We've found 4784 phrases for OR (0.147 seconds):

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

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush »    It is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere potential of a greater one.

a bit much »    More than is reasonable.

a camel is a horse designed by a committee »    An expression critical of committees

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

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

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

a cut above »    Superior to; of a higher quality than.

a cut below »    Inferior to; of a lower quality than.

a day late and a dollar short »    Action that was taken too late and too feeble to be of any use.

a different ballpark »    Something totally unrelated or of a vastly different scale or scope.

a dime's worth »    An insignificant amount.

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

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

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

a good man is hard to find »    Men who make good husbands or workers are rare.

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 little bird told me »    Of information which was gathered from a source not to be overtly exposed.

a million times »    by a factor of a million

a notch above »    Superior to; of a higher quality than.

a penny saved is a penny earned »    A maxim for thrift that says that money not spent may be spent later, or may earn interest in the meantime

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 pull of the hair for being unfair »    The general response to "A kick and a flick for being so quick", which is in turn a response in itself to "A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month".

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

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

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.

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

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

abide by »    To remain faithful to something or someone; to stand to; to adhere.

abide with »    To remain or live with someone.

able seaman »    ordinary sailor

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

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

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

above and beyond »    More than is expected or required.

above one's bend »    Out of one's control or power.

above the salt »    Of high standing or honor.

absence makes the heart grow fonder »    When someone or something is faraway, you realise how much you love (or miss) them or it.

abut on »    To border on.

accident of birth »    Reference to the fact that various benefits or detriments to the life of a person arise from the circumstances into which that person was born, these being entirely beyond his control.

accident waiting to happen »    A thing or situation which is almost certain to eventually lead to an accident.

according to »    According to him, every person was to be bought. - Thomas Babington Macaulay.

according to »    According to the directions, the glue takes 24 hours to dry.

according to »    Based on what is said or stated.

according to »    In a manner conforming or corresponding to; in proportion.

according to »    Our zeal should be according to knowledge. - Thomas Sprat.

according to Hoyle »    In strict accordance with the rules, especially of card games; in the proper or expected manner.

account for »    To explain by relating circumstances; to show that some one, thing or members of a group are present or have been processed.

ace in the hole »    A hidden or secret strength, or unrevealed advantage.

ache for »    To desire, or want something, or someone, very much.

acid test »    A rigorous test or appraisal of the quality or worth of something.

acid test »    To test for the truth.

acknowledge the corn »    To cop a plea; to admit to a small error but not a larger one.

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

across the board »    Pertaining to all categories or things.

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

act on »    To act decisively on the basis of information received or deduced.

act out »    To go through the process of a scene from a play, a charade or a pointless exercise.

actions speak louder than words »    It is more effective to act directly than to speak of action.

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

add fuel to fire »    To inflame a situation, to make a situation worse.

add fuel to the fire »    To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.

add insult to injury »    To further a loss with mockery or indignity.

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

admiral of the blue »    A landlord or publican wearing a blue apron, as was formerly the custom among men of that vocation.

after one's own heart »    Of a person: having the same ideas, opinions or behaviour as oneself.

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

against all odds »    Despite seemingly insurmountable opposition or probability.

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

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

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.

age before beauty »    A phrase said to allow older people to go before younger ones.

ahead of one's time »    Showing characteristics of changes yet to be; present in one's work before later advances in the field; coming earlier than could be generally accepted.

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

aim at »    To design for a particular audience.

air out »    To expose to air; to leave open or spread out, as to allow odor or moisture to dissipate.

albatross »    A double eagle, or three under par on any one hole.

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

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 bark and no bite »    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

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

all duck or no dinner »    All or nothing.

all eyes »    Watching alertly or attentively.

all fired up »    Excited or energized; highly enthusiastic.

all good things come to an end »    Nothing lasts forever.

all hat and no cattle »    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

all hell breaks loose »    Vi A place or state of fury, turmoil, destruction, or chaos.

all hell broke loose »    A great disaster happened or chaos ensued.

all holiday »    A saying signifying that it is all over with the business or person spoken of or alluded to/.

all hollow »    As a foregone conclusion.

all important »    vital

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

all in all »    Generally; for the most part; mostly.

all it's cracked up to be »    As good as claims or reputation would suggest.

all out »    The state of a side having no more men to bat, thus ending its innings.

all over grumble »    Inferior.

all over grumble »    Unsatisfactory.

all over the map »    Widely scattered or distributed; numerous and differing greatly.

all over the place »    Everywhere, especially chaotically or in such a way as to make a mess.

all over the shop »    Everywhere, scattered, disorganised.

all right, my lover »    An informal affectionate greeting.

all talk and no action »    Speaking, promising, or boasting much, but doing little

all that glitters is not gold »    Things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so, things that look nice might not be as good as they look.

all the tea in China »    Something priceless or invaluable.

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

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

all told »    With everything included, counted or summed.

all walks of life »    All professions, lifestyles or social classes.

all well and good »    Basically good, but with some shortcoming or limitation.

all wet »    Thoroughly soaked; drenched.

all wet »    Utterly incorrect; erroneous; uninformed.

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

all's fair in love and war »    unpleasant behavior is acceptable during love and conflict.

all-a-mort »    Sad; at death's door.

allow for »    To take into account when making plans.

almost doesn't count »    Near success (or correctness) is not deemed success (or correctness).

along the lines »    In a general direction or manner.

also ran »    unplaced horse

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 keeps the doctor away »    Apples are healthy and stave off illness.Eat healthy and you won't get sick.

and counting »    Used to show that the number previously mentioned is continuously changing, i.e. increasing or decreasing.

and shit »    Used after a noun or list of nouns in place of "etc".

and so forth »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

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

angel's advocate »    Someone who sees what's good about an idea and supports it.

angle for »    To try to obtain something by subtle indirect means. Political manoeuvres, suggestion, etc.

angle for farthings »    To beg out of a prison window with a cap, or box, let down at the end of a long string.

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

answer for »    To be held responsible for.

answer for »    To guarantee.

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

anything goes »    There are no rules or restrictions.

Apa Sâmbetei »    "for nothing", "to no result", or that what you have done was destroyed or is rendered useless after you finish it.

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

apple 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.

apple of somebody's eye »    A favourite, a particular preference, or a loved one; the object of somebody's affections.

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

apply oneself »    To put forth a concerted effort; to try; to focus.

Après-ski »    A place "after skiing". Typically a bar or pub where people go after a day on the slopes to ease off and meet other people.

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.

argue out »    To discuss to reach an agreed conclusion, or decision.

arm and a leg »    A relatively high price for an item or service; an exorbitant price.

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

arm to the teeth »    To equip thoroughly with weapons.

armed forces »    The Services

around Robin Hood's barn »    The long way around; a roundabout or circuitous route.

around the clock »    All the time or seemingly all the time; constantly.

around the corner »    Imminent.

arse about face »    Something that is placed or arranged the opposite way to the way it should be.

arse over tit »    Tumbling; falling; upside-down; unstable or unbalanced.

as a rule »    normally

as for »    with reference to

as good as one's word »    Faithful to a promise one has made.

as is »    In its present state or condition, especially as a contractual condition of sale.

as long as »    Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; so long as.

as long as »    While; for some period of time.

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

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

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

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 for »    To increase the likelihood of something by persisting in some action; to invite.

ask for »    request

ask for »    make a request

ask for it »    To provoke an unwanted action.

ask for the moon »    To claim or desire something that one cannot have.

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

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

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

assume the mantle »    To take on a specific role or position, along with any associated responsibilites.

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

at a loss »    Below the cost or price of purchase.

at a loss for words »    Having nothing to say; stunned to the point of speechlessness.

at a stand »    In a state of confusion or uncertainty; undecided what to do next.

at all »    Indicating degree, quantity or frequency greater than zero; to the slightest degree, in any way, somewhat, rather.

at all hours »    Late into the night or early morning; when people ought to be sleeping.

at bay »    Cornered; unable to flee.

at best »    In the most favorable of conditions; at the most.

at cross purposes »    Against one another; contrary in direction or goals.

at cross-purposes »    Mutually misunderstanding each other's plans, intentions or meanings.

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

at hand »    Being at the moment the center of attention or the cause of trouble.

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

at home »    At ease, comfortable.

at loose ends »    In an uncertain position or situation.

at peace »    Free of worries; peaceful.

at peace with »    Not disturbed or upset by.

at peace with »    Not menacing or hostile toward.

at sea »    Confused, lost, or adrift; bewildered.

at sea »    On the ocean or sea, typically of a ship or person aboard a ship.

at sixes and sevens »    In a state of dispute or disagreement.

at that »    In addition to what has been said; furthermore; moreover.

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

at the high port »    At once; unhesitatingly; quickly and vigorously.

at the high port »    Or in a charge.

at the ready »    Ready; in a state of preparation or waiting; in position or anticipation.

at work »    At one's workplace.

at work »    Working, in the process of doing work.

au fait »    fully informed;

autem diver »    Pickpockets who practice in churches; also churchwardens and overseers of the poor.

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

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

back down »    To take a less aggressive position in a conflict than one previously has or has planned to.

back into »    To back up or walk backwards and hit something.

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

back to square one »    Located back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure.

back up »    To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so.

back up »    To provide support or the promise of support.

back up »    For the non-striker to take a few steps down the pitch, in preparation to taking a run, just as the bowler bowls the ball.

back-assward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

back-asswards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

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

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

back-to-back »    Identical or similar and sequential.

backassward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

backasswards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

backseat driver »    By extension, anybody offering unsolicited or unwelcome advice.

bad apple »    A person who is not wholesome, honest, or trustworthy, especially one who has an adverse influence on others.

bad blood »    A serious feud or grudge.

bad blood »    Feelings of hostility or ill will.

bad egg »    Someone whose behaviour is reprehensible or irresponsible; a rogue.

bad for you »    Unhealthy.

bad joke »    A situation that is badly planned, or illogical.

bad luck »    ill-fortune

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 »    An irritating, troublesome, or harmful person, situation, or thing.

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

bad penny »    A counterfeit or damaged penny.

bad penny »    A person or thing which is unpleasant, disreputable, or otherwise unwanted, especially one which repeatedly appears at inopportune times.

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.

bag of rations »    A fussy or overly zealous military superior.

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

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

bail out »    To leave or not attend.

bail out on »    To abandon, or stop supporting someone or something.

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

balancing act »    A performance that involves balancing things precariously and suspensefully.

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

ball-breaker »    A person or task which is excessively demanding or punishing.

balloon goes up »    Something exciting or dangerous begins.

ballpark figure »    An educated guess or estimation within acceptable bounds.

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

balls-up »    Something which becomes muddled or botched in some way.

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

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

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.

bang up job »    Something done very well; something performed above average or better than expected.

banged up »    Physically injured or wounded.

banged up »    Spending time in prison or jail.

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

bankers' hours »    Any easy job, especially one with a short working day.

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

banyan day »    In modern usage it refers to a picnic or cookout for the ship's crew.

baptism by fire »    A change in initial attitude or ideals through a traumatic situation.

baptism by fire »    A rite of passage through the survival or success of a crisis.

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

bar fly »    A person who frequents bars or lounges to get drunk.

bar star »    A female who frequents bars or lounges, usually late at night.

barge in »    To intrude; to enter or interrupt suddenly and without invitation.

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

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

barn burner »    Any successful or impressive event.

barnburner »    Liberal faction of the New York state United States Democratic Party in the mid 19th century.

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

barrel »    A solid drum, or a hollow cylinder or case.

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

barrel »    The ribs and belly of a horse or pony.

barrel of laughs »    That which is enjoyable or entertaining.

barrel of laughs »    That which is immature, embarrassing, or disgraceful.

barrel of monkeys »    Something very funny or amusing.

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

bash about »    To physically damage something or assault someone.

bash in »    To break or dent badly by hitting violently.

basket case »    One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic or stress.

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.

bat for both sides »    To be a batter for both teams in an amateur baseball game.

bat for the other team »    To be homosexual.

batten down »    To close or make watertight, referring to hatches and cargo.

batten down the hatches »    Prepare for trouble.

battle cry »    By extension, a strong motto or purpose statement, especially in regards to winning a goal in sports, games or work.

battle cry »    Something the troops yell out when going to war or battle.

bawl out »    To deliver a loud, hard scolding or lecture; to reprimand.

be all ears »    To listen carefully or eagerly; to anticipate.

be around »    To be alive, existent, or present.

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

be in for »    To be able to expect or anticipate; to be about to suffer, generally said of something unpleasant.

be mother »    To pour out tea for others.

be my guest »    Do as you wish; go ahead; help yourself; go for it!.

be of two minds »    To be undecided or unsure; to equivocate; to have multiple opinions.

be off »    To be working against a present or former addiction to.

be on the edge of one's seat »    To be in suspense; to wait eagerly or anxiously for some resolution.

be still my heart »    Calm down, this situation is too exciting or overly distressing.

be that as it may »    Even if that is the case; whether that is true or not; nevertheless.

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

be there for »    To be available to provide comfort and support for someone, especially in a period of difficulty.

be there or be square »    Used to encourage someone to go somewhere.

be up against »    To be challenged by someone or something stronger than oneself.

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

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.

beam up »    To teleport another person or object in the same manner.

bear down »    To intensify one's efforts.

bear out »    To corroborate, prove, or confirm; to demonstrate; to provide evidence for.

beat a dead horse »    To persist or continue far beyond any purpose, interest or reason.

beat around the bush »    To delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant.

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

beat down »    To strike with great force.

beat one's head against a stone wall »    To waste effort on a futile project.

beat somebody to the punch »    To do something before somebody else is able to.

beat up »    Repeatedly bomb a military target or targets.

beat up »    To get something done, derived from the idea of beating for game.

beauty mark »    Or artificially using cosmetics.

beauty sleep »    C. 1900, Ralph Connor, The Man From Glengarry, ch. 23.

beauty sleep »    Extra sleep or a special nap.

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

because you touch yourself at night »    Used to humourously deflect a request for a reason.

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

bed down »    To put an animal to rest for the night.

bed of roses »    A comfortable or luxurious position.

bed of roses »    A pleasant or easy situation.

beddy-bye »    Bedtime for a toddler, going to sleep, going to bed.

bee in one's bonnet »    Something of particular interest or concern; an obsession.

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

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

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

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

before you can say Jack Robinson »    Very quickly. Quicker than you expect.

beg off »    To avoid, or cancel some event that one has previously arranged with someone.

beg to differ »    To differ strongly in opinion or interpretation.

behind bars »    In jail or prison.

behind closed doors »    Public disclosure.

behind its time »    Showing characteristics of the past; present in one's work after later advances in the field; coming later than could be generally accepted.

behind the bit »    An equestrian term, meaning that the horse is evading the bit.

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

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

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

bells and whistles »    Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.

belly up »    Dead or defunct.

below par »    Less than par for the hole or course.

below par »    Not up to the average or normal standard.

below the belt »    Unfair; dirty; not according to the generally accepted rules.

belt and suspenders »    Redundant systems, affording mutual backup in the event of one failing.

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 one's elbow »    To drink alcoholic beverages, especially at a public house or bar.

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

bend somebody's ear »    Sorry to bend your ear with the whole story, but I think you ought to know.

bend somebody's ear »    To bore; to talk too long.

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

best bet »    The best proposal or plan.

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

best of the bunch »    The best or most preferred person or item within a group.

bet dollars to donuts »    To suggest that something is very likely to be true or that one has a strong hunch about something.

better an egg today than a hen tomorrow »    It is better to have a sure thing now than a possibility of more later.

better safe than sorry »    It is preferable to be cautious in one's choices and actions than to suffer afterwards.

better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all »    Having experience of love, even if it ended, is better than having no experience of love.Love is worthwhile despite the pain involved in separation.

better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness »    In the face of bad times or hopelessness, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response than to complain about the situation.

between a rock and a hard place »    Having the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary.

betwixt and between »    Neither one thing nor the other.

beyond one's pay grade »    Beyond one's level of authority.

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

big boy »    A large object or person.

big boys »    Plural form of big boy.

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

big break »    A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.

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

big daddy »    Something or someone of importance.

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

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

big enchilada »    Some item of high value, especially a top prize or reward.

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

big gun »    Someone who is powerful or influential most often in plural form.

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.

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

big up »    To proclaim or exaggerate the importance of.

big wheel »    A person with a great deal of power or influence, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

bigger fish to fry »    A higher valued result or target to reach.

bigger fish to fry »    A much more pressing issue to attend to.

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

bill of goods »    A collection of items purchased or offered for sale.

bill of goods »    A set of misleading or deceptive claims; misinformation.

bird in the bosom »    A secret pledge that one makes for another.

bird in the hand »    Shortened form of "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".

bird of one's own brain »    One's own idea or conception.

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

birds and bees »    Informal sex education, especially describing the sexual activity of animals rather than that of people.

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

birds of a feather flock together »    People of similar character, background, or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another.

birds of the feather flock together »    People who are alike physically tend to congregate and socialize together, despite government efforts at forced integration.

bite me »    An expression of discontent or aggravation to another party.

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

bite one's tongue »    An admonishment to someone who has said something unfeeling or harsh.

bite one's tongue »    To forcibly prevent oneself from uttering a word.

bite the bullet »    To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to continue moving forward.

bite the bullet »    To endure a punishment or consequence with dignity or stoicism.

bite the dust »    To quit, or fail.

bite the hand that feeds you »    To cause harm to a benefactor.

bite to eat »    A snack or quick meal.

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

bitter end »    That part of an anchor cable which is abaft the bitts and thus remains onboard when a ship is riding at anchor.

bitter pill »    Something unpleasant that must be accepted or endured.

black »    Absorbing all light and reflecting none; dark and colourless.

black »    Illegitimate, illegal or disgraced.

black babies »    Third world charities, the missions.

black magic »    Magic derived from evil forces, as distinct from good or benign forces; or magic performed with the intention of doing harm.

black sheep »    A disliked person; one who is disfavored.

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

black-on-black »    A description of the colors of an automobile .

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.

blaze a trail »    To set precedent or do something novel; to break new ground.

blaze a trail »    To show the way or proceed rapidly.

bleeding edge »    Something very current, or modern where there may actually be a hazard or risk in using it, such as with potentially unstable software. The term relates to a sword.

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

blessed event »    An occurrence or occasion which is particularly noteworthy and enjoyable.

blessing in disguise »    A misfortune that has an unexpected benefit.

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

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.

blind »    A forced bet.

blind »    A player who is or was forced to make a bet.

blind »    An 1800s baseball term meaning no score.

blind »    Any device intended to conceal or hide; as, a duck blind.

blind as a bat »    Nearly totally blind, having a very poor sense of vision.

blind date »    A romantic meeting between two people who have never met before.

blink of an eye »    A very short period of time; quickly.

blot one's copy book »    To damage one's own reputation through bad behavior.

blow a gasket »    To become very angry or upset.

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

blow hot and cold »    To behave inconsistently; to vacillate or to waver, as between extremes of opinion or emotion.

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

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

blow out of proportion »    To overreact to or overstate; to treat too seriously or be overly concerned with.

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

blow smoke »    To speak with a lack of credibility, sense, purpose, or truth; to speak nonsense.

blow someone out of the water »    To trounce; to defeat someone thoroughly, at a game or in battle.

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

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

blow this pop stand »    To exit or remove oneself from a less than exciting location or environment.

blow up »    To explode or be destroyed by explosion.

blow up »    To explode something or somebody or destroy something or injure or kill somebody by explosion.

blow up »    To inflate or fill with air.

blow up »    To enlarge or zoom in.

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

blue moon »    The moon tinted towards blue as it appears in the sky, caused by dust or smoke in the atmosphere.

blue note »    Notes added to the major scale for expressive quality in jazz and blues music, particularly the flatted third, fifth and seventh.

blue state »    A state of the United States voting Democratic in a given election, or tending to vote Democratic in general.

bluewash »    To tout a business or organization's commitment to social responsibility, and to use this perception for public relations and economic gain; to present a humanitarian front in this manner.

bluewash »    To use a blue paint or glaze.

board up »    To block doors or windows with boards, either to prevent access or as protection from storms, etc.

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

bogged down »    Stuck; mired, as in detail, difficulty; delayed or made slower.

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

bomb around »    The drive around at speed for pleasure.

bone up »    To study or cram, especially in order to refresh one's knowledge of a topic.

booby prize »    A prize or status, often unwelcome, awarded as a joke or disincentive to the loser of a contest or for poor performance.

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

boot camp »    Any short, intensive course of training.

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

booze can »    A nightclub or bar, especially one which operates illegally or is otherwise disreputable.

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

borganism »    Some forms of government.

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

born in a barn »    Lacking a sense of etiquette; ill-mannered.

born in a barn »    Of humble birth, especially when referring to Jesus Christ.

born on the Fourth of July »    Demonstratively patriotic.

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth »    Born rich or in a wealthy family.

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.

borne out »    Past participle of bear out.

borne out »    Substantiated.

boss about »    To act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.

boss around »    To act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.

bottle out »    To fail to perform a promised or planned action due to lack of courage.

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

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

bottom of the line »    The worst, the most lackluster, or lowest quality currently on the market, especially among selections in a product line.

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

bottoming the house »    The process by where someone cleans their house 'from top to bottom'. It is a very thorough clean indeed, even more so than 'spring cleaning'.

bow out »    To resign, or leave, with one's credibility still intact.

bowl a googly »    Something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.

bowl over »    To overwhelm with astonishment or wonder; to flabbergast.

box on the ear »    Administered on the victim's ear, usually by an educator, to enforce attention.

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

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

box-office bomb »    A motion picture that generates relatively low revenue at the box office, especially that which is less than the budget for the motion picture.

boxer shorts »    underwear

boy in the boat »    Clitoris.

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.

brace of shakes »    A very short time.

brace of shakes »    The time taken for a sail to shake or shiver twice as a ship comes into the wind.

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

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

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

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

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

brass farthing »    Something worthless or of small value.

brass monkey »    A cocktail of vodka, rum and orange juice, sometimes with the addition of galliano.

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

brass-neck »    To behave boldly or shamelessly.

bread and butter »    That which is central or fundamental, as to one's business, survival, or income; a staple or cornerstone.

breadwinner »    The member of a household who earns all or most of the income

break a leg »    A wish for a successful performance; primarily a valediction to an actor wishing him or her a successful theatrical stage performance.

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

break a sweat »    January 2008, The Age - Walkovers blaze a trail for women's equal-pay theory.

break a sweat »    To put effort into something.

break down »    To become unstable, mentally or otherwise.

break down »    To give more detail.

break even »    To neither gain nor lose money.

break even »    To stay the same; to neither advance nor regress.

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

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

break in »    To enter by force or illicit means.

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

break into »    To enter illegally or by force.

break into »    To open or begin to use.

break into »    To try to start in a profession or business.

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

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

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

break one's duck »    To do something for the first time.

break one's duck »    To score one's first run in an innings.

break out »    To escape, especially forcefully or defiantly.

break out »    To bring out, use, or present.

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

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

break the bank »    To win more money than is available to be paid.

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

break up »    To break or separate into pieces.

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

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

breathe down someone's neck »    To follow someone too closely, making it uncomfortable for them.

breathe easy »    To relax or feel secure about something.

brick by brick »    To create or build something in a steady, step-by-step fashion.

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

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

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

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

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

bridge »    A particular form of one hand placed on the table to support the cue when making a shot in cue sports.

bridge »    A prosthesis replacing one or several adjacent teeth.

bridge »    A song contained within another song, often demarcated by meter, key, or melody.

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

bridge »    A system which connects two or more local area networks at layer 2.

bridge »    A valence bond, atom or chain of atoms that connects two different parts of a molecule; the atoms so connected being bridgeheads.

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

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

bridge »    Cue for extended or tedious shots. Also called a spider.

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

bright line »    A clear distinction in the context of a legal or moral judgment.

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed »    Alert and in an eager, frisky, or playful mood; full of life.

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

bring back »    To reenact an old rule or law.

bring down the house »    To garner enthusiastic or wild applause.

bring forth »    To produce, bear as fruit.

bring forth »    To give birth.

bring forth »    To create, generate, bring into existence.

bring forth »    To display, produce, bring out for display.

bring forward »    To call up for consideration.

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

bring home the bacon »    To have a job and earn money or to lead a successful career.

bring in »    To introduce a new rule, law, or system of organisation.

bring in »    To introduce a person or group of people to an organisation.

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

bring in »    To move something indoors.

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

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

bring out »    To make a shy person more confident.

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

bring owls to Athens »    Forgive me, then, for bringing owls to Athens as a thanks-offering. — Goethe, in a letter to Wilhelm von Humboldt.

bring owls to Athens »    To undertake a pointless venture, one that is redundant, unnecessary, superfluous, or highly uneconomical.

bring to heel »    To be forced to obey.

bring to heel »    To force someone to obey.

bring up »    To turn on power or start, as of a machine.

broad shoulders »    The ability to take criticism, or accept responsibility.

broken vessel »    A person who is destroyed or forgotten, or who feels flawed or broken.

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

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

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 thumb »    Lack of skill at growing plants; something possessed by a poor gardener.

browned off »    Annoyed, upset, angry, bored, fed up, disgusted.

brush off »    An abrupt rebuff or dismissal.

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

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

buckle down »    To put forth the needed effort; to focus; become serious; apply oneself.

buckle up »    To fasten one's seat belt or safety belt.

bugger off »    An expression of disagreement or disbelief.

bugger up »    To break or spoil something, or make it inoperative, useless etc.

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

bull session »    An informal meeting among men.

bulletproof »    Reliable, infallible, sturdy or error-tolerant.

bum around »    To wander around idly to no purpose; to loaf or loiter.

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

bum rap »    An undeservedly unfavorable portrayal or reputation.

bum rush »    Storming into an establishment.

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

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

bundle of energy »    One who is especially lively, continually active, or industrious.

bundle of energy »    The energy associated with being lively, continually active, or industrious.

bundle of joy »    A newborn baby.

bundle of nerves »    A person with an especially nervous, excitable, or fearful disposition.

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

buoy up »    To uplift, hearten, inspire or raise the spirits.

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

buried treasure »    Treasure stashed underground or underwater.

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

burn one's candle at both ends »    To work extremely or excessively hard; to work too hard for good health or peace of mind.

burn out »    To tire due to overwork.

burn the midnight oil »    To work studiously, especially late into the night.

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

bury the hatchet »    To stop fighting or arguing; to reach an agreement, or at least a truce.

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

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

bush league »    A low-ranking or inferior level among groups, professions, organizations, etc.

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

bush telegraph »    A gossip network.

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.

business before pleasure »    An admonishment that discharging one's obligations must take precedence over devoting time to pursuits meant solely for one's own gratification.

business end »    The part of a tool or other similar item, that is physically used for its operation, rather than the part which is held.

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

busman's holiday »    A holiday or vacation during which you do the same thing that you do for your usual work.

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.

busted flush »    Anything which ends up worthless despite great potential.

bustle with »    To teem with; abound with; to exhibit an energetic and active abundance of a thing; to be full of a certain activity or active beings.

busy beaver »    Someone who is very busy or hard-working.

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

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

but who's counting »    Used as a retort or comeback, often to deprecate oneself or another for excessive concern or attention to.

button up »    To fasten with a button or buttons.

button up »    To fasten all the buttons on a coat, or similar item of clothing, to keep warm.

buttoned-down »    Alternative form of button-down.

buy out »    To purchase the entire stock or extent of something.

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

buy to let »    To purchase a property as in investment, and to let it out for rental instead of living in it.

buzz up »    To allow entrance into a building from a higher floor by triggering an electronic lock.

by a long shot »    By a wide margin; indicates a very big difference or disparity.

by hand »    Manually; without the use of automation or machines.

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

by hook or by crook »    By any means possible; one way or another.

by one's lights »    According to one's understanding.

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

by the book »    In a manner which adheres strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.

by the numbers »    To do something exactly, precisely, or in a formulaic way.

by the same token »    For a similar reason; in a similar manner; similarly; likewise; along the same lines.

by the way »    His mother will be coming for dinner tomorrow, and, by the way, she volunteered to bring dessert.

by the way »    Incidentally; a parenthetical statement not timely, central, or crucial to the topic at hand; foregone, passed by, something that has already happened.

by the way »    [...] I had counted on a life-lease of the profits, whereas I only received those of a few short years. But this is by the way.

by-the-book »    Adhering strictly to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.

by-the-numbers »    Done in a predictable manner; formulaic.

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

call forth »    To induce, inspire.

call in »    To summon someone, especially for help or advice.

call in »    To withdraw something from sale or circulation.

call it a day »    To cease the activity for the day.

call it a night »    To cease what one has been doing for the night.

call it even »    To declare debts resolved or favors or other exchange equitable.

call it quits »    To conclude; to quit or stop an activity.

call off »    To recall; to cancel or call a halt to.

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 on »    To request or ask of somebody; to select for a task.

call on »    To correct; to point out an error or untruth.

call out »    To order into service; to summon into service.

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

call the shots »    To make the decisions;to be in charge;to give orders.

call up »    An order to report for military service.

calling card »    A prepaid card or credit card, usually electronically readable, used to pay the charges when making a telephone call.

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.

calling card »    An attribute, object, or behavior which is distinctly characteristic of someone or something.

calls for »    Requires; needs to

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

camel's nose »    A metaphor for a situation where the permitting of some small act will lead consequently to a larger undesirable act or circumstance.

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

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

can't wait »    To eagerly anticipate; to find it unbearable to wait for a forthcoming pleasurable event.

cap it all off »    To finish or complete something.

cap it all off »    To surpass or outdo something.

captain of industry »    A prominent business person who owns or is the highest-ranking executive of one or more major firms, especially one who has considerable wealth and influence.

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

carried away »    Made excessively emotional or excited.

carrot and stick »    Simultaneous rewards for good behavior and punishments for bad behavior.

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

carry coals to Newcastle »    To do something that is unneeded or redundant.

carry off »    Knowledge, confidence, or familiarity.

carry off »    To transport away.

carry on »    To act or behave; especially to act or behave so as to attract attention.

carry on »    To continue or proceed as before.

carry on »    To have or maintain.

carry on »    To take baggage or luggage onto an airplane, rather than check it.

carry one's weight »    To contribute or produce one's fair share, as of work, money, etc.

carry the message to Garcia »    To perform a requisite task despite obstacles.

carry the message to Garcia »    To perform a requisite task without having been informed specifically by what method to do so.

carry water for »    To perform menial tasks for; to serve; to assist.

cash cow »    A product, service, or enterprise that generates ongoing, high net free cash flows.

cash cow »    Someone or something which is a dependable source of appreciable amounts of money; a moneymaker.

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

cast aspersions »    To make damaging or spiteful remarks.

cast away »    To abandon or maroon.

cast off »    To discard or reject something.

cast off »    To let go a cable or rope securing a vessel to a buoy, wharf etc so that she may proceed.

cast one's vote »    To vote for something.

cast pearls before swine »    To give things of value to those who will not understand or appreciate it.

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

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

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

catch hell »    Be severely reprimanded, punished, or beaten.

catch it »    Be severely reprimanded, punished, or beaten.

catch on »    To begin to understand; to realize or detect.

catch out »    To discover or expose as fake or insincere.

catch out »    To put a batsman out by catching the batted ball before it touches the ground.

