We've found 961 phrases for IE (0.131 seconds):

a cat may look at a king »    Even a purported inferior has certain abilities, even in the presence of a purported superior

a chain is only as strong as its weakest link »    An organization (especially a process or a business) is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person. A group of associates is only as strong as its laziest member.

a dumb priest never got a parish »    (Irish) Those who fail to speak up fail to get what they want.

a few sandwiches short of a picnic »    Exhibiting disquiet or unsoundness of mind; not sane; mad.

a friend in need is a friend indeed »    A true friend is one who helps you when you are in need.

a golden key can open any door »    Sufficient money can accomplish anything.

a house is not a home »    A home is not merely a building but requires inhabitants and a friendly atmosphere.

a lie has no legs »    You can't get away with a lie, the truth will always come out.

a man is known by the company he keeps »    People are similar in character to their friends.

a picture paints a thousand words »    A visualisation is a better description than a verbal description.1971, David Gates (of Bread), If, from Manna album:If a picture paints a thousand wordsThen why can't I paint you;The words will never showThe you I've come to know.1989, Alan Kay, quoted in K?o-tung Huang, Timothy D. Huang, Introduction to Chinese, Japanese and Korean Computing, World Scientific, ISBN 9971506645, p. 9:Most human beings, no matter how familiar they are with abstract symbols, respond to voice and images better than written language. In other words, A picture paints a thousand words.2006, Paul Shakespeare, Building a Dune Buggy: The Essential Manual, ISBN 1904788734, p. 52:See accompanying diagram: a picture paints a thousand words, and all that!

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.

a watched pot never boils »    A process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it rather than engaging in other activities.

abide by »    To accept a decision or law and act in accordance with it; to conform to; to acquiesce; as, to abide by an award.

abound in »    To have something in great numbers or quantities; to possess in such abundance as to be characterized by.

abound with »    To have something in great numbers or quantities; to possess in such abundance as to be characterized by.

about turn »    An about face; a military command to a formation of soldiers to reverse the direction in which they are facing.

across the board »    Pertaining to all categories or things.

after all »    In the end; anyway; referring to something that was believed to be the case, but has now been shown not to be.

against the clock »    In a time-restricted manner, to meet a deadline, hurriedly, timed.

against the grain »    Contrary to what is expected; especially, of behavior different from what society expects.

against the grain »    To sand or plane a piece of wood parallel or nearly parallel to the fibers such that splinters forming ahead of the tool originate below the cutting surface.

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.

aim at »    To design for a particular audience.

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 things come to those who wait »    (dated) A patient seeker will be satisfied in due time; patience is a virtue.

all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy »    Too much focus on one's career is often viewed unfavorably.Too much hard work and not enough leisure time can be unhealthy.

all-over oneself »    Feeling self-satisfied.

an axe to grind »    A grievance, with implications of confrontation.

ankle socks »    hosiery

another nail in one's coffin »    One in a series of factors which lead, or purport to lead, to downfall.

answer on a postcard »    To give a brief answer or opinion.

apple does not fall far from the tree »    A child grows up to be very similar to its parents, both in behavior and in physical characteristics.1842, E. A. Freidlaender (translator), Frederika Bremer (author), The Neighbours, ch. 10:It is impossible to look at Madam Rhen, without at once making the conclusion that she is pleasantness, hospitality, and loquacity itself; nor can one look upon her daughter Renetta without thinking, "the apple does not fall far from the tree!"1978, Dr. Isador Rosenfeld, "Doctor Asks Patient

ark ruffian »    Rogues who, in conjunction with watermen, robbed, and sometimes murdered, on the water, by picking a quarrel with the passengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, stripping, and throwing them overboard, etc. A species of badger.

arm candy »    An attractive, seemingly romantic companion who accompanies a person in public simply so that one or both of the individuals can gain attention, enhance social status, or create an impression of sexual appeal.

as of »    From, on or at a specified time.

as the crow flies »    In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.

asphalt jungle »    A city or urban area, where the landscape is covered by pavement and the environment is alienating and unsafe.

at a glance »    Upon cursory examination; an abbreviated review.

at death's door »    About to die; in a life-threatening state of health.

at heart »    In spirit; according to one's beliefs, views or feelings; deep down, really, fundamentally.

at peace »    Free of worries; peaceful.

at the end of one's tether »    At the limit of one’s patience; frustrated or annoyed..

autem mort »    A married woman; also a female beggar with several children hired or borrowed to excite charity.

away with the fairies »    Not with it, dreaming, not all there.

babe in the woods »    A person who is innocent, naive, inexperienced, or helpless.

back-cloth star »    An actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.

back-of-the-envelope »    Approximate, rough, simplified.

bang for the buck »    Efficiency; cost-effectiveness; value.

bang straw »    A nick name for a thresher, but applied to all the servants of a farmer.

bank night »    An event where patrons are enticed to buy entry tickets into some venue, for example a movie theater, with the anticipation that they will be entered into a drawing to win an amount of money if their ticket is drawn and they are on-site at the time of the winning.

baptism by fire »    A trying ordeal that was not experienced before.

barrel »    A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads. Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.

barrel »    The quantity which constitutes a full barrel. This varies for different articles and also in different places for the same article, being regulated by custom or by law. A barrel of wine is 31 1/2 gallons; a barrel of flour is 196 pounds; of beer 31 gallons; of ale 32 gallons; of crude oil 42 gallons.

bat a thousand »    To achieve perfection.

bat a thousand »    To achieve success at each attempt.

bawl out »    To have a serious argument accompanied with shouting.

bear with »    To be patient with.

beat Banaghan »    An Irish saying of one who tells wonderful stories, or of something which is amazing and remarkable.

beat up »    To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.

beat up »    To cause by some other means, injuries comparable to the result of being beaten up.

beauty sleep »    Sleep before midnight, on the belief that early sleep hours conduce to health and beauty.[1].

bed down »    To lie down to sleep for the night, usually of livestock or machinery.

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.

been to the rodeo »    N.d., Alan Neff, Precious Tribes, Vicious Lies, page 72.

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.

behind the scenes »    In secret; out of public view.

believe in »    To ascribe existence to.

believe in »    To ascribe some powers or other attributes to.

believe you me »    An emphatic form of "believe me"; you [the subject] had better believe me [the speaker].

bend the truth »    To change or leave out certain facts of a story or situation, generally in order to elicit a specific response in the audience.

bent on a splice »    About to be married.

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.

big boys »    The people or bodies with the most influence and/or power.

big fish in a small pond »    One who has achieved a high rank or is highly esteemed, but only in a small, relatively unimportant, or little known location or organization.

big gun »    A large-caliber artillery piece.

big kahuna »    A boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.

bird's-eye view »    The view from directly or high above.

birds of a feather »    People having similar characters, backgrounds, interests, or beliefs.

bite i gresset »    To bite the dust, to die.

bite the dust »    To die.

bits and bobs »    A random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and things.

black babies »    Third world charities, the missions.

blood is thicker than water »    Family relations and loyalties are stronger than relationships with people who are not family members.1866, Anthony Trollope, The Belton Estate, ch. 30,Blood is thicker than water, is it not? If cousins are not friends, who can be?circa 1915, Lucy Fitch Perkins, The Scotch Twins, ch. 5,The old clans are scattered now, but blood is thicker than water still, and you're welcome to the fireside of your kinsman!

blow a kiss »    To kiss one's hand, then blow on the hand in a direction towards the recipient.

blow off steam »    To rant or shout in order to relieve stress; to vent.

blow one's chances »    To forfeit opportunities to achieve some goal.

blow the whistle »    To disclose information to the public or to appropriate authorities concerning the illegal or socially harmful actions of a person or group, especially a corporation or government agency.

blow the whistle »    To make a piercing sound which signals a referee's action or the end of a game.

bolt bucket »    A machine, especially an automobile. Implies that the machine is clunky or unreliable.

borganism »    An organization of autonomous organisms that exhibit collectivism: individual "units" that have merged to yield a unified construct. Such an amalgam may possess a collective consciousness, arguably an emergent phenomenon of social networking.

born yesterday »    New, naive, innocent, inexperienced or easily deceived.

bottom line »    The final balance; the amount of money or profit left after everything has been tallied.

bought the farm »    Simple past tense and past participle of buy the farm: died; often refers to death in battle.

bowl of cherries »    An enjoyable experience.

boys will be boys »    It is hard, often fruitless, to attempt to curb the natural playfulness and tendency to mischief of most growing boys.1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Chapter 13But just then there was a slight altercation between Master Tommy and Master Jacky. Boys will be boys and our two twins were no exception to this golden rule.Even grown men usually remain somewhat boyish in heart"Boys will be boys", grinned grandpa while he joined his adult son playing with the fancy train-set he gave his grandson for Christmas while the kid was in school.

break ground »    To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements.

break off »    To remove a piece from a whole by breaking or snapping.

break someone's heart »    To cause a person to feel grief or sadness.

break the back of »    To achieve the greater part of some project.

break up »    To break or separate into pieces; to disintegrate or come apart.

break up »    To break or separate into pieces.

breakfast of champions »    An ironic appellation for beer, junk food, or other foods implied to be unhealthy.

breath of fresh air »    Something relieving, refreshing, or new.

brickbat »    A piece of brick used as a weapon, especially if thrown, or placed in something like a sock and used as a club.

brickbat »    A criticism or uncomplimentary remark hurled at artwork or other recipient.

bridge »    An elevated platform above the upper deck of a mechanically propelled ship from which it is navigated and from which all activities on deck can be seen and controlled by the captain, etc; smaller ships have a wheelhouse, and sailing ships were controlled from a quarterdeck.

bridge »    The piece, on string instruments, that supports the strings from the sounding board.

