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.
|
ask out »
To invite somebody, especially on a date.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
blind »
An 1800s baseball term meaning no score.
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blow up »
To explode something or somebody or destroy something or injure or kill somebody by explosion.
|
bottom of the ninth »
In baseball, the second part of the ninth and final inning. The end of the game.
|
brush off »
An abrupt rebuff or dismissal.
|
bug off »
Used to tell somebody to leave them alone.
|
but who's counting »
Used as a retort or comeback, often to deprecate oneself or another for excessive concern or attention to.
|
call it even »
To declare debts resolved or favors or other exchange equitable.
|
call on »
To visit somebody; to pay a call.
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call on »
To request or ask of somebody; to select for a task.
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catch a buzz »
To become slightly inebriated, but not yet be drunk.
|
center field »
The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and straight ahead left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.
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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.
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check is in the mail »
A common excuse used by debtors to put off creditors.
|
chew out »
To lecture, scold, reprimand, or rebuke.
|
chew somebody out »
To berate; to shout at someone.
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chinese gooseberry »
kiwi fruit
|
circuit slugger »
A talented baseball batter that hits home runs.
|
come out »
To make a formal debut in society.
|
come through »
Not to let somebody down, keep one's promise.
|
cry wolf »
To raise a false alarm; to constantly warn others about an imagined threat, thereby failing to get assistance when a real threat appears.
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curveball »
A forespin pitch thrown by rotating the index and middle fingers down and resulting in motion down "curve".
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curveball »
An unexpected turn of events initiated by an opponent or chance.
|
cut somebody some slack »
To be patient or lenient with somebody; to relax standards or expectations.
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darken somebody's doorstep »
To enter somebody else's home uninvited.
|
dawn on »
To occur to somebody; to be realized.
|
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.
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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.
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drop somebody a line »
To write, call or visit somebody.
|
eat out of somebody's hand »
To behave in a docile, submissive way towards somebody.
|
egg somebody on »
To tease, provoke or encourage.
|
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.
|
face to face »
In person; directly; in the physical presence of somebody.
|
fall for »
To fall in love with somebody.
|
field day »
A great time or a great deal to do, at somebody else's expense.
|
fill in »
To inform somebody, especially to supply someone missing or missed information.
|
fill in »
To substitute for somebody or something.
|
fill somebody's shoes »
To do somebody's job; to perform or assume somebody's role.
|
flea in one's ear »
A stinging rebuke or rebuff.
|
fresh legs »
Somebody who has yet to play in a match, and therefore has plenty of energy.
|
get on somebody's case »
To lecture, berate, or complain to somebody, especially to find fault or criticize.
|
get on somebody's nerves »
To annoy or irritate; to bother.
|
get somebody's goat »
To annoy, infuriate, bother, or incense.
|
give somebody a hand »
To help, aid, or assist.
|
give somebody a hard time »
To tease, kid, or rib.
|
give somebody a piece of one's mind »
To express one's opinion strongly; to voice one's disagreement or dissatisfaction.
|
give somebody an earful »
To shout very loudly at someone.
|
give somebody pause »
To give somebody cause for concern.
|
give somebody the brush-off »
To rebuff, snub or curtly reject someone.
|
give somebody the cold shoulder »
To snub, resist or reject somebody; to regard somebody distantly.
|
give somebody the creeps »
To give someone a feeling of uneasiness or mild fright.
|
give somebody the heave-ho »
To fire, expel or break up with someone.
|
give somebody the runaround »
Especially by providing useless information or directions .
|
give somebody the slip »
To evade, escape, or get away from somebody.
|
give somebody what-for »
To admonish or berate; to speak angrily at somebody.
|
give someone what for »
To punish; to rebuke.
|
give the time of day »
To acknowledge somebody; to give somebody any respect or attention.
|
go to seed »
To deteriorate; to decline into an unkempt or debased condition.
|
go to sleep »
An expression used to dismiss an extremely foolish statement, or to dismiss somebody that one does not feel like talking to.
|
hand it to somebody »
To give somebody credit or praise.
|
hardball »
In baseball, a type of ball and baseball game, as opposed to softball.
|
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.
|
hate somebody's guts »
To despise; to hate intensely or passionately.
|
haul somebody over the coals »
To express anger with someone in no uncertain terms when they do something wrong.
