We've found 995 phrases for MP (0.194 seconds):

a bad workman always blames his tools »    It is not the tools we use which make us good, but rather how we employ them.

a drop in the bucket »    An effort or action having very little overall influence, especially as compared to a huge problem.

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

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 question of »    The important question is; the necessary question is.

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.

about turn »    A complete change of opinion, direction, etc.

above the law »    Exempt from the laws that apply to everyone else.

across the board »    A racing bet where one bets that the same competitor will place in first, second and third.

ad fontes »    Go to the sources: An expression emphasizing the importance of conducting fundamental research and of consulting primary sources.

ahead of the game »    Having completed a task before it is due; ready, prepared, or anticipating.

albatross »    A long-term impediment, burden, or curse.

all cats are grey in the dark »    In the dark, physical appearance is unimportant.

all important »    vital

all in a day's work »    A nonchalant dismissal of a significant accomplishment.

all kidding aside »    Used to attempt to make a serious point in a jocular conversation.

all mouth and no trousers »    Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.

all mouth and trousers »    Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.

all nations »    A composition of all the different spirits sold in a dram-shop, collected in a vessel into which the drainings of the bottles and quartern pots are emptied.

all over »    Done; finished; complete.

all over but the shouting »    The substance of the contest is complete, leaving only the cheering.

all over with »    Completely finished; over.

all the time »    Always; constantly; for the complete duration.

an apple a day »    Healthy eating and living using traditional temperate-zone fresh foods.

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

and then some »    Used to confirm preceding utterance, while implying that what was said or asked is an understatement.

answer back »    To reply impertinently; to talk back.

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

apple dumplin shop »    A woman's bosom.

apples and oranges »    Said of a comparison of items that are not comparable.

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.

asleep at the switch »    Neglectful of an important task, responsibility, or opportunity.

at the end of the road »    No longer in the competition. Voted off. Eliminated.

avant la lettre »    An example of a term before the term was coined. Describing a term used anachronistically.

back burner »    A state of low urgency; a state of low current importance.

back office »    The IT and infrastructure support services for a company, separate from the public face of the business.

back to the drawing board »    Back to the beginning following an unsuccessful attempt.

back-burner »    Having low urgency; not currently important.

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

bad to the bone »    Completely bad and evil; pure evil.

badge bunny »    A woman who is romantically attracted to police officers and who seeks out their companionship.

baggage »    Heavy baggage; women and children. Also a familiar epithet for a woman; as, cunning baggage, wanton baggage, &c.

balancing act »    An effort to manage many conflicting or competing items or interests.

ballpoint pen »    writing implement

balls up »    Third-person singular simple present indicative form of ball up.

balum rancum »    A hop or dance, where the women are all prostitutes. N. B. The company dance in their birthday suits.

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.

bark up the wrong tree »    To attempt or pursue the wrong thing; to take the wrong approach; to follow a false lead.

barn burner »    Any successful or impressive event.

barrel »    A wave that breaks with a hollow compartment.

barrow man »    A man under sentence of transportation; alluding to the convicts at Woolwich, who are principally employed in wheeling barrows full of brick or dirt.

bat a thousand »    To achieve success at each attempt.

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

be-all and end-all »    Something considered to be of the utmost importance; something essential or ultimate.

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

beefed out »    Having been improved greatly or upgraded; beefed up.

been there, done that, bought the T-shirt »    Expresses the speaker's complete familiarity with a situation, with overtones of cynicism or exhaustion.

beer goggles »    The illusion that people are more attractive, brought on by alcohol consumption.

behind the counter »    Of drugs, dispensed by a pharmacist without needing a doctor's prescription or other form of compliance.

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

bench jockey »    A baseball term for a player, coach or manager who is annoying and distracts opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout bench with verbal repartee.

bent on »    Completely determined; obstinate.

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.

beyond the black stump »    Extremely remote, outside the populated area.

beyond the pale »    Describing behaviour that is considered to be outside the bounds of morality, good behaviour or judgement in civilised company.

big cheese »    A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

big daddy »    Something or someone of importance.

big deal »    Something very important, difficult, or of concern.

big enchilada »    A very important person, especially the highest-ranking individual in an organization.

big fat »    Complete, utter, total.

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 shot »    A person with a reputation of importance or power.

big up »    To proclaim or exaggerate the importance of.

bigwig »    A person of importance to a group or organization.

bite off more than one can chew »    To try to do too much; to take on or attempt more than one is capable of doing.

blimp out »    To become fat or fatter, especially as a result of excessive eating.

blow a fuse »    To lose one's temper; to become enraged.

blow away »    Flabbergast; scintillate; impress greatly.

blow one's top »    To be explosively angry. To lose one's temper.

blow-by-blow »    Detailing every action or occurrence completely.

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

bone dry »    Completely dry; without any trace of moisture.

boot camp »    A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.

boot camp »    Any short, intensive course of training.

boot camp »    Indoctrination, physical fitness training and basic instruction in service-related subjects for recruits in the Navy and Marine Corps.

boot up »    To start a computer using its bootstrap procedure.

bottom line »    The summary or result; the most important information; the upshot; the net-net.

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

box the compass »    To know, and be able to recite the 32 points and quarter points of the magnetic compass from North, both clockwise and anticlockwise.

box the compass »    To make a complete reversal in stance or opinion.

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.

bragging rights »    The prerogative to praise oneself for an accomplishment or for possession of a superior characteristic.

brain fart »    Something ill-considered and said or done impulsively.

brain surgery »    Something that is overly complex, detailed or confusing.

branch out »    To attempt something new or different, but related.

brass ring »    Figuratively, a prize or goal. Often used with respect to employment goals e.g. promotion, better job, etc.

break a leg »    To perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

break a sweat »    ' , Karon Karter - The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Pilates Method page 119.

break off »    To end abruptly, either temporarily or permanently.

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

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

brickbat »    For example, it's quite common for magazines to have a section called Bouquets and Brickbats for compliments and criticisms.

bridge »    A device which connects two or more computer buses, typically in a transparent manner.

bridge »    An unintended solder connection between two or more components or pins.

bridge »    Any of several electrical devices that measure characteristics such as impedance and inductance by balancing different parts of a circuit.

bright-line rule »    A clearly defined rule or standard, comprised of objective factors, which leaves little or no room for varying interpretation.

bring about »    To accomplish, achieve.

bring in »    To earn money for a company or for the family.

bring it weak »    To fail to accomplish an accomplishable task or to make an attempt at less than maximum effort; to "half-ass" or "fake the funk".

bring out »    To elicit, evoke, or emphasize a particular quality.

bring out »    To cause a visible symptom such as spots or a rash.

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.

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

bum rap »    A false accusation, or an injustice, especially one that leads to imprisonment.

bump and grind »    A combination of movements resembling such a dance, as in road racing, whitewater kayaking, or exercising; any activity involving prolonged jarring or shaking.

bump and grind »    A sexually suggestive dance involving exaggerated hip movements, especially a striptease dance.

bump into »    To collide with something.

bump into »    To meet someone by chance.

bump off »    To kill, especially to murder.

bump up »    To increase something suddenly.

bump up »    To promote a person to a higher grade.

bump up »    To give a more prominent place to; to advance position in queue.

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

bung up »    To close an opening with a cork, cork like object or other improvised obstruction.

bunny hop »    A jump made where both wheels leave the ground.

burn a hole in one's pocket »    To cause someone to be tempted to spend money.

burn down »    To completely burn, so that nothing remains.

bury the lead »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

bury the lede »    To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.

business girl »    A young woman employed in business or office work.

busy work »    Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.

but seriously folks »    Directs attention to immediately preceding failed attempt at humor.

butt heads »    To argue uncompromisingly with someone.

butt-naked »    Stark-naked, completely nude.

buy out »    To purchase the ownership of a company.

by heart »    Knowing completely; as having committed completely to memory.

by oneself »    Alone; without assistance, accompaniment, or help from others.

camel through the eye of a needle »    Hyperbole to illustrate that something is almost impossible to do or to happen.

can of worms »    A complex, troublesome situation arising when a decision or action produces considerable subsequent problems.

can of worms »    A troublesome situation; an issue whose resolution is difficult or contentious, but not necessarily complex.

cap it all off »    To finish or complete something.

carry a torch for »    [2] To harbor feelings of love despite not being in a relationship; generally unrequited or after a relationship has ended, and sometimes implying secret feelings. There is the implication of keeping hope alive.

case in point »    An example that illustrates a point.

castle in the air »    A visionary project or scheme; a day-dream; an idle fancy; a pipe dream; any plan, desire, or idea that is unlikely to be ever realized; a near impossibility.

cat's cradle »    Any complicated structure which appears to be without purpose.

cat's meow »    A highly sought-after and fancy example of something.

cat's pyjamas »    A highly sought-after and fancy example of something, usually referring to inanimate objects.

catch air »    To make a jump.

catch big air »    Superlative of catch air; make a big jump high off the ground.

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

caucus race »    A political competition; the game of campaigning and one-upmanship to get votes and be elected.

caucus race »    The competitive process in which a political party selects their candidate, esp. presidential; a primary election via caucus.

chalkface »    A musical concept or genre in which music is completely improvised and never played twice. Most often mixing elements of hip-hop, metal, punk and avant-garde jazz.

champ at the bit »    To bite the bit, especially when restless.

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

chance'd be a fine thing »    Given to indicate that an aforementioned thing would be desirable but unlikely. Comparable to if I should be so lucky.

charity mugger »    A person employed by a charity, or by an intermediary fundraising agency employed by the charity, who stands in the street and invites passersby to set up standing orders or direct debits to make regular donations to the charity.

charley horse »    A muscle cramp, usually in the thigh or leg.

chase a rainbow »    To pursue something illusory, impractical, or impossible.

check out »    To obtain computer source code from a repository.

cherry pick »    To position oneself near the opponent's goal to attempt to receive an errant or intentional pass for an easy score, as in basketball or versions of soccer where offsides are not enforced.

child's play »    Something particularly simple or easy.

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

chrome horn »    The front bumper of a car when used to bump another vehicle, usually to inform the driver of the other vehicle, that the first car would like to pass.

chump change »    A sum of money considered to be insignificant.

chump change »    An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.

chump-change »    Of or pertaining to something of little monetary value.

clamp down on »    To take measures to stop something; to put an end to.

clean out »    To empty completely; to remove all money or possessions from.

clean someone's clock »    To defeat decisively, in a physical fight or other competition or negotiation.

clean up one's act »    To reform; to improve one's habits.

clear cut »    Straightforward, obvious, simple, or basic.

close down »    To surround someone, as to impede their movement.

close in on »    To near a goal or completion.

close the stable door after the horse has bolted »    To attempt to prevent a problem only to find it has already happened.

closed book »    A person or thing that cannot be easily understood; someone or something incomprehensible or puzzling.

cold fish »    A heartless individual; a person lacking empathy and emotion.

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

Cold hands, warm heart; Dirty feet, no sweetheart! »    A few old timer's "fun" way to compliment a lady & to find out if she could be courted.

cold turkey »    The sudden and complete withdrawal of a dependent substance, especially of a drug.

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 across »    To give an appearance or impression; to project a certain image.

come along »    To accompany.

come down with »    To contract or get; to show symptoms of a minor illness.

come full circle »    To complete a cycle of transition, returning to the point of origin.

come full circle »    To make a complete change or reform.

come to a head »    To suddenly make mature or perfected that which was inchoate or imperfectly formed.

company »    A group of individuals with a common purpose, as in a company of actors.

company »    A military unit, typically consisting of two or three platoons.

company »    A unit of firefighters and their equipment.

company »    As he had worked for the CIA for over 30 years, he would soon take retirement from the company.

company »    Companionship.

company »    I treasure your company.

company »    In legal context, an entity that manufactures or sells products , or provides services as a commercial venture. A corporation.

company »    In non-legal context, any business, without respect to incorporation.

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

company »    Keep the house clean, I have company coming.

company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

company »    Social visitors.

company »    The Boys in Company C.

company »    The entire crew of a ship.

comply with »    To abide by a set of rules.

cool down »    To become cooler, to be reduced in temperature.

cool down »    To cause something temperature to lower.

correlation does not imply causation »    (statistics) The observed correlation between two parameters, say, the growth of a market and the growth of a neighbor's child may, in fact, have nothing to do with each other's causation.

cough up »    To lose a competition by one's own mistakes, usually near the end of the contest.

count sheep »    To attempt to go to sleep by thinking of something boring, traditionally by counting imaginary sheep.

cover one's bases »    To be thorough; to prepare thoroughly or completely.

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.

cramp someone's style »    To restrict someone's free actions, or to give the impression of such.

crashpad »    Any place used for temporary lodging.

crashpad »    In the aviation industry, used for a place of temporary lodging for airline flight crews.

cross off »    To finish; to mark something as complete.

cross paths »    To be, by chance, in the same physical place at the same time, as a result of two completely separate journeys.

crown jewels »    A part of a company sought by another in a hostile takeover.

crown jewels »    The jewelry that accompany the office of rulership in a monarchy. I.e., crown, scepter, signet ring, etc.

cry for help »    In her second year at the school Alexis stopped doing her homework and would often scribble on walls. Her teachers wondered whether this was a cry for help, or if she was simply misbehaving.

cry out against »    To complain strongly, usually as a group.

cry someone a river »    To try to obtain the sympathy of another person by complaining or sniveling.

cry the blues »    To complain, especially in order to obtain sympathy for one's own purportedly sad situation.

crying shame »    It's a crying shame that so much money has been wasted on this pointless political campaign.

crystal clear »    Completely clear and understood.

crystal-clear »    Completely clear and understood.

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

cut corners »    To do a less than thorough or complete job; to do something poorly or take short cuts.

cut of one's jib »    Someone’s general appearance or the implications thereof, especially in relation to making an impression or one’s style..

cut off one's nose to spite one's face »    To harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary.

damp squib »    A firework that fails to go off, due to wetting.

damp squib »    Anything that doesn’t work properly, or fails to come up to expectations..

dar brincos »    To jump, leap.

darn tootin' »    Absolute, utter, complete, very.

dawn of a new day »    A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.

dead »    Completely inactive; without power; without a signal.

dead »    Full and complete.

dead set against »    Completely opposed, with no possibility of a change of mind.

deadweight »    The largest weight of cargo a ship is able to carry; i.e, the weight of a ship when fully loaded minus its weight when empty.

deathblow »    Something that prevents the completion, or ends the existence of some project etc.

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 pockets »    An ample supply of money, especially money which one is willing to spend; the possessor of such money.

deep six »    To discard, cancel, halt; to completely put an end to something.

developments »    A group of building complexes or apartments. Often used for low income housing.

devil is in the details »    The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable.

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.

dirty laundry »    A clothes hamper or other container used to place unclean or soiled laundry.

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 the math »    You can do the calculation yourself, with the implication that you don't have to trust someone else's assertions.

does a bear shit in the woods »    Rhetorical question in response to a question where the answer is an emphatic yes.

