accident of birth »
Reference to the fact that various benefits or detriments to the life of a person arise from the circumstances into which that person was born, these being entirely beyond his control.
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account for »
To explain by relating circumstances; to show that some one, thing or members of a group are present or have been processed.
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act like a bull in a china shop »
To act rudely or clumsily in a delicate situation.
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adams ale »
water
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all it's cracked up to be »
As good as claims or reputation would suggest.
|
all thumbs »
Clumsy; awkward; not dextrous.
|
all's well that ends well »
Problems do not matter if things turn out well in the end.
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an offer one can't refuse »
An offer from one side in any transaction with terms so attractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.
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apples and oranges »
Said of a comparison of items that are not comparable.
|
as best one can »
In the best possible way, given the circumstances.
|
at odds »
on bad terms
|
babe in arms »
An infant.
|
back-cloth star »
An actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.
|
balancing act »
An effort to manage many conflicting or competing items or interests.
|
ball up »
To hunch over and pull in one's arms and legs.
|
bat for both sides »
To be a batter for both teams in an amateur baseball game.
|
belt and suspenders »
Redundant systems, affording mutual backup in the event of one failing.
|
bid fair »
seems probable
|
big mouth »
The mouth of someone who talks too much, especially by making exaggerated claims or by inappropriately revealing information.
|
bill of goods »
A collection of items purchased or offered for sale.
|
bill of goods »
A set of misleading or deceptive claims; misinformation.
|
blanket term »
A word or phrase that is used to describe multiple groups of related things. The degree of relation may vary. Blanket terms often trade specificity for ease-of-use; in other words, a blanket term by itself gives little detail about the things that it describes or the relationships between them, but is easy to say and remember. Blanket terms often originate as slang, and eventually become integrated into the general vocabulary.
|
board up »
To block doors or windows with boards, either to prevent access or as protection from storms, etc.
|
borganism »
An organization of autonomous organisms that exhibit collectivism: individual "units" that have merged to yield a unified construct. Such an amalgam may possess a collective consciousness, arguably an emergent phenomenon of social networking.
|
borganism »
Some forms of government.
|
brickbat »
For example, it's quite common for magazines to have a section called Bouquets and Brickbats for compliments and criticisms.
|
bridge »
A valence bond, atom or chain of atoms that connects two different parts of a molecule; the atoms so connected being bridgeheads.
|
business as usual »
The normal course of an activity, particularly in circumstances that are out of the ordinary.
|
butter fingers »
A clumsy person who always drops things, a klutz.
|
camel's nose »
A metaphor for a situation where the permitting of some small act will lead consequently to a larger undesirable act or circumstance.
|
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.
|
captain of industry »
A prominent business person who owns or is the highest-ranking executive of one or more major firms, especially one who has considerable wealth and influence.
|
chain reaction »
A nuclear reaction in which particles produced by the fission of one atom trigger fissions of other atoms.
|
cherry-pick »
To pick out the best, or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.
|
come down with »
To contract or get; to show symptoms of a minor illness.
|
come out in the wash »
Of problems or difficulties, to work out, resolve, or become understood eventually and naturally.
|
come to terms »
To accept or resign oneself to something emotionally painful.
|
come to terms »
To reach an agreement or settle a dispute.
|
common ground »
A characteristic or interest shared by multiple people or systems.
|
concrete jungle »
An urban or other populated area containing a high density of buildings constructed of concrete or similar materials, especially one which lacks greenery and which seems unattractive, harsh, or unsafe.
|
damson jam »
fruit preserve
|
death by spellcheck »
The problems caused by spellcheckers being incapable of correcting most homophone confusions.
|
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.
|
deliver the message to Garcia »
...heaves in a deep breath, gathers himself as though he's crossed a continent to deliver the message to Garcia.
|
desperate times call for desperate measures »
In adverse circumstances actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.
|
divide and conquer »
A combination of political, military and economic strategies that aim to gain and maintain power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy.(computing) Applied to various algorithms, such as quicksort, that solve a problem by splitting it recursively into smaller problems until all of the remaining problems are trivial.(as imperative, proverb) In order to rule securely, don't allow alliances of your enemies.