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

catch-as-catch-can »    Intermittent; only when possible or when the opportunity presents itself.

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

caught with one's pants down »    Caught off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation.

cause a stir »    To cause controversy, or raise a disturbance.

cave in »    The act of something collapsing or caving in.

caveat lector »    Reader beware.

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

chalk up »    To attribute, credit, or blame.

chalk up to »    To attribute or account for something.

chalkface »    A cliff or quarry exposing chalk, e.g. the White Cliffs of Dover.

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

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

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

change hands »    To become the property of someone else; to be bought or sold.

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.

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

change one's mind »    To decide differently than one had decided before.

change one's tune »    To change one's story.

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

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

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

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

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

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

cheat sheet »    Any summary or quick reference used as a shortcut or reminder, a crib sheet.

check in »    To announce or record one's arrival at a hotel, airport etc.

check is in the mail »    A common excuse used by debtors to put off creditors.

check out »    To pay the bill, and record one's departure, as from a hotel.

check out »    To have one's purchases recorded and bagged at a supermarket, and pay for it.

check out »    To withdraw an item, as from a library, and have the withdrawal recorded.

check out »    To examine or inspect; to espy.

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

cheek by jowl »    In close proximity; crammed uncomfortably close together.

cheer on »    To cheer and support a team, to barrack, to root for.

cheese it »    A minced oath used as a warning to stop, hide, or flee.

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.

cherry picking »    Selecting only the best from a group or other range of choices.

cherry-pick »    To pick out the best, or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.

chew out »    To lecture, scold, reprimand, or rebuke.

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

chew the fat »    To chat idly or generally waste time talking.

chew the scenery »    To display excessive emotion or to act in an exaggerated manner while performing; to be melodramatic; to be flamboyant.

chicken feed »    A very small or insignificant quantity, especially of money.

chicken out »    To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.

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

child's play »    Something particularly simple or easy.

chime in »    To talk; to join in conversation or discussion.

chip in »    To interrupt a discussion for the purpose of making a comment.

chip in »    To make a contribution; help in a small way; especially, to pay for a part of something.

chip in »    To put into the pot the amount of chips or money required to continue.

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

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

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

chopped liver »    A person or object which is not worthy of being noticed; someone or something insignificant.

chow down »    To eat, especially to eat vigorously.

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

chuck away »    To discard, or throw away.

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

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

circles around »    Far faster or better than.

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

cite chapter and verse »    To provide specific references from an authoritative book, as the Bible or a book of statutes or rules, to support a statement.

cite chapter and verse »    To speak authoritatively, providing detailed factual information.

city slicker »    One accustomed to a city or urban lifestyle or unsuited to life in the country.

claim to fame »    That for which one has bragging rights; one's reason for being well-known or famous.

class clown »    A student who frequently makes jokes or pokes fun; a wiseacre.

clean code »    Software code that is formatted correctly and in an organized manner so that another coder can easily read or modify it.

clean house »    To clean the interior of a house.

clean house »    To reform by removing undesirable personnel and procedures.

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

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

clean up »    To become clean, handsome, smart in appearance, e.g. for a special occasion, especially when it is out of character to be seen as such.

clean up »    To make a large profit; to win by a large margin, or to win a large amount, especially in gambling. Also clean house.

clean up »    To make an area or a thing clean; to pick up a mess; to tidy.

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

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

clear the decks »    To prepare for action.

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

clear up »    To clarify, to correct a misconception.

clear up »    Of stormy weather, to dissipate, to become calm.

climb the walls »    To behave in a distressed or frantic manner; to feel very agitated.

climb up »    To make a gradual ascent or increase.

clock in »    To begin work.

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

close in on »    To enclose around; to tighten or shrink; to collapse.

close in on »    To near a goal or completion.

close off »    To seal or block the entrance to a road, an area, or a building so that people cannot enter.

close one's eyes »    To ignore.

close shave »    A near accident or mishap; a dangerous or risky encounter or incident.

close shave »    A shave that is very short or near the skin.

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

close to home »    Affecting people close to, or within, ones family circle.

close up »    To shut a building or a business for a period of time.

close up »    To heal a cut or other wound.

close, but no cigar »    That's almost correct, but not quite.

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

clothes don't make the man »    An aphorism meaning that you cannot judge a person solely by his appearance. Usually pertains to men.

cloud nine »    A state of happiness, elation or bliss; often used in the phrase on cloud nine.

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.

clue in »    To inform, instruct, or tell.

clue stick »    A metaphorical stick used to beat information or understanding into a slow learner.

coals to Newcastle »    A pointless venture, in the sense of sending something to a place where it's made, or where they already have an abundance.

cock of the walk »    A proud or conceited person.

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

cock-and-bull story »    A far-fetched and fanciful story or tale of highly dubious validity.

cold comfort »    C. 1594, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, act 4, sc. 1.

cold comfort »    Much less reassurance, consolation, aid, or pleasure than one needs or desires.

cold shoulder »    A deliberate act of disrespect; a slight or snub.

collect dust »    To remain untouched and unused for a long period of time.

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 a cropper »    To fall headlong from a horse.

come a cropper »    To suffer some misfortune; to fail.

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

come around »    To change one's mind, especially to begin to agree or appreciate what one was reluctant to accept at first.

come by »    To obtain; to get, now especially by chance or involuntarily.

come down »    To recover from drug-induced euphoria.

come down to »    To reach by moving down or reducing.

come down to »    To depend upon, basically, ultimately or in essence.

come down to us »    To survive to the present day; to be extant in some form.

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

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

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

come hell or high water »    Regardless of the hardships.

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

come in »    To join or enter; to begin playing with a group.

come in handy »    To be useful or helpful, especially at some time in the future.

come of age »    To mature, or become fully developed.

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

come online »    To enter service or become active.

come out »    To make a formal debut in society.

come out »    To end up or result.

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

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

come out of the woodwork »    To appear or emerge as though out of nowhere, frequently in large numbers or quantity.

come round »    To cease anger or hostility.

come short »    Fail to meet (expectations or standards)

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

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

come to a head »    To suddenly reveal that which has lain latent for a time.

come to grips »    To confront or deal with directly.

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

come to terms »    To reach an agreement or settle a dispute.

come unhinged »    To become angered or crazy; to lose control of one's senses or sanity.

come unstuck »    To get into trouble, to have an accident or mishap, to go off the rails.

come up »    To appear before a judge or court.

come up »    To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly; to come to attention, present itself.

come up with »    To invent, create, or think of.

comfort girl »    A sex slave; prostitute.

comfort woman »    A woman forced, or supposedly recruited, into brothels by the Japanese occupation forces during World War II.

coming out of one's ears »    In great or excess quantity.

common ground »    A characteristic or interest shared by multiple people or systems.

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

common-and-garden »    Ordinary, standard.

common-or-garden »    Ordinary, standard.

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

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

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

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

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

company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

company »    Social visitors.

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.

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

controlled substance »    Except for very limited professional testing purposes.

cook the books »    To manipulate accounting information, esp. illegally, by a corporation.

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

cookie-cutter »    Of or pertaining to cookie cutters.

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

cool one's jets »    To become less excited, intense, or active.

coop up »    To confine in a restricted place or situation.

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

cop-out »    An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out.

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

copious free time »    A hypothetical time set aside for performing time-consuming tasks, however insinuating that the speaker really has no free time.

copper-bottomed »    Having lower parts made of or covered by copper.

copper-bottomed »    Thoroughly reliable.

copy typist »    office worker

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

corner the market »    To have exclusive possession; to possess something to a high or excessive degree.

corner the market »    To monopolize a resource or commodity, as with the intent of driving up prices.

corporation pop »    Water.

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

cotton to »    To like; approve of, accept, or tolerate.

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".

couldn't happen to a nicer »    Sarcastically asserts that those in question thoroughly deserve their fate.

count on »    To rely upon, trust, or expect.

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

cover one's ass »    To make preparations or take precautions to ensure that one is not blamed or punished for one's conduct.

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

cover up »    To conceal or disguise.

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

crack down »    To enforce more stringently or more thoroughly.

crack down on »    To enforce laws or punish more vigilantly.

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

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

crank out »    To produce in large volumes mechanically or as if by machine.

crank up »    To increase, as the volume, power or energy of something.

crash course »    A quick, intense course of learning, especially one which is informal or hurried.

crashpad »    Any place used for temporary lodging.

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

cream in one's jeans »    To experience an orgasm while clothed; to be thoroughly excited or delighted.

cream of the crop »    The best or most desirable among some selection.

creature comfort »    Any small item or detail that makes a person comfortable and at home.

creature feature »    A horror film in which one or more monsters plays a prominent role.

creep into »    To enter something or somewhere by creeping.

crocodile tear »    A tear shed insincerely, in a false display of sorrow or some other emotion.

crocodile tears »    A display of tears that is forced or false.

crocodile tears »    Plural form of crocodile tear.

crop up »    To occur, especially suddenly or unexpectedly.

cross someone's palm »    To give money to a person, especially as a bribe or as an inducement to perform a service.

cross that bridge when one comes to it »    To deal with a problem or situation only when it arises.

cross the aisle »    Of a member of a parliament, to resign from one's political party and join another party, resulting in moving from one's currently assigned desk or seat in the legislative chamber to a new desk or seat physically located with the other members of one's new party.

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

cross the floor »    Of a member of a parliament, to resign from one's political party and join another party, resulting in moving from one's currently assigned desk or seat in the legislative chamber to a new desk or seat physically located with the other members of one's new party.

cross the floor »    To vote against one's own political party in parliament.

cross the line »    To cross the equator, as a vessel at sea.

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

cross the Rubicon »    To make an irreversible decision or to take an action with consequences.

crown jewels »    A prized possession or asset.

cruising for a bruising »    Following a course of action likely to result in injury or other trouble for oneself.

crush out »    To force out or separate by pressure.

cry all the way to the bank »    To be happy due to the receipt of money, although expressing sorrow about the cause of such receipt.

cry for help »    Acting out as a means of displaying a subconscious desire for attention or help.

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

cry one's eyes out »    To weep for an elongated time, or in an excessive manner.

cry out »    To shout in a loud voice, due to pain, or fear, or unhappiness.

cry out for »    To say that a situation needs a thing, or a solution urgently.

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

cry someone a river »    To weep profusely or excessively in the presence of another person.

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

crying shame »    A situation that is considered to be a disgrace, or deplorable.

cuckoo clock »    ornate timepiece

cue up »    The act of taking aim on the cue ball with the cue in a game of snooker, or billiards, etc.

cup of tea »    Whatever suits or interests one.

curry favor »    To seek to gain favor by flattery or attention.

curveball »    A forespin pitch thrown by rotating the index and middle fingers down and resulting in motion down "curve".

curveball »    An unexpected turn of events initiated by an opponent or chance.

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

cut a swath »    Variant form of cut a wide swath.

cut a wide swath »    To behave in an expansive, flagrantly showy, or pushy manner, especially in public venues; to exert sweeping influence.

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.

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

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

cut in »    To intrude or interrupt.

cut in »    Especially, to dance with someone who is already dancing by replacing his or her partner.

cut in »    When painting, to paint edges, corners, or trim in preparation for rolling larger areas.

cut it »    To suffice; to be effective or successful.

cut it close »    To judge or finish something close to its limit.

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

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

cut off »    To isolate or remove from contact.

cut one's coat according to one's cloth »    Live according to your means.

cut out »    Well suited; appropriate; fit for a particular activity or purpose.

cut short »    Interrupt and curtail before the planned end time.

cut short »    Make shorter by cutting.

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

cut the mustard »    To suffice; to be good or effective enough.

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

daily grind »    The difficult, routine, or monotonous tasks of daily work.

damn by association »    Discredit or condemn a position, person, or thing by attacking those things with which he/she/it is associated.

damn the torpedoes »    Used to dismiss the risks of a dangerous action.

damn with faint praise »    To provide praise that is so minimal or inconsequential as to actually amount to criticism.

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

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

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

dark horse »    An unexpected success.

darken somebody's doorstep »    To enter somebody else's home uninvited.

darn tootin' »    Absolutely correct; speaking the truth.

dash off »    To leave a place quickly or briefly.

dash off »    To write quickly or informally.

date with destiny »    An inevitable future event or encounter, especially one which is likely to be momentous.

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

day and age »    A time period of years or more.

day in, day out »    Every day; daily; constantly or continuously; especially, of something that has become routine or monotonous.

daylight robbery »    An exorbitant charge for a product or service.

days »    Plural form of day.

dead »     : So hated by that they are absolutely ignored.

dead »    Broken or inoperable.

dead »    No longer used or required.

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 doorknob »    Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead.

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

dead duck »    One who is in serious danger or trouble.

dead end »    A path or strategy that goes nowhere or is blocked on one end.

dead heat »    A close race or contest in which no winner is apparent.

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

dead ringer »    Someone or something that very closely resembles another; someone or something easily mistaken for another.

dead weight »    That which is useless or excess; that which slows something down.

dead wood »    Personnel no longer contributing to an organization.

deadbeat dad »    A man, especially one who is divorced or estranged from his partner, who fails to provide monetary child support when he is legally required to do so.

deadweight »    A useless, usually encumbering factor.

deaf as a doorpost »    Stone deaf.

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

death by spellcheck »    The problems caused by spellcheckers being incapable of correcting most homophone confusions.

death knell »    A sign or omen foretelling the death or destruction of something.

deathblow »    A strike or blow that leads to death, especially a coup de grace.

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

debris field »    Any area, non-dependent of locale, space, or contour, that contains the debris of wreckage, impact, sinking, or other material that once constituted a complete object. Debris fields can be found at the site of air crashes, water vessel sinking, explosions of buildings, collapses, and other events that render a whole entity into components, pieces, or other non-whole items.

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

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

deep water »    A difficult or embarrassing situation.

deep water »    Waters suitable for deep-draft ships, especially ocean-going.

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

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

deliver the message to Garcia »    Programmers are consistently dehumanized because so many do indeed deliver the message to Garcia only to be at best ignored.

den of iniquity »    A place of immoral behavior, usually of a sexual type.

depend on »    To be dependent on something or someone for support or help.

desk jockey »    One who spends his or her time seated at a desk; especially one who is more concerned with procedure, paperwork, or administration than with its ultimate goal or practical consequence.

desperate times call for desperate measures »    In adverse circumstances actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.

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

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

developments »    Plural form of development.

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

devil's advocate »    One who debates from a view which they may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity, or simply for the sake of argument.

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

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

dicky-bird »    A insignificant sound or thing.

dicky-bird »    Endearing term for a small bird, often used when talking with young children.

dictated but not read »    Dictated, as to a secretary or stenographer, but not proofread by the person who dictated the text so annotated.

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

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

dig in »    To make a burst of hard work.

dig up dirt »    To examine in order to find negative information for public opinion, usually with the purpose of embarrassing or discrediting a person.

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

dime a dozen »    So common as to be practically worthless.

diplomatic flu »    An illness feigned by one or more government officials or other public figures as an excuse for an absence really based on political reasons.

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

dirty laundry »    Laundry that is unclean or soiled.

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

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

dirty old man »    An adult male - usually middle-aged or elderly - who acts in a lecherous or lewd manner.

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.

discretion is the better part of valour »    It is often wise to refrain from seemingly brave speech or action.1597

dish out »    On to a dish ready for eating.

dish out »    To distribute or deliver something.

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

dive in »    To start a new endeavor enthusiastically and wholeheartedly.

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.

divvy up »    To divide or parcel out.

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

do as I say and not as I do »    Don't imitate my behavior but obey my instructions.

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

do drugs »    To abuse an illegal drug or drugs, especially as a result of chemical addiction.

do for »    ruin

do in »    To kill or end.

do one's damnedest »    To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.

do one's darnedest »    To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.

do out »    to redecorate; to adorn

do someone proud »    To cause someone to feel pride, admiration, or satisfaction.

do something with mirrors »    To insinuate one has performed a magic or optical trick with the use of hidden mirrors, insinuating trickery and sham.

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 best and live the rest »    First do your work with your 100% dont think about the result

do the hard yards »    To perform a difficult task or tasks.

do the honors »    Act as a host to guests.

do the honors »    Perform a duty.

do the honours »    Perform a duty.

do the trick »    To work; to be successful; to solve a problem.

do up »    To redecorate a room etc.

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

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

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

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

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

dog and pony show »    Any presentation or display that is overly contrived or intricate.

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

dog it »    To underperform; to lag behind; to fail to exert effort.

dog my cats »    Used as a mild oath, or as an expression of astonishment.

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

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

dogs »    Plural form of dog.

don't count your chickens before they're hatched »    You should not count on something before it happens.

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 drop the soap »    (idiomatic) Used as a mockery to someone who is about to be or should be confined in prison.

don't hold your breath »    "Don't wait." Said cynically to suggest that what has just been mentioned to is unlikely to happen soon or at all.

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

don't look at me »    A response indicating that one is not willing or able to perform a task.

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 shoot the messenger »    The bearer of bad news should not be held accountable for the bad news.

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

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

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

donkey work »    Hard, boring, routine work.

doorprikken »    To expose as false.

doorprikken »    To puncture.

dormitive principle »    Words.

doss down »    To sleep on someone's sofa or floor because there is no bed spare.

dot the i's and cross the t's »    To take care of every detail, even minor ones; To be meticulous or thorough.

double booked »    Of a single resource, reserved for two different users at the same time.

double Dutch »    A date where both man and woman pay for their portion of the bill.

double entendre »    A phrase that has two meanings, especially where one is innocent and literal, the other risqué, bawdy, or ironic; an innuendo..

double entendre »    Plural form of double entendre.

double talk »    Lying, especially in a formal political statement.

double talk »    Speaking in a mixture of real English and English-sounding gibberish, for humorous effect.

double up »    To double the quantity, amount or duration of something.

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

down and out »    In trouble; in a bad time or situation or having very bad luck.

down for the count »    Decisively beaten; rendered irrelevant for the long term.

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

down in the mouth »    Sad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.

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

down pat »    Thoroughly practiced, rehearsed, or understood.

down the tubes »    Into a state of collapse or failure.

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.

down to the wire »    At the very end of a process or project, especially one with a fast-approaching deadline.

down with his apple-cart »    Knock or throw him down.

drag »    To act or proceed slowly or without enthusiasm; to be reluctant.

drag »    To move a mouse cursor while holding down a button on the mouse, often to move something on the screen.

drag »    To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty.

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

drag out »    To extend or lengthen excessively.

drag out »    To haul or bring out forcefully or as though with force.

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 bath »    To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.

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

draw back »    To pull something back or apart.

draw on »    To sketch or mark with pencil, crayon, etc., on a given surface.

draw on »    To appeal to, make a demand of, rely on; to utilize or make use of, as a source.

draw on »    To advance, continue; to move or pass slowly or continuously, as under a pulling force.

draw out »    To make something last for more time than is necessary; prolong; extend.

draw out »    To extract, bring out, as concealed information; elicit; educe.

draw out »    To use means to entice or force to be more open or talkative.

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

draw the line »    To set a boundary, rule, or limit, especially on what one will tolerate.

draw the short straw »    To select the shortest straw or other object while drawing straws.

dress down »    To wear casual or informal clothes.

dress up »    To wear smart clothes for an occasion.

dress up »    To wear fancy dress or a costume.

dress up »    To decorate; to prettify.

dress up »    To present in a favorable light.

dressed to the nines »    Very fancily or formally dressed; wearing very showy or splendid clothing.

dressing-down »    A reprimand or rarely, a thrashing.

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 away »    To force someone or something to leave.

drive home »    To push to or into a target.

drive home »    With tangible or powerful demonstration.

drive off »    To force to leave or go away.

drive one up the wall »    To make a person very angry or bored; to infuriate.

drive the porcelain bus »    To vomit, especially while drunk or hung over.

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 a bomb »    To announce surprising or alarming information suddenly and without warning.

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

drop a hint »    To reveal a clue or hint about something.

drop a line »    A note or telegram.

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 »    One who arrives unannounced or without an appointment.

drop off »    To deliver; to deposit or leave.

drop off »    To lessen or reduce.

drop somebody a line »    To write, call or visit somebody.

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

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

drop the writ »    To call a federal or provincial election.

drown out »    To cover, obscure, or hide by being louder than.

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

druthers »    Wishes, preferences, or ways.

dry out »    To have excess water evaporate or be otherwise removed.

duck soup »    Easy, or a piece of cake.

due course »    A. 1803, Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey.

due course »    Regular or appropriate passage or occurrence.

duke it out »    To argue heavily or at length.

duly noted »    In a due, fit, or becoming manner; as it ought to be; properly.

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

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

dummy out »    From a video game in the process of localizing that game from a foreign country.

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

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

dusty miller »    A formulaic phrase for a miller, related to the dust generated in the milling process.

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

dye in the wool »    To dye woolen fibers before they are spun into thread.

dyed-in-the-wool »    Dyed before being formed into cloth.

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.

eager beaver »    Who is very excited or enthusiastic to begin a task.

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

early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise »    platitude from Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym Poor Richard.

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.

ears are burning »    Being the topic of discussion in another place; or sensing that this is happening.

easy does it »    Relax; do something gently, lightly or carefully; slow down; calm down.

easy street »    A carefree situation or lifestyle, especially as resulting from possession of wealth.

eat crow »    To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.

eat for two »    To be pregnant.

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

eat one's own dog food »    To use or consume the economic goods or services that oneself is producing; to be part of a closed household economy.

eat one's words »    To regret or retract what one has said.

eat one's young »    To betray a constituent or charge out of self-serving interests or desperation; savaging.

eat out »    To dine at a restaurant or such public place.

eat out »    To perform cunnilingus.

eat pussy »    To perform cunnilingus.

eat someone out of house and home »    To consume such a portion of one's store of food that little is left for the owner.

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

economical with the truth »    Not telling the whole truth, especially in order to present a false image of a situation; untruthful; lying. Often used with sarcasm or satire.

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

eff off »    A censored form of the phrase f** off.

egg on »    To encourage or coax a person to do something, especially something foolhardy or reckless.

egg somebody on »    To tease, provoke or encourage.

elbow grease »    Effort or hard work, especially physical work involving repeated motion of the forearm, such as scrubbing.

elbow room »    Freedom or leeway.

elbow room »    Room or space in which to move or maneuver.

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

embarrassment of riches »    An abundance or overabundance of something; too much of a good thing.

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

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

end of »    A short form of end of story.

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 of the world »    Any change that seems catastrophic or devastating.

end of the world »    End of habitability for life on Earth.

end of the world »    End of humanity.

end of the world »    End of the planet Earth.

engine room »    The source of power in a team or other group.

enough is as good as a feast »    Just the right amount is as good as more than enough: there is no value in excess.

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

err on the side of »    To behave in a manner which favours or which is biassed toward.

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

even Jove nods »    Alternative form of even Homer nods.

even keel »    A situation in which the boat is level and balanced for a smooth ride.

even keel »    Of a business or other activity which is under control and running smoothly.

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 king needs a queen »    Every man needs a woman to be with for the rest of his life.

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

every man has a price »    Everyone can be bribed or corrupted for a certain price.

Every rose has it's thorns »    everything, even if it seems perfect, has faults

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

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

every time »    Used to express a strong preference for something.

every which way »    In all sorts of ways or manners.

every which where »    A more emphatic version of everywhere.

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

everything but the kitchen sink »    Almost everything, whether needed or not.

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

evil twin »    A duplicate or counterpart of something or someone that acts in a contrary, nefarious, or insidious manner.

evil twin »    A rogue wireless access point installed near a legitimate one for purposes of eavesdropping or phishing.

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

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

eye candy »    Any object or sight with considerable visual appeal.

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

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

f** all »    Nothing at all or very little.

f** it »    An expression of great indifference or nonchalance.

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

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 off »    Either an actual or a figurative face to face confrontation, especially a bitter one.

face the music »    To accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.

face up to »    To confront a condition or situation, typically one that is unpleasant or uncomfortable.

face value »    No more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation.

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

faceplant »    Death or defeat in popular multiplayer online games.

faceplant »    The act of landing face first, often associated with bailing during extreme sports.

factor space »    A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.

factor space »    In a product space.

factotum »    A person having many diverse activities or responsibilities.

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

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

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

fair game »    An goal or object that may legitimately be sought.

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

fall away »    To cease to support a person or cause.

fall behind »    To be progressively below average in performance.

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

fall for »    To be fooled; to walk into a trap or respond to a scam or trick.

fall for »    To fall in love with somebody.

fall for »    be deceived by

fall in line »    To submit to the rules of a higher authority; obey; conform.

fall in with »    To accept a set of generally agreed rules, or a suggestion.

fall off »    To become detached or to drop from.

fall off »    To diminish in size or value.

fall off a truck »    Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession without having been paid for; to be acquired illegally.

fall off the back of a lorry »    Of an item of merchandise, to come into a perons's possession without having been paid for; to have been acquired illegally.

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

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

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

fall on one's face »    To fail, especially in a dramatic or particularly decisive manner.

fall on one's sword »    To commit suicide by allowing one’s body to drop onto the point of one’s sword..

fall on one's sword »    To resign from a job or other position of responsibility, especially when pressured to do so.

fall on one's sword »    To voluntarily take the blame for a situation.

fall over »    To fall from an upright or standing position to a horizontal or prone position.

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.

fall through the cracks »    To be missed; to escape the necessary notice or attention.

falling out »    A disagreement; a major difference of opinion.

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

false step »    An erroneous action or decision.

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

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

far and away »    By a large degree or margin; greatly.

far and wide »    Over a great distance, or large area; nearly everywhere.

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

far cry »    Something very dissimilar or different.

farmer's tan »    The tan line left by clothing, especially, by a short-sleeved shirt.

fat chance »    Little or no likelihood of occurrence or success.

fat lip »    A swelling on the lip, especially one resulting from a punch or other blow.

fear »    A phobia, a sense of fear induced by something or someone.

fear »    A strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.

fear »    Extreme veneration or awe, as toward a supreme being or deity.

feast for the eyes »    Visually pleasing sight.

feast or famine »    A situation in which something is always either extremely abundant or in extremely short supply.

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

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.

federal case »    Any over-exaggerated ordeal.

feed a cold, starve a fever »    Eating more will cure the common cold, and eating less will cure a fever.1887, J. H. Whelan, "The Treatment of Colds.", The Practitioner, vol. 38, pg. 180:"Feed a cold, starve a fever." There is a deal of wisdom in the first part of this advice. A person with a catarrh should take an abundance of light nutritious food, and some light wine, but avoid spirits, and above all tobacco.1968, Katinka Loeser, The Archers at Home, publ. Atheneum, New York, pg. 60:I have a cold. 'Feed a cold, starve a fever.' You certainly know that.2009, Shelly Reuben, Tabula Rasa, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN 015101079X, pg. 60:They say feed a cold, starve a fever, but they don't tell you what to do when you got both, so I figured scrambled eggs, tea, and toast.

feed into »    To be a tributary of another river or waterway.

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

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

feel one's oats »    To feel energetic or frisky; to behave in a vigorous or bold manner.

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

feet of clay »    To say that someone, who appears strong or invincible, in fact has a hidden weak point which could cause their fall.

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

fend off »    Away; to turn away; to defend against; to repel with force or effort.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

fifth wheel »    Anything superfluous or unnecessary.

fight fire with fire »    To respond to an attack with a similar or identical method.

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

fight off »    To succeed in defeating a challenge, or an attack.

fight off »    To resist, particularly an infection or an emotion.

figure out »    To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.

file away »    To store in a file.

fill in »    To fill; to replace material that is absent or has been removed.

fill in »    To inform somebody, especially to supply someone missing or missed information.

fill in »    To substitute for somebody or something.

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

fill somebody's shoes »    To do somebody's job; to perform or assume somebody's role.

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

filter down »    Of information, or resources; to move slowly down to lower levels of an organisation, or population.

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

find out »    To discover, as by asking or exploring.

fine feathers make fine birds »    Something that appears beautiful or good is by definition beautiful or good.

fine print »    The details, restrictions, terms, or conditions, especially of a contract, often printed in very small type.

fine words butter no parsnips »    Talking about doing something does not get it done.

fire away »    To begin to talk or present information quickly.

fire drill »    An organised practice to prepare occupants of an office, school or other public building for evacuation in the event of a fire.

fire off »    To write a note or letter quickly.

fire-breathing »    Caustic, vitriolic or scathing.

fire-breathing »    That emits flame from the mouth or nostrils.

firm up »    To make muscles more toned through physical exercise.

firm up »    To make tentative plans more definite.

first among equals »    A person or position that if formally equivalent to others in a group, but is superior in some attribute.

first come, first served »    People will be dealt with in the order they arrive.

first of all »    Firstly; before anything else.

first port of call »    The first place to go to start a process.

first port of call »    The first port that a vessel calls in at after the start of a voyage.

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

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

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

fish or cut bait »    To choose between taking action now, or forgoing the opportunity and putting that energy into another endeavor; to decide.

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

fishtail »    The tail of a fish, or an object resembling this.

fit into »    To be of similar cultural or social status as the members of a group of people.

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

five-finger discount »    Theft or pilferage, typically of a small item; shoplifting.

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

fix up »    To repair or refurbish.

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

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

flat chat »    At maximum capability or speed.

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

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

flea in one's ear »    A stinging rebuke or rebuff.

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

flick the bean »    To masturbate by stimulating the clitoris.

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.

flipside »    Later or tomorrow.

flipside »    A necessary consequence or corollary of something; especially one seen as opposite, or as pro versus con.

flipside »    The B-side of a phonograph record.

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

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

flogging the land »    Damaging agricultural land through excessive grazing or clearing.

flower »    An inflorescence that resembles a flower, but actually contains many small florets, such as a sunflower.

flower »    The best examples or representatives of a group.

flower »    The vulva, especially the labia majora.

fluff up »    To make a gaffe or blunder.

flunk out »    Often requiring a retaking of the course or academic year.

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

fly in the face of »    To act in a manner highly contrary to; to counteract or contradict.

fly in the ointment »    Something which ruins or spoils everything else; a nuisance or problem; an unpleasant or disagreeable detail.

fly off the handle »    To become very angry or enraged; to throw a fit or go crazy.

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

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

fly the coop »    To escape from a pen or similar enclosure.

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.

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

fly-by-night »    One who departs or flees at night in order to avoid creditors, law enforcement etc. .

flying visit »    A very short visit.

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

follow suit »    To play a card of the same suit as the previous or leading card.

fool's errand »    A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.

fool's paradise »    A state of happiness due to illusion or false hope.

fools rush in where angels fear to tread »    A person who does not plan ahead and think matters through becomes involved in risky or unfavorable situations which prudent people avoid.

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

for all intensive purposes »    For all highly demanding purposes.[1].

for all intensive purposes »    Misconstruction of “for all intents and purposes”.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10].

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

for all one is worth »    Intensely, vigorously, with as much effort as one can supply.

for all the world »    Entirely, to all appearances.

for crying out loud »    Expresses frustration, exasperation, or annoyance.

for f**'s sake »    An expression of anger or frustration.

for good »    Forever; permanently.

for good and all »    Permanently, forever.

for good measure »    As a precaution; just in case; added as an extra.

for goodness' sake »    This interjection expresses frustration, exasperation, annoyance.

for goodness' sake »    This interjection expresses surprise or amazement.

for heaven's sake »    Expresses frustration, exasperation, or annoyance.

for keeps »    Permanently.

