a friend in need is a friend indeed »
A true friend is one who helps you when you are in need.
|
a little bird told me »
Of information which was gathered from a source not to be overtly exposed.
|
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.
|
above and beyond »
More than is expected or required.
|
according to »
Based on what is said or stated.
|
account for »
To explain by relating circumstances; to show that some one, thing or members of a group are present or have been processed.
|
act on »
To act decisively on the basis of information received or deduced.
|
against the clock »
In a time-restricted manner, to meet a deadline, hurriedly, timed.
|
agree to disagree »
To tolerate each other's opinion and stop arguing; to acknowledge that an agreement will not be reached.
|
ahead of one's time »
Showing characteristics of changes yet to be; present in one's work before later advances in the field; coming earlier than could be generally accepted.
|
all ears »
Listening intently; fully focused.
|
all hell broke loose »
A great disaster happened or chaos ensued.
|
all nations »
A composition of all the different spirits sold in a dram-shop, collected in a vessel into which the drainings of the bottles and quartern pots are emptied.
|
all over the shop »
Everywhere, scattered, disorganised.
|
all set »
Ready; prepared.
|
all told »
With everything included, counted or summed.
|
all wet »
Thoroughly soaked; drenched.
|
all wet »
Utterly incorrect; erroneous; uninformed.
|
all-over oneself »
Feeling self-satisfied.
|
arm's length »
Distant, detached.
|
arm's length »
Independent, but related.
|
arse over tit »
Tumbling; falling; upside-down; unstable or unbalanced.
|
at large »
On the loose; roaming freely; not confined.
|
at sea »
Confused, lost, or adrift; bewildered.
|
at that »
Now that it has been mentioned.
|
at the end of one's tether »
At the limit of one’s patience; frustrated or annoyed..
|
at the end of the road »
No longer in the competition. Voted off. Eliminated.
|
avant la lettre »
An example of a term before the term was coined. Describing a term used anachronistically.
|
babe magnet »
A person, especially a man, to whom women are attracted.
|
back away »
Of your attention on the thing in front being avoided.
|
back in the day »
In the past; at one time, especially a time which is fondly remembered.
|
back-of-the-envelope »
Approximate, rough, simplified.
|
balance out »
To counteract one another so as to be balanced.
|
bang up job »
Something done very well; something performed above average or better than expected.
|
banged up »
Physically injured or wounded.
|
barrel »
A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged.
|
beddy-bye »
Bedtime for a toddler, going to sleep, going to bed.
|
been there, done that »
An assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic and is now bored.
|
been to the rodeo »
Exposed to conmen and hucksters; experienced.
|
behind its time »
Showing characteristics of the past; present in one's work after later advances in the field; coming later than could be generally accepted.
|
bent on a splice »
About to be married.
|
bitter pill »
Something unpleasant that must be accepted or endured.
|
black »
Illegitimate, illegal or disgraced.
|
black »
Overcrowded.
|
black sheep »
A disliked person; one who is disfavored.
|
blow a fuse »
To lose one's temper; to become enraged.
|
blow off »
To shoot something with a gun, causing it to come disconnected.
|
bone of contention »
Something that continues to be disputed; something on which no agreement can be reached.
|
born in a barn »
Lacking a sense of etiquette; ill-mannered.
|
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.
|
borne out »
Substantiated.
|
bottom line »
The final balance; the amount of money or profit left after everything has been tallied.
|
branch out »
To attempt something new or different, but related.
|
break ground »
To lift off the sea bottom when being weighed.
|
bridge »
An edge which, if removed, changes a connected graph to one that is not connected.
|
bring forward »
To make something happen earlier than originally planned.
|
broken-hearted »
Alternative spelling of brokenhearted. Feeling depressed, despondent, or hopeless, especially over losing a love.
|
browned off »
Annoyed, upset, angry, bored, fed up, disgusted.
|
built like a tank »
Sturdy; exceptionally well constructed.
|
burn up »
To catch fire and burn until destroyed.
|
busted flush »
A potential flush which ultimately was not filled.
|
butt-naked »
With the buttocks bared.
|
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.
|
carried away »
Made excessively emotional or excited.
|
cast off »
To let go a cable or rope securing a vessel to a buoy, wharf etc so that she may proceed.
|
catch dust »
To be rarely used.
|
cattle call »
An audition which is open to the public and thus draws a large number of applicants, many of whom are inexperienced.
|
caucus race »
A political competition; the game of campaigning and one-upmanship to get votes and be elected.
|
center field »
A central role in some activity that requires speed.
|
champ at the bit »
To show impatience or frustration when delayed.
|
check out »
To withdraw an item, as from a library, and have the withdrawal recorded.
|
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.
|
chomp at the bit »
To show impatience or frustration when delayed.
|
clear cut »
Having had all vegetation removed.
|
climb the walls »
To behave in a distressed or frantic manner; to feel very agitated.
|
close the stable door after the horse has bolted »
To attempt to prevent a problem only to find it has already happened.
|
Cold hands, warm heart; Dirty feet, no sweetheart! »
A few old timer's "fun" way to compliment a lady & to find out if she could be courted.
|
come of age »
To mature, or become fully developed.
|
come off »
To become detached.
|
come out »
To be discovered, be revealed.
|
come out »
To be published, be issued.
|
come out with »
To say something unexpected.
|
come through »
To succeed.
|
come to a head »
To suddenly make mature or perfected that which was inchoate or imperfectly formed.
|
cool down »
To become less agitated.
|
cool down »
To cause to become less agitated.
|
crash course »
A quick, intense course of learning, especially one which is informal or hurried.
|
cream in one's jeans »
To experience an orgasm while clothed; to be thoroughly excited or delighted.
|
creep up »
To advance with stealth, unnoticed.
|
criss-cross applesauce »
Cross-legged.
|
damn by association »
Discredit or condemn a position, person, or thing by attacking those things with which he/she/it is associated.
|
darken somebody's doorstep »
To enter somebody else's home uninvited.
|
dawn on »
To occur to somebody; to be realized.
|
dead »
: So hated by that they are absolutely ignored.
|
dead »
No longer used or required.
|
dead in the water »
Nearly dead, doomed.
|
deep end »
A situation where expertise or experience is required.
|
deep-six »
To get rid of something unwanted.
|
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.
|
dictated but not read »
Dictated, as to a secretary or stenographer, but not proofread by the person who dictated the text so annotated.
|
dim bulb »
A person who is slow-witted.
|
dirty laundry »
Laundry that is unclean or soiled.
|
dirty money »
Money that is illegally gained, illegally transferred or illegally utilized. Especially money gained through forgery, bribery, or thievery.
|
do a »
To emulate the behavior/behaviour that is generally attributed to the individual named.
|
do something with mirrors »
To jokingly pretend that one did something using magic mirrors, that one is a magician; a joking explanation of the fantastic or the unexplained.
|
don't cry over spilt milk »
It is no use worrying about unfortunate events which have already happened and which cannot be changed.
|
don't get me started »
About the subject currently being discussed.
|
don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs »
Don't presume to give advice to those who are more experienced.
|
done deal »
An agreement that has been finally resolved or decided.
|
dry eye »
An eye which is not crying, i.e. someone emotionally unmoved.
|
dry out »
To have excess water evaporate or be otherwise removed.
|
elephant in the room »
A problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or comfort of those involved.
|
emperor's new clothes »
Something obvious and embarrassing that is politely ignored or that goes unacknowledged.
|
engine room »
A compartment on a ship in which the engine machinery is located.
|
even keel »
A state of having one's emotions under control and balanced.
|
eye up »
To examine closely something coveted.
|
fall on deaf ears »
Of a request, complaint, etc, to be ignored.
|
fall through »
To be unsuccessful, abort, come to nothing/naught; to be cancelled; not to proceed.
|
feel one's oats »
To feel important; to be empowered.
|
fill in »
To fill; to replace material that is absent or has been removed.
|
fit to be tied »
Very agitated or distressed; enraged.
|
flat chat »
At maximum capability or speed.
|
flat out »
At top speed.
|
flat out »
Bluntly, no holds barred.
|
for that matter »
As far as that is concerned.
|
for the record »
For the purpose of being recorded.
|
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."
|
forewarned, forearmed »
Alternative form of forewarned is forearmed.
|
full speed ahead »
A command, especially on military vessels, to move forward at maximum speed.
|
full tilt boogie »
Intensely, fast paced.
|
get away with murder »
To do something bad or illegal and not be punished.
|
get down to business »
To become involved with something work-related.
|
get off »
To become sexually aroused.
|
get off the ground »
To succeed or begin to succeed.
|
get taken in »
To be unofficially fostered.
|
get the axe »
To be fired, axed, terminated.
|
give as good as one gets »
To behave toward others in a manner resembling or commensurate with their behavior towards oneself, especially in a situation where one is insulted or otherwise ill-treated.
|
give the devil his due »
To acknowledge the positive qualities of a person who is unpleasant or disliked.
|
go by the wayside »
To become obsolete or outmoded.
|
go down »
To be received or accepted.
|
go large »
To have the wind at such an angle to the sail that the vessel gains its highest speed.
|
go off the boil »
Cease to boil when heat is no longer applied.
|
go out »
To be turned off or extinguished.
|
go out the window »
To vanish or cease, especially due to lack of care, attention, etc.; to be discarded, disregarded, or ignored.
|
go to the mat »
To continue to struggle or fight until either victorious or defeated.
|
go up in smoke »
To be completely ruined.
|
go west »
To die; to become destroyed.
|
go without saying »
To be obvious, apparent or clear, or already established.
|
golden duck »
The score of zero runs after getting out on the first ball faced.
|
golden ticket »
A philosophy that a quick fix can be achieved.
|
gone to the dogs »
To have fallen into disrepair or ruin; to have been stagnant or depreciated.
|
granary »
A storage facility for grain or sometimes animal feed.
|
gratuitous violence »
Violence that is not justified.
|
green light »
Approval, or permission to proceed.
|
gunshy »
Fearing the consequences of repeating an act, especially after being reprimanded.
|
halfway decent »
Good - better than expected.
|
happy camper »
One who is thoroughly content or satisfied.
|
hard done by »
Used, cheated, dejected.
|
hard-nosed »
Hardheaded.
|
hardwired »
Of devices, closely or tightly coupled.
|
have a fit »
To become suddenly enraged.
|
have ants in one's pants »
To be sexually excited.
|
have got »
To be obliged.
|
have one's hands full »
To be busy or thoroughly preoccupied.
|
have someone by the short hairs »
To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled.
|
have the wind up »
To be frightened or disturbed.
|
have tickets on oneself »
To be conceited.
|
hear out »
To listen to someone until that person has finished.
|
here goes nothing »
Indicates a lack of confidence or certainty about the activity about to be tried.
|
hit home »
To be especially memorable or meaningful; to be fully understood, believed or appreciated.
|
hit the hay »
To go to bed.
|
hit the jackpot »
To realise a huge load of luck; to receive a more favorable outcome than imagined.
|
hit the sack »
To go to bed.
|
hold one's breath »
To inhale and then intentionally close the epiglottis so that one's breath is not exhaled.
|
hopped up »
Drugged; intoxicated.
|
hot off the presses »
Freshly printed, minted, written, or created.
|
hot potato »
An awkward or delicate problem with which nobody wants to be associated.
|
hot under the collar »
Worried.
|
hot up »
To become more heated.
|
hotheaded »
Easily excited or angered.
|
hothouse »
An environment in which growth or development is encouraged; a hotbed.
|
house warming »
Presented as a way of welcoming someone to a home into which he or she recently moved.
|
if need be »
If necessary; if there is a need.
|
if needs be »
If need be; if there is a need.
|
in all one's glory »
Completely naked.
|
in case »
In the event; should there be a need.
|
in clover »
Happy and contented.
|
in focus »
Clearly perceived.
|
in for an inch, in for a mile »
Given that one is partly involved in or committed to a project, action, position, etc., there is no reason to refrain from becoming fully involved or fully committed.
|
in order »
Complete, finished.
|
in the altogether »
Naked.
|
in the pink »
Nude, naked.
|
in the swim »
Actively participating in the flow of events; very involved.
|
jump about »
To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.
|
jump around »
To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.
|
just another pretty face »
Someone who is attractive, but not too distinguished.
|
just deserts »
A punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved.
|
just in case »
In the event; should there be a need.
|
keep somebody in stitches »
To keep somebody laughing hard or amused.
|
keep straight »
To avoid confusing or mixing up something; to keep something clear or organized.
|
kick the bucket »
Of a machine, to break down such that it cannot be repaired.
|
lap of luxury »
A position or situation in which one is spoiled and indulged.
|
laundry list »
Originally, a list of articles of clothing that had been sent to be laundered.
|
lay down the law »
To authoritatively or dogmatically assert what is permitted or not permitted.
|
lay to rest »
To bury one who has died.
|
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.
|
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 the good times roll »
To have fun or live fully; may imply letting things that are going well proceed.
|
live in sin »
To cohabit as if man and wife without being married.
|
live one »
Someone who is easily fooled, victimized, or ridiculed.
|
long ways, long lies »
Someone who comes back from a far-off country can tell lies without fear of being contradicted.
|
look-in »
A chance to participate, compete, or succeed.
|
loose end »
The end of a rope that has not been fastened.
|
love is blind »
A person who is in love can see no faults or imperfections in the person who is loved.
|
mad as a March hare »
Crazy, demented.
|
make a meal of »
To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.
|
make hay »
To cut grass to turn into hay for animal feed.
|
man proposes, God disposes »
Things don't always work out as they were planned.
|
melting pot »
Come together and are homogenized.
|
mills of the gods grind slowly »
Justice may arrive slowly, but it cannot be avoided.
|
mint condition »
Used, but still like new, as if freshly minted.
|
miss out »
To miss an experience or lose an opportunity, etc. that should not be missed.
|
miss the mark »
To fail to reach the result that was intended.
|
moment of truth »
A deciding instant; the time when a test determines or makes it apparent whether something will succeed.
|
more equal »
Ostensibly equal, but in reality more privileged.
|
mum's the word »
The accompanying facts are a secret, not to be divulged.
|
murder will out »
A murderer will always be discovered.
|
murder will out »
Secrets or hidden crimes will eventually be exposed or discovered.
|
my lips are sealed »
See keep one's lips sealed.
|
my way or the highway »
Will be excluded.
|
never mind »
Do not be concerned.
|
nine day wonder »
Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.
|
no news is good news »
A lack of information about a situation suggests that nothing bad has happened.
|
no slave to fashion »
A person whose style of clothing and appearance are unconventional, informal, or slovenly; a person who takes little interest in how he or she is dressed.
|
non-starter »
An idea or argument that cannot be sensibly debated.
|
not the end of the world »
It's of minor importance, at least not as important as it first seemed.
|
odd and curious »
A way to designate special coins, namely coins that are both odd and imperfect or seriously damaged.
|
off balance »
Surprised; perplexed.
|
off the beaten track »
In a place or places not commonly visited.
|
off the chain »
Crazy and exciting; delirious and wild. By analogy to a frenetic dog when unleashed.
|
Old Fart »
An elderly person who holds views that are considered old-fashioned.
|
old hat »
Something with which one is very familiar, or in which one is experienced or skilled.
|
on course »
Proceeding smoothly as planned.
|
on demand »
When needed or required.
|
on hold »
Delayed; postponed.
|
on one's hands »
Being one's liability or responsibility; with which one is lumbered.
|
on sight »
Immediately when sighted.
|
on sufferance »
Unwillingly agreed to or barely tolerated.
|
on the face of it »
Apparently; as far as can be seen or determined.
|
on the go »
To have started.
|
on the outs »
On unfriendly terms; estranged.
|
on the tip of one's tongue »
Known but not quite remembered.
|
on top of the world »
Delighted; ecstatic; exceptionally pleased, happy, or satisfied.
|
on wheels »
Mobile; able to be moved.
|
out of date »
Not current, outmoded, out of style, or too old to be used.
|
out of the way »
Remote or secluded.