|
do a bunk »
To escape or flee under incriminating circumstances.
|
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.
|
dumb down »
To convey some subject matter in simple terms, avoiding technical or academic language, especially in a way that is considered condescending.
|
eat one's own dog food »
To test the beta programs that are in the test phase on one's own computers; to dogfood.
|
end of the world »
Any change that seems catastrophic or devastating.
|
Every rose has it's thorns »
everything, even if it seems perfect, has faults
|
execution style »
Resembling an execution; with the victim aware, but unable to defend himself or resist.
|
fall off »
A hip hop term; to completely lose the plot in terms of artistic direction.
|
fine print »
The details, restrictions, terms, or conditions, especially of a contract, often printed in very small type.
|
first among equals »
In the British and other parliamentary systems, a term used to describe the relationship of the prime minister to the other members of the cabinet.
|
flap one's gums »
To speak idly; to talk without effect.
|
flower »
Of plants, a state of bearing blooms.
|
fresh off the boat »
Newly arrived from a foreign place, especially as an immigrant who is still unfamiliar with the customs and language of his or her new environment.
|
give him enough rope and he'll hang himself »
If one gives someone enough freedom of action, they may destroy themselves by foolish actions.
|
God helps those who help themselves »
Fortune comes to those who make a genuine effort to accomplish things.
|
God works in mysterious ways »
Expressing confidence that a conundrum has a solution despite it not being apparent.Expressing that a seemingly unfortunate or unfavourable situation or change may be beneficial later or in the long run.Person A: It seems that I'm about to be fired from my job.Person B: Well, God works in mysterious ways - maybe it'll be the kick you need to apply to university...
|
guinea pig »
A tailless rodent of the Cavia genus, with short ears and larger than a hamster; the species Cavia porcellus is often kept as a pet.
|
hair of the dog »
An alcoholic drink taken the morning after to cure a hangover or withdrawal symptoms.
|
halcyon days »
Period of calm during the winter, when storms do not occur.
|
ham fisted »
clumsy
|
hatchet job »
A treatment which serves primarily to disparage its subject; a piece of criticism which aims to destroy a reputation.
|
haul somebody over the coals »
To express anger with someone in no uncertain terms when they do something wrong.
|
have one's head in the clouds »
To have fantastic or impractical dreams; to think impractically.
|
head scratcher »
July 2002, Fox News - Attorney: Williams' Kids Near Compromise About Father's Remains.
|
heaven helps those who help themselves »
A maxim encouraging people to get involved in their own problems.
|
hell or high water »
Highly adverse circumstances; acts of God.
|
idiot light »
Any warning light or indicator on the dashboard of a car, designed to alert the driver of problems, such as the parking brake being on or the oil being low.
|
in a bind »
In a difficult situation, usually of one's own making; having a dilemma; faced with a problem or a set of problems for which there is no easy solution.
|
in layman's terms »
Explaining something in simple words.
|
in laymen's terms »
In layman's terms.
|
in line »
Suitable or appropriate; keeping with expectations, norms, ideals, or rules.
|
in no uncertain terms »
With great clarity, emphasis, or exactness; without any ambiguity.
|
in one's pocket »
Subject to one's whims because of bribery.
|
in shape »
I hope to get in shape for summer swimsuit season.
|
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 same boat »
In the same situation or predicament; having the same problems.
|
in thunderation »
In any set of circumstances whatsoever.
|
it is what it is »
This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists.
|
it's a long road that has no turning »
encouragement when things are not going well. Just as a long road eventually has a turning, problems also eventually have a solution, even though one might have to wait.
|
keep a close watch on »
To pay careful attention to a situation or a thing, so that you can deal with any changes or problems.
|
keep on truckin' »
To continue or persist, regardless of circumstances or setbacks; to keep trying or striving.
|
keep one's cards close to one's chest »
To avoid revealing one's thoughts, circumstances, or plans.