bring about »    To accomplish, achieve.

bring forward »    To make something happen earlier than originally planned.

bring owls to Athens »    Perhaps we have not been sufficiently aware that talking about access and its implications in Scandinavia is like bringing owls to Athens. — Herbert Burkert.

broad church »    A wide scope of philosophies and ideas.

bros before hoes »    (US, informal) A man should prioritize his male friends over his girlfriend or wife.

brush up »    To review; to improve an existing but rusty or under-developed skill.

bucket of bolts »    A piece of machinery that is not worth more than its scrap value, often of old cars.

bugger off »    An expression of disagreement or disbelief.

bumper crop »    A large yield; an excess of something.

bunny hop »    A ground ball that hops along the field instead of rolling.

buried treasure »    Something, having been concealed for a long time, which later is found and is profitable.

buried treasure »    Treasure stashed underground or underwater.

burn one's bridges »    To destroy one's path, connections, reputation, opportunities, etc.

bush telegraph »    A system used by undeveloped societies in remote regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds, word-of-mouth relay, or smoke signals.

but then »    Then again, on the other hand; used to show that the opposite viewpoint is possible.

butterfly upon a wheel »    An innocent person crushed by life's adversities.

button-down »    Of a collar, able to be buttoned down to the shirt, as over a necktie.

buy the farm »    To die; often, to die in battle.

buy time »    Purposefully cause a delay to something, in order to achieve something else.

call 'em as one sees 'em »    To candidly and honestly express an opinion or viewpoint.

calling card »    A small printed card which identifies the bearer, traditionally presented for introduction when making a social visit to a home or when attending a formal social event or business meeting.

carpe diem »    seize the day, make the most of today, enjoy the present

carpe diem cras »    seize the day tomorrow, make the most of tomorrow

carried away »    Made excessively emotional or excited.

cast the first stone »    To act self-righteously in accusing another person, believing that one is blameless.

cat and dog life »    Unhappy married life.

cat and mouse game »    Two individuals and/or groups repeatedly keeping check on each other in a suspicious or self-protective way, often with the goal of one or both parties trying to gain a malicious advantage over the other.

cat that ate the canary »    A person who appears self-satisfied or smug, especially while concealing something mischievous, prohibited, or private.

cat that ate the canary »    A person whose appearance and behavior suggest guilt mixed with other qualities, such as satisfaction or feigned nonchalance.

cat's meow »    A self-satisfied person.

catch flies »    An ostensible product of awkwardly having one's mouth open wide.

catch up »    To compensate for or make up a deficiency.

cattle call »    An audition which is open to the public and thus draws a large number of applicants, many of whom are inexperienced.

caught with one's hand in the cookie jar »    Observed or apprehended while committing a theft, especially while embezzling money.

cease to be »    To die.

center field »    A central role in some activity that requires speed.

center field »    The defensive position in the outfield in the middle, typically played by a player that can run fast.

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.

ceterum censeo »    A formulaic expression used to end a speech by reinforcing one, often unrelated, major view.

chain reaction »    A series of events, each one causing the next.

champ at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

change of heart »    A change of one's opinion, belief or decision.

chat up »    In a friendly, open, or casual manner, sometimes also in a charming or affected manner, usually to curry favor, and sometimes flirtatiously with the intention of establishing a romantic or sexual encounter or relationship with that person.

che sera sera »    Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1604, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus:Why then belike we must sin, / And so consequently die. / Aye, we must die an everlasting death. / What doctrine call you this ? Che, sera, sera: / What will be*, shall be; Divinity adieu. / These Metaphysics of Magicians, / And necromantic books, are heavenly.

cheaper by the dozen »    Things are handled more efficiently as a group, rather than individually.

check out »    To die.

children should be seen and not heard »    Children should behave well and be quiet, especially in the presence of adults.

chip on one's shoulder »    A form of challenge in the same spirit as a medieval knight throwing down his gauntlet.

chip on one's shoulder »    A habitually combative attitude, usually because of a harboured grievance, sense of inferiority, or having something to prove.

chomp at the bit »    To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

circular firing squad »    A political party or other group experiencing considerable disarray because the members are engaging in internal disputes and mutual recrimination.

clay »    An earth material with ductile qualities.

cold hands, warm heart »    Implies inner beauty; a caring person; warm-hearted

collect one's thoughts »    To become mentally composed, especially after being distressed, surprised, or disoriented; to become calm or organized in one's emotional state or thinking, as in preparation for a conversation, speech, decision, etc.

come on »    An expression of disbelief.

come out »    To make a formal debut in society.

come out »    To walk onto the field at the beginning of an innings.

come out in the wash »    Of problems or difficulties, to work out, resolve, or become understood eventually and naturally.

come out of the closet »    To tell others about homosexuality, bisexuality or any minority or disapproved-of belief, preference, etc., where previously this had been kept secret.

come to »    To regard or specify, as narrowing a field of choices by category.

come to grief »    To have a disastrous outcome.

common or garden variety »    Ordinary, standard. Nothing special.

company »    It took six companies to put out the fire.

conk out »    To die.

consume mass quantities »    To eat or drink abundant amounts of food or beverage.

consume mass quantities »    To use large amounts of any resource.

conversation piece »    interesting object

cook up »    To manufacture; to falsify; to devise an elaborate lie.

cookie-cutter »    A solution to a problem that can be applied in many situations without modification.

cookie-cutter »    Of or pertaining to cookie cutters.

cookie-cutter »    Of or pertaining to identical looking things.

cop out »    To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner.

cordon off »    To protect from intrusion by enclosing in a rope barrier.

cowgirl position »    A sex position in which the man lies on his back, and the woman sits on top of him facing him.

crab mentality »    A way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you." The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs in which one tries to escape over the side, but is relentlessly pulled down by the others in the pot.

cradle robber »    A person who marries or becomes romantically involved with someone who is much younger or who employs or otherwise engages a young person for a purpose inappropriate for his or her age.

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.

cross the aisle »    To vote, unite, or otherwise co-operate with members of another political party in order to achieve governmental or political action.

cuckoo clock »    ornate timepiece

cut a rug »    To dance, especially in a vigorous manner and in one of the dance styles of the first half of the twentieth century.

cut and dried »    Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.

cut it fine »    To achieve something at the last possible moment, or with no margin for error.

cut one's teeth »    To begin; to gain early experience.

cut somebody some slack »    To be patient or lenient with somebody; to relax standards or expectations.

cut up »    To cut into smaller pieces.

cutie pie »    A cute person.

cutie pie »    A small hand-held radiation meter.

cutting edge »    The forefront, or position of greatest advancement in some field.

dash off »    To leave a place quickly or briefly.

dead men tell no tales »    Once someone is dead, they can no longer communicate, hence killing someone is the best way to keep him/her quiet.

dead to rights »    With sufficient evidence to establish responsibility definitively.

deadstick landing »    When a pilot lands a plane after the engine has died; a landing lacking any propulsion control.

deafening silence »    A silence, or a lack of any response, that signifies disapproval or lack of any enthusiasm.

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.

deep end »    A situation where expertise or experience is required.

deer in the headlights »    A mental state of high arousal caused by anxiety fear, panic, surpriseand/or confusion, or substance abuse. The behavioral signs are like a deer subjected to a car's headlights, such as widely opened eyes and a lack of motor reactions.

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.

diamond in the rough »    A person whose goodness or other positive qualities are hidden by a harsh or unremarkable surface appearance.

diamonds are a girl's best friend »    A statement that suggests, while love is a luxury, material wealth (particularly jewellery) is more valuable in the long run.

die »    Followed by for. Often expressing wider contextual motivations, though sometimes indicating direct causes.

die »    Followed by from. General use, though somewhat more common in medical or scientific contexts.

die »    Followed by of. General use.

die »    Followed by with. Now rare as indicating direct cause.

die »    To stop living; to become dead; to undergo death.

die down »    To become less virulent.

die out »    To become extinct.

dimber damber upright man »    The chief of a gang of thieves or gypsies.

dirty laundry »    Unflattering facts or questionable activities that one wants to remain secret, but which some other may use to blackmail with.

dirty money »    Money that is illegally gained, illegally transferred or illegally utilized. Especially money gained through forgery, bribery, or thievery.

dismal science »    Nickname for economics or for the field of political economy.

divide and conquer »    A combination of political, military and economic strategies that aim to gain and maintain power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy.(computing) Applied to various algorithms, such as quicksort, that solve a problem by splitting it recursively into smaller problems until all of the remaining problems are trivial.(as imperative, proverb) In order to rule securely, don't allow alliances of your enemies.

do a slow burn »    To experience a gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.

do up »    To fasten a piece of clothing.

do what%3F »    An intensified version of what or huh.

do-or-die »    Requiring a determined or desperate effort to avoid the consequences of failure.

does Macy's tell Gimbel's »    (US, dated, colloquial, rhetorical question) A rhetorical question with the implied answer being that competitors do not share business secrets with one another.

don't be penny wise and pound foolish »    Don't be careful when it comes to spending small amounts of money, but careless when spending much larger amounts.Don't focus on minutiae and lose sight of the big picture; don't obsess over tiny inconsequential efficiencies while glaring inefficiencies are going on elsewhere.

don't shit where you eat »    (idiomatic, vulgar) One should not cause trouble in a place, group, or situation in which one regularly finds oneself.1998 April 14, Nelson Navarro, "Ever faithful, ever true," Manila Standard (Philippines) (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):The guiding principle is Don't shit where you eat. Office romances are always destructive of morale and objectivity.2003 Oct. 8, Jonathan Valania, "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Pussy," Philadelphia Weekly (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Limbaugh was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the NAB convention in, of all places, Philadelphia, thus violating the cardinal law of the animal kingdom: Don't shit where you eat.2006 Sept. 19, Michael Musto, "NY Mirror," Village Voice (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Mitchell refused to indulge in on-set romances with either gender. "You don't shit where you eat," he told me, plainly.

don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs »    Don't presume to give advice to those who are more experienced.

double-edged sword »    A benefit that is also a liability, or that carries some significant but non-obvious cost or risk.

down the drain »    Wasted, squandered; irretrievable.

down to a fine art »    Having or showing exceptional proficiency.

draw a blank »    To be unable to produce a required piece of information.

dribs and drabs »    A series of negligible amounts.

drop a dime »    To make a phone call, usually means calling the police to report another's activities.

drop back »    Of a quarterback or other player in the backfield, to take a number of steps back from the line of scrimmage immediately after the snap or hike of the ball, to avoid defenders.

drop the ball »    To fail in one's responsibilities or duties, or to make a mistake, especially at a critical point or when the result is very negative.

duck soup »    Easy, or a piece of cake.

dusty miller »    One of several species of plants with leaves of a dusty appearance: Centaurea cineraria, Senecio cineraria, and Lychnis coronaria.

dyed-in-the-wool »    Firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits; deeply ingrained in the nature of a person or thing.

e pluribus unum »    A national motto of the United States of America, meaning "From many, one", or "out of many, one", referring to the integration of 13 independent colonies into one country, and that has taken an additional meaning, giving the pluralistic nature of American society from immigration.

ear tunnel »    A piece of jewelry that fits into a stretched earlobe hole and makes it seem like a peephole and makes it see-through.

easy as pie »    Very easy.

eat humble pie »    To admit one's faults; to make a humiliating apology.

eat one's hat »    Used in a result clause to express disbelief in the conditional clause proposition.

eat one's heart out »    To feel overwhelming sorrow, jealousy or longing, to grieve.

eat up »    To accept or believe entirely, immediately, and without questioning.

elephant in the room »    A problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or comfort of those involved.

empty promise »    A promise that is either not going to be carried out, worthless or meaningless.

enough is enough »    One should be satisfied, there should be no more

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,

every silver lining has a cloud »    Every good situation has the potential to turn bad.2007, Diab A. Shetayh, Actuality : The Reality RequiemA great partnership isn't a self-maintaining entity. Perseverance and persistence make it thrive. For every silver lining has a cloud. Ignorance of this reality is not an option.

everything happens for a reason »    All events are purposeful.Everything happens for a reason, so there is no such thing as failure. Mary-Kate OlsenPeople like to say "everything happens for a reason." If you repeat that in your head long enough that starts to sound like "anything can happen with a razor." Laura KightlingerI believe that everything happens for a reason, but I think it's important to seek out that reason - that's how we learn. Drew Barrymore

experience is the best teacher »    Lessons learned from experience are the most lasting.

eye candy »    A very attractive person or persons, or the salient visible physical attributes of same.

factotum »    A person having many diverse activities or responsibilities.

facts on the ground »    A euphemism, similar to fait accompli, used as an oblique way of saying that discussions over the possession of a given piece of territory has been rendered moot by the presence of military forces.

fade out »    A type of transition used in movies usually at the end of a scene, in which the transition fades to black from the cut.

fair weather friend »    Only when it is advantageous or easy.

faith will move mountains »    Belief in oneself (read sometimes as belief in God) can help one overcome any hurdle in life's path.

fall apart »    To break into pieces through being in a dilapidated state.

fall in »    Of a soldier, to get into position in a rank.

fall in line »    C. 2004, Career Soldiers, "Won't Waste My Life".

fall into »    To be classified as; to fall under.

fall on »    To experience; to suffer; to fall upon.

fall short »    To be less satisfactory than expected; to be inadequate or insufficient.

fall upon »    To fall on; to experience; to suffer.

false friend »    A word in a foreign language bearing a deceptive resemblance to a word in one's own language.

familiarity breeds contempt »    The more acquainted one becomes with a person, the more one knows about his or her shortcomings and, hence, the easier it is to dislike that person.1894, H. Rider Haggard, The People Of The Mist, ch. 25:This was the beginning of evil, for if no man is a hero to his valet de chambre, much less can he remain a god for long in the eyes of a curious woman. Here, as in other matters, familiarity breeds contempt.

feather one's nest »    To achieve benefits, especially financial ones, by taking advantage of the opportunities with which one is presented; to amass a comfortable amount of personal wealth.

field day »    A day of class taken away from school for a field trip.

field day »    A great time or a great deal to do, at somebody else's expense.

field day »    A great time or a great deal to do.

field day »    A parade day.

field day »    A school day for athletic events; a sports day.

field day »    Top-to-bottom all-hands cleaning.

fifteen minutes of fame »    A very short time in the spotlight or brief flurry with fame, after which the person or subject involved is quickly forgotten.

fight fires »    To deal with urgent matters and minor emergencies rather than longer-term work.

fill the bill »    To satisfy a need; to serve a purpose; to fulfill specified requirements.

film critic »    movie reviewer

final cut »    In the movie industry, the final released version of the film.

find one's feet »    To grow in confidence in a new situation as one gains experience.

first things first »    Deal with matters of highest priority first; deal with matters in logical sequence.1922, H. G. Wells, The Secret Places of the Heart, ch.4,"First things first," said Sir Richmond. If we set about getting fuel sanely, if we do it as the deliberate, co-operative act of the whole species, then it follows that we shall look very closely into the use that is being made of it.1999, Frank Pellegrini, "House Republicans Quell Mutiny Over Tax Bounty," Time, 23 Jul.,Judging by the polls

fit to be tied »    Very agitated or distressed; enraged.

five will get you ten »    I strongly believe.

fix someone's wagon »    To punish someone; to cause injury, distress, or inconvenience for someone.

flash in the pan »    A transient occurrence with no long-term effect.

flat-earther »    A person who believes or advocates an outlandish, discredited theory; a person who refuses to acknowledge the truth despite overwhelming evidence.

flat-earther »    A person who believes or advocates the theory that the earth is flat.

flower »    Typically including sepals, petals, stamens, and ovaries; often conspicuously colourful.

flutter in the dovecote »    I further argued that the principal cause for the political deadlock that persisted for thirty years after the guns fell silent was Israeli intransigence rather than Arab intransigence. The appearance of the first wave of revisionist studies excited a great deal of interest and controversy in the media and more than a flutter in the academic dovecote. — Israel Confronts Its Past.

fly on the wall »    A quiet, non-participating, or unseen observer; an eavesdropper or witness.

fly-by-night »    A creatures which flies at night; a nocturnal flier or traveler.

fly-by-night »    Businesses that appear and disappear rapidly, or that give an impression of transience.

food chain »    A hierarchy.

food chain »    The feeding relationships between species in a biotic community.

footloose and fancy free »    Able to do as one pleases, unconstrained by social ties or responsibilities.

for the heck of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

for the hell of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

for the sake of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

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."

fourth wall »    The boundary between the fiction and the audience.

fourth wall »    The imaginary invisible wall at the front of the stage in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play.

freak flag »    Unconventional or unrestrained behavior; extreme, nonconformist views; the side of one's personality which harbors a tendency toward such behavior or such views.

friend with benefits »    A friend with whom one has such a relationship.

friend with benefits »    A friendship with no reserves when it comes to the release of shared sexual tension thus leading to sexual fraternization.

from my cold, dead hands »    A statement that something will not be taken away from you until the day you die.

from scratch »    From the beginning; starting with no advantage or prior preparation; starting from raw ingredients.

from time to time »    C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, act 3, sc. 3.

fruit of one's loins »    C. 1950, Kay Boyle, "Adam's Death" in Fifty Stories , ISBN 9780811212069, p. 541.

full of oneself »    Egotistical, believing oneself to be superior to others; preoccupied with one's own work, interests, point of view, etc.

full tilt boogie »    At the most extreme level.

full tilt boogie »    In an extremely focused manner.

full tilt boogie »    Intensely, fast paced.

full tilt boogie »    Out of control.

funny stuff »    Irregular, often illegal, activities.

gandy dancer »    A railway laborer, especially a member of a crew which carries rails and affixes them to ties.

garbage in, garbage out »    (computing, information technology) If input data is not complete, accurate, and timely, then the resulting output is unreliable and of no useful value.1963, Raymond Crowley, "Robot Tax Collector Seeks Indications of 'Fudging'," Times Daily (Alabama, USA), 1 April (retrieved 26 July 2010):Officials explained that the quality of the computer's work depends on the quality of the data fed into it. Neil Hoke, administrative assistant to Stewart, quoted an adage of computer men: "Garbage in, garbage out."2008, Roger K. Lewis, "'In Architectural Design, Brains and Talent Trump the Best Software," Washington Post, 19 July (retrieved 26 July 2010):The old caveat "GIGO"

garden variety »    Ordinary, common, or unexceptional.

get a load of »    To experience someone or something, especially by looking or listening.

get a room »    A jocular or sarcastic expression commanding a couple to stop displaying affection in public, and to rent a hotel or motel room to continue amorous activities in private.

get carried away »    To become excessively involved, to take something too far.

get it »    To get, retrieve, or receive something.

get off »    To stop using a piece of equipment.

get off with »    To befriend someone and snog them, especially in a public place.

get one's feet wet »    To begin gaining experience; To take a risk and try something new.

get out of here! »    An exclamation of disbelief.

get stuck into »    Get busy with; become occupied with; become immersed in.

give ear »    Dante Gabriel Rosetti, A Death-Parting, lines 5-6.

give in »    To relent or yield.

give somebody a piece of one's mind »    To express one's opinion strongly; to voice one's disagreement or dissatisfaction.

give the devil his due »    To acknowledge the positive qualities of a person who is unpleasant or disliked.

give the lie to »    To prove something to be false; to refute.

go back on »    To be treacherous or faithless to; betray; as, to go back on friends.

go belly-up »    To die.

go blue »    Of states and counties, to be carried by a Democratic candidate in a given U.S. election.

go for the gold »    To attempt to achieve the maximum reward or result in an endeavor.

go off the boil »    Cease to boil when heat is no longer applied.

go places »    To make progress or achieve success.

go red »    Of states or counties, to be carried by a Republican candidate in a given U.S. election.

go through hell »    To have a miserable experience.

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.

go to someone's head »    To strongly affect a person, especially to the detriment of their senses or mental faculties.

go west »    To die; to become destroyed.

golden ticket »    A philosophy that a quick fix can be achieved.

golden ticket »    A qualification, person or thing that can provide lucrative opportunities.

good drunk »    A person who is cheerful and companionable when intoxicated, retaining reasonable control of his or her mental and emotional faculties.

good egg »    A good person, someone to be trusted; a friend.

good old boy »    A friendly, unambitious, relatively uneducated, sometimes racially biased white man who embodies the stereotype of the folksy culture of the rural southern USA.

good old boy »    A male friend or chum, especially a schoolmate; a man with an established network of friends who assist one another in social and business situations; a decent, dependable fellow.

good things come to those who wait »    A patient seeker will be satisfied in due time; patience is a virtue.

grace period »    A length of time during which rules or penalties do not take effect or are withheld.

grass roots »    People and society at the local level rather than at the national centre of political activity.

grass widow »    A married woman whose husband is away.

grass widower »    A married man whose wife is away.

gratuitous violence »    Violence that is not justified.

gravy train »    A gorging on luxuries, since someone else foots the bill.

green state »    A state that is, or is perceived as, environmentally friendly.

greenwash »    A false or misleading picture of environmental friendliness used to conceal or obscure damaging activities.

grey area »    An area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories where the border between the two is fuzzy.

grin like a Cheshire cat »    To smile broadly, especially in a self-satisfied way.

guinea pig »    A tailless rodent of the Cavia genus, with short ears and larger than a hamster; the species Cavia porcellus is often kept as a pet.

gussie up »    To make fancy or attractive, as by artificial or contrived means.

hand waving »    Discussion or argumentation involving approximation, vagueness, educated guessing, or the attempt to explain or excuse vagaries.

hang a Louie »    Make a left turn while driving a vehicle.

hang out with »    To spend time with friends, doing nothing in particular.

happy camper »    One who is thoroughly content or satisfied.

hard-nosed »    Guided by practical experience and observation rather than by theory.

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.

hash out »    To work through the details of something; especially to work through difficulties.

hatchet job »    A treatment which serves primarily to disparage its subject; a piece of criticism which aims to destroy a reputation.

hatchet man »    Someone who carries out brutal and unpleasant duties on behalf of another, such as firing dead wood employees.

have a bone to pick »    To have a complaint or grievance with somebody.

have a fit »    To experience an epileptic seizure.

have been around »    To be experienced in worldly matters; to be seasoned, not naive.

have butterflies in one's stomach »    To be nervous, uncertain, or anxious.

have had it up to here »    To have become very frustrated or angry; to have reached the limit of one's patience or forbearance.

have it large »    To engage intensely in pleasure-seeking activities.

have it made »    To have accomplished all there is to do; to have no further work or difficulty; to have achieved a lifestyle characterized by good fortune and comfort.

have one's hands full »    To be busy or thoroughly preoccupied.

hear on the grapevine »    To hear rumors; to learn through friends of friends.

hear the grass grow »    To hear very well due to being in an exceptionally quiet environment.

hear through the grapevine »    To hear rumors; to learn through friends of friends.

heart-breaking »    That causes extreme sorrow or grief.

heebie-jeebies »    A general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea.

here goes nothing »    Indicates a lack of confidence or certainty about the activity about to be tried.

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..

high road »    A course of action which is honorable, dignified, or respectable.

hit home »    To be especially memorable or meaningful; to be fully understood, believed or appreciated.

hit one out of the ballpark »    To hit a fair ball so well that the ball flies over all of the spectators' seats and lands outside the stadium.

hit one out of the ballpark »    To produce a spectacular achievement.

hit one's stride »    To reach a full level of efficiency, competence, comfort, etc.; to get going.

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 off »    To delay commencing an action (until some specified time or event has passed).

hold one's horses »    To be patient; to wait.

hold one's tongue »    To keep quiet; especially, to leave something unsaid.

hold one's water »    To be patient; to control one's impulses.

hold over »    Something left from an earlier time.

hold your fire »    Wait, don't retaliate, calm down, be quiet.

home is where the heart is »    One's true home is where one feels happiest.

homeless dumping »    The practice of hospital employees or emergency workers releasing homeless patients on the streets instead of placing them into the custody of a relative or shelter or retaining them in a hospital where they may require expensive medical care.

horror film »    scary movie

horse's mouth »    Source; someone who directly experienced or witnessed something.

hospital pass »    An unwinnable case, often passed to a newly-qualified member of the firm.

hospital pass »    Exempting one from regular activities, to instead visit a hospital.

hot mess »    A warm meal, usually cooked in a large pot, often similar to a stew or porridge; or, service of such a heated meal to soldiers.

hot under the collar »    Worried.

how do I get to Carnegie Hall »    A set phrase, spoken as a rhetorical question, which is answered "Practice, practice, practice!" or sometimes with the humorous literal directions to Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th.

humble pie »    A pie made from the offal of deer or hog.

humble pie »    Humility, being humble.

hung the moon »    To view or be viewed with uncritical or excessive awe, reverence, or infatuation.

if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail »    With limited tools, single-minded people apply them inappropriately or indiscriminatelyIf a person is familiar with a certain, single subject/has with them a certain, single instrument, they may have a confirmation bias to believe that it is the answer to/involved in everything.

if it ain't broke, don't fix it »    Leave something alone; avoid correcting, fixing, or improving what is already sufficient, as it could end up being detrimental

if only »    I wish that; signifies a wish or desire.

if you can't beat them, join them »    If your adversaries are stronger than yourself, it is better to join the adversaries.

if you lie with dogs you will get fleas »    It is important whom to choose as one's closest acquanitances.

in a nutshell »    In summary; briefly or simply.

in fact »    Resulting from the actions of parties.

in heaven's name »    An intensifier used with questions.

in one's stockinged feet »    Wearing socks, stockings or other hosiery on one's feet but no shoes.

in short »    briefly

in stride »    Without disturbing one's course of activities.

in the doghouse »    Unmarried and unlikely to marry.

in the first place »    To begin with; earlier; first; at the start.

in the hospital »    Admitted as a patient in a hospital.

in vain »    19C, Friedrich Nietzsche.

in view of »    Considering.

inner circle »    The closest of friends of a person.

it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God »    The rich can afford more immoral behavior than the poor.

it pays to advertise »    Good qualities do not get rewarded automatically.

it takes two to tango »    Some things need the active cooperation of two parties; blame is to be laid on both parties in a conflict.

it's about time »    Used to express impatience at the eventual occurrence of something that the speaker or writer considered to be long overdue.

it's all Greek to me »    I tried reading the instructions, but it’s all Greek to me..

it's not the whistle that pulls the train »    Boasting and loud talk should not be mistaken for the work that produces real achievements; bravado is no proof of action.1956, James Reston, "Washington: It's Not the Whistle that Pulls the Train," New York Times, 1 July, p. E8:

it's not what you know but who you know »    For success, and especially to obtain employment, one's knowledge and skills are less useful and less important than one's network of personal contacts.1951, G. P. Bush and L. H. Hattery, "Federal Recruitment of Junior Engineers," Science, vol. 114, no. 2966, p. 456:Eighty-four students referred to political influence as a disadvantage of federal employment with such remarks as: "There are too many political connections necessary . . . it's not what you know but who you know

jack in »    To stop doing a regular activity. Often a job or studies.

jive turkey »    Someone who is jiving, as in dancing. Often applied to people being funny or showy.

join the club »    An expression of sympathy for a shared experience.

jump »    To employ a move in certain board games where one game piece is moved from one legal position to another passing over the position of another piece.

jump rope »    A single jump in this game or activity, counted as a measure of achievement.

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.

jump the gun »    To trade securities based on information that is not yet public; to trade on inside information.

jump the queue »    To desire preferential treatment, undue influence; impatient.

just deserts »    A punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved.

just for fun »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

keel over »    To collapse in a faint; to black out; to die.

keep down »    To lie low. To stay concealed by not standing up.

keep it down »    To be quiet.

keep one's lips sealed »    To keep quiet; to keep a secret; to not tell.

keep quiet »    Remain silent.

keep quiet »    To refrain from talking about something; to keep a secret.

keep up with the Joneses »    To do or buy things for status, show, or image rather than out of need, especially for the purpose of competing with friends or neighbors.

keep your friends close, and your enemies closer »    One should be on their toes and alert of their surroundings if malicious people are around, to ensure such people can't wreak havoc in one's life.

keep your shirt on »    An admonition to be more patient or to calm down.

kick the bucket »    To die.

kick the dust »    To die

kiss of death »    A kiss on the cheek that signifies the death of the receiver, as delivered by a mob boss or one with such influence.

knock around »    To spend time with someone as a friend.

knock on wood »    To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted my a presumptuous statement.

knock up »    To become exhausted or worn out; to fail of strength; to become wearied, as with labor; to give out.

knock-on effect »    The continued running of an engine after the ignition has been turned off; dieseling.

knuckle under »    To yield or cooperate when pressured or forced to do so.

l'esprit de l'escalier »    The experience of thinking of a devastating rejoinder only after leaving the scene of the debate.

ladies and gentlemen »    Used to address an audience.

ladies first »    A phrase encouraging polite gentlemanliness, allowing the ladies to go before the men.

ladies man »    Alternative spelling of lady's man.

ladies' man »    Alternative spelling of lady's man.

lapsed academic »    A person formerly employed as a professor or researcher in a university or other institution of higher education, especially one who no longer attempts to remain current in his or her former academic field.

lash out »    To make a fierce verbal attack.

last burst of fire »    A state of exertion where one gives one's all; expending all of one's remaining energy in a final effort to achieve one's goal.

lay down »    To give up, surrender, or yield , usually by placing it on the ground.

lay down »    To lie down; to place oneself in a reclined or horizontal position, on a bed or similar, for the purpose of resting.

lay down the law »    To present the law that applies to a given case.

lay open »    In Japan and South Korea, to publish a patent for initial public review, prior to the formal application for registration.

lay to rest »    To bury one who has died.

lead »    I would have the tower two stories, and goodly leads upon the top. — Bacon.

lean and mean »    Efficient because of having nothing in excess of what is needed, and single-minded in one's objective.

leave nothing to the imagination »    He stripped down to a pair of see-through briefs that left nothing to the imagination.

leave well enough alone »    To leave something alone; to avoid attempts to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient.

leave well enough alone »    To leave something alone; to avoid attempts to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient

left field »    The defensive position in the outfield to the left.

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.

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 sleeping dogs lie »    To leave things as they are; especially, to avoid restarting or rekindling an old argument; to leave disagreements in the past.

letters after one's name »    A list of abbreviations, separated by commas, representing the academic qualifications and civil or military honours achieved by a person.

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.

lie back and think of England »    . "think of England" refers to the importance of children.

lie back and think of England »    Used to preface any unpleasant but inevitable experience.

lie doggo »    keep quiet

lie in wait »    prepare an ambush

lie through one's teeth »    To tell a gross or egregious untruth.

life and limb »    Existence together with bodily faculties.

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.

lion »    A large cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly to much of Europe. The term may apply to the species as a whole, to individuals, or to male individuals. It also applies to related species like mountain lions.

lion »    The arms of the University of the West Indies are Barry wavy of six Argent and Azure an open Book proper bound Gules garnished Or on a Chief of the third a Lion passant guardant Erminois. Crest: A Pelican proper. . See talk page.

live by the sword, die by the sword »    One who uses violence can expect a violent response. It is better to try to use peaceful means wherever possible.(figuratively) One can expect dire outcomes from any vice; used to convey poetic justice.

live in sin »    To cohabit as if man and wife without being married.

long goodbye »    Nickname for Alzheimer's disease, especially for the final phase of the disease, during which the patient suffers a progressive decline of cognitive and motor skills and gradually loses the ability to recognize and to communicate with family and friends.[1]; nickname for the relationship between a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease and that person's family or friends.

long ways, long lies »    Someone who comes back from a far-off country can tell lies without fear of being contradicted.

look-in »    A brief visit.

look-in »    A quick short pass to a receiver running diagonally toward the center of the field.

Loose cannon »    An uncontrolled or unpredictable person who causes damage to his own friends, faction, political party, etc.

lord of the flies »    A ruler over a worthless kingdom; leader of a meaningless microcosm.

lose face »    To lose the respect of others, to be humiliated or experience public disgrace.

lose the number of one's mess »    To die, to perish.

low road »    A course of action which is undignified, wrongful, or otherwise unseemly.

luck out »    To experience great luck; to be extremely fortunate or lucky.

make believe »    To pretend or imagine.

make for »    ????, translator unknown, author Galileo Galilei, Two Chief World Systems.

make out »    To designate as the recipient.

make quick work of »    To accomplish a specified task easily and quickly.

make short work of »    To make a task quicker or easier.

make the cut »    To succeed; to be chosen out of a field of candidates or possibilities.

man of parts »    A man that is talented in multiple areas of life. This includes but is not limited to the area of seduction. He puts very little emphasis on memorized scripts or "peacocking" and instead relies on individualized ways to charm a woman.

march to the beat of a different drum »    To do things in one's own way regardless of societal norms and expectations.

marry in haste, repent at leisure »    Getting married too soon will lead to a bad marriage.

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

meatball surgery »    A nickname for surgery that is meant to be performed rapidly to stabilize the patient as quickly as possible.

meet one's maker »    To die or to pass into the afterlife.

memory lane »    A set of recollections available to be reviewed, especially accompanied by a feeling of nostalgia.

mend fences »    To repair damage to a friendship or relationship after a disagreement or other mishap.

mind-numbing »    Excessively boring, tedious, or dull; repetitive; of an activity, etc., lacking any interest or variety that might serve as intellectual stimulation.

misery loves company »    Misery is easier to bear when one is not the only one miserable.1995, Chris Abbott,

miss out »    To miss an experience or lose an opportunity, etc. that should not be missed.

mixed bag »    By extension, a group of entities with few characteristics in common; an assortment.

money talks »    It is easier to accomplish goals using money instead of just talk.

moral high ground »    A position or point of view which is ethically superior or more reputable, in comparison to others which are under consideration.

mouth of a sailor »    The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.

mover and shaker »    Someone who has power and influence in some field or activity.

movie star »    famous film actor

muck about »    To do somethings with a piece of equipment when you do not understand how it works.

mutual admiration society »    A group of two or more people, in a workplace or other social environment, who routinely express considerable esteem and support for one another, sometimes to the point of exaggeration or pretense.

my arse »    Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

my eye »    Expression of disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

my foot »    Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

near the knuckle »    Risqué, sexual, suggestive of impropriety..

necktie party »    An execution by hanging, especially a lynching.

nice guy »    An adult male who seeks sexual attraction and romantic intimacy, but only finds cordial friendship and platonic love.

no biggie »    Not a big deal, not something to worry about.

no pain, no gain »    One must be willing to endure some inconvenience or discomfort in order to achieve worthwhile goals.

nobody's perfect »    Used when someone's mistakes or flaws are acknowledged, to remind that everyone else makes mistakes and has flaws1995, New York Magazine Vol. 28, No. 5, 30 January 1995, The de-moralization of society (Book Review)Hypocrisy, particularly in sexual matters, is excused on the grounds that hey, nobody's perfect, and at least folks back then felt bad enough to lie.2000, Madonna, Nobody's PerfectI feel so sad. What I did wasn't right. I feel so bad and I must say to you: Sorry, but nobody's perfect. Nobody's perfect. What did you expect? I'm doing my best

nose test »    An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

nose test »    An inspection of the nasal passages or a trial of their function, as for breathing difficulties.

not a pretty sight »    Something disappointing, disquieting, disreputable, or otherwise unworthy of admiration.

not in Kansas anymore »    No longer in quiet and comfortable surroundings; in the big city.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    Ambrose Bierce , The Fiend's Delight In conclusion, his respect for letter-writing ladies is so great that he would not touch one of them with a ten-foot pole.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    Ambrose Bierce, The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Vol. 8.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; signifies a strong aversion.

notch up »    To achieve something.

now you're cooking »    A phrase, often given in response, meaning that the subject has switched to a more suitable or more efficient approach.

nut-cutting time »    Time to gather nuts before they are taken by other animals or buried in snow.

object lesson »    An example that typifies a principle.

object lesson »    Anything used an example or lesson which serves to warn others as to the outcomes that result from a particular action or behavior, as exemplified by the fates of those who followed that course.

off one's game »    C. 1910, Ralph Henry Barbour, "The Dub" in The New Boy at Hilltop and Other Stories.

off the hook »    Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure.

oh dark hundred »    Some unspecified hour in the early morning.

oh dark thirty »    Some unspecified hour in the early morning.

Old Fart »    An elderly person who holds views that are considered old-fashioned.

old habits die hard »    Existing habits are hard to change.

old hand »    A person who is experienced at a certain activity.

old hat »    Something with which one is very familiar, or in which one is experienced or skilled.

old money »    Families that have been wealthy for generations or members of such families.

old time used to be »    Ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. Often used in songs.

on good terms with »    Friendly towards; having good relations with.

on one's high horse »    Self-righteous; proceeding on the belief one is more correct or proper than others.

on opposite sides of the barricades »    Of starkly different, opposite views on an issue.

on pins and needles »    Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.

on the anvil »    Refers to anything in the making, being created, or in production, especially in the metalworking field.

on the clock »    Working at one's job; occupied in some manner during one's hours of remunerated employment.

on the other hand »    From another point of view.

on the outs »    On unfriendly terms; estranged.

on the plus side »    Positively; from a favorable view or perspective.

on tiptoe »    Moving carefully, quietly, warily or stealthily.

on top of the world »    Delighted; ecstatic; exceptionally pleased, happy, or satisfied.

one in the eye for »    An event or achievement which is unpleasant for someone, especially for those who considered it impossible or unwelcome; an annoyance.

one of his majesty's bad bargains »    A worthless soldier, a malingeror.

one-hit wonder »    A person or group known for achieving only a single major accomplishment.

one-night stand »    A single sexual encounter between two individuals, where at least one of the parties has no immediate intention or expectation of establishing a longer-term sexual or romantic relationship. As the phrase implies, the relationship lasts for only one night.

one-note »    Having only one opinion, outlook, tone, etc., especially as expressed repetitively; without variety or range.

one-trick pony »    A person or group noteworthy for only a single achievement, skill, or characteristic.

onesie-twosie »    Individually or in very small groups, rather in larger batches.