|
out of wedlock »
Of parents not legally married.
|
out of whack »
Not in proper balance; unbalanced.
|
over a barrel »
In a disadvantageous or helpless situation, in which one may be controlled or victimized.
|
over the moon »
Delighted, thrilled.
|
pencil whip »
To approve a document without actually knowing or reviewing what it is that is being approved.
|
penny for your thoughts »
Used to inquire into the thoughts and feelings of another, especially when the person appears pensive or conflicted.
|
play hardball »
To use every means possible to achieve a goal, especially in disregarding the harm caused.
|
plump up »
To shake or arrange so as to be fatter or more evenly distributed.
|
poacher turned gamekeeper »
A person who now works against the same people they once supported.
|
potter's field »
A public place where strangers, paupers, and criminals are buried.
|
pretzel »
Anything that is knotted, twisted, or tangled.
|
pull a »
To emulate a behaviour generally attributed to the individual named.
|
pull oneself together »
To become mentally focused after a period of being unfocused.
|
pull teeth »
To remove teeth, usually because they are diseased or damaged.
|
pure and simple »
Plain and unadorned.
|
put out »
The statistic of the number of outs a defensive player directly caused.
|
quantum mechanics »
Something overly complicated or detailed.
|
quicumque vult »
The Athanasian Creed.
|
reckon without »
To ignore that which cannot readily be ignored.
|
red face test »
A hypothetical test of a person's embarrassment, that is either passed or failed. Saying one passes the red face test means one would not blush and thus would not be embarrassed by disclosing something to others or doing something, and saying one fails the red face test means a situation would cause them discernible embarrassment.
|
red light »
Denial to proceed. Ruling out of any possibility.
|
rest his soul »
Used parenthetically to mark the referent as being deceased.
|
ride the short bus »
To have a need for a special education program, as because learning disabled.
|
robber baron »
In Europe, an aristocrat who charged exorbitant fees or otherwise exacted money from people who journeyed across land or waterways which he controlled.
|
ropable »
Alternative spelling of ropeable. Able to be roped.
|
rough around the edges »
In need of refinement; unsophisticated.
|
sabre-rattling »
A flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.
|
said and done »
Agreed to and accomplished or finished.
|
scared shitless »
Very scared, terrified.
|
scared to death »
Extremely frightened.
|
see red »
To be angry or irritated.
|
seeing is believing »
You need to see something to believe it; visible facts cannot be denied.
|
sell down the river »
To betray, especially in a manner which causes serious difficulty for the one betrayed.
|
sent to Coventry »
Ostracised, ignored.
|
shit one's pants »
To be extremely frightened.
|
shoot one's bolt »
To use up one's resources, especially a singular one or one not readily restored.
|
show one's true colors »
To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed.
|
show somebody the door »
To dismiss or reject; to exclude someone who was formerly included.
|
silver screen »
The cinema screen onto which movies are projected.
|
silver spoon »
Wealth passed down or inherited.
|
slanging match »
A row; an argument in which names are called.
|
sleep together »
To be intimate with another person in the same bed.
|
smell like a rose »
To be regarded as appealing, virtuous, or respectable; to be untainted or unharmed.
|
snot-nosed »
Young and arrogant or conceited.
|
so much as »
Even; suggests a minimum, especially regarding what might be expected.
|
some people »
Expresses disgust at the actions of a person; a response to a person doing something silly, bizarre, nonsensical or ill-mannered.
|
sow one's wild oats »
To indulge in a period of irresponsible behavior, particularly sexually; Often used in reference to young adults or to the recently divorced.
|
spare tyre »
An extra tyre carried in case one of the vehicle's tyres is damaged or deflated.
|
speed up »
To accelerate, to increase speed.
|
spin a yarn »
To tell or create a story, especially one which is lengthy or far-fetched.
|
square up »
To pay back money that is owed.
|
standard fare »
Menu items or dining options which are regularly available in a restaurant or other place where food is served.
|
standard fare »
Something which is normal, routine, or unexceptional; something which is commonly provided or encountered.
|
stay up »
To remain awake, to not go to bed.
|
stretch out »
To lie fully extended.
|
stuff up »
Cause to be blocked.
|
such as »
Like, of the kind mentioned.
|
summer and winter »
Endured.
|
supposed to »
Permitted.
|
supposed to »
Required.
|
take a seat »
To sit down; to become seated.
|
take down »
To remove something from a wall or similar vertical surface to which it is fixed.
|
take it from me »
Believe me, rest assured.
|
take the plunge »
To get engaged.
|
talk someone's ear off »
To talk excessively or far more than is wanted or appreciated.
