effort is already underway, generally considered an inadvisable thing to do.

change of heart »    A change of one's opinion, belief or decision.

change one's mind »    To convince someone to make a decision differing from what a previous one.

change one's mind »    To decide differently than one had decided before.

change one's tune »    To reconsider; rethink; to reach a different conclusion.

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

charity mugger »    A person employed by a charity, or by an intermediary fundraising agency employed by the charity, who stands in the street and invites passersby to set up standing orders or direct debits to make regular donations to the charity.

che sera sera »    Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1604, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus:Why then belike we must sin, / And so consequently die. / Aye, we must die an everlasting death. / What doctrine call you this ? Che, sera, sera: / What will be*, shall be; Divinity adieu. / These Metaphysics of Magicians, / And necromantic books, are heavenly.

cheat sheet »    Any summary or quick reference used as a shortcut or reminder, a crib sheet.

check is in the mail »    A common excuse used by debtors to put off creditors.

check out »    To pay the bill, and record one's departure, as from a hotel.

check out »    To have one's purchases recorded and bagged at a supermarket, and pay for it.

check out »    To withdraw an item, as from a library, and have the withdrawal recorded.

check out »    To obtain computer source code from a repository.

cheese down »    To coil the tail of a rope on deck so as to present a neat appearance.

cheese it »    A minced oath used as a warning to stop, hide, or flee.

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.

cherry-pick »    To pick out the best, or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.

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

chicken out »    To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.

chip on one's shoulder »    A form of challenge in the same spirit as a medieval knight throwing down his gauntlet.

chip on one's shoulder »    A habitually combative attitude, usually because of a harboured grievance, sense of inferiority, or having something to prove.

chip on one's shoulder »    A tendency to take offence quickly.

chomp at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

chopped liver »    A Jewish food made by frying liver and onions in schmaltz.

chump change »    A sum of money considered to be insignificant.

chump change »    An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.

circle the wagons »    To draw a wagon train into a circle to allow the wagons to provide cover when under attack.

circle the wagons »    To prepare to defend against an attack.

circular firing squad »    A political party or other group experiencing considerable disarray because the members are engaging in internal disputes and mutual recrimination.

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.

cite chapter and verse »    To speak authoritatively, providing detailed factual information.

class clown »    A student who frequently makes jokes or pokes fun; a wiseacre.

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

clean code »    Software code that is formatted correctly and in an organized manner so that another coder can easily read or modify it.

clean house »    To reform by removing undesirable personnel and procedures.

clean someone's clock »    To defeat decisively, in a physical fight or other competition or negotiation.

clear the decks »    To prepare for action.

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

close down »    To surround someone, as to impede their movement.

close shave »    A near accident or mishap; a dangerous or risky encounter or incident.

closed book »    A person or thing that cannot be easily understood; someone or something incomprehensible or puzzling.

clue stick »    A metaphorical stick used to beat information or understanding into a slow learner.

coals to Newcastle »    A pointless venture, in the sense of sending something to a place where it's made, or where they already have an abundance.

cold comfort »    Much less reassurance, consolation, aid, or pleasure than one needs or desires.

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

cold turkey »    The sudden and complete withdrawal of a dependent substance, especially of a drug.

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.

come about »    To come to pass; to develop; to occur; to take place; to happen.

come about »    To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking.

come across »    To find, usually by accident.

come down »    To descend.

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

come of age »    To mature, or become fully developed.

come of age »    To reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult.

come off »    To become detached.

come on »    To progress, to develop.

come out »    To make a formal debut in society.

come out in the wash »    Of problems or difficulties, to work out, resolve, or become understood eventually and naturally.

come to »    To devote attention to in due course; to come around to.

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 grips »    To confront or deal with directly.

come unstuck »    To get into trouble, to have an accident or mishap, to go off the rails.

common or garden variety »    Ordinary, standard. Nothing special.

common-and-garden »    Ordinary, standard.

common-or-garden »    Ordinary, standard.

company »    In legal context, an entity that manufactures or sells products , or provides services as a commercial venture. A corporation.

comply with »    To abide by a set of rules.

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

cookie-cutter »    Of or pertaining to identical looking things.

cop-out »    An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out.

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

copious free time »    A hypothetical time set aside for performing time-consuming tasks, however insinuating that the speaker really has no free time.

copper-bottomed »    Having lower parts made of or covered by copper.

corner the market »    To have exclusive possession; to possess something to a high or excessive degree.

cotton on »    To realize; come to understand.

coug it »    To suddenly lose a contest through reversal of fortune, mistakes, or bad judgment. The phrase is analogous to "blow it", or "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory".

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

crab mentality »    A way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you." The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs in which one tries to escape over the side, but is relentlessly pulled down by the others in the pot.

cream in one's jeans »    To experience an orgasm while clothed; to be thoroughly excited or delighted.

cream of the crop »    The best or most desirable among some selection.

creature comfort »    Any small item or detail that makes a person comfortable and at home.

crème de la crème »    Best of the best; something that's superlative. The very best.

crop up »    To occur, especially suddenly or unexpectedly.

cross my heart »    A declaration that the speaker is telling the truth.

cross that bridge when one comes to it »    To deal with a problem or situation only when it arises.

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.

cross the Rubicon »    To make an irreversible decision or to take an action with consequences.

cry for help »    Acting out as a means of displaying a subconscious desire for attention or help.

cry for help »    In her second year at the school Alexis stopped doing her homework and would often scribble on walls. Her teachers wondered whether this was a cry for help, or if she was simply misbehaving.

cry the blues »    To complain, especially in order to obtain sympathy for one's own purportedly sad situation.

crying shame »    A situation that is considered to be a disgrace, or deplorable.

crystal clear »    Completely clear and understood.

crystal-clear »    Completely clear and understood.

curveball »    A forespin pitch thrown by rotating the index and middle fingers down and resulting in motion down "curve".

cut a swath »    Variant form of cut a wide swath.

cut a wide swath »    To behave in an expansive, flagrantly showy, or pushy manner, especially in public venues; to exert sweeping influence.

cut a wide swath »    To clear a broad track through a grassland, woodland, geographical region, or other area, either by natural means or by human action.

cut in »    To intrude or interrupt.

cut out »    delete

cutting edge »    The sharp edge of the blade of a knife.

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

damn with faint praise »    To provide praise that is so minimal or inconsequential as to actually amount to criticism.

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 »    Broken or inoperable.

dead »    Completely inactive; without power; without a signal.

dead »    Exact.

dead »    Figuratively, not alive; lacking life.

dead »    Full and complete.

dead »    No longer living.

dead »    No longer used or required.

dead »    Not in play.

dead »    Stationary; static.

dead »    Unproductive.

dead »    Without emotion.

dead »    Without interest to one of the senses; dull; flat.

dead air »    An unintended interruption in a radio broadcast during which there is no sound; a similar interruption of a television broadcast in which there is neither sound nor a video signal.

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

dead as a dodo »    Undoubtedly and unquestionably dead.

dead as a doorknob »    Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead.

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

dead duck »    A project that is doomed to failure from the start.

dead duck »    One who is in serious danger or trouble.

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

dead giveaway »    Obvious, easily apparent.

dead heat »    A close race or contest in which no winner is apparent.

dead in the water »    Nearly dead, doomed.

dead last »    The standings, often by a considerable margin to the next-to-last-place finisher or after an exceptionally poor showing or season.

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.

dead of night »    Middle of the night.

dead on »    Exactly at.

dead ringer »    Someone or something that very closely resembles another; someone or something easily mistaken for another.

dead set against »    Completely opposed, with no possibility of a change of mind.

dead shot »    Perfect shooter

dead to rights »    With sufficient evidence to establish responsibility definitively.

dead tree edition »    Paper version of a publication that can be found online.

dead weight »    That which is useless or excess; that which slows something down.

dead weight »    Weight that does not move.

dead wood »    Dead limbs and branches still attached to a living tree.

dead wood »    Personnel no longer contributing to an organization.

deadbeat dad »    A man, especially one who is divorced or estranged from his partner, who fails to provide monetary child support when he is legally required to do so.

deadstick landing »    When a pilot lands a plane after the engine has died; a landing lacking any propulsion control.

deadweight »    A useless, usually encumbering factor.

deadweight »    The largest weight of cargo a ship is able to carry; i.e, the weight of a ship when fully loaded minus its weight when empty.

deaf as a doorpost »    Stone deaf.

deafening silence »    A silence, or a lack of any response, that signifies disapproval or lack of any enthusiasm.

deal breaker »    To fail.

death by spellcheck »    The problems caused by spellcheckers being incapable of correcting most homophone confusions.

death knell »    A sign or omen foretelling the death or destruction of something.

death knell »    The tolling of a bell announcing death.

deathblow »    A strike or blow that leads to death, especially a coup de grace.

deathblow »    Something that prevents the completion, or ends the existence of some project etc.

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 down »    Fundamentally; in essence; in reality; really.

deep end »    A situation where expertise or experience is required.

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

deep pockets »    An ample supply of money, especially money which one is willing to spend; the possessor of such money.

deep six »    To discard, cancel, halt; to completely put an end to something.

deep thinker »    A person whose thoughts are profound; an intellectual.

deep water »    A difficult or embarrassing situation.

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

deep-six »    To get rid of something unwanted.

deep-six »    To throw something overboard from a ship.

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.

deliver the goods »    To keep one's promises.

deliver the message to Garcia »    ...grasp the demands and exactions of business life. He learns that the main thing to do is to "deliver the message to Garcia"....

deliver the message to Garcia »    ...heaves in a deep breath, gathers himself as though he's crossed a continent to deliver the message to Garcia.

deliver the message to Garcia »    Alternative form of carry the message to Garcia.

deliver the message to Garcia »    Programmers are consistently dehumanized because so many do indeed deliver the message to Garcia only to be at best ignored.

deliver the message to Garcia »    What we need is people who get the job done, no matter how. We don't want pickers who'll only learn if we use their preferred learning method. Have you read "A Message to Garcia" ? That's what we need today - young people who can deliver the message to Garcia.

den of iniquity »    A place of immoral behavior, usually of a sexual type.

depend on »    To be dependent on something or someone for support or help.

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.

desktop publishing »    DTP

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.

developments »    A group of building complexes or apartments. Often used for low income housing.

developments »    Plural form of development.

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.

diamond in the rough »    A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance.

dicky-bird »    Endearing term for a small bird, often used when talking with young children.

die »    Followed by for. Often expressing wider contextual motivations, though sometimes indicating direct causes.

die »    To stop living; to become dead; to undergo death.

dig deep »    Try especially hard.

dig up dirt »    To examine in order to find negative information for public opinion, usually with the purpose of embarrassing or discrediting a person.

dirty old man »    An adult male - usually middle-aged or elderly - who acts in a lecherous or lewd manner.

dirty word »    A word that is considered vulgar, not necessarily sexual in nature.

dish out »    To distribute or deliver something.

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

dive in »    To start a new endeavor enthusiastically and wholeheartedly.

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.

divvy up »    To divide or parcel out.

do a bunk »    To escape or flee under incriminating circumstances.

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

do justice »    To really allow to be apprehended in its full scope.

do one »    To depart from a place, often with a sense of urgency.

do one's damnedest »    To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.

do one's darnedest »    To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.

do out »    to redecorate; to adorn

do someone proud »    To cause someone to feel pride, admiration, or satisfaction.

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 without »    To manage despite the lack of something.

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

dog it »    To underperform; to lag behind; to fail to exert effort.

dog's breakfast »    An unappealing mixture; a disorderly situation; a mess.

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

don't shit where you eat »    (idiomatic, vulgar) One should not cause trouble in a place, group, or situation in which one regularly finds oneself.1998 April 14, Nelson Navarro, "Ever faithful, ever true," Manila Standard (Philippines) (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):The guiding principle is Don't shit where you eat. Office romances are always destructive of morale and objectivity.2003 Oct. 8, Jonathan Valania, "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Pussy," Philadelphia Weekly (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Limbaugh was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the NAB convention in, of all places, Philadelphia, thus violating the cardinal law of the animal kingdom: Don't shit where you eat.2006 Sept. 19, Michael Musto, "NY Mirror," Village Voice (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Mitchell refused to indulge in on-set romances with either gender. "You don't shit where you eat," he told me, plainly.

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

done deal »    An agreement that has been finally resolved or decided.

dot the i's and cross the t's »    To take care of every detail, even minor ones; To be meticulous or thorough.

double-tongued »    Saying one thing to one person and something different to another; double talking; deceitful in speech.

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

down on one's luck »    Unlucky or undergoing a period of bad luck, especially with respect to financial matters.

down pat »    Thoroughly practiced, rehearsed, or understood.

down the drain »    Wasted, squandered; irretrievable.

down the road, not across the street »    Along the radial artery rather than across the wrist from side to side.

down to the short strokes »    In the final steps or decisive phase of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.

down to the wire »    At the very end of a process or project, especially one with a fast-approaching deadline.

down under »    In Australia.

draw back »    To withdraw from an undertaking.

draw on »    To appeal to, make a demand of, rely on; to utilize or make use of, as a source.

draw on »    To advance, continue; to move or pass slowly or continuously, as under a pulling force.

draw stumps »    To declare an end to the days play, and remove the bails and sometimes the stumps.

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 away »    To depart by driving a vehicle.

drive home »    With tangible or powerful demonstration.

drop a bomb »    To announce surprising or alarming information suddenly and without warning.

