We've found 986 phrases for OS (0.1 seconds):

a closed mouth gathers no feet »    One who does not speak can be certain he won't say anything embarrassing.

a dumb priest never got a parish »    (Irish) Those who fail to speak up fail to get what they want.

a house is not a home »    A home is not merely a building but requires inhabitants and a friendly atmosphere.

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step »    even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point

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

a miss is as good as a mile »    A failure remains a failure, regardless of how close to success one has actually come.

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 rolling stone gathers no moss »    A person who never settles in one place will never be successful.A person who does not keep active will grow mouldy.

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.

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 time »    Close to the right time.

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

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.

across the pond »    On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

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

against all odds »    Despite seemingly insurmountable opposition or probability.

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.

ale post »    A maypole.

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

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

all things come to those who wait »    (dated) A patient seeker will be satisfied in due time; patience is a virtue.

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

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

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

ankle socks »    hosiery

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

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

apple dumplin shop »    A woman's bosom.

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

as a rule »    In general; most often.

as best one can »    In the best possible way, given the circumstances.

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

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

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 arm's length »    Avoiding a close relationship.

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

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 large »    On the loose; roaming freely; not confined.

at loggerheads »    Unable to agree; opposing.

at loose ends »    In an uncertain position or situation.

at peace with »    Not menacing or hostile toward.

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

at the best of times »    At most.

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

at the top of one's lungs »    Possible.

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

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

bad blood »    Feelings of hostility or ill will.

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

bag and baggage »    All one's possessions.

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

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.

bat for the other team »    To be homosexual.

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

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

bawdy basket »    The twenty-third rank of canters, who carry pins, tape, ballads, and obscene books to sell, but live mostly by stealing.

be at one's beck and call »    To be in the position of serving someone in any way they desire, usually unwillingly.

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

bear up »    To sail close to the wind.

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

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

beauty mark »    Or artificially using cosmetics.

bed of roses »    A comfortable or luxurious position.

bed of roses »    A pleasant or easy situation.

been to the rodeo »    Exposed to conmen and hucksters; experienced.

beggars can't be choosers »    (proverb) When resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts.

behind closed doors »    Public disclosure.

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.

best bet »    The best proposal or plan.

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

best regards »    Used as a polite closing of a letter.

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

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.

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

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.

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

bite i gresset »    To loose.

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

blow chunks »    To suffer from explosive diarrhea.

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

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

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 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.

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

boil down »    As an allusion to the cooking technique of reducing liquids by heat, one boils down a problem, argument, etc. to its most central elements.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

boys will be boys »    It is hard, