a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush »
It is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere potential of a greater one.
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at hand »
Being at the moment the center of attention or the cause of trouble.
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at hand »
Near; soon; approaching; imminent.
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at hand »
Readily available; within easy reach; nearby.
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back to our muttons »
To get back to the business at hand.
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bang to rights »
Caught red-handed; in a guilty state.
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bird in the hand »
Shortened form of "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".
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bite the hand that feeds you »
To cause harm to a benefactor.
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blow a kiss »
To kiss one's hand, then blow on the hand in a direction towards the recipient.
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bowl a googly »
Something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.
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bridge »
A particular form of one hand placed on the table to support the cue when making a shot in cue sports.
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but then »
Then again, on the other hand; used to show that the opposite viewpoint is possible.
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by hand »
Manually; without the use of automation or machines.
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by one's own hand »
As a result of one's own actions, especially with reference to death by suicide.
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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.
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caught with one's hand in the cookie jar »
Observed or apprehended while committing a theft, especially while embezzling money.
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change hands »
To become the property of someone else; to be bought or sold.
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cheaper by the dozen »
Things are handled more efficiently as a group, rather than individually.
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clean up »
To become clean, handsome, smart in appearance, e.g. for a special occasion, especially when it is out of character to be seen as such.
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cock a snook »
To spread one hand, place the thumb on the nose and wriggle some of the fingers as a gesture of disrespect.
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cold hands, warm heart »
Implies inner beauty; a caring person; warm-hearted
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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.
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come in handy »
To be useful or helpful, especially at some time in the future.
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cutie pie »
A small hand-held radiation meter.
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dishpan hands »
Hands which are rough, reddish, and dry, as from irritation and chafing caused by immersion in hot water mixed with detergent.
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don't look a gift horse in the mouth »
Do not unappreciatively question a gift or handout too closely.
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draw out »
To improve a losing hand to a winning hand by receiving additional cards.
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eat out of somebody's hand »
To behave in a docile, submissive way towards somebody.
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even handed »
impartial
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fall off a truck »
Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession without having been paid for; to be acquired illegally.
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fall off the back of a lorry »
Of an item of merchandise, to come into a perons's possession without having been paid for; to have been acquired illegally.
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field day »
Top-to-bottom all-hands cleaning.
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fly off the handle »
To become very angry or enraged; to throw a fit or go crazy.
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force someone's hand »
Bring about a situation which necessitates an agent to act, often causing a plan to be executed prematurely.
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from my cold, dead hands »
A statement that something will not be taken away from you until the day you die.
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get a handle on »
To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control.
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get one's finger out »
To proceed with the matter in hand.
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get one's hands on »
To get; to obtain; to secure.
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give somebody a hand »
To help, aid, or assist.
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go the way of the dinosaurs »
To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go off the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.
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go the way of the dodo »
To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go out of the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.
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golden handcuffs »
Any arrangement or agreement designed to provide extremely favorable benefits or pay, so as to discourage participant from wanting to leave, especially to retain a choice employee.
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golden handshake »
A generous severance payment, especially as an inducement to leave employment.
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hand down »
To transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor.
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hand down »
To forward to the proper officer .
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hand grenade »
small explosive device
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hand in »
To give something to a responsible person.
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hand in glove »
In very close cooperation.
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hand in hand »
Holding or clasping hands.
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hand in hand »
Naturally, ordinarily or predictably together; commonly having a correlation or relationship.
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hand it to somebody »
To give somebody credit or praise.
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hand off »
To pass or transfer something to someone.
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hand over »
To relinquish control or possession of something to someone.
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hand over fist »
Quickly or in great quantity, especially in reference to earning money.
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hand waving »
Discussion or argumentation involving approximation, vagueness, educated guessing, or the attempt to explain or excuse vagaries.
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hand-in-glove »
Closely cooperative.
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handbags at dawn »
A catty squabble.
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handle with kid gloves »
To treat something very delicately or carefully.
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hands down »
Without much effort; easily.
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hands down »
Without question[2].
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handwriting on the wall »
Alternative form of writing on the wall. A divine prediction or sentence to fate.
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hat in hand »
With humility; in an apologetic or self-effacing fashion.
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have a handle on »
To be in control; to understand or grasp.
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have one's hands full »
To be busy or thoroughly preoccupied.
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have to do with the price of tea in China »
To have any relation or bearing whatsoever on the topic at hand, usually used to emphasize the lack of relationship of a non sequitur.
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helping hand »
Any assistance, help or aid.
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here you are »
Said when you hand something over to someone or do a favour to them, usually to draw the recipient's attention to the exchange; Equivalent to “thank you” when receiving something..
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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.
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hold somebody's hand »
To grasp or hold a person's hand.
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hold somebody's hand »
To guide somebody through the basics or assist with excessively small details.
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if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen »
If you cannot handle the pressure, you should not be in a position where you have to deal with it.
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in hand »
under control
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jump rope »
The activity, game or exercise in which a person must jump, bounce or skip repeatedly while a length of rope is swung over and under, both ends held in the hands of the jumper, or alternately, held by two other participants. Often used for athletic training and among schoolchildren. Variations involve speed, chants, varied rope and jumper movement patterns, multiple jumpers and/or multiple ropes.
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jump rope »
The length of rope, sometimes with handles, casing or other additions, used in that activity.
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keep a weather eye open »
To be alert; to concentrate on a matter in hand.
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know like the back of one's hand »
To be intimately knowledgeable about something, especially a place.