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.

dog's life »    A life of indolence where the individual may do as he or she pleases, just like a pampered dog.

don't dip your pen in company ink »    Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.

don't give up your day job »    Implying that they could not earn a living from it without other regular employment.

done a bunk »    Simple past tense and past participle of do a bunk.

double Dutch »    A game of jump rope with two ropes and frequently two jumpers.

double Dutch »    Incomprehensible language.

down in the dumps »    Sad; lacking engagement or enthusiasm.

drain the swamp when up to one's neck in alligators »    (idiomatic) When performing a long and complex task, and when you've gotten utterly immersed in secondary and tertiary unexpected tangential subtasks, it's easy to lose sight of the initial objective. This sort of distraction can be particularly problematic if the all-consuming subtask or sub-subtask is not, after all, particularly vital to the original, primary goal, but ends up sucking up time and resources (out of all proportion to its actual importance) only because it seems so urgent.

draw out »    To improve a losing hand to a winning hand by receiving additional cards.

draw stumps »    To cease doing something, at least for the day.

draw stumps »    To declare an end to the days play, and remove the bails and sometimes the stumps.

drop the gloves »    To remove a prior impediment to action; to prepare for or engage in a dispute.

drum up »    To generate or encourage; to campaign for.

dumb down »    To become simpler in expression or content; to become unacceptably simplistic.

dumb down »    To convey some subject matter in simple terms, avoiding technical or academic language, especially in a way that is considered condescending.

dummy run »    A trial or practice before the real attempt.

dyed in the wool »    Simple past tense and past participle of dye in the wool.

ear trumpet »    old hearing aid

eat one's own dog food »    To test the beta programs that are in the test phase on one's own computers; to dogfood.

eat up »    To consume completely.

emperor's new clothes »    Something obvious and embarrassing that is politely ignored or that goes unacknowledged.

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

empty vessels make the most sound »    noisy, opinionated people are often stupid.

engine room »    A compartment on a ship in which the engine machinery is located.

esprit de corps »    A shared spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to a cause among the members of a group, for example of a military unit.

even handed »    impartial

every last »    Every; without exception; used for emphasis.

every which where »    A more emphatic version of everywhere.

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

eye for an eye »    Compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.

eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth »    Compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.

f** this »    The phrase emphatically diminishes the activity or event referred to and expresses that the speaker will have no more to do with it.

face value »    The amount or value listed on a bill, note, stamp, etc.; the stated value or amount.

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.

fail over »    To automatically switch processing from a failed component in a critical system to its live spare or backup component.

fall between two stools »    To attempt two tasks and fail at both, when either one could have been accomplished singly.

fall by the wayside »    To fail to be completed, particularly for lack of interest; to be left out.

fall off »    A hip hop term; to completely lose the plot in terms of artistic direction.

fall off the wagon »    To cease or fail at a regimen of self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an old habit or addiction.

fall on deaf ears »    Of a request, complaint, etc, to be ignored.

fall over »    Of a computer program, to crash.

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.

far be it »    Pewtey in Marriage Guidance Counselor from And Now For Something Completely Different.

far fetched »    improbable

feather in one's cap »    An accomplishment; particularly one that is flaunted or boasted of.

feel for »    To express sympathy for, to sympathise with.

feel one's oats »    To feel important; to be empowered.

fencepost problem »    In computer programming, a problem dealing with how to treat the initial or boundary values of a discrete problem.

fill in »    To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information.

finish off »    To finish completely.

first loser »    The second place finisher in auto racing competition.

fish for compliments »    To try to induce someone to make a compliment.

flash in the pan »    A career notable for early success not followed by significant accomplishment.

flesh out »    To complete; to create details from a basic outline, structure or skeleton.

flight of fancy »    An idea, narrative, suggestion, etc. which is extremely imaginative and which appears to be entirely unrealistic, untrue, or impractical; thinking which is very speculative.

flog a dead horse »    To attempt to get extra work out of a ship's crew during the dead horse period.

flog a dead horse »    To attempt to get more out of something that cannot give more.

flower »    The best examples or representatives of a group.

fluff up »    To plump up.

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

fold up »    To make or become more compact by folding.

follow suit »    To follow an example; to imitate.

follow through »    To finish; to complete, especially, of a commitment.

for all intents and purposes »    For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.

for keeps »    To compete seriously, with a strong resolve to win or succeed, as in sports or business.

for the time being »    Temporarily; until later.

four score and seven years ago »    As an opener, a sometimes sarcastic indicator to indicate a past event being mentioned is particularly important.

frog in one's throat »    Any temporary physical difficulty in speaking.

from A to Z »    Covering a complete range; comprehensively.

full marks »    To exclaim complete satisfaction with someone's efforts.

full to the gills »    Completely or overly full.

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"

get a jump on »    To start early, especially to start before something begins or before others begin.

get better »    To improve.

get by the balls »    To have complete control over someone, especially of a woman abusing a man's infatuation with her.

get down to brass tacks »    Deal with the important details.

get it »    To understand, comprehend, or grasp.

get off »    To complete a shift or a day's work.

get off one's high horse »    To stop acting in an imperious, overbearing or bossy manner.

get on somebody's case »    To lecture, berate, or complain to somebody, especially to find fault or criticize.

get the boot »    To be dismissed from employment.

get the boot »    To be voted off a competition in a reality television show.

get the chop »    To be dismissed from employment.

get the chop »    To be eliminated from a competition in a reality television program.

gild the lily »    To embellish or improve something unnecessarily; to add superfluous attributes to something.

give and take »    A process of compromise or accommodation.

give it a go »    To try or attempt.

give it a whirl »    To try, test or attempt.

give it one's best shot »    To make one's best effort or attempt; to try as hard as possible.

give notice »    To announce one's intent to leave a job; to inform an employer that one is leaving.

give over »    Usually as an imperative. To tell someone to stop molesting, fooling around, or saying silly things. Or sometimes to stop saying flattering things.

give the elbow »    To terminate the employment of.

gloss over »    To treat something with less care than it deserves; to skimp.

go along for the ride »    To accompany someone passively, or to take a passive role in a project.

go along with »    To comply with something, even if reluctantly; to accept or tolerate.

go batshit »    To become completely irrational; to react in an irrationally extreme manner.

go for broke »    To try everything possible or do last thing possible in a final attempt.

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

go from zero to hero »    To change from negative outcome to positive outcome. To improve one's fortunes significantly.

go in for »    To enter a competition.

go jump in the lake »    Used to tell a person that to go away, or that their request will not be met.

go native »    Of a contractor or consultant, to begin working directly as an employee for a company and cease to work through a contracting firm or agency.

go native »    To adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants, especially when dwelling in a colonial region; to become less refined under the influence of a less cultured, more primitive, or simpler social environment.

go off at score »    Of a horse, to break suddenly into a gallop; of a person, suddenly to say or do something impetuous.

go on the rampage »    To behave violently or to riot.

go over »    To create a response or impression.

go the whole hog »    To do something as entirely or completely as possible; to reserve or hold back nothing.

go to seed »    To deteriorate; to decline into an unkempt or debased condition.

go up in smoke »    To be completely ruined.

God helps those who help themselves »    Fortune comes to those who make a genuine effort to accomplish things.

gold standard »    A test or measure of comparison that is considered ultimate or ideal.

golden handcuffs »    Any arrangement or agreement designed to provide extremely favorable benefits or pay, so as to discourage participant from wanting to leave, especially to retain a choice employee.

golden handshake »    A generous severance payment, especially as an inducement to leave employment.

golden hello »    A payment offered to an employee as an inducement to join, especially if currently working for a competitor.

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

grand poobah »    A person who is important or high-ranking.

great minds think alike »    Used to emphasize a coincidence, or two people reaching the same conclusion in any manner at the same time.

great unwashed »    A contemptuous term for the populace, particularly the working class.

greatest thing since sliced bread »    A relatively recent invention likely to significantly improve people's lives.

hair of the dog »    An alcoholic drink taken the morning after to cure a hangover or withdrawal symptoms.

hair-splitting »    The act of finding exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.

hair-splittingly »    With exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.

