a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush »
It is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere potential of a greater one.
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a stopped clock is right twice a day »
A normally unreliable person or instrument can occasionally provide correct information, even if only by accident.
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acknowledge the corn »
To cop a plea; to admit to a small error but not a larger one.
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as a rule »
normally
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be in on »
To be a party to a secret shared by a small group of people.
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better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness »
In the face of bad times or hopelessness, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response than to complain about the situation.
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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.
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bit part »
small acting role
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bit part »
small acting role
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bit part »
small acting role
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bits and bobs »
A random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and things.
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brass farthing »
Something worthless or of small value.
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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.
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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.
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camel's nose »
A metaphor for a situation where the permitting of some small act will lead consequently to a larger undesirable act or circumstance.
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chicken feed »
A very small or insignificant quantity, especially of money.
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chip in »
To make a contribution; help in a small way; especially, to pay for a part of something.
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chump change »
An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.
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clay »
A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.
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creature comfort »
Any small item or detail that makes a person comfortable and at home.
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cut up »
To cut into smaller pieces.
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cutie pie »
A small hand-held radiation meter.
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dash off »
To write quickly or informally.
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dicky-bird »
Endearing term for a small bird, often used when talking with young children.
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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.
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dog and pony show »
Originally, a small, traveling circus featuring animals as entertainment.
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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.
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dressed to the nines »
Very fancily or formally dressed; wearing very showy or splendid clothing.
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drink from a firehose »
To take a small amount from an enormous, hard-to-manage quantity.
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drip »
To put a small amount of a liquid on something, drop by drop.
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every little helps »
Even the smallest things are helpful when towards a goal.
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fine print »
The details, restrictions, terms, or conditions, especially of a contract, often printed in very small type.
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first among equals »
A person or position that if formally equivalent to others in a group, but is superior in some attribute.
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five-finger discount »
Theft or pilferage, typically of a small item; shoplifting.
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flat-chested »
Having a flat chest; having small breasts.
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flower »
An inflorescence that resembles a flower, but actually contains many small florets, such as a sunflower.
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go it alone »
To do something alone or independently, especially something that is normally or better done in groups.
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grate »
A horizontal metal grille through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.
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grease payment »
A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.
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hair-splitting »
The act of finding exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.
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hair-splittingly »
With exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.
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hand grenade »
small explosive device
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hear the grass grow »
To be very aware or discerning; to pay attention to every small detail.
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hold somebody's hand »
To guide somebody through the basics or assist with excessively small details.
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idiot mittens »
Mittens connected by yarn or string running through one sleeve, along the back and out the other sleeve of a coat, to prevent the mittens becoming lost. Generally worn by small children.
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jump on »
To attack someone verbally, or criticise them over strongly for small errors.
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kitchen table software »
Especially in the early years of personal computers, a set of computer programs developed by an entrepreneurial advanced amateur or self-employed professional computer programmer in his or her own home; software developed by a small business using the services of such programmers.
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knee high to a grasshopper »
Short; especially relating to when the subject was a small child.
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larger-than-life »
Of greater size or magnitude than is naturally or normally the case.
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little pitchers have big ears »
Small children often overhear more of what is said than adults realize or desire.1844, Charlotte M. Yonge, Abbeychurch, ch. 2:Seeing me listening to something she was saying to Mamma, she turned round upon me with that odious proverb, "Little pitchers have long ears."1939, "Bedtime Bedlam," Time, 17 Apr.:A caution to U. S. parents, but a joy to radio merchandising, is the dread truth that little pitchers have big ears.2002, Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, ISBN 9780743455961, p. 185:I suppose he might say pushed or went woowoo, but took a shit is, I fear, very much in the ballpark (little pitchers have big ears, after all).
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loose end »
A small job that needs to be done, or minor problem that needs to be resolved, before a task can be considered complete.
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lubrication payment »
A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.
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mad money »
A sum of money, often relatively small in amount, kept in reserve to use for impulsive, frivolous purposes.