|
kill two birds with one stone »
To solve two problems at once.
|
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.
|
laundry list »
Hence, a long list of items, especially an exhaustive one.
|
lemon law »
A law dealing with defective items, especially automobiles, and consumers' rights.
|
lion »
A stylized representation of a large cat, used on a coat of arms.
|
lion »
The arms of the University of the West Indies are Barry wavy of six Argent and Azure an open Book proper bound Gules garnished Or on a Chief of the third a Lion passant guardant Erminois. Crest: A Pelican proper. . See talk page.
|
look before you leap »
Don't jump into something too precipitously; be at least a bit foresightful or circumspect.
|
loose ends »
Leftover items that have not been addressed or attended to.
|
lump together »
To put different items or groups together and treat them, or think of them as one single group.
|
make for »
????, translator unknown, author Galileo Galilei, Two Chief World Systems.
|
march to the beat of a different drum »
To do things in one's own way regardless of societal norms and expectations.
|
marry in haste, repent at leisure »
Two things together too soon will lead to problems.
|
meals on wheels »
Food delivered to the homes of those unable to cook for themselves.
|
mince words »
To restrain oneself in a conversation by withholding some comments or using euphemisms.
|
mop up »
To fix problems; to correct or repair.
|
move the goal posts »
To unilaterally change the rules, or terms of an agreement, especially in an unfair or underhand way.
|
noarch »
Short for "no architecture". It is a term used mainly in package management systems to mark packages which are architecture independent. Such packages usually contain graphics, documentation or similar data that can be used on any architecture.
|
nod off »
To fall asleep, especially while in a seated position or in inappropriate circumstances.
|
not on your life »
Absolutely not; under no circumstances.
|
on good terms with »
Friendly towards; having good relations with.
|
on high »
"The Lord our God who dwelleth on high" Psalms 63:5.
|
on the outs »
On unfriendly terms; estranged.
|
one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »
Words spoken by Neil Armstrong when taking the first steps on the moon.
|
out of place »
Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or inappropriate for the circumstances.
|
out of proportion »
Not in a proper or pleasing relation to other things, especially in terms of size.
|
out of sorts »
Irritable or somewhat unwell, with vague medical symptoms.
|
over my dead body »
Under no circumstances; absolutely not.
|
packing heat »
Carrying one or more firearms on one's person, especially in a concealed manner.
|
paint with a broad brush »
To describe a class of objects or a kind of phenomenon in general terms, without specific details and without attention to individual variations.
|
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.
|
plead the fifth »
To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.
|
poison »
Something that harms a person or thing.
|
proverbs run in pairs »
Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.
|
quantum mechanics »
The branch of physics which studies matter and energy at the level of atoms and other elementary particles, and substitutes probabilistic mechanisms for classical Newtonian ones.
|
rain or shine »
Regardless of what the circumstances are, and how the weather is.
|
reckon with »
To settle accounts with or to settle claims with.
|
rivet counter »
A person who has an obsession with the minutae of their particular interest. Anyone preoccupied with small distinguishing features between different items.
|
roach coach »
Whimsically, a catering or food truck.
|
roll down the windows »
To flail one's arms in a circular motion when off-balance, as to mimic the act of rolling down a car window.
|
rough trot »
A series of difficult circumstances.
|
rumor mill »
A group or network of persons who originate or promulgate gossip and other unsubstantiated claims.
|
run around after »
To spend a lot of time doing things for another person or group of people. Often used when that person could reasonably do the things for themselves.
|
run up against »
Begin to encounter problems with someone or something.
|
rush hour »
The times of the day when traffic jams are commonplace, due mainly to people commuting to or from work.
|
second nature »
A mindset, skill, or type of behavior so ingrained through habit or practice that it seems natural, automatic, or without a basis in conscious thought.
|
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".
|
sex up »
To enhance in terms of fashionable appeal.
|
shotgun »
A one-story dwelling with no hallways or corridors, with the rooms arranged in a straight line. Mostly heard in the southern United States.
|
small arms »
Firearms designed to be carried and fired by a single person; often held in the hand.