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

happy camper »    One who is thoroughly content or satisfied.

hard hitting »    uncompromising

hard pressed »    Having or likely to have difficulty or to find a task almost impossible.

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 go »    To make an attempt; to try.

have a heart »    To be kind or sympathetic; to treat others kindly.

have in mind »    To consider, to contemplate, to intend.

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 head in the clouds »    To have fantastic or impractical dreams; to think impractically.

have one's wits about one »    To remain calm, composed, or aware.

have other fish to fry »    To have more important things to do.

have to do with the price of tea in China »    To have any relation or bearing whatsoever on the topic at hand, usually used to emphasize the lack of relationship of a non sequitur.

he who smelt it dealt it »    (colloquial, originally) A person who calls attention to or complains about a fart is likely trying to pretend it wasn't his or her own.(colloquial, by extension) Used to suggest that a person calling attention to or complaining about a given problem may in fact be the source of the problem.

head scratcher »    July 2002, Fox News - Attorney: Williams' Kids Near Compromise About Father's Remains.

head start »    For example, prior to the beginning of a race.

head to toe »    Entirely; completely; over one's full body.

heads will roll »    Some people will be fired for incompetence.

heart of gold »    A kind, compassionate, or caring attitude; kindheartedness.

hem and haw »    To discuss, deliberate, or contemplate rather than taking action.

hen's teeth »    Anything very rare or impossible to obtain is said to be like finding hen’s teeth.

herd cats »    To attempt to control those resistant to control.

high ground »    A location which is at a relatively high elevation, especially in comparison to the immediate surrounding area.

high ground »    A position of advantage or superiority in a conflict or competition.

hill of beans »    Something of no importance.

historical figure »    A fictional or fabricated person who was was given historical importance in legends and myth.

historical figure »    A person who lived long ago, usually of some historical note or importance.

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

hit the ceiling »    To be explosively angry. To lose one's temper.

hold a candle »    To compare; to be even remotely of the same quality, skill, etc. as another.

hold all the aces »    To be in a strong position when one is competing with someone else, having all the advantages.

hold off »    To delay someone or something temporarily; to keep at bay.

hold one's own »    To stand up to; to give a respectable performance; to provide worthy competition.

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

hold someone's feet to the fire »    To maintain personal, social, political, or legal pressure on someone in order to induce him or her to comply with one's desires; to hold someone accountable for his or her actions.

hold up »    To fulfil / fulfill or complete one's part of an agreement.

hold with the hare and run with the hounds »    To remain neutral by attempting to placate two factions or both sides of a controversy.

hole in one »    A round that is completed by sinking the ball in a single shot or attempt, with one hit.

hole in one »    Any rare, wonderful, or remarkable accomplishment.

home is where you hang your hat »    Rather than feeling nostalgic or sentimental, one should simply accept any place where one happens to reside as one's home.1948, Ruth L. Yorck, "D.P.

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.

honest injun »    A phrase used to emphasize the truth of something.

hook line and sinker »    completely

horse around »    To play or fiddle; to clown; to do nothing of importance or consequence.

horse sense »    Common sense, especially with a connotation of folk wisdom independent from, and trumping, formal education.

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

hot air »    empty talk

hot up »    To increase in temperature.

how's the weather »    Indicating a change of subject to unimportant topics.

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

impiastro »    Nuisance, bore.

impiastro »    Poultice.

in a league of one's own »    Far excelling even the closest contender; not having any worthy competition.

in a nutshell »    In summary; briefly or simply.

in all one's glory »    Completely naked.

in broad daylight »    In ample natural illumination, during the daytime.

in full swing »    Proceeding fully, quickly, or completely; thoroughly begun and in progress.

in layman's terms »    Explaining something in simple words.

in no uncertain terms »    With great clarity, emphasis, or exactness; without any ambiguity.

in order »    Complete, finished.

in the act »    In the process of doing something; used to emphasize the eye-witness evidence.

in the driver's seat »    Having the most important role in a storyline or recognition. Of primary importance.

in the fast lane »    In a lifestyle, employment position, or other set of circumstances where the rapid pace is exciting, frantic, or risky.

in the wind »    Impending or in the offing; imminent.

in unity there is strength »    More can be accomplished by a team with a common goal, than individuals.

in your face »    An exclamation of derision or contempt.

inside job »    A crime or other illicit action committed by or with the help of someone either employed by the victim or entrusted with access to the victim's affairs and premises.

instance in »    To cite an instance; to adduce an example.

it is what it is »    This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists.

it takes all kinds to make a world »    Diversity is essential: the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike.He irons his clothes how?! That's crazy! Well, I guess it takes all kinds.

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 grist to the mill »    Everything referred to in the present context has some sort of use.1999, Simon Blackburn, Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (Oxford University Press paperback, ISBN 0199690871), ch. 7 section 6: "Kant

it's better to ask forgiveness than permission »    The value of acting promptly and making a mistake requiring forgiveness is greater than value of delaying to get permission.

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

ivory tower »    A sheltered, overly-academic existence or perspective, implying a disconnection or lack of awareness of reality or practical considerations.

jack it in »    An imperative to stop doing something that the speaker finds annoying.

jack of all trades »    One competent in many endeavors, especially one who excels in none of them.

jack of all trades, master of none »    A person who has a competent grasp of many skills but who is not outstanding in any one.

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

jolly someone along »    To make someone happy or compliant, as by encouragement or flattery.

jump »    By jerking the body violently.

jump »    That is further forward.

jump »    To attack suddenly and violently.

jump »    To cause oneself to leave an elevated location and fall downward.

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 »    To employ a parachute to leave an aircraft or elevated location.

jump »    To force to jump.

jump »    To propel oneself rapidly upward such that momentum causes the body to become airborne.

jump about »    To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.

jump about »    To move from side to side, or fidget annoyingly. Usually as a result of being nervous.

jump around »    To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.

jump around »    To move from side to side, or fidget annoyingly. Usually as a result of being nervous.

jump at »    To accept something enthusiastically. Usually an opportunity, or chance, or job etc.

jump at the chance »    To immediately accept an offer.

jump down »    To leave an elevated position to a lower position by one jump.

jump for joy »    Exalt, [rejoice]], feel elation.

jump in »    To enter something quickly. Usually a mode of transport.

jump off »    To participate in the final round of an equestrian showjumping event.

jump off »    To move from an elevated place by one jump.

jump on »    To board a public transport vehicle.

jump on »    To attack someone verbally, or criticise them over strongly for small errors.

jump on the bandwagon »    To profit from a craze; to join a trend.

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 rope »    The length of rope, sometimes with handles, casing or other additions, used in that activity.

jump ship »    To depart a project without warning.

jump ship »    To part from a ship.

jump someone's bones »    To have sex.

jump the gun »    To act or begin too soon or without due caution.

jump the gun »    To begin a race too soon, before the starting gun goes off.

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.

jump the queue »    To move into a queue ahead of others who have been waiting longer or that have a higher priority; push in.

jump the shark »    To undergo a storyline development which is so ridiculous that previous quality is considered to have been lost.

jump through hoops »    To put forth effort for the sake of appearance or demonstration.

jump to conclusions »    Make conclusions before being presented with all the evidence.

jump up »    To move from one position to a higher position by one jump.

jumped-up »    Describes a person who thinks he is superior in some way that the speaker disagrees with. For instance, of a higher class, or has more authority than they have in reality.

jumped-up »    We're doomed if this wee jumped-up monkey gets Gordon Smith's blessing.

keep it real »    In the imperative, an exhortation used as a departing salutation.

keep one's cool »    To remain composed, calm, and even-tempered, especially in a provocative situation.

keep one's eye on the ball »    To maintain one's concentration fixed on one important theme.

