We've found 930 phrases for NA (0.1 seconds):

a bit much »    More than is reasonable.

a cat can look at a king »    Alternative form of a cat may look at a king.1982, A J Ayer,

a leopard cannot change its spots »    One cannot change one's own nature.1597, William Shakespeare, Richard II Act i, Scene 1 (First Folio):King. Lyons make Leopards tame.Mowbray. Yea but not change his ?pots.1611, King James Version of the Bible, Jeremiah 13:23:Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?1820, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe Chapter 32:End now all unkindness. Let us put the Jew to ransom, since the leopard will not change his spots, and a Jew he will continue to be.1918, Johnston McCulley, Thubway Tham's Inthane Moment:The leopard cannot change his spots, old boy.

a man's home is his castle »    (US) a proverbial expression of personal privacy and security

a new broom sweeps clean »    New management will often make radical changes.

a picture is worth a thousand words »    Alternative form of a picture paints a thousand words.

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

a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down »    An otherwise unpleasant situation can be pleasant when a pleasant aspect is deliberately introduced.1999, Eli Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale: History, Genre, Meaning, Indiana University Press, ISBN 0253335833, page 372,One is known as the "sweetening parable," that is to say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Thus, when the aim is to preach to the people, to guide them along the "bitter," arduous path of upholding burdensome precepts and prohibitions, a tale can lighten the load, make the "medicine" easier "to swallow."2001, Maureen Reagan, First Father, First Daughter: A Memoir, Little, Brown, ISBN 0316736368, page 319,It put some fun into the tedious business of preparing for a presidential debate. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, right?2004, John Hoover, How to Work for an Idiot: Survive & Thrive... Without Killing Your Boss, Career Press, ISBN 1564147045, page 11,If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, a barrel of laughs can wash down the big pills you might need to swallow.

a stopped clock is right twice a day »    A normally unreliable person or instrument can occasionally provide correct information, even if only by accident.

a watched kettle never boils »    Alternative form of a watched pot never boils.

able seaman »    ordinary sailor

abominable snowman »    yeti

act like a bull in a china shop »    To act rudely or clumsily in a delicate situation.

add up »    To make sense; to be reasonable or consistent.

after the fact »    Too late; after something is finished or final.

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

against the grain »    Unwillingly, reluctantly. It went much against the grain with him, i.e. it was much against his inclination, or against his pluck.

albatross »    Any of various large seabirds of the family Diomedeidae ranging widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific and having a hooked beak and long narrow wings.

all ears »    Awaiting an explanation.

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 right, my lover »    An informal affectionate greeting.

all the rage »    Very fashionable and popular, like a craze.

all the tea in China »    Something priceless or invaluable.

all things being equal »    Without considering or being affected by external factors.

am I right or am I right »    Rhetorical question from somebody who has stated what they consider to be an unassailable truth.

amateur hour »    A situation or activity in which the participants show a lack of skill, sound judgment, or professionalism.

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

an Englishman's home is his castle »    (UK) a proverbial expression of personal privacy and security

an offer one can't refuse »    An offer from one side in any transaction with the results of failing to accept so unattractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.

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

apple does not fall far from the stem »    Alternative form of apple does not fall far from the tree.

apple does not fall far from the trunk »    Alternative form of apple does not fall far from the tree.

apple never falls far from the tree »    Alternative form of apple does not fall far from the tree.

April showers bring May flowers »    April, traditionally a rainy period, gives way to May, when flowers will bloom because of the water provided to them by the April rains.By extension, that a period of discomfort can provide the basis for a period of happiness.

as luck would have it »    As it happened; how it turned out; by good fortune; fortunately or luckily.

as you sow, so shall you reap »    The personal consequences of one's actions are in proportion to the good or bad intentions towards others.

ask my arse »    A common reply to any question; still deemed wit at sea, and formerly at court, under the denomination of selling bargains.

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

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

at bay »    Cornered; unable to flee.

at bay »    Unable to come closer; at a distance.

at last »    In the end; finally; ultimately.

at loggerheads »    Unable to agree; opposing.

at peace with »    Not menacing or hostile toward.

at rest »    Not moving; stationary.

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

autem cackler »    Dissenters of every denomination.

autem dipper »    Anabaptist.

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

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

babes in the wood »    Criminals in the stocks, or pillory.

baby blues »    Period and feeling of depressiveness after giving birth; a less severe form of postnatal depression.

back-assward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

back-asswards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

backassward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

backasswards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

bad money drives out good »    Debased coinage (with low levels of precious metals) replaces purer coinage (with higher levels of precious metals).(metaphorically) Mediocre talent drives away real talent.

bad news »    News of unpleasant, unfortunate or sad events.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling of guilt, responsibility, or embarrassment as to cause nausea.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling something is morally despicable as to cause nausea.

baggage »    In a metaphorical sense, factors that restrict a person's freedom, often in an intellectual or psychological way: emotional baggage.

bail out »    To rescue, especially financially.

balance the books »    To put or keep any closed or conservative system or its analysis in balance.

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

bale out »    Alternative spelling of bail out.

bang out »    To do something quickly, in a slipshod, or unprofessional manner.

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

banyan day »    In British naval tradition, this originally referred to a day of the week when galley kitchens served no meat on board ship.

barking dogs never bite »    Alternative form of barking dogs seldom bite.

bass-ackward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

bass-ackwards »    Alternative form of ass-backwards.

bassackward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

bassackwards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

be had up »    To be accused of, or arrested for a criminal act.

be the way to go »    Represent the best of all possible options or courses of action; pre-eminate over all other choices or alternatives.

beam up »    To be teleported over a long distance by means of a specific imaginary technology, specifically from the surface of a planet to an orbiting starship.

beat around the bush »    To treat a topic but omit its main points, often intentionally.

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

beat out »    To win by a narrow margin.

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

beauty is in the eye of the beholder »    Individuals have different inclinations on what is beautiful. Individuals have different beauty standards.

beauty sleep »    Extra sleep or a special nap.

been there, done that »    An assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic and is now bored.

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.

bend over backwards »    To make a great effort; to take extraordinary care; to go to great lengths.

bent on »    Completely determined; obstinate.

best of both worlds »    A combination of two seemingly contradictory benefits.

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

big mouth »    The mouth of someone who talks too much, especially by making exaggerated claims or by inappropriately revealing information.

birds of a feather »    C1710, Jonathan Swift, "A Conference," lines 11-12.

birthday suit »    Nakedness; a lack of clothing.

bite to eat »    A snack or quick meal.

black sheep »    A nonconformist; an unusual or unconventional person.

black-on-black »    Something that is invisible or intentionally obfuscated, such as warnings or fine print.

blame Canada »    A catch phrase for shifting attention away from a serious social issue by laying responsibility with Canada.