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

for keeps »    With an agreement or intention to retain what one gains or receives.

for kicks »    In order to obtain pleasure or excitement; for fun.

for my money »    Used to mark a statement made by the speaker as an opinion or something not known with certainty.

for Pete's sake »    Expresses frustration, exasperation, annoyance.

for starters »    as a beginning

for that matter »    As far as that is concerned.

for the birds »    Worthless; pointless; not deserving serious consideration.

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

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

for the love of »    Used to form interjections expressing exasperation.

for the most part »    Mostly; in general; usually.

for the nonce »    For the time being, with the expectation that the situation may change.

for the record »    Already publicly known.

for the record »    For the purpose of being recorded.

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

for the time being »    Temporarily; until later.

for XYZ reasons »    For reasons unknown and not worth speculating on.

forbidden fruit »    Illicit pleasure; something that one should not take or get involved with, such as an another person's spouse.

forbidden fruit »    The fruit forbidden to Adam.

forbidden fruit is the sweetest »    Forbidden things have more worthwhile short-term consequences.

force of habit »    An act that has been repeated to the point where the performance of the act becomes automatic.

force someone's hand »    Bring about a situation which necessitates an agent to act, often causing a plan to be executed prematurely.

forewarned is forearmed »    Advance awareness of a situation, especially a risky one, prepares one to deal with it.1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash, ch. 4:[W]hatever a young gentleman of that age says to you, he says to many other ladies; but your experience is not equal to your sense; so profit by mine . . . forewarned is forearmed.1885, G. A. Henty, Saint George for England, ch. 4:Sometimes, they say, it is wiser to remain in ignorance; at other times forewarned is forearmed.circa 1903, Lucy Maud Montgomery, "Why Mr. Cropper Changed His Mind":"Well, Miss Maxwell, I think it only fair to tell you that you may have trouble with those boys when they do come. Forewarned is forearmed, you know."

forewarned, forearmed »    Alternative form of forewarned is forearmed.

fork over »    Hundreds of spectators forked over the 70 bucks for tickets.

fork over »    I forked over half the allotment this morning.

fork over »    To turn over soil with a gardening fork.

forked tongue »    The characteristic of deceptiveness; duplicity; untruthfulness.

fortune favors the bold »    Luck is usually on the side of those who take chances and risks.

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.

fountain of youth »    Anything reputed to have the power to restore health and vitality or to restore a youthful appearance.

four score and seven years ago »    87 years prior to today.

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

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

four-on-the-floor »    Relating to a vehicle with a four-speed manual transmission mounted beside the driver on the floor of the vehicle.

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.

fox in the henhouse »    A relationships wherein a predator is granted free reign within the prey's home confinement, often used in the political sense.

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.

free lunch »    Something obtained without any payment, obligation or effort.

free rein »    Loose rein, as of a horse.

free ride »    An opportunity or benefit which has no cost, especially one enjoyed or undertaken at the expense of others.

free-for-all »    Chaos; a chaotic situation lacking rules or control.

fresh legs »    Somebody who has yet to play in a match, and therefore has plenty of energy.

fresh off the boat »    Newly arrived from a foreign place, especially as an immigrant who is still unfamiliar with the customs and language of his or her new environment.

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

frog in one's throat »    Hoarseness or the need to cough.

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

from the ground up »    From the beginning; starting with the basics, foundation, or fundamentals.

from the word go »    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

front and center »    A command to come to the center of attention of an assemblage, as of military personnel or students.

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

fruit of one's loins »    One's child, children, or descendents.

fruit of the poisonous tree »    And which is therefore excluded from being admitted as evidence in a trial.

fruit of the union »    A child, especially from a marriage or similar union.

fudge the issue »    Adopt a solution to a specific problem which does not address the larger, more general problem of which the specific problem is an instance.

full as a goog »    Having eaten too much, or being drunk.

full blast »    Maximum capacity or effort.

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

full of beans »    Incorrect; uninformed; exaggerating or expressing falsehood.

full of hot air »    Talking a lot, especially without saying anything of value or meaning.

full of it »    Speaking nonsense; lying, exaggerating, or boasting.

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

full of shit »    Characterized by speaking nonsense or falsehoods.

full speed ahead »    A command, especially on military vessels, to move forward at maximum speed.

full speed ahead »    Maximum effort without reservations or delay.

full to the gills »    Completely or overly full.

full-fledged »    Having full qualification, credentials or preparation; entire; real.

funny money »    Bills of any foreign currency or of counterfeit origin.

funny money »    Money gained in a devious or sneaky manner.

gagging for it »    Up for it, having a strong desire for sex.

gallows humor »    Comedy that makes light of death or other very serious matters.

game face »    The expression of one who is prepared for or is facing a lot of difficult and/or undesirable work, especially when it is imminent.

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

gang up on »    To join together in a gang in order to overpower someone else.

gapers' block »    A traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or other roadside distraction.

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

garden variety »    Ordinary, common, or unexceptional.

gear up »    To prepare for an activity.

gentleman of the back door »    A sodomite.

get »    A difficult return or block of a shot.

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

get a handle on »    To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control.

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

get a leg up »    To get a boost or a lift.

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

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

get along »    To be together or coexist well, without arguments or trouble.

get away with »    To do something which is prohibited, forbidden or generally not allowed, and not be punished for the action.

get away with murder »    To do something bad or illegal and not be punished.

get bent out of shape »    To take offense; to become angry, agitated or upset.

get busy »    Start working, usually in opposition to idleness.

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

get cold feet »    To become nervous or anxious and reconsider a decision about an upcoming event.

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

get down to business »    To become involved with something work-related.

get high »    To intoxicate oneself with drugs or other substances.

get in »    To get into or inside something, literally or figuratively.

get in someone's hair »    To hinder someone or interfere with their actions.

get into trouble »    To perform an action which is illegal, prohibited, forbidden or proscribed and to become subject to punishment for such action.

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

get it »    To possess a preferred outlook on a given issue or issues.

get it »    To realize or understand why a joke is funny.

get it »    To understand, comprehend, or grasp.

get it over with »    To do or finish, especially said of something unpleasant.

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

get off »    To disembark from mass transportation, such as a bus or train.

get off »    To stop touching or interfering with something or someone.

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

get off the ground »    To succeed or begin to succeed.

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

get on somebody's nerves »    To annoy or irritate; to bother.

get on someone's wick »    To annoy or upset someone, usually by repeated disagreeable actions.

get one's act together »    To become serious, organized, worthwhile, etc.

get one's back up »    To become angry, defensive, or irritable.

get one's foot in the door »    To initiate contact or a relationship; to gain access, especially to an entry-level job.

get one's knickers in a twist »    To become overwrought or unnecessarily upset over a trivial matter.

get one's marching orders »    To be dismissed disgracefully.

get one's wires crossed »    To get confused or mixed up; to make a mistake.

get out of bed on the wrong side »    To start the day in a bad mood for no apparent reason.

get out of Dodge »    To leave; in particular to leave a difficult or dangerous environment with all possible haste.

get out of here »    To leave or exit a place.

get over »    To forget, and move on.

get somebody's goat »    To annoy, infuriate, bother, or incense.

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

get someone's nose out of joint »    To become angry; to take offense or take exception.

get stuck in »    To dedicate a large amount of effort towards.

get taken in »    To be fooled; to fall for.

get the bacon bad »    To be morbidly obese.

get the better of »    To overwhelm or overcome; to influence heavily; to tend to control or persuade.

get the drift »    To understand, at least at some basic or general level.

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

gird up one's loins »    To prepare oneself for something demanding.

give 'em enough rope »    Allow one to function unhindered, or without further overbearing oversight.

give 110%25 »    Make the maximum possible effort.

give a man a fish »    Shortened form of give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime »    It is more worthwhile to teach someone to do something, than to do something for them.

give a sneck posset »    To fasten the door latch.

give a sneck posset »    To give someone a cold reception; to close the door on someone; to reject them.

give and take »    A process of compromise or accommodation.

give as good as one gets »    To behave toward others in a manner resembling or commensurate with their behavior towards oneself, especially in a situation where one is insulted or otherwise ill-treated.

give away the store »    To transact, trade, or negotiate badly, by paying, providing, or conceding too much to the other party.

give birth »    To produce new life into the world; to have a baby. Transitive when used with to.

give chase »    To chase or pursue a person.

give ear »    To listen: to devote one's attention to an auditory event.

give face »    To honor; to pay respect.

give head »    To perform oral sex on another person.

give hostage to fortune »    He was very cautious with his words and gave no hostages to fortune.

give hostage to fortune »    To take an action or make a statement that is risky because it could cause you trouble later.

give in »    To collapse or fall.

give in »    To relent or yield.

give it a go »    To try or attempt.

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

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

give me liberty or give me death »    A set-phrase indicating enormous displeasure at any over-authoritarian policy or law.

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

give or take »    Approximately; plus or minus some unknown amount.

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

give some skin »    To greet or congratulate someone by slapping his or her palm; see slap me five.

give somebody a hand »    To help, aid, or assist.

give somebody a hard time »    To tease, kid, or rib.

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

give somebody pause »    To give somebody cause for concern.

give somebody the brush-off »    To rebuff, snub or curtly reject someone.

give somebody the cold shoulder »    To snub, resist or reject somebody; to regard somebody distantly.

give somebody the creeps »    To give someone a feeling of uneasiness or mild fright.

give somebody the heave-ho »    To fire, expel or break up with someone.

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

give somebody the slip »    To evade, escape, or get away from somebody.

give somebody what-for »    To admonish or berate; to speak angrily at somebody.

give someone what for »    To punish; to rebuke.

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

give the time of day »    To acknowledge somebody; to give somebody any respect or attention.

glimmer »    A faint or remote possibility.

gloss over »    To cover up a mistake or a crime; to hush up or whitewash.

glow worm »    beetle

glutton for punishment »    One persistent in an effort in spite of harmful or unpleasant results.

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

go all out »    To reserve nothing; to put forth all possible effort or resources.

go all the way »    To continue to the conclusion of a task or project.

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

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

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

go back to the drawing board »    To start again; to scrap a previous idea or plan and try again from the beginning.

go belly-up »    To fail or fold; especially, to close or shut down a business; to go out of business.

go by the board »    To be superseded, rejected, or obliterated; to pass by with little consequence; to amount to nothing.

go by the board »    To estimate the velocity of a boat or ship in knots by casting overboard the knotted line to whose end is attached the lead and thereafter counting the knots in the line as it goes aft along the side boards of the vessel.

go by the board »    To fall or to go overboard; to be cast over the side of a ship.

go by the wayside »    To become obsolete or outmoded.

go down »    Fall to the floor.

go down »    To be received or accepted.

go down »    To perform oral sex.

go down the pan »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go down the tubes »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go down the wrong way »    To swallow food or drink so that it goes down the wrong tube in one's throat and makes one cough or for a short period lose one's breath or choke.

go downhill »    To worsen or degenerate.

go Dutch »    To pay for one's own food and bills, or split the cost, when eating at a restaurant or going out for entertainment.

go figure »    Expresses perplexity, confusion, surprise, or puzzlement.

go for »    To attack something.

go for »    To be equally valid or appropriate.

go for »    To do something, especially for leisure.

go for »    To endure, sustain or spend time.

go for »    To go somewhere in order to get something.

go for »    To try for something.

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

go for broke »    To wager everything.

go for it »    A cry of encouragement.

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

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

go in for »    To enter a competition.

go in for »    To have an interest in or approve of something.

go in for »    To engage or take part in something.

go in the out door »    To engage in anal sex.

go it alone »    To do something alone or independently, especially something that is normally or better done in groups.

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

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

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

go off »    To explode metaphorically; to become very angry.

go off »    To begin clanging or making noise.

go off »    To putrefy or become inedible.

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

go off half-cocked »    To take a premature or ill-considered action.

go off the boil »    To become of diminished intensity or urgency.

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

go out »    To be turned off or extinguished.

go out of one's way »    To make an extra effort.

go out the window »    To vanish or cease, especially due to lack of care, attention, etc.; to be discarded, disregarded, or ignored.

go out with »    Often in hopes that the relationship will become more longterm as in definition 1.

go over »    To create a response or impression.

go places »    To make progress or achieve success.

go public »    Make public, announce publicly or to the press.

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

go south »    To become unfavorable; to decrease; to take a turn for the worse.

go the distance »    To participate in a boxing match for its maximum number of rounds.

go the extra mile »    To make an extra effort; to do a particularly good job.

go the way of the dinosaurs »    To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go off the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.

go the way of the dodo »    To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go out of the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.

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

go through the mill »    To experience the suffering or discipline necessary to bring one to a certain degree of knowledge or skill, or to a certain mental state.

go to pot »    To decline or deteriorate.

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

go to seed »    To pass from flowering or ripening to the formation of seeds.

go to sleep »    An expression used to dismiss an extremely foolish statement, or to dismiss somebody that one does not feel like talking to.

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

go to the dogs »    To decline or deteriorate.

go to the mat »    To continue to struggle or fight until either victorious or defeated.

go to the wall »    To make an all-out effort.

go to town »    To proceed enthusiastically, vigorously, or expertly.

go to work »    Beat up, batter.

go to work »    To begin performing some task or work.

go to work »    To go to one's job, as by commuting.

go with the flow »    To act as others are acting, conforming to common behavior patterns with an attitude of calm acceptance.

go without saying »    To be obvious, apparent or clear, or already established.

god forbid »    Don't let it be.

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

God works in mysterious ways »    Expressing confidence that a conundrum has a solution despite it not being apparent.Expressing that a seemingly unfortunate or unfavourable situation or change may be beneficial later or in the long run.Person A: It seems that I'm about to be fired from my job.Person B: Well, God works in mysterious ways - maybe it'll be the kick you need to apply to university...

going rate »    The current standard or usual price, rate, or salary for something.

going to the dogs »    In such a poor state that it should be left to the dogs.

gold mine »    A mine for gold ore or metal.

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

golden duck »    The score of zero runs after getting out on the first ball faced.

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

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

golden opportunity »    Ideal moment to do something.

golden rule »    A fundamental rule or principle.

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

golf widow »    A woman who is deprived of her husband's time and attention due to his regular absence in order to play golf.

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

good enough for jazz »    Good enough.

good fences make good neighbors »    It is better to mind one's own business than get involved with other people's affairs.

good for you »    well done

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

good on you »    An exclamation of encouragement or congratulation; well done.

good riddance »    Used to indicate that a departure, or loss is welcome.

good to go »    Ready for some specific task or ready for normal activity, especially after preparation or recovery.

good to go »    Ready for use or ready for normal operation, especially after repair or renewal.

good turn »    A good deed; a thoughtful or selfless act.

goodbye cruel world »    A call said before taking a stiff drink, especially a shot of vodka.

goodbye cruel world »    An exclamation made before commiting suicide, or in a suicide note.

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

goon squad »    A group of individuals serving as enforcers, bodyguards, and the like, especially persons hired for such a purpose and using violent, thuggish methods.

grab bag »    Any random assortment, selection or possibility.

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

grain of salt »    A bit of common sense and skepticism. Generally used in some form of to take with a grain of salt.

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

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

grand total »    The entire or final sum.

grasp at straws »    To guess randomly at or pursue any apparent option, as due to lack of options or information.

grass roots »    The essential foundation or source of something.

grass widow »    A divorcée..

grass widower »    A divorcé..

grate »    A horizontal metal grille through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.

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

gravy train »    An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.

gray area »    A part that is not clear or certain; something that is open to interpretation.

grease payment »    A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.

greasy spoon »    An inexpensive diner or other informal restaurant, especially one specializing in frying or grilling.

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

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

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

green light »    Approval, or permission to proceed.

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

green thumb »    A natural skill for gardening.

greener pastures »    Any place or condition that is more favorable or beneficial.

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

grey area »    A topic that is not clearly one thing or the other.

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

grind one's gears »    To annoy or irritate.

grind to a halt »    Coming to a standstill, or ceasing to be productive or make progress, due to an obstacle.

ground rules »    The basic rules or standards; whatever someone must know before proceeding.

grow cold »    To wane; to lose interest or enthusiasm for something or someone; to become disenchanted or to fall out of love with someone.

grow on »    To become more likeable to someone.

grow out of »    To become too physically large for something, especially clothes.

grow out of »    To become too mature for something.

grunt work »    That is considered undesirable and therefore delegated to underlings.

guilt trip »    A feeling of shame or embarrassment, especially if self-indulgent, unwarranted, exaggerated or felt over a significant period of time.

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

gun it »    To accelerate or speed up quickly or suddenly.

gunboat diplomacy »    The pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power.

gunk up »    To soil or dirty; to mess up; to clog.

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

gut factor »    Feelings about what feels right or wrong, good or bad. An inner persuasion that one may feel convinced is the appropriate decision.

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.

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

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

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

halcyon days »    A period of calm, often nostalgic: “halcyon days of yore”, “halcyon days of youth”..

halcyon days »    Period of calm during the winter, when storms do not occur.

halfway decent »    No more than adequate.

ham it up »    To act or emote, especially to overact or act badly.

hammer home »    Until or so that a person or group of people understands it.

hand down »    To transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor.

hand down »    To forward to the proper officer .

hand in hand »    Holding or clasping hands.

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

hand it to somebody »    To give somebody credit or praise.

hand off »    To pass or transfer something to someone.

hand over »    To relinquish control or possession of something to someone.

hand over fist »    Quickly or in great quantity, especially in reference to earning money.

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

handle with kid gloves »    To treat something very delicately or carefully.

hands down »    Without much effort; easily.

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

hang about »    To stay, linger or loiter.

hang around »    To stay, linger or loiter.

hang by a thread »    To be in danger, calling for precise caution. To be in a precarious situation.

hang on »    To hold, grasp, or grip.

hang on »    To keep; to store something for someone.

hang out one's shingle »    To open an office or business, especially in a profession.

hang out to dry »    To abandon someone who is in need or in danger.

happy camper »    One who is thoroughly content or satisfied.

hard cheese »    Expressed to someone suffering misfortune.

hard lines »    Expressed to someone suffering misfortune.

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

hard shoulder »    mortorway shopping area

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

harden »    To become or make a thing resistant or less sensitive.

harden someone's heart »    To make someone more resistant to something.

hardwired »    Designed to perform a specific task.

hardwired »    In humans and animals, genetically determined, instinctive behavior, as opposed to learned behavior.

hardwired »    Of devices, closely or tightly coupled.

harsh one's mellow »    To annoy or irritate; to bother.

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

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

hat in hand »    With humility; in an apologetic or self-effacing fashion.

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

haul his ashes »    A euphemism for sexual intercourse.

haul off »    To draw back the arm in order to punch.

have a ball »    To enjoy thoroughly; to have lots of fun or excitement.

have a blast »    To thoroughly enjoy; to be excited or have lots of fun.

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

have a frog in one's throat »    To feel the need to cough; to have a tickle in one's throat; to have a scratchy or uneven voice.

have a go »    Shout at or tell off unnecessarily or excessively.

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

have a handle on »    To be in control; to understand or grasp.

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

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

have a way with »    To be skilled, adept, or graceful in something.

have a word with »    To talk or speak with.

have an axe to grind »    To have a dispute, resentment, or grudge, sometimes with a disposition to act on that resentment covertly; to have a bias; to take issue with something.

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

have bats in one's belfry »    To be crazy or eccentric.

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

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

have egg on one's face »    To suffer embarrassment or humiliation; to damage one's reputation.

have eyes bigger than one's belly »    To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

have eyes bigger than one's stomach »    To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

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

have it coming »    To deserve or merit, as the consequences of one's actions.

have it in for »    To be very angry at; to have a grudge against.

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

have it your way »    Do something the way you want to, but be prepared for the consequences.

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 hands full »    To be busy or thoroughly preoccupied.

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

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 one's number on it »    Te be destined for someone.

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

have one's work cut out for one »    To face a large task or project.

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

have second thoughts »    To change one's opinion, or be uneasy about a previous decision.

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 someone's guts for garters »    To reprimand severely.

have someone's hide »    To punish or subdue someone.

have the blues »    To be depressed, to have a low morale.

have the floor »    To have permission or time to speak, especially in a formal situation.

have the run of »    To have permission or freedom to move around throughout an area or to use something at will.

have the time of one's life »    To enjoy oneself more than ever before.

have the wind up »    To be frightened or disturbed.

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.

he-man »    A strong, virile or sexually active man.

head for »    go towards

head for the hills »    To go to a safe place; to seek refuge; to flee.

head for the hills »    To travel to a higher elevation, especially to a rural region on vacation.

head girl »    senior female pupil

head honcho »    The person in charge; the highest-ranking person in an organization.

head scratcher »    A particularly puzzling or confusing event.

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

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

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

head start »    A factor conducive to superiority and success.

head up »    To lead or take the lead; to direct; to take charge.

head-in-the-sand »    Exhibiting disregard or denial of a problem or threat.

head-on »    Direct, abrupt, blunt or unequivocal; not prevaricating.

head-on »    Of a collision, from the front or in the direction of motion.

heads or tails »    A game to bet upon a which side of a coin lays face up after it is thrown.

heads up »    Used as an informal warning, caution, or call for attention; pay attention!.

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

heads-up »    A warning or call to pay attention; an advisory notice.

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

hear the grass grow »    To be very aware or discerning; to pay attention to every small detail.

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

hear, hear »    Let us hear and applaud the previous speaker; I endorse the previous statement; Expression of support, agreement, or enthusiasm for what has just been said.

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

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

heart-breaking »    That causes extreme sorrow or grief.

hedge one's bets »    To place bets with a third party in order to offset potential losses.

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

hell and half of Georgia »    A very large region; everywhere.

hell hath no fury like a woman scorned »    A woman will make someone suffer if they reject her.

hell on earth »    A very unpleasant situation; torment, particularly when widespread.

hell or high water »    Highly adverse circumstances; acts of God.

helping hand »    Any assistance, help or aid.

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

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

hen's teeth »    Plural form of hen's tooth.

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

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

here you are »    Said when you hand something over to someone or do a favour to them, usually to draw the recipient's attention to the exchange; Equivalent to “thank you” when receiving something..

hide nor hair »    A trace, indication, or evidence, especially of a person.

hide one's light under a bushel »    For a person to keep some talent or skill hidden from other people. The tone is that a person having a talent which they can be proud of ought not hide it.

hiding to nothing »    A situation in which victory has little or no value, but defeat has a huge cost.

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

high horse »    An appearance or sense of smug superiority.

high on the hog »    Well off; living comfortably or extravagantly.

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

high road »    A main road or highway.

hightail it »    To hurry or run; often, to flee.

highway robbery »    Said of excessive or exorbitant prices.

hike up »    To lift; to tug or pull upwards.

hike up »    To raise or increase sharply.

hill of beans »    Something of no importance.

hind tit »    An inferior source of food or other resources.

hindsight is 20/20 »    (idiomatic) In hindsight things are obvious that were not obvious from the outset; one is able to evaluate past choices more clearly than at the time of the choice.

his back is up »    He is offended or angry; an expression or idea taken from a cat; that animal, when angry, always raising its back. An allusion also sometimes used to jeer a crooked man.

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

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

history repeats itself »    Things that have happened in the past will happen again.

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

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

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

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

hit one's stride »    When walking or running, to reach a full or comfortable pace.

hit paydirt »    To strike it rich; to get lucky or have a big break.

hit someone for six »    Be affected in a devastating way by some unexpected news.

hit someone for six »    To hit another person very hard.

hit the bricks »    To leave or depart; to get out.

hit the bricks »    To participate in a workplace strike or other job action; to participate in a public protest, especially one involving picketing.

hit the jackpot »    To realise a huge load of luck; to receive a more favorable outcome than imagined.

hit the pavement »    To get moving in an automobile or other road vehicle.

hit the road »    To begin traveling in an automobile or other road vehicle.

hit the rock »    To make a gesture to show celebration, friendship, or to be part of a secret handshake by one person raising their fist so the fist is pointing at the person and the other person lightly punches the fist.

hit the spot »    To be particularly pleasing or appropriate; to be just right.

hit the trail »    To leave or depart.

hit up »    To request or demand.

hoist by one's own petard »    To be hurt, or destroyed by one's own plot or device, of one's own doing which one intended for another; to be "blown up by one's own bomb".

hold back »    To act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power.

hold forth »    Talk at great length; expatiate; harangue.

hold forth »    To extend or offer, propose.

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

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

hold on »    Wait a short while.

hold on »    To hold, grasp, or grip.

hold on »    To keep; to store something for someone.

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

hold one's liquor »    To be resistant to intoxication or to show few signs of intoxication, even after consuming a significant amount of alcohol.

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

hold out »    To hold something out; to extend forward.

hold out »    To set something aside or save it for later.

hold somebody's hand »    To grasp or hold a person's hand.

hold somebody's hand »    To guide somebody through the basics or assist with excessively small details.

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 that thought »    To pause in a conversation for an interruption.

hold the fort »    To assume responsibility, especially in another’s absence..

hold the fort »    To maintain a secure position.

hold up »    To wait or delay.

hold up »    To support or lift.

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

hold up one's end »    To hold up one's end of the bargain; to fulfill one's promise or obligation.

hold water »    To withstand scrutiny or criticism; to be valid.

hold with the hare and run with the hounds »    To oppose an action or behavior and yet engage in the same action or behavior; to be a hypocrite.

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

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.

holding pattern »    Any failure to advance; useless or unproductive activity.

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

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

home away from home »    A place in which one is as comfortable as one's actual home.

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

home run »    The portion of a journey that ends at home.

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

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

honesty is the best policy »    Honesty is the most honorable and fulfilling way to live one's life.

honey trap »    The use of a seductive woman to entice a man into revealing secret information.

honorable mention »    An award or recognition given to something that does not make it to a higher standing but is worth mentioning in an honorable way.

hook, line and sinker »    Naively or unquestioningly.

horizontal dancing »    Sexual intercourse.

horizontal mambo »    Sexual intercourse.

horror film »    scary movie

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

horse of a different color »    An unrelated or only incidentally related matter with distinctly different significance.

horse opera »    A theatrical production, film, or program on radio or television depicting adventures of characters in the American Old West; a western.

horse opera »    An equestrian show, as in a circus.

horse pucky »    Nonsense; feces.

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

horse's ass »    A jerk; an unpleasant, unlikable person; an asshole.

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

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

Horsefeathers »    Absolute nonsense; poppycock

horses for courses »    A person suited for one job may not be suited for another job, regardless of their expertise in the former job.

horses for courses »    The practice of choosing the best person for a particular job.

hospital pass »    A poorly executed pass to a team-mate causing the receiver to present an easy target for a defender, and thus be tackled hard.

hot button »    A central issue, concern or characteristic, especially one that motivates people to make a choice.

hot button »    The principal desire that a salesman needs to "hit" in order to make a sale.

hot desking »    The working practice of sharing desks or workstations between workers, as a means of saving space and resources.

hot lunch »    A sexual act in which a pouch of clingfilm or similar material filled with faeces is placed in one of the participants' mouth and subsequently penetrated by the second participant.

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

hot mess »    Refers to a person, thing, or situation in such a state of disarray or disapproval by peers, often in reference to physical appearance, perceived to be disastrously embarrassing, pitiful, or beyond repair.

hot off the presses »    Freshly printed, minted, written, or created.

hot on »    Enthusiastic for.

hot on somebody's heels »    Close behind; pursuing or following closely.

hot potato »    A child's game in which players pass a ball or other item between them, with the object of avoiding being left holding the item when time expires.

hot potato »    An awkward or delicate problem with which nobody wants to be associated.

hot to trot »    Eager for sexual activity.

hot under the collar »    Worried.

hot up »    To become more heated.

hotheaded »    Easily excited or angered.

hothouse »    An environment in which growth or development is encouraged; a hotbed.

house cooling party »    A party to celebrate when a person decides to leave a house or flat, and sometimes to help prepare the space for the incoming residents.

house of cards »    A structure or argument built on a shaky foundation.

house warming »    Presented as a way of welcoming someone to a home into which he or she recently moved.

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

household name »    A genericized trademark or anepronym.

how are you »    An informal greeting, not requiring a literal response. Typical responses include.

how come »    Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose?.

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

how do you like them apples »    Directed jestingly or mockingly at someone who has received surprising information, ridiculing the situation.

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

how's tricks »    Informal greeting roughly equivalent to How are you?.

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

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

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

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.

hunker down »    To take shelter; to prepare oneself for some eventuality; to focus on a task.

hunker down »    To stubbornly hold to a position.

hurt someone's feelings »    To offend or hurt someone.

hustle and bustle »    A large amount of activity and work, usually in a noisy surrounding.

idiot light »    Any warning light or indicator on the dashboard of a car, designed to alert the driver of problems, such as the parking brake being on or the oil being low.

idiot mittens »    Mittens connected by yarn or string running through one sleeve, along the back and out the other sleeve of a coat, to prevent the mittens becoming lost. Generally worn by small children.

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

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

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

if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle »    (colloquial, vulgar, humorous) It is fruitless to speculate about counterfactual situations."We would have won the match if we'd had a decent goalkeeper.""And if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle!"

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

if pigs had wings »    Shortened form of if pigs had wings they would fly.

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

ignorance is bliss »    Lack of knowledge results in happinessSometime you are more comfortable if you dont know something.

ill health »    A state of illness, or bad health.

impiastro »    Nuisance, bore.

in a bind »    In a difficult situation, usually of one's own making; having a dilemma; faced with a problem or a set of problems for which there is no easy solution.

in a canter »    Without much effort; easily.

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

in a nutshell »    In summary; briefly or simply.

in a pinch »    In an urgent or difficult situation; when no other solution is available.

in aid to this fact »    In addition to; and futhermore.

in all my born days »    Ever.

in all one's glory »    Completely naked.

in any way, shape, or form »    In any way at all; whatsoever.

in black and white »    Explicitly, in writing, clearly and without doubt or misunderstanding, without any grey areas.

in black and white »    Having it displayed using shades of gray/gray rather than colour/color .

in black and white »    Using shades of grey/gray rather than colour/color.

in detail »    Thoroughly; including every detail.

in Dutch »    In trouble or in disfavor.

in Dutch »    Written or spoken in the dutch language.

in for a dime, in for a dollar »    Americanised form of in for a penny, in for a pound.1983, Allen Drury, Decision, p. 356:In for a dime, in for a dollar, he thought crazily, and said what he had to say in a voice he forced to stay level and calm.1998, Ellen Miller, Like Being Killed, p. 47:In for a dime, in for a dollar. I whispered to Gerry,

in for a penny, in for a pound »    Expressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof; accepting that one must

in for an inch, in for a mile »    Given that one is partly involved in or committed to a project, action, position, etc., there is no reason to refrain from becoming fully involved or fully committed.

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

in high dudgeon »    Resentfully or furiously.

in hot water »    In trouble; in the position of arousing somebody's anger or displeasure.

in kind »    In the form of goods and service rather than money.

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

in line »    On a queue; waiting one's turn for something.

in line »    Suitable or appropriate; keeping with expectations, norms, ideals, or rules.