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.

kick ass »    To be very impressive.

kick butt »    To be impressive; to be decisively good or pleasant.

kick the habit »    To recover from or quit an addiction or habit. For example, to quit smoking, drinking, burping, or drug addiction.

kick up »    To function improperly.

kick up a fuss »    To show annoyance, or to complain loudly about something, often when it is of little importance in reality.

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.

knacker's yard »    That area of a slaughterhouse where carcasses unfit for human consumption are rendered down to produce useful materials such as glue.

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

knock out »    To strike or bump someone or something out.

knock out »    To complete, especially in haste; knock off.

knock over »    To bump or strike something in such a way as to tip it.

knock somebody's socks off »    To impress greatly; amaze; stun.

knock up »    To impregnate, especially out of wedlock. See knocked up.

knock up »    To put together, fabricate, or assemble, particularly if done hastily or temporarily. See also knock together.

lady's man »    A man who attracts women and enjoys their company.

lame joke »    An attempt at humor which is perceived to have been used previously to the point of being cliche, or was never funny to begin with.

landing strip »    A runway for aircraft, especially one which is auxiliary or temporary.

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.

larger-than-life »    Very imposing, renowned, or impressively influential.

last trump »    Forever.

last trump »    The moment of God's final judgement on Earth.

late bloomer »    A person who lives a child's life comparatively later than their peers.

late bloomer »    A person who reaches puberty comparatively later than their peers.

lay it on the line »    To state something, for example an ultimatum, strongly and clearly.

lay off »    From employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume, often with a severance package.

lead time »    The amount of time between the initiation of some process and its completion, e.g. the time required to manufacture or procure a product; the time required before something can be provided or delivered.

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-handed compliment »    A complimentary remark which is ambiguous or ineptly worded, so that it may be interpreted as having an unflattering or dismissive sense.

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 go »    To dismiss from employment.

let the good times roll »    To have fun or live fully; may imply letting things that are going well proceed.

lick one's wounds »    To withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat.

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

like a cat on a hot tin roof »    Jumpy, nervous.

like gangbusters »    Vigorously, rapidly, zealously, or forcibly; in a manner which has considerable impact.

like hot cakes »    Quickly, especially by purchase or consumption.

like it or lump it »    To accept a situation whether one agrees with it or not.

lip service »    Empty talk; words absent of action or intention.

listen up »    To listen closely; to pay attention. Often used in the imperative.

lock up »    To imprison or incarcerate someone.

log out »    To exit an account in a computer system so that it doesn't recognize you until you log in again.

long story short »    Introducing a short version of, or simply the conclusion of, an involved story.

look before you leap »    Don't jump into something too precipitously; be at least a bit foresightful or circumspect.

look what the cat's dragged in »    Used as an ironic acknowledgement of someone's arrival, especially to imply that they are unwelcome or disagreeable in some way.

look-in »    A chance to participate, compete, or succeed.

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.

lose it »    To be explosively angry; to lose one's temper.

lose one's cool »    To become upset or disconcerted; to lose one's temper.

lose one's shit »    To lose one's temper.

lose one's temper »    To be explosively angry. To get very cross.

lose the plot »    To have one's results decline severely in quality or suddenly fall below an acceptable standard, especially when compared to past excellence.

lost cause »    A cause, attempt, or effort that is hopeless or futile.

love is blind »    A person who is in love can see no faults or imperfections in the person who is loved.

lump in one's throat »    A feeling of emotional sadness. On the point of crying.

lump it »    To endure, accept, put up with a situation one does not like.

lump to one's throat »    A feeling of emotional sadness. On the point of crying.

lump together »    To put different items or groups together and treat them, or think of them as one single group.

mad money »    A sum of money, often relatively small in amount, kept in reserve to use for impulsive, frivolous purposes.

magic bullet »    A simple remedy to a difficult or complex problem, especially a cure for a disease.

make a go of it »    To attempt; especially, to attempt to make a living.

make a meal of »    To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.

make a mountain out of a molehill »    To treat a problem as greater than it is; to blow something out of proportion; to exaggerate the importance of something trivial.

make a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

make an example of »    He made an example of the drunken sailor with twenty lashes, to show that he must have a sober crew.

make an example of »    To punish someone so as to be a warning to others.

make it up as one goes along »    To improvise continuously.

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

make up »    To constitute; to compose; to form.

make up »    To compensate, fill in or catch up.

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.

mark my words »    Listen to me; used before a statement one wishes to emphasize.

mark up »    To add coding to text so that it will display properly on a computer.

match made in heaven »    A marriage that is likely to be happy and successful because the two people are very compatible with each other.

match made in hell »    A marriage that is likely to be unhappy or abusive and unsuccessful because the two people are very incompatible with each other.

matter of fact »    Something completely true.

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

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

mend one's ways »    To recognise one's failings and attempt to remedy them.

mercury »    A silvery-colored metallic chemical element, liquid at room temperature, with atomic number 80 and symbol Hg.

middle ground »    A compromise position between extremes.

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

mix it up »    To compete vigorously, to quarrel, or to fight physically.

mock up »    To create a model or demonstration; to create a preliminary version or sample.

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.

more haste, less speed »    When we are in a hurry, we often end up completing our task slower.

mouse potato »    A person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer.

mum's the word »    The accompanying facts are a secret, not to be divulged.

mutton dressed as lamb »    A mature woman dressed in a style more suited to a young woman, especially if a deliberate attempt to appear young.

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

necker's knob »    A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.

needle in a haystack »    Something that is difficult or impossible to locate; something impossibly complex or intractable.

neither here nor there »    Not important; having no significance or influence on the question at hand; not related; not relevant; not germane; not pertinent.

never mind »    It is not important; do not fret.

new school »    A style, way of thinking, or method for accomplishing a task that is typical of the current era, as opposed to former eras.

no comment »    A refusal to say the obvious impolite retort.

no frills »    Basic or simple; providing only what is necessary, without anything extra or fancy.

no prize for guessing »    Used to form expressions emphasizing the unsurprising nature of what follows.

no screaming hell »    Something that is not particularly effective or impressive; something that is below expectations.

not be caught dead »    To refuse completely to do something.

not on your nelly »    Not on your life, an emphatic form of no.

not the end of the world »    It's of minor importance, at least not as important as it first seemed.

not to put too fine a point on it »    Used to apologise for a possibly impolite statement one is making.

nothing to it »    Easy; simple or straightforward.

number one with a bullet »    Superlative; impossible to beat.

nut-cutting time »    Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.

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.

odd and curious »    A way to designate special coins, namely coins that are both odd and imperfect or seriously damaged.

off one's game »    Playing or competing below one's usual level of performance.

off the radar »    Unlikely to happen, or be important in the near future or tending to escape detection or attention.

off the top of one's head »    Without great thought or investigation; extemporaneous; natural; offhand.

off the wagon »    No longer maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from an undesirable habit, especially drinking alcohol.

off-the-cuff »    Extemporaneous; without prior preparation; impromptu.

offer one's condolences »    To offer sympathy to someone.

old college try »    A vigorous, committed attempt or effort.

old money »    The imperial system of measurement, as opposed to the metric system.

old school »    Characteristic of a style, outlook, or method employed in a former era, remembered either as inferior to the current style, or alternately, remembered nostalgically as superior or preferable to the new style, the older denoting something that would be considered out of date or out of fashion to some, but as such, is considered by others as cool and hip.

on one's own »    Alone; by oneself; without the companionship or assistance of others.

on one's soapbox »    Stating or professing one's opinion; attempting to persuade others of something.

on the bubble »    Having qualification for an event depend on the upcoming performances of other competitors.