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.

bleep out »    To censor inappropriate spoken words by obscuring them with the sound of a bleep.

blind »    A covering for a window to keep out light. The covering may be made of cloth or of narrow slats that can block light or allow it to pass.

blow chunks »    To be very bad, inadequate, unpleasant, or miserable; to thoroughly suck.

blow over »    To pass naturally; to go away; to settle or calm down.

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

bog standard »    Especially plain, ordinary, or unremarkable; having no special, excess or unusual features; plain vanilla.

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

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

born in a barn »    Engaging in the annoying behavior of inappropriately, and usually neglectfully, leaving open a door or window.

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth »    Note. The original nautical expression is just born with a silver spoon and describes those young gentlemen who were able to enter the Royal Navy without examination and whose promotion was assured. the converse was born with a wooden ladle.

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

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

bottom of the ninth »    By extension, any last chance or final opportunity.

bottom of the ninth »    In baseball, the second part of the ninth and final inning. The end of the game.

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.

brain fart »    A lapse in the thought process; an inability to think or remember something clearly.

break ground »    To begin digging in the earth at the start of a new construction, or, originally, for cultivation.

break in »    New function more naturally through use or wear.

break new ground »    To begin excavating and levelling earth for a new building, or, originally, for cultivation.

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

break rank »    To march or charge out of the designated order in a military unit.

break the bank »    To exhaust one's financial resources.

bridge »    A construction or natural feature that spans a divide.

bridge »    A statement, such as an offer, that signals a possibility of accord.

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

bring back »    To reenact an old rule or law.

bring down »    To make someone feel bad emotionally.

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

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

broken-hearted »    Alternative spelling of brokenhearted. Feeling depressed, despondent, or hopeless, especially over losing a love.

bros before hos »    Alternative spelling of bros before hoes.

brown bag »    A short presentation or seminar on a given subject, especially one given at lunchtime.

brown bread »    Bread with a brown colour as distinct from white bread, wholemeal, granary or other specific types of bread.

brown power »    The production of electricity made from conventional sources, such as coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power.

built like a brick shithouse »    Exceptionally well constructed; strong or tough.

built like a brick shithouse »    Of a person, with an exceptionally well-developed chest.

built like a tank »    Sturdy; exceptionally well constructed.

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.

burst someone's bubble »    To disillusion; to disabuse someone of a false notion or rationalization that has grown comfortable.

bush league »    A professional sports association at the lower levels of minor league organization.

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

business as usual »    The normal course of an activity, particularly in circumstances that are out of the ordinary.

bust a cap in someone's ass »    Alternative form of pop a cap in someone's ass.

bust chops »    To nag; to berate or hound in an effort to elicit action.

bust one's butt »    To work exceptionally hard.

butt-naked »    Stark-naked, completely nude.

butt-naked »    With the buttocks bared.

butter up »    To flatter, especially with the intent of personal gain.

button-down »    Conservative; conventional; unimaginative.

buttoned-down »    Alternative form of button-down.

by the skin of one's teeth »    Barely; closely; by a narrow margin; with nothing to spare.

by trade »    As a profession; professionally.

call off the dogs »    During a one-sided sports contest, to remove the first-string unit of a team from the game after dominating the opponent.

call out »    To arrange for a professional to call at your home for some purpose.

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

carried away »    Made excessively emotional or excited.

cash in »    To profit from; to use an opportunity to maximum advantage, especially financially.

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

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

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

caught between the devil and the deep blue sea »    Having a choice between two alternatives, both undesirable.

change horses in midstream »    To change plans or approaches at an inopportune time, such as when an effort is already underway, generally considered an inadvisable thing to do.

charge up »    To motivate, to instill someone with determination.

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.

che sara sara »    Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1892 March 17, Cigarette,

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

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.

chew the cud »    To meditate or ponder before answering; to be deep in thought; to ruminate.

chickens coming home to roost »    Consequences visited upon someone who originally had appeared to escape them.

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

clay »    A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.

clear the decks »    To remove, or fasten, all loose material, or partitions prior to a naval engagement.

close enough for government work »    It is not worth investing additional time on perfecting this thing.

clout list »    A usually secret list containing the names of people who are to be given special access, benefits, or influence in a political or social situation, especially as a result of having personal, professional, or financial relationships with those in authority.

cock up »    Unintentionally; to screw up, mess up or f** up.

cold snap »    A period of exceptionally cold weather.

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 in »    Of a broadcast, such as radio or television, to have a strong enough signal to be able to be received well.

come on »    A statement or sometimes action reflecting sexual or relational interest.

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

come out of one's shell »    To become a naturist. To convert to naturism.

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

come to terms »    To accept or resign oneself to something emotionally painful.

come up »    To begin to feel the effects of a recreational drug.

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

common-and-garden »    Ordinary, standard.

common-or-garden »    Ordinary, standard.

company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

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.

controlled substance »    Except for very limited professional testing purposes.

cop-out »    Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out.

coug it »    To suddenly lose a contest through reversal of fortune, mistakes, or bad judgment. The phrase is analogous to "blow it", or "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory".

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

covenant of salt »    A long-lasting agreement.

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.

cross the line »    To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable.

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

crowned heads »    monarchs

cuckoo clock »    ornate timepiece

cure all »    panacea

cut a wide swath »    To clear a broad track through a grassland, woodland, geographical region, or other area, either by natural means or by human action.

dark horse »    A candidate who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice.

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

dead »    Stationary; static.

dead air »    An unintended interruption in a radio broadcast during which there is no sound; a similar interruption of a television broadcast in which there is neither sound nor a video signal.

dead as a dodo »    Undoubtedly and unquestionably dead.

dead as a doorknob »    Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead.

dead as a doornail »    Unquestionably dead. Used for both inanimate objects and once living beings.

dead last »    The standings, often by a considerable margin to the next-to-last-place finisher or after an exceptionally poor showing or season.

deliver the message to Garcia »    Alternative form of carry the message to Garcia.

desperate times require desperate measures »    Alternative form of desperate times call for desperate measures.

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

dirty word »    A word that is considered vulgar, not necessarily sexual in nature.

dirty word »    The name of a topic that a person does not like to hear or discuss.

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

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

do a »    To emulate the behavior/behaviour that is generally attributed to the individual named.

do a bunk »    To escape or flee under incriminating circumstances.

do away with »    To destroy, eliminate, or make an end of.

do something with mirrors »    To jokingly pretend that one did something using magic mirrors, that one is a magician; a joking explanation of the fantastic or the unexplained.

do the nasty »    To engage in sexual intercourse.

do without »    To manage despite the lack of something.

dodge a bullet »    To have a narrow escape; to avoid injury or disaster.

dog and pony show »    Originally, a small, traveling circus featuring animals as entertainment.

dog's breakfast »    An unappealing mixture; a disorderly situation; a mess.

don't cry over spilled milk »    Alternative spelling of don't cry over spilt milk.

don't cry over spilt milk »    It is no use worrying about unfortunate events which have already happened and which cannot be changed.

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

don't look a gift horse in the mouth »    Do not unappreciatively question a gift or handout too closely.

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

don't take any wooden nickels »    Do not permit yourself be cheated or duped; do not be naive.

done deal »    An agreement that has been finally resolved or decided.

down on one's luck »    Unlucky or undergoing a period of bad luck, especially with respect to financial matters.

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

down to the short strokes »    In the final steps or decisive phase of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.

doze off »    To fall asleep unintentionally.

drag one's feet »    To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.

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

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

drill down »    To examine information at another level or in greater detail; especially in a database, to navigate to a more detailed level or record.

drink from a firehose »    To take a small amount from an enormous, hard-to-manage quantity.

drink off »    To drink the entirety of in a short period; originally and especially, in a single gulp.

drive-by media »    Media professionals who "spray" a bunch of repetitive misstatements, mistaken and misinterpreted news reports to cause excitement and confusion. They then figuratively "drive off" leaving the cleanup of their mess and hysteria to others, to correct and properly explain and interpret.

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

drop in »    . Often hyphenated drop-in.

drop in »    One who arrives unannounced or without an appointment.

dry eye »    An eye which is not crying, i.e. someone emotionally unmoved.

due course »    A. 1735, Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels.

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

dummy up »    To make a mock-up or prototype version of something, without some or all off its intended functionality.

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

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

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

each to his own »    Everyone is entitled to their own opinion or tastes.My housemate is a strict vegan. I personally could never not eat meat, but each to his own.

early bird catches the worm »    Alternative form of early bird gets the worm.

earn one's keep »    To perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself financially.

eat for two »    To be pregnant.

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

edge out »    To win in a contest or a game by a narrow margin of victory.

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

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

end of the line »    Final cessation or discontinuance of a process, institution, or person, especially one which has existed for a considerable period of time; death.

end of the line »    The termination point of a railway or similar transportation system.

end up »    To arrive at a destination, sometimes unexpectedly.

even Jove nods »    Alternative form of even Homer nods.

every cloud has a silver lining »    In every bad situation there is an element of good1881, National Academy of Code Administration (U.S.), Folio, page 417:Every cloud has a silver lining; but in the old-fashioned meeting-houses every cloud of hymnal melody generally had a nasal lining before the congregation...1887, Shakers, Religion, page 36:that "a little reserve and thou'lt fail surely," will prove to be true in our experience. Every cloud has a silver lining and so has every sorrow,1918, George Jean Nathan, Performing Arts, page 222:But the most popular attitude toward what we may call "sad" plays is the peculiar one of believing that, since every cloud has a silver lining,

every rule has an exception »    Alternative form of there is an exception to every rule.

everything and the kitchen sink »    Alternative form of everything but the kitchen sink.

execution style »    Resembling an execution; with the victim aware, but unable to defend himself or resist.

f** with »    To mess with; to interact with in a careless or inappropriate way.

face off »    The starting point, in a match of ice hockey. Two players face each other, for snatching the puck.

face that would stop a clock »    A shockingly unattractive face.

fair enough »    An expression used to concede a point; denotes that, upon consideration, something is correct or reasonable; an expression of acknowledgment or understanding.

fall apart »    To be emotionally in crisis.

fall off the turnip truck »    To be naive, uninformed, or unsophisticated, in the manner of a rustic person.

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

fall through »    To be unsuccessful, abort, come to nothing/naught; to be cancelled; not to proceed.

fancypants »    Alternative spelling of fancy pants. The condition of being overly showy; concerned more about one's reputation than anything else.

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

feed the dragon »    To buy or sell products labeled as "Made in China.".

feed the dragon »    To the People's Republic of China.

feel up to »    To have an inclination to do something.

fifteen minutes of fame »    Alternate form of 15 minutes of fame.

fifth wheel »    A type of trailer hitch, which consists of a horseshoe-shaped plate on a multi-directional pivot, with a locking pin to couple with the kingpin of a truck trailer.

fight tooth and nail »    To use every means possible to overcome a difficult opposition.

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

film out »    To transfer images or animation from videotape or digital files to a traditional celluloid film print.

final curtain »    The end to something which has longed for a long time.

final cut »    A group, after a selection process getting rid of other candidates.

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

first rate »    Superb, exceptional; of the best sort; very high quality.

fishing expedition »    A non-specific search for information, especially incriminating information.

flag down »    Use a flag or some kind of signal to get the attention of someone.

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.

fly the coop »    To depart hastily or unannounced; to escape or flee.

fly the freak flag »    To behave in a unconventional or unrestrained manner; to exhibit the uninhibited side of one's personality.

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

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

forewarned, forearmed »    Alternative form of forewarned is forearmed.

fortune favors the brave »    Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.

fortune favours the bold »    Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.

fortune favours the brave »    Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.

forty winks »    Sleep, extra sleep, or a nap.

four-on-the-floor »    Characterised by a steady, uniformly accented beat with a 4/4 time signature.

fourth estate »    Journalism or journalists considered as a group; the Press.

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

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

from time to time »    Occasionally; sometimes; once in a while.

garden variety »    Ordinary, common, or unexceptional.

get a grip »    To relax; to calm down; to stop being angry; to come to one's senses or become more rational.

get by »    To subsist; to succeed, survive, or manage, at least at a minimum level.

get into trouble »    To become pregnant.

get someone's back up »    To annoy a person either deliberately or inadvertently.

get something over with »    To do something quickly and hastily; without procrastination, especially so as to have something unpleasant behind oneself.

get stuck »    To be unable to make progress.

get the axe »    To be fired, axed, terminated.

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

ginger snap »    biscuit

give somebody the runaround »    Especially by providing useless information or directions .

give the elbow »    To terminate the employment of.

go against the grain »    To defy convention; to do something in a manner that is unusual or out of the ordinary.

go ballistic »    To become very angry and irrational.

go bananas »    To go mad.

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 in the out door »    To engage in anal sex.

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 over »    To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze.

go the distance »    To have the endurance to see a difficult sustained challenge to its natural end without faltering.

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...

gone to the dogs »    To have fallen into disrepair or ruin; to have been stagnant or depreciated.

gongoozle »    To leisurely watch the passage of boats, from the bank of a canal, lock or bridge.

good and »    Very; exceptionally; utterly.

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

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

goof off »    To dawdle; to engage in idle activity or inactivity.

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

granary »    A fertile, grain-growing region.

granary »    A storage facility for grain or sometimes animal feed.

grand total »    The entire or final sum.

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

grass snake »    reptile

great oaks from little acorns grow »    Alternative form of mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

green fingers »    A seemingly natural gardening ability.

green thumb »    A natural skill for gardening.

guilty as sin »    Unquestionably guilty.

gut feeling »    An instinct or intuition; an immediate or basic feeling or reaction without a logical rationale.

hack into »    To gain unauthorized entry to, particularly by exploiting little-known weaknesses.

half a mind »    A moderate inclination.

hand grenade »    small explosive device

hand in hand »    Naturally, ordinarily or predictably together; commonly having a correlation or relationship.

handwriting on the wall »    Alternative form of writing on the wall. A divine prediction or sentence to fate.

hang up »    To terminate a phone call.

hard as nails »    Very hard; tough.

harsh one's mellow »    To make someone feel bad emotionally.

has-been »    A formerly popular or influential person whose popularity or effectiveness has peaked and is now in decline. Typically said of professionals or celebrities whose primary success is behind them.

hatchet man »    A professional killer.

hate somebody's guts »    To despise; to hate intensely or passionately.

have a bun in the oven »    To be pregnant; to be expecting a baby.

have a green thumb »    A person with a green thumb, a natural skill for gardening.

have a screw loose »    A phrase meaning that the subject is insane or irrational.

have an eye for »    To have good taste; to have the ability to discriminate or identify quality.

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

have one's ducks in a row »    To be organized; to have one's affairs in order; specifically, to have a multi-person effort coordinated towards the exact same goal.

have one's heart set on »    To want or desire deeply, regardless of practicality or rationality.

have one's name on it »    To be reserved for someone.

have other fish to fry »    C. 1710, Jonathan Swift, The Journal to Stella, ch. 2, Letter 15.

have someone by the short hairs »    To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled.

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 laughs last laughs hardest »    Alternative form of he who laughs last laughs best.

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 »    December 2007, W:Daily News Tribune - Golden Globes nominations a head-scratcher.

head south »    Alternative form of go south; to decrease or become unfavorable; to take a turn for the worse.

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

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

heart to heart »    A sincere, serious, or personal conversation.

heat wave »    A period of exceptionally hot weather.

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

hen's tooth »    Anything not naturally occuring.

hens' teeth »    Alternative form of hen's teeth.

hereinabove »    Above this, in this document.

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

hit a snag »    To encounter an unexpected problem or delay.

hit the nail on the head »    To identify something exactly; to arrive at exactly the right answer.

hold a grudge »    Far longer than is reasonable.

hold down »    To continue, to hold and to manage well.

hold one's breath »    To inhale and then intentionally close the epiglottis so that one's breath is not exhaled.

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 sway »    Dominate.

hold your fire »    Do not discharge your weapon. Used originally for weapons needing a spark or lighting of a fuse to ignite gunpowder, now sometimes used to mean any weapon launching a projectile.

home in on »    To focus or narrow down to something; to find or draw closer, as by trial and error or a gradual seeking process.

home stretch »    The final part of a distance or the final effort needed to finish.

hook, line and sinker »    Naively or unquestioningly.

horse's ass »    A thing or person which is visually unappealing.

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

hot and heavy »    Passionate.

household name »    A brand name that is well known to the great majority of households.

household name »    A genericized trademark or anepronym.

household name »    A very well-known public figure.

hum and haw »    Procrastinate and take a long time before doing something or taking a decision.

hunger is a good sauce »    (dated) Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.1854, Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew, Tom Taylor, Shirley Brooks, Francis Cowley Burnand, Owen Seaman, Punch, Vol. XXVI, Punch Publications Ltd., page 74:His bread and cheese were somewhat dry, to be sure; his ale had become flat, and considerably warmer than was desirable; but hunger is a good sauce, and thirst is not particular.

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

if looks could kill »    A phrase said upon catching sight of someone's giving you a particularly nasty look of discontent or disapproval.

in all one's glory »    Completely naked.

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

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

in one's right mind »    Sane, sensible, reasonable; thinking clearly.

in other words »    Stated or interpreted another way; introduces an explanation.

in stride »    Without emotional upset.

in the altogether »    Naked.

in the light of »    In the illumination from.

in the pink »    Nude, naked.

it ain't the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

it is not the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

it is what it is »    This thing has its own distinct nature; this thing is itself.

it isn't the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

it never rains but it pours »    Unfortunate events occur in quantity.

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

jack of all trades, master of none »    A master of integration, who knows enough from many learned trades and skills to be able to bring their disciplines together in a practical manner; a polymath; a renaissance man.

jack-tar »    Alternative spelling of jacktar.

jacktar »    Nickname for a sailor in the Royal Navy.

jet setting »    The actions of the jet set; travelling from one fashionable location to another by jet.

jet-setting »    The actions of the jet set; travelling from one fashionable location to another by jet.

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

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.

keep up with »    To manage to remain beside or just behind that is moving away from one.

keep up with »    To manage to follow .

kernel of truth »    A core accuracy at the heart of a claim or narrative which also contains dubious or fictitious elements.

kettle of fish »    A situation which is recognized as different from or as an alternative to some other situation, and which is not necessarily unfavorable.

kill off »    To eliminate, or make extinct.

kill the rabbit »    To get a positive test result from an old-fashioned pregnancy test.

kind »    Affectionate, showing benevolence.

king »    A male monarch; member of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation.

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 »    A place to send a person or object that is spent beyond all reasonable use.

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 down »    To hit or knock (something), intentionally or accidentally, so that it falls.

knock out »    To exhaust a personal or animal.

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

knock up »    To exhaust; wear out; weary; beat; tire out; to fatigue until unable to do more.

knocked up »    "pregnant", typically outside of marriage.

la goutte d'eau qui fait d%C3%A9border le vase »    The final thing that is too much and forces a reaction; the straw that broke the camel's back.

ladies man »    Alternative spelling of lady's man.

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

land of opportunity »    A nickname for the United States.

larger-than-life »    Of greater size or magnitude than is naturally or normally the case.

last burst of fire »    A final effort or warning.

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

last minute »    Point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.

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

last word »    A final decision, or the right to make such a decision.

last word »    The final statement uttered by a person before death.

last-ditch »    Final, as a last resort; done in desperation.

laundry list »    Originally, a list of articles of clothing that had been sent to be laundered.

lay down »    To specify, institute, enact, assert firmly, state authoritatively, establish or formulate .

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

leave nothing to the imagination »    To cover or hide very little or nothing.

left and right »    All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.

left, right and center »    All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.

let it be »    To leave something to follow its natural course.

let the cat out of the bag »    To disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently.

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

level-headed »    Sensible; rational; possessing sound judgment.

light bucket »    Nickname for a reflecting telescope, especially one with a relatively large aperture and suitable for observing deep sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies.

like the back end of a bus »    Very unattractive.

line one's pockets »    To accumulate personal wealth, especially in an illegal or morally objectionable manner.

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

little pitchers have long ears »    Alternative form of little pitchers have big ears.

loaded word »    Any word, set phrase or idiom that has strong positive or negative connotations beyond their ordinary definition.

lone gunman »    An individual person who acts on his or her own initiative, without partners, especially one who has sole responsibility for doing something questionable, confidential, or iniquitous.

long finger »    A state of postponement or procrastination.

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

longpig »    Human flesh when cooked in cannabalistic rituals in certain Pacific Islands, due to the allegeded similarity to cooked pork.

look through rose-tinted glasses »    Alternative spelling of wear rose-colored glasses.

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

lose one's shirt »    To lose all of one's money; to go broke; to undergo financial ruin or disaster.

lose one's touch »    To lose one's special mastery of or knack for a particular skill or activity.

lose the plot »    To cease to be behaving in a predictable and/or rational manner.

love nest »    Vagina.

loved up »    Alternative spelling of loved-up.

lower the boom on »    To terminate or abolish something.

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

lucky break »    A stroke of luck; a fortunate event, particularly of the sort that propels one to success, fame, etc.

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

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

mad money »    A sum of money kept in reserve or to insulate oneself financially in the event of the sudden breakdown of a relationship in which one is economically dependent.

made in China »    Cheaply manufactured in East Asia.

made in China »    Manufactured in the People's Republic of China.

made in China »    Of poor or low quality.

make a name for oneself »    To gain fame.

make a virtue of necessity »    C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, act 4, sc.1.

make a virtue of necessity »    To make the best of a difficult situation; to recast or portray an action or situation in which one has no alternatives as an action or situation which was deliberately chosen on its merits.

make it snappy »    Do it quickly; be quick about it.

make light of »    To regard without due seriousness; to joke or disregard inappropriately.

make out »    To designate as the recipient.

make sense »    To be coherent or reasonable.

man up »    To "be a man about it"; to do the things a good man is traditionally expected to do, such as: taking responsibility for the consequences of one's actions; displaying bravery or toughness in the face of adversity; providing for one's family, etc.

managerial inbreeding »    Bad management, caused by managers making poor selection choices in recruitment, rewards, and promotions of the staff that report to them, leading to another generation of managers who lack the necessary skill sets to reward and promote the most effective staff.

match made in heaven »    A very successful combination of two people or things.

match made in hell »    A very unsuccessful or conflicting combination of two people or things.

matter of course »    A natural or logical outcome.

meals on wheels »    Food delivered to the homes of those unable to cook for themselves.

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

measure twice, cut once »    Alternative form of measure twice and cut once.

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

mind one's P's and Q's »    Alternative spelling of mind one's p's and q's.

mine arse on a bandbox »    An answer to the offer of any thing inadequate to the purpose for which it is proffered, like offering a bandbox for a seat.

miner's canary »    A caged bird kept caged in mines because its demise provided a warning of dangerous levels of toxic gases.

miner's canary »    Any thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of danger.

miners' canary »    A caged bird kept caged in mines because its demise provided a warning of dangerous levels of toxic gases.

miners' canary »    Any thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of danger.

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

money can't buy happiness »    Money can buy external things, but true happiness comes from inside.

monkey business »    An activity that may be considered illegal, questionable, or a vice, but not felonious.

monkey on one's back »    An addiction, especially to narcotic drugs.

mouth breather »    A person who is boorish, stupid, or otherwise unattractive.

mull over »    To think deeply about something; to ponder, deliberate or ruminate.

naff off »    A mild version of f** off.

nail biter »    A nervous or uncomfortable situation.

nail biter »    An engaging or exciting cliffhanger.

nail biter »    One who bites or chews his or her fingernails.

nail down »    To attach with nails.

nail down »    Firm or certain.

naked ape »    A human being.

naked as a jaybird »    Stark naked; nude; especially, naked in a public setting and without embarrassment.

name and shame »    So as to single them out for individual blame and censure.

ñapa »    the little something extra

narrow down »    Make more specific.

nary a »    Not one; none.

ne'er cast a clout til May be out »    Advice not to change from winter clothes to summer clothes until June, as there is often a sudden cold snap in May.

near miss »    narrowly avoided accident

necessity is the mother of innovation »    Alternative form of necessity is the mother of invention.

nest egg »    A natural or artificial egg placed in a bird's nest, to encourage the bird to lay its own eggs there.

never look a gift horse in the mouth »    Alternative form of don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

nickel-and-dime »    Alternative spelling of nickel and dime.

no dice »    An unacceptable alternative.

no good deed ever goes unpunished »    Used to express the idea that beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility.

no good deed goes unpunished »    Used to express the idea that beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility.

no great shakes »    Unexceptional; not special or noteworthy; not very effective.

no pressure »    The situation at hand is rife with emotional pressure.

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

no slave to fashion »    A person whose style of clothing and appearance are unconventional, informal, or slovenly; a person who takes little interest in how he or she is dressed.

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.

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

nod off »    To fall asleep, especially while in a seated position or in inappropriate circumstances.

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

not a pretty sight »    Something visually unappealing, ranging from mildly unattractive to utterly disgusting in appearance.

not at all »    Used similarly to you're welcome, as a conventional reply to an expression of gratitude.

not bad »    Reasonably good.

not be able to get a word in edgeways »    To be unable to say a single word because of someone else's talkativeness.

nothing special »    Ordinary, run-of-the-mill.

nothing to write home about »    Not exceptional; not noteworthy or especially good.

now and then »    Sometimes; occasionally.

nuthouse »    A lunatic asylum.

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

odd one out »    Something or someone in a group that is different or exceptional, that does not fit.

off one's dot »    Off one's rocker; bananas; mad.

off the chain »    Crazy and exciting; delirious and wild. By analogy to a frenetic dog when unleashed.

off the deep end »    Crazy, erratic, or irrational.

off the hook »    Performing extraordinarily well.

off the mark »    Inaccurate; not correct or appropriate.

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

off-the-wall »    Greatly inappropriate.

off-the-wall »    Wildly unconventional; bizarre; absurd.

oh, well »    An expression of disappointment or resignation; too bad; pity.

oil burner »    A heating device which burns fuel oil; an oil furnace.

old hat »    Something widely or long practiced, known, or accepted; something conventional.

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 accident »    Accidentally; not intentionally; because of error, misfortune, or lack of caution.

on all fours »    Similar in nature or effect to something else; consistent.

on at »    nagging

on board »    It's a good idea, but let's see if we can get a few more of the management team on board.

on one's feet »    Being stable or capable, especially in a financial or emotional sense.

on steroids »    To a greater degree, exaggerating the characteristics of the previously named object.

on the back burner »    Not immediate; inactive; receiving less than full or regular attention.

on the square »    A discrete, unassuming reference to freemasonry.

on the straight and narrow »    Honest; proceeding according to rules and plans.

on top »    In a dominant position.

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

once and for all »    Finally, permanently, conclusively.

once in a while »    Occasionally; sometimes.

one's jig is up »    Alternative form of the jig is up. [for one].

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.

open a can of whoop ass »    I'm gonna open up a can of whoop-ass on ya.

open prison »    penal institution

or else »    Otherwise or as an alternative.

or what »    Or something else; allows for the existence of an unexpressed alternative to what was said.

out of bounds »    Beyond the bounds of civility or morality; extremely unreasonable.

out of character »    Inconsistent with one's personality, disposition, or usual expected behaviour.

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

out of fix »    Wrong, broken, nonfunctional.

out of line »    Inappropriate or unsuitable, especially by reason of being unmannerly or indelicate.

out of order »    Inappropriate or unsuitable.

out of place »    Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or inappropriate for the circumstances.

out of reach »    Inaccessible or unattainable.

out of stock »    Temporarily unavailable for sale.

out of the way »    Unusual or out of the ordinary.

out of this world »    Exceptionally high quality; wonderful; marvellous.

out the window »    Made obsolete; altered drastically as a result of situational change.

out to lunch »    Clueless, inattentive or careless.

outside world »    The world external to the human mind.

over and out »    Used to signal the end of a conversation, especially one conducted by CB radio or the like.

over the top »    Bold; beyond normal, expected, or reasonable limits; excessive; outrageous.

ox is in the ditch »    This is a big problem; there is unavoidable or demanding work ahead.

paint oneself into a corner »    To create a predicament or problem for oneself; to do something that leaves one with no good alternatives or solutions.

palace politics »    The relationships and interactions of top-level officials, advisors and other powerbrokers within a government, especially as involving internal rivalry and intrigue.

pan out »    By swirling dirt or crushed rock in a pan of water, in the manner of a traditional prospector seeking gold.

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

park that thought »    Alternative form of hold that thought.

pass the hat »    To ask for money, especially from a group of people; to solicit donations or contributions.

peanut gallery »    Any source of heckling, unwelcome commentary or criticism, especially from a know-it-all or of an inexpert nature.

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

penalty box »    That is assessed after an infraction.

penalty box »    The penalty area.

perfect storm »    A powerful hurricane or other major weather disturbance, especially as produced by a combination of meteorological conditions.

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

personal computers »    PCs

pickle »    An affectionate term for a loved one.

pin tuck »    narrow ornamental fold

pink slip »    Notice of the termination of employment.

pissin like a race horse »    To urinate profusely.

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

play fast and loose »    To be recklessly inaccurate, inappropriate, or otherwise ignoring guidelines and conventions.

play second fiddle »    To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.

play the race card »    Donald A. Carson, Love in Hard Places p.94.

play with fire »    To put oneself in a precarious situation with a high risk of getting harmed, particularly emotionally or financially.

plead the fifth »    To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.

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

potter's clay »    A nation or kingdom.

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

pour oil on troubled waters »    To calm something or someone who is tenacious or misbehaving.

power chord »    A chord or combination of notes used in rock music and typically selected to sound good at high volume and high levels of distortion. Power chords make extensive use of intervals such as open fourths and fifths.

power up »    To turn the electrical power on to a device as a precondition to make it operational.

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

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

press stud »    snap fastener

price is right »    The cost of a thing is reasonable and of good value.

pride cometh before a fall »    Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.

pride goes before a fall »    Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.

pride goeth before a fall »    Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.

prima donna »    diva

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.

proverbs come in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0155511130, page 325:Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.

proverbs go in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1932, Bertrand Russell,

proverbs hunt in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.

proverbs often come in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.

pull a »    To emulate a behaviour generally attributed to the individual named.

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

pull rank »    To assert one's authority over a subordinate who disagrees.

punch bowl waterfall »    A plunging waterfall descending from a narrow stream into a pool.

pure and simple »    Plain and unadorned.

put a stop to »    To terminate or abolish something.

put an end to »    To terminate or abolish something.

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

put back »    To return something to it's original place.

put by »    To run a ship aground intentionally to avoid a collision.

put down »    To halt, eliminate, stop, or squelch, often by force.

put down »    To administer euthanasia to, as an animal too old or ill to cure.

put down »    To replace the telephone receiver and terminate a call. To hang up.

put down »    To add a name to a list.

put off »    To procrastinate.

put oneself across »    To explain one's ideas and opinions clearly so that another person can understand them and get a picture of your personality.

put words in somebody's mouth »    To attribute to somebody something he or she did not say; to claim inaccurately that somebody said or intended something.

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.

quicumque vult »    The Athanasian Creed.

rags to riches »    In a biographical context, from poverty to exceptional wealth.

raise the flag and see who salutes »    It generates, usually as a preliminary step.

raise the spectre »    To cause concern that something unfortunate might happen.

rattle someone's cage »    To demand attention; to nag, nudge, or remind.

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.

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

red flag »    A cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong.

red ink »    A euphemism for financial loss.

red light »    A warning light, especially as a traffic signal indicating ‘stop’..

rev up »    To increase the speed of an engine, especially that of a stationary motor car.

revenge is a dish best served cold »    An expression that emotional detachment is ideal when taking revenge, as one is righting the wrongs that have been done to the doer.

ring out »    To make a phone call from an internal phone system to a general telephone network number.

roadwarrior »    Alternative spelling of road warrior.

rob the cradle »    To use a young person for a purpose inappropriate to his or her age.

robber baron »    Especially in the 19th-century and early 20th-century, a business tycoon who had great wealth and influence but whose methods were morally questionable.

rocking-horse shit »    Alternative form of rocking horse shit.

root around »    Alternative form of root about.

root up »    To dig or pull up by the roots; to deracinate.

ropable »    Alternative spelling of ropeable. Able to be roped.