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.

orphan drug »    But which is not manufactured or marketed because the demand is insufficient to cover the costs of supply.

out of character »    Not acting; not "on"; behaving within one's natural personality rather than that of a character in a performance piece.

out of house and home »    Cassandra Chrones Moore, Haunted Housing: How Toxic Scare Stories Are Spooking the Public Out of House and Home.

out of house and home »    Global Checkup: How Healthy is Earth?, Science NOW.

out of house and home »    Helping Your Dog Adjust to a New Home, The Progressive Animal Welfare Society.

out of it »    Disoriented; not thinking clearly.

out of luck »    Experiencing a temporary misfortune.

out of sight »    Not accessible to view.

out of wedlock »    Of parents not legally married.

outsider »    A newcomer with little or no experience in an organization or community.

overkill »    An unnecessary excess of whatever is needed to achieve a goal.

pain in the neck »    Someone or something which is annoying, irritating or inconvenient.

paper »    A written document that reports scientific or academic research and is usually subjected to peer review before publication in a scientific journal or in the proceedings of a scientific or academic meeting .

paper trail »    The records left by a person or organization in the course of activities.

parade of horribles »    A rhetorical device employing a series of progressively more terrible results following from an act.

part and parcel »    An integral or essential piece; that which must be done or accepted as part of something else.

party animal »    A person known for frequent, enthusiastic attendance at parties, especially one whose partying behavior is exuberant or excessive.

party crasher »    Someone who attempts and often gains entry to a party or club to which they were not invited, often using social engineering techniques. The party crasher usually tries to blend into the party so as not to be kicked out.

pass away »    To die.

pass on »    To die.

patience is a virtue »    it is better to be patient than impatient

patience of Job »    An great amount of patience.

patience of Job »    From the Bible, James Ch.5 V.11.

pave the way »    To make future development easier.

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.

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.

pea patch »    A small piece of land planted with peas.

peace and quiet »    Tranquility; freedom from stress or interruptions.

peaches and cream »    A very enjoyable experience.

pearl of wisdom »    A succinct, insightful saying, piece of advice, or moral precept.

peel grapes »    To perform a menial task, eliminating trivial inconveniences.

pencil whip »    To approve a document without actually knowing or reviewing what it is that is being approved.

people person »    Someone who is happier or more skilled at dealing with people rather than things or concepts.

perp walk »    The intentional public display before news cameras of someone in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public interest, demonstrating the authorities' effectiveness, or shaming the person.

pi%C3%A8ce de r%C3%A9sistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

piece de resistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

piece of ass »    A male prostitute.

piece of ass »    A very attractive woman, when considered as a sex object.

piece of ass »    An act of intercourse, especially a one night stand.

piece of cake »    A job, task or other activity that is easy or simple to do.

piece of cake »    One slice of cake.

piece of work »    A product or manufactured article, especially an item of art or craft.

pinch and a punch for the first of the month »    Said the first day of a new month, accompanied by a pinch and a punch to the victim.

pipe down »    To be quiet; to refrain from being noisy.

play games »    To deceive, to lie about one's intentions.

play hardball »    To use every means possible to achieve a goal, especially in disregarding the harm caused.

play hooky »    To miss school, work, or other duties without permission or an excuse.

play Old Harry »    To play the devil; to make mischief.

play possum »    To feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lay low.

play the field »    To date more than one person at the same time.

play the ponies »    To bet on horse racing.

play to the gallery »    To appeal to the least sophisticated parts of an audience in order to obtain maximum approval.

pleased as Punch »    Pleased with one's actions or achievements.

point of no return »    The point in an aircraft's flight when there is insufficient fuel to reverse direction and return to the place of origin.

poison pen »    A usually intentionally rude, spiteful, and/or condescending piece of writing directed at a person, group, lifestyle, way of thought, or other target.

pop off »    To die suddenly.

pop one's clogs »    To die.

pope's nose »    The tail end piece of a cooked chicken.

potter's field »    A public place where strangers, paupers, and criminals are buried.

potty mouth »    The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.

pour out »    To talk volubly and deeply. Usually implies telling the truth.

powers that be »    The holders of power or the authorities in a given situation, especially as seen as being faceless or unreasonably bureaucratic.

preach to the choir »    Speaking as if to convince a person or group of something which that person or group already believes.

pride comes before a fall »    A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.

pronunciamiento »    A military uprising or coup in Spain or the Spanish American republics, particularly in the 19th century. They received this designation because coups were usually accompanied by a statement declaring the existing government null and void.

pronunciamiento »    A pronouncement or "declaration".

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.

puff out »    To blow briefly and lightly.

pull off »    To achieve; to succeed at something difficult.

pull one's finger out »    To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.

pull oneself up by one's bootstraps »    To begin an enterprise or recover from a setback without any outside help; to succeed only on one's own effort or abilities.

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.

pull the other leg »    In imperative/precative form, used to imply that the speaker does not accept or believe what another has just said.

pull up »    Retrieve; get.

pushing up daisies »    Dead.

put a lid on it »    To be quiet; shut up; to stop talking about something or making noise.

put a sock in it »    To be quiet; to shut one's mouth; to stop talking.

put back »    To change the time in a time zone to an earlier time.

put oneself in someone's shoes »    To try to look at a situation from a different point of view; as if one were the other person. To empathise.

put the cart before the horse »    To put things in the wrong order or with the wrong priorities.

put the cat among the pigeons »    Professor Stephen Hawking put the cat among the pigeons last week with his cheery remarks about comet Machholz-2, which some astronomers believe could be heading our way. — The Times, 19 September 1994.

put the clock back »    To change the time in a time zone to an earlier time.

put through its paces »    To test completely; to exercise the full range of abilities or functions.

quantum mechanics »    The branch of physics which studies matter and energy at the level of atoms and other elementary particles, and substitutes probabilistic mechanisms for classical Newtonian ones.

quick-and-dirty »    Of or pertaining to the creation or repair of software or hardware in a manner which permits operation within a brief period of time, although with compromised functionality or reliability.

quiet down »    To become quieter.

quiet down »    To reduce intensity of an activity.

quiet down »    To make someone or something become quieter.

quieten down »    To become quieter.

quieten down »    To reduce intensity of an activity.

quieten down »    To make someone or something become quieter.

rag bagger »    A sailboat, usually a cruising sailboats which tend to carry and store lots of supplies along the deck, or any sailboat that looks like a neglected vessel, or messy vessel.

reach an early grave »    To die young. To die before the age of 80.

reality check »    A check or review to make sure something is consistent, reasonable, etc.

red herring »    A clue that is misleading or that has been falsified, intended to divert attention.

red mist »    Anger sufficient to cloud judgement, to stop clear thinking.

rediscover fire »    To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well known and widely practiced at a prior time in human society.

ride the short bus »    To participate in a special education program, such as for those with learning disabilities.

ring around »    To call a number of people by phone, usually a circle of friends, to organise something.

ring round »    To call a number of people by phone, usually a circle of friends, to organise something.

ringside seat »    Any vantage point providing an excellent view.

rip up »    tear into pieces

rip up »    tear to pieces

rivet counter »    A person who has an obsession with the minutae of their particular interest. Anyone preoccupied with small distinguishing features between different items.

road movie »    A film in which much of the action takes place during a journey, especially one involving overland travel.

road to Damascus »    A road to Damascus moment, or change, is an important point in someone's life where a great change, or reversal, of ideas or beliefs occurs.

roadwarrior »    A person who carries a mobile device such as a laptop or PDA and uses wireless internet connections to work.

rocket science »    Anything overly complex, detailed or confusing.

rocket science »    The science or study of rockets and their design.

rocket scientist »    One specializing in the science or study of rockets and their design.

rocket scientist »    Someone qualified to understand or handle that which is overly complex, detailed or confusing; a genius.

rough trot »    A series of difficult circumstances.

round of applause »    An outburst of clapping among a group or audience. Often asked for by the Master of Ceremonies at a concert or other performance.

rub up against »    Of pets. To touch a person's body in a friendly manner, seeking attention.

rule of thumb »    A general guideline, rather than a strict rule; an approximate measure or means of reckoning based on experience or common knowledge.

rule out »    To reject an option from a list of possibilities.

rum go »    An odd affair; a surprising event; a confusing experience; a queer thing.

rumor campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

run around with »    To spend a lot of time with a person or group of people. Often used to talk about a person's group of friends that one does not like much.

run away with »    To leave secretly with another person. Usually with the intention of getting married or of living together against the wishes of the family.

run by »    To inform someone briefly of the main points of an idea.

run down »    To reduce the size or stock levels of a business, often with a view to closure.

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.

run off »    To make photocopies, or print.

run over »    To briefly describe.

run over »    To practice quickly, briefly.

run the gamut »    To encompass the full range or variety possible.

run through »    To briefly summarise.

run to »    To reach the limit of one's abilities or tastes.

sabre-rattling »    A flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.

sack out »    To fall asleep, usually from implied exhaustion.

salad years »    The inexperienced, youthful prime of an individual, group, organization or entity.

scared shitless »    Very scared, terrified.

school of hard knocks »    An education consisting of real-world experiences, especially harsh experiences.

scream »    Used as an intensifier.

screen out »    To use a screen, grate, sieve or similar means to separate large from small objects or particles.

screen test »    movie audition

seagull approach »    The occurence of casual, ill-informed and hasty decisions or comments made by outside authorities who lack an understanding of the local issues or a real understanding of the facts of a particular situ.

see red »    To receive a red card, and be dismissed from the playing field.

seeing is believing »    You need to see something to believe it; visible facts cannot be denied.

seize the day »    To make the most of today by achieving fulfillment in a philosophical or spiritual sense.

sell »    To promote a particular viewpoint; to manipulate towards a desired end.

sell a bargain »    A species of wit, much in vogue about the latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, and frequently alluded to by Dean Swift, who says the maids of honour often amused themselves with it. It consisted in the seller naming his or her hinder parts, in answer to the question, What? which the buyer was artfully led to ask. As a specimen, take the following instance: A lady would come into a room full of company, apparently frightened, crying out "It is white, and follows me!" As soon as someone responded "What?" she sold him the bargain, by saying "Mine arse".