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 off »    To deliver; to deposit or leave.

drop the writ »    To call a federal or provincial election.

drown out »    To cover, obscure, or hide by being louder than.

drug on the market »    Something which is overabundant at the moment and thus not in demand.

dry eye »    Keratoconjunctivitis sicca , an eye disease caused by decreased tear production.

dry rot »    timber decay

dumb down »    To convey some subject matter in simple terms, avoiding technical or academic language, especially in a way that is considered condescending.

dummy out »    From a video game in the process of localizing that game from a foreign country.

dummy up »    To make a mock-up or prototype version of something, without some or all off its intended functionality.

dyed-in-the-wool »    Firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits; deeply ingrained in the nature of a person or thing.

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.

early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise »    platitude from Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym Poor Richard.

earn one's keep »    To perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself financially.

eat crow »    To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.

eat one's young »    To betray a constituent or charge out of self-serving interests or desperation; savaging.

economical with the truth »    Not telling the whole truth, especially in order to present a false image of a situation; untruthful; lying. Often used with sarcasm or satire.

end of the line »    Final cessation or discontinuance of a process, institution, or person, especially one which has existed for a considerable period of time; death.

end of the world »    Any change that seems catastrophic or devastating.

end up »    To conclude, turn out, sometimes unexpectedly.

end up »    To arrive at a destination, sometimes unexpectedly.

err on the side of »    To behave in a manner which favours or which is biassed toward.

err on the side of caution »    To act in the least risky manner in a situation where one is uncertain about the consequences.

esprit de corps »    A shared spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to a cause among the members of a group, for example of a military unit.

eureka moment »    The moment of a sudden unexpected discovery.

even handed »    impartial

even keel »    A situation in which the boat is level and balanced for a smooth ride.

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

even keel »    Of a business or other activity which is under control and running smoothly.

every cloud has a silver lining »    In every bad situation there is an element of good1881, National Academy of Code Administration (U.S.), Folio, page 417:Every cloud has a silver lining; but in the old-fashioned meeting-houses every cloud of hymnal melody generally had a nasal lining before the congregation...1887, Shakers, Religion, page 36:that "a little reserve and thou'lt fail surely," will prove to be true in our experience. Every cloud has a silver lining and so has every sorrow,1918, George Jean Nathan, Performing Arts, page 222:But the most popular attitude toward what we may call "sad" plays is the peculiar one of believing that, since every cloud has a silver lining,

everything but the kitchen sink »    Almost everything, whether needed or not.

execution style »    Resembling an execution; with the victim aware, but unable to defend himself or resist.

expose oneself »    To appear nude in public.

eye candy »    Any object or sight with considerable visual appeal.

eye for an eye »    Compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.

eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth »    Compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.

eye of the beholder »    The evaluation depending on perception of person who sees and considers.

f** someone over »    To exploit somebody in a way which result in an advantage to oneself, at the cost of the other party gaining a considerable disadvantage.

faceplant »    Death or defeat in popular multiplayer online games.

factor space »    A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.

factotum »    Jack of all trades.

facts on the ground »    A euphemism, similar to fait accompli, used as an oblique way of saying that discussions over the possession of a given piece of territory has been rendered moot by the presence of military forces.

fade out »    A type of transition used in movies usually at the end of a scene, in which the transition fades to black from the cut.

fade out »    decrease gradually

fair enough »    An expression used to concede a point; denotes that, upon consideration, something is correct or reasonable; an expression of acknowledgment or understanding.

fall by the wayside »    To fail to be completed, particularly for lack of interest; to be left out.

fall for »    be deceived by

fall into »    To be classified as; to fall under.

fall off »    To become detached or to drop from.

fall on deaf ears »    Of a request, complaint, etc, to be ignored.

fall on one's face »    To fail, especially in a dramatic or particularly decisive manner.

fall on one's sword »    To commit suicide by allowing one’s body to drop onto the point of one’s sword..

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

false friend »    A word in a foreign language bearing a deceptive resemblance to a word in one's own language.

false step »    An erroneous action or decision.

familiarity breeds contempt »    The more acquainted one becomes with a person, the more one knows about his or her shortcomings and, hence, the easier it is to dislike that person.1894, H. Rider Haggard, The People Of The Mist, ch. 25:This was the beginning of evil, for if no man is a hero to his valet de chambre, much less can he remain a god for long in the eyes of a curious woman. Here, as in other matters, familiarity breeds contempt.

far and away »    By a large degree or margin; greatly.

far and wide »    Over a great distance, or large area; nearly everywhere.

fast asleep »    Sleeping, in a deep sleep.

fear »    Extreme veneration or awe, as toward a supreme being or deity.

federal case »    Any over-exaggerated ordeal.

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.

feed the dragon »    To buy or sell products labeled as "Made in China.".

feel up to »    To be confident in being able to do something.

feet of clay »    To say that someone, who appears strong or invincible, in fact has a hidden weak point which could cause their fall.

fencepost problem »    In computer programming, a problem dealing with how to treat the initial or boundary values of a discrete problem.

fend off »    Away; to turn away; to defend against; to repel with force or effort.

field day »    A great time or a great deal to do, at somebody else's expense.

field day »    A great time or a great deal to do.

field day »    A parade day.

fight fire with fire »    To respond to an attack with a similar or identical method.

fight fires »    To deal with urgent matters and minor emergencies rather than longer-term work.

fight off »    To succeed in defeating a challenge, or an attack.

figure out »    To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.

film out »    To transfer images or animation from videotape or digital files to a traditional celluloid film print.

find one's feet »    To grow in confidence in a new situation as one gains experience.

finders keepers »    The doctrine that whoever finds something is allowed to keep it

fine feathers make fine birds »    Something that appears beautiful or good is by definition beautiful or good.

fine print »    The details, restrictions, terms, or conditions, especially of a contract, often printed in very small type.

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

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

firm up »    To make tentative plans more definite.

first among equals »    In the British and other parliamentary systems, a term used to describe the relationship of the prime minister to the other members of the cabinet.

first come, first served »    People will be dealt with in the order they arrive.

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 or cut bait »    To choose between taking action now, or forgoing the opportunity and putting that energy into another endeavor; to decide.

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

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

flat-footed »    To firmly hold and maintain a decision; to stand one's ground.

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

flight of fancy »    An idea, narrative, suggestion, etc. which is extremely imaginative and which appears to be entirely unrealistic, untrue, or impractical; thinking which is very speculative.

flipside »    Later or tomorrow.

flipside »    A necessary consequence or corollary of something; especially one seen as opposite, or as pro versus con.

flipside »    The B-side of a phonograph record.

flog a dead horse »    To attempt to get extra work out of a ship's crew during the dead horse period.

flog a dead horse »    To attempt to get more out of something that cannot give more.

fluff up »    To make a gaffe or blunder.

flunk out »    Often requiring a retaking of the course or academic year.

flutter in the dovecote »    I further argued that the principal cause for the political deadlock that persisted for thirty years after the guns fell silent was Israeli intransigence rather than Arab intransigence. The appearance of the first wave of revisionist studies excited a great deal of interest and controversy in the media and more than a flutter in the academic dovecote. — Israel Confronts Its Past.

fly in the ointment »    Something which ruins or spoils everything else; a nuisance or problem; an unpleasant or disagreeable detail.

fly the coop »    To depart hastily or unannounced; to escape or flee.

fly the freak flag »    To behave in a unconventional or unrestrained manner; to exhibit the uninhibited side of one's personality.

fly-by-night »    One who departs or flees at night in order to avoid creditors, law enforcement etc. .

fly-by-night »    Traveling businessmen and tradesmen.

fool's errand »    A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.

fool's errand »    Such an undertaking, assigned as a prank.

fools rush in where angels fear to tread »    A person who does not plan ahead and think matters through becomes involved in risky or unfavorable situations which prudent people avoid.

for all intensive purposes »    For all highly demanding purposes.[1].

for good measure »    As a precaution; just in case; added as an extra.

for kicks »    In order to obtain pleasure or excitement; for fun.

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

for the birds »    Worthless; pointless; not deserving serious consideration.

for the record »    For the purpose of being recorded.

forbidden fruit »    Illicit pleasure; something that one should not take or get involved with, such as an another person's spouse.

forbidden fruit »    The fruit forbidden to Adam.

forbidden fruit is the sweetest »    Forbidden things have more worthwhile short-term consequences.

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."

fork over »    To turn over soil with a gardening fork.

forked tongue »    The characteristic of deceptiveness; duplicity; untruthfulness.

fortune favors the bold »    Luck is usually on the side of those who take chances and risks.

four-on-the-floor »    Relating to a vehicle with a four-speed manual transmission mounted beside the driver on the floor of the vehicle.

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

freak flag »    Unconventional or unrestrained behavior; extreme, nonconformist views; the side of one's personality which harbors a tendency toward such behavior or such views.

free rein »    The absence of constraints; freedom to make decisions.

free ride »    An opportunity or benefit which has no cost, especially one enjoyed or undertaken at the expense of others.

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

from the Department of the Bleeding Obvious »    So obvious it was unnecessary to say.

front and center »    A command to come to the center of attention of an assemblage, as of military personnel or students.

fruit of one's loins »    C. 1950, Kay Boyle, "Adam's Death" in Fifty Stories , ISBN 9780811212069, p. 541.

fruit of one's loins »    One's child, children, or descendents.

fruit of the poisonous tree »    And which is therefore excluded from being admitted as evidence in a trial.

fruit salad »    dessert dish

full speed ahead »    Maximum effort without reservations or delay.

full-fledged »    Having full qualification, credentials or preparation; entire; real.

funny money »    Money gained in a devious or sneaky manner.

gagging for it »    Up for it, having a strong desire for sex.

gallows humor »    Comedy that makes light of death or other very serious matters.

game face »    The expression of one who is prepared for or is facing a lot of difficult and/or undesirable work, especially when it is imminent.

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

gang up on »    To join together in a gang in order to overpower someone else.

gapers' block »    A traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or other roadside distraction.

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"

garden variety »    Ordinary, common, or unexceptional.

get a handle on »    To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control.

get a kick out of »    To be delighted by; to be amused by.

get away with »    To do something which is prohibited, forbidden or generally not allowed, and not be punished for the action.

get away with murder »    To do something bad or illegal and not be punished.

get cold feet »    To become nervous or anxious and reconsider a decision about an upcoming event.

get down to brass tacks »    Deal with the important details.

get in »    To get into or inside something, literally or figuratively.

get in someone's hair »    To hinder someone or interfere with their actions.

get into one's stride »    To become familiar with something recently learnt.

get into trouble »    To perform an action which is illegal, prohibited, forbidden or proscribed and to become subject to punishment for such action.

get it »    To realize or understand why a joke is funny.

get it »    To understand, comprehend, or grasp.

get moving »    To start hurrying to undertake a task.

get one's back up »    To become angry, defensive, or irritable.

get one's marching orders »    To be dismissed disgracefully.

get out of bed on the wrong side »    To start the day in a bad mood for no apparent reason.

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

get something straight »    To understand; to clarify.

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

get the better of »    To overwhelm or overcome; to influence heavily; to tend to control or persuade.

get the drift »    To understand, at least at some basic or general level.

gird up one's loins »    To prepare oneself for something demanding.

give 'em enough rope »    Allow one to function unhindered, or without further overbearing oversight.

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

give birth »    To invent a new idea.

give ear »    Dante Gabriel Rosetti, A Death-Parting, lines 5-6.

give ear »    To listen: to devote one's attention to an auditory event.

give him enough rope and he'll hang himself »    If one gives someone enough freedom of action, they may destroy themselves by foolish actions.

give me liberty or give me death »    A set-phrase indicating enormous displeasure at any over-authoritarian policy or law.

give of oneself »    To devote oneself unselfishly to a task, especially to give time and energy.

give over »    To devote oneself to a particular activity.

give somebody the cold shoulder »    To snub, resist or reject somebody; to regard somebody distantly.

give somebody the slip »    To evade, escape, or get away from somebody.

give the devil his due »    To acknowledge the positive qualities of a person who is unpleasant or disliked.

gloss over »    To treat something with less care than it deserves; to skimp.

go against the grain »    To defy convention; to do something in a manner that is unusual or out of the ordinary.

go along for the ride »    To accompany someone passively, or to take a passive role in a project.

go back to the drawing board »    To start again; to scrap a previous idea or plan and try again from the beginning.

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 by the board »    To fall or to go overboard; to be cast over the side of a ship.

go by the wayside »    To become obsolete or outmoded.

go commando »    To not wear underpants.

go down »    To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one.

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

go down that road »    To settle a way of doing something; do decide to do something in a particular way.

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 go somewhere in order to get something.

go for the gold »    To attempt to achieve the maximum reward or result in an endeavor.

go in off »    To pot the cue ball accidentally after hitting the object ball.

go it alone »    To do something alone or independently, especially something that is normally or better done in groups.

go native »    To adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants, especially when dwelling in a colonial region; to become less refined under the influence of a less cultured, more primitive, or simpler social environment.

go off »    To explode.

go off »    To explode metaphorically; to become very angry.

go off »    To depart; to leave.

go off at score »    Of a horse, to break suddenly into a gallop; of a person, suddenly to say or do something impetuous.

go off half-cocked »    To take a premature or ill-considered action.

go on »    To make a decision based on.

go out »    To leave one's abode to go to public places.

go out the window »    To vanish or cease, especially due to lack of care, attention, etc.; to be discarded, disregarded, or ignored.

go out with »    Often in hopes that the relationship will become more longterm as in definition 1.

go south »    To become unfavorable; to decrease; to take a turn for the worse.