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make head or tail of »
To understand even minimally.
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many a mickle makes a muckle »
(UK) a lot of small amounts together, become a large amount.
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nickel and dime »
Small time; operating on a small scale; involving small amounts of money; petty or cheap.
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nugget of truth »
A small amount of truth in a generally untrue statement.
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once or twice »
A small, indefinite number of times.
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one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »
A cliché used to exaggerate an accomplishment or milestone..
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one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »
Words spoken by Neil Armstrong when taking the first steps on the moon.
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one-horse town »
A very small town.
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onesie-twosie »
Individually or in very small groups, rather in larger batches.
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outside chance »
Small chance.
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pea patch »
A small farm.
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pea patch »
A small piece of land planted with peas.
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peashooter »
A toy gun, consisting of a tube through which peas or small objects are blown.
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peashooter »
Any small or ineffective gun.
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penny wise and pound foolish »
Prudent and thrifty with small amounts of money, but wasteful and profligate with large amounts.
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petits pois »
small peas
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piss money up the wall »
To waste money, normally through ineptness in business.
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puddle jumper »
A small passenger airplane, typically used for shorter connecting trips to smaller airports.
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rake »
A set of coupled rail vehicles, normally coaches or wagons.
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rat run »
A small road that people venture down when they want to sneak off the motorway and take a short cut.
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rivet counter »
A person who has an obsession with the minutae of their particular interest. Anyone preoccupied with small distinguishing features between different items.
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round up »
To the smallest integer that is not less than it, or to some other greater value, especially a whole number of hundreds, thousands, etc.
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scrape together »
To collect, assemble or gather small amounts , from various sources, with some difficulty.
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screen out »
To use a screen, grate, sieve or similar means to separate large from small objects or particles.
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seller's market »
An excess of demand over supply, leading to abnormally high prices; a market condition favoring the seller.
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shotgun »
A gun which fires loads consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.
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small arms »
Firearms designed to be carried and fired by a single person; often held in the hand.
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small change »
A minor or insignificant amount of money.
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small fry »
One or more children.
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small fry »
One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
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small fry »
One or more small or immature fish.
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small potatoes »
One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
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smallpox blanket »
An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.
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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.
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spanner »
A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket.
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spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar »
To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.
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storm in a tea-kettle »
A big fuss made in a small context.
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take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves »
If you take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things.1750, Chesterfield, letter 5 Feb. (1932) IV. 1500:Old Mr. Lowndes, the famous Secretary of the Treasury, ?used to say?Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.1912, G. B. Shaw, Pygmalion ii. 132:Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves is as true of personal habits as of money.1979, R. Cassilis, Arrow of God, iv. xvii.:Little things, Master Mally. Look after the pennies, Master Mally, and the pounds will look after themselves.1999,
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take in »
To foster or adopt a child informally.
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take in »
To shorten or make it smaller.
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taper off »
To diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.
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teething troubles »
Small problems such as are to be expected with some any new and untried system or product.
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tell all »
To reveal everything, particularly information that is normally withheld.
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the straw that broke the camel's back »
A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something.
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thin end of the wedge »
Something that if allowed or accepted to a small degree would lead to systematic encroachment.
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tip of the iceberg »
Only the beginning; just a small indication of a larger possibility; a problem is much bigger than it seems.
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two bob »
A small amount of value.
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wee small hours »
He worked into the wee small hours to get everything perfect for the opening day.
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wee small hours »
The very early morning, just after midnight, when most people are asleep.
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whistle-stop »
A small train station.
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whistle-stop train tour »
A tour in a political campaign that makes many brief stops in small communities.
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wild horses »
A force not subject to human control and normally stronger than a man.
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you make the bed you lie in »
A person's circumstances are normally the result of his or her own actions.
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zip up »
To convert a computer file into a smaller package.
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zoom out »
To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a smaller image, or a more distant view.
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zoom out »
So as to make it smaller and possibly less detailed.
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| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |
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