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

on the fly »    Spontaneously or extemporaneously; done as one goes, or during another activity.

on the house »    Free, complimentary.

on the mend »    Improving or undergoing restoration to a previous, more favorable condition.

on the pull »    Seeking the intimate company of a member of the opposite sex.

on the same wavelength »    In rapport or complete accord.

on the wagon »    By extension, maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit.

one and the same »    The same person or thing. Used to emphasize the identity or equivalence of two things.

one another »    Used of a reciprocal relationship among a group of more than two people or things; compare each other.

one can't hold two watermelons in one hand »    do not attempt to take on more than you can handle

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 small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »    A cliché used to exaggerate an accomplishment or milestone..

one step at a time »    Slowly and carefully, ensuring that each action has been completed successfully before taking the next.

one up »    To outdo, to do something slightly better than a competitor's prior effort.

one who hesitates is lost »    A person who spends too much time contemplating what to do may miss a valuable but fleeting opportunity.

one's days are numbered »    Some period of time, such as a term of employment or a lifetime, is coming to an end.

one-hit wonder »    A musical performer or musical group known for a single hit song, especially after failing at later attempts at success.

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-up »    To outdo, to do something slightly better than a competitor's prior effort.

one-upmanship »    A succession of instances of outdoing a competitor.

one-upmanship »    The art or practice of successively outdoing a competitor.

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.

opposites attract »    people who are completely different make ideal partners.

out of luck »    Experiencing a temporary misfortune.

out of one's league »    In a situation in which one is mismatched with one or more others, whose accomplishments, preparedness, or other characteristics are on a significantly higher or lower level than one's own.

out of sorts »    Irritable or somewhat unwell, with vague medical symptoms.

out of stock »    Temporarily unavailable for sale.

out of the question »    Impossible to even contemplate.

out of the running »    No longer in competition.

out of the way »    Improper or offensive.

out of work »    Unemployed, or having nothing to do.

out-and-out »    Complete, utter.

outsider »    A competitor or contestant who has little chance of winning; a long shot; a dark horse.

over one's head »    More complex or confusing than one can understand; beyond one’s comprehension..

overleap »    To leap over, to jump over, to cross by jumping.

painting rocks »    Pointless or futile work organised by the government, supposedly to increase employment but in fact merely disguising the unemployment level.

palm off »    To attempt to pass off a counterfeit or inferior product as genuine.

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

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.

party pooper »    Someone who unnecessarily dampens fun.

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

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.

payback's a bitch »    Usually a complete sentence as an interjection: I am amused that someone got their revenge on you...but you certainly had it coming.

payback's a bitch »    Usually a complete sentence: I will get revenge when you least expect it.

peaches-and-cream »    Of facial complexion, smooth, with attractive yellow-pink coloring.

peed off »    Simple past tense and past participle of pee off.

pelt of the dog »    An immoderate, excessive quantity of alcohol drunk the morning after whilst suffering withdrawal symptoms or a hangover, which goes beyond alleviating the complaint to causing drunkenness; cf. hair of the dog.

penny black »    old stamp

perfect storm »    A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors.

personal computers »    PCs

physical break »    A short break in a meeting or in a classroom setting, intended to improve attention.

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

pick up »    To improve, increase, or speed up.

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

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

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.

pink slip »    Notice of the termination of employment.

pipe dream »    A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely work; a near impossibility.

piss and moan »    To complain, especially needlessly and loudly.

piss up a rope »    To engage in futile or impossible activity.

pissing contest »    A boys' prankish competition to determine who can urinate the furthest up a wall.

play down »    To make or attempt to make something seem less important, likely, or obvious.

play one against another »    To manipulate two persons into competing against one another in a way that benefits the person carrying out the manipulation.

play the race card »    To assert that race or racism is responsible for a course of events, especially when race is not of particular significance to the issue in question; to attempt to inspire a particular reaction by raising the issue of race.

play up »    To make or attempt to make something appear more important, likely or obvious; to showcase or highlight.

plump up »    To shake or arrange so as to be fatter or more evenly distributed.

point out »    To identify with a bodily gesture, notably by pointing a finger or implement.

point the finger »    To accuse; to direct or imply blame.

pop in »    To visit in an impromptu manner.

poster child »    One who is a prototypical or quintessential example of something.

pound the pavement »    To campaign diligently; to seek something, such as business, employment, or answers.

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

prawn cocktail offensive »    A strategy of the Labour Party in winning over important people in the world of finance.

price on one's head »    A compensation for capturing or killing a person, especially someone guilty of a crime.

private eye »    A private personal detective, employed to gather information about someone.

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.

puddle jumper »    A small passenger airplane, typically used for shorter connecting trips to smaller airports.

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

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 the other one, it's got bells on »    The implication is that one leg has been pulled, and the joker will have more fun with the other one due to the bells.

pull up stumps »    To cease doing something, at least for the day.

pump iron »    To lift weights; to engage in weight or strength training.

pump up »    To inflate by means of a pump.

pump up »    To inflate with a pumping action.

pump up »    To excite a person or group to a frenzy.

pump up »    To cause one's muscles to swell by means of focussed weightlifting.

pure and simple »    Plain and unadorned.

push one's luck »    To take an excessive risk or to attempt some task unlikely to succeed, especially after having already been unexpectedly lucky.

put a damper on »    To stop people from enjoying an activity.

put aside »    To ignore or intentionally forget something, temporarily or permanently, so that more important things can have one's attention.

put on the dog »    To dress up; to put on airs; to make a show of wealth and/or importance; to be pretentious.

put one foot in front of the other »    To walk, decomposed to stress the fundamentality of the task.

put one's best foot forward »    To show oneself in the best or most positive way possible; to make a favorable impression.

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 something into perspective »    To compare with something similar to give a clearer, more accurate idea.

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

quantum mechanics »    Something overly complicated or detailed.

quick-and-dirty »    Done or constructed in a hasty, approximate, temporarily adequate manner, but not exact, fully formed, or reliable for a long period of time.

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.

quote unquote »    Emphasizes the following word or phrase for irony, as used almost exclusively in spoken language.

rag the puck »    To retain possession of the puck by skillful skating and stickhandling without attempting to score, as a deliberate tactic intended to use up time.

rain check »    In social interactions, a polite way to turn down an invitation, with the implication one is simply postponing it and that another time would be acceptable.

raise a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

ramp up »    To increase rapidly to a new value.

ramp up »    To be in the process of learning a new ability.

ramp up »    Of a project or operation, to start up.

real job »    A job which requires the employee to, work regular hours for a consistent wage that often exceeds the provisions of applicable minimum wage legislation. A job that produces a living wage.

real men don't eat quiche »    (aphorism, humorous) The stereotypical man does not do things that are considered effeminate, as to do so would imply they are effeminate.

reflect on »    To give an impression of .

reinvent the wheel »    To redo work unnecessarily when it has already been done satisfactorily; to rethink an already working system, technique, etc. in a pointless attempt to improve it.

rest on one's laurels »    To rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further.

ride tall in the saddle »    To act or conduct oneself in a manner that is imposing, impressive, resolute, or manly.

ride tall in the saddle »    To ride a horse in an erect, imposing manner.

ring false »    To seem to be incorrect, or implausible.

ring hollow »    To seem to be false or implausible; to be unconvincing.

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.

rocket science »    Anything overly complex, detailed or confusing.