|
have a bone to pick »
To have a complaint or grievance with somebody.
|
heebie-jeebies »
A general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea.
|
hit the rock »
To make a gesture to show celebration, friendship, or to be part of a secret handshake by one person raising their fist so the fist is pointing at the person and the other person lightly punches the fist.
|
hold somebody's hand »
To grasp or hold a person's hand.
|
hold somebody's hand »
To guide somebody through the basics or assist with excessively small details.
|
home run »
baseball term
|
hot on somebody's heels »
Close behind; pursuing or following closely.
|
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.
|
huckleberry above a persimmon »
Something better than something else.
|
if you love somebody, set them free »
One should be willing to let go of someone they love if they truly love them.
|
in hot water »
In trouble; in the position of arousing somebody's anger or displeasure.
|
in the doghouse »
In trouble; the subject of somebody's anger or disapproval.
|
in the red »
Having net losses; in debt.
|
inside baseball »
Matters of interest only to insiders.
|
inside baseball »
Technical matters concerning baseball not apparent to spectators.
|
keep somebody in stitches »
To keep somebody laughing hard or amused.
|
keep somebody posted »
To inform or to keep somebody up to date.
|
kill the fatted calf »
To begin a festive celebration and rejoicing for someone's long-awaited return.
|
kill the messenger »
To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.
|
knock somebody's socks off »
To impress greatly; amaze; stun.
|
l'esprit de l'escalier »
The experience of thinking of a devastating rejoinder only after leaving the scene of the debate.
|
leave somebody high and dry »
To abandon somebody; to stop providing assistance at a crucial moment.
|
leave somebody holding the bag »
To abandon somebody, leaving the responsibility or blame.
|
leave somebody in the lurch »
To abandon somebody; especially, to abandon somebody and leave him or her in a difficult situation.
|
left field »
The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and to your left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.
|
let down »
To disappoint; to betray or fail somebody.
|
let somebody down »
To fail somebody; to disappoint or to fail to uphold a commitment.
|
let somebody in on »
To disclose; to tell somebody a secret or share privileged information.
|
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.
|
link whore »
Someone who goes to great lengths to get other people to link to his/her website or blog.
|
link whoring »
The practice of going out of one's way to place links to one's website on someone else's webpage.
|
make the welkin ring »
By extension of , to celebrate or revel.
|
measure twice and cut once »
(literally, carpentry) One should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may be necessary to cut again, wasting time and material.1872, "Dressmaking," Hall's Journal of Health, vol. 19, no. 12, p. 280:Look at Carpenters! . . . In old times it was a proverb "Measure twice, and cut once."(figuratively, by extension) Plan and prepare in a careful, thorough manner before taking action.2008, Hilary Johnson, "Mergers rattle bank relations," Financial Week, 9 Nov. (retrieved 9 Nov. 2008):Mr. Paz noted that since the onset of the credit crisis, eBay, like other companies, hasn
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meet up »
To meet somebody, by arrangement.
|
mop the floor with somebody »
To trounce or defeat thoroughly or in a humiliating manner.
|
no-show »
An absence; somebody who doesn't show up or a failure to show up.
|
non-starter »
An idea or argument that cannot be sensibly debated.
|
nosebleed seat »
A seat high in the back of bleachers, stands, or the balcony at a theater.
|
not have a leg to stand on »
To lack support, as in an argument, debate, or negotiation.
|
old time used to be »
Somebody Loan Me A Dime. lyrics by Boz Scaggs.
|
paint the town red »
To party or celebrate in a rowdy, wild manner, especially in a public place.
|
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 baseball field.
|
pick somebody's brain »
To seek information from someone knowledgeable; to ask questions of someone.
|
pick up »
To meet and seduce somebody for romantic purposes, especially in a social situation, sometimes used with "on".
|
pickle »
A children’s game with three participants that emulates a baseball rundown.
|
pin down »
To corner somebody in order to get a firm answer.
|
pinch-hit »
To do something in the place of another person who is not able to perform or is less skilled; to substitute or stand in for somebody.
|
play ball »
An expression used at the beginning of a game of baseball.
|
pot calling the kettle black »
A situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.
|
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.
|
pull somebody's leg »
To tease someone; to lead someone on; to goad someone into overreacting. It usually implies teasing or goading by jokingly lying.
|
push the boat out »
To do something, especially spend money, more extravagantly than usual, particularly for a celebration.
|
put hair on somebody's chest »
To make a person stronger or more masculine.
|
put one past somebody »
To deceive, trick, or fool, especially by concealing something.
|
put paid to »
To mark a bill or a debt record as "paid".
|
put somebody in his place »
To bring somebody down; to humble or insult.
|
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.
|
raise somebody's hackles »
Make someone angry.
|
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.
|
read somebody the riot act »
To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.
|
read somebody's lips »
To discern what somebody is saying by watching the shape of the mouth rather than by hearing the sounds of the words.
|
rebound relationship »
A relationship proceeding a longterm relationship, usually short in duration and used to help mend the "broken heart".
|
rebrousser chemin »
To retrace one's steps, to turn back.
|
rise from the ashes »
To make a comeback after a long hiatus. To come back into common use or practice. To come back into popularity. To come back to being a thing of today.
|
rise up »
To rebel.
|
rub somebody the wrong way »
To bother, disturb, irritate, or annoy.
|
run somebody ragged »
To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.
|
run up »
To accumulate a debt.
|
scare the bejeebers out of »
To thoroughly terrify.
|
send somebody packing »
To expel or eject somebody; to chase off or force out.
|
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.
|
serve somebody right »
To happen to someone who is thought to deserve it.
|
sex up »
To arouse somebody sexually.
|
shoo-in »
A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.
|
shoot the messenger »
To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.
|
show somebody the door »
To dismiss or reject; to exclude someone who was formerly included.
|
show somebody the door »
To escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering, etc.
|
sign in »
To take some action to access a secured program or web page on a computer; to log in.
|
sit in for »
To substitute; to take somebody's place.
|
snap someone's head off »
To suddenly and sharply rebuke or insult a person, especially in response to a harmless remark.
|
snappy comeback »
A prompt, clever retort.
|
speak for »
To speak on somebody's behalf.
|
steal somebody's thunder »
To detract from somebody's accomplishments or glory; to undermine.
|
strike up »
To start something with somebody else. Usually a conversation or relationship.
|
stuffed shirt »
One who is overly official or officious; somebody in charge but not necessarily in power or effective.
|
stumble across »
To meet somebody by chance.
|
stumble on »
To meet somebody by chance.
|
stumble upon »
To meet somebody by chance.
|
suck up »
To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.
|
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,
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take somebody's word for it »
To believe what somebody tells one.
|
take to task »
To lecture, berate, admonish, or hold somebody accountable for his or her actions.
|
talk somebody under the table »
With excessive talk or numerous arguments.
|
tear a strip off somebody »
To scold vigorously.
|
tell off »
To rebuke, to reprimand, or to admonish.
|
the finger »
An obscene gesture, typically consisting of extending the middle finger at somebody.
|
there, there »
Conveys comfort; used to calm somebody urge somebody to relax, especially when the person is crying.
|
throw cold water on »
To belittle or dismiss; to cast doubt upon; to debunk.
|
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.
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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
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throw somebody a curve »
To pitch a curve ball.
|
throw somebody a curve »
To surprise; to introduce something unexpected or requiring a quick reaction or correction.
|
tickle somebody's funny bone »
To amuse; to strike somebody as funny.
|
tip of the iceberg »
Only the beginning; just a small indication of a larger possibility; a problem is much bigger than it seems.
|
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.
|
turn against »
To rebel or oppose something formerly supported.
|
turn around »
An upset; a suprising comeback.
|
turn on »
To rebel; to go against something formerly supported.
|
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.
|
two wrongs make a right »
A logical fallacy whereby a wrongful action is justified by the commission of another
|
wait up »
To stay awake waiting for somebody to return.
|
waste away »
To lose energy and become weak and feeble.
|
what for »
An unspecified punishment or rebuke.
|
what's eating somebody »
? Inquired of somebody who is upset, worried, angry, etc.
|
who's 'she', the cat's mother%3F »
A rebuke especially directed towards children for having referred to their mother, or any other woman in the third person, instead of using a properly respectful title or their name when appropriate.
|
whole shebang »
A building or house and everything in it.
|
whole shebang »
Everything; the entire thing.
|
wipe somebody's eye »
To defeat; to humiliate.
|
woo back »
To gain somebody back by wooing him or her.
|
yell at »
To scold, to rebuke - often by yelling.
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