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

in no way, shape, or form »    Not in any way at all; not at all, nohow.

in one hell of a hurry »    In a very great hurry; very fast or hastily.

in one's element »    In a situation which is entirely appropriate or familiar.

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

in order »    Appropriate, worthwhile.

in order »    Complete, finished.

in order »    In a sequence.

in order »    In accordance with the procedural rules governing formal meetings of a deliberative body.

in order »    Ready, prepared; orderly; tidy.

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

in shape »    I hope to get in shape for summer swimsuit season.

in shape »    In a good state of physical fitness or bodily appearance.

in short »    briefly

in the cards »    Destined or fated to happen; predicted or foreseen.

in the clear »    Not guilty or not suspected of wrongdoing.

in the dark »    Without information.

in the doghouse »    In trouble; the subject of somebody's anger or disapproval.

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

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

in the hot seat »    Under pressure to perform; under scrutiny; at the center of attention.

in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king »    Among others with a disadvantage or disability, the one with the mildest disadvantage or disability is regarded as the greatest.Even someone without much talent or ability is considered special by those with no talent or ability at all.

in the long run »    After a very long time; eventually; over a long period of time; more generally.

in the loop »    Informed; up to date; current; part of the discussion.

in the running »    Of a candidate, potential or likely; worthy of consideration.

in the same boat »    In the same situation or predicament; having the same problems.

in the short run »    Lasting only a short time, shortsightedly.

in the way »    Obstructing, blocking, or hindering.

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

in the woods »    In critical condition; near death's door.

in the works »    Being planned or worked upon.

in the works »    In a mechanism or machine.

in touch »    In contact, or in communication.

in touch »    The ball, or a player, is in touch when it, or he, is outside the playing area or touching the touchlines of the playing area.

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

in your face »    An exclamation of derision or contempt.

ins and outs »    The details or fine points of something.

inside baseball »    Technical matters concerning baseball not apparent to spectators.

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

inside joke »    A joke that is understood or meant to be understood only by certain people who are in the know about the details.

inside track »    The lane or track nearest to the interior.

installed base »    The number of units of a system or product that are currently in use.

into detail »    Thoroughly; including every detail.

it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings »    There are more developments yet to come.

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

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

it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog »    (rare or obsolete, proverb) If a person is determined to punish someone, they will find a way to do so.1596

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

it's one's funeral »    One's decisions or actions will bring undesirable consequences only on oneself.

itchy trigger finger »    A tendency to act in haste or without consideration.

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

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

jack in »    To insert an electronic coupling into a receptacle; to connect to something, whether involving a physical medium or not.

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

jack up »    To raise, hoist, or lift a thing using a jack, or similar means.

jack up »    To raise, increase, or accelerate; often said of prices, fees, or rates. See also jack up the price.

jack up »    To ruin; wreck; mess up; screw up; sometimes as a bowdlerized substitution for f** up.

jacktar »    Nickname for a sailor in the Royal Navy.

jet set »    A set of wealthy people who travel for pleasure.

jet-setter »    A member of the jet set, a rich person who travels for pleasure.

jew down »    To bargain or haggle with a seller in order to obtain a lower price for a good or service.

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

joe job »    An act of e-mail spamming where the sender's identity and address are those of an innocent third party, intended either to tarnish that person's reputation or to flood that person's e-mail with bounces.

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

join up »    To enlist or enroll.

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

jump »    That is further forward.

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

jump »    To force to jump.

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

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

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

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

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

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

jump on »    To board a public transport vehicle.

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

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

jump rope »    The activity, game or exercise in which a person must jump, bounce or skip repeatedly while a length of rope is swung over and under, both ends held in the hands of the jumper, or alternately, held by two other participants. Often used for athletic training and among schoolchildren. Variations involve speed, chants, varied rope and jumper movement patterns, multiple jumpers and/or multiple ropes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

jungle telegraph »    A gossip network; an informal communication system within a group or organization.

jungle telegraph »    A system used by primitive cultures in remote tropical regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds or a relay of runners.

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

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

just what the doctor ordered »    Exactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation.

kangaroo court »    A judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding, or a group which conducts such proceedings, which is without proper authority, abusive, or otherwise unjust.

keep a close watch on »    To pay careful attention to a situation or a thing, so that you can deal with any changes or problems.

keep an eye open »    To maintain vigilance for a possibly dangerous situation.

keep an eye open »    To maintain vigilance for someone or something.

keep an eye out »    To watch for, look for, or search for.

keep down »    To restrain or control.

keep down »    To cause not to increase or rise.

keep from »    To prevent or restrain ; refrain or cause refrain.

keep from »    To protect or preserve from.

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

keep it up »    To maintain or continue a positive streak.

keep mum »    Do not talk; especially keep silent about something that may be sensitive or secret.

keep on »    Persist or continue.

keep on truckin' »    To continue or persist, regardless of circumstances or setbacks; to keep trying or striving.

keep one on one's toes »    To keep one attentive, active, busy or alert.

keep one's cards close to one's chest »    To avoid revealing one's thoughts, circumstances, or plans.

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

keep one's eyes peeled »    To watch closely; to look for.

keep one's mouth shut »    To keep a secret; to refrain from speaking indiscreetly or carelessly.

keep out »    To refrain from entering a place or condition.

keep out »    To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.

keep out of »    To stay away from a place or condition.

keep out of »    To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.

keep shtum »    Don't tell anyone; especially, keep silent about something that may be sensitive or secret.

keep somebody in stitches »    To keep somebody laughing hard or amused.

keep somebody posted »    To inform or to keep somebody up to date.

keep straight »    To avoid confusing or mixing up something; to keep something clear or organized.

keep tabs on »    To monitor; to keep track of; to watch.

keep the wolf from the door »    To delay sexual ejaculation.

keep the wolf from the door »    To ward off poverty or hunger.

keep up »    To maintain; to preserve; to prevent from deteriorating.

keep up »    To stay even or ahead.

keep up »    To ensure that one remains well-informed about something.

keep up appearances »    To pretend to be all right or that everything is going well.

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

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

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

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.

kick around »    To abuse or mistreat; to bully.

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

kick down »    To break or demolish something by physical bodily force.

kick in »    To kick or strike so as to cause the object struck to collapse or fall inwards.

kick in »    To start or connect suddenly.

kick off »    To make the first kick in a game or part of a game.

kick off »    To shut down or turn_off suddenly.

kick off »    To force the weaning of a bovine cow's calf by restricting the calf's access to its mother's udders. Used figuratively or literally.

kick off the team »    In sports, to dismiss an athlete from a team, usually for misconduct, poor academic performance or other offenses.

kick oneself »    To reproach oneself for making a mistake or missing an opportunity.

kick out »    To stop, stall, or disconnect suddenly.

kick someone when they are down »    To make it worse for someone who is going through a difficult time.

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

kick up »    Into the air while running or walking or driving.

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

kill off »    To eliminate, or make extinct.

kill off »    To represent or portray as being dead.

kill the fatted calf »    To begin a festive celebration and rejoicing for someone's long-awaited return.

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs »    To seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit.

kill the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

kind »    Favorable.

kind »    Mild, gentle, forgiving.

kind of »    Slightly; somewhat; sort of.

kindred soul »    Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself; kindred spirit.

kindred spirit »    Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself.

king »    A powerful or influential person.

kiss and make up »    To settle one's differences and forgive.

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

kiss up »    To pay false flattery to another, particularly a superior at work, in order to get special attention.

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.

knee high to a grasshopper »    Short; especially relating to when the subject was a small child.

kneel before »    To kneel in front of someone or something, especially in order to worship or supplicate.

knight in shining armor »    A person who will rescue a dangerous situation; a hero.

knock about »    An informal game, usually football.

knock around »    To hit someone, or behave violently towards them.

knock back »    To drink an alcoholic beverage swiftly or often.

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

knock for a loop »    To astonish; to surprise very much.

knock off »    An imitation, especially one of poorer quality.

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

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

knock out »    To exhaust a personal or animal.

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

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

knock up »    In the morning as by knocking at the door; rouse; call; summon; also, to go door-to-door on election day to persuade a candidate's supporters to go to the polling station and vote. See also knocker up.

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

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

knock up »    To gently hit the ball back and forth before a tennis match, as practice or warm-up, and to gauge the state of the playing surface, lighting, etc. See knock-up.

knocked for a six »    to be defeated; outwitted; outfoxed; beaten

knocking on heaven's door »    Dying, close to death.

know something inside and out »    To know something very thoroughly.

know the score »    Be aware of a situation, especially of the consequences of misconduct.

knowledge is power »    With knowledge and/or education, one's potential or ability to succeed in the pursuit of his objectives will certainly increase.

knuckle down »    To get to work; to focus on a task.

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

la goutte d'eau qui fait d%C3%A9border le vase »    The drop of water that makes the vase overflow.

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.

labor of love »    A task performed voluntarily without expectation of reimbursement; an altruistic work or undertaking.

laced-up »    Fixed in the sprockets of the projector.

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

lady or tiger »    A pure gamble with highly divergent outcomes.

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

land of opportunity »    A nickname for the United States.

land on one's feet »    To be lucky, or successful, often in difficult situations.

landing strip »    A cultivated pubic hair pattern in which much of the pubic hair is removed, leaving only a central vertical line or rectangle.

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

lap of luxury »    A position or situation in which one is spoiled and indulged.

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

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

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

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 resort »    The only remaining, unwanted, option or choice.

last trump »    Forever.

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 word »    The finest, highest, or ultimate representative of some class of objects.

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

latch onto »    To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something.

late model »    Recently designed or fabricated; new.

laughing stock »    An object of ridicule, someone who is publicly ridiculed; a butt of sport.

laughing stock »    C. 1598, William Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, act 3, sc. 1.

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

law of the jungle »    The survival of the fittest, strongest or most cunning.

lay a finger on »    If you lay a finger on my little brother, I'll have your guts for garters.

lay about »    To set about, with infinitive or gerund.

lay an egg »    To produce a failure or flop; to do something which is unsuccessful.

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

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

lay down »    To stock, store for the future. See also lay by.

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

lay down the law »    To authoritatively or dogmatically assert what is permitted or not permitted.

lay hands on »    To find, obtain or procure.

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

lay low »    To remain hidden or to hide oneself.

lay off »    To place all or part of a bet with another bookmaker in order to reduce risk.

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

lay the groundwork »    To create a foundation; to provide the basics or fundamentals.

lay up »    To store; to put by.

lead »    A roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates.

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

lead »    Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs.

lead »    Vertical space in advance of a row or between rows of text. Also known as leading.

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

leader of the free world »    The President of the United States.

leaf through »    Rapidly reading short sections at random.

lean on »    To depend upon for support.

lean towards »    To favor in a decision.

learn by heart »    To memorize.

leather working »    The technology of making products from leather.

leave no stone unturned »    To do a task very carefully and thoroughly, not missing any step.

leave no stone unturned »    To search thoroughly for something, looking in every conceivable place.

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

leave somebody holding the bag »    To abandon somebody, leaving the responsibility or blame.

leave somebody in the lurch »    To abandon somebody; especially, to abandon somebody and leave him or her in a difficult situation.

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

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

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

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

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

legal beagle »    A skillful and adroit attorney.

legal duty »    A duty prescribed by the law, to act or forbear from acting.

legal eagle »    A skillful and adroit attorney.

legwork »    Skillful or vigorous use of the legs, as in dance or sports.

legwork »    Work, especially research or preparation, that involves significant walking, travel, or similar effort.

lemonize »    To damage something and then deny or be aloof from the damage.

lend a hand »    To help or assist, especially voluntarily.

less is more »    That which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; simplicity is preferable to complexity; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.1855, Robert Browning, "Men and Women":Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.1954, "'Less Is More'," Time, 14 Jun.:The essence of Mies's architectural philosophy is in his famous and sometimes derided phrase, "Less is more." This means, he says, having "the greatest effect with the least means."2007, Gia Kourlas, "Dance Review: An Ordered World Defined With Soothing Spareness," New York Times, 3 Mar. (retrieved 22 Oct. 2008):The program, which features two premieres

let alone »    Or even.

let down »    To disappoint; to betray or fail somebody.

let go an anchor to the windward of the law »    To keep within the letter of the law.

let her rip »    To set off or allow to begin.

let off »    To forgive and not punish.

let on »    To reveal, disclose, or divulge.

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

let slip »    To divulge a secret, as by accident or mistake.

let somebody down »    To fail somebody; to disappoint or to fail to uphold a commitment.

let somebody in on »    To disclose; to tell somebody a secret or share privileged information.

let someone have it »    To attack someone with great force.

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

let-down »    A disappointment or anticlimax.

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.

licence to print money »    A means of generating a large income with little effort.

licence to print money »    The authority to print money, usually given to a central bank exclusively as the issuer of currency.

lick one's chops »    To look forward avidly to eating something.

lick one's chops »    To use one's tongue to remove moistness from the sides of one's mouth, as when salivating or at the conclusion of a meal.

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

lick out »    To perform cunnilingus on.

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

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

life's a bitch »    An expression of acceptance of misfortune.1950, Joy Davidman, Weeping Bay, page 184:She'd have been willing enough to use them, poor dead little bitch. Life's a bitch. Life's a bad joke.

lift a finger »    To make minimal effort; to help as little as possible.

light a fire under »    To start sooner or move faster.

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.

lighten up »    To become less serious and more cheerful or casual; to relax.

like a million bucks »    Extremely good or well.

like a million dollars »    Extremely good or well.

like crazy »    To a great or excessive degree; with great speed, output, enthusiasm, etc.

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

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

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

like the new time »    Furiously or vigorously, repeatedly.

like water off a duck's back »    Without immediate or lasting effects.

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

link whore »    Someone who goes to great lengths to get other people to link to his/her website or blog.

link whoring »    The practice of going out of one's way to place links to one's website on someone else's webpage.

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

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

lion's den »    Any dangerous or frightening place.

lion's share »    The majority; a large or generous portion.

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

little pitchers have big ears »    Small children often overhear more of what is said than adults realize or desire.1844, Charlotte M. Yonge, Abbeychurch, ch. 2:Seeing me listening to something she was saying to Mamma, she turned round upon me with that odious proverb, "Little pitchers have long ears."1939, "Bedtime Bedlam," Time, 17 Apr.:A caution to U. S. parents, but a joy to radio merchandising, is the dread truth that little pitchers have big ears.2002, Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, ISBN 9780743455961, p. 185:I suppose he might say pushed or went woowoo, but took a shit is, I fear, very much in the ballpark (little pitchers have big ears, after all).

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

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

live large »    To have a lavish or overly-extravagant lifestyle.

live one »    A person, thing, or situation which is particularly interesting, noteworthy, or urgent.

live one »    Someone who is easily fooled, victimized, or ridiculed.

live one »    Someone who is eccentric, nonconformist, or otherwise peculiar.

live wire »    An especially energetic, alert, or vivacious person.

loaded for bear »    Mentally prepared for a daunting situation or confrontation.

loaded for bear »    Thoroughly equipped, as for a demanding task or confrontation.

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

lock horns »    To come into conflict.

lock up »    To imprison or incarcerate someone.

lock up »    To close all doors and windows of a place securely.

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 absent, soon forgotten »    Love fades away when people are distant and don't keep close physical contact.

long arm »    A pole tool used for handling things too far away to reach.

long drink »    Any drink containing more than 5 ounces of liquid and less than 9 ounces. Typically, a long drink will have lots of ice and mixer.

long finger »    A state of postponement or procrastination.

long finger »    [hire purchase]] or credit.

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

long pork »    Human flesh.

long row to hoe »    A difficult or arduous task.

long shot »    Something unlikely; something that has little chance of happening or working. The term arose from the accuracy of early ship guns, which were effective only at close range and unlikely to hit the mark at any great distance.

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

long time »    Used as part of greeting of two people who have not been in contact for a long time.

long time no hear »    I haven't heard from you for a long time.

long time no see »    I haven't seen you for a long time.

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

look after »    To watch or protect; to keep safe.

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

look for »    To search; to seek.

look forward »    To anticipate or expect; especially, to expect something to be pleasant.

look forward to »    To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure.

look into »    To investigate, explore, or consider.

look out for number one »    To act in one's own interests; to act in a manner advantageous primarily to oneself.

look over »    To scan-read and check for errors.

look the other way »    To ignore something wrong. Similar to connive.

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

look to »    To seek inspiration or advice from someone.

look up »    To obtain information about something from a text source.

look up to »    To show respect or admiration for.

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

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

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

looking glass »    mirror

Loose cannon »    A cannon that breaks loose during battle or a storm and causes serious damage to the ship and its crew.

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

loose end »    A small job that needs to be done, or minor problem that needs to be resolved, before a task can be considered complete.

loose ends »    Leftover items that have not been addressed or attended to.

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

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

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

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.

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

lose touch »    To cease to be familiar with someone or something or to cease to communicate or have contact.

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

lot lizard »    A customer or salesperson at a used car lot.

lot lizard »    A low or stupid person.

louse up »    Mess up; confuse; put into a state of disorder.

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

love nest »    A room, especially a bedroom or boudoir, used for sexual intercourse.

low blow »    A rhetorical attack that is considered unfair or unscrupulous.

low blow »    An unfair or illegal blow that lands below the opponent’s waist; a groin attack..

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

lower the boom »    To use one's superior physical strength; clobber.

lower the boom on »    To terminate or abolish something.

lubrication payment »    A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.

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

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

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

made in China »    Of poor or low quality.

made in Japan »    Of poor or low quality.

made in the shade »    In a condition characterized by comfort, success, easy living, or general well-being.

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

magnum opus »    greatest work

make a killing »    To win or earn a large amount of money.

make a living »    To earn enough income to support oneself and, if applicable, one's family.

make a meal of »    That is the eleventh edit that you have made to that word, you are really making a meal of it.

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

make a monkey out of »    To cause a person, organization, or action to appear foolish or inferior; to subject someone or something to ridicule..

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

make a name for oneself »    To gain fame.

make a point »    To argue or promote an idea.

make a point »    To take care in doing something of something; to pay attention or ensure that something is done.

make a pug face »    To put on a sorry face, as a pug would look.

make a pug-face »    Putting on a sorry face, as a pug would look.

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

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 amends »    To repair a relationship; to make up; to resolve an argument or fight; to make reparations or redress.

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

make an exhibition of oneself »    To embarrass oneself or others in public.

make believe »    To pretend or imagine.

make book »    To gamble, either by placing or taking bets.

make for »    To move towards.

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

make for »    To tend to produce or result in.

make for »    head towards

make fun of »    To tease, ridicule or make jokes about.

make hay »    To cut grass to turn into hay for animal feed.

make hay »    To take advantage of an opportunity.

make hay while the sun shines »    To act while an opportunity exists; to take action while a situation is favorable.

make head or tail of »    To determine to be good or bad.

make head or tail of »    To understand even minimally.

make headway »    To progress; to move forward.

make it do or do without »    If you don't have a lot of money, extend the life of what you have.

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

make oneself scarce »    To leave or depart, or to avoid or stay away.

make out »    To kiss or to make love.

make out »    To succeed; to turn out or end up.

make out »    To fabricate a story.

make over »    To renovate or to convert to a different use.

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

make sense »    To be coherent or reasonable.

make sense »    To decipher or understand.

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

make someone's day »    To make someone happy or to be a source of satisfaction.

make someone's skin crawl »    To disturb or bother; to frighten or disgust.

make someone's teeth itch »    To bother or unsettle a person; to put someone on edge.

make sure »    To verify; to recheck; to use extra care or caution.

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

make the grade »    To prove satisfactory; to be successful or worthy of merit.

make the welkin ring »    By extension of , to celebrate or revel.

make tracks »    To leave or depart; to go away.

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

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

make up »    To assemble, or mix.

make up »    To apply cosmetics or makeup.

make up »    To resolve, forgive or smooth over an argument or fight.

mama's boy »    A male person, especially a young man or boy, who is overly attached to or influenced by his mother; a sissy.

man is man to man »    The human is a human for itself

man of few words »    A man who doesn't speak much, or speaks only for a short period of time.

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

man proposes, God disposes »    Things don't always work out as they were planned.

man up »    His station, prepared for departure of an aircraft, ship, etc.

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.

man up »    To staff adequately; to staff up; to successfully fill all needed labor positions.

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.

manoeuvre the apostles »    To rob Peter to pay Paul; that is, to borrow money of one man to pay another.

many hands make light work »    A large number of people co-operating can perform tasks easily.

many happy returns »    A greeting, usually for birthdays, in reference to the passing year; Happy birthday!.

map out »    To organise the basic plan for a project.

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

mark down »    To write a memorandum about.

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

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

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

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

matter of course »    A natural or logical outcome.

matter of course »    An expected or customary outcome.

matter of fact »    A more factual correction.

may the Force be with you »    Used to wish someone luck with a difficult endeavor.

meal ticket »    A ticket or voucher that can be exchanged for food.

meal ticket »    Someone or something that provides income or livelihood, especially as an exploited source.

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

mean the world to »    To be loved or cared about a great deal by.

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.

meat market »    Or night club.

meat rack »    A place where people can meet looking for sexual partners.

meat rack »    A rack used for storing meat.

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

meaty »    Of a person or a body part, large and solid.

meaty »    Of, relating to, or containing meat.

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

member for Barkshire »    Said of one troubled with a cough, vulgarly styled barking.

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

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

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

mess around »    To joke, kid, or play.

mess up »    To make a mess of; to untidy, disorder, soil, or muss.

mess up »    To cause a problem with; to introduce an error or mistake in; to make muddled or confused; spoil; ruin.

mess up »    To botch, bungle; to perform poorly on.

mess up »    To make a mistake; to do something incorrectly; to perform poorly.

mess up »    To make unwanted mistakes in a given task, usually through distraction or obnoxious behavior.

mess up »    To discombobulate, utterly confuse, or confound psychologically; to throw into a state of mental disarray.

mete out »    To distribute something in portions; to apportion or dole out.

middle of nowhere »    Nowhere; any place lacking population, interesting things, or defining characteristics.

middle of the road »    Having a centrist attitude or philosophy; not extreme, especially politically.

might makes right »    The stronger and more powerful rule others, control the situation or determine right and wrong.

mighty oaks from little acorns grow »    Something great can come from a modest beginning.Don't give up on the project - mighty oaks from little acorns grow!

mike up »    To fit a microphone and transmitter to a person. Usually for television performers, or for police informers.

mill around »    To move or circulate in a confused or disorderly manner within a limited area.

mince words »    To restrain oneself in a conversation by withholding some comments or using euphemisms.

mind one's p's and q's »    To be very careful to behave correctly.

mind the store »    To remain present in a retail business, in order to maintain the security of the premises and to serve customers.

mind the store »    To take active responsibility for a group or process, especially within an organization.

mind you »    Used to draw attention to adjacent words.

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

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

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

misfortunes never come singly »    bad things or situations always come in groups, they never come in a single way.

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

miss the boat »    To fail to take advantage of an opportunity; to overlook or be too late to pursue an option or course of action.

mix apples and oranges »    To mix two totally different things.

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

mix up »    To mix or blend.

mix up »    To confuse or reverse.

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

mixed bag »    Something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a mixture of advantages and disadvantages.

mixed message »    Any communication that is contradictory, inconsistent, or unclear, especially in its motive or intent.

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

moment of truth »    A deciding instant; the time when a test determines or makes it apparent whether something will succeed.

money doesn't grow on trees »    You must work in order to have money.

money for old rope »    Money exchanged for goods of low value.

monkey business »    An activity that is considered silly, or stupid, or time-wasting.

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

monkey business »    Do your homework and forget about all this monkey business.

monkey business »    Wasting time, or effort, on some foolish project.

monkey on one's back »    A state of persistent distress or worry or the cause of such a state.

monkey wrench »    A problem, obstacle or dilemma; something unexpected or troublesome.

mop the floor with somebody »    To trounce or defeat thoroughly or in a humiliating manner.

mop up »    To clean with a mop; especially to clean up a spill or mess.

mop up »    To fix problems; to correct or repair.

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

more cry than wool »    Asserted but not grounded in reality.

more equal »    Ostensibly equal, but in reality more privileged.

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

more like it »    Better, more desirable.

morning person »    A person whose who wakes up without difficulty early each morning and who is alert and active during the first part of the day.

morning, noon and night »    Constantly; ceaselessly; without stopping.

moses basket »    portable cradle

mother hen »    A female chicken who bears eggs or chicks.

motor mouth »    One who talks incessantly; a chatty or loquacious person.

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

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

mouth organ »    harmonica

mouthful of marbles »    An indistinct, muffled or garbled manner of speaking.

move heaven and earth »    To do whatever is necessary, including extreme or unusual actions; to go to extremes.

move on »    To leave somewhere for another place.

move the goal posts »    To unilaterally change the rules, or terms of an agreement, especially in an unfair or underhand way.

move the goalposts »    To alter the agreed basis, scope, standards or target of a procedure or task during its course, especially to do so to someone's advantage.

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

movie star »    famous film actor

much of a muchness »    Of two or more things, having little difference of any significance between them.

muck about »    To do random unplanned work or spend time idly.

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

muck out »    To clean the excrement and other rubbish from the area where an animal is kept, such as a horse stable or a dog kennel.

muckety muck »    A person in a position of power, authority, or status.

mug's game »    A foolish, profitless, or hopeless undertaking.

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

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

murder will out »    Secrets or hidden crimes will eventually be exposed or discovered.

muscle in »    To interfere, or intrude forcibly.

muscle in on »    To interfere with, or intrude on something forcibly.

music to one's ear »    Some unexpected good news; a favorable outcome after some initial confusion or delay.

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

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

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

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

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

my way or the highway »    Will be excluded.

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 »    Firm or certain.

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

narrow down »    Make more specific.

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

neck and neck »    Very close in progress, as in a race or contest.

neck of the woods »    A local neighbourhood or region.

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

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

neither fish nor fowl »    Said of something not easily categorized or not fitting neatly into any established group.

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

nervous hit »    A production which receives generally favorably notice, but is not assured of success.

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

never change a running system »    Don't change something that is working

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

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

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

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

nickel and dime »    Small time; operating on a small scale; involving small amounts of money; petty or cheap.

night owl »    One who stays up late at night or goes to bed late.

night person »    A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours, and who usually sleeps during part of the daytime.

nightcap »    A beverage drunk before bed that is usually alcoholic.

nightcap »    A warm cloth cap worn while sleeping, often with pajamas. Nightcaps were common in northern Europe before central heating was available, when homes were cold at night.

nighthawk »    A New World nightjar.

nighthawk »    A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours.

nine day wonder »    Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.

nip in the bud »    To remove a bud from a plant to prevent flower and fruit from forming.

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

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

no comment »    An "official" refusal to relay any further information, as a response to a newspaper reporter's question.

no dice »    An unfavorable result.

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

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 holds barred »    Without reserve; in an especially ruthless or vicious manner.

no holds barred »    Without restrictions on holds or what opponents may do.

no ifs, ands, or buts »    Period; exactly so; without modification, limitation, or addendum.

no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney »    Regardless of how many clever points or fine distinctions one makes, what one is saying is still false or is still nonsense.

no news is good news »    A lack of information about a situation suggests that nothing bad has happened.

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

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

no rest for the wicked »    (humorous) People who are wicked must work harder than normal people.

no score »    In a sporting event, a score of zero to zero.

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

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.

no smoke without fire »    Indicative of the fact that gossip or accusations are often substantiated by fact.

no strings attached »    Without conditions or obligations; without a catch.

no time like the present »    A shortened form of there's no time like the present

no two ways about it »    No other possible action, choice or option.

no-show »    An absence; somebody who doesn't show up or a failure to show up.

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.

non-starter »    An idea or argument that cannot be sensibly debated.

non-starter »    Someone or something who was listed to start in a race, but did not start in the race.

none of someone's business »    A matter that someone is not entitled to be involved in or informed about.

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

nose test »    An inspection of an object using the sense of smell, as for freshness of food.

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

nose to the grindstone »    Hard at work.

nosebleed seat »    A seat high in the back of bleachers, stands, or the balcony at a theater.

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

not all it's cracked up to be »    Not as good as claimed; falling short of expectations.

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

not cricket »    Unsportsmanlike.

not give a monkey's »    Not to have the slightest interest or concern.

not have a leg to stand on »    To lack support, as in an argument, debate, or negotiation.

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

not long for this world »    Unlikely to remain for much time.

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

not on your tintype »    An answer indicating outright rejection or denial; no way; absolutely not.

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

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

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

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

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    To approach something or someone.

not win for losing »    To repeatedly fail in one's gambles or efforts.

not worth a brass farthing »    Worth nothing or next to nothing.

not worth a dime »    Worthless, lacking in value.

not worth a plug nickel »    Having no or almost no value; worthless.

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

nothing to it »    Easy; simple or straightforward.

nothing to sneeze at »    Not bad; decent; acceptable; worthwhile.

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

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

number one »    First; foremost; best.

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

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

nuts and bolts »    The basic, inner workings of something; the fundamentals or basics; that which makes something operate, on a basic level.

nutty as a fruitcake »    Behaving in an eccentric, foolish, or kooky manner; very nutty.

object lesson »    A lesson taught using a familiar or unusual object as a focus.

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

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

odd and curious »    On the Isle of Man, the common or general man.

odd one out »    A visual puzzle where the guesser has to choose which word/picture/symbol etc. does not fit with the others.

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

of all people »    Especially; more than other people.

of an »    Indicates a more or less habitual activity during the given part of the day.

of course »    Asserts that the associated phrase should not be argued, particularly if it is obvious or there is no choice in the matter.

of sorts »    Resembling; similar to; in a way; partial or not entire; somewhat.

off board »    Not on or in a means of transportation.

off chance »    A condition of not being likely or probable.

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

off one's game »    Performing in any activity below one's usual level; behaving in an irregular, inept, or awkward manner; feeling unwell.

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

off the beaten path »    In a secluded location; in a place which is not frequently visited or not widely known.

off the beaten track »    In a place or places not commonly visited.

off the chain »    Free from work or direct supervision. In reference to slave labor, where workers are chained, or to the figurative chain of workers of an assembly line.

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

off the hook »    Performing extraordinarily well.

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

off the mark »    Inaccurate; not correct or appropriate.

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

off the rails »    In an abnormal manner, especially in a manner that causes damage or malfunctioning.

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

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

off-color »    Considered dirty, vulgar or obscene.

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

off-the-shelf »    As purchased or as commonly available, without modification or customization.

offer affordances »    To give elbow room or leeway for something to happen.

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

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

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

oil painting »    works of art

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

old hat »    Something uninteresting, hackneyed, or passé due to overuse or long-standing familiarity..

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

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

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

old money »    The monetary system used in the United Kingdom before decimalisation and consisting of pounds, shillings, and pence.

old saw »    A cliché, saying, or overused expression; especially a proverb or maxim.

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.

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

on a regular basis »    Regularly, occurring in regular time intervals or patterns.

on a roll »    Having a streak of good luck or good progress or success.

on a shoestring »    On a very tight budget; with few resources or little money.

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

on acid »    Exaggerated, bizarre or unpredictable.

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

on an irregular basis »    Irregularly, occurring in irregular time intervals or patterns.

on board »    Agreeing or supporting.