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 away »    To leave home, or other place of residence, usually unannounced, or to make good on a threat, with such action usually performed by a child or juvenile.

run for one's money »    A reasonable opportunity to succeed, perform acceptably, or escape harm, especially in a difficult situation.

run for the roses »    Nickname for the Kentucky Derby horse race.

run hot and cold »    To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure.

run in »    Alternative spelling of run-in.

run into the ground »    To discuss ad nauseam.

run into the ground »    To mismanage to the point of ruin.

run out »    Alternative spelling of runout.

run-of-the-mill »    Ordinary; not special.

scare out of one's wits »    To frighten someone to such an extent that they behave irrationally.

scissorbill »    And railroad term for someone who refused to join the union or who openly colluded with management to thwart the union.

scissorbill »    The black skimmer bird native to the Atlantic states, USA.

scrape through »    To marginally manage to progress.

sea legs »    Alternative name of surimi.

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 banana »    A comedian who plays a secondary or supporting role, especially as straight man and traditionally in vaudeville or burlesque theatre.

second banana »    A person who serves in a supporting, secondary, or subsidiary capacity; an assistant.

second fiddle »    A sidekick or subordinate, or the role of such a person.

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.

see a man about a horse »    A message signaling one needs to go missing for a short while, for any reason, without giving a real explanation.

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 out »    To abandon one's supporters or principles to seek profit or other personal advantage.

sell-by date »    The final date on which a perishable product can be legally sold to the public.

serpentine »    Having the shape or form of a snake.

serpentine »    Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of snakes.

serpentine »    Sinuous; curving in alternate directions.

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

sex up »    To enhance in terms of fashionable appeal.

sexual relation »    Behaviour of a sexual nature between one or more individuals.

sexual tension »    Physically induced libidinal unrest arising between two individuals when aware of each other's presence.

shank-nag »    To travel on foot.

shanks' mare »    One's own legs used for walking; to "travel by shanks' mare" or "ride on shanks' mare" is to walk to your destination.

shanks' nag »    Transportation by foot. To "take a shanks' nag" means using one's own legs to walk.

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

shoot oneself in the foot »    To deliberately sabotage an activity in order to avoid obligation, though it causes personal suffering. Origins in first world war trench warfare.

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

short on looks »    Plain, unattractive.

short strokes »    The final steps of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.

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

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

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

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

shotgun wedding »    A wedding in which the bride is already pregnant.

shoulder to cry on »    Someone offering emotional support to another in distress.

show the flag »    Of a naval vessel or military force, to identify itself by displaying the flag of its country of origin, especially in order to establish an authoritative presence and to exert diplomatic or political influence.

shut down »    To close, terminate, or end.

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

shy bladder »    An inability to urinate in the presence of others.

sign in »    To sign one's name on a list when entering somewhere.

sign off »    Term used to describe the closing of a radio or television station's studios and cessation of a broadcasting signal, usually during the overnight hours.

six of one, half a dozen of the other »    The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it doesn't matter which one we choose.

skimp and save »    Alternative form of scrimp and save.

slanging match »    A row; an argument in which names are called.

slippery slope »    A chain of events that, once initiated, cannot be halted; especially one in which the final outcome is undesirable or precarious.

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.

smell the barn »    To experience heightened anticipation or to act with renewed speed or energy as one approaches a destination, goal, or other desired outcome, like a livestock animal at day's end returning to its barn.

smoke and mirrors »    A deceptive, fraudulent, or unconvincing explanation or description.

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

smoke signal »    A type of flare or combustion device sometimes used as a distress signal.

smoke signal »    An indirect message or indication, especially concerning a future event.

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

snail's pace »    A very slow pace.

snake eyes »    Two ones, after rolling two dice.

snake in the grass »    A treacherous person.

snake oil »    A fraudulent, ineffective potion or nostrum; panacea.

snake oil »    A type of 19th century patent medicine sold in the United States that claimed to contain snake fat, supposedly a Native American remedy for various ailments.

snake oil »    Any product with exaggerated marketing but questionable or unverifiable quality.

snake oil »    Snake oil is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat joint pain.

snap someone's head off »    To suddenly and sharply rebuke or insult a person, especially in response to a harmless remark.

snappy comeback »    A prompt, clever retort.

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

so much for »    An expression of disregard, or resignation; something said upon giving up, quitting, or disposing of something.

so-and-so »    A name used to take the place of an epithet.

so-and-so »    A placeholder name, used when a name is not known; a generic name.

so-called »    So named; called by such a name, with a very strong connotation that the item is not worthy of that name.

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

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

soft shoe »    A speech, explanation, sales pitch, or other set of remarks delivered in a restrained or conciliatory manner in order to persuade, distract, or otherwise influence someone.

sort oneself out »    To calm down emotionally.

sort oneself out »    To organize or solve one's personal problems.

sound off »    To hold forth about something in an opinionated manner.

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.

speak of the devil and he appears »    Alternative form of speak of the devil.

speak to »    To resonate with, to strike a chord in.

spick and span »    Alternative form of spick-and-span.

spin doctor »    news manager

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

sprain one's ankle »    To be pregnant.

spring fever »    A feeling of invigoration and restlessness associated with the arrival of the warm weather and renewal of nature in the spring season.

squint like a bag of nails »    To squint very much, as though one's eyes were directed as many ways as the points of a bag of nails.

stand by »    To do nothing. To be inactive in a situation.

stand to reason »    To make sense; to seem logical, reasonable, or rational.

standard fare »    Something which is normal, routine, or unexceptional; something which is commonly provided or encountered.

starry eyed »    natively optimistic

stick-in-the-mud »    Alternative spelling of stick in the mud.

sticks and stones »    Evocative of the saying "sticks and stones may (or will) break my bones, but words (or names) will never hurt (or harm) me".1957, Brendan Gill, The Day the Money Stopped

sticky fingers »    An inclination to steal.

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

stitch up »    To maliciously or dishonestly incriminate someone.

straight out of the chute »    Something done immediately, or "from the beginning". Taken from rodeo routine: the bucking bronco, or bull, or the calf for the calf-roping contest is kept in a narrow pen, a chute, until it is released and dashes out to its fate.

straighten out »    To eliminate confusion from or concerning.

strange bedfellows »    An unusual combination or political alliance.

suck up »    To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.

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

switch off »    To alternate between; to trade.

switch on »    To turn a switch to the "on" position in order to start or enable a device.

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

take a bite »    To eat a quick, light snack.

take a dive »    To feign a knockout in order to lose intentionally.

take a dive »    To lose or fail intentionally.

take a leak »    To urinate.

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 down a peg »    Alternative form of pull down a peg.

take leave of one's senses »    To go crazy; to stop behaving rationally.

take out »    Alternative spelling of takeout.

take something in stride »    To cope with something without much effort; to accept or manage something well.

take the biscuit »    To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.

take the cake »    To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.

take the fifth »    To decline to comment, especially on grounds that it might be incriminating.

take the Michael »    Alternative form of take the mickey, usually considered more polite.

take the mick »    Alternative form of take the mickey.

take upon »    To take charge of an item of business, or an obligation, as a personal initiative.

talk of the devil »    Alternative form of speak of the devil.

talk out of turn »    To make a remark or provide information when it is inappropriate or indiscreet to do so, or when one does not have permission or the authority to do so.