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 someone's head »    To strongly affect a person, especially to the detriment of their senses or mental faculties.

go to the dogs »    To decline or deteriorate.

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

go west »    To die; to become destroyed.

go with the flow »    To act as others are acting, conforming to common behavior patterns with an attitude of calm acceptance.

go without »    Be deprived of.

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...

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

golden duck »    The score of zero runs after getting out on the first ball faced.

golden handcuffs »    Any arrangement or agreement designed to provide extremely favorable benefits or pay, so as to discourage participant from wanting to leave, especially to retain a choice employee.

golden handshake »    A generous severance payment, especially as an inducement to leave employment.

golden hello »    A payment offered to an employee as an inducement to join, especially if currently working for a competitor.

golden opportunity »    Ideal moment to do something.

golden rule »    A fundamental rule or principle.

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

golden syrup »    light treacle

golden ticket »    A philosophy that a quick fix can be achieved.

golden ticket »    A qualification, person or thing that can provide lucrative opportunities.

golf widow »    A woman who is deprived of her husband's time and attention due to his regular absence in order to play golf.

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

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.

good turn »    A good deed; a thoughtful or selfless act.

goodbye cruel world »    An exclamation made before commiting suicide, or in a suicide note.

grab bag »    A gift, purchase, etc. whose contents are concealed until after a selection is made.

gratuitous violence »    The artificial depiction of excessive violence.

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

grease payment »    A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.

great minds think alike »    Used to emphasize a coincidence, or two people reaching the same conclusion in any manner at the same time.

green fingers »    A seemingly natural gardening ability.

green thumb »    A natural skill for gardening.

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

groaning »    That is heavily laden.

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

guilt trip »    Remarks intended to produce such a feeling.

guinea pig »    A tailless rodent of the Cavia genus, with short ears and larger than a hamster; the species Cavia porcellus is often kept as a pet.

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

gunshy »    Fearing the consequences of repeating an act, especially after being reprimanded.

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 reaction »    An instantaneous reaction made without thought.

half a mind »    A moderate inclination.

halfway decent »    Good - better than expected.

halfway decent »    No more than adequate.

hammer home »    Until or so that a person or group of people understands it.

hand down »    To transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor.

hand grenade »    small explosive device

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

hanging offence »    A crime so serious that it is punishable by means of death by hanging.

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

hard done by »    Used, cheated, dejected.

hard of hearing »    Having difficulty hearing; somewhat deaf.

hard shoulder »    mortorway shopping area

hard-nosed »    Guided by practical experience and observation rather than by theory.

hard-nosed »    Hardheaded.

harden »    To become hard.

harden »    To become or make a thing resistant or less sensitive.

harden someone's heart »    To make someone more resistant to something.

hardwired »    Designed to perform a specific task.

hardwired »    In humans and animals, genetically determined, instinctive behavior, as opposed to learned behavior.

hardwired »    Of devices, closely or tightly coupled.

has-been »    A formerly popular or influential person whose popularity or effectiveness has peaked and is now in decline. Typically said of professionals or celebrities whose primary success is behind them.

hash out »    To work through the details of something; especially to work through difficulties.

hatchet job »    A treatment which serves primarily to disparage its subject; a piece of criticism which aims to destroy a reputation.

hatchet man »    Someone who carries out brutal and unpleasant duties on behalf of another, such as firing dead wood employees.

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

haul off »    To draw back the arm in order to punch.

have a fit »    To become suddenly enraged.

have a green thumb »    A person with a green thumb, a natural skill for gardening.

have a handle on »    To be in control; to understand or grasp.

have a way with »    To be skilled, adept, or graceful in something.

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

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

have it coming »    To deserve or merit, as the consequences of one's actions.

have it made »    To have accomplished all there is to do; to have no further work or difficulty; to have achieved a lifestyle characterized by good fortune and comfort.

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 one's heart set on »    To want or desire deeply, regardless of practicality or rationality.

have one's number on it »    Te be destined for someone.

have second thoughts »    To change one's opinion, or be uneasy about a previous decision.

have someone's hide »    To punish or subdue someone.

have the biscuit »    To be of no further use; to be near death.

have the blues »    To be depressed, to have a low morale.

have truck with »    To have dealings with.

he who laughs last laughs hardest »    Alternative form of he who laughs last laughs best.

he who smelt it dealt it »    (colloquial, originally) A person who calls attention to or complains about a fart is likely trying to pretend it wasn't his or her own.(colloquial, by extension) Used to suggest that a person calling attention to or complaining about a given problem may in fact be the source of the problem.

head and shoulders »    "He was head and shoulders above the others in the law firm.".

head and shoulders »    "She was head and shoulders better than any of her rivals.".

head and shoulders »    To a considerable degree; better; outstanding.

head over heels »    Tumbling upside down.

head scratcher »    A device used to scratch the head.

head scratcher »    December 2007, W:Daily News Tribune - Golden Globes nominations a head-scratcher.

head south »    Alternative form of go south; to decrease or become unfavorable; to take a turn for the worse.

head-in-the-sand »    Exhibiting disregard or denial of a problem or threat.

heads or tails »    A game to bet upon a which side of a coin lays face up after it is thrown.

hear the grass grow »    To be very aware or discerning; to pay attention to every small detail.

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

hedge one's bets »    To place bets with a third party in order to offset potential losses.

hell on earth »    A very unpleasant situation; torment, particularly when widespread.

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

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

here's to »    Denoting proposed salutation while drinking alcohol, toast.

hide and seek »    children's game

hide nor hair »    A trace, indication, or evidence, especially of a person.

hide one's light under a bushel »    For a person to keep some talent or skill hidden from other people. The tone is that a person having a talent which they can be proud of ought not hide it.

hiding to nothing »    A situation in which victory has little or no value, but defeat has a huge cost.

high as a kite »    Very much under the influence of drugs, extremely high.

his back is up »    He is offended or angry; an expression or idea taken from a cat; that animal, when angry, always raising its back. An allusion also sometimes used to jeer a crooked man.

hit a snag »    To encounter an unexpected problem or delay.

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

hit one out of the ballpark »    To hit a fair ball so well that the ball flies over all of the spectators' seats and lands outside the stadium.

hit one's stride »    To reach a full level of efficiency, competence, comfort, etc.; to get going.

hit one's stride »    When walking or running, to reach a full or comfortable pace.

hit someone for six »    Be affected in a devastating way by some unexpected news.

hit the big time »    To become successful and widely known.

hit the bricks »    To leave or depart; to get out.

hit the nail on the head »    To identify something exactly; to arrive at exactly the right answer.

hit the trail »    To leave or depart.

hit up »    To request or demand.

hoist by one's own petard »    To be hurt, or destroyed by one's own plot or device, of one's own doing which one intended for another; to be "blown up by one's own bomb".

hold back »    To delay, especially in school.

hold off »    To delay someone or something temporarily; to keep at bay.

hold off »    To delay commencing an action (until some specified time or event has passed).

hold one's own »    To stand up to; to give a respectable performance; to provide worthy competition.

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

hold somebody's hand »    To guide somebody through the basics or assist with excessively small details.

hold someone's feet to the fire »    To maintain personal, social, political, or legal pressure on someone in order to induce him or her to comply with one's desires; to hold someone accountable for his or her actions.

hold up »    To wait or delay.

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 »    Do not discharge your weapon. Used originally for weapons needing a spark or lighting of a fuse to ignite gunpowder, now sometimes used to mean any weapon launching a projectile.

hole in one »    Any rare, wonderful, or remarkable accomplishment.

home is where you hang your hat »    Rather than feeling nostalgic or sentimental, one should simply accept any place where one happens to reside as one's home.1948, Ruth L. Yorck, "D.P.

home stretch »    The final part of a distance or the final effort needed to finish.

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

horse opera »    A theatrical production, film, or program on radio or television depicting adventures of characters in the American Old West; a western.

horse sense »    Common sense, especially with a connotation of folk wisdom independent from, and trumping, formal education.

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.

hospital pass »    A throw that stays in the air long enough that it allows too many people to get underneath it, increasing the risk of injury and a trip to the hospital. Thus, a hospital pass.

hot button »    The principal desire that a salesman needs to "hit" in order to make a sale.

hot desking »    The working practice of sharing desks or workstations between workers, as a means of saving space and resources.

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

hot spot »    dangerous place; accident place

hot under the collar »    Worried.

hotheaded »    Easily excited or angered.

hothouse »    An environment in which growth or development is encouraged; a hotbed.

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.

house of cards »    A structure made by laying cards perpendicularly on top of each other.

household name »    A genericized trademark or anepronym.

how are you »    An informal greeting, not requiring a literal response. Typical responses include.

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

humble pie »    A pie made from the offal of deer or hog.

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 cream »    dessert item

ice up »    To become clogged with ice, usually of a mechanical device.

idiot light »    Any warning light or indicator on the dashboard of a car, designed to alert the driver of problems, such as the parking brake being on or the oil being low.

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 it ain't broke, don't fix it »    Leave something alone; avoid correcting, fixing, or improving what is already sufficient, as it could end up being detrimental

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!"

if only »    I wish that; signifies a wish or desire.

if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen »    If you cannot handle the pressure, you should not be in a position where you have to deal with it.

in a league of one's own »    Far excelling even the closest contender; not having any worthy competition.

in Abraham's bosom »    No longer living. Dead.

in addition »    Also; as well; besides.

in bed »    Lying on a bed, especially under some bedsheets.

in black and white »    Explicitly, in writing, clearly and without doubt or misunderstanding, without any grey areas.

in black and white »    Having it displayed using shades of gray/gray rather than colour/color .

in black and white »    Using shades of grey/gray rather than colour/color.

in business »    Ready to proceed in a desired activity.

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

in detail »    Thoroughly; including every detail.

in evidence »    Visibly present; noticeable.

in for a dime, in for a dollar »    Americanised form of in for a penny, in for a pound.1983, Allen Drury, Decision, p. 356:In for a dime, in for a dollar, he thought crazily, and said what he had to say in a voice he forced to stay level and calm.1998, Ellen Miller, Like Being Killed, p. 47:In for a dime, in for a dollar. I whispered to Gerry,

in hand »    under control

in light of »    Given, considering.

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

in order »    Appropriate, worthwhile.

in order »    Complete, finished.

in order »    In a sequence.

in order »    In accordance with the procedural rules governing formal meetings of a deliberative body.

in order »    Ready, prepared; orderly; tidy.

in spades »    Beyond doubt.

in spades »    To excess, a lot, considerably; without restraint.

in spite of »    Despite, irrespective of, notwithstanding.

in stride »    Without disturbing one's course of activities.

in stride »    Without emotional upset.

in tandem »    together

in the act »    In the process of doing something; used to emphasize the eye-witness evidence.

in the buff »    Nude.

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

in the dock »    Under scrutiny; subject to critical inspection.

in the face of »    Despite, against, contrary to.

in the hot seat »    Under pressure to perform; under scrutiny; at the center of attention.

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 making »    In development; in the process of being made.

in the pink »    Nude, naked.

in the red »    Having net losses; in debt.

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

in the way »    Obstructing, blocking, or hindering.

in the woods »    In critical condition; near death's door.

in thunderation »    In any set of circumstances whatsoever.

in too deep »    In a situation where one can't cope.

in touch »    The ball, or a player, is in touch when it, or he, is outside the playing area or touching the touchlines of the playing area.

in two minds »    undecided

in two shakes »    Very quickly; without delay.

in view of »    Considering.

in vino veritas »    drunken folks speak truth, one tells the truth under the influence of alcohol

in your face »    An exclamation of derision or contempt.

index finger »    digit

ins and outs »    The details or fine points of something.

inside baseball »    Matters of interest only to insiders.

inside baseball »    Technical matters concerning baseball not apparent to spectators.

inside job »    A crime or other illicit action committed by or with the help of someone either employed by the victim or entrusted with access to the victim's affairs and premises.

inside joke »    A joke that is understood or meant to be understood only by certain people who are in the know about the details.

inside track »    Any advantage.

inside track »    The lane or track nearest to the interior.

into detail »    Thoroughly; including every detail.

it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings »    There are more developments yet to come.

it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog »    (rare or obsolete, proverb) If a person is determined to punish someone, they will find a way to do so.1596

it is what it is »    This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists.

it pays to advertise »    Good qualities do not get rewarded automatically.

it's about time »    Used to express impatience at the eventual occurrence of something that the speaker or writer considered to be long overdue.

it's all Greek to me »    I don’t understand any of it; it makes no sense..