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 board »    Joining in or participating.

on board »    On or in a means of transportation.

on demand »    When needed or required.

on edge »    Tense, nervous or irritable.

on high »    "According to those on high there is no global warming".

on high »    "The Lord our God who dwelleth on high" Psalms 63:5.

on high »    In authority.

on high »    In the sky or the heavens.

on hold »    On reserve; being held for someone.

on ice »    Not being used, or not to be used e.g.

on ice »    Performed by ice skaters as an ice show.

on its merits »    Considering only intrinsic good points and bad points, without prejudice or other considerations, such as procedural ones.

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

on one's hands »    Being one's liability or responsibility; with which one is lumbered.

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

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

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

on one's toes »    Attentive, active, busy or alert.

on one's watch »    During the period of time when one is in a position of authority or responsibility.

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

on spec »    Short form of "on speculation": Creating a work with the hope of selling it, as opposed to creating a work "on commission" for hire.

on sufferance »    Unwillingly agreed to or barely tolerated.

on tenterhooks »    In a state of suspense or apprehension.

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

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

on the ball »    Alert, active, or attentive; on top of things.

on the blink »    Functioning erratically, malfunctioning; not working or not working well. Usually refers to a mechanical or electronic device.

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

on the clock »    Displayed numerically on the mileage or kilometric gauge.

on the clock »    In the official time expired in a game or other sporting event.

on the clock »    In the official time remaining in a game or other sporting event.

on the clock »    Of a taxicab, engaged for hire; displayed numerically as time or fare on the meter of a taxicab.

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

on the defensive »    Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression.

on the double »    Rapidly or immediately.

on the face of it »    Apparently; as far as can be seen or determined.

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

on the game »    Working as a prostitute.

on the horn »    On the telephone.

on the level »    Honest, sincere, straightforward.

on the line »    In a contest or enterprise.

on the line »    On a level with the eye of the spectator; said of a picture, as hung in an exhibition of pictures.

on the loose »    Not incarcerated or in captivity; not under control.

on the make »    Actively seeking a romantic encounter or relationship.

on the make »    Actively seeking an opportunity for self-advancement; eager to ingratiate oneself to others in order to secure some advantage.

on the mend »    Healing or recovering, as from an injury or illness.

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

on the nose »    Smelly, malodorous.

on the pill »    Using oral contraceptives.

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

on the prowl »    Hunting or seeking.

on the right track »    Using the correct general approach to a particular task or problem; pursuing something in a promising way.

on the ropes »    Leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, as when exhausted and nearing defeat or collapse.

on the ropes »    Showing signs of imminent failure or collapse.

on the run »    Constantly traveling or moving from place to place.

on the same wavelength »    In rapport or complete accord.

on the spot »    Having to answer or decide without warning or preparation.

on the spur of the moment »    On very short notice; spontaneously.

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

on the town »    Casually enjoying the nightlife of a town or city.

on the uptake »    In understanding or in the ability to absorb new information; especially in the phrases "quick on the uptake" and "slow on the uptake".

on the verge »    Very near or close.

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

on the wane »    In a period of decrease or decline.

on the whole »    For the most part; apart from some insignificant details.

on thin ice »    In a dangerous, hazardous, or delicate situation; at risk.

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

on top of »    Fully informed about, and in control of something; up to speed with.

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

on track »    On a well-defined promotion path in an organisation, usually tenure.

on track »    Proceeding as planned, as expected, or in a manner consistent with an established pattern.

on wheels »    Having wheels affixed to the bottom, and so transportable.

once and for all »    Finally, permanently, conclusively.

once or twice »    A small, indefinite number of times.

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

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

one at a time »    Individually, as opposed to collectively; slowly or methodically, figuratively.

one brick short of a full load »    Not mentally sound; insane.

one brick short of a full load »    Stupid.

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

one candle short of a box »    not bright; stupid

one fell swoop »    One stroke; one action or event with many results.

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

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

one or two »    a few

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

one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »    Words spoken by Neil Armstrong when taking the first steps on the moon.

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

one step forward, two steps back »    A situation in which progress is more than offset by adverse developments.

one swallow does not a summer make »    One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.

one swallow doesn't make a summer »    One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.

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

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

one's bark is worse than one's bite »    The individual acts threatening but is relatively harmless.

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

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

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

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

one-horse town »    A very small town.

one-man band »    An organisation or business that is effectively run by only one person.

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

one-night stand »    An occasion when a performer or team of them expects to perform at a theater for a single evening.

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

one-track mind »    That said to be possessed by someone who is obsessed with something or only able to think of one thing.

one-trick pony »    A performing animal that knows only one trick.

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

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

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

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

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

only fools and horses work »    Philosophy of life that people who do not look for an easy way of earning a living are foolish.

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 »    A good-humored threat of physical harm.

open fire »    To begin firing at something or someone.

opposite number »    A person who holds a position in an organization that corresponds to that held by another person in an other organization; a counterpart.

or else »    Clean up your room, or else!.

or else »    Go now, or else you'll have to stay all night.

or else »    Otherwise or as an alternative.

or so »    approximately; there abouts

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

orange up »    To make more orange.

orange up »    To make more prominent by making orange or adding orange colour.

orange up »    To become more orange.

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

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 character »    Not in character; not successfully performing within the mindset of a given character in a theatrical performance. See also break character, drop character.

out of date »    Not current, outmoded, out of style, or too old to be used.

out of gas »    Tired; lacking energy or motivation.

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

out of house and home »    In a manner that deprives one of dwelling or some aspect thereof.

out of it »    Disoriented; not thinking clearly.

out of it »    Not participating in some trend or group.

out of kilter »    Disturbed; out of order; not working or adjusted properly.

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

out of luck »    Experiencing a temporary misfortune.

out of nowhere »    In an unexpected or inexplicable manner of arrival or occurrence.

out of one's depth »    To be in a situation which one is poorly prepared or unprepared to handle.

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

out of order »    Inappropriate or unsuitable.

out of order »    Not functioning properly.

out of order »    Out of normal sequence.

out of place »    Amongst all those horsey people I felt quite out of place.

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

out of place »    She comes in out of the storm with not a hair out of place.

out of pocket »    Lacking funds, or suffering a loss.

out of proportion »    Not in a proper or pleasing relation to other things, especially in terms of size.

out of reach »    Inaccessible or unattainable.

out of sight »    The notice was out of sight behind the door.

out of sight »    You better stay out of sight for a few days.

out of sight, out of mind »    When something is not nearby, it is forgotten about.

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

out of stock »    Temporarily unavailable for sale.

out of the blue »    Unexpectedly; without warning or preparation.

out of the frying pan, into the fire »    From an already bad situation to a worse one.

out of the loop »    Not informed up to date; current; not kept part of the discussion.

out of the mouths of babes »    The greatest wisdom comes from children, who are not afraid or weary of the world and its pressures.

out of the way »    Improper or offensive.

out of the way »    Not obstructing or hindering; not in the way.

out of the way »    Remote or secluded.

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

out of the woods »    Out of peril; likely to recover or prevail over trouble; finished with the worst or most threatening part of a problem or illness.

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

out of touch »    No longer conversant with facts; not aware or realistic.

out of touch »    No longer maintaining contact or communications.

out of whack »    Not working or operating properly.

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

out on one's ear »    Fired, dismissed or thrown out, especially for some wrongdoing or otherwise with disgrace.

out on the tiles »    Out for a night on the town.

out the door »    The exact image, a lookalike.

out the door »    Exact, correct.

out the wazoo »    Out the ass; excessive or excessively; too much.

out the window »    A missed opportunity.

out to lunch »    Away eating lunch or for a midday break; especially, away from work or a job.

out to lunch »    Clueless, inattentive or careless.

outshout »    To merit the most attention or praise.

outshout »    To shout louder or for longer than another.

outside world »    The rest of the world outside of some closed, restricted, or remote environment.

outside world »    The world external to the human mind.

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

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

outsider »    One who is not part of a community or organization.

over a barrel »    In a disadvantageous or helpless situation, in which one may be controlled or victimized.

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

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

over one's head »    Performing at a level greatly superior to one's usual level of performance.

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

over the transom »    Said of an unsolicited work submitted for publication.

overleap »    To ignore.

own up »    To acknowledge, confess, or admit guilt. Often used with to.

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

pachyderm »    A member of the obsolete taxonomic group Pachydermata, grouping of thick-skinned, hoofed animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant, pig and horse.

pachyderm »    Someone with thick skin. It is used for animals such as an elephant or a hippopotamus.

pachyderm »    What others say about him or her.

pack away »    To store away, place out of the way, or stash, especially for the longer term.

pack up »    To prepare for shipping, as a gift.

packing heat »    Carrying one or more firearms on one's person, especially in a concealed manner.

pain in the ass »    Something that causes discomfort or is otherwise troublesome.

pain in the butt »    A nuisance; a source of trouble or annoyance.

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

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.

paint the town red »    To party or celebrate in a rowdy, wild manner, especially in a public place.

paint with a broad brush »    To describe a class of objects or a kind of phenomenon in general terms, without specific details and without attention to individual variations.

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

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

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

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

pan out »    To succeed; to proceed according to plan; to result or end up.

paper »    A newspaper or anything used as such .

paper »    A sheet material used for writing on or printing on , usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.

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

paper »    A written document, generally shorter than a book , in particular one written for the Government.

paper trail »    A written record, history, or collection of evidence.

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

par for the course »    To be expected; normal; common; usual.

parade of horribles »    A parade featuring a progression of people wearing comic and grotesque costumes.

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

parcel out »    To divide into portions or chunks; to ration.

pardon me »    Sorry; said as an apology.

pardon my French »    Please excuse my swearing or bad language.

pare down »    To reduce by paring or a similar gradual process.

park that thought »    Alternative form of hold that thought.

parking lot »    A major thruway blocked by stop and go traffic.

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

parting shot »    An insult or barbed comment issued as the speaker departs or the conversation comes to an end.

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

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

pass muster »    To adequately pass a formal or informal inspection.

pass on »    To convey or communicate.

pass on »    To skip or decline.

pass the buck »    To transfer responsibility or blame from oneself onto another; to absolve oneself of concern for a given matter by claiming to lack authority or jurisdiction.

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

pay for »    To exchange for, especially money for goods or services.

pay for »    To be punished or held accountable for.

pay for it »    To suffer the consequences of one's actions.

pay off »    To become worthwhile after a lapse.

pay one's dues »    To acquire status or to earn the right to enjoy certain benefits, especially through lengthy experience, hardship, or service to an organization.

pay one's dues »    To outlay money which is owed as a membership fee or price of admission.

pay the fiddler »    To contribute in order to participate.

pay the freight »    To pay for the cost of transport.

pay the piper »    To pay a monetary debt or experience unfavorable consequences, especially when the payment or consequences are inevitable in spite of attempts to avoid them.

pay through the nose »    To pay a high price, especially an exorbitant or excessive amount, either in money or in some other manner.

pay up »    To pay for something in total, after a certain amount of time after receiving a purchase.

pea patch »    A realm of endeavor.

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

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

peachy keen »    Extremely good, exactly right; all right. Often used in the negative or with an ironic or sarcastic connotation to mean the opposite.

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

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

peashooter »    A toy gun, consisting of a tube through which peas or small objects are blown.

peashooter »    Any small or ineffective gun.

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

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

pencil pusher »    One who does routine office work; someone involved mainly in paperwork.

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

penny for your thoughts »    Used to inquire into the thoughts and feelings of another, especially when the person appears pensive or conflicted.

penny pincher »    One who spends little money; one who is very frugal or cautious with money.

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

pep up »    To make stronger or more interesting.

per se »    by or in itself

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

perfect storm »    A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors.

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.

phase out »    To remove or relinquish the use of something little by little.

physical break »    A short break in a meeting or in a classroom setting, intended to improve attention.

pi%C3%A8ce de r%C3%A9sistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

pick of the litter »    The best person or item in a group.

pick on »    To bully or make fun of a victim; to bother or harass.

pick one's nose »    The act of picking one's nose, insertion of a finger or other object into one's nostril.

pick somebody's brain »    To seek information from someone knowledgeable; to ask questions of someone.

pick up »    To clean up; to return to an organized state.

pick up »    To improve, increase, or speed up.

pick up »    To restart or resume.

pick up »    To notice, detect or discern, often used with "on".

pick up »    To point out (a person's behaviour, habits or actions),in a critical manner.

pick up »    To meet and seduce somebody for romantic purposes, especially in a social situation, sometimes used with "on".

pick up »    To pay for.

pick up stitches »    Stitches to the knitting needle that were previously bound off, or that belong to the selvage, during the process of knitting or entrelac.

pick up the tab »    To accept a charge and pay for it, especially at a bar or restaurant.

pickin' and grinnin' »    Vigorously playing folk or country music on a stringed musical instrument, especially the guitar or banjo, while smiling broadly.

pickle »    A cucumber preserved in a solution, usually a brine or a vinegar syrup.

pickle »    An affectionate term for a loved one.

pickle »    The brine used for preserving food.

piece de resistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

piece of cake »    A job, task or other activity that is easy or simple to do.

piece of work »    A product or manufactured article, especially an item of art or craft.

piffy on a rock bun »    A person ignored or sidelined from an activity.

pig in a poke »    Something whose true value is concealed or unknown, especially something offered for sale.

pig out »    To eat voraciously or ravenously; to gorge oneself.

pile up »    To form a pile, stack, or heap.

pile up »    To collect or accumulate, as a backlog.

pile-up »    A traffic accident or collision involving multiple vehicles.

pin down »    To attach or secure with pins.

pin down »    To corner somebody in order to get a firm answer.

pin tuck »    narrow ornamental fold

pinch and a punch for the first of the month »    Said the first day of a new month, accompanied by a pinch and a punch to the victim.

pinch-hit »    To do something in the place of another person who is not able to perform or is less skilled; to substitute or stand in for somebody.

pinchpenny »    One who spends little money; one who is very frugal or cautious with money.

pink slip »    An automobile roadworthiness inspection certificate.

pipe dream »    A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely work; a near impossibility.

piss and vinegar »    Exuberance or enthusiasm, especially to an excessive degree; bravado; youthful energy.

piss money up the wall »    To waste money, normally through ineptness in business.

piss up a rope »    To engage in futile or impossible activity.

pissin like a race horse »    To urinate profusely.

pissing contest »    An argument which is instigated, or exacerbated while consuming alcohol.

pitched battle »    A hostile engagement involving sustained, full-scale fighting between opposing forces in close combat.

pitched battle »    An intense, rancorous argument or confrontation.

play along »    To take part in a charade, deception, or practical joke.

play around »    To behave in a silly, or childish, or irresponsible way.

play around »    To work with in a non-serious manner.

play ball »    To work together; to cooperate.

play down »    To make or attempt to make something seem less important, likely, or obvious.

play dumb »    To pretend to be slow-witted or lacking in specific knowledge, usually in order to avoid responsibility or to gain some advantage.

play fast and loose »    To be recklessly inaccurate, inappropriate, or otherwise ignoring guidelines and conventions.

play fast and loose »    To ignore proper behavior or social conventions, especially when it suits ones purpose.

play for love »    To play a game of cards without stakes.

play hardball »    To act rough and ruthless, especially in politics or business.

play hooky »    To miss school, work, or other duties without permission or an excuse.

play it by ear »    To do something by guessing, intuition, or trial and error; to react to events as they occur.

play it by ear »    To play a song according to how it sounds, rather than from a written score.

play on words »    A pun, or similar humorous use of language such as a double entendre.

play possum »    To dissemble or to feign ignorance; to disguise or conceal something in order to deceive.

play possum »    To feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lay low.

play second fiddle »    To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.

play silly buggers »    To act in a stupid or reckless manner.

play the field »    To date more than one person at the same time.

play the fool »    To behave in a foolish or comical manner.

play the ponies »    To bet on horse racing.

play the race card »    To assert that race or racism is responsible for a course of events, especially when race is not of particular significance to the issue in question; to attempt to inspire a particular reaction by raising the issue of race.

play the same tape »    To repeat exactly what one previously said or did.

play to the gallery »    To appeal to the least sophisticated parts of an audience in order to obtain maximum approval.

play up »    To make or attempt to make something appear more important, likely or obvious; to showcase or highlight.

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.

plead the fifth »    To refuse to answer a question, or refuse to speak, especially when the response would reflect badly on the speaker.

pleased as Punch »    Pleased with one's actions or achievements.

plug away »    To persist or continue, as with an effort.

plump up »    To shake or arrange so as to be fatter or more evenly distributed.

plus  »    (literally) The more it changes, the more it's the same thing (sometimes loosely translated as the more things change, the more they stay the same).Although the outward appearance may change, fundamentals are constant.

poacher turned gamekeeper »    A person who now works against the same people they once supported.

point blank »    The distance between a gun and a target such that it requires minimal effort in aiming it. In particular no allowance needs to be made for the effects of gravity, target movement or wind in aiming the projectile.

point of no return »    The point in an aircraft's flight when there is insufficient fuel to reverse direction and return to the place of origin.

point of no return »    The point in any journey, process, or sequence of events when it is no longer possible to reverse course or stop the process.

point out »    To identify with a bodily gesture, notably by pointing a finger or implement.

point the finger »    To accuse; to direct or imply blame.

point the finger at »    To accuse or blame.

poison »    A drink; liquor.

poison »    A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.

poison »    Something that harms a person or thing.

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.

poison tree bears poison fruit »    Unethical actions in the service of good intentions will have immoral or unethical consequences.

polish off »    Or liquor.

poor power »    Limited ability.

pop off »    To leave, and return in a short time.

pop off »    To release flatulence, in most cases, in short rapid succession.

pop out »    To leave a room or building with the expectation of returning soon.

pore over »    To examine something carefully and attentively.

pork sausages »    bangers

poster child »    One who is a prototypical or quintessential example of something.

pot calling the kettle black »    A situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.

potter »    God, the creator.

potter »    One who places flowers or other plants inside their pots.

potter's clay »    A nation or kingdom.

potter's clay »    A person or people created and shaped by God.

pound of flesh »    Something which is owed and which will be hurtful or difficult to provide; a debt owed to someone who is merciless and demanding.

pound the pavement »    To campaign diligently; to seek something, such as business, employment, or answers.

pound the pavement »    To travel on foot; to walk or run.

pour oil on troubled waters »    To calm something or someone who is tenacious or misbehaving.

pour out »    To serve a drink into a cup or glass.

power behind the throne »    Someone who appears to be without special status, but who has great covert influence on a person in authority.

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 corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely »    The corrupting influence of power is total when one's power is total.Lord Acton see: Wikiquote

power up »    To become ready for operation as a result of the provision of electrical power.

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.

pre-war »    Describing the most recent or significant war in a culture's history.

pre-war »    Describing the period before a war.

pre-war »    Describing the period before the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

preach to the choir »    Speaking as if to convince a person or group of something which that person or group already believes.

preprogram »    To predispose to certain thoughts or behaviours.

pretty penny »    A considerable amount of money; a high price or a high income.

pretzel »    A toasted bread or cracker usually in the shape of a loose knot.

pretzel »    Anything that is knotted, twisted, or tangled.

price on one's head »    A compensation for capturing or killing a person, especially someone guilty of a crime.

price out of the market »    To charge an exorbitant price for a service or product so that no one will purchase it.

pride comes before a fall »    A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.

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.

prime of life »    The period of one's mature life when one is at a peak of health and performance.

private eye »    A private personal detective, employed to gather information about someone.

problem child »    A child who is particularly difficult to raise or educate, especially due to a lack of self-control and disruptive and antisocial behavior.

problem child »    Someone or something persistently difficult or vexing; a frequent source of trouble or annoyance.

prone out »    In order to be propelled shorewards by a broken wave.

pronunciamiento »    A military uprising or coup in Spain or the Spanish American republics, particularly in the 19th century. They received this designation because coups were usually accompanied by a statement declaring the existing government null and void.

pronunciamiento »    A pronouncement or "declaration".

proverbs come in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0155511130, page 325:Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.

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.

proverbs run in pairs »    Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.

puddle jumper »    A small passenger airplane, typically used for shorter connecting trips to smaller airports.

puff up »    To swell due to injury or illness.

pulcher »    Noble, honorable, excellent.

pull a face »    To make an abnormal facial expression.

pull a fast one »    To deceive or trick.

pull an all-nighter »    Work diligently throughout the night.

pull one's finger out »    To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.

pull one's head in »    To withdraw as a turtle might; to discontinue support of a particular argument.

pull one's own weight »    To do the work that one is obligated to.

pull one's socks up »    To start making an effort; to renew or redouble one's efforts.

pull one's weight »    To do the work that one is obligated to.

pull oneself up by one's bootstraps »    To begin an enterprise or recover from a setback without any outside help; to succeed only on one's own effort or abilities.

pull out »    To withdraw; especially of military forces; to retreat.

pull out all the stops »    To reserve or hold back nothing.

pull rank »    To assert one's authority over a subordinate who disagrees.

pull somebody's leg »    To tease someone; to lead someone on; to goad someone into overreacting. It usually implies teasing or goading by jokingly lying.

pull teeth »    To do something that is especially difficult or effortful.

pull teeth »    To remove teeth, usually because they are diseased or damaged.

pull the other leg »    In imperative/precative form, used to imply that the speaker does not accept or believe what another has just said.

pull the other one, it's got bells on »    The implication is that one leg has been pulled, and the joker will have more fun with the other one due to the bells.

pull the plug »    To cease from production or publication.

pull the plug »    To cease life support.

pull the plug »    To cease to support; to halt.

pull the plug »    To unplug or cut power.

pull together »    To unite for a common objective.

pull up »    Lift upwards or vertically.

pull up stumps »    To cease doing something, at least for the day.

pump iron »    To lift weights; to engage in weight or strength training.

pump up »    To excite a person or group to a frenzy.

punch in »    To enter a workplace by punching a time card.

pure and simple »    Plain and unadorned.

purple prose »    Extravagant or flowery writing, especially in a literary work.

push one's luck »    To take an excessive risk or to attempt some task unlikely to succeed, especially after having already been unexpectedly lucky.

push the boat out »    To do something, especially spend money, more extravagantly than usual, particularly for a celebration.

put a lid on it »    To be quiet; shut up; to stop talking about something or making noise.

put a stop to »    To terminate or abolish something.

put across »    To explain or state something clearly and understandably.

put across »    To perform a theatrical production.

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 away »    To store away, place out of the way, clean up, or organize.

put away »    Divorce.

put away »    To catch a fly ball or tag out a baserunner.

put back »    To return something to it's original place.

put back »    To postpone an arranged event or appointment.

put by »    To perform an action without attracting attention.

put down »    To set down, stop carrying, or place in a low location.

put down »    To insult, belittle, or demean.

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 make prices, or taxes, lower.

put down »    To drop someone off, or let them out of a vehicle.

put down for »    To record that someone has offered to help, or contribute something.

put forth »    To give or supply; to make or create.

put forward »    To propose for consideration.

put forward »    To change the time in a time zone to a later time.

put hair on somebody's chest »    To make a person stronger or more masculine.

put in »    To apply, request, or submit.

put into practice »    To take a theory and make it a practical reality.

put off »    To offend, repulse, or frighten.

put on »    To place upon or atop.

put on »    To don clothing or equipment.

put on »    To play recorded music.

put on »    To cook or warm.

put on »    To record, to add to a record or document.

put on the dog »    To dress up; to put on airs; to make a show of wealth and/or importance; to be pretentious.

put one foot in front of the other »    To move forward, progress steadily.

put one over »    To fool, trick or deceive.

put one past somebody »    To deceive, trick, or fool, especially by concealing something.

put one's back into »    To make a strenuous effort to do something.

put one's best foot forward »    To show oneself in the best or most positive way possible; to make a favorable impression.

put one's foot down »    To insist, demand, or refuse.

put one's foot in it »    To make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing, or offensive.

put one's foot in one's mouth »    To misspeak; to say something embarrassing or wrong.

put one's mind to it »    To apply oneself; to exert a directed effort.

put one's money where one's mouth is »    More generally, to take an obvious stake in the truth of a claim that one is making.

put one's money where one's mouth is »    To make or take a bet.

put one's shoulder to the wheel »    To work or exert oneself heavily or with full effort.

put out feelers »    To explore or watch for; ask around; investigate.

put paid to »    To stop something once and for all.

put paid to »    To mark a bill or a debt record as "paid".

put somebody in his place »    To bring somebody down; to humble or insult.

put someone down as »    To assume someone has a particular character from very little information.

put someone in mind of »    To remind someone of; to inspire a mental image or awareness of; to cause thoughts concerning.

put something into perspective »    To compare with something similar to give a clearer, more accurate idea.

put the bee on »    To beg; to borrow money from.

put the cart before the horse »    To put things in the wrong order or with the wrong priorities.

put the cat among the pigeons »    Professor Stephen Hawking put the cat among the pigeons last week with his cheery remarks about comet Machholz-2, which some astronomers believe could be heading our way. — The Times, 19 September 1994.

put the clock forward »    To change the time in a time zone to a later time.

put the hammer down »    To drive quickly; to step on the accelerator.

put the kibosh on »    To halt, stop, or squelch.

put the pedal to the metal »    To exert maximum effort.

put the wind up »    To frighten or disturb.

put through its paces »    To test completely; to exercise the full range of abilities or functions.

put through the wringer »    To interrogate or scrutinize closely; to subject to some trial or ordeal.

put to the test »    To test something or someone; to evaluate, scrutinize or explore by testing or experimentation.

put together »    To assemble, construct, or build.

put two and two together »    To figure out; to deduce or discern.

put up »    To hang or mount.

put up »    To cajole or dare to do something.

put up »    To store away.

put up »    To house, shelter, or take in.

put up or shut up »    Desist from saying something unless one is able to prove it.

put up with »    To tolerate, suffer through, or allow, esp. something annoying.

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.

quake in one's boots »    To be frightened, scared, or nervous.

quantum mechanics »    Something overly complicated or detailed.

quantum mechanics »    The branch of physics which studies matter and energy at the level of atoms and other elementary particles, and substitutes probabilistic mechanisms for classical Newtonian ones.

quarter of »    Fifteen minutes before the next hour.

queer fish »    An odd or eccentric person.

queer one's pitch »    To make a task more difficult for the speaker.

question mark »    Doubt or uncertainty.

quick-and-dirty »    Done or constructed in a hasty, approximate, temporarily adequate manner, but not exact, fully formed, or reliable for a long period of time.

quick-and-dirty »    Of or pertaining to the creation or repair of software or hardware in a manner which permits operation within a brief period of time, although with compromised functionality or reliability.

quicumque vult »    A forward girl, ready to oblige every man that shall ask her.

quiet down »    To make someone or something become quieter.

quieten down »    To make someone or something become quieter.

quote unquote »    Emphasizes the following word or phrase for irony, as used almost exclusively in spoken language.

rabble rouser »    Someone or something that tends to inspire mobs; something controversial or provocative.

rack one's brain »    To struggle to think of or remember something.

rag bagger »    A sailboat, usually a cruising sailboats which tend to carry and store lots of supplies along the deck, or any sailboat that looks like a neglected vessel, or messy vessel.

rag bagger »    A sailor who tends to sail on messy cruising vessels.

rag the puck »    To proceed slowly at any activity in order to use up time; to stall for time.

rag the puck »    To retain possession of the puck by skillful skating and stickhandling without attempting to score, as a deliberate tactic intended to use up time.

rag-chewing »    A phrase used by morse code operators for a longer than usual conversation, generally a conversation extending about 30 minutes.

rain cheque »    Any voucher or note issued by a store to allow a customer to get a special or sale price later if an item is out of stock.

rain on someone's parade »    To disappoint or discourage someone.

rain or shine »    Regardless of what the circumstances are, and how the weather is.

rain pitchforks »    To rain heavily.

raise a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

raise the bar »    To raise standards or expectations, especially by creating something to a higher standard.

raise the spectre »    To cause concern that something unfortunate might happen.

raise the stakes »    To increase in significance or risk.

rake »    A garden tool with a row of pointed teeth fixed to a long handle, used for collecting grass or debris, or for loosening soil.

rake »    A set of coupled rail vehicles, normally coaches or wagons.

rake »    The sloped edge of a roof at or adjacent to the first or last rafter.

ramp up »    Of a project or operation, to start up.

rank and file »    Those lacking any particular title or status; those having no station.

raring to go »    Extremely eager or anxious to begin.

rat race »    An activity or situation which is congested with participants and which is hectic or tedious, especially in the context of a busy, modern urban lifestyle.

rat run »    A small road that people venture down when they want to sneak off the motorway and take a short cut.

rattle off »    To list or recite quickly.

rattle someone's cage »    To demand attention; to nag, nudge, or remind.

reach an early grave »    To be sentenced to death before the age of 18.

reach an early grave »    To die young. To die before the age of 80.

reach an early grave »    To resign near the start for good.

reach for the stars »    To have high hopes, to be ambitious.

read out »    To read something and say the words to inform other people.

read out »    To read some data and inform the person using the device.

read somebody the riot act »    To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.

read somebody's lips »    To discern what somebody is saying by watching the shape of the mouth rather than by hearing the sounds of the words.

real deal »    A thing or person which is genuine, authentic, or worthy of serious regard.

real job »    A job that can't be replaced advantageously by a machine or a procedure.

real job »    A job which requires the employee to, work regular hours for a consistent wage that often exceeds the provisions of applicable minimum wage legislation. A job that produces a living wage.

real Macoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

real McCoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

real McKoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

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.

reap what one sows »    To receive as a reward or harvest in the same measure as one's exertions, in a good or a bad sense. To receive justice.

rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic »    To do something pointless or insignificant that will soon be overtaken by events, or that contributes nothing to the solution of a current problem.

rebound relationship »    A relationship proceeding a longterm relationship, usually short in duration and used to help mend the "broken heart".

reckon for »    To answer for; to pay the account for.

reckon on »    To count on or depend on.

reckon upon »    To count upon or depend upon.

reckon with »    To settle accounts with or to settle claims with.

reckon without »    To ignore that which cannot readily be ignored.

red face test »    A hypothetical test of a person's embarrassment, that is either passed or failed. Saying one passes the red face test means one would not blush and thus would not be embarrassed by disclosing something to others or doing something, and saying one fails the red face test means a situation would cause them discernible embarrassment.

red flag »    A cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong.

red herring »    A clue that is misleading or that has been falsified, intended to divert attention.

red ink »    A euphemism for financial loss.

red state »    A state of the United States voting Republican in a given election, or tending to vote Republican in general.

red tape »    A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.

rediscover fire »    To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well known and widely practiced at a prior time in human society.

redolent »    Fragrant or aromatic; having a sweet scent.

redolent »    Suggestive or reminiscent.

rein in »    To stop or slow a horse by pulling the reins.

rein in »    To stop or slow something, by exercising control.

reinvent the wheel »    To redo work unnecessarily when it has already been done satisfactorily; to rethink an already working system, technique, etc. in a pointless attempt to improve it.

rest assured »    Be sure; no need to worry; trust.

rev up »    To increase the speed of an engine, especially that of a stationary motor car.

rhyme off »    To list or recite quickly.

rhyme or reason »    Logic. Common sense.

ridden hard and put away wet »    Mistreated; not properly cared for.

ride herd on »    To supervise a group of people, such as workers, and/or their actions, i.e. their work.

ride one's luck »    To avoid failure only by good fortune.

ride roughshod over »    To act in a bullying or inconsiderate manner; to display disregard towards someone or something.

ride tall in the saddle »    To act or conduct oneself in a manner that is imposing, impressive, resolute, or manly.

ride tall in the saddle »    To ride a horse in an erect, imposing manner.

ride the short bus »    To have a need for a special education program, as because learning disabled.

ride the short bus »    To participate in a special education program, such as for those with learning disabilities.

right as rain »    Correct; factually accurate.

right back »    Used in several informal constructions to indicate return -- especially imminent return to a point of origin.

right on »    An expression of enthusiasm or encouragement.

ring around »    To call a number of people by phone, usually a circle of friends, to organise something.

ring false »    To seem to be incorrect, or implausible.

ring hollow »    To seem to be false or implausible; to be unconvincing.

ring in »    To make a phone call to one's usual place of work.

ring off the hook »    Of a telephone, to ring constantly or excessively.

ring out »    To make a phone call from an internal phone system to a general telephone network number.

ring round »    To call a number of people by phone, usually a circle of friends, to organise something.

ring up »    To enter a payment into a cash register, or till in a shop.

ringside seat »    A seat in the front row of a boxing or wrestling match.

rip off »    To steal, cheat or swindle.

rip off »    To charge an exorbitant or unfair rate.

rise from the ashes »    To make a comeback after a long hiatus. To come back into common use or practice. To come back into popularity. To come back to being a thing of today.

roach coach »    Whimsically, a catering or food truck.

road apple »    Horse manure, especially when deposited on a road.

road to Damascus »    A road to Damascus moment, or change, is an important point in someone's life where a great change, or reversal, of ideas or beliefs occurs.

roadwarrior »    A person who carries a mobile device such as a laptop or PDA and uses wireless internet connections to work.

roadwarrior »    Alternative spelling of road warrior.

rob Peter to pay Paul »    To solve a problem in a way that makes another problem worse.

rob the cradle »    To marry or become romantically involved with a much younger person.

