a great deal »
Very much; to a great extent; a lot; lots.
|
after one's own heart »
Of a person: having the same ideas, opinions or behaviour as oneself.
|
against the clock »
In a time-restricted manner, to meet a deadline, hurriedly, timed.
|
all-a-mort »
Sad; at death's door.
|
angel's advocate »
Someone who sees what's good about an idea and supports it.
|
at death's door »
About to die; in a life-threatening state of health.
|
at peace »
Dead.
|
at the end of the road »
No longer living. Dead.
|
back to square one »
Located back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure.
|
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.
|
beat a dead horse »
To persist or continue far beyond any purpose, interest or reason.
|
beat up »
To get something done, derived from the idea of beating for game.
|
beats me »
I don't know; I have no idea.
|
belly up »
Dead or defunct.
|
big deal »
Something very important, difficult, or of concern.
|
big sleep »
Death.
|
big wheel »
A person with a great deal of power or influence, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.
|
bird of one's own brain »
One's own idea or conception.
|
bought the farm »
Simple past tense and past participle of buy the farm: died; often refers to death in battle.
|
boys and their toys »
Used to evoke the idea that adult men sometimes dote excessively on machines, automobiles, and gadgets in a childish manner.
|
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.
|
broad church »
A wide scope of philosophies and ideas.
|
build a better mousetrap »
To invent the next great thing; to have a better idea.
|
by one's own hand »
As a result of one's own actions, especially with reference to death by suicide.
|
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.
|
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.
|
come to grips »
To confront or deal with directly.
|
cross that bridge when one comes to it »
To deal with a problem or situation only when it arises.
|
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.
|
dicky-bird »
Endearing term for a small bird, often used when talking with young children.
|
die »
To stop living; to become dead; to undergo death.
|
dive in »
To start a new endeavor enthusiastically and wholeheartedly.
|
done deal »
An agreement that has been finally resolved or decided.
|
down to the wire »
At the very end of a process or project, especially one with a fast-approaching deadline.
|
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.
|
faceplant »
Death or defeat in popular multiplayer online games.
|
fall on deaf ears »
Of a request, complaint, etc, to be ignored.
|
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.
|
fencepost problem »
In computer programming, a problem dealing with how to treat the initial or boundary values of a discrete problem.
|
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.
|
fight fires »
To deal with urgent matters and minor emergencies rather than longer-term work.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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."
|
from my cold, dead hands »
A statement that something will not be taken away from you until the day you die.
|
fruit of one's loins »
C. 1950, Kay Boyle, "Adam's Death" in Fifty Stories , ISBN 9780811212069, p. 541.
|
gallows humor »
Comedy that makes light of death or other very serious matters.
|
get down to brass tacks »
Deal with the important details.
|
give birth »
To invent a new idea.
|
give ear »
Dante Gabriel Rosetti, A Death-Parting, lines 5-6.
|
give me liberty or give me death »
A set-phrase indicating enormous displeasure at any over-authoritarian policy or law.
|
go back to the drawing board »
To start again; to scrap a previous idea or plan and try again from the beginning.
|
go for the gold »
To attempt to achieve the maximum reward or result in an endeavor.
|
gold standard »
A test or measure of comparison that is considered ultimate or ideal.
|
golden opportunity »
Ideal moment to do something.
|
gravy train »
An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.
|
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 of hearing »
Having difficulty hearing; somewhat deaf.
|
hatchet man »
Someone who carries out brutal and unpleasant duties on behalf of another, such as firing dead wood employees.
|
have the biscuit »
To be of no further use; to be near death.
|
have truck with »
To have dealings with.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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 Abraham's bosom »
No longer living. Dead.
|
in line »
Suitable or appropriate; keeping with expectations, norms, ideals, or rules.
|
in the woods »
In critical condition; near death's door.
|
it is what it is »
This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists.
|
jack of all trades »
One competent in many endeavors, especially one who excels in none of them.
|
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.
|
kill off »
To represent or portray as being dead.
|
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.
|
knocking on heaven's door »
Dying, close to death.
|
last minute »
Point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.
|
last word »
The final statement uttered by a person before death.
|
lemon law »
A law dealing with defective items, especially automobiles, and consumers' rights.
|
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.
|
make a point »
To argue or promote an idea.
|
make out like a bandit »
To profit greatly; to get an excessively good deal.
|
may the Force be with you »
Used to wish someone luck with a difficult endeavor.
|
mean the world to »
To be loved or cared about a great deal by.
|
mother hen »
An outspoken and overprotective woman dealing with others' affairs.
|
move on »
To start dealing with something else.
|
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.
|
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.
|
not be caught dead »
To refuse completely to do something.
|
not have the faintest »
To not know; to have no idea.
|
nut-cutting time »
Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.
|
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 one's deathbed »
Close to death.
|
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.
|
opposites attract »
people who are completely different make ideal partners.
|
over my dead body »
Under no circumstances; absolutely not.
|
pack away »
To eat a great deal.
|
pea patch »
A realm of endeavor.
|
people person »
Someone who is happier or more skilled at dealing with people rather than things or concepts.
|
pipe dream »
A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely work; a near impossibility.
|
play possum »
To feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lay low.
|
pushing up daisies »
Dead.
|
put away »
To eat a great deal.
|
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 something into perspective »
To compare with something similar to give a clearer, more accurate idea.
|
put through the wringer »
To interrogate or scrutinize closely; to subject to some trial or ordeal.
|
reach an early grave »
To be sentenced to death before the age of 18.
|
real deal »
A thing or person which is genuine, authentic, or worthy of serious regard.
|
reckon with »
To deal with.
|
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.
|
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.
|
run by »
To inform someone briefly of the main points of an idea.
|
run over »
To drive over, causing injury or death.
|
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.
|
scared to death »
Extremely frightened.
|
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".
|
shake on it »
To agree; to close a deal.
|
shell out »
To pay money; especially, to pay a great deal of money.
|
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.
|
shroud »
Especially, the dress for the dead; a winding sheet.
|
six feet under »
Buried six feet underground; not alive; dead.
|
sniff test »
An informal reality check of an idea or proposal, using one's common sense or sense of propriety.
|
social death »
The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.
|
staircase wit »
Thinking of an idea or course of action too late to use it effectively, or the tendency to do so.
|
stickhandle »
To deal capably and swiftly with a situation, especially in a manner which deflects potential problems.
|
stone dead »
Utterly dead.
|
stone deaf »
Utterly deaf.
|
stop dead »
To stop suddenly.
|
stop on a dime »
To stop dead; stop suddenly.
|
suck it up »
To put up with something; to deal with something, such as pain or misfortune, without complaining.
|
sweetheart deal »
A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.
|
take a leaf out of someone's book »
To adopt an idea or practice of another person.
|
take the biscuit »
To be of no further use; to be near death.
|
take things as they come »
To accept and deal with events as they occur, with a composed state of mind.
|
tart up »
To modify or repackage a product, service, or idea to make it more attractive or easier to sell.
|
the whole shooting match »
Everything; the entire collection, endeavor, or activity.
|
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.
|
tie up loose ends »
To deal with the minor consequences of a previous action; to tidy up, finish, or complete.
|
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.
|
to death »
To a great degree.
|
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
|
under the wire »
At the last minute; before the deadline; barely on time; nearly late.
|
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.
|
virgin territory »
By extension, ideas or concepts or activities that have not yet been tried, explored or developed.
|
walk it off »
To deal with an negative emotional event without complaint; to take it like a man.
|
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.
|
well begun is half done »
Much depends on the beginning of an endeavor.
|
wine tosser »
A person who talks a great deal about wine but actually knows very little.
|
yes to death »
To agree with someone, often sarcastically.
|
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
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