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 not what you know but who you know »    For success, and especially to obtain employment, one's knowledge and skills are less useful and less important than one's network of personal contacts.1951, G. P. Bush and L. H. Hattery, "Federal Recruitment of Junior Engineers," Science, vol. 114, no. 2966, p. 456:Eighty-four students referred to political influence as a disadvantage of federal employment with such remarks as: "There are too many political connections necessary . . . it's not what you know but who you know

it's one's funeral »    One's decisions or actions will bring undesirable consequences only on oneself.

itchy trigger finger »    A tendency to act in haste or without consideration.

ivory tower »    A sheltered, overly-academic existence or perspective, implying a disconnection or lack of awareness of reality or practical considerations.

jack of all trades »    One competent in many endeavors, especially one who excels in none of them.

jack of all trades, master of none »    A master of integration, who knows enough from many learned trades and skills to be able to bring their disciplines together in a practical manner; a polymath; a renaissance man.

jack of all trades, master of none »    A person who has a competent grasp of many skills but who is not outstanding in any one.

jew down »    To bargain or haggle with a seller in order to obtain a lower price for a good or service.

joe job »    An act of e-mail spamming where the sender's identity and address are those of an innocent third party, intended either to tarnish that person's reputation or to flood that person's e-mail with bounces.

jump »    To attack suddenly and violently.

jump about »    To move from side to side, or fidget annoyingly. Usually as a result of being nervous.

jump around »    To move from side to side, or fidget annoyingly. Usually as a result of being nervous.

jump in »    To enter something quickly. Usually a mode of transport.

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.

jump ship »    To depart a project without warning.

jump the gun »    To trade securities based on information that is not yet public; to trade on inside information.

jump the queue »    To desire preferential treatment, undue influence; impatient.

jump the shark »    To undergo a storyline development which is so ridiculous that previous quality is considered to have been lost.

jump through hoops »    To put forth effort for the sake of appearance or demonstration.

jump to conclusions »    Make conclusions before being presented with all the evidence.

jumped-up »    Describes a person who thinks he is superior in some way that the speaker disagrees with. For instance, of a higher class, or has more authority than they have in reality.

just deserts »    A punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved.

just the same »    Anyway; despite.

just what the doctor ordered »    Exactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation.

keel over »    Of a vessel: to roll so far on its side that it cannot recover; to capsize.

keep a close watch on »    To pay careful attention to a situation or a thing, so that you can deal with any changes or problems.

keep away from »    To evade.

keep away from »    To deny access to.

keep it real »    In the imperative, an exhortation used as a departing salutation.

keep one's eye on the ball »    My ethos has always been to be very straight with people, tell it as it is. It doesn't often make people happy but I found that over a period of time it's better to be that way. So being straight, also being very focused on your objectives, keep your eye on the ball and not get deflected away from it.

keep one's options open »    To not commit to a decision, to keep various options available.

keep the wolf from the door »    To delay sexual ejaculation.

keep up »    To maintain; to preserve; to prevent from deteriorating.

keep up with »    To manage to remain beside or just behind that is moving away from one.

kick around »    To wander loose; to float around; to hang around.

kick butt »    To be impressive; to be decisively good or pleasant.

kick down »    To break or demolish something by physical bodily force.

kick in »    To start or connect suddenly.

kick off »    To shut down or turn_off suddenly.

kick off »    To force the weaning of a bovine cow's calf by restricting the calf's access to its mother's udders. Used figuratively or literally.

kick off the team »    In sports, to dismiss an athlete from a team, usually for misconduct, poor academic performance or other offenses.

kick out »    To stop, stall, or disconnect suddenly.

kill off »    To represent or portray as being dead.

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs »    To seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit.

kindred soul »    Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself; kindred spirit.

kindred spirit »    Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself.

kiss of death »    A kiss on the cheek that signifies the death of the receiver, as delivered by a mob boss or one with such influence.

kiss of death »    Something that may seem good and favourable but that actually brings ruin to hopes, plans, etc.

kiss up »    To pay false flattery to another, particularly a superior at work, in order to get special attention.

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 down »    To hit or knock (something), intentionally or accidentally, so that it falls.

knock down »    To demolish.

knock it off »    Stop doing something; desist.

knock on wood »    A self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.

knock out »    To render someone unconscious, as by a blow to the head.

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-on effect »    A secondary, often unintended effect.

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

knocked up »    "pregnant", typically outside of marriage.

knocking on heaven's door »    Dying, close to death.

know something inside and out »    To know something very thoroughly.

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.

la goutte d'eau qui fait d%C3%A9border le vase »    The final thing that is too much and forces a reaction; the straw that broke the camel's back.

labor of love »    A task performed voluntarily without expectation of reimbursement; an altruistic work or undertaking.

lapsed academic »    A person formerly employed as a professor or researcher in a university or other institution of higher education, especially one who no longer attempts to remain current in his or her former academic field.

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

lash out »    To make a sudden blow.

last minute »    Point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.

last of the big spenders »    Someone who doesn't spend much money.

last word »    A final decision, or the right to make such a decision.

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

last-ditch »    Final, as a last resort; done in desperation.

late model »    Recently designed or fabricated; new.

latter day »    modern

laundry list »    Originally, a list of articles of clothing that had been sent to be laundered.

lay down »    To give up, surrender, or yield , usually by placing it on the ground.

lay low »    To remain hidden or to hide oneself.

lay off »    To place all or part of a bet with another bookmaker in order to reduce risk.

lay off »    made redundant

lay on »    provide;

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

lead down a garden path »    To mislead; to seduce.

lead someone down the garden path »    To deceive, hoodwink.

lead time »    The amount of time between the initiation of some process and its completion, e.g. the time required to manufacture or procure a product; the time required before something can be provided or delivered.

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

lean and mean »    Efficient because of having nothing in excess of what is needed, and single-minded in one's objective.

lean on »    To depend upon for support.

lean towards »    To favor in a decision.

leave nothing to the imagination »    To cover or hide very little or nothing.

leave to one's own devices »    To leave alone, unsupervised, without assistance.

left field »    The defensive position in the outfield to the left.

left-handed compliment »    A complimentary remark which is ambiguous or ineptly worded, so that it may be interpreted as having an unflattering or dismissive sense.

lemon law »    A law dealing with defective items, especially automobiles, and consumers' rights.

lemonize »    To damage something and then deny or be aloof from the damage.

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

let go and let God »    To consciously surrender one's free will to the will of God.

let off »    To cause to explode.

let slip »    To divulge a secret, as by accident or mistake.

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.

level-headed »    Sensible; rational; possessing sound judgment.

lick one's chops »    To use one's tongue to remove moistness from the sides of one's mouth, as when salivating or at the conclusion of a meal.

lick one's wounds »    To withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat.

life of Riley »    An ideal life of carefree prosperity and contentment.

life's a bitch »    An expression of acceptance of misfortune.1950, Joy Davidman, Weeping Bay, page 184:She'd have been willing enough to use them, poor dead little bitch. Life's a bitch. Life's a bad joke.

light a fire under »    To start sooner or move faster.

light bucket »    Nickname for a reflecting telescope, especially one with a relatively large aperture and suitable for observing deep sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies.

like crazy »    To a great or excessive degree; with great speed, output, enthusiasm, etc.

like gangbusters »    Vigorously, rapidly, zealously, or forcibly; in a manner which has considerable impact.

like it's going out of style »    Enthusiastically, to an excessive degree.

line in the sand »    A defining moment, a cutoff point.

lion's den »    Any dangerous or frightening place.

lion's den »    The lair of a lion.

little pitchers have big ears »    Small children often overhear more of what is said than adults realize or desire.1844, Charlotte M. Yonge, Abbeychurch, ch. 2:Seeing me listening to something she was saying to Mamma, she turned round upon me with that odious proverb, "Little pitchers have long ears."1939, "Bedtime Bedlam," Time, 17 Apr.:A caution to U. S. parents, but a joy to radio merchandising, is the dread truth that little pitchers have big ears.2002, Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, ISBN 9780743455961, p. 185:I suppose he might say pushed or went woowoo, but took a shit is, I fear, very much in the ballpark (little pitchers have big ears, after all).

live it up »    To have a wonderful life; to live fully and have fun.

loaded for bear »    Mentally prepared for a daunting situation or confrontation.

loaded for bear »    Thoroughly equipped, as for a demanding task or confrontation.

loaded word »    Any word, set phrase or idiom that has strong positive or negative connotations beyond their ordinary definition.

log off »    To depart from conversation; to say goodbye.

lone gunman »    An individual person who acts on his or her own initiative, without partners, especially one who has sole responsibility for doing something questionable, confidential, or iniquitous.

long absent, soon forgotten »    Love fades away when people are distant and don't keep close physical contact.

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 run »    An extended period of time.

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

longpig »    Human flesh when cooked in cannabalistic rituals in certain Pacific Islands, due to the allegeded similarity to cooked pork.

look into »    To investigate, explore, or consider.

look out »    To look from within to the outside.

loose end »    A small job that needs to be done, or minor problem that needs to be resolved, before a task can be considered complete.

loose ends »    Leftover items that have not been addressed or attended to.

loose ends »    unresolved details

lord of the flies »    A ruler over a worthless kingdom; leader of a meaningless microcosm.

lose one's shirt »    To lose all of one's money; to go broke; to undergo financial ruin or disaster.

lose the plot »    To have one's results decline severely in quality or suddenly fall below an acceptable standard, especially when compared to past excellence.

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

low blow »    A rhetorical attack that is considered unfair or unscrupulous.

lower the boom »    To suddenly overpower, with "on".

lubrication payment »    A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.

mad as a March hare »    Crazy, demented.

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.

made in China »    Cheaply manufactured in East Asia.

made in China »    Manufactured in the People's Republic of China.

made in China »    Of poor or low quality.

made in Japan »    Cheaply manufactured in East Asia.

made in Japan »    Manufactured in Japan.

made in Japan »    Of poor or low quality.

made in the shade »    In a condition characterized by comfort, success, easy living, or general well-being.

make a decision »    To decide.

make a leg »    To make a deep bow with the right leg drawn back.

make a meal of »    That is the eleventh edit that you have made to that word, you are really making a meal of it.

make a point »    To argue or promote an idea.

make a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

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 an example of »    He made an example of the drunken sailor with twenty lashes, to show that he must have a sober crew.

make an exhibition of oneself »    She had far too much to drink and made an exhibition of herself by flirting with everyone.

make book »    To be very confident.

make head or tail of »    To determine to be good or bad.

make head or tail of »    To understand even minimally.

make oneself scarce »    To leave or depart, or to avoid or stay away.

make out »    To designate as the recipient.

make out like a bandit »    To profit greatly; to get an excessively good deal.

make sense »    To decipher or understand.

make the grade »    To prove satisfactory; to be successful or worthy of merit.

make tracks »    To leave or depart; to go away.

make up one's mind »    To decide; to reach a conclusion.

man made »    artificial

man of parts »    A man that is talented in multiple areas of life. This includes but is not limited to the area of seduction. He puts very little emphasis on memorized scripts or "peacocking" and instead relies on individualized ways to charm a woman.

man up »    His station, prepared for departure of an aircraft, ship, etc.

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

match made in heaven »    A marriage that is likely to be happy and successful because the two people are very compatible with each other.

match made in heaven »    A very successful combination of two people or things.

match made in hell »    A marriage that is likely to be unhappy or abusive and unsuccessful because the two people are very incompatible with each other.

match made in hell »    A very unsuccessful or conflicting combination of two people or things.

may the Force be with you »    Used to wish someone luck with a difficult endeavor.

meal ticket »    Someone or something that provides income or livelihood, especially as an exploited source.

meals on wheels »    Food delivered to the homes of those unable to cook for themselves.

mean the world to »    To be loved or cared about a great deal by.

melon head »    A melon-headed whale.

mess up »    To make a mess of; to untidy, disorder, soil, or muss.

middle of nowhere »    Nowhere; any place lacking population, interesting things, or defining characteristics.

middle of the road »    Having a centrist attitude or philosophy; not extreme, especially politically.

middle of the road »    Of a type of melodic popular music that has wide appeal.

might makes right »    The stronger and more powerful rule others, control the situation or determine right and wrong.

mighty oaks from little acorns grow »    Something great can come from a modest beginning.Don't give up on the project - mighty oaks from little acorns grow!

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

mills of the gods grind slowly »    Justice may arrive slowly, but it cannot be avoided.

mind the store »    To remain present in a retail business, in order to maintain the security of the premises and to serve customers.

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.

miner's canary »    A caged bird kept caged in mines because its demise provided a warning of dangerous levels of toxic gases.

miner's canary »    Any thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of danger.

miners' canary »    A caged bird kept caged in mines because its demise provided a warning of dangerous levels of toxic gases.

miners' canary »    Any thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of danger.

miss the mark »    To fail to reach the result that was intended.

mix up »    misunderstanding

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

moment of truth »    A deciding instant; the time when a test determines or makes it apparent whether something will succeed.

money can't buy happiness »    Money can buy external things, but true happiness comes from inside.

money doesn't grow on trees »    You must work in order to have money.

monkey business »    An activity that is considered silly, or stupid, or time-wasting.

monkey business »    An activity that may be considered illegal, questionable, or a vice, but not felonious.

mop the floor with somebody »    To trounce or defeat thoroughly or in a humiliating manner.

moral high ground »    A position or point of view which is ethically superior or more reputable, in comparison to others which are under consideration.

more cry than wool »    Asserted but not grounded in reality.

more like it »    Better, more desirable.

mother hen »    An outspoken and overprotective woman dealing with others' affairs.

move house »    To change one's place of residence.

move on »    To start dealing with something else.

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.

muck about »    To do somethings with a piece of equipment when you do not understand how it works.

mug's game »    A foolish, profitless, or hopeless undertaking.

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

murder will out »    A murderer will always be discovered.

murder will out »    Secrets or hidden crimes will eventually be exposed or discovered.

muscle in »    To interfere, or intrude forcibly.

muscle in on »    To interfere with, or intrude on something forcibly.

music to one's ear »    Some unexpected good news; a favorable outcome after some initial confusion or delay.