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.

robber baron »    In Europe, an aristocrat who charged exorbitant fees or otherwise exacted money from people who journeyed across land or waterways which he controlled.

rock the boat »    To disturb the status quo or go against rules or conventions, as in an effort to get attention.

rock up »    To work one's way vertically up a chimney or cleft using a rocking movement.

rock up »    To turn up to a place or function unexpectedly, or without notice or prior warning.

rocket science »    Anything overly complex, detailed or confusing.

rocket science »    The science or study of rockets and their design.

rocket scientist »    One specializing in the science or study of rockets and their design.

rocket scientist »    Someone qualified to understand or handle that which is overly complex, detailed or confusing; a genius.

rocking horse »    toy

rocking horse shit »    A metaphor for something exceedingly rare or, more likely, nonexistent.

rocking-horse shit »    Alternative form of rocking horse shit.

roll out the red carpet »    To extend the utmost hospitality; to treat someone as an honored guest; to welcome or host, especially in a showy or extravagant manner.

roll up one's sleeves »    To prepare to work.

Rome wasn't built in a day »    It takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive.

root around »    Alternative form of root about.

root cause »    An initiating cause of a chain of events which leads to an outcome or effect of interest.

root up »    To dig or pull up by the roots; to deracinate.

rose-colored glasses »    An optimistic perception of something; a positive opinion; seeing something in a positive way, often thinking of it as better than it actually is.

rose-colored glasses »    Glasses that are tinted in a pink or rose shade.

rough and ready »    Crude or unpolished, but still fit for use; good enough.

rough up »    To manhandle or beat up.

round down »    To the greatest integer that is not greater than it, or to some other lower value, especially a whole number of hundreds, thousands, etc.

round of applause »    An outburst of clapping among a group or audience. Often asked for by the Master of Ceremonies at a concert or other performance.

round off »    To change the shape of an object to make it more circular.

round off »    To complete or finish something.

round out »    To make more complete by adding details.

round the bend »    Crazy, mad or insane.

round up »    To the smallest integer that is not less than it, or to some other greater value, especially a whole number of hundreds, thousands, etc.

rub it in »    To add insult to injury; to emphasize one's strengths or another's weaknesses in a manner that degrades another.

rub salt in the wound »    To make an injury feel worse.

rub somebody the wrong way »    To bother, disturb, irritate, or annoy.

rubber-chicken dinner »    A formal dinner or event thrown by politicians to raise funds.

ruffle some feathers »    To disturb; to arouse resentment, anger, or concern.

rugby league »    sport

rule of thumb »    A general guideline, rather than a strict rule; an approximate measure or means of reckoning based on experience or common knowledge.

rule with an iron fist »    To rule with absolute authority or to the detriment of the people. To rule tyrannically.

rules OK »    To be popularly accepted, or supported by the general majority of people.

rumor campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

rumor mill »    A group or network of persons who originate or promulgate gossip and other unsubstantiated claims.

run a bath »    To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.

run a mile »    To escape, flee or leave a situation or relationship, usually as a result of a shocking or sudden announcement or revelation.

run across »    To find or discover by chance.

run after »    To make a determined effort to win someone's affections.

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 around with »    To spend a lot of time with a person or group of people. Often used to talk about a person's group of friends that one does not like much.

run away »    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 away with »    To leave secretly with another person. Usually with the intention of getting married or of living together against the wishes of the family.

run back »    To rewind a film or cassette.

run by »    To inform someone briefly of the main points of an idea.

run by »    To repeat some information.

run down »    To hit someone with a car or other vehicle and injure or kill them.

run down »    To criticize someone or an organisation, often unfairly.

run down »    To find something or someone after searching for a long time.

run down »    To lose power slowly. Used for a machine, battery, or other powered device.

run down »    To read quickly a list or other short text.

run down »    To reduce the size or stock levels of a business, often with a view to closure.

run for »    To try to obtain political position through the democratic voting process.

run for office »    To seek political power.

run for one's money »    A difficult challenge for the person indicated, especially one involving a competitive situation.

run for one's money »    A reasonable opportunity to succeed, perform acceptably, or escape harm, especially in a difficult situation.

run for the hills »    Flee.

run for the roses »    A college football game or series of games played with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the championship Rose Bowl game.

run for the roses »    A hard-fought competition or demanding challenge of any kind.

run 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 into »    To blend into; to be followed by or adjacent to without there being a clear boundary.

run off »    To flee or depart quickly.

run off »    To make photocopies, or print.

run off »    To pour or spill off or over.

run off »    To leave someone without prior advice.

run off with »    To leave with someone with the intention of living with them or marrying them. Usually in secret because other people think it is wrong.

run off with »    To steal or abscond.

run on »    To continue talking for a long time.

run on fumes »    By extension, to operate with few resources or little money.

run oneself ragged »    To work or exert oneself to the point of exhaustion.

run out on »    To leave a partner suddenly and without prior warning.

run over »    To drive over, causing injury or death.

run rampant »    To go unchecked or without control; to be wild or excessive.

run roughshod over »    To treat roughly or without care, respect, or moderation; to act without control; to damage.

run somebody ragged »    To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.

run something by »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run something past »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run the gamut »    To encompass the full range or variety possible.

run through »    To use completely, in a short space of time. Usually money.

run through »    To pervade, of a quality that is characteristic of a group, organisation, or system.

run through »    To impale a person with a blade, usually a sword.

run to »    To reach the limit of one's abilities or tastes.

run up »    Of a bowler, to run, or walk up to the bowling crease in order to bowl a ball.

run up against »    Begin to encounter problems with someone or something.

run-of-the-mill »    Ordinary; not special.

runner up »    second-placed competitor

running on empty »    Losing enthusiasm or willingness, lacking energy.

rush hour »    The times of the day when traffic jams are commonplace, due mainly to people commuting to or from work.

sacred cow »    Something which cannot be tampered with, or criticized, for fear of public outcry.

said and done »    Agreed to and accomplished or finished.

salad years »    The inexperienced, youthful prime of an individual, group, organization or entity.

same old story »    What usually happens, a happening which is not surprising.

sauce for the goose »    A short form of what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander

save face »    To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.

saw wood »    To snore loudly.

say grace »    To recite a prayer of invocation or thanksgiving at meal time.

scare the bejeebers out of »    To thoroughly terrify.

scare the pants off of »    To scare or startle thoroughly.

school of hard knocks »    An education consisting of real-world experiences, especially harsh experiences.

scissorbill »    And railroad term for someone who refused to join the union or who openly colluded with management to thwart the union.

scissorbill »    Someone considered contemptible or foolish.

scissorbill »    The black skimmer bird native to the Atlantic states, USA.

scrape together »    To collect, assemble or gather small amounts , from various sources, with some difficulty.

scratch one's head »    To puzzle, ponder, or wonder about something.

scratch that »    To disregard, omit, or ignore the previous statement.

scratch the surface »    To barely begin; to see or do only a fraction of what is possible.

scream »    A form of singing associated with the metal and screamo styles of music. It is a loud, rough, distorted version of the voice; rather than the normal voice of the singer.

scream bloody murder »    To protest loudly or angrily.

screen out »    To use a screen, grate, sieve or similar means to separate large from small objects or particles.

screw back »    To cue the cue ball in such a way as to impart backspin. On impact, the ball will follow a reverse trajectory according to the spin.

screw this »    "I don't care enough to continue"; "This is too stressful for me"; whatever.

scrimp and save »    To scrimp greatly; to economize; to live very frugally, particularly when saving for something.

scrounge up »    To seek or find despite a lack of apparent resources or availability.

sea change »    A profound transformation.

sea dog »    old sailor

seagull approach »    The occurence of casual, ill-informed and hasty decisions or comments made by outside authorities who lack an understanding of the local issues or a real understanding of the facts of a particular situ.

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.

seat-of-the-pants »    Done by feel, guess, or trial and error rather than by careful planning, thought or technique.

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 childhood »    A childlike state in any adult, resulting from mental illness, trauma, or other conditions.

second childhood »    The period or state of cognitive decline of an elderly person, characterized by childlike judgment and behavior.

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.

second string »    In sports, a unit of players that plays behind the first string.

second string »    Not as good; of a lower quality or condition.

see a man »    To go have a drink or to meet one's bootlegger.

see a man »    To take one's leave for some urgent purpose, especially to go to the bathroom.

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.

see red »    To be angry or irritated.

see someone through »    To constitute ample supply for one for.

see someone through »    To suffice for a time.

see the forest for the trees »    To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the bigger picture, or the broader, more general situation. Generally used in the negative.

see through »    To be able to predict or read someone.

see you next Tuesday »    A euphemism for cunt.

seek and ye shall find »    something can be found if it is looked for.

seize the day »    To enjoy the present and not worry about the future; to live for the moment.

seize the day »    To make the most of today by achieving fulfillment in a philosophical or spiritual sense.

sell »    To agree to transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.

sell »    To pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act.

sell »    To trick, or cheat someone.

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 down the river »    To betray, especially in a manner which causes serious difficulty for the one betrayed.

sell ice to Eskimos »    To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous.

sell out »    To abandon one's supporters or principles to seek profit or other personal advantage.

sell someone a bill of goods »    To deceive or cheat someone.

sell wolf tickets »    To make empty threats or promises; to bluff.

sell-by date »    Used to indicate that something, or someone, is old and out of date.

seller's market »    An excess of demand over supply, leading to abnormally high prices; a market condition favoring the seller.

send away »    To send to a particular place for a long time, as a family member, an employee, etc.

send away for »    To write to a business or other organisation, requesting a thing.

send somebody packing »    To expel or eject somebody; to chase off or force out.

send to Coventry »    To ostracize, or systematically ignore someone.

send up »    To imitate someone or something for the purpose of satirical humour.

send up »    To make prices or temperatures etc. rise.

senior note »    A bond that takes priority over other debt securities sold by the issuer. In the event the issuer goes bankrupt, senior debt must be repaid before other creditors receive any payment.

sent to Coventry »    Ostracised, ignored.

serpentine »    Having the shape or form of a snake.

serpentine »    Of, or having attributes associated with, the mythological serpent, such as craftiness or deceitfulness.

serpentine »    Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of snakes.

serve time »    To be in prison or a similar institute.

set aside »    To declare something invalid or null and void.

set aside »    To disagree with something and reject or overturn it.

set aside »    To separate and reserve something for a specific purpose.

set back »    To delay or obstruct.

set back »    To remove from or allow distance.

set down »    Simple sum of parts set + down, to place, especially on the ground or a surface; to cease carrying.

set foot »    To go to a place , or to be there.

set for life »    Possessing sufficient resources, especially financial, to last a lifetime.

set in one's ways »    Driven by habit; inclined or determined to continue according to one's custom or established preferences.

set of pipes »    A wind instrument incorporating multiple pipes, such as a panpipe or bagpipe.

set of pipes »    Voice for singing.

set off »    To leave; to begin a journey or trip.

set one's cap at »    . Or, more generally, to choose something as a goal.

set straight »    To correct; to make right or true.

set the stage »    To prepare; to establish the basis or required conditions.

set to »    begin work

set to work »    To begin working at.

set to work »    To begin working.

set to work »    To cause to begin working.

set up shop »    To physically arrange a shop or workplace.

settle for »    To accept or allow something, especially something not entirely desirable.

settle in »    To get comfortable or established, as in a new place.

settle on »    To make a decision or selection; to decide.

settle someone's hash »    To physically or verbally subdue someone.

sex machine »    Any machine that is used for sexual pleasure.

sex up »    To make more palatable or acceptable to the general public; to improve the image or perception.

sex up »    To make more sexually attractive.

sexual congress »    Loose translation of the title of Aristophanes' play Ecclesiazousae, more literally translated as Assemblywomen.

sexual relation »    Behaviour of a sexual nature between one or more individuals.

shake the pagoda tree »    To find a source of easy enrichment; to become absurdly rich in a short time.

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.

shanks' pony »    Transportation by foot.

shape up »    To improve; to correct one's bad habits or behavior.

shape up »    To take shape; to transform into or become.

shape up or ship out »    To either improve one's behavior or else be required to leave; to either improve one's performance in an activity or else withdraw from that activity completely.

sharp cookie »    One who is intelligent, bright, or sharp; especially, one who can identify attempts to deceive or mislead.

sharp tongue »    The practice or characteristic of speaking to others in a harsh, critical, or insulting manner.

shell out »    To use a program's "shell escape" function to execute an unrelated command or to invoke a subsidiary, interactive shell.

shift gears »    To change pace or mode of operation.

shift gears »    To change the gear by which motion is transmitted from a powered shaft to another shaft, especially in a motor vehicle.

shirtless »    Not wearing a shirt. Having a bare torso.

shirtless »    Very poor.

shit a brick »    To react strongly or excessively, especially in anger or fear.

shit one's pants »    To involuntarily defecate into one's pants or other clothing.

shit or get off the pot »    To choose between taking action now, or foregoing the opportunity until a later date.

shit-eating grin »    A broad smile indicating self-awareness that may suggest self-satisfaction, smugness, discomfort, or embarrassment.

shitstorm »    A violent situation.

shitstorm »    Considerable backlash from the public.

shoo-in »    A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.

shoot 'em up »    A short story, novel, television show, film, computer game, or other narrative which depicts considerable gunplay.

shoot off at the mouth »    To boast, or brag, or talk too much.

shoot off at the mouth »    To disclose some information that was supposed to be secret.

shoot one's bolt »    To use up one's resources, especially a singular one or one not readily restored.

shoot one's mouth off »    To make reckless or exaggerated statements.

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.

shoot the breeze »    To chat idly or generally waste time talking.

shoot the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

shoot the moon »    To achieve the lowest score possible, such that the player is usually rewarded with bonus points.

shoot the moon »    To attain great heights, a high value, or a numerically high measurement.

shoot the moon »    To hit the moon, with a rocket or by other means.

shore up »    To strengthen, reinforce, or consolidate.

short cut »    quicker route

short fuse »    The personality trait of being quick to anger.

short hairs »    Pubic hair.

short leash »    Forcing one to function within a strict set of rules, or under great scrutiny or oversight.

short of »    Except; without resorting to; up to the point of.

short of »    Insufficiently equipped with.

short of »    Less than.

short of a length »    Of a ball that pitches short of a good length; a ball that bounces closer to the bowler than the area of the pitch regarded as the best for dismissing or restricting the scoring of the batsman.

short on looks »    Plain, unattractive.

short sighted »    myopic

short strokes »    Bare essentials.

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.

shot in the dark »    A guess, attempt, or choice made with little or no evidence or knowledge.

shotgun »    A one-story dwelling with no hallways or corridors, with the rooms arranged in a straight line. Mostly heard in the southern United States.

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.

shoulder to cry on »    Someone offering emotional support to another in distress.

show off »    To exhibit; to demonstrate one's skill, talent, etc. for its own sake.

show one's true colors »    To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed.

show somebody the door »    To dismiss or reject; to exclude someone who was formerly included.

show somebody the door »    To escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering, etc.

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.

show the flag »    To represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group.

show up »    To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically.

show up »    To outperform or one-up, often in an arrogant manner.

showstopper »    A performance or segment of a theatrical production that induces a positive reaction strong enough to pause the production.

shroud »    A covered place used as a retreat or shelter, as a cave or den; also, a vault or crypt.

shroud »    A rope or cable serving to support the mast sideways.

shroud »    Especially, the dress for the dead; a winding sheet.

shroud »    One of the two annular plates at the periphery of a water wheel, which form the sides of the buckets; a shroud plate.

shroud »    That which clothes, covers, conceals, or protects; a garment.

shroud »    That which covers or shelters like a shroud.

shrouded »    Concealed or hidden from sight, as if by a shroud.

shrouded »    Wearing, or provided with a shroud.

shrug off »    To ignore or disregard; to be indifferent.

shuffle »    A rhythm commonly used in blues music. Consists of a series of triplet notes with the middle note missing, so that it sounds like a long note followed by a short note. Sounds like a walker dragging one foot.

shuffle off this mortal coil »    To die; to divest oneself of one's mortal body.

shut down »    To close, terminate, or end.

shut down »    To turn off or stop.

shy bairns get noot »    (Geordie) Alternative spelling of shy bairns get nowt.

shy bairns get nowt »    If you're too shy, or don't ask, you will not get what you want.A' forgot te ask hor for me money back!Wye, shy bairns get nowt

sick joke »    A joke which is in poor taste, especially one which depicts as amusing a situation which the listener considers to be tragic or disgusting.

sick puppy »    In a morbid or gruesome way.

side issue »    An issue or topic which is not of direct significance to a primary concern.

sigh of relief »    A reassurance or support, something that reduces stress from an arduous activity.

sight for sore eyes »    A pleasing sight, something that is beautiful to look at.

sight unseen »    Not having seen the object beforehand.

sign in »    In order to get into the office after hours, you'll have to sign in at the security desk.

sign in »    To take some action to access a secured program or web page on a computer; to log in.

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.

sign on »    The time of day when a radio or television station begins broadcasting, usually after being off the air for several hours.

sign on the dotted line »    To formalize an agreement.

silver bullet »    A bullet made of silver, usually with reference to the folkloric belief that such bullets are the only weapons which can kill a werewolf.

silver bullet »    Any straightforward solution perceived to have great effectiveness or bring miraculous results.

silver screen »    By extension, the movies or that related to movies or cinema.

silver spoon »    Wealth passed down or inherited.

simmer down »    To decrease in intensity of anger, agitation, or excitement.

sing along »    A gathering or event where participants are encouraged to add their voices in song.

sing from the same hymnbook »    To make the same or similar statements, especially to express the same opinions in public as a result of a prior agreement.

sing soprano »    To perform vocal music in a higher pitch than alto.

sing soprano »    To suffer castration or an injury to the testicles.

singing soprano »    Castrated or injured in the testicles.

sink or swim »    To fail or succeed, no matter what.

sit in »    To attend something for one time, as a visitor.

sit in »    form of protest

sit in for »    To substitute; to take somebody's place.

sit on it »    To wait or hesitate.

sit on one's hands »    Or situation.

sit on the fence »    To remain neutral on a certain topic, to not have a stance or opinion.

sit out »    To lean out to the windward side of a sailboat in order to counterbalance the effects of the wind on the sails.

sit still »    To accept, tolerate, or acquiesce.

sitting duck »    An obvious or unconcealed target.

sitting pretty »    Having a comfortable or certain supply of money or resources.

sitting pretty »    In a favorable situation, especially a situation in which one possesses an advantage.

six of one, half a dozen of the other »    The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it doesn't matter which one we choose.

sixth former »    senior pupil

size up »    To evaluate; to estimate or anticipate the magnitude, difficulty, or strength of something.

skate on thin ice »    In a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.

skeleton crew »    The minimum number of personnel needed to operate and maintain an item at its most simple operating requirements, such as a ship or business, during an emergency or shut down, and at the same time, to keep vital functions operating.

skimp and save »    Alternative form of scrimp and save.

skip out »    To shirk; to avoid attending or to leave early, especially without permission.

skip rope »    To jump over a rope, both of whose ends are held by the jumper or by two others, while the rope is moved under the jumper's feet in a continual rhythm; to play the game of jump rope or exercise by jumping rope.

skirt chaser »    A man with amorous intentions who habitually seeks out female companionship.

slag off »    To talk insultingly to or about someone or something.

slam dunk »    An impressively forceful dunk.

slap on the wrist »    A mild or too-mild punishment; a reprimand.

sleep in »    To sleep late; to go on sleeping past one's customary or planned hour.

sleep with »    To share a bed or bedroom with.

sleep with the fishes »    To be killed and have one's body disposed off in the sea or other body of water.

sleeping at the switch »    Variant form of asleep at the switch.

sleeves from one's vest »    Something non-existent; something of no value or cost.

slim chance »    Little or no likelihood of occurrence or success.

slip into something a little more comfortable »    To wear something suitable to be stripped off by a lover.

slip someone's mind »    To be forgotten; to escape one's memory.

slip through the cracks »    To escape notice or lack sufficient attention.

slip-up »    A mistake or error; a minor misstep.

slippery as an eel »    So crafty, or cunning that they cannot be caught by the police, although it is known that they are acting illegally.

slippery slope »    A chain of events that, once initiated, cannot be halted; especially one in which the final outcome is undesirable or precarious.

slippery slope »    A logical argument that follows a chain of events or causes and effects to some conclusion.

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.

slow burn »    A gradually increasing feeling of anger or frustration.

smack of »    To seem like; to appear or give an impression or feeling of; to arouse suspicion of.

small change »    A minor or insignificant amount of money.

small fry »    One or more children.

small fry »    One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

small fry »    One or more small or immature fish.

small potatoes »    One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

smallpox blanket »    An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.

smart arse »    One who is particularly flippant or insolent or tends to make snide remarks or jokes.

smash hit »    Something that is tremendously popular or successful.

smear campaign »    An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.

smell like a rose »    To be regarded as appealing, virtuous, or respectable; to be untainted or unharmed.

smell test »    An assessment of a subject's ability to detect and distinguish odors.

smell test »    An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

smell test »    An inspection of an object using the sense of smell, as for freshness of food.

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.

smoking gun »    Evidence, particularly of a crime, that is difficult or impossible to dispute.

smooth operator »    A person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.

smooth operator »    A skillful, manipulative person, con artist, or clever scoundrel.

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.

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.

sneak off »    To leave a place, or a meeting, without being seen or heard.

sneak up »    To approach a person or animal without being seen or heard.

sneak up on »    To approach a person or animal without being seen or heard.

sneck posset »    A cold reception, closing the door on a visitor.

sniff test »    An informal reality check of an idea or proposal, using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

snipe hunt »    A prank in which a gullible victim is sent off on a fruitless search for a nonexistent item.

snot-nosed »    Young and arrogant or conceited.

snow job »    An attempt to persuade a person using flattery or deception.

snow on the mountaintop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

snow on the rooftop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

snowball's chance in hell »    Little or no likelihood of occurrence or success.

snowed under »    Have too much work.

snug as a bug in a rug »    Very cosy and comfortable.

so far so good »    Up to this point, all is OK.Well, you've packed your bags for the holiday, bought your tickets, reserved the hotel and put the dog in kennels. So far so good, now let's get to Minorca without any troubles.

so long as »    Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; as long as.

so much for »    An expression of disregard, or resignation; something said upon giving up, quitting, or disposing of something.

so on and so forth »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

so quiet one can hear a pin drop »    Said during a lull in a normally bustling place or scene, or as the result of a sudden dramatic or tense moment.

so there »    A defiant expression used to finish a poorly-made argument.

so-called »    So named; called by such a name, with a very strong connotation that the item is not worthy of that name.

soak up »    Absorb.

soapbox »    A crate for packing soap, or, by extension, any inexpensive crude platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it, especially when used for speeches.

sob story »    A sad story told to make others feel sympathy for the teller.

social death »    The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.

socialized medicine »    An umbrella term for any system of government-run health care.

soft hearted »    Be kind; Fall for someone

soft sawder »    "How the old boy swallowed my soft sawder and Brummagem notes!" —Tom Taylor, The Ticket-of-Leave Man.

soft sawder »    "If she goes to act ugly, I'll give her a dose of "soft sawder"; that will take the frown out of her frontispiece...!" —Thomas Haliburton, "The Trotting Horse" — first usage.

soft sawder »    Cajoling or flattery.

soft shoe »    A kind of tap dancing performed in soft-soled shoes, popular in vaudeville.

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.

soft spot »    A sentimental fondness or affection.

soft touch »    A comfortable situation; an easy task or undemanding occupation, especially one which is comfortably remunerative.

soft touch »    A person or group which is sympathetic, accommodating, easily overcome, or easily persuaded, especially one which loans or readily gives money to another.

softroader »    . This involves increased ground clearance with tyre, wheel, and suspension tweaks, skid plates and refers to mini SUV or wagons.

soldier on »    To continue or persist, despite adversity or difficulty.

some people »    Expresses disgust at the actions of a person; a response to a person doing something silly, bizarre, nonsensical or ill-mannered.

something awful »    Intensely or extremely; badly; in the worst way.

somewhere along the line »    At some unspecified time; eventually or once; at some point.

son of the morning »    A traveler.

song and dance »    An excessively elaborate story or excuse used to justify something.

sort of »    Approximately; in a way; partially; not quite; somewhat.

sort oneself out »    To calm down emotionally.

sort oneself out »    To organize or solve one's personal problems.

sort out »    To clarify by reviewing mentally.

sort out »    To fix, as a problem.

sort out »    To organise or separate into groups, as a collection of items, so as to make tidy.

sort out »    To separate from the remainder of a group; often construed with from.

sort out »    To attack physically.

sound off »    To hold forth about something in an opinionated manner.

sour grapes »    A putting down or expression of disdain about something that one desires but cannot have.

sow one's wild oats »    To indulge in a period of irresponsible behavior, particularly sexually; Often used in reference to young adults or to the recently divorced.

space out »    To stupefy, intoxicate, disorient, or lose attention or focus, especially by the use of drugs.

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.

spanner »    A hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts.

spanner »    A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket.

spanner »    A problem, dilemma or obstacle; something unexpected or troublesome.

spanner »    A stupid or unintelligent person; one prone to making mistakes, especially in language.

spare the rod and spoil the child »    If one does not discipline a child, he or she will never learn obedience and good manners.

spare tire »    An extra wheel or tire carried as a replacement in case of a flat.

spare tire »    Excess weight or fat accumulated near the waist.

spare tyre »    An extra tyre carried in case one of the vehicle's tyres is damaged or deflated.

speak for »    To speak on somebody's behalf.

speak for »    To claim, reserve, or occupy.

speak for oneself »    Expressing disagreement with an opinion expressed by another.

speak for oneself »    To provide an opinion only on one's own behalf.

speak of the devil and he appears »    Alternative form of speak of the devil.

speak one's mind »    To state one's thoughts or opinions honestly or frankly.

speak out »    To assert or promote one's opinion; to make one's thoughts known.

speak to »    To give evidence regarding something; to attest for.

speak to »    To resonate with, to strike a chord in.

speak up »    To talk more loudly or plainly.

speak up »    To make oneself or one's opinions known; to advocate or assert oneself.

speak with a forked tongue »    To speak deceptively; to be duplicitous or untruthful.

special needs »    Needs for special care, services or accommodations.

spectator sport »    A sporting activity which has a relatively high ratio of watchers to direct participants.

spectator sport »    An activity which consists of watching or observing.

spectator sport »    Something, especially a process or activity, which is a popular object of observation; an activity which a person prefers to watch rather than to participate in.

spice up »    To enhance the flavor of something by adding spice to it.

spice up »    To make more exotic, fun or extravagant.

spick and span »    Alternative form of spick-and-span.

spill one's guts »    To confess, or to divulge secrets, typically speaking freely and at length after a change of motive or an incentive.

spill one's seed »    To masturbate or to ejaculate when the penis has been withdrawn from one's partner.

spill over »    To enter into another zone by way of accident or overcrowding; to overflow.

spin a yarn »    To tell or create a story, especially one which is lengthy or far-fetched.

spin doctor »    news manager

spin one's wheels »    To make no progress despite making an effort; to get nowhere.

spine-tingling »    Nervy or scary.

spit it out »    To overcome reluctance to say something particular or to speak in general.

spit the dummy »    To a situation childishly, in an angry or frustrated manner.

spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar »    To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.

spot check »    A cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something.

spot on »    Exact or correct.

spring fever »    A feeling of invigoration and restlessness associated with the arrival of the warm weather and renewal of nature in the spring season.

spring fever »    A feeling of laziness or listlessness associated with the arrival of the warm, comfortable weather of the spring season.

spring for »    To pay for; to offer money.

spring in one's step »    Enthusiasm, energy or a positive outlook or cheerful attitude.

spruce up »    To dress or arrange smartly, elegantly, and neatly.

spruce up »    To refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance.

spur of the moment »    Impluse; short notice; a lack of planning.

square away »    To finish, complete, tidy or put in order.

square meal »    A satisfying meal, especially suitable for one performing physical labor.

square off »    To get ready for a fight.

square up »    To get ready for a fight.

squaring the circle »    A hopeless or impossible task.

squaring the circle »    The historical problem of how to construct, using compass and ruler, a square having the same area as a given circle.

squeaky wheel gets the grease »    The person who complains or speaks up most loudly receives the redress or attention which he or she seeks.

squirrel away »    To stash or hide; to hoard, collect, save, or accumulate; to create a reserve, stash, or hoard of some supply, so as to recall a squirrel's burying of nuts.

stab in the back »    An act of betrayal or treachery.

stage of the game »    A point in the progress of an ongoing dispute or process.

staircase wit »    Thinking of an idea or course of action too late to use it effectively, or the tendency to do so.

stand by »    To remain loyal or faithful.

stand corrected »    Said to acknowledge someone who corrects something that one says or writes that was not correct.

stand down »    To wait; to stop pursuing or fighting.

stand for »    To mean; to symbolize; to represent.

stand for »    To advocate, to support.

stand for »    To tolerate.

stand from under »    To escape something falling or being thrown from above.

stand in »    temporary substitute

stand in for »    To replace; to act as a double or substitute for.

stand off »    To stand some distance apart form something or someone.

stand one's ground »    To maintain or stick by an opinion or position; to remain resolute in the face of opposition.

stand out »    To be obvious or conspicuous, in contrast to one's surroundings.

stand the test of time »    To remain useful or valued over a long period of time; to last a long time.

stand to reason »    To make sense; to seem logical, reasonable, or rational.

stand up »    To rise from a lying or sitting position.

stand up »    To jilt or shirk.

stand up »    To stand immediately behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a slow or spin bowler, and to attempt to stump the batsman.

stand up against »    To defy or challenge someone.

standard fare »    Menu items or dining options which are regularly available in a restaurant or other place where food is served.

standard fare »    Something which is normal, routine, or unexceptional; something which is commonly provided or encountered.

standard fare »    The usual price for travel by air, rail, or another means of transport.

stars in one's eyes »    The state of being overly or extremely impressed with something; enchanted with romance.

stat whore »    Through unscrupulous or tacky means.

stave off »    To prevent something from happening; to obviate or avert.

stay the course »    To persist or continue.

steal a march on »    To get ahead of someone or something by starting earlier.

steal somebody's thunder »    To detract from somebody's accomplishments or glory; to undermine.

stem the tide »    To slow or stop the increase.

step down »    To gradually reduce something, a little at a time, as an electronic step down transformer.

step in front of a moving train »    To sacrifice one's own life for a noble and loyal cause.

step on it »    To drive fast; to step on the accelerator.

step out »    To exit a place on foot, often for a short time.

step up »    To increase speed or rate.

stepping razor »    A dangerous person, who is not to be messed with.

stepping stone »    A stone that can be stepped on in crossing something, especially a marsh or creek.

stepping stone »    Something used as a way to progress to something or somewhere else.

stew in one's juices »    To be alone and self-absorbed in an uncomfortable state of mind, especially while experiencing the unpleasant effects of one's own actions.

stick in someone's craw »    To cause lasting annoyance, irritation, or hard feelings.

stick in the mud »    A person unwilling to participate in activities, often because he or she believes the activity is not wholly kosher; a party pooper.

stick in the mud »    More generally, one who is slow, old-fashioned, or unprogressive; an old fogey.

stick it out »    To persist or continue.

stick it to the man »    To take some action intended to defy a source of oppression such as globalization, commercialization, big business or government.

stick one's nose in »    To be nosy; to meddle or interfere in the affairs of another.

stick out »    To be prominent, noticeable, or obtrusive.

stick up for »    To defend or protect.

stick with »    To continue or persist; to stick to.

stick with »    To follow or adhere to.

sticker shock »    Disgust, shock, or fright upon learning the price of an item offered for sale.

stickhandle »    To maintain individual possession of the puck or ball by controlling it with movements of one's stick, especially to do so in a skillful manner.

sticking point »    A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation.

sticking point »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place.

sticking-place »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking point.