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.

set for life »    Possessing sufficient resources, especially financial, to last a lifetime.

set the Thames on fire »    To achieve something amazing; to do something which brings great public acclaim.

shack up »    To live together, especially of an unmarried couple.

sharp cookie »    One who is intelligent, bright, or sharp; especially, one who can identify attempts to deceive or mislead.

shoot off at the mouth »    Don't let [presidential press secretary Ron] Ziegler shoot off at the mouth without our knowledge.

shoot the moon »    To achieve the lowest score possible, such that the player is usually rewarded with bonus points.

short of »    Insufficiently equipped with.

shotgun »    A play formation in which the quarterback is a few feet behind the snapper when the ball is hiked, ideally allowing for an easier pass play.

shotgun approach »    An approach in which the subject is indiscriminate and haphazard, using breadth, spread, or quantity in lieu of accuracy, planning, etc.

shotgun shack »    A house with no internal barrier between the front and back doors.

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.

shuffle off this mortal coil »    To die; to divest oneself of one's mortal body.

shut one's face »    To stop talking; to be quiet.

shut one's mouth »    To stop talking; to be quiet.

shut the hell up »    Indicating disbelief.

shut the hell up »    Shut up intensified by "the hell".

shy bairns get noot »    (Geordie) Alternative spelling of shy bairns get nowt.

sigh of relief »    A reassurance or support, something that reduces stress from an arduous activity.

sigh of relief »    A release of stress through breathing motions.

silence is golden »    Peace and quiet have immense value.Often the best choice is to say nothing.

silver bullet »    A bullet made of silver, usually with reference to the folkloric belief that such bullets are the only weapons which can kill a werewolf.

silver screen »    By extension, the movies or that related to movies or cinema.

silver screen »    The cinema screen onto which movies are projected.

sit still »    To accept, tolerate, or acquiesce.

sit tight »    To wait patiently.

six feet under »    Buried six feet underground; not alive; dead.

slip through the cracks »    To escape notice or lack sufficient attention.

slop bowl »    One of the four components of the traditional tea set. Tea drinkers emptied their unwanted, cold tea into the slop bowl before refilling their cups with fresh, hot tea.

small arms »    Firearms designed to be carried and fired by a single person; often held in the hand.

smell test »    An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

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.

smoke signal »    A method of long-distance communication sometimes used in ancient and undeveloped societies, consisting of messages conveyed by means of columns or intermittent puffs of smoke.

smooth operator »    A person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.

sniff test »    An informal reality check of an idea or proposal, using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

so quiet one can hear a pin drop »    Said during a lull in a normally bustling place or scene, or as the result of a sudden dramatic or tense moment.

soap opera »    TV series

social death »    The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.

soft sawder »    "If she goes to act ugly, I'll give her a dose of "soft sawder"; that will take the frown out of her frontispiece...!" —Thomas Haliburton, "The Trotting Horse" — first usage.

soldier on »    To continue or persist, despite adversity or difficulty.

somewhere along the line »    At some unspecified time; eventually or once; at some point.

sort out »    To clarify by reviewing mentally.

space out »    To stupefy, intoxicate, disorient, or lose attention or focus, especially by the use of drugs.

spare the rod and spoil the child »    If one does not discipline a child, he or she will never learn obedience and good manners.

spare tire »    An extra wheel or tire carried as a replacement in case of a flat.

spare tyre »    An extra tyre carried in case one of the vehicle's tyres is damaged or deflated.

stand in someone's shoes »    To see from another's point of view; to feel what another feels.

steal a march on »    To get ahead of someone or something by starting earlier.

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.

stick in the mud »    A person unwilling to participate in activities, often because he or she believes the activity is not wholly kosher; a party pooper.

sticky fingers »    A petty thief or petty thieves.

stir-crazy »    By extension, restless, uncomfortable, or impatient due to inactivity.

streak of good luck »    A series of lucky events.

stretch out »    To lie fully extended.

string up »    To die by hanging.

stuck up »    Snobbish, conceited; believing oneself to be better than others; haughty.

sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof »    No need to worry about the future; the present provides enough to worry about.

sugarcoated »    Made superficially more attractive. This often implies the reality has faults that are being hidden.

sword and sandal »    Of or pertaining to a genre of books or films relating fantasy-adventure tales involving heroic exploits in ancient or biblical times.

sword and sorcery »    Of or pertaining to a genre of narratives—including short stories, novels, television shows, films, and computer games—which combines wizardry and other fantastical supernatural elements with violent combat using medieval weaponry..

take a bow »    To accept applause at the end of a performance in a theatre. Often this includes actually bowing to the audience.

take a breather »    To take a break; to pause or relax briefly.

take a dim view of »    To dislike; to regard with skepticism, disbelief, disfavor, etc.

take a stand »    To assert an opinion or viewpoint; to defend one's point of view or beliefs.

take against »    To stop liking someone. Become unfriendly.

take apart »    To dismantle something into it's component pieces.

take back »    To retract an earlier statement.

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,

take it from me »    Believe me, rest assured.

take liberties »    To behave disrespectfully, especially to make unwanted sexual advances.

take over »    To relieve someone temporarily.

take sides »    To ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.

take sitting down »    To tolerate, accept, or acquiesce; to take no action.

take somebody's word for it »    To believe what somebody tells one.

take the field »    To go out onto the playing field.

take up the cudgel for »    To make a defense for in lieu of another person.

talk dirty »    To use profane language, especially sexual vulgarities for the purpose of arousal.

taper off »    To diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.

tart up »    To modify or repackage a product, service, or idea to make it more attractive or easier to sell.

tear up »    To tear into pieces.

teething troubles »    Small problems such as are to be expected with some any new and untried system or product.

tell it to Sweeney »    I do not believe what you said.

tell it to the marines »    I do not believe what you said.

tempus fugit »    time flies (used as an alternative to this phrase)."Meanwhile, the irreplaceable time escapes", expressing concern that one's limited time is being consumed by something which may have little intrinsic substance or importance at that moment.

that does it »    Expression of annoyance or frustration; indicates that one has reached the limit of one's patience or temper.

that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger »    Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.

that'll be the day »    Said in reply to something that one believes will never happen.

that's the way life is »    That is the way things happenCertain things cannot be changed, helped or improved; struggle and objection are pointless.1935, Louis Bromfield, The Man Who Had Everything [1], page 279:That's the way life is, and there's no use trying to go against it.1979, Jay Edward Abrams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption [2], ISBN 0310511011, page 45:There are no standards, no values; that's the way life is. Learn to accept it and slide with it. Stop fighting it.2002, B. Eugene Ellison, Rings of the Templars, ISBN 059524050X, page 337:Shit happens; that's the way life is. In fact, I want you to take an additional thousand for your efforts.

that's the way the cookie crumbles »    That is the way things happen; that's life.

that's what's up »    Used to express acquiescence or concurrence.

the apple doesn't fall far from the tree »    A child grows up to be very similar to its parents in the way they act and in their physical abilities.

the die is cast »    The future is determined; there are no more options; events will proceed in an irreversible manner.

the early bird gets the worm »    Whoever arrives first has the best chance of success; some opportunities are only available to the first competitors.

the end justifies the means »    Morally wrong actions are sometimes necessary to achieve morally right outcomes; actions can only be considered morally right or wrong by virtue of the morality of the outcome.

the end of one's rope »    At the limit of one’s patience, when one is so frustrated or annoyed that one can no longer take it..

the ends justify the means »    Alternative form of the end justifies the means.

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get »    (vulgar) The sexual satisfactions that one receives from a spouse or romantic partner are not sufficient to compensate for the significant periods of bad faith and unpleasant treatment which such relationships routinely involve.1971, Allen Churchill, The Literary Decade, ISBN 9780135375228:Years later she expressed her disillusionment with sex by saying, "The fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."1999, Ben Sonnenberg, Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy, ISBN 9781582430454, p. 93:Maitland got drunk at his parties and threw his arm around you and pulled you over to his wife and made you look down her dress, saying, "The trouble with marriage is that the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."2008, Joseph Heywood, Blue Wolf In Green Fire, ISBN 9781599213590, p. 63:"I can't believe a little pussy got me into dis mess." "Shit happens," Service said. "Sometimes the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."

the hell out of »    Used as an intensifier.

the long and short of it »    The gist; the essence or substance; the most important or salient features; said of a summary or digest.

the more the merrier »    It is more fun with more people.

the nose knows »    Despite the addressee's belief that the speaker was unaware of something, the speaker, in fact, was already aware.

the pen is mightier than the sword »    More influence and power can be usurped by writing than by fighting.

the rabbit died »    A statement spoken to indicate one's own pregnancy, or that someone has found out they are pregnant.

the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak »    (proverbs) For much as one wishes to achieve something, the frailties of the human body often make it impossible.

the terrorists will have won »    Phrase used following a description of an activity to indicate that if that activity is not continued or carried out, those who seek to disrupt normal activities through terror will have succeeded, an which is an unacceptable result.

the world is one's oyster »    All opportunities are open to someone, the world is theirs.

the world is one's oyster »    In order to achieve something in this world, one has to grab the opportunity.

then again »    From another point of view; on the other hand; on second thought.

there are plenty more fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there are plenty of fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

thick as thieves »    Intimate, close-knit.

thief in the night »    Something stealthy or that occurs without warning.

thieve out »    To walk out of a place stealthily.

think of England »    To tolerate or endure bad sex. Used in conjunction with "I just lie on my back and.." "I just go through the motions and..." etc.

thorn in the flesh »    Ivar Specto. The Soviet Union and the Muslim World, 1917-1958.

throw a sickie »    To take a day off from work, supposedly because of ill health. The illness could be either real or feigned.