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.

mutual admiration society »    A group of two or more people, in a workplace or other social environment, who routinely express considerable esteem and support for one another, sometimes to the point of exaggeration or pretense.

my way or the highway »    Will be excluded.

naked as a jaybird »    Stark naked; nude; especially, naked in a public setting and without embarrassment.

ne'er cast a clout til May be out »    Advice not to change from winter clothes to summer clothes until June, as there is often a sudden cold snap in May.

near miss »    narrowly avoided accident

necker's knob »    A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.

nightcap »    The second game of a doubleheader.

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

no biggie »    Not a big deal, not something to worry about.

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 ifs, ands, or buts »    Period; exactly so; without modification, limitation, or addendum.

no man is an island »    All people are connected to other people and dependent on other people.1623, John Donne,

no pain, no gain »    One must be willing to endure some inconvenience or discomfort in order to achieve worthwhile goals.

no rest for the wicked »    (humorous) People who are wicked must work harder than normal people.

noarch »    Short for "no architecture". It is a term used mainly in package management systems to mark packages which are architecture independent. Such packages usually contain graphics, documentation or similar data that can be used on any architecture.

nobody's perfect »    Used when someone's mistakes or flaws are acknowledged, to remind that everyone else makes mistakes and has flaws1995, New York Magazine Vol. 28, No. 5, 30 January 1995, The de-moralization of society (Book Review)Hypocrisy, particularly in sexual matters, is excused on the grounds that hey, nobody's perfect, and at least folks back then felt bad enough to lie.2000, Madonna, Nobody's PerfectI feel so sad. What I did wasn't right. I feel so bad and I must say to you: Sorry, but nobody's perfect. Nobody's perfect. What did you expect? I'm doing my best

nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat »    The idea/proposed action is inconsequential to the current situation.

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

nose test »    An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

not at all »    Used similarly to you're welcome, as a conventional reply to an expression of gratitude.

not be caught dead »    To refuse completely to do something.

not half bad »    Pretty good; okay; decent.

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

not have the faintest »    To not know; to have no idea.

not on your life »    Absolutely not; under no circumstances.

not on your tintype »    An answer indicating outright rejection or denial; no way; absolutely not.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    Ambrose Bierce , The Fiend's Delight In conclusion, his respect for letter-writing ladies is so great that he would not touch one of them with a ten-foot pole.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    Francis Lynde, The Quickening.

nothing to sneeze at »    Not bad; decent; acceptable; worthwhile.

nudge nudge wink wink »    A phrase added at the end of the sentence to hint that the speaker is referring to something else, euphemistically.

nut-cutting time »    Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.

object lesson »    A punishment intended as a deterrent to others.

odd and curious »    A way to designate special coins, namely coins that are both odd and imperfect or seriously damaged.

off the back foot »    From a defensive position.

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

off the chain »    Crazy and exciting; delirious and wild. By analogy to a frenetic dog when unleashed.

off the deep end »    Crazy, erratic, or irrational.

off the hook »    Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure.

off the radar »    Unlikely to happen, or be important in the near future or tending to escape detection or attention.

off the rails »    Off the intended path.

off the table »    Beyond consideration.

off the wagon »    No longer maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from an undesirable habit, especially drinking alcohol.

off-color »    Considered dirty, vulgar or obscene.

off-roader »    A vehicle that is designed to drive off the road.

oil burner »    A device whose operation causes apparent combustion of lubricating oil.

oil burner »    A heating device which burns fuel oil; an oil furnace.

Old Fart »    An elderly person who holds views that are considered old-fashioned.

old hat »    Something widely or long practiced, known, or accepted; something conventional.

old money »    The monetary system used in the United Kingdom before decimalisation and consisting of pounds, shillings, and pence.

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 accident »    Accidentally; not intentionally; because of error, misfortune, or lack of caution.

on board »    It's a good idea, but let's see if we can get a few more of the management team on board.

on demand »    When needed or required.

on hold »    Delayed; postponed.

on its merits »    Considering only intrinsic good points and bad points, without prejudice or other considerations, such as procedural ones.

on one's deathbed »    Close to death.

on one's soapbox »    Stating or professing one's opinion; attempting to persuade others of something.

on opposite sides of the barricades »    Of starkly different, opposite views on an issue.

on purpose »    Purposefully; with intention; deliberately.

on second thought »    After reconsidering; on further consideration.

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

on the back foot »    In a defensive posture; off-balance.

on the blink »    Functioning erratically, malfunctioning; not working or not working well. Usually refers to a mechanical or electronic device.

on the bubble »    Having qualification for an event depend on the upcoming performances of other competitors.

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

on the defensive »    Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression.

on the face of it »    Apparently; as far as can be seen or determined.

on the fence »    Undecided; wavering in one's opinion.

on the ladder »    Figuratively a property ladder, owning property.

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 mend »    Improving or undergoing restoration to a previous, more favorable condition.

on the plus side »    Positively; from a favorable view or perspective.

on the ropes »    Leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, as when exhausted and nearing defeat or collapse.

on the skids »    In decline; going downhill; in trouble.

on the spot »    Having to answer or decide without warning or preparation.

on the uptake »    In understanding or in the ability to absorb new information; especially in the phrases "quick on the uptake" and "slow on the uptake".

on the wagon »    By extension, maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit.

on the wane »    In a period of decrease or decline.

on the whole »    For the most part; apart from some insignificant details.

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

on top of the world »    Delighted; ecstatic; exceptionally pleased, happy, or satisfied.

on track »    On a well-defined promotion path in an organisation, usually tenure.

on wheels »    To a large degree, excessive.

once or twice »    A small, indefinite number of times.

one and the same »    The same person or thing. Used to emphasize the identity or equivalence of two things.

one can run but one can't hide »    There is nothing someone can do to evade something.You can run but you can't hide.

one card shy of a full deck »    Mentally deranged; demented; insane.

one good turn deserves another »    One act of kindness should be paid back by another act of kindness.

one in the eye for »    An event or achievement which is unpleasant for someone, especially for those who considered it impossible or unwelcome; an annoyance.

one side »    You should move to one side and allow me to go through the passageway you are blocking.

one step forward, two steps back »    A situation in which progress is more than offset by adverse developments.

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

one-hit wonder »    A person or group known for achieving only a single major accomplishment.

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.

open ended »    without definite limits

opposites attract »    people who are completely different make ideal partners.

orphan drug »    But which is not manufactured or marketed because the demand is insufficient to cover the costs of supply.

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

out of house and home »    In a manner that deprives one of dwelling or some aspect thereof.

out of kilter »    Disturbed; out of order; not working or adjusted properly.

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

out of one's depth »    To be in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle.

out of order »    Inappropriate or unsuitable.

out of order »    Not functioning properly.

out of order »    Out of normal sequence.

out of the box »    See outside the box.

out of the way »    Not obstructing or hindering; not in the way.

out of the way »    Remote or secluded.

out of this world »    Exceptionally high quality; wonderful; marvellous.

out the window »    Made obsolete; altered drastically as a result of situational change.

outshout »    To shout louder or for longer than another.

outside chance »    Small chance.

outside the box »    Beyond the bounds of convention.

outside world »    The rest of the world outside of some closed, restricted, or remote environment.

outside world »    The world external to the human mind.

outsider »    A competitor or contestant who has little chance of winning; a long shot; a dark horse.

outsider »    A newcomer with little or no experience in an organization or community.

outsider »    One who is not part of a community or organization.

over my dead body »    Under no circumstances; absolutely not.

over one's head »    More complex or confusing than one can understand; beyond one’s comprehension..

over the moon »    Delighted, thrilled.

overkill »    A destructive capacity that exceeds that needed to destroy an enemy; especially with nuclear weapons.

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

ox is in the ditch »    This is a big problem; there is unavoidable or demanding work ahead.

pachyderm »    A member of the obsolete taxonomic group Pachydermata, grouping of thick-skinned, hoofed animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant, pig and horse.

pachyderm »    Someone who is insensitive.

pachyderm »    Someone with thick skin. It is used for animals such as an elephant or a hippopotamus.

pachyderm »    What others say about him or her.

pack away »    To eat a great deal.

pack up »    To move one's residence.

paint with a broad brush »    To describe a class of objects or a kind of phenomenon in general terms, without specific details and without attention to individual variations.

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

paper »    A written document that reports scientific or academic research and is usually subjected to peer review before publication in a scientific journal or in the proceedings of a scientific or academic meeting .

paper trail »    A written record, history, or collection of evidence.

parade of horribles »    A parade featuring a progression of people wearing comic and grotesque costumes.

parade of horribles »    A rhetorical device employing a series of progressively more terrible results following from an act.

parcel out »    To divide into portions or chunks; to ration.

parting shot »    An insult or barbed comment issued as the speaker departs or the conversation comes to an end.

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

pass on »    To skip or decline.

pave the way »    To make future development easier.

pay off »    To bribe, especially to deter oversight.

pay the bills »    To provide enough income to sustain one's lifestyle.

pay the fiddler »    To contribute in order to participate.

pay the piper »    To pay a monetary debt or experience unfavorable consequences, especially when the payment or consequences are inevitable in spite of attempts to avoid them.

pea patch »    A realm of endeavor.

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.

people person »    Someone who is happier or more skilled at dealing with people rather than things or concepts.

perp walk »    The intentional public display before news cameras of someone in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public interest, demonstrating the authorities' effectiveness, or shaming the person.

physical break »    A short break in a meeting or in a classroom setting, intended to improve attention.

pi%C3%A8ce de r%C3%A9sistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

pick up »    To learn, to grasp; to begin to understand.

pick up »    To notice, detect or discern, often used with "on".

piece de resistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

piece of ass »    A very attractive woman, when considered as a sex object.

piffy on a rock bun »    A person ignored or sidelined from an activity.

pile-up »    A traffic accident or collision involving multiple vehicles.

pin down »    To corner somebody in order to get a firm answer.

pipe dream »    A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely work; a near impossibility.

piss and vinegar »    Exuberance or enthusiasm, especially to an excessive degree; bravado; youthful energy.

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

play along »    To take part in a charade, deception, or practical joke.

play around »    To engage in sexual practices outside of marriage.

play dumb »    To pretend to be slow-witted or lacking in specific knowledge, usually in order to avoid responsibility or to gain some advantage.

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

play games »    To deceive, to lie about one's intentions.

play Old Harry »    To play the devil; to make mischief.

play possum »    To dissemble or to feign ignorance; to disguise or conceal something in order to deceive.

play possum »    To feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lay low.

play the race card »    Mark Fuhrman, Murder in Brentwood p.153.

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

point blank »    The distance between a gun and a target such that it requires minimal effort in aiming it. In particular no allowance needs to be made for the effects of gravity, target movement or wind in aiming the projectile.

point out »    To identify with a bodily gesture, notably by pointing a finger or implement.

poison pen »    A usually intentionally rude, spiteful, and/or condescending piece of writing directed at a person, group, lifestyle, way of thought, or other target.

pop off »    To die suddenly.

pop someone's cherry »    To deflower someone.

pop up »    appear suddenly

potter »    One who places flowers or other plants inside their pots.

pound of flesh »    Something which is owed and which will be hurtful or difficult to provide; a debt owed to someone who is merciless and demanding.

pour out »    To talk volubly and deeply. Usually implies telling the truth.

power up »    To turn the electrical power on to a device as a precondition to make it operational.

powers that be »    The holders of power or the authorities in a given situation, especially as seen as being faceless or unreasonably bureaucratic.

pre-war »    Describing the most recent or significant war in a culture's history.

pre-war »    Describing the period before a war.

pre-war »    Describing the period before the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

pretty penny »    A considerable amount of money; a high price or a high income.

prevail upon »    To convince; to persuade.

prevention is better than cure »    it is better to prevent the creation of a bad thing, than to destroy it.

pride comes before a fall »    A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.

pride cometh before a fall »    Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.

pride goes before a fall »    Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.

pride goeth before a fall »    Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.

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

prone out »    In order to be propelled shorewards by a broken wave.

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.

pronunciamiento »    A pronouncement or "declaration".

prove out »    To demonstrate the feasibility of.

proverbs come in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0155511130, page 325:Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.

pull a fast one »    To deceive or trick.

pull oneself up by one's bootstraps »    To begin an enterprise or recover from a setback without any outside help; to succeed only on one's own effort or abilities.

pull out »    To maneuver a vehicle from the side of a road onto the lane.

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

pushing up daisies »    Dead.

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

put aside »    To save money.

put aside »    To ignore or intentionally forget something, temporarily or permanently, so that more important things can have one's attention.

put away »    To eat a great deal.

put down »    To insult, belittle, or demean.

put forward »    To propose for consideration.

put in »    To place inside.

put on »    To play recorded music.

put one foot in front of the other »    To walk, decomposed to stress the fundamentality of the task.

put one over »    To fool, trick or deceive.

put one past somebody »    To deceive, trick, or fool, especially by concealing something.

put one's foot down »    To insist, demand, or refuse.

put one's foot in it »    To make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing, or offensive.

put one's shoulder to the wheel »    To work or exert oneself heavily or with full effort.

put oneself across »    To explain one's ideas and opinions clearly so that another person can understand them and get a picture of your personality.

put out »    The statistic of the number of outs a defensive player directly caused.

put paid to »    To mark a bill or a debt record as "paid".

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 cart before the horse »    To put things in the wrong order or with the wrong priorities.

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

put two and two together »    To figure out; to deduce or discern.

put up or shut up »    Desist from saying something unless one is able to prove it.