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

Rome wasn't built in a day »    It takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive.

romper suit »    baby's outfit

round off »    To complete or finish something.

round out »    To make more complete by adding details.

rub it in »    To add insult to injury; to emphasize one's strengths or another's weaknesses in a manner that degrades another.

rubbish dump »    tip

rule out »    To make something impossible.

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 for one's money »    A difficult challenge for the person indicated, especially one involving a competitive situation.

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 for the roses »    A hard-fought competition or demanding challenge of any kind.

run rampant »    To go unchecked or without control; to be wild or excessive.

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

run through »    To use completely, in a short space of time. Usually money.

run through »    To impale a person with a blade, usually a sword.

runner up »    second-placed competitor

running on empty »    Losing enthusiasm or willingness, lacking energy.

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

sabre-rattling »    Any threat, such as one company threatening another with a lawsuit.

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

sacred cow »    Something which cannot be tampered with, or criticized, for fear of public outcry.

said and done »    Agreed to and accomplished or finished.

sainted »    Simple past tense and past participle of saint.

scissorbill »    Someone considered contemptible or foolish.

screw back »    To cue the cue ball in such a way as to impart backspin. On impact, the ball will follow a reverse trajectory according to the spin.

scrimp and save »    To scrimp greatly; to economize; to live very frugally, particularly when saving for something.

seagull manager »    A manager who comes into the workplace or office only on occasion, especially when a problem arises or to criticize or critique employees.

second-guess »    Presumably from trying to improve with a second stab.

see someone through »    To constitute ample supply for one for.

see someone's point »    To comprehend the meaning that someone is trying to convey.

see you later »    A phrase used at parting, and not necessarily implying that the person being addressed will be seen later by the speaker.

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".

sell wolf tickets »    To make empty threats or promises; to bluff.

send away »    To send to a particular place for a long time, as a family member, an employee, etc.

send up »    To make prices or temperatures etc. rise.

set down »    Simple sum of parts set + down, to place, especially on the ground or a surface; to cease carrying.

sex up »    To make more palatable or acceptable to the general public; to improve the image or perception.

shacked up »    Simple past tense and past participle of shack up.

shape up »    To improve; to correct one's bad habits or behavior.

shape up or ship out »    To either improve one's behavior or else be required to leave; to either improve one's performance in an activity or else withdraw from that activity completely.

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

shoo-in »    A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.

shoot 'em up »    A short story, novel, television show, film, computer game, or other narrative which depicts considerable gunplay.

short temper »    The personality trait of being quick to anger.

shot in the dark »    A guess, attempt, or choice made with little or no evidence or knowledge.

show the flag »    To represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group.

showstopper »    Any impediment that prevents all further progress.

sign in »    To take some action to access a secured program or web page on a computer; to log in.

sign on »    register as unemployed

skeleton crew »    The minimum number of personnel needed to operate and maintain an item at its most simple operating requirements, such as a ship or business, during an emergency or shut down, and at the same time, to keep vital functions operating.

skimp and save »    Alternative form of scrimp and save.

skip rope »    To jump over a rope, both of whose ends are held by the jumper or by two others, while the rope is moved under the jumper's feet in a continual rhythm; to play the game of jump rope or exercise by jumping rope.

skirt chaser »    A man with amorous intentions who habitually seeks out female companionship.

slam dunk »    An impressively forceful dunk.

sleep on »    To consider after a period of sleep, implying a decision will be made the next day.

sleeping policeman »    A speed bump.

slippery as an eel »    So slippery that it is almost impossible to hold with one's hands.

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.

smack of »    To seem like; to appear or give an impression or feeling of; to arouse suspicion of.

small fry »    One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

small potatoes »    One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

smear campaign »    An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.

smoking gun »    Evidence, particularly of a crime, that is difficult or impossible to dispute.

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

snappy comeback »    A prompt, clever retort.

snazz up »    To improve appearance or appeal by increasing stylishness or functionality, or by adding other attractive features.

snow job »    An attempt to persuade a person using flattery or deception.

sob story »    A sad story told to make others feel sympathy for the teller.

socialized medicine »    A politically charged term used to contrast such systems with free market alternatives and emphasize the perceived link to socialism.

soft touch »    A person or group which is sympathetic, accommodating, easily overcome, or easily persuaded, especially one which loans or readily gives money to another.

song and dance »    An excessively complex set of instructions.

soup-to-nuts »    Comprehensive; complete; covering all of something.

sow one's wild oats »    To spread one's genes around by impregnating many females.

spaghetti western »    Nickname for a motion picture produced by an Italian-based company and filmed in Europe, depicting a tale of cowboys and desperadoes set in the American Old West.

spell out »    From its component letters.

spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar »    To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.

spot check »    A cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something.

spring to mind »    To appear suddenly in one's thoughts, often as an example of something.

spruce up »    To refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance.

spur of the moment »    Impluse; short notice; a lack of planning.

square away »    To finish, complete, tidy or put in order.

squaring the circle »    A hopeless or impossible task.

squaring the circle »    The historical problem of how to construct, using compass and ruler, a square having the same area as a given circle.

squeaky wheel gets the grease »    The person who complains or speaks up most loudly receives the redress or attention which he or she seeks.

stamp duty »    tax on documents

stamp out »    To get rid of, eradicate.

stand in »    temporary substitute

stand one's ground »    To attempt to hold a position in battle.

stand stock still »    To stand completely motionless.

stand up »    To stand immediately behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a slow or spin bowler, and to attempt to stump the batsman.

stars in one's eyes »    The state of being overly or extremely impressed with something; enchanted with romance.

steal somebody's thunder »    To detract from somebody's accomplishments or glory; to undermine.

sticking point »    A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation.

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

stop press »    The event or news article important enough to delay or interrupt the print, or require a reprint, of a publication, particularly of a newspaper edition.

stop the presses »    An imperative form used to introduce especially new, important, surprising, or recent developments.

strike while the iron is hot »    To act on an opportunity promptly; to avoid waiting.

strut one's stuff »    To behave, or to perform in a showy or ostentatious manner, especially in a way to impress others; to show off.

stumbing-block »    A hindrance, obstacle or impediment.

stumbling block »    A hindrance, obstacle or impediment.

stump up »    To pay for something. Often indicating reluctance to pay.

such as »    For example.

suck it up »    To put up with something; to deal with something, such as pain or misfortune, without complaining.

suffer fools gladly »    To be tolerant of stupidity or incompetence in other people.

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

swallow up »    To completely enclose or envelop.

swan song »    A final performance or accomplishment, especially one before retirement.

swear off »    To quit or cease completely, or to promise to quit, as of a bad habit.

sweat »    Fluid that exits the body through pores in the skin usually due to physical stress and/or high temperature for the purpose of regulating body temperature and removing certain compounds from the circulation.

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..

tag along »    To accompany, join, or follow; to go with.

tag team »    Two or more people or groups acting alternately to accomplish some task.

take a back seat »    To be second to someone or something; to be less important or have a lower priority.

take a crack at »    To attempt or try.

take a stab at »    To attempt or try.

take after »    To follow someone's example.

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

take away »    To leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later.

take down »    To remove a temporary structure such as scaffolding.

take in »    To absorb or comprehend.

take it to the bank »    Said to emphasize that something is known for sure.

take lying down »    To endure without complaint or protest.

take on »    To attempt to fight or compete.

take one's eye off the ball »    To lose one's concentration on what is most important.

take one's lumps »    To endure through criticism or other adversity.

take one's lumps »    To receive physical abuse and to survive.

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 things as they come »    To accept and deal with events as they occur, with a composed state of mind.

take up »    That which takes up or tightens; specifically, a device in a sewing machine for drawing up the slack thread as the needle rises, in completing a stitch.

talk back »    To reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner.

tall in the saddle »    Imposing, impressive; resolute; manly.

tear up the pea patch »    To put on a notable performance, especially in sports; to go on a rampage.

tempest in a teapot »    A major fuss over a trivial matter.