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 »    A petty thief or petty thieves.

still water runs deep »    A person with a calm appearance has, or may have, considerable inner emotion, character, or intellect

still waters run deep »    A person with a calm appearance has, or may have, considerable inner emotion, character, or intellect.

stir-crazy »    By extension, restless, uncomfortable, or impatient due to inactivity.

stitch up »    To maliciously or dishonestly incriminate someone.

stock phrase »    A phrase frequently or habitually used by a person or group, and thus associated with them.

stone's throw »    A short distance, roughly equivalent to how far a person can throw a stone.

stop and smell the roses »    To relax; to take time out and enjoy or appreciate life.

stop press »    The event or news article important enough to delay or interrupt the print, or require a reprint, of a publication, particularly of a newspaper edition.

stop someone in his tracks »    To prevent someone from continuing along a path or way, literal or figurative, he has begun going along.

stop the lights »    An interjection expressing exasperation or incredulity. or to illustrate the humour in a situation.

stop the presses »    An imperative form used to introduce especially new, important, surprising, or recent developments.

stop up »    To fill a hole or cavity, or block an opening or passage, as with a plug.

stop up »    To increase the aperture of a photographic lens, moving from an f/stop represented by a higher number to an f/stop represented by a lower number and causing more light to pass into the camera.

storm in a tea-kettle »    A big fuss made in a small context.

straight from the horse's mouth »    Directly from the source; firsthand.

straight man »    A member of a team of comic performers who plays a supporting role by helping to set up jokes and punch lines through engaging in preparatory dialog with the principal comedian; a foil who plays such a role in theatrical comedy.

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 correct or rectify.

straighten out »    To eliminate confusion from or concerning.

straighten out »    To correct; to stop doing something wrong.

strange bedfellows »    An unusual combination or political alliance.

straw poll »    A survey of opinion which is unofficial, casual, or ad hoc.

stretch one's legs »    To walk about, especially after prolonged time sitting or lying down.

stretch the truth »    To exaggerate, often to the point where the truth is obscured or lost.

strike through »    Partly obliterate text by drawing a continuous line through the centre thereof, usually to indicate the deletion of an error or obsolete information.

strike up »    To start something with somebody else. Usually a conversation or relationship.

strike while the iron is hot »    To act on an opportunity promptly; to avoid waiting.

string up »    To suspend by means of rope, cord or similar material.

strip away »    To ignore a factor which obscures the reality.

strip off »    To remove anything by stripping, e.g. items of clothing or paint from the side of a ship.

stroke of work »    With "do not do a", to do none of the assigned task at all.

strut one's stuff »    To behave, or to perform in a showy or ostentatious manner, especially in a way to impress others; to show off.

stuffed like a turkey »    Engorged from overeating.

stuffed shirt »    One who is overly official or officious; somebody in charge but not necessarily in power or effective.

stumbing-block »    A hindrance, obstacle or impediment.

stumble across »    To discover or find something by accident.

stumble on »    To discover or find something by accident.

stumble upon »    To discover or find something by accident.

stumbling block »    A hindrance, obstacle or impediment.

stump up »    To pay for something. Often indicating reluctance to pay.

stupid is as stupid does »    A person's intelligence may be judged by the wisdom of his or her actions.

success has many fathers, failure is an orphan »    Many will seek credit for success, few will accept responsibility for failure.

such as »    For example.

such-and-such »    A placeholder or generic thing.

suck donkey balls »    To be terrible, of extremely poor quality.

suck face »    To kiss, especially deeply and for a prolonged time.

suck hind tit »    To be the youngest or most neglected child.

suck hind tit »    To feed from an inferior source of food.

suck in »    To cause someone to become slowly more and more involved in a business or situation that is often not to that person's liking.

suck into »    To cause someone to become slowly more and more involved in a business or situation that is often not to that person's liking.

suck it up »    To put up with something; to deal with something, such as pain or misfortune, without complaining.

suck up »    To absorb fluid.

suck up »    To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.

suffer fools gladly »    To be tolerant of stupidity or incompetence in other people.

sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof »    No need to worry about the future; the present provides enough to worry about.

sugarcoated »    Made superficially more attractive. This often implies the reality has faults that are being hidden.

surprise surprise »    An indication that the unsurprising happened, especially contrary to someone's hopes or assertions.

swallow one's pride »    To set aside one's feelings of pride and adopt a more humble or appropriate stance.

swallow up »    To completely enclose or envelop.

swan song »    A final performance or accomplishment, especially one before retirement.

swear off »    To quit or cease completely, or to promise to quit, as of a bad habit.

swear on a stack of Bibles »    To make a promise or give one's assurance with great conviction.

sweat »    Fluid that exits the body through pores in the skin usually due to physical stress and/or high temperature for the purpose of regulating body temperature and removing certain compounds from the circulation.

sweat bullets »    To sweat profusely; especially, to be very nervous or anxious.

sweet dreams »    Phrase said to someone before they fall asleep, wishing them a good sleep.

sweet tooth »    A liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets.

sweeten the pot »    To make something more desirable.

sweetheart deal »    A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.

swing for the fences »    To act in a way that might generate a very good result, but which also has a large chance of failing.

swing for the fences »    To swing at the ball as hard as possible, with the aim of getting a home run, increasing the chance of missing the ball.

swing state »    A state which may vote Democratic or Republican, in a given election or generally; a purple state.

swing the lead »    To pretend to be unwell so that you do not have to work.

switch off »    To turn a switch to the "off" position in order to stop or disable a device.

switch on »    To turn a switch to the "on" position in order to start or enable a device.

switch on »    To change one's expression or appearance as if by turning a switch.

sword and sandal »    Of or pertaining to a genre of books or films relating fantasy-adventure tales involving heroic exploits in ancient or biblical times.

sword and sorcery »    Of or pertaining to a genre of narratives—including short stories, novels, television shows, films, and computer games—which combines wizardry and other fantastical supernatural elements with violent combat using medieval weaponry..

tack up »    To prepare a horse for riding by equipping it with tack.

tag along »    To accompany, join, or follow; to go with.

tag team »    Two or more people or groups acting alternately to accomplish some task.

take a back seat »    To be second to someone or something; to be less important or have a lower priority.

take a bow »    To accept applause at the end of a performance in a theatre. Often this includes actually bowing to the audience.

take a breather »    To take a break; to pause or relax briefly.

take a bullet »    To purposely receive a gunshot that was intended for another.

take a crack at »    To attempt or try.

take a dim view of »    To dislike; to regard with skepticism, disbelief, disfavor, etc.

take a dive »    To feign a knockout in order to lose intentionally.

take a dive »    To lose or fail intentionally.

take a gander »    To take a look; to check or examine.

take a hike »    To go away; to leave or depart.

take a leaf out of someone's book »    To adopt an idea or practice of another person.

take a licking »    To suffer a defeat or a beating.

take a look »    To examine or observe.

take a number »    Recognize that many others are in the same situation; recognize that one's concerns are not of high priority; be prepared to wait.

take a powder »    To leave in a hurry; run away; scram; depart without taking leave or notifying anyone, often with a connotation of avoiding something unpleasant or shirking responsibility.

take a spill »    To trip or fall.

take a spin »    To go for a ride; especially, to try riding or driving something.

take a stab at »    To attempt or try.

take a stand »    To assert an opinion or viewpoint; to defend one's point of view or beliefs.

take a tumble »    To fall in price or value.

take a tumble »    To fall off something, or down something.

take aback »    To surprise or shock; to discomfit.

take after »    In appearance or habit.

take apart »    To soundly defeat someone, or a team.

take apart »    To move someone away from others to be able to talk to, or give them something in private.

take away »    To remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it.

take away »    To subtract or diminish something.

take away »    To leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later.

take away »    To prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something.

take away from »    To make something seem not so good or interesting.

take back »    To cause to remember some past event or time.

take down »    To remove something from a wall or similar vertical surface to which it is fixed.

take down »    To write a note. Usually to record something that is said.

take down »    To remove a temporary structure such as scaffolding.

take down a peg »    Alternative form of pull down a peg.

take exception »    To take offense; to object or protest.

take five »    To take a five-minute break from some activity, take a short break from some activity.

take for granted »    To assume something to be true without verification or proof.

take for granted »    To give little attention to or to underestimate the value of, to fail to appreciate.

take in »    To foster or adopt a child informally.

take in »    To shorten or make it smaller.

take in »    To absorb or comprehend.

take in »    To receive into your home for the purpose of processing for a fee.

take into account »    Or pay attention to; to notice.

take it easy »    An informal greeting for parting or closing.

take it easy »    To relax or rest.

take it or leave it »    It is said when a situation has to be accepted without change.

take it out on »    To unleash one's anger on [a person or thing other than the one that caused it].

take it to the bank »    Said to emphasize that something is known for sure.

take its toll »    To affect, especially negatively; to damage or degrade; to cause destruction.

take kindly »    To accept or condone.

take lying down »    To endure without complaint or protest.

take no notice of »    To ignore.

take off »    To absent oneself from work or other responsibility, especially with permission.

take on »    To acquire, bring in, or introduce.

take on »    To begin to have or exhibit.

take on »    To assume responsibility for.

take on »    To attempt to fight or compete.

take one's eye off the ball »    To lose one's concentration on what is most important.

take one's hat off to »    To publicly praise or thank.

take one's lumps »    To endure through criticism or other adversity.

take one's time »    To take more time to do something than is considered acceptable.

take out the trash »    To forcefully remove people from a place.

take over »    To assume control of something, especially by force; to usurp.

take over »    To adopt a further responsibility or duty.

take over »    To relieve someone temporarily.

take over »    To annex a territory by conquest or invasion.

take over »    To become more successful than someone or something else.

take part »    To participate or join.

take part »    To share or partake.

take sides »    To ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.

take sitting down »    To tolerate, accept, or acquiesce; to take no action.

take somebody's word for it »    To believe what somebody tells one.

take something in one's stride »    Not to allow oneself to be set back, daunted, upset or embarrassed by unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.

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 bull by the horns »    To confront a difficulty, rather than avoiding it.

take the cake »    To be especially good or outstanding.

take the cake »    To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.

take the fall »    To assume blame for oneself.

take the heat »    To take the blame; to be the focus of anger or scrutiny; to take the consequences.

take the liberty »    To act on one's own authority.

take the Michael »    Alternative form of take the mickey, usually considered more polite.

take the mick »    Alternative form of take the mickey.

take the mickey »    To ridicule or mock.

take the piss »    To ridicule or mock.

take the rap »    To be blamed or punished for something, especially for the actions of another.

take the red pill »    To understand the world in its previously unknown reality.

take the shadow for the substance »    To be easily deceived, credulous, superficial.

take the wheel »    To be in control of the steering wheel of a vehicle or a vessel.

take the wind out of someone's sails »    To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue.

take to »    To adapt to; to learn, grasp or master.

take to »    To enter; to go into or move towards.

take to »    To begin, as a new habit or practice.

take to one's heels »    To leave; especially, to flee or run away.

take to task »    To lecture, berate, admonish, or hold somebody accountable for his or her actions.

take to the cleaners »    To take a significant quantity of a person's money or valuables, through gambling, unfavorable investing, fraud, litigation, etc.

take to the hills »    To flee or vanish; to run away.

take up »    That which takes up or tightens; specifically, a device in a sewing machine for drawing up the slack thread as the needle rises, in completing a stitch.

take up the cudgel for »    To make a defense for in lieu of another person.

take up with »    To form a close relationship with someone.

take upon »    To take charge of an item of business, or an obligation, as a personal initiative.

talk a blue streak »    To talk for a long time, at great length, or to the point of tedium.

talk a mile a minute »    To speak quickly or excessively.

talk dirty »    To use profane language, especially sexual vulgarities for the purpose of arousal.

talk down »    To speak condescendingly or as though the listener is inferior.

talk is cheap »    It is easy to make boastful or unrealistic statements which are not supported by actions or evidence.

talk like an apothecary »    To use hard or gallipot words: from the assumed gravity and affectation of knowledge generally put on by the gentlemen of this profession, who are commonly as superficial in their learning as they are pedantic in their language.

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.

talk out one's ass »    To speak authoritatively on a subject which one actually knows little about; to exaggerate.

talk somebody under the table »    With excessive talk or numerous arguments.

talk someone's ear off »    To talk excessively or far more than is wanted or appreciated.

talk through one's hat »    To assert something as true or valid; to bluff.

talk through one's hat »    To speak lacking expertise, authority, or knowledge; to invent or fabricate facts.

talk turkey »    To talk or negotiate plainly, frankly, or seriously.

talk up »    In such a way as to make the thing or person sound better than it actually is.

tall order »    A big job; a difficult challenge.

tall tale »    A greatly exaggerated, fantastic story.

tan someone's hide »    To beat or spank someone.

tape off »    To cordon.

taper off »    To diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.

tart up »    To modify or repackage a product, service, or idea to make it more attractive or easier to sell.

task force »    A group of people working towards a particular task, project, or activity, especially assigned in a particular capacity.

teacher's pet »    A student who is perceived to be favored by the teacher.

team up »    To join into a team, or into teams.

tear a strip off somebody »    To scold vigorously.

tear up »    Or against.

tear up the pea patch »    To put on a notable performance, especially in sports; to go on a rampage.

tee off »    To irritate, vex, or annoy.

teething troubles »    Small problems such as are to be expected with some any new and untried system or product.

tell all »    To reveal everything, particularly information that is normally withheld.

tell off »    To speak to someone rudely, disrespectfully or angrily; to berate; to unleash one's fury verbally towards someone.

tell off »    To rebuke, to reprimand, or to admonish.

tell on »    To inform on.

telling off »    A reprimand, reproach, or lecture.

tempest in a teapot »    A major fuss over a trivial matter.

tempus fugit »    time flies (used as an alternative to this phrase)."Meanwhile, the irreplaceable time escapes", expressing concern that one's limited time is being consumed by something which may have little intrinsic substance or importance at that moment.

ten a penny »    So common as to be practically worthless.

test bed »    Any venue, setup, etc. used for experimentation, testing, proving a concept, etc.

test the waters »    To explore or probe, as before making a commitment.

than a bygod »    Used with a comparative to express extreme heat or cold.

thanks for nothing »    Expression of displeasure towards a person who has not provided what was wanted.

that does it »    Expression of annoyance or frustration; indicates that one has reached the limit of one's patience or temper.

that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger »    Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.

that's that »    There is nothing more to say or to do concerning the matter.

that's the way life is »    That is the way things happenCertain things cannot be changed, helped or improved; struggle and objection are pointless.1935, Louis Bromfield, The Man Who Had Everything [1], page 279:That's the way life is, and there's no use trying to go against it.1979, Jay Edward Abrams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption [2], ISBN 0310511011, page 45:There are no standards, no values; that's the way life is. Learn to accept it and slide with it. Stop fighting it.2002, B. Eugene Ellison, Rings of the Templars, ISBN 059524050X, page 337:Shit happens; that's the way life is. In fact, I want you to take an additional thousand for your efforts.

that's what's up »    Used to express acquiescence or concurrence.

the bigger they are, the harder they fall »    The larger something is, the more disastrous and spectacular its downfall

the bronx »    new york borough

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 Devil »    Used to add emphasis to a question or statement.

the die is cast »    The future is determined; there are no more options; events will proceed in an irreversible manner.

the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on »    Life goes on, even if some will try to stop or talk against progress.

the early bird catches the worm »    the early bird gets the worm

the early bird gets the worm »    Whoever arrives first has the best chance of success; some opportunities are only available to the first competitors.

the end justifies the means »    Morally wrong actions are sometimes necessary to achieve morally right outcomes; actions can only be considered morally right or wrong by virtue of the morality of the outcome.

the end of one's rope »    At the limit of one’s patience, when one is so frustrated or annoyed that one can no longer take it..

the ends justify the means »    Alternative form of the end justifies the means.

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get »    (vulgar) The sexual satisfactions that one receives from a spouse or romantic partner are not sufficient to compensate for the significant periods of bad faith and unpleasant treatment which such relationships routinely involve.1971, Allen Churchill, The Literary Decade, ISBN 9780135375228:Years later she expressed her disillusionment with sex by saying, "The fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."1999, Ben Sonnenberg, Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy, ISBN 9781582430454, p. 93:Maitland got drunk at his parties and threw his arm around you and pulled you over to his wife and made you look down her dress, saying, "The trouble with marriage is that the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."2008, Joseph Heywood, Blue Wolf In Green Fire, ISBN 9781599213590, p. 63:"I can't believe a little pussy got me into dis mess." "Shit happens," Service said. "Sometimes the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."

the 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 grass is always greener on the other side »    Other circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality are often not

the jig is up »    An expression used to mean "We have been caught out and have no defence", or if spoken to a person who's just been found out as the perpetrator of an offense, it means "You've been discovered.".

the long and short of it »    The gist; the essence or substance; the most important or salient features; said of a summary or digest.

the long arm of the law »    The body of law enforcement officers.

the man »    The best man for a job.

the man »    The oppressive powers that be, including the government and corporations; the system, as coordinated outside of one’s control..

the map is not the territory »    Our models of the world, and our sensations of the world, are not the true world.

the more the merrier »    It is more fun with more people.

the more things change, the more they stay the same »    A proverb making the observation that turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.

the name of the game »    The overall purpose; the principal goal, or objective.

the pen is mightier than the sword »    More influence and power can be usurped by writing than by fighting.

the pits »    Something miserable or unpleasant.

the plot thickens »    Used, often ironically, to describe an increasingly complex or mysterious situation.

the proof is in the pudding »    Alternative form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

the proof of the pudding is in the eating »    The only real test of something is as what it is intended to be used for.

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 show »    The major leagues.

the sky is the limit »    Nothing is impossible or out of reach

the sky is the moon »    A new modern combination of "the sky is the limit" and "shoot for the moon".

the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak »    (proverbs) For much as one wishes to achieve something, the frailties of the human body often make it impossible.

the 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 thing of it »    The important point to consider.

the upper hand »    An advantage or lead.

the way to a man's heart is through his stomach »    Cooking for a man is a good way to win his affections.

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 whole nine yards »    All the way; with everything done completely or thoroughly.

the whole shooting match »    Everything; the entire collection, endeavor, or activity.

the whole world and his dog »    Everybody; too many people; a huge crowd.

the world is one's lobster »    (UK, humorous) intentional misrendering of the proverb "the world is one's oyster"

the world is one's oyster »    All opportunities are open to someone, the world is theirs.

the world is one's oyster »    In order to achieve something in this world, one has to grab the opportunity.

the world over »    All over the world; globally; throughout the world.

them's the facts »    That's the truth, that's how it is; frequently used in reference to an unfortunate truth.

there and back »    One or for a round trip journey, literal or figurative.

there are plenty more fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there are plenty of fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there but for the grace of God go I »    A recognition that others' misfortune could be one's own, if it weren't for the blessing/kindness/luck bestowed by fate or the Divine.Man's fate is in God's hands.More generally, our fate is not entirely in our own hands.

there is an exception to every rule »    Usually said in a situation when the rule is incorrect and unusable.

there is nothing new under the sun »    There is nothing truly novel in existence. Every new idea has some sort of precedent or echo from the past.

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.

there ya go »    You have done it precisely correctly.

there you go »    You have done it, or are doing it, correctly.

there you have it »    That is it; that is the situation or state of things.

there you have it »    Used to introduce a speaker's interpretation of what has just transpired or been described.

there's a sucker born every minute »    There are a great number of fools in the world, and there always be.

there's more than one way to skin a cat »    A problem generally has more than one solution.

there's no accounting for taste »    When it comes to subjective matters of taste, people have wildly different opinions.Disagreements about matters of taste can't be objectively resolved.

there's no place like home »    one feels the most comfortable at home

there, there »    Conveys comfort; used to calm somebody urge somebody to relax, especially when the person is crying.

thief in the night »    Something stealthy or that occurs without warning.

thin end of the wedge »    Something that if allowed or accepted to a small degree would lead to systematic encroachment.

thin out »    To make or become sparse.

think of England »    To tolerate or endure bad sex. Used in conjunction with "I just lie on my back and.." "I just go through the motions and..." etc.

think one's shit doesn't stink »    To be arrogant or snobbish; to feel superior to others.

think over »    To ponder or reflect on a subject.

think tank »    A group of which performs research and develops reports and recommendations on topics relating to strategic planning or public policy, and which is usually funded by corporations, interest groups, or government.

think the world of »    To have a good opinion; to esteem; to admire.

think twice »    To reconsider, use judgement; to proceed with caution or thought.

third degree »    Intensive rough interrogation in order to extract information or a confession.

third hand »    Not new, having more than one previous owner.

third rate »    inferior

third string »    A unit of players that plays behind the first and second strings; a junior varsity team.

third string »    Of a decidedly lower quality or condition.

third time's a charm »    One is sure to succeed at a task or event on the third try.

third wheel »    A person or thing that serves no useful purpose.

thorn in someone's side »    A persistent annoyance.

thorn in the flesh »    Ivar Specto. The Soviet Union and the Muslim World, 1917-1958.

thorn in the flesh »    A persistent difficulty or something very annoying that will not go away.

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.

thrash out »    To discuss something so fully as to resolve a problem or conflict; to hammer out.

three skips of a louse »    Said about some trifling or insignificant matter.

throw a fit »    To become angry, enraged, or upset; to act or react with an outburst, as by shouting, swearing, etc.

throw a sickie »    To take a day off from work, supposedly because of ill health. The illness could be either real or feigned.

throw a spanner in the works »    To be a problem, dilemma or obstacle, something unexpected or troublesome.

throw away »    To discard or dispose of something.

throw away »    To place a son or daughter for adoption.

throw cold water on »    To belittle or dismiss; to cast doubt upon; to debunk.

throw dirt enough, and some will stick »    If enough allegations are made about someone or something, then even if they are all untrue, people's opinion of the person or thing will be diminished.1759, John Wesley, letter to John Downes, Rector of St. Michael's, Wood Street, read at Wesley Center Online at [1] on 14 Oct 06.I hope...that you are ignorant of the whole affair, and are so bold only because you are blind...And blind enough; so that you blunder on through thick and thin, bespattering all that come in your way, according to the old, laudable maxim, 'Throw dirt enough, and some will stick.'1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, read at fullbooks.com on 14 Oct 06,But whatever harm a spiteful tongue could do them, he took care should be done. Only throw dirt enough, and some will stick.1864, John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Penguin Classics (1994), p. 10,Archbishop Whately used to say

throw down »    To cause something one is holding to drop, often forcefully.

throw down »    Admirably or forcefully.

throw down »    To fight, incite to fight, or approach with the intent to fight; to make a stand.

throw down »    To accomplish or produce something in a grand, respectable, or successful manner; to "represent".

throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick »    Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.2005, Mike Busson (poster on UKScreen forum) Re: Voiceovers!, read at [1] on 02 Nov 06,In terms of places to send your URL or CD's, there's no easy answer. It really is a case of throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.2005, "forwardone" (administrator posting on the HYIPForum), re: Alertpay phishing email, read at [2] on 02 Nov 06,I also think that sometimes they send out phishing e-mails in the hope that it`ll hit people who do have an account with a particular organization. You know, throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick theory.2006, Rob Manuel, How to be funny, read in Comedy Soup on the BBC website at [3] on 02 Nov 06,Throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick. Be prolific and don't be afraid to make stuff that's rubbish. If you keep trying eventually you'll get there.2006, Rex Pierce, Re: [303rd-Talk] D Day read on 303rd Bomb Group Talk Forum at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Believe the planners worked on the principle of "throw enough mud at the wall, and some of it will stick".If enough (perhaps false or reckless) accusations are made against someone, his reputation will suffer, whether or not this is deserved2006, "money" (poster on eTalk Money), Some thoughts about compact surfing, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,Word of advice NVUS time to distance yourself from LuukH as quickly as possible and dish some dirt, otherwise well the saying goes - throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.

throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick »    Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.2001, And still no one is shouting stop. read in The Kingdom archives at [1] on 02 Nov 06,Many team managers are of the philosophy that if you throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick. They believe that team preparation is all about physical fitness. They run the players into the ground and they believe they will be "flying on the day".2001, Robert McCrum, Let them eat cake, in The Observer 16 Dec 01, read on Guardian Unlimited site at [2] on 02 Nov 06,Australian publishing boomed and in the past 10 years the country's literary culture has undergone a mini golden age, capped by Carey's triumph at the 2001 Booker Prize. As one Australian arts administrator said to me many years ago: 'Listen, mate, if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.'2001, Chris Collin, Re: 2-cp speys on The Strathspey Server mailing list archive at [3] on 02 Nov 06,I am finding that "if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick". It doesn't always work of course (especially on the nights when the class is mostly the beginners), but the class seems to thrive on the challange.2005, Ray Craft (poster on The right scale blog), Fitzhooie and his Burden, read at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Prosecutors everywhere have bad habits of overcharging lots of cases, knowing that if the throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick.2005, Sean Kelleher, Spike Milligan: His part in our downfall in Business 07 Aug 05, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,As long as there is negligible regulation and enforcement anyone can actually try and do the job...Weak regulation allows the industry to build strategies on full time recruitment. The theory goes: throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.c2005, Everything You've Learned About Marketing Is Wrong, read on LINC Performance website at [6] on 02 Nov 06,They have the money to continue to believe in the repetition side of the equation. You throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick. But it still isn

throw for a loop »    To confuse or disorient; to throw off; to mix up.

throw in at the deep end »    To introduce a person to a new situation without adequately preparing him or her.

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 out »    To dismiss or expel someone from any longer performing duty or attending somewhere.

throw shapes »    To act tough or put up a front. For example, to threaten a person by making "karate chops" at them, without actually doing harm or knowing karate.

throw somebody a curve »    To surprise; to introduce something unexpected or requiring a quick reaction or correction.

throw to the dogs »    To remove or cast out someone or something out of one's protection, such as into the streets.

throw to the wolves »    To remove or cast out someone or something out of one's protection, such as onto the streets, especially towards predators.

throw under the bus »    To betray or blame; to use as a scapegoat.

throw under the bus »    To discard or disown.

thumb a ride »    To flag or signal a passing vehicle in hopes of securing passage.

thumbs up »    A gesture signifying approval or okay; a thumb pointing up out of a fist.

thumbs up »    An approval or okay.

thus and such »    A placeholder or generic name for something.

tickle pink »    To thoroughly delight or amuse; to elate.

tickle someone's fancy »    To amuse, entertain, or appeal to someone; to stimulate someone's imagination in a favorable manner.

tickle the ivories »    I don't have as much time as I'd like, but I still enjoy tickling the ivories from time to time.

tickle the ivories »    To play the piano.

tide over »    To support or sustain someone, especially financially, for a limited period.

tie up »    To occupy, detain, keep busy, or delay.

tie up »    To complete, finish, or resolve.

tie up loose ends »    To deal with the minor consequences of a previous action; to tidy up, finish, or complete.

tiger team »    A specialized group tasked with testing the effectiveness of an organization's ability to protect assets by attempting to circumvent, defeat or otherwise thwart that organization's internal and external security.

tiger team »    An engineering or other group assembled to tackle especially difficult or critical problems, often outside the normal chain of command.

tight lips »    Of a person, silence or reticence.

tight ship »    A well-organized and highly disciplined organization.

tight-lipped »    Unwilling to divulge information.

time and material »    A form of contractual compensation involving payment for materials used and at agreed rates for the those involved in performing the services.

time and tide »    Shortened form of time and tide wait for no man

time and tide wait for no man »    action is necessary without delay

time off »    A period of time where one is not required to work.

time out »    To call for a suspension of activity or conversation.

time out »    To call for a time-out.

time out of mind »    The distant past beyond anyone's memory.

timeserver »    A device, node or program that distributes the correct time to clients in a network.

timeserver »    A person who conforms to current opinions, especially for reasons of personal advantage; an opportunist.

timing is everything »    Consideration of other events can greatly influence some desired outcome (such as an audience laughing to a comedian's joke).Telling the old joke about a butt-crack was not a good idea, just as the plumber arrived, Bob.You know what they say: "timing is everything." I'm sure we can find another plumber before the house floods.

tin 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 off »    To alert or inform someone.

tip off »    information

tip one's hand »    In card playing, to accidentally reveal one's cards or hand.

tip one's hand »    To inadvertently reveal any secret, particularly a secret that puts one at an advantage or disadvantage.

tip one's hat »    To acknowledge or show respect; to honor.

tip one's hat »    To briefly remove or tap one's hat as a gesture of greeting, deference, or respect.

tip-off »    An obvious clue or indication.

tit for tat »    Equivalent retribution, an eye for an eye, returning exactly what you get.

tit for tat »    Hat.

to a fare-thee-well »    To the greatest extent or to completion; to a state of refinement or perfection.

to all intents and purposes »    For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.

to be the cat's whiskers »    To perform better than was generally supposed possible.

to beat the band »    Very vigorously; at a frantic pace; to a high degree; in large quantities.

to boot »    Moreover, on top of that, besides, also.

to die for »    Very good; exquisite; excellent; particularly desirable.

to each his own »    Every person is entitled to his or her personal preferences and tastes.

to give a person line »    To allow a person more or less liberty until it is convenient to stop or check him/her, like a hooked fish that swims away with the line.

to go »    Belonging to the subgroup that have not passed or have not been finished or have not been addressed yet.

to go »    Served in a package or takeout container so as to be taken away from a restaurant rather than eaten on the premises.

to that end »    For that reason, with that goal, intending to produce that result.

to the gills »    Entirely or extremely; to the greatest degree possible.

to the max »    To a great degree or extent; very.

to the max »    To the maximum possible degree or extent.

to the moon »    To a very distant or unreachable place.

to the point »    Relevant or pertinent; succinct; specific.

to the victor go the spoils »    The winner of a conflict wins additional benefits, beyond just the subject of the conflict.

today we are all »    August 12, 2008:, Robert Barnes, "McCain to Georgian President: "Today, We Are All Georgians"", Washington Post.

toe the line »    To abide by the rules or conventions.

tomato tomato »    Uses insignificant pronunciation difference to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.

tomorrow is another day »    Tomorrow will bring new opportunities and a fresh start for one's endeavors.1600, author unknown, "Phillidaes Love-call to her Coridon, and his replying" (song), in England's Helicon, printed at London by I.R. for John Flasket:Phil. Yonder comes my Mother, Coridon,whether shall I flie?Cor. Under yonder Beech my lovely one,while she passeth by.Say to her thy true-Love was not heere,remember, remember,to morrow is another day:1896, Amelia E. Barr, A Knight of the Nets, ch. 8:"Well, well, my dear lass, to-night we cannot work, but we may sleep. . . . Keep a still heart tonight, and tomorrow is another day."1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, ch. 63:"Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."2005, Fran Schumer, "JERSEY: In Princeton, Taking On Harvard's Fuss About Women," New York Times, 19 June (retrieved 18 Aug. 2009):"Half of me is depressed

tone down »    To relax; to make quieter or less obtrusive; to make milder.

tone down »    To make a television program, piece of writing, etc. less offensive and so more suitable for a family audience.

tongue-in-cheek »    Not intended seriously; jocular or humorous.