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.

quick on the uptake »    Able to readily understand things; intelligent.

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.

quite a bit »    A considerable amount.

rag bagger »    A sailboat, usually a cruising sailboats which tend to carry and store lots of supplies along the deck, or any sailboat that looks like a neglected vessel, or messy vessel.

rag the puck »    To proceed slowly at any activity in order to use up time; to stall for 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.

rag-chewing »    A phrase used by morse code operators for a longer than usual conversation, generally a conversation extending about 30 minutes.

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

rain on someone's parade »    To disappoint or discourage someone.

raise a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

rake »    A garden tool with a row of pointed teeth fixed to a long handle, used for collecting grass or debris, or for loosening soil.

rat race »    An activity or situation which is congested with participants and which is hectic or tedious, especially in the context of a busy, modern urban lifestyle.

rattle someone's cage »    To demand attention; to nag, nudge, or remind.

reach an early grave »    To be sentenced to death before the age of 18.

read out »    To read some data and inform the person using the device.

real deal »    A thing or person which is genuine, authentic, or worthy of serious regard.

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.

reality check »    A wake-up call, reminder.

rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic »    To do something pointless or insignificant that will soon be overtaken by events, or that contributes nothing to the solution of a current problem.

reckon on »    To count on or depend on.

reckon upon »    To count upon or depend upon.

reckon with »    To deal with.

red herring »    A clue that is misleading or that has been falsified, intended to divert attention.

red light »    Denial to proceed. Ruling out of any possibility.

red tape »    A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.

red-handed »    In the act of wrongdoing.

rediscover fire »    To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well known and widely practiced at a prior time in human society.

reflect on »    To think carefully about something, and give it due consideration.

rely on »    To be confident in.

rely on »    To be dependent upon.

rest his soul »    Used parenthetically to mark the referent as being deceased.

revenge is a dish best served cold »    An expression that emotional detachment is ideal when taking revenge, as one is righting the wrongs that have been done to the doer.

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

ride herd on »    To supervise a group of people, such as workers, and/or their actions, i.e. their work.

ride one's luck »    To avoid failure only by good fortune.

ride out »    To tackle a difficult problem and survive.

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

ride shotgun »    To assist and protect.

ride shotgun »    To ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.

ride tall in the saddle »    To act or conduct oneself in a manner that is imposing, impressive, resolute, or manly.

ride tall in the saddle »    To ride a horse in an erect, imposing manner.

ride the rails »    To travel by railway train, trolley, etc.

ride the short bus »    To have a need for a special education program, as because learning disabled.

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

ringside seat »    A seat in the front row of a boxing or wrestling match.

ringside seat »    Any vantage point providing an excellent view.

rip to shreds »    To severely devalue, to refute.

road apple »    Horse manure, especially when deposited on a road.

road to Damascus »    A road to Damascus moment, or change, is an important point in someone's life where a great change, or reversal, of ideas or beliefs occurs.

roadwarrior »    A person who carries a mobile device such as a laptop or PDA and uses wireless internet connections to work.

rocket science »    Anything overly complex, detailed or confusing.

rocket science »    The science or study of rockets and their design.

rocket scientist »    One specializing in the science or study of rockets and their design.

rocket scientist »    Someone qualified to understand or handle that which is overly complex, detailed or confusing; a genius.

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

rose-colored glasses »    Glasses that are tinted in a pink or rose shade.

rough and ready »    Crude or unpolished, but still fit for use; good enough.

round out »    To make more complete by adding details.

rub it in »    To add insult to injury; to emphasize one's strengths or another's weaknesses in a manner that degrades another.

rub out »    delete, erase

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

rule with an iron fist »    To rule with absolute authority or to the detriment of the people. To rule tyrannically.

rules are made to be broken »    it is acceptable to break rules.

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.

run a mile »    To escape, flee or leave a situation or relationship, usually as a result of a shocking or sudden announcement or revelation.

run after »    To make a determined effort to win someone's affections.

run away »    To leave home, or other place of residence, usually unannounced, or to make good on a threat, with such action usually performed by a child or juvenile.

run away with »    To be misled by imagining that one's desires can come true.

run by »    To inform someone briefly of the main points of an idea.

run down »    To lose power slowly. Used for a machine, battery, or other powered device.

run for »    To try to obtain political position through the democratic voting process.

run for the roses »    A hard-fought competition or demanding challenge of any kind.

run for the roses »    Nickname for the Kentucky Derby horse race.

run into »    To collide with.

run into »    To cause to collide with.

run off »    To flee or depart quickly.

run out on »    To leave a partner suddenly and without prior warning.

run over »    To drive over, causing injury or death.

run over »    To briefly describe.

run roughshod over »    To treat roughly or without care, respect, or moderation; to act without control; to damage.

run scared »    To try everything to avoid defeat.

run somebody ragged »    To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.

run something by »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run something past »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run something up the flagpole »    To float an idea that one suspects might be controversial.

run through »    To pervade, of a quality that is characteristic of a group, organisation, or system.

run through »    To impale a person with a blade, usually a sword.

run up »    Of a bowler, to run, or walk up to the bowling crease in order to bowl a ball.

run up »    To accumulate a debt.

sauce for the goose »    A short form of what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander

save face »    To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.

say so »    power of decision

scared to death »    Extremely frightened.

scissorbill »    And railroad term for someone who refused to join the union or who openly colluded with management to thwart the union.

scissorbill »    Someone considered contemptible or foolish.

scrape the bottom of the barrel »    To use the least desirable parts of something.

scratch one's head »    To puzzle, ponder, or wonder about something.

scream bloody murder »    To protest loudly or angrily.

screen out »    Figuratively, to exclude.

scrounge up »    To seek or find despite a lack of apparent resources or availability.

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

seagull approach »    The occurence of casual, ill-informed and hasty decisions or comments made by outside authorities who lack an understanding of the local issues or a real understanding of the facts of a particular situ.

second banana »    A comedian who plays a secondary or supporting role, especially as straight man and traditionally in vaudeville or burlesque theatre.

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 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.

see the light »    To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight.

see the light »    To undergo a spiritual conversion.

seeing is believing »    You need to see something to believe it; visible facts cannot be denied.

sell »    To agree to transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.

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

sell a bargain »    A species of wit, much in vogue about the latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, and frequently alluded to by Dean Swift, who says the maids of honour often amused themselves with it. It consisted in the seller naming his or her hinder parts, in answer to the question, What? which the buyer was artfully led to ask. As a specimen, take the following instance: A lady would come into a room full of company, apparently frightened, crying out "It is white, and follows me!" As soon as someone responded "What?" she sold him the bargain, by saying "Mine arse".

sell ice to Eskimos »    To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous.

sell someone a bill of goods »    To deceive or cheat someone.

seller's market »    An excess of demand over supply, leading to abnormally high prices; a market condition favoring the seller.

senior note »    A bond that takes priority over other debt securities sold by the issuer. In the event the issuer goes bankrupt, senior debt must be repaid before other creditors receive any payment.

serial killer »    murderer

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

serve somebody right »    To happen to someone who is thought to deserve it.

set aside »    To declare something invalid or null and void.

set aside »    To disagree with something and reject or overturn it.

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

set back »    To delay or obstruct.

set in one's ways »    Driven by habit; inclined or determined to continue according to one's custom or established preferences.

set off »    To cause to explode.

set sail »    depart

settle for »    To accept or allow something, especially something not entirely desirable.

settle on »    To make a decision or selection; to decide.

settle upon »    To decide something over other options.

sex machine »    Someone with considerable sexual prowess.

shake on it »    To agree; to close a deal.

shanks' mare »    One's own legs used for walking; to "travel by shanks' mare" or "ride on shanks' mare" is to walk to your destination.

sharp cookie »    One who is intelligent, bright, or sharp; especially, one who can identify attempts to deceive or mislead.

shell out »    To pay money; especially, to pay a great deal of money.

shift gears »    To change pace or mode of operation.

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

shitstorm »    Considerable backlash from the public.

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

shoot 'em up »    A short story, novel, television show, film, computer game, or other narrative which depicts considerable gunplay.

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 off at the mouth »    Don't let [presidential press secretary Ron] Ziegler shoot off at the mouth without our knowledge.

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.

shoot the moon »    To achieve the lowest score possible, such that the player is usually rewarded with bonus points.

short leash »    Forcing one to function within a strict set of rules, or under great scrutiny or oversight.

short of a length »    Of a ball that pitches short of a good length; a ball that bounces closer to the bowler than the area of the pitch regarded as the best for dismissing or restricting the scoring of the batsman.

short strokes »    The final steps of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.

shot in the dark »    A guess, attempt, or choice made with little or no evidence or knowledge.

shotgun »    A play formation in which the quarterback is a few feet behind the snapper when the ball is hiked, ideally allowing for an easier pass play.

shotgun wedding »    A wedding in which the bride is already pregnant.

shoulder to cry on »    Someone offering emotional support to another in distress.

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

show somebody the door »    To dismiss or reject; to exclude someone who was formerly included.

show the flag »    Of a naval vessel or military force, to identify itself by displaying the flag of its country of origin, especially in order to establish an authoritative presence and to exert diplomatic or political influence.

show the flag »    To display the flag of one's country, especially as an expression of patriotic pride.

show the flag »    To represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group.

show up »    To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically.

shroud »    A covered place used as a retreat or shelter, as a cave or den; also, a vault or crypt.

shroud »    A rope or cable serving to support the mast sideways.

shroud »    Especially, the dress for the dead; a winding sheet.

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

shrouded »    Concealed or hidden from sight, as if by a shroud.

shrouded »    Wearing, or provided with a shroud.

shuffle »    To get lost in the shuffle: to lack attention when you deserve it.

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

sick joke »    A joke which is in poor taste, especially one which depicts as amusing a situation which the listener considers to be tragic or disgusting.

side issue »    An issue or topic which is not of direct significance to a primary concern.

sign in »    In order to get into the office after hours, you'll have to sign in at the security desk.

sign off »    Term used to describe the closing of a radio or television station's studios and cessation of a broadcasting signal, usually during the overnight hours.

silence is golden »    Peace and quiet have immense value.Often the best choice is to say nothing.

silver bullet »    A bullet made of silver, usually with reference to the folkloric belief that such bullets are the only weapons which can kill a werewolf.

silver surfer »    An elderly person who regularly uses the Internet.

silver-tongue »    The trait of being clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way.

simmer down »    To decrease in intensity of anger, agitation, or excitement.

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

sit out »    To lean out to the windward side of a sailboat in order to counterbalance the effects of the wind on the sails.

six feet under »    Buried six feet underground; not alive; dead.

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 deep »    superficial

skin diver »    underwater swimmer

skip rope »    To jump over a rope, both of whose ends are held by the jumper or by two others, while the rope is moved under the jumper's feet in a continual rhythm; to play the game of jump rope or exercise by jumping rope.

sleep on »    To consider after a period of sleep, implying a decision will be made the next day.

sleep on it »    To postpone a decision until the following day to avoid making a hasty choice.

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.

small arms »    Firearms designed to be carried and fired by a single person; often held in the hand.

smallpox blanket »    An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.

smart arse »    One who is particularly flippant or insolent or tends to make snide remarks or jokes.

smell like a rose »    To be regarded as appealing, virtuous, or respectable; to be untainted or unharmed.

smell test »    An assessment of a subject's ability to detect and distinguish odors.

smell test »    An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

smell the barn »    To experience heightened anticipation or to act with renewed speed or energy as one approaches a destination, goal, or other desired outcome, like a livestock animal at day's end returning to its barn.

smoke and mirrors »    A deceptive, fraudulent, or unconvincing explanation or description.

smoke signal »    A method of long-distance communication sometimes used in ancient and undeveloped societies, consisting of messages conveyed by means of columns or intermittent puffs of smoke.

smoke signal »    A type of flare or combustion device sometimes used as a distress signal.

smoking gun »    Evidence, particularly of a crime, that is difficult or impossible to dispute.

snap someone's head off »    To suddenly and sharply rebuke or insult a person, especially in response to a harmless remark.

sniff test »    An informal reality check of an idea or proposal, using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

snow job »    An attempt to persuade a person using flattery or deception.

snowed under »    Have too much work.

so long as »    Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; as long as.

so quiet one can hear a pin drop »    Said during a lull in a normally bustling place or scene, or as the result of a sudden dramatic or tense moment.

so there »    A defiant expression used to finish a poorly-made argument.

so-and-so »    A placeholder name, used when a name is not known; a generic name.

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.

social death »    The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.

soft sawder »    "How the old boy swallowed my soft sawder and Brummagem notes!" —Tom Taylor, The Ticket-of-Leave Man.

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.

soft sawder »    Cajoling or flattery.

soft shoe »    A kind of tap dancing performed in soft-soled shoes, popular in vaudeville.

soft shoe »    A speech, explanation, sales pitch, or other set of remarks delivered in a restrained or conciliatory manner in order to persuade, distract, or otherwise influence someone.

soft spot »    A point of vulnerability in a defence.

soft touch »    A comfortable situation; an easy task or undemanding occupation, especially one which is comfortably remunerative.

soft touch »    A person or group which is sympathetic, accommodating, easily overcome, or easily persuaded, especially one which loans or readily gives money to another.

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

soldier on »    To continue or persist, despite adversity or difficulty.