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.

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

throw for a loop »    To confuse or disorient; to throw off; to mix up.

throw off »    To introduce errors or inaccuracies; to skew.

tickle the ivories »    I don't have as much time as I'd like, but I still enjoy tickling the ivories from time to time.

tickle the ivories »    To play the piano.

tie someone's hands »    To render one powerless to act, to thwart someone.

tie the knot »    To marry, wed, get married.

tie up »    To occupy, detain, keep busy, or delay.

tie up »    To secure with rope, string, etc.

tie up »    To complete, finish, or resolve.

tie up »    link, connection

tie up loose ends »    To deal with the minor consequences of a previous action; to tidy up, finish, or complete.

tilt at windmills »    To attack imaginary enemies.

time flies »    Time seems to pass quickly. Time flies when you're having fun.

time flies when you're having fun »    Time seems to pass quicker when one is enjoying oneself.

timeserver »    A device, node or program that distributes the correct time to clients in a network.

timing is everything »    Consideration of other events can greatly influence some desired outcome (such as an audience laughing to a comedian's joke).Telling the old joke about a butt-crack was not a good idea, just as the plumber arrived, Bob.You know what they say: "timing is everything." I'm sure we can find another plumber before the house floods.

tin god »    An individual that abuses or exceeds his authority over others, frequently in petty ways; for example a low-level manager in situational comedies and other entertainment.

tip one's hat »    To briefly remove or tap one's hat as a gesture of greeting, deference, or respect.

to beat the band »    Very vigorously; at a frantic pace; to a high degree; in large quantities.

to die for »    Very good; exquisite; excellent; particularly desirable.

to give a person line »    To allow a person more or less liberty until it is convenient to stop or check him/her, like a hooked fish that swims away with the line.

to one's heart's content »    Until satisfied; as much as is wished.

to the moon »    Used as an intensifier.

to thine own self be true »    The easiest person to deceive is oneself."This above all:to thine own self be true,and it must follow, as the night the day,Thou canst not then be false to any man." -William Shakespeare

today we are all »    September 12, 2001: Jean-Marie Colombani, "Today, We Are All Americans", Le Monde.

tomorrow is another day »    Tomorrow will bring new opportunities and a fresh start for one's endeavors.1600, author unknown, "Phillidaes Love-call to her Coridon, and his replying" (song), in England's Helicon, printed at London by I.R. for John Flasket:Phil. Yonder comes my Mother, Coridon,whether shall I flie?Cor. Under yonder Beech my lovely one,while she passeth by.Say to her thy true-Love was not heere,remember, remember,to morrow is another day:1896, Amelia E. Barr, A Knight of the Nets, ch. 8:"Well, well, my dear lass, to-night we cannot work, but we may sleep. . . . Keep a still heart tonight, and tomorrow is another day."1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, ch. 63:"Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."2005, Fran Schumer, "JERSEY: In Princeton, Taking On Harvard's Fuss About Women," New York Times, 19 June (retrieved 18 Aug. 2009):"Half of me is depressed

tone down »    To relax; to make quieter or less obtrusive; to make milder.

tone down »    To make a television program, piece of writing, etc. less offensive and so more suitable for a family audience.

tongue-tied »    Unable to speak; at a loss for words.

top of the line »    The best, fanciest, or highest quality, especially among selections in a product line.

top shelf »    Books, magazines, or movies that have adult content, or soft-core porn.

touch a nerve »    To make a remark or perform a deed which produces a strong response, especially an emotional response such as anxiety or annoyance, because it calls to mind something which has been a source of concern or embarrassment.

touched in the head »    Demented, slightly mentally deficient.

tough cookie »    A person who can endure physical or mental hardship; a hardened, strong-willed person.

track record »    An organization's, product's, or person's past performance reviewed in its entirety, usually for the purpose of making a judgment.

trailer trash »    Deleted from the movie trailer. Not included in theatrical run.

travel junkie »    Who are using their time and money to seek out adventure holidays and travel.

trick of the trade »    A shortcut or other quick, or very effective way of doing things, that professional workers learn from experience.

trick out »    To trick out; to mod or customize an object, typically for the purpose of both personalization as well as enhancing the object's performance capabilities and more particularly for the purpose of performing stunts with that object.

tried and true »    Well-established and tested; known to work or succeed based on extensive experience.

trip balls »    Experiencing severe drug-induced hallucinatory trip.

true believer »    A strict follower of a religious doctrine.

truth be told »    Used when admitting something one might otherwise lie about, e.g. to keep up appearances or be polite.

turf war »    A fight or confrontation between two divisions or parties for access to resources or capital.

turn back »    No turn a dial anticlockwise or adjust a clock or other meter to an earlier time or reading.

turn the page »    To move on to new involvements or activities; to make a fresh start.

two can play that game »    The tactics and/or strategies of an enemy can be used against him.

two pennies' worth »    One's opinion or thoughts.

two wrongs make a right »    A logical fallacy whereby a wrongful action is justified by the commission of another

under one's belt »    Already done; within one's experience; practiced.

under the weather »    Experiencing adversity.

unwashed masses »    Of people who are considered by someone to be somehow uneducated, uninformed, godless, or in some other way unqualified for inclusion in the speaker's elite circles.

up one's alley »    Matching a person's interests or abilities well.

up to here »    Overwhelmed, busy, buried or swamped.

up to no good »    Misbehaving, being mischievous.

up to scratch »    Sufficient; adequate; of acceptable or satisfactory quality.

up to something »    Doing something mischievous or scheming.

up-and-comer »    Someone who is up-and-coming, who has begun to be successful in some field and is likely to become even more successful in the future.

valley of death »    The phase of a startup business beginning with the entrepreneur's fulltime commitment to it and ending when the business has achieved sustainable cash flow.

valley of the shadow of death »    Valleys on earth one must walk through, that is, part of the human experience.

variable tandem repeat locus »    Any DNA sequence that exists in multiple copies strung together in various tandem lengths.

variety is the spice of life »    Variety is what makes life interesting

virgin territory »    By extension, ideas or concepts or activities that have not yet been tried, explored or developed.

wage war »    A figurative allusion to pay discrepancies.

walk it off »    To walk or pace in order to relieve a pain or cramp.

war bride »    A woman who marries a man who is on active duty military in wartime.

warm up »    To make an audience enthusiastic or animated before a show.

wash up »    To be carried on to land by water.

water down »    To simplify or oversimplify; to make easier; to make less difficult.

watered-down »    Weakened or simplified.

weekend warrior »    A part-time soldier, or reservist.

wet behind the ears »    Inexperienced; not seasoned; new; just beginning.

what do I know »    Implies that a statement is based on a guess or assumption rather than on knowledge or evidence.

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger »    Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.

what for »    An unspecified punishment or rebuke.

what's eating somebody »    ? Inquired of somebody who is upset, worried, angry, etc.

what's up with »    Used to express disbelief or curiosity.

whatever creams your twinkie »    Do what you will, whatever makes you happy.

whatever it takes »    Anything that may be required to achieve an objective.

whisper campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

whistle Dixie »    To engage in a pointless or unproductive activity; to do something without resolve, seriousness or commitment.

whistle-blower »    One who reports a problem or violation to the authorities; especially, an employee or former employee who reports a violation by an employer.

whistle-stop train tour »    A tour in a political campaign that makes many brief stops in small communities.

whistle-stop train tour »    Any travel that's quick and with only brief pauses.

white coat hypertension »    Elevated blood pressure measured by a medical practitioner and deemed to result from the patient's emotional response to the medical environment.

white lie »    A deliberate, untrue statement which does no harm or is intended to produce a favorable result.

will on »    To wish intensely that someone succeeds in what they are doing. Often implies a silent, or almost inaudible wish.

willies »    Plural form of willy.

wind back the clock »    Figuratively to return in time to an earlier period of history.

with no further ado »    Without any other formalities; with no further delay.

word to the wise »    A piece of advice.

work at »    To make a physical or mental effort to progress some specified task.

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.

work the room »    To interact with one's audience, taking queues from its reactions and adapting one's performance or words to elicit the audience's attention and enthusiasm.

worm's-eye view »    A view of an object from below, from the ground.

worry wart »    One who worries excessively or unnecessarily.

wouldn't say boo to a goose »    Describing a quiet, exceptionally shy person.

write up »    review

yak shaving »    Any apparently useless activity which, by allowing you to overcome intermediate difficulties, allows you to solve a larger problem.

yank off »    To remove something, like a piece of cloth or bread, by tearing it with one quick strong pull.

yellow-bellied »    Pertaining to an animal or reptile that has a yellow belly.

yellow-bellied »    Uncourageous.

yes-man »    A person of unquestioning obedience.

yield up »    To give something against one's will.

yield up »    To disclose something hidden.

you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar »    It's easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude than with rude demands and negativity.

you can't fight city hall »    (chiefly US) Nothing can be done to change the situation, because it is a governmental decision.I see they're going to build the airport after all. I suppose you can't fight city hall.

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

you make the bed you lie in »    A person's circumstances are normally the result of his or her own actions.

you never know what you've got till it's gone »    Good friends and acquaintances shouldn't be taken for granted.

you what%3F »    An intensified version of what or huh.

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.

your mileage may vary »    It may work differently in your situation, or be different in your experience.

yours sincerely »    A polite formula to end a letter, especially when the recipient’s name is known to the sender.

zip it »    Be quiet; the same as zip one's lip.

zip one's lip »    To stop talking; to be quiet.

zoom in »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a larger image, or a closer view.

zoom out »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a smaller image, or a more distant view.

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