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

that's just me »    Indicates the expression of a personal opinion, but often used ironically as an understatement.

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 calm before the storm »    A period of peace before a disturbance or crisis; an unnatural or false calm before a storm.

the company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

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

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you take »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you're going to get »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the man »    The oppressive powers that be, including the government and corporations; the system, as coordinated outside of one’s control..

the name of the game »    The overall purpose; the principal goal, or objective.

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

the proof is in the pudding »    Alternative form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

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

the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you get »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you take »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you're going to get »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the sky is the moon »    A new modern combination of "the sky is the limit" and "shoot for the moon".

the straw that broke the camel's back »    A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something.

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

the whistle does not pull the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

the whistle doesn't pull the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

the world is one's lobster »    (UK, humorous) intentional misrendering of the proverb "the world is one's oyster"

them's the facts »    That's the truth, that's how it is; frequently used in reference to an unfortunate truth.

there may be snow on the rooftop but there is fire in the furnace »    Even if a person is in his or her senior years, with gray hair, he or she can still have ambition and energy, especially sexual energy.

those who will not when they may, when they will they shall have nay »    (archaic) One should take immediate advantage of an opportunity that may not be available later.

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 money away »    To spend money foolishly or indiscriminately; to waste money without regard of the consequences.

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

throw one's weight around »    To exercise influence or authority especially to an excessive degree or in an objectionable manner.

throw the baby out with the bathwater »    To discard something valuable, often inadvertently, in the process of removing waste.

thumb a ride »    To flag or signal a passing vehicle in hopes of securing passage.

thus and so »    A generic thing; a placeholder name.

thus and such »    A placeholder or generic name for something.

tickle someone's fancy »    To amuse, entertain, or appeal to someone; to stimulate someone's imagination in a favorable manner.

tide over »    To support or sustain someone, especially financially, for a limited period.

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.

tilt at windmills »    To attack imaginary enemies.

timeserver »    A person who conforms to current opinions, especially for reasons of personal advantage; an opportunist.

tin ear »    Insensitivity to and inability to appreciate the elements of performed music or the rhythm, elegance, or nuances of language.

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

tip one's hand »    To inadvertently reveal any secret, particularly a secret that puts one at an advantage or disadvantage.

tired and emotional »    Drunk.

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

to each his own »    Every person is entitled to his or her personal preferences and tastes.

to the victor go the spoils »    The winner of a conflict wins additional benefits, beyond just the subject of the conflict.

tomato tomato »    Uses insignificant pronunciation difference to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.

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

too bad »    It is unfortunate that.

too bad »    That's a pity; that's unfortunate.

too big for one's britches »    Disturbingly confident, unacceptably cocky.

tooth and nail »    Viciously; with all one’s strength or power; without holding back..

top banana »    The boss, the leader.

top banana »    The principal comedian in a vaudeville or burlesque show.

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

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

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

tough call »    A choice or judgment which is difficult to make, especially one involving only two alternatives.

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

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

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

trip balls »    Experiencing severe drug-induced hallucinatory trip.

trip out »    To hallucinate as a result of drugs.

turnabout is fair play »    It is allowable to retaliate against an enemy's dirty tricks by using the same ones against him.

twist in the wind »    To be unassisted and without comfort in a situation likely to result in distress or failure.

twist of fate »    An unfortunate turn of events.

under the microscope »    Under close scrutiny or examination.

up shit creek »    Alternative form of up the creek.

up shit creek without a paddle »    Alternative form of up the creek without a paddle.

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

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

walk around »    To walk with no real planned destination, but to just walk, to meander "around".

walk in the park »    A recreational walk in a park.

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

warm up »    To prepare for executing an already-learned activity by a limited amount of additional practice.

wash away »    To eliminate, or destroy by fast moving water, such as in a flood, or a high sea.

wash away »    To eliminate, in a figurative sense.

wash over »    To pass unnoticed so that one is unaffected by it.

washed out »    Of clothes. When they lose some of their original colour from being washed so often.

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

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

whack-a-mole »    The practice of trying to stop something that persistently occurs in an apparently random manner at the point where the occurrence is noticed, such as terminating spammers' e-mail accounts or closing pop-up advertisement windows.

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 it says on the tin »    Exactly what is described or what one would expect from the name.

what's in it for me »    To me, personally?.

when in Rome, do as the Romans »    Alternative form of when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

when the cat's away the mice will play »    In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.

when, as, and if »    Used to indicate the timing and contingency of some obligation in contracts, especially financial.

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

white elephant »    An ornament etc that is unwanted or is a financial burden; an unprofitable investment.

white on rice »    A descriptive analogy of closeness. See like white on rice.

who shot John »    A long and involved explanation; a thing of which an explanation would be long and involved.

who's 'she', the cat's mother%3F »    A rebuke especially directed towards children for having referred to their mother, or any other woman in the third person, instead of using a properly respectful title or their name when appropriate.

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

wide of the mark »    Inaccurate.

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.

winkle out »    Tom managed to winkle the truth out of John eventually.

winter rat »    An old, unattractive automobile, purchased for little money, to be driven during brutal Great Lakes winters while the owner's "good" car remains garaged and protected from corrosive road salt for the season.

with flying colors »    Extremely well; in an exceptional, noteworthy, or extraordinary manner.

worked up »    Excessively emotional, excited or aroused.

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

write off »    To record an notional expense such as amortization or depreciation.

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

yank out »    To remove something like a nail, or a tooth with one quick strong pull.

yellow journalism »    Material published in a broadcast or periodical, such as a tabloid newspaper or magazine, which is sensationalistic and of questionable accuracy and taste.

yellow press »    Newspapers which publish sensationalist articles rather than well researched and sober journalism.

you can't judge a book by its cover »    It is not possible to make reliable judgments about things or people by considering external appearances alone.

you can't say fairer than that »    That is good, reasonable, or fair; one cannot hope for a better decision or outcome.

you can't take it with you »    It is not possible to take one's material wealth to whatever world may await one after death.1900, E. Phillips Oppenheim, A Millionaire of Yesterday, ch. 6:"The clause which

you can't tell a book by its cover »    Alternative form of you can't judge a book by its cover.

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 get what you pay for »    In commercial transactions, the quality of goods and services increases as the prices increase, i.e., the more one pays, the better the merchandise.2003, Michael Blumenthal, "For Whom the School Bell Tolls," Time, 7 Dec.:Though it may sound unapologetically capitalistic to say so

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

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

zero in on »    To successfully narrow down a search.

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