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

sour grapes »    A putting down or expression of disdain about something that one desires but cannot have.

sow the wind, reap the whirlwind »    Every decision has consequences; a person's actions will come back to him.

spaghetti western »    Nickname for a motion picture produced by an Italian-based company and filmed in Europe, depicting a tale of cowboys and desperadoes set in the American Old West.

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

speak for oneself »    To provide an opinion only on one's own behalf.

speak of the devil »    An expression sometimes used when a person mentioned in the current conversation happens to arrive on the scene.

speak of the devil and he appears »    Alternative form of speak of the devil.

speak to »    To give evidence regarding something; to attest for.

speak with a forked tongue »    To speak deceptively; to be duplicitous or untruthful.

spill over »    To enter into another zone by way of accident or overcrowding; to overflow.

spin one's wheels »    To make no progress despite making an effort; to get nowhere.

split hairs »    Tedious details; minutiae.

spring in one's step »    Enthusiasm, energy or a positive outlook or cheerful attitude.

spring to mind »    To appear suddenly in one's thoughts, often as an example of something.

square away »    To finish, complete, tidy or put in order.

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.

stand from under »    To escape something falling or being thrown from above.

stand on its own »    To be independent of others.

stand on one's own two feet »    To be independent. To survive without any help.

stand up against »    To defy or challenge someone.

standard fare »    Something which is normal, routine, or unexceptional; something which is commonly provided or encountered.

stands in »    deputises

start up »    To rise suddenly.

stave in »    To stave from the outside, to crush inward, to cause to collapse inward.

steal somebody's thunder »    To detract from somebody's accomplishments or glory; to undermine.

steer clear »    To avoid; to dodge; to sidestep.

stem the tide »    To slow or stop the increase.

step on a rake »    To step on the tines of a garden rake, causing the handle of the rake to rise from the ground rapidly, invariably striking the person walking in the face.

stick it to the man »    To take some action intended to defy a source of oppression such as globalization, commercialization, big business or government.

stick out »    To protrude; to extend beyond.

stick up for »    To defend or protect.

stickhandle »    To deal capably and swiftly with a situation, especially in a manner which deflects potential problems.

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.

stone dead »    Utterly dead.

stone deaf »    Utterly deaf.

stop dead »    To stop suddenly.

stop on a dime »    To stop dead; stop suddenly.

stop press »    The event or news article important enough to delay or interrupt the print, or require a reprint, of a publication, particularly of a newspaper edition.

stop the presses »    An imperative form used to introduce especially new, important, surprising, or recent developments.

storm in a tea-kettle »    A big fuss made in a small context.

straight from the shoulder »    Done in a direct manner; blunt.

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.

stretch out »    To lie fully extended.

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.

strip off »    To remove anything by stripping, e.g. items of clothing or paint from the side of a ship.

stumble across »    To discover or find something by accident.

stumble on »    To discover or find something by accident.

stumble upon »    To discover or find something by accident.

such-and-such »    A placeholder or generic thing.

suck face »    To kiss, especially deeply and for a prolonged time.

suck it up »    To put up with something; to deal with something, such as pain or misfortune, without complaining.

sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof »    No need to worry about the future; the present provides enough to worry about.

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

summer and winter »    To spend extended periods of time with; to test.

sure of oneself »    Self-confident.

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

sweeten the pot »    To make something more desirable.

sweetheart deal »    A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.

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

switch off »    To turn a switch to the "off" position in order to stop or disable a device.

switch off »    To alternate between; to trade.

switch on »    To turn a switch to the "on" position in order to start or enable a device.

tail between one's legs »    A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.

take a bow »    To accept applause at the end of a performance in a theatre. Often this includes actually bowing to the audience.

take a bullet »    To purposely receive a gunshot that was intended for another.

take a crap »    To defecate.

take a dive »    To feign a knockout in order to lose intentionally.

take a gander »    To take a look; to check or examine.

take a hike »    To go away; to leave or depart.

take a leaf out of someone's book »    To adopt an idea or practice of another person.

take a licking »    To suffer a defeat or a beating.

take a powder »    To leave in a hurry; run away; scram; depart without taking leave or notifying anyone, often with a connotation of avoiding something unpleasant or shirking responsibility.

take a shit »    To defecate.

take a spin »    To go for a ride; especially, to try riding or driving something.

take a stand »    To assert an opinion or viewpoint; to defend one's point of view or beliefs.

take aback »    Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.

take apart »    To soundly defeat someone, or a team.

take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves »    If you take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things.1750, Chesterfield, letter 5 Feb. (1932) IV. 1500:Old Mr. Lowndes, the famous Secretary of the Treasury, ?used to say?Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.1912, G. B. Shaw, Pygmalion ii. 132:Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves is as true of personal habits as of money.1979, R. Cassilis, Arrow of God, iv. xvii.:Little things, Master Mally. Look after the pennies, Master Mally, and the pounds will look after themselves.1999,

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

take in »    To deceive; to hoodwink.

take its toll »    To affect, especially negatively; to damage or degrade; to cause destruction.

take off »    To depart.

take one's time »    To take more time to do something than is considered acceptable.

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

take sides »    To ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.

take someone's point »    To agree with what a person says; to understand a person's argument and be persuaded by it.

take something in one's stride »    Not to allow oneself to be set back, daunted, upset or embarrassed by unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.

take something in stride »    To cope with something without much effort; to accept or manage something well.

take the biscuit »    To be of no further use; to be near death.

take the fifth »    To decline to comment, especially on grounds that it might be incriminating.

take the lead »    To assume leadership over a group.

take the lead »    To become the leader, to advance into first place.

take the Michael »    Alternative form of take the mickey, usually considered more polite.

take the offensive »    To attack instead of defending; to be bold and proactive.

take the red pill »    To understand the world in its previously unknown reality.

take the shadow for the substance »    To be easily deceived, credulous, superficial.

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

take up »    That which takes up or tightens; specifically, a device in a sewing machine for drawing up the slack thread as the needle rises, in completing a stitch.

take up the cudgel for »    To make a defense for in lieu of another person.

talk down »    To speak condescendingly or as though the listener is inferior.

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

talk of the devil »    Alternative form of speak of the devil.

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 over »    To persuade someone; to talk around.

talk somebody under the table »    With excessive talk or numerous arguments.

talk up »    To talk louder.

tall order »    A big job; a difficult challenge.

tan someone's hide »    To beat or spank someone.

tar with the same brush »    To characterize using the same undesirable attribute, especially unjustly.

tart up »    To modify or repackage a product, service, or idea to make it more attractive or easier to sell.

teacher's pet »    A student who is perceived to be favored by the teacher.

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

thanks for nothing »    Expression of displeasure towards a person who has not provided what was wanted.

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

that's the ticket »    That's just right; that's just what is needed.

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.

the ball is in your court »    It is your turn to do something; often making a decision.

the bee's knees »    Most excellent; surpassingly wonderful; cool.

the bends »    decompression sickness

the bigger they are, the harder they fall »    The larger something is, the more disastrous and spectacular its downfall

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

the die is cast »    The future is determined; there are no more options; events will proceed in an irreversible manner.

the end justifies the means »    Morally wrong actions are sometimes necessary to achieve morally right outcomes; actions can only be considered morally right or wrong by virtue of the morality of the outcome.

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 grass is always greener on the other side »    Other circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality are often not

the icing on the cake »    Something wonderful at the end of something good.

the jig is up »    An expression used to mean "We have been caught out and have no defence", or if spoken to a person who's just been found out as the perpetrator of an offense, it means "You've been discovered.".

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

the map is not the territory »    Our models of the world, and our sensations of the world, are not the true world.

the more things change, the more they stay the same »    A proverb making the observation that turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.

the nose knows »    Despite the addressee's belief that the speaker was unaware of something, the speaker, in fact, was already aware.

the plot thickens »    Used, often ironically, to describe an increasingly complex or mysterious situation.

the proof of the pudding is in the eating »    The only real test of something is as what it is intended to be used for.

the road to hell is paved with good intentions »    well-intended acts can lead to disaster

the salt of the earth »    wonderful

the sky is the moon »    A new modern combination of "the sky is the limit" and "shoot for the moon".

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.

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.

the thing of it »    The important point to consider.

the whole shooting match »    Everything; the entire collection, endeavor, or activity.

the world is one's lobster »    (UK, humorous) intentional misrendering of the proverb "the world is one's oyster"

the world is one's oyster »    In order to achieve something in this world, one has to grab the opportunity.

there are two sides to every question »    One should not make a judgement until one hears the other side.

there is nothing new under the sun »    There is nothing truly novel in existence. Every new idea has some sort of precedent or echo from the past.

there you have it »    Used to introduce a speaker's interpretation of what has just transpired or been described.

thin edge of the wedge »    Beginning; opening; precedent.

thin end of the wedge »    Something that if allowed or accepted to a small degree would lead to systematic encroachment.

think about »    To ponder.

think better of it »    To change one's mind; especially to decide against.

think over »    To ponder or reflect on a subject.

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 through »    To fully consider an action, and understand all its consequences.

think twice »    To reconsider, use judgement; to proceed with caution or thought.

third degree »    Intensive rough interrogation in order to extract information or a confession.

third string »    Of a decidedly lower quality or condition.

thorn in someone's side »    A persistent annoyance.

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

three-on-the-tree »    On an automobile, describing the gearshift lever of a steering column-mounted three-speed manual transmission.

throw caution to the wind »    Do something despite the risks.

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 and 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.2005, Mike Busson (poster on UKScreen forum) Re: Voiceovers!, read at [1] on 02 Nov 06,In terms of places to send your URL or CD's, there's no easy answer. It really is a case of throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.2005, "forwardone" (administrator posting on the HYIPForum), re: Alertpay phishing email, read at [2] on 02 Nov 06,I also think that sometimes they send out phishing e-mails in the hope that it`ll hit people who do have an account with a particular organization. You know, throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick theory.2006, Rob Manuel, How to be funny, read in Comedy Soup on the BBC website at [3] on 02 Nov 06,Throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick. Be prolific and don't be afraid to make stuff that's rubbish. If you keep trying eventually you'll get there.2006, Rex Pierce, Re: [303rd-Talk] D Day read on 303rd Bomb Group Talk Forum at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Believe the planners worked on the principle of "throw enough mud at the wall, and some of it will stick".If enough (perhaps false or reckless) accusations are made against someone, his reputation will suffer, whether or not this is deserved2006, "money" (poster on eTalk Money), Some thoughts about compact surfing, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,Word of advice NVUS time to distance yourself from LuukH as quickly as possible and dish some dirt, otherwise well the saying goes - throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.

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 one's weight around »    To exercise influence or authority especially to an excessive degree or in an objectionable manner.

throw under the bus »    To betray or blame; to use as a scapegoat.

throw under the bus »    To discard or disown.

thumb a ride »    To flag or signal a passing vehicle in hopes of securing passage.

thumb a ride »    To secure a ride by flagging down a vehicle.

thus and so »    A generic thing; a placeholder name.

thus and such »    A placeholder or generic name for something.

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

tide over »    To support or sustain someone, especially financially, for a limited period.

tie someone's hands »    To render one powerless to act, to thwart someone.

tie up »    To occupy, detain, keep busy, or delay.

tie up loose ends »    To deal with the minor consequences of a previous action; to tidy up, finish, or complete.

tiger team »    A specialized group tasked with testing the effectiveness of an organization's ability to protect assets by attempting to circumvent, defeat or otherwise thwart that organization's internal and external security.

tiger team »    An engineering or other group assembled to tackle especially difficult or critical problems, often outside the normal chain of command.

time and tide »    Shortened form of time and tide wait for no man

time and tide wait for no man »    action is necessary without delay

time heals all wounds »    Negative feelings eventually erode away

timeserver »    A device, node or program that distributes the correct time to clients in a network.

timing is everything »    Consideration of other events can greatly influence some desired outcome (such as an audience laughing to a comedian's joke).Telling the old joke about a butt-crack was not a good idea, just as the plumber arrived, Bob.You know what they say: "timing is everything." I'm sure we can find another plumber before the house floods.

tip of the hat »    A gesture of acknowledgement; often, an expression of gratitude.

tip one's hand »    In card playing, to accidentally reveal one's cards or hand.

tip one's hat »    To briefly remove or tap one's hat as a gesture of greeting, deference, or respect.

tip the scales »    To turn to one side a balanced situation.

tipsy turvy »    upside down

to a fault »    To an excessive degree; extremely.

to a T »    Precisely; exactly; perfectly; with great attention to detail.

to beat the band »    Very vigorously; at a frantic pace; to a high degree; in large quantities.

to boot »    Moreover, on top of that, besides, also.

to death »    To a great degree.

to die for »    Very good; exquisite; excellent; particularly desirable.