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.

than a bygod »    Used with a comparative to express extreme heat or cold.

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

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.

the bends »    decompression sickness

the company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

the Devil »    Used to add emphasis to a question or statement.

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

the plot thickens »    Used, often ironically, to describe an increasingly complex or mysterious situation.

the sky is the limit »    Nothing is impossible or out of reach

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 thing of it »    The important point to consider.

the whole nine yards »    All the way; with everything done completely or thoroughly.

through and through »    Completely; entirely; fundamentally.

throw down »    To accomplish or produce something in a grand, respectable, or successful manner; to "represent".

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 one's toys out of the pram »    To lose one's temper; to throw a tantrum.

throw shapes »    To act tough or put up a front. For example, to threaten a person by making "karate chops" at them, without actually doing harm or knowing karate.

throw to the wolves »    To sacrifice someone, especially in an attempt to save oneself.

tickled pink »    Simple past tense and past participle of tickle pink.

tie up »    To complete, finish, or resolve.

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

tiger team »    A specialized group tasked with testing the effectiveness of an organization's ability to protect assets by attempting to circumvent, defeat or otherwise thwart that organization's internal and external security.

time and material »    A form of contractual compensation involving payment for materials used and at agreed rates for the those involved in performing the services.

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.

to a fare-thee-well »    To the greatest extent or to completion; to a state of refinement or perfection.

to all intents and purposes »    For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.

today we are all »    An expression indicating that the speaker empathizes with members of an identifiable group that was the subject of a disaster, and projects that others empathize as well.

top dog »    In a competition, the one expected to win.

top it all off »    To emphasize or underscore; to make something even better or worse.

top off »    To fill completely; to fill or refill the final portion of something not empty.

totus porcus »    Completely; unreservedly: swallowed the official version totus porcus.

touchy-feely »    Driven by intuition or emotion, with a connotation of de-emphasis of rational thought or logic.

tough love »    The compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures, to attempt to improve someone's behavior.

trench mouth »    Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a severe bacterial infection of the gums, typically characterized by inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration, necrotized tissue, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, and halitosis.

trump up »    Heavily publicise, promote or market a product.

try one's hand »    To attempt a skill, craft, or trade.

tuckered out »    Simple past tense and past participle of tucker out.

tune up »    To make adjustments to an engine in order to improve its performance.

turn a blind eye »    To ignore or deliberately overlook, especially with respect to something unpleasant or improper.

turn into a pumpkin »    Used to indicate a curfew, or the time by which one must depart.

turn on its head »    To completely change.

turn over »    To produce, complete, or cycle through.

turn over a new leaf »    To engage in self-improvement; to begin a good habit or shed a bad habit.

turn to stone »    To become completely still, not moving.

twiddle one's thumbs »    To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.

two birds with one stone »    Any two things that were performed or completed at the same time by one action.

two for two »    In baseball, meeting two out of two attempts at-bat. Specifically, it means the batter has reached base safely two out of two times.

two's company, three's a crowd »    One companion is better than two.

under lock and key »    Imprisoned with little or no chance of escape.

under one's thumb »    Completely controlled by someone; at someone’s command..

under the impression »    Thinking or making assumptions, often incorrectly.

under way »    A vessel is said to be underway when she is not anchored, moored, aground, or beached[1]. Compare with make way.

unring a bell »    To perform the impossible.

up the walls »    Very busy, swamped.

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

up-and-coming »    Emerging; aspiring; improving; beginning to attract attention or critical acclaim.

urban fabric »    The physical aspect of urbanism, emphasizing building types, thoroughfares, open space, frontages, and streetscapes; while excluding without prejudice to this useful term, environmental, functional, economic and sociocultural aspects.

valley of death »    Death; or a place or period where death is impending.

wake up on the wrong side of bed »    To feel grumpy, irritable; to be easily annoyed.

walk in the park »    Something easy or pleasant, especially by comparison to something.

walk it off »    To deal with an negative emotional event without complaint; to take it like a man.

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

walk the talk »    To do what one said one could do, or would do, not just making empty promises. To walk one's talk is to be innocent of hypocrisy.

walk the walk »    Act competently, like an expert.

war bride »    A company or individual whose business is increased by warfare.

warm fuzzy »    A good impression; a feeling of comfort or trust.

warts and all »    Of or pertaining to a description or other depiction which reveals the full range of characteristics of a person or thing, including the shortcomings and imperfections.

wash down »    To wash something completely from top to bottom.

watch one's head »    To look out for things one's head might bump into.

watch one's mouth »    In the imperative form, used as a warning to avoid or stop using inappropriate language, especially profanity, or disrespectful utterances.

watch out »    To be aware or conscious; to look closely or carefully; to use caution. Often used in the imperative.

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

watered-down »    Weakened or simplified.

way out of a paper bag »    A minimal level of competence or effectiveness, as used in phrases where one is unable to perform such.

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

what goes around comes around »    The status eventually returns to its original value after completing some sort of cycle.A person's actions, whether good or bad, will often have consequences for that person.

what in God's name »    Used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning question.

what on Earth »    Used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning question.

what the Devil »    Used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning question.

what the dickens »    Euphemism for what the Devil, used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning a question.

when the cat's away »    People are likely to take advantage of the absence of authority or enforcement of compliance.

when you're up to your neck in alligators, it's easy to forget that the initial objective was to drain the swamp »    Only because it seems so urgent.

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 past the graveyard »    To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; To proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.

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.

whomp on »    To assail with overwhelming force; to defeat decisively.

whomp up »    To incite or generate.

whomp up »    To produce quickly, particularly a meal.

why in God's name »    Used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning question.

why on Earth »    Used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning a question.

why the dickens »    Euphemism for why the Devil, used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning a question.

wild-goose chase »    A task whose execution is inordinately complex relative to the value of the outcome.

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

willful ignorance »    A bad faith decision to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt. It may also be shown as for a person to have no clue in a decision but still goes ahead in their decision.

wimp out »    To behave like a wimp.

window dressing »    A means of creating a deceptively favourable impression of something or someone; something for appearance only.

wing it »    To improvise; to make things up or figure things out as one goes; or to perform with little or no preparation.

without fail »    Certainly; by all means; as a matter of importance.

wooden spoon »    An ironic prize for finishing last in a competition.

work around the clock »    To work all day and all night without a break, because it is imperative to finish something.

work over »    To improve a prototype, or first draft.

worth every penny »    Completely worthwhile.

worth one's salt »    Competent or adept.

worth one's while »    Good and important enough for one to spend time, effort, or money on.

wrap up »    To finish off a task completely.

wrestling with a pig »    To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.

write down »    In a simple or condescending style.

write one's own ticket »    To be empowered to choose whatever job, financial arrangement, or course of action one desires.

yes man »    A person who always agrees with his employer or superior.

you bet »    Expresses support, agreement, certainty or emphasis.

you can't polish a turd »    (vulgar) Something inherently bad cannot be improved.

you can't teach an old dog new tricks »    It is impossible, or almost impossible, to change people's habits or traits or mindset.

you don't dip your pen in company ink »    One should avoid romantic relationships in the workplace.

you don't dip your pen in the company's ink »    Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.

you don't dip your pen in the inkwell »    Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.

you name it »    Used after a short list to show that further examples are unnecessary; all kinds of things.

you're never too old to learn »    It is possible to learn new things, at any age; (implying) follow your desires and dreams

zip up »    To convert a computer file into a smaller package.

Search from any page on the Web with Abbreviations.com AutoSearch. It's free!