|
socialized medicine »
A politically charged term used to contrast such systems with free market alternatives and emphasize the perceived link to socialism.
|
sort oneself out »
To organize or solve one's personal problems.
|
sort out »
To organise or separate into groups, as a collection of items, so as to make tidy.
|
spread out »
To place items further apart.
|
standard fare »
Menu items or dining options which are regularly available in a restaurant or other place where food is served.
|
state of affairs »
A specific situation; a set of circumstances.
|
stickhandle »
To deal capably and swiftly with a situation, especially in a manner which deflects potential problems.
|
strip off »
To remove anything by stripping, e.g. items of clothing or paint from the side of a ship.
|
sweet dreams »
Phrase said to someone before they fall asleep, wishing them a good sleep.
|
sweetheart deal »
A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.
|
sword and sandal »
Of or pertaining to a genre of books or films relating fantasy-adventure tales involving heroic exploits in ancient or biblical times.
|
sword and sorcery »
Of or pertaining to a genre of narratives—including short stories, novels, television shows, films, and computer games—which combines wizardry and other fantastical supernatural elements with violent combat using medieval weaponry..
|
take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves »
If you take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things.1750, Chesterfield, letter 5 Feb. (1932) IV. 1500:Old Mr. Lowndes, the famous Secretary of the Treasury, ?used to say?Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.1912, G. B. Shaw, Pygmalion ii. 132:Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves is as true of personal habits as of money.1979, R. Cassilis, Arrow of God, iv. xvii.:Little things, Master Mally. Look after the pennies, Master Mally, and the pounds will look after themselves.1999,
|
take something in one's stride »
Not to allow oneself to be set back, daunted, upset or embarrassed by unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.
|
team up »
To join into a team, or into teams.
|
teething troubles »
Small problems such as are to be expected with some any new and untried system or product.
|
tell tales »
To be lying, to be making false claims.
|
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 course of true love never did run smooth »
There will always be problems in a relationship.
|
the end all-be all »
Something ultimate; the best part of something; the thing which solves all problems associated with something.
|
the grass is always greener on the other side »
Other circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality are often not
|
think tank »
A group of which performs research and develops reports and recommendations on topics relating to strategic planning or public policy, and which is usually funded by corporations, interest groups, or government.
|
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
|
tick over »
To run smoothly and without problems.
|
tiger team »
An engineering or other group assembled to tackle especially difficult or critical problems, often outside the normal chain of command.
|
time flies »
Time seems to pass quickly. Time flies when you're having fun.
|
time flies when you're having fun »
Time seems to pass quicker when one is enjoying oneself.
|
timeserver »
A person who conforms to current opinions, especially for reasons of personal advantage; an opportunist.
|
tip of the iceberg »
Only the beginning; just a small indication of a larger possibility; a problem is much bigger than it seems.
|
to give a person line »
To allow a person more or less liberty until it is convenient to stop or check him/her, like a hooked fish that swims away with the line.
|
too big for one's boots »
Far less capable than one's claims to be.
|
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.
|
two heads are better than one »
Some problems may be solved more easily by two (or more) people working together than by one working alone.
|
two left feet »
Exhibiting particular clumsiness, especially at dancing or at soccer.
|
up in arms »
Angry; preparing for a fight.
|
whatever creams your twinkie »
Do what you will, whatever makes you happy.
|
when in Rome »
Adjust to local customs.
|
when the cat's away the mice will play »
In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.
|
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.
|
wind up one's bottoms »
To finish a job.
|
window dressing »
These latest modifications are mere window dressing, the same problems remain.
|
with open arms »
With enthusiasm, as if embracing.
|
worth the risk »
The benefit of the success is more valuable than the problems caused by the potential loss.
|
you made your bed, now sleep in it »
A moralizing rejection said to someone looking for an easy out, especially of a situation they put themselves into.
|
you make the bed you lie in »
A person's circumstances are normally the result of his or her own actions.
|
you're never too old to learn »
It is possible to learn new things, at any age; (implying) follow your desires and dreams
|
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