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

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

to the max »    To a great degree or extent; very.

to the max »    To the maximum possible degree or extent.

to thine own self be true »    The easiest person to deceive is oneself."This above all:to thine own self be true,and it must follow, as the night the day,Thou canst not then be false to any man." -William Shakespeare

today we are all »    An expression indicating that the speaker empathizes with members of an identifiable group that was the subject of a disaster, and projects that others empathize as well.

today we are all »    August 12, 2008:, Robert Barnes, "McCain to Georgian President: "Today, We Are All Georgians"", Washington Post.

today we are all »    March 11, 2004: Denis MacShane, Guardian Unlimited.

today we are all »    September 12, 2001: Jean-Marie Colombani, "Today, We Are All Americans", Le Monde.

toe the line »    To abide by the rules or conventions.

tomorrow is another day »    Tomorrow will bring new opportunities and a fresh start for one's endeavors.1600, author unknown, "Phillidaes Love-call to her Coridon, and his replying" (song), in England's Helicon, printed at London by I.R. for John Flasket:Phil. Yonder comes my Mother, Coridon,whether shall I flie?Cor. Under yonder Beech my lovely one,while she passeth by.Say to her thy true-Love was not heere,remember, remember,to morrow is another day:1896, Amelia E. Barr, A Knight of the Nets, ch. 8:"Well, well, my dear lass, to-night we cannot work, but we may sleep. . . . Keep a still heart tonight, and tomorrow is another day."1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, ch. 63:"Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."2005, Fran Schumer, "JERSEY: In Princeton, Taking On Harvard's Fuss About Women," New York Times, 19 June (retrieved 18 Aug. 2009):"Half of me is depressed

tone down »    To relax; to make quieter or less obtrusive; to make milder.

tongue-in-cheek »    Not intended seriously; jocular or humorous.

too big for one's britches »    Disturbingly confident, unacceptably cocky.

top banana »    The boss, the leader.

top banana »    The principal comedian in a vaudeville or burlesque show.

top it all off »    To emphasize or underscore; to make something even better or worse.

top oneself »    To commit suicide.

topsy turvy »    upside down

toss-up »    A decision in which neither choice is clearly favorable or unfavorable, or for which the outcome does not matter.

toss-up »    The toss of a coin used to decide some issue.

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

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.

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.

touched in the head »    Demented, slightly mentally deficient.

touchy-feely »    Driven by intuition or emotion, with a connotation of de-emphasis of rational thought or logic.

touchy-feely »    Having a fondness for physical contact with other people, especially to an excessive degree.

tough cookie »    A person who can endure physical or mental hardship; a hardened, strong-willed person.

tout de suite »    Immediately, right away.

trailer trash »    Deleted from the movie trailer. Not included in theatrical run.

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.

trick of the trade »    A shortcut or other quick, or very effective way of doing things, that professional workers learn from experience.

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

try one's hand »    To attempt a skill, craft, or trade.

try out »    To test something in order to see if it works.

try out »    To undergo a test before being selected for a team etc.

tuck in »    To push the fabric at the bottom of a shirt under the pants.

tumble to »    To discover, or suddenly understand something.

tune up »    To make adjustments to an engine in order to improve its performance.

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

turn away »    To avert or deflect something.

turn back »    To refuse to allow someone to pass a border or enter a place.

turn down »    To refuse, decline, or deny.

turn heads »    To garner a considerable amount of attention.

turn in one's grave »    To be appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased.

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

turn off »    To power down; to stop a device by switching it off.

turn on »    To power up; to start a device by switching it on.

turn out »    To extinguish a light or other device.

turn up »    To show up; to appear suddenly or unexpectedly.

turn up one's nose »    To refuse, especially as due to pride or status.

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

turn upside down »    To thoroughly examine.

twenty-twenty hindsight »    Perfect understanding of events only after they have happened.

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 a cloud »    Under suspicion; subject to critical inspection.

under a spell »    Bewitched, held by the power of a magical spell.

under erasure »    Of a bit of text, written and strickenthrough; hence, figuratively in some sense both present and absent.

under fire »    Criticized or held responsible for something.

under fire »    Subjected to enemy attack.

under lock and key »    Imprisoned with little or no chance of escape.

under one's belt »    Already done; within one's experience; practiced.

under one's breath »    Softly, so as not to be heard.

under one's hat »    Concealed; confidential; secret.

under one's nose »    Directly in front of one; clearly visible.

under one's nose »    Obvious or apparent.

under one's thumb »    Completely controlled by someone; at someone’s command..

under one's wing »    Under one's protection, sponsorship, or tutelage.

under pressure »    Being subjected to physical pressure.

under pressure »    Subjected to pressure.

under sail »    With sails unfurled; powered by the wind.

under the gun »    The first player to act on the first round of betting in Texas hold 'em.

under the gun »    Under great pressure to perform.

under the impression »    Thinking or making assumptions, often incorrectly.

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

under the knife »    Undergoing a surgical procedure.

under the microscope »    Under close scrutiny or examination.

under the radar »    Without attracting notice; in an undetected or secretive manner.

under the table »    Secretly or without reporting, especially of payments made or business transacted.

under the weather »    Experiencing adversity.

under the weather »    Somewhat ill or gloomy.

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

under the wire »    Across the finish line.

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

under the yoke »    Under subjugation.

under way »    A vessel is said to be underway when she is not anchored, moored, aground, or beached[1]. Compare with make way.

under way »    In operation, in progress, commenced.

under wraps »    Secret or hidden.

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 one's sleeve »    Hidden, in reserve.

up the ante »    To make something more desirable.

up to »    Considering all members of an equivalence class the same.

up to »    The option or decision of.

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 »    Informed about the latest news or developments.

upper crust »    The topmost layer of a bread, pastry dish, or other item with a hardened coating.

valley of death »    Death; or a place or period where death is impending.

valley of death »    Lord Alfred Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade.

valley of death »    The phase of a startup business beginning with the entrepreneur's fulltime commitment to it and ending when the business has achieved sustainable cash flow.

valley of the shadow of death »    Valleys on earth one must walk through, that is, part of the human experience.

variable tandem repeat locus »    Any DNA sequence that exists in multiple copies strung together in various tandem lengths.

verge on »    To approach or come close to something; to border or be on the edge of something.

vice squad »    police department

virgin territory »    By extension, ideas or concepts or activities that have not yet been tried, explored or developed.

virgin territory »    Land that has never been explored or developed.

vote out »    To expel the holder of an office or other position through an act of voting.

vote with one's feet »    To show a lack of support for something by departing or otherwise absenting oneself.

wack out »    To become deranged.

wade in »    To interrupt someone, or a situation, by doing or saying something abruptly, or forcefully, and usually without thinking about the consequences.

wade through »    To do a boring, repetitive research task.

wait for the other shoe to drop »    To await a seemingly inevitable event, especially one which is not desirable.

wait for the other shoe to drop »    To defer action or decision until another matter is finished or resolved.

wake up and smell the coffee »    To face reality and stop deluding oneself.

wake up on the wrong side of bed »    To feel grumpy, irritable; to be easily annoyed.

walk a tightrope »    To undertake a precarious course of action.

walk around »    To walk with no real planned destination, but to just walk, to meander "around".

walk in on »    To enter suddenly or unexpectedly while something is happening; to intrude or interrupt by entering.

walk in the snow »    An occasion when a momentous career decision is made, especially a decision to resign or retire.

walk into »    To collide with.

walk it off »    To deal with an negative emotional event without complaint; to take it like a man.

walk it off »    To walk or pace in order to relieve a pain or cramp.

walk on eggshells »    To be overly careful in dealing with a person or situation because they get angry or offended very easily; to try very hard not to upset someone or something.

walk out »    To leave suddenly, especially as a form of protest.

walk out on »    To abandon or desert someone, especially a spouse.

walked out on »    To abandoned; to desert

walked out on »    To abandoned; to desert

walked out on »    To abandoned; to desert

war bride »    A company or individual whose business is increased by warfare.

war bride »    A woman who marries a man who is on active duty military in wartime.

ward off »    To parry, or turn aside.

warm the cockles of someone's heart »    To provide happiness, to bring a deeply-felt contentment.

warts and all »    Of or pertaining to a description or other depiction which reveals the full range of characteristics of a person or thing, including the shortcomings and imperfections.

wash away »    To eliminate, or destroy by fast moving water, such as in a flood, or a high sea.

wash out »    To wear away by the flow of water; to erode.

wash over »    Said of the way an emotion affects one suddenly.

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 this space »    An indication that a development will follow.

water under the bridge »    Something in the past that cannot be controlled or undone, but must be accepted, forgiven, or forgotten.

weak sister »    A person or thing which is the least robust or least dependable member of a group.

weak sister »    A person who is cowardly or indecisive.

wear off »    To disappear because of being abraded, over-polished, or abused.

wear out »    To deteriorate or become unusable or ineffective due to continued use, exposure, or strain.

weigh in »    To undergo a weigh-in.

well begun is half done »    Much depends on the beginning of an endeavor.

wet blanket »    A person who takes the fun out of a situation or activity, as by pessimism, demands, dullness, etc.

what do I know »    Implies that a statement is based on a guess or assumption rather than on knowledge or evidence.

what it says on the tin »    Exactly what is described or what one would expect from the name.

what the Devil »    Used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning question.

what the dickens »    Euphemism for what the Devil, used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning a question.

what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander »    If something is acceptable for one person, it is acceptable for another.

where there's muck there's brass »    (UK, Irish) There is money to be made in unpleasant dirty jobs.

where there's smoke, there's fire »    If there is telltale evidence of some event, the event is probably occurring.

whipped cream »    dessert topping

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.

whistle in the dark »    To speak of something despite having little knowledge of it.

whistle past the graveyard »    To enter a situation with little or no understanding of the possible consequences.

whistle walk »    The path slaves took to deliver food from the kitchen building of a plantation to the main dining room. Slaves were expected to whistle during this walk in order to assure their masters that they were not eating the food.

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 elephant »    An ornament etc that is unwanted or is a financial burden; an unprofitable investment.

white lie »    A deliberate, untrue statement which does no harm or is intended to produce a favorable result.

white on rice »    A descriptive analogy of closeness. See like white on rice.

white wedding »    A wedding in which the bride is still a virgin.

whomp on »    To assail with overwhelming force; to defeat decisively.

why the dickens »    Euphemism for why the Devil, used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning a question.

wide awake »    Awake and very alert.

wide of the mark »    Inaccurate.

wide of the mark »    Missing the target.

willful ignorance »    A bad faith decision to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt. It may also be shown as for a person to have no clue in a decision but still goes ahead in their decision.

willy nilly »    Whether desired or not.

win over »    To persuade someone, gain someone's support, or make someone understand the truth or validity of something.

window dressing »    A means of creating a deceptively favourable impression of something or someone; something for appearance only.

window dressing »    The decorative display of retail merchandise in store windows.

wine tosser »    A person who talks a great deal about wine but actually knows very little.

wipe somebody's eye »    To defeat; to humiliate.

wishful thinking »    Decision-making based on self-delusion.

with no further ado »    Without any other formalities; with no further delay.

wits' end »    Limit of one's sanity or mental capacity; point of desperation.

wooden spoon »    A spoon made from wood.

wooden spoon »    An ironic prize for finishing last in a competition.

wooden-top »    Uniformed police officers.

work one's fingers to the bone »    Work especially hard, usually for an extended period.

work out »    To conclude with the correct solution.

work out »    To habitually exercise rigorously, especially by lifting weights, in order to increase strength or muscle mass or maintain fitness.

work spouse »    A man or woman in the workplace with whom one shares a special relationship having bonds similar to those of a marriage: special confidences, loyalties, shared jokes and experiences, and unusual degree of honesty or openness.

work the room »    To interact enthusiastically with the attendees at an event, by moving among them, greeting them, and engaging them in conversation.

worth one's salt »    Competent or adept.

wouldn't say boo to a goose »    Describing a quiet, exceptionally shy person.

wrap around one's fingers »    To make one susceptible to desire, in that their behavior or actions are influenced.

wrap in the flag »    To claim one's cause deserves support for patriotic reasons or that one's own motives are patriotic.

wrap up »    To form a cylinder by rolling a sheet of something.

wreak havoc »    To cause damage, disruption, or destruction.

wreck havoc »    cause destruction

wrestling with a pig »    To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.

write down »    In a simple or condescending style.

write off »    To record an notional expense such as amortization or depreciation.

write one's own ticket »    To be empowered to choose whatever job, financial arrangement, or course of action one desires.

write out »    To write in full length or expanded form.

wrong side of the tracks »    . May refer to area where the working class, poor or extremely poor live.

yes to death »    To agree with someone, often sarcastically.

yield up »    To disclose something hidden.

you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar »    It's easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude than with rude demands and negativity.

you can't fight city hall »    (chiefly US) Nothing can be done to change the situation, because it is a governmental decision.I see they're going to build the airport after all. I suppose you can't fight city hall.

you can't judge a book by its cover »    It is not possible to make reliable judgments about things or people by considering external appearances alone.

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

you can't say fairer than that »    That is good, reasonable, or fair; one cannot hope for a better decision or outcome.

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 get what you pay for »    In commercial transactions, the quality of goods and services increases as the prices increase, i.e., the more one pays, the better the merchandise.2003, Michael Blumenthal, "For Whom the School Bell Tolls," Time, 7 Dec.:Though it may sound unapologetically capitalistic to say so

you made your bed, now sleep in it »    A moralizing rejection said to someone looking for an easy out, especially of a situation they put themselves into.

you pays your money and you takes your choice »    Each person should make their own decisions.

you shouldn't have »    Used to express gratitude at unnecessary generosity, especially when receiving a gift.

you're never too old to learn »    It is possible to learn new things, at any age; (implying) follow your desires and dreams

you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

yours sincerely »    A polite formula to end a letter, especially when the recipient’s name is known to the sender.

zonk out »    To fall suddenly into a very deep sleep.

zoom in »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a larger image, or a closer view.

zoom in »    So as to make it larger and possibly more detailed.

zoom out »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a smaller image, or a more distant view.

zoom out »    So as to make it smaller and possibly less detailed.

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