another nail in one's coffin »
One in a series of factors which lead, or purport to lead, to downfall.
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babe in the woods »
A person who is innocent, naive, inexperienced, or helpless.
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baptism by fire »
A trying ordeal that was not experienced before.
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beat up »
To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.
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been there, done that »
An assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic and is now bored.
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been to the rodeo »
Exposed to conmen and hucksters; experienced.
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better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all »
Having experience of love, even if it ended, is better than having no experience of love.Love is worthwhile despite the pain involved in separation.
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born yesterday »
New, naive, innocent, inexperienced or easily deceived.
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bowl of cherries »
An enjoyable experience.
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cattle call »
An audition which is open to the public and thus draws a large number of applicants, many of whom are inexperienced.
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chain reaction »
A series of events, each one causing the next.
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circular firing squad »
A political party or other group experiencing considerable disarray because the members are engaging in internal disputes and mutual recrimination.
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cream in one's jeans »
To experience an orgasm while clothed; to be thoroughly excited or delighted.
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cut one's teeth »
To begin; to gain early experience.
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deep end »
A situation where expertise or experience is required.
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do a slow burn »
To experience a gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.
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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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dribs and drabs »
A series of negligible amounts.
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every cloud has a silver lining »
In every bad situation there is an element of good1881, National Academy of Code Administration (U.S.), Folio, page 417:Every cloud has a silver lining; but in the old-fashioned meeting-houses every cloud of hymnal melody generally had a nasal lining before the congregation...1887, Shakers, Religion, page 36:that "a little reserve and thou'lt fail surely," will prove to be true in our experience. Every cloud has a silver lining and so has every sorrow,1918, George Jean Nathan, Performing Arts, page 222:But the most popular attitude toward what we may call "sad" plays is the peculiar one of believing that, since every cloud has a silver lining,
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experience is the best teacher »
Lessons learned from experience are the most lasting.
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fall on »
To experience; to suffer; to fall upon.
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fall upon »
To fall on; to experience; to suffer.
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find one's feet »
To grow in confidence in a new situation as one gains experience.
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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."
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get a load of »
To experience someone or something, especially by looking or listening.
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get one's feet wet »
To begin gaining experience; To take a risk and try something new.
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go through hell »
To have a miserable experience.
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go through the mill »
To experience the suffering or discipline necessary to bring one to a certain degree of knowledge or skill, or to a certain mental state.
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hard-nosed »
Guided by practical experience and observation rather than by theory.
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have a fit »
To experience an epileptic seizure.
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have been around »
To be experienced in worldly matters; to be seasoned, not naive.
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horse's mouth »
Source; someone who directly experienced or witnessed something.
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join the club »
An expression of sympathy for a shared experience.
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l'esprit de l'escalier »
The experience of thinking of a devastating rejoinder only after leaving the scene of the debate.
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level up »
To progress to the next level of player character stats and abilities. Often used in role-playing games when the character has aquired enough experience points.
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lie back and think of England »
Used to preface any unpleasant but inevitable experience.
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lose face »
To lose the respect of others, to be humiliated or experience public disgrace.
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luck out »
To experience great luck; to be extremely fortunate or lucky.
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miss out »
To miss an experience or lose an opportunity, etc. that should not be missed.
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old hand »
A person who is experienced at a certain activity.
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old hat »
Something with which one is very familiar, or in which one is experienced or skilled.
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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 luck »
Experiencing a temporary misfortune.
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outsider »
A newcomer with little or no experience in an organization or community.
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parade of horribles »
A rhetorical device employing a series of progressively more terrible results following from an act.
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pay one's dues »
To acquire status or to earn the right to enjoy certain benefits, especially through lengthy experience, hardship, or service to an organization.
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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.
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peaches and cream »
A very enjoyable experience.
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proverbs come in pairs »
Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0155511130, page 325:Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.
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rough trot »
A series of difficult circumstances.
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rule of thumb »
A general guideline, rather than a strict rule; an approximate measure or means of reckoning based on experience or common knowledge.
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rum go »
An odd affair; a surprising event; a confusing experience; a queer thing.
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run for the roses »
A college football game or series of games played with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the championship Rose Bowl game.
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salad years »
The inexperienced, youthful prime of an individual, group, organization or entity.
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school of hard knocks »
An education consisting of real-world experiences, especially harsh experiences.
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shuffle »
A rhythm commonly used in blues music. Consists of a series of triplet notes with the middle note missing, so that it sounds like a long note followed by a short note. Sounds like a walker dragging one foot.
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smell the barn »
To experience heightened anticipation or to act with renewed speed or energy as one approaches a destination, goal, or other desired outcome, like a livestock animal at day's end returning to its barn.
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soap opera »
TV series
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stew in one's juices »
To be alone and self-absorbed in an uncomfortable state of mind, especially while experiencing the unpleasant effects of one's own actions.
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streak of good luck »
A series of lucky events.
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that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger »
Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.
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trick of the trade »
A shortcut or other quick, or very effective way of doing things, that professional workers learn from experience.
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tried and true »
Well-established and tested; known to work or succeed based on extensive experience.
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trip balls »
Experiencing severe drug-induced hallucinatory trip.
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under one's belt »
Already done; within one's experience; practiced.
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under the weather »
Experiencing adversity.
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valley of the shadow of death »
Valleys on earth one must walk through, that is, part of the human experience.
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wet behind the ears »
Inexperienced; not seasoned; new; just beginning.
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what doesn't kill you makes you stronger »
Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.
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work spouse »
A man or woman in the workplace with whom one shares a special relationship having bonds similar to those of a marriage: special confidences, loyalties, shared jokes and experiences, and unusual degree of honesty or openness.
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your mileage may vary »
It may work differently in your situation, or be different in your experience.
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