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 boots »    Far less capable than one's claims to be.

too big for one's britches »    Disturbingly confident, unacceptably cocky.

too big for one's britches »    Too large to fit into one's pants.

too hot to hold »    A place that has too much police activity to harbor a fugitive unnoticed.

toot one's own horn »    To promote oneself; to boast or brag; to tout.

tooth and nail »    Viciously; with all one’s strength or power; without holding back..

top banana »    The principal comedian in a vaudeville or burlesque show.

top dollar »    The maximum amount of money that an item, service, or worker is worth; a very high price.

top it all off »    To emphasize or underscore; to make something even better or worse.

top of the line »    The best, fanciest, or highest quality, especially among selections in a product line.

top of the morning »    A generic greeting said to someone in the morning.

top off »    To fill completely; to fill or refill the final portion of something not empty.

top oneself »    To outdo oneself or do more than one's previous best.

top shelf »    Best, or high quality.

top shelf »    Books, magazines, or movies that have adult content, or soft-core porn.

torque off »    To annoy, distress, or anger.

torqued off »    Annoyed, upset, angry.

toss-up »    A decision in which neither choice is clearly favorable or unfavorable, or for which the outcome does not matter.

totus porcus »    Completely; unreservedly: swallowed the official version totus porcus.

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.

touch base »    To consult, visit, or communicate with.

touch of the tar brush »    Of South Asian or Afro-Caribbean in their background and/or in their appearance.

touch off »    To start; to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed.

touch up »    To make slight corrections or adjustments; to fill in or perfect.

touch up »    To touch or to grope someone in flirtatious or sleazy way.

touch%C3%A9 »    An acknowledgement of the success, appropriateness or superiority of an argument, sometimes used sarcastically to mock one's opponent's absurd logic.

touch%C3%A9 »    Used in a conversation or debate to concede a point as true, often in response to a successful counter of one's own logic.

touch-and-go »    Precarious, delicate, dangerous, risky, sensitive or of uncertain outcome.

touchy-feely »    Driven by intuition or emotion, with a connotation of de-emphasis of rational thought or logic.

touchy-feely »    Having a fondness for physical contact with other people, especially to an excessive degree.

tough call »    A choice or judgment which is difficult to make, especially one involving only two alternatives.

tough cookie »    A person who can endure physical or mental hardship; a hardened, strong-willed person.

tough love »    The compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures, to attempt to improve someone's behavior.

tough nut to crack »    A difficult or sticky problem.

tough row to hoe »    A difficult or arduous task.

toy with »    Handling something in a careless or frivolous manner.

toy with »    Play, esp. with or as with a toy.

track down »    To hunt for or locate; to search for; to find.

track record »    An organization's, product's, or person's past performance reviewed in its entirety, usually for the purpose of making a judgment.

travel iron »    holiday accessory

treat them mean, keep them keen »    A woman will be more interested in a man if he is not kind to her.

trick of the trade »    A shortcut or other quick, or very effective way of doing things, that professional workers learn from experience.

trick out »    To trick out; to mod or customize an object, typically for the purpose of both personalization as well as enhancing the object's performance capabilities and more particularly for the purpose of performing stunts with that object.

tried and true »    Well-established and tested; known to work or succeed based on extensive experience.

trigger-happy »    Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.

trigger-happy »    Inclined to react excessively or violently at the slightest provocation.

trip balls »    Experiencing severe drug-induced hallucinatory trip.

trip to the woodshed »    An occasion on which a reprimand or punishment is administered.

true blue »    Indubitably loyal or faithful.

trump up »    Heavily publicise, promote or market a product.

truth be told »    Used when admitting something one might otherwise lie about, e.g. to keep up appearances or be polite.

truth will out »    A mystery will always be solved, or a truth will always be discoveredTruth will eventually and inevitably be discovered.

try one's hand »    To attempt a skill, craft, or trade.

try out »    To test something in order to see if it works.

try out »    To undergo a test before being selected for a team etc.

try out one's own chops »    To produce one's own records with one's own vocals.

tuits »    If I had more tuits.[1].

tuits »    Virtual tokens for an amount of time or attention that a particular issue would need to resolve.

tumble to »    To discover, or suddenly understand something.

tune in »    To select a channel, station, etc., as on television or radio.

tune out »    To change the channel or frequency away from.

tune out »    To fail to pay attention to; to ignore.

tune up »    To make adjustments to an engine in order to improve its performance.

tune up »    To make preparations for vigorous exercise; to warm up.

tuppence worth »    One's opinion or thoughts.

tuppence worth »    Two pennys' worth.

turf war »    A dispute over territory between rival gangs.

turf war »    A fight or confrontation between two divisions or parties for access to resources or capital.

turn a blind eye »    To ignore or deliberately overlook, especially with respect to something unpleasant or improper.

turn a hair »    To become afraid or visibly upset.

turn a phrase »    To create a particular linguistic expression which is strikingly clear, appropriate, and memorable.

turn a trick »    To perform a sexual service for a customer.

turn against »    To rebel or oppose something formerly supported.

turn against »    To rotate against or in opposition to something.

turn away »    To rotate the body or head so as not to face someone or something.

turn away »    To bend or turn from a fixed course.

turn away »    To avert or deflect something.

turn back »    No turn a dial anticlockwise or adjust a clock or other meter to an earlier time or reading.

turn back »    To refuse to allow someone to pass a border or enter a place.

turn down »    To refuse, decline, or deny.

turn down »    To reduce the amount of something by means of a control, such as the volume, heat, or light.

turn in one's grave »    To be appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased.

turn into »    To transform into; become.

turn into a pumpkin »    Used to indicate a curfew, or the time by which one must depart.

turn loose »    To roam freely or to act freely.

turn of phrase »    An artful phrasing of words.

turn off »    To repulse, disgust, or discourage.

turn on »    To rebel; to go against something formerly supported.

turn on »    To attract, give pleasure, or encourage.

turn one's back »    To forsake, to abandon; to ignore.

turn out »    To extinguish a light or other device.

turn out »    To turn or rotate outwards or out of something.

turn out »    To refuse service or shelter; to eject or evict.

turn over »    To produce, complete, or cycle through.

turn over a new leaf »    To engage in self-improvement; to begin a good habit or shed a bad habit.

turn the corner »    To pass a critical point.

turn the other cheek »    To accept a punishment or an injury and not act out revenge or retaliate.

turn the page »    To move on to new involvements or activities; to make a fresh start.

turn to stone »    To metamorphosise into stone.

turn tricks »    To work as a prostitute, providing sexual services for money.

turn up »    To show up; to appear suddenly or unexpectedly.

turn up »    To increase the amount of something by means of a control, such as the volume, heat, or light.

turn up »    To belay or make fast a line on a cleat or pin.

turn up for the book »    A very unexpected, usually pleasant, surprise.

turn up one's nose »    To refuse, especially as due to pride or status.

turn upside down »    To thoroughly examine.

turn-on »    Something that attracts, gives pleasure, or encourages, especially sexually.

twiddle one's thumbs »    To circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored.

twiddle one's thumbs »    To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.

twist in the wind »    To be unassisted and without comfort in a situation likely to result in distress or failure.

twist in the wind »    To wait for an uncomfortably long period of time.

twist of fate »    An unfortunate turn of events.

twist someone's arm »    To coerce, force, or cajole.

two birds with one stone »    Any two things that were performed or completed at the same time by one action.

two can play that game »    The tactics and/or strategies of an enemy can be used against him.

two cents »    A nearly worthless amount, alluding to placing a copper penny on each of the eyelids of a pauper's or slave's body before burial.

two cents »    One's opinion or thoughts.

two for two »    In baseball, meeting two out of two attempts at-bat. Specifically, it means the batter has reached base safely two out of two times.

two for two »    Successful at both of two efforts.

two heads are better than one »    Some problems may be solved more easily by two (or more) people working together than by one working alone.

two left feet »    Exhibiting particular clumsiness, especially at dancing or at soccer.

two penn%E2%80%99orth »    One's opinion or thoughts.

two penn%E2%80%99orth »    Two pennys' worth.

two pennies' worth »    One's opinion or thoughts.

two wrongs don't make a right »    (ethics) A wrongful action is not a morally appropriate way to correct or cancel a previous wrongful action.1915, William MacLeod Raine, The Highgrader, ch. 15:"But when it comes to taking what belongs to another

two-bit »    Insignificant or worthless.

two-fisted drinker »    Either someone who can handle their liquor well, or an alcoholic clutching a drink in each hand.

two-second rule »    A rule of thumb for safe driving by which a driver must maintain a two-second distance from the vehicle in front.

under fire »    Criticized or held responsible for something.

under lock and key »    Imprisoned with little or no chance of escape.

under one's nose »    Obvious or apparent.

under one's wing »    Under one's protection, sponsorship, or tutelage.

under the gun »    Under great pressure to perform.

under the impression »    Thinking or making assumptions, often incorrectly.

under the microscope »    Under close scrutiny or examination.

under the radar »    Without attracting notice; in an undetected or secretive manner.

under the table »    Secretly or without reporting, especially of payments made or business transacted.

under the weather »    Somewhat ill or gloomy.

under the weather »    Somewhat intoxicated or suffering from a hangover.

under the wire »    At the last minute; before the deadline; barely on time; nearly late.

under way »    A vessel is said to be underway when she is not anchored, moored, aground, or beached[1]. Compare with make way.

under wraps »    Secret or hidden.

underwater basket weaving »    An easy and useless college or high school class.

university of life »    The real world as a source of instruction, as opposed to a formal education.

unring a bell »    To perform the impossible.

until hell freezes over »    Forever; One will never in their life get the results that they want, no matter what they're doing involving the situation.

until one is blue in the face »    Forever; for a hopelessly long time.

until the cows come home »    For a very long time.

unwashed masses »    Of people who are considered by someone to be somehow uneducated, uninformed, godless, or in some other way unqualified for inclusion in the speaker's elite circles.

up a creek without a paddle »    In a difficult situation, without any help. Superlative form of up a creek: most up a creek.

up against »    Facing; challenging, or opposing.

up for »    Planned; next in line.

up for »    Willing to participate in; interested in.

up for grabs »    Available for anyone to obtain, claim or win.

up front »    Open, honest; tending to disclose information; truthful.

up in arms »    Angry; preparing for a fight.

up in the air »    Literal: up in or into the sky or air.

up on »    Well-informed about.

up one's alley »    Matching a person's interests or abilities well.

up shit creek »    Alternative form of up the creek.

up shit creek without a paddle »    Alternative form of up the creek without a paddle.

up the ante »    To make something more desirable.

up the wazoo »    Up the ass; excessive or excessively; too much.

up the ying yang »    Far more than one needs.

up to »    As much as; no more than.

up to »    The option or decision of.

up to here »    Overwhelmed, busy, buried or swamped.

up to scratch »    Sufficient; adequate; of acceptable or satisfactory quality.

up to snuff »    Adequate; of acceptable or quality; satisfying an appropriate standard.

up to something »    Doing something mischievous or scheming.

up to speed »    Fully informed; current.

up-and-comer »    Someone who is up-and-coming, who has begun to be successful in some field and is likely to become even more successful in the future.

up-and-coming »    Emerging; aspiring; improving; beginning to attract attention or critical acclaim.

up-to-date »    Informed about the latest news or developments.

upper crust »    The topmost layer of a bread, pastry dish, or other item with a hardened coating.

ups and downs »    Periods of positive and negative events, moods, or interactions; highs and lows.

upset the applecart »    To spoil carefully laid plans or arrangements; to spoil something.

urban fabric »    The physical aspect of urbanism, emphasizing building types, thoroughfares, open space, frontages, and streetscapes; while excluding without prejudice to this useful term, environmental, functional, economic and sociocultural aspects.

valley of death »    Death; or a place or period where death is impending.

valley of death »    Lord Alfred Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade.

verge on »    To approach or come close to something; to border or be on the edge of something.

vertically challenged »    Of a person, short.

victory at sea »    Ocean conditions very windblown and messy, possibly to the point of being inimical to surfing and other water sports.

virgin territory »    By extension, ideas or concepts or activities that have not yet been tried, explored or developed.

virgin territory »    Land that has never been explored or developed.

vote down »    By a majority vote.

vote in »    To collectively approve a nominee into an office or position as a result of voting.

vote out »    To expel the holder of an office or other position through an act of voting.

vote with one's feet »    To show a lack of support for something by departing or otherwise absenting oneself.

vote with one's feet »    To show support for something by going to or otherwise being present somewhere.

vouch for »    To affirm the truth or reliability of.

wade in »    To interrupt someone, or a situation, by doing or saying something abruptly, or forcefully, and usually without thinking about the consequences.

wade through »    To do a boring, repetitive research task.

wait for the other shoe to drop »    To await a seemingly inevitable event, especially one which is not desirable.

wait for the other shoe to drop »    To defer action or decision until another matter is finished or resolved.

wait up »    To stay awake waiting for somebody to return.

walk away from »    To abandon or leave; to shun.

walk in on »    To enter suddenly or unexpectedly while something is happening; to intrude or interrupt by entering.

walk in the park »    Something easy or pleasant, especially by comparison to something.

walk in the snow »    An occasion when a momentous career decision is made, especially a decision to resign or retire.

walk it off »    To walk or pace in order to relieve a pain or cramp.

walk on eggshells »    To be overly careful in dealing with a person or situation because they get angry or offended very easily; to try very hard not to upset someone or something.

walk out »    To stage a walkout or strike.

walk out »    To leave suddenly, especially as a form of protest.

walk out on »    To abandon or desert someone, especially a spouse.

walk the line »    To behave in an authorized or socially accepted manner, especially as prescribed by law or morality; to exercise self-control.

walk the line »    To mark or secure a boundary by walking along it.

walk the plank »    To be forced to resign from a position in an organization.

walk the talk »    To do what one said one could do, or would do, not just making empty promises. To walk one's talk is to be innocent of hypocrisy.

wall to wall carpets »    floor coverings

war bride »    A company or individual whose business is increased by warfare.

ward off »    To parry, or turn aside.

ward off »    To avert or prevent.

warm down »    Gentle excercise at the end of a training session before cooling off.

warm fuzzy »    A good impression; a feeling of comfort or trust.

warm up »    To make an audience enthusiastic or animated before a show.

warm up »    To prepare for executing an already-learned activity by a limited amount of additional practice.

warts and all »    Of or pertaining to a description or other depiction which reveals the full range of characteristics of a person or thing, including the shortcomings and imperfections.

wash away »    To eliminate, or destroy by fast moving water, such as in a flood, or a high sea.

wash down »    To help to swallow by drinking a liquid, after eating something, or taking a pill.

wash one's hands of »    To absolve oneself of responsibility or future blame for.

wash out »    To lose traction while going around a turn, especially in cycling, motorsports and skiing/snowboarding.

wash over »    Of open water. To surge over the banks, or other retaining structure.

wash up »    To wash one's hands and/or face, often around mealtimes.

washed out »    Of clothes. When they lose some of their original colour from being washed so often.

waste breath »    To speak in a manner which is needless or futile; in discussion or argument to make points which are not appreciated or heeded.

watch one's head »    To look out for things one's head might bump into.

watch one's mouth »    In the imperative form, used as a warning to avoid or stop using inappropriate language, especially profanity, or disrespectful utterances.

watch one's mouth »    To be careful about what one says, especially with regard to disrespectful or profane language.

watch out »    To be aware or conscious; to look closely or carefully; to use caution. Often used in the imperative.

water down »    To simplify or oversimplify; to make easier; to make less difficult.

water over the dam »    An event or set of events which has already happened and cannot be changed.

water under the bridge »    Something in the past that cannot be controlled or undone, but must be accepted, forgiven, or forgotten.

watered-down »    Weakened or simplified.

wax lyrical »    To become, or tend to become lyrical.

wax lyrical »    To talk about something with much interest or excitement.

way out of a paper bag »    A minimal level of competence or effectiveness, as used in phrases where one is unable to perform such.

way to go »    An expression of congratulations, encouragement, or approval.

weak sister »    A person or thing which is the least robust or least dependable member of a group.

weak sister »    A person who is cowardly or indecisive.

wear down »    To cause physical or mental fatigue.

wear down »    To have one's long hair styled in a free, low-hanging, unencumbered style; i.e., not in an up-do or ponytail.

wear off »    To disappear because of being abraded, over-polished, or abused.

wear one's heart on one's sleeve »    To be extremely transparent, open, or forthright about one's emotions.

wear out »    To cause to become damaged, useless, or ineffective through continued use, especially hard, heavy, or careless use.

wear out »    To deteriorate or become unusable or ineffective due to continued use, exposure, or strain.

wear out »    To exhaust; to cause or contribute to another's exhaustion, fatigue, or weariness, as by continued strain or exertion.

wear out »    To become exhausted, tired, fatigued, or weary, as by continued strain or exertion.

wear out »    Of a shirt, not tucked into the pants; worn in a casual manner.

wear rose-colored glasses »    To see the positive in things while being oblivious to the negative.

weather the storm »    To reach the end of a very difficult situation without too much harm or damage.

wee small hours »    He worked into the wee small hours to get everything perfect for the opening day.

wee small hours »    The very early morning, just after midnight, when most people are asleep.

weekend warrior »    A part-time soldier, or reservist.

weekend warrior »    A person who indulges in a sport or pastime on an infrequent basis, usually on weekends when work commitments are not present.

weigh down »    To act as a ballast for.

weigh down »    To be too much for someone to cope with.

weigh in »    To bring in one's weight, metaphorically speaking, to bear on an issue.

weigh up »    To assess a person or situation.

well begun is half done »    Much depends on the beginning of an endeavor.

wet blanket »    A person who takes the fun out of a situation or activity, as by pessimism, demands, dullness, etc.

wet boy »    A contractor assassin or hit man.

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 do I know »    Implies that a statement is based on a guess or assumption rather than on knowledge or evidence.

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger »    Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.

what for »    An unspecified punishment or rebuke.

what for »    For what reason; why.

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 is more »    Furthermore, or in addition, moreover.

what it says on the tin »    Exactly what is described or what one would expect from the name.

what of it »    So what? Who cares? Expresses disinterest, disregard or lack of concern.

what the dickens »    Euphemism for what the Devil, used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning a question.

what you see is what you get »    The image corresponds to the reality.

what's eating somebody »    ? Inquired of somebody who is upset, worried, angry, etc.

what's eating you »    What is annoying or bothering you?.

what's in it for me »    To me, personally?.

what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander »    If something is acceptable for one person, it is acceptable for another.

what's the good of »    What is the purpose or advantage of.

what's up »    A casual greeting with usage similar to "How are you?" or "Nice to meet you".

what's up with »    Used to express disbelief or curiosity.

wheel around »    To transport someone or something to various locations by pushing a wheeled transporter such as a wheelchair or a wheelbarrow or trolley.

when in Rome, do as the Romans »    Alternative form of when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

when it rains, it pours »    If a person encounters bad luck, more bad luck will follow.

when push comes to shove »    When the pressure is on; when the situation is critical or urgent; when the time has come for action, even if it is difficult.

when the cat's away »    People are likely to take advantage of the absence of authority or enforcement of compliance.

when the cat's away the mice will play »    In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.

when the chips are down »    When the pressure is on; when the situation is urgent or critical.

when the shit hits the fan »    A reference to the messy consequences of a secret or private situation becoming public.

when you're up to your neck in alligators, it's easy to forget that the initial objective was to drain the swamp »    Only because it seems so urgent.

where the sun don't shine »    Up or in the anus.

whisper campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

whistle Dixie »    To engage in a pointless or unproductive activity; to do something without resolve, seriousness or commitment.

whistle past the graveyard »    To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; To proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.

whistle past the graveyard »    To enter a situation with little or no understanding of the possible consequences.

whistle walk »    The path slaves took to deliver food from the kitchen building of a plantation to the main dining room. Slaves were expected to whistle during this walk in order to assure their masters that they were not eating the food.

whistle-blower »    One who reports a problem or violation to the authorities; especially, an employee or former employee who reports a violation by an employer.

white elephant »    An ornament etc that is unwanted or is a financial burden; an unprofitable investment.

white hole »    A theoretically possible but physically highly unlikely singularity which would emit matter and energy; the antithesis of a black hole.

white lie »    A deliberate, untrue statement which does no harm or is intended to produce a favorable result.

white trash »    A poorly educated white person with low moral and social standards and low social status.

white-knuckle »    Causing fear, excitement, apprehension, suspense, or nervousness.

whitewash »    A lime and water mixture for painting walls and fences bright white.

whitewash »    A victory without reply.

who pays the piper calls the tune »    One who pays for something controls it.

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.

whole enchilada »    All of something or a group of related things taken in totality.

whole shebang »    A building or house and everything in it.

whomp on »    To assail with overwhelming force; to defeat decisively.

whomp up »    To incite or generate.

whoop it up »    To have a great time; to party or revel excessively or noisily.

why the dickens »    Euphemism for why the Devil, used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning a question.

wild horses »    A force not subject to human control and normally stronger than a man.

wild horses »    Plural form of wild horse.

wild-goose chase »    A task whose execution is inordinately complex relative to the value of the outcome.

will on »    To wish intensely that someone succeeds in what they are doing. Often implies a silent, or almost inaudible wish.

willful ignorance »    A bad faith decision to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt. It may also be shown as for a person to have no clue in a decision but still goes ahead in their decision.

willies »    Plural form of willy.

willy nilly »    Whether desired or not.

willy nilly »    Without regard for consequences or the will of those affected.

win over »    To persuade someone, gain someone's support, or make someone understand the truth or validity of something.

wind back »    To wind a tape, cassette, or film, etc towards the beginning; to rewind.

wind back the clock »    Figuratively to return in time to an earlier period of history.

wind down »    To slow; to become calmer or less busy.

window dressing »    A means of creating a deceptively favourable impression of something or someone; something for appearance only.

window dressing »    The decorative display of retail merchandise in store windows.

wing it »    To improvise; to make things up or figure things out as one goes; or to perform with little or no preparation.

winkle out »    To acquire something or someone with difficulty.

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.

wipe away »    To remove or erase with a wiping motion.

wipe the slate clean »    To forget about previous differences and disagreements, and make a fresh start.

with a vengeance »    Intensely motivated; resolute; forceful.

with flying colors »    Extremely well; in an exceptional, noteworthy, or extraordinary manner.

with no further ado »    Without any other formalities; with no further delay.

without fail »    Certainly; by all means; as a matter of importance.

wits' end »    Limit of one's sanity or mental capacity; point of desperation.

wolf down »    Quickly and without regard for table manners.

wolf in sheep's clothing »    Something harmful or problematic disguised as something peaceful or pleasant.

woo back »    To gain somebody back by wooing him or her.

wooden spoon »    An ironic prize for finishing last in a competition.

wooden-top »    Uniformed police officers.

word of mouth »    Verbal means of passing of information.

word on the street »    The rumour or news going around on the street.

word on the wire »    The rumour or news going around on the Internet, in business, on the street, or in social circles.

word to the wise »    A piece of advice.

work against the clock »    To work very quickly because you know you only have a very limited period of time to do something.

work around the clock »    To work all day and all night without a break, because it is imperative to finish something.

work at »    To make a physical or mental effort to progress some specified task.

work like a charm »    works great - exactly as expected

work one's arse off »    Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.

work one's butt off »    To work very hard or to excess.

work one's fingers to the bone »    Work especially hard, usually for an extended period.

work one's tail off »    Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.

work out »    To calculate.

work out »    To make sense of.

work out »    To extract gradually.

work out »    To conclude with the correct solution.

work out »    To succeed.

work out »    To habitually exercise rigorously, especially by lifting weights, in order to increase strength or muscle mass or maintain fitness.

work out »    To do exercises, especially physical.

work over »    To improve a prototype, or first draft.

work over »    To physically attack someone to cause them injury.

work spouse »    A man or woman in the workplace with whom one shares a special relationship having bonds similar to those of a marriage: special confidences, loyalties, shared jokes and experiences, and unusual degree of honesty or openness.

work the crowd »    To work the room.

work the room »    To interact enthusiastically with the attendees at an event, by moving among them, greeting them, and engaging them in conversation.

work the room »    To interact with one's audience, taking queues from its reactions and adapting one's performance or words to elicit the audience's attention and enthusiasm.

worked up »    Excessively emotional, excited or aroused.

working girl »    A prostitute.

working girl »    A young woman who works.

world »    A great amount.

world »    A planet,especially one which is inhabited or inhabitable.

world »    An individual or group perspective or social setting.

world »    Human collective existence; existence in general.

world »    The earth.

world »    The Universe.

world-beater »    Someone or something superior to all others of its sort.

worlds apart »    Vastly different.

worm's-eye view »    A view of an object from below, from the ground.

worry wart »    One who worries excessively or unnecessarily.

worse for wear »    Drunk.

worse for wear »    In poor physical condition due to long or heavy use.

worth every penny »    Completely worthwhile.

worth its weight in gold »    Highly valuable.

worth one's salt »    Competent or adept.

worth one's while »    Good and important enough for one to spend time, effort, or money on.

worth the risk »    The benefit of the success is more valuable than the problems caused by the potential loss.

wouldn't you know it »    Expresses dismay or annoyance, especially at bad luck or misfortune.

wrap around one's fingers »    To make one susceptible to desire, in that their behavior or actions are influenced.

wrap in the flag »    To claim one's cause deserves support for patriotic reasons or that one's own motives are patriotic.

wrap it before you tap it »    wear a condom before sexual intercourse.

wrap up »    To fold and secure something to be the cover or protection for something.

wrap up »    To form a cylinder by rolling a sheet of something.

wrap up »    To wear more clothes as protection from the weather; to bundle up.

wrap up »    To summarize or recapitulate.

wreak havoc »    To cause damage, disruption, or destruction.

wrestling with a pig »    To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.

wring out »    To squeeze a wet material, either by twisting with one's hands, or by passing it through a wringer, to remove the water.

wring out »    To force someone to give something, usually truth, or money.

write down »    Down in writing; to record something.

write down »    In a simple or condescending style.

write off »    To record an expenditure as an expense.

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.

write out »    To write in full length or expanded form.

wrong side of the tracks »    . May refer to area where the working class, poor or extremely poor live.

yank off »    To remove something, like a piece of cloth or bread, by tearing it with one quick strong pull.

yank out »    To remove something like a nail, or a tooth with one quick strong pull.

year dot »    A very long time ago, from the beginning or as far back as one can remember.

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-bellied »    Pertaining to an animal or reptile that has a yellow belly.

yes man »    A person who always agrees with his employer or superior.

yoke together »    To unite, or join, or combine.

you bet »    Certainly; you're welcome; a reply to thank you or to a request.

you bet »    Expresses support, agreement, certainty or emphasis.

you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar »    It's easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude than with rude demands and negativity.

you can hang your hat on that »    It's something to put faith in, to rely upon or trust (when used in a positive connotation).

you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink »    You can show someone how to do something, but you can't make them do it.

you can't fight city hall »    (chiefly US) Nothing can be done to change the situation, because it is a governmental decision.I see they're going to build the airport after all. I suppose you can't fight city hall.

you can't get a quart into a pint pot »    What is being discussed is not possible.They've asked me to get to New York by five o'clock, but you can't get a quart into a pint pot!

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 make a silk purse of a sow's ear »    It is not possible to produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

you 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 teach an old dog new tricks »    It is impossible, or almost impossible, to change people's habits or traits or mindset.

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 company ink »    One should avoid romantic relationships in the workplace.

you don't dip your pen in the company's ink »    Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.

you don't dip your pen in the inkwell »    Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.

you get more with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone »    It is advantageous not to rely solely on being nice.

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 know what »    A phrase used to get someone's attention before announcing something.

you made your bed, now sleep in it »    A moralizing rejection said to someone looking for an easy out, especially of a situation they put themselves into.

you make the bed you lie in »    A person's circumstances are normally the result of his or her own actions.

you name it »    Used after a short list to show that further examples are unnecessary; all kinds of things.

you never know what you've got till it's gone »    Good friends and acquaintances shouldn't be taken for granted.

you only get what you give »    There is a positive correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefits one receives.

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours »    If you do me a favor then I will do you a favor; quid pro quo.

you what%3F »    An intensified version of what or huh.

you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

your mileage may vary »    It may work differently in your situation, or be different in your experience.

yours sincerely »    A polite formula to end a letter, especially when the recipient’s name is known to the sender.

yours truly »    A closing in a note or letter.

zero in on »    To concentrate or focus one's attention on at task.

zig when one should zag »    To misstep or err.

zone out »    To stop paying attention and think about something else, or to think about nothing.

zoom in »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a larger image, or a closer view.

zoom in »    So as to make it larger and possibly more detailed.

zoom out »    To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a smaller image, or a more distant view.

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