a day late and a dollar short »
Action that was taken too late and too feeble to be of any use.
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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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am I right or am I right »
Rhetorical question from somebody who has stated what they consider to be an unassailable truth.
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apple of somebody's eye »
A favourite, a particular preference, or a loved one; the object of somebody's affections.
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are your ears burning »
Said of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.
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ask out »
To invite somebody, especially on a date.
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back-to-back »
With one's back facing somebody else's back.
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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.
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balance the books »
To add up all the debits and credits.
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bat for both sides »
To be a batter for both teams in an amateur baseball game.
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beat somebody to the punch »
To do something before somebody else is able to.
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behind somebody's back »
Without somebody's knowledge; secretly.
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bench jockey »
A baseball term for a player, coach or manager who is annoying and distracts opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout bench with verbal repartee.
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bend somebody's ear »
Sorry to bend your ear with the whole story, but I think you ought to know.
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bend somebody's ear »
To bore; to talk too long.
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