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thanks for nothing »
Expression of displeasure towards a person who has not provided what was wanted.
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that's the ticket »
That's just right; that's just what is needed.
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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.".
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the shoe is on the other foot »
The roles of people in a situation have been reversed, such the advantage has shifted to a party which was previously disadvantaged.
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there you have it »
Used to introduce a speaker's interpretation of what has just transpired or been described.
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there's no accounting for taste »
When it comes to subjective matters of taste, people have wildly different opinions.Disagreements about matters of taste can't be objectively resolved.
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three-martini lunch »
A leisurely, expensive, midday meal associated with drinking, which is tax-deductible because business is discussed.
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throw a sickie »
To take a day off from work, supposedly because of ill health. The illness could be either real or feigned.
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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
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tie the knot »
To marry, wed, get married.
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time is money »
When a person's time is not used productively; time is valuable and should not be wasted.
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time out of mind »
A lengthy duration of time, longer than is readily remembered.
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to one's heart's content »
Until satisfied; as much as is wished.
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today we are all »
March 11, 2004: Denis MacShane, Guardian Unlimited.
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too hot to hold »
A place that has too much police activity to harbor a fugitive unnoticed.
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too many cooks spoil the broth »
If too many people try to take charge at a task, the end product might be ruined.
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touch off »
To start; to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed.
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trip out »
To have a fit, to become enraged.
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trip to the woodshed »
An occasion on which a reprimand or punishment is administered.
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truth will out »
A mystery will always be solved, or a truth will always be discoveredTruth will eventually and inevitably be discovered.
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tuck in »
To bed.
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turn against »
To rebel or oppose something formerly supported.
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turn in »
To go to sleep; retire to bed.
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turn in one's grave »
To be appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased.
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turn on »
To rebel; to go against something formerly supported.
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turn the tables »
To reverse a situation, such that the advantage has shifted to the party which was previously disadvantaged.
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twenty-twenty hindsight »
Perfect understanding of events only after they have happened.
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twiddle one's thumbs »
To circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored.
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under one's belt »
Already done; within one's experience; practiced.
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under the table »
Secretly or without reporting, especially of payments made or business transacted.
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under way »
In operation, in progress, commenced.
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up the walls »
Very busy, swamped.
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up to here »
Overwhelmed, busy, buried or swamped.
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virgin territory »
By extension, ideas or concepts or activities that have not yet been tried, explored or developed.
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virgin territory »
Land that has never been explored or developed.
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wack out »
To become deranged.
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wait for the other shoe to drop »
To defer action or decision until another matter is finished or resolved.
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wake up on the wrong side of bed »
To feel grumpy, irritable; to be easily annoyed.
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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.
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water over the dam »
An event or set of events which has already happened and cannot be changed.
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watered-down »
Weakened or simplified.
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wear off »
To disappear because of being abraded, over-polished, or abused.
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who shot John »
A long and involved explanation; a thing of which an explanation would be long and involved.
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willy nilly »
Without regard for consequences or the will of those affected.
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work out »
To succeed.
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worked up »
Excessively emotional, excited or aroused.
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wrap around one's fingers »
To make one susceptible to desire, in that their behavior or actions are influenced.
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you can't always get what you want »
It is not always possible to get what is wanted.
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you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs »
In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.
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you can't polish a turd »
(vulgar) Something inherently bad cannot be improved.
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you never know what you've got till it's gone »
Good friends and acquaintances shouldn't be taken for granted.
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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.
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zoom in »
So as to make it larger and possibly more detailed.
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zoom out »
So as to make it smaller and possibly less detailed.
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