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lay hands on »
To find, obtain or procure.
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left-handed compliment »
A complimentary remark which is ambiguous or ineptly worded, so that it may be interpreted as having an unflattering or dismissive sense.
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lend a hand »
To help or assist, especially voluntarily.
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little pitchers have big ears »
Small children often overhear more of what is said than adults realize or desire.1844, Charlotte M. Yonge, Abbeychurch, ch. 2:Seeing me listening to something she was saying to Mamma, she turned round upon me with that odious proverb, "Little pitchers have long ears."1939, "Bedtime Bedlam," Time, 17 Apr.:A caution to U. S. parents, but a joy to radio merchandising, is the dread truth that little pitchers have big ears.2002, Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, ISBN 9780743455961, p. 185:I suppose he might say pushed or went woowoo, but took a shit is, I fear, very much in the ballpark (little pitchers have big ears, after all).
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long arm »
A pole tool used for handling things too far away to reach.
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lucky dip »
A game in which prizes are covered up and mixed together in a container, so that contestants can dip their hand into the container and randomly pull out a prize.
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many hands make light work »
A large number of people co-operating can perform tasks easily.
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mess up »
To manhandle; beat up; rough up.
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move the goal posts »
To unilaterally change the rules, or terms of an agreement, especially in an unfair or underhand way.
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neither here nor there »
Not important; having no significance or influence on the question at hand; not related; not relevant; not germane; not pertinent.
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no pressure »
The situation at hand is rife with emotional pressure.
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off the top of one's head »
Without great thought or investigation; extemporaneous; natural; offhand.
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old hand »
A person who is experienced at a certain activity.
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on all fours »
On one's hands and knees.
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on hand »
Available; ready; in stock.
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on hand »
close by; ready to help
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on one's hands »
Being one's liability or responsibility; with which one is lumbered.
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on the other hand »
From another point of view.
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one can't hold two watermelons in one hand »
do not attempt to take on more than you can handle
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out of one's depth »
To be in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle.
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pass out »
To distribute, to hand out.
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press the flesh »
To shake hands and socialize, especially in a political gathering.
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proverbs run in pairs »
Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.
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put one's hands together »
To clap; to applaud.
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put your hands together »
Clap; applaud.
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rag the puck »
To retain possession of the puck by skillful skating and stickhandling without attempting to score, as a deliberate tactic intended to use up time.
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raise a hand »
To raise one's arm and hand.
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raise a hand »
To volunteer.
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raise one's hand »
To dare to question.
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raise one's hand »
To volunteer.
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raise the stakes »
To raise the stakes of a hand of poker.
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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.
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red-handed »
In the act of wrongdoing.
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rocket scientist »
Someone qualified to understand or handle that which is overly complex, detailed or confusing; a genius.
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rough up »
To manhandle or beat up.
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royal flush »
poker hand
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second hand »
used
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shooting iron »
A firearm, especially a handgun.
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sight unseen »
Not having seen the object beforehand.
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sit on one's hands »
Or situation.
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slip of the pen »
A mistake in handwriting.
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slippery as an eel »
So slippery that it is almost impossible to hold with one's hands.
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small arms »
Firearms designed to be carried and fired by a single person; often held in the hand.
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spanner »
A hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts.
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spanner »
A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket.
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step on a rake »
To step on the tines of a garden rake, causing the handle of the rake to rise from the ground rapidly, invariably striking the person walking in the face.
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stickhandle »
To deal capably and swiftly with a situation, especially in a manner which deflects potential problems.
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stickhandle »
To maintain individual possession of the puck or ball by controlling it with movements of one's stick, especially to do so in a skillful manner.
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straight from the horse's mouth »
Directly from the source; firsthand.
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tenon saw »
hand tool
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the upper hand »
An advantage or lead.
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then again »
From another point of view; on the other hand; on second thought.
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there but for the grace of God go I »
A recognition that others' misfortune could be one's own, if it weren't for the blessing/kindness/luck bestowed by fate or the Divine.Man's fate is in God's hands.More generally, our fate is not entirely in our own hands.
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third hand »
Not new, having more than one previous owner.
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throw up »
To display a gang sign using the hands.
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tie someone's hands »
To render one powerless to act, to thwart someone.
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tip one's hand »
In card playing, to accidentally reveal one's cards or hand.
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tip one's hand »
To inadvertently reveal any secret, particularly a secret that puts one at an advantage or disadvantage.
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to hand »
accessible
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to hell in a handbasket »
To a bad state of affairs quickly.
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toy with »
Handling something in a careless or frivolous manner.
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try one's hand »
To attempt a skill, craft, or trade.
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two thumbs up »
A hand gesture indicating strong approval.
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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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up the ante »
To raise the stakes of a hand of poker.
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walk on eggshells »
To be careful and sensitive, in handling very sensitive matters.
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wash one's hands of »
To absolve oneself of responsibility or future blame for.
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wash up »
To wash one's hands and/or face, often around mealtimes.
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window dressing »
The decorative display of retail merchandise in store windows.
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wring out »
To squeeze a wet material, either by twisting with one's hands, or by passing it through a wringer, to remove the water.
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you get what you pay for »
In commercial transactions, the quality of goods and services increases as the prices increase, i.e., the more one pays, the better the merchandise.2003, Michael Blumenthal, "For Whom the School Bell Tolls," Time, 7 Dec.:Though it may sound unapologetically capitalistic to say so
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