a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down »
An otherwise unpleasant situation can be pleasant when a pleasant aspect is deliberately introduced.1999, Eli Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale: History, Genre, Meaning, Indiana University Press, ISBN 0253335833, page 372,One is known as the "sweetening parable," that is to say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Thus, when the aim is to preach to the people, to guide them along the "bitter," arduous path of upholding burdensome precepts and prohibitions, a tale can lighten the load, make the "medicine" easier "to swallow."2001, Maureen Reagan, First Father, First Daughter: A Memoir, Little, Brown, ISBN 0316736368, page 319,It put some fun into the tedious business of preparing for a presidential debate. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, right?2004, John Hoover, How to Work for an Idiot: Survive & Thrive... Without Killing Your Boss, Career Press, ISBN 1564147045, page 11,If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, a barrel of laughs can wash down the big pills you might need to swallow.
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agree to disagree »
To tolerate each other's opinion and stop arguing; to acknowledge that an agreement will not be reached.
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all and sundry »
Each one.
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argue out »
To discuss to reach an agreed conclusion, or decision.
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arm's length »
Barely within reach.
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arrive at »
To reach.
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at cross-purposes »
Mutually misunderstanding each other's plans, intentions or meanings.
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at hand »
Readily available; within easy reach; nearby.
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bat a thousand »
To achieve success at each attempt.
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bat a thousand »
To reach first base on every at-bat.
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bigger fish to fry »
A higher valued result or target to reach.
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bone of contention »
Something that continues to be disputed; something on which no agreement can be reached.
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bury the hatchet »
To stop fighting or arguing; to reach an agreement, or at least a truce.
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cat and mouse game »
Two individuals and/or groups repeatedly keeping check on each other in a suspicious or self-protective way, often with the goal of one or both parties trying to gain a malicious advantage over the other.
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catch up »
To be reaching something that had been ahead.
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chain reaction »
A series of events, each one causing the next.
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change one's tune »
To reconsider; rethink; to reach a different conclusion.
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come down to »
To reach by moving down or reducing.
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come of age »
To reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult.
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come to »
To reach; to arrive at.
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come to terms »
To reach an agreement or settle a dispute.
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correlation does not imply causation »
(statistics) The observed correlation between two parameters, say, the growth of a market and the growth of a neighbor's child may, in fact, have nothing to do with each other's causation.
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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.
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cube out »
To reach the volume limit of a container.
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don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs »
Don't presume to give advice to those who are more experienced.
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each to his own »
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion or tastes.My housemate is a strict vegan. I personally could never not eat meat, but each to his own.
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every time »
At each occasion that.
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experience is the best teacher »
Lessons learned from experience are the most lasting.
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face off »
The starting point, in a match of ice hockey. Two players face each other, for snatching the puck.
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game plan »
Any strategy devised to reach a given objective.
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get at »
reach
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give a man a fish »
Shortened form of give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime
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give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime »
It is more worthwhile to teach someone to do something, than to do something for them.
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go back on »
To be treacherous or faithless to; betray; as, to go back on friends.
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great minds think alike »
Used to emphasize a coincidence, or two people reaching the same conclusion in any manner at the same time.
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have had it up to here »
To have become very frustrated or angry; to have reached the limit of one's patience or forbearance.
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hit one's stride »
To reach a full level of efficiency, competence, comfort, etc.; to get going.
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hit one's stride »
When walking or running, to reach a full or comfortable pace.
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house of cards »
A structure made by laying cards perpendicularly on top of each other.
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late bloomer »
A person who reaches puberty comparatively later than their peers.
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like father, like son »
A son will have traits similar to his father upon reaching adulthood.
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long arm »
A pole tool used for handling things too far away to reach.
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long arm »
Influence, far-reaching power.
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make it »
To reach a place.
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make up one's mind »
To decide; to reach a conclusion.
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match made in heaven »
A marriage that is likely to be happy and successful because the two people are very compatible with each other.
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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.
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miss the mark »
To fail to reach the result that was intended.
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morning person »
A person whose who wakes up without difficulty early each morning and who is alert and active during the first part of the day.
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nosebleed seat »
A seat high in the back of bleachers, stands, or the balcony at a theater.
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one and all »
Each one.
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one another »
Used of a reciprocal relationship among a group of more than two people or things; compare each other.
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one another »
each other
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one step at a time »
Slowly and carefully, ensuring that each action has been completed successfully before taking the next.
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one thousand »
Used in a common chronometric counting scheme, in which each iteration is sequentially numbered and supposed to be approximately one second in length.
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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.
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out of reach »
Inaccessible or unattainable.
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out of reach »
The adult magazines were out of reach of toddlers.
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peaches and cream »
A very enjoyable experience.
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peaches-and-cream »
Of facial complexion, smooth, with attractive yellow-pink coloring.
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peachy keen »
Extremely good, exactly right; all right. Often used in the negative or with an ironic or sarcastic connotation to mean the opposite.
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preach to the choir »
Speaking as if to convince a person or group of something which that person or group already believes.
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reach an early grave »
To be sentenced to death before the age of 18.
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reach an early grave »
To die young. To die before the age of 80.
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reach an early grave »
To resign near the start for good.
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reach for the stars »
To have high hopes, to be ambitious.
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run into »
To reach a large figure.
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run to »
To reach a particular maximum amount, size, value, etc.
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run to »
To reach the limit of one's abilities or tastes.
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sexual tension »
Physically induced libidinal unrest arising between two individuals when aware of each other's presence.
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snake in the grass »
A treacherous person.
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stab in the back »
An act of betrayal or treachery.
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sticking point »
The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place.
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sticking-place »
The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking point.
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teacher's pet »
A student who is perceived to be favored by the teacher.
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teacher's pet »
favourite pupil
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that does it »
Expression of annoyance or frustration; indicates that one has reached the limit of one's patience or temper.
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the sky is the limit »
Nothing is impossible or out of reach
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to each his own »
Every person is entitled to his or her personal preferences and tastes.
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to the moon »
To a very distant or unreachable place.
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two cents »
A nearly worthless amount, alluding to placing a copper penny on each of the eyelids of a pauper's or slave's body before burial.
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two for two »
In baseball, meeting two out of two attempts at-bat. Specifically, it means the batter has reached base safely two out of two times.
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two-fisted drinker »
Either someone who can handle their liquor well, or an alcoholic clutching a drink in each hand.
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under way »
A vessel is said to be underway when she is not anchored, moored, aground, or beached[1]. Compare with make way.
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weather the storm »
To reach the end of a very difficult situation without too much harm or damage.
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you can't teach an old dog new tricks »
It is impossible, or almost impossible, to change people's habits or traits or mindset.
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you pays your money and you takes your choice »
Each person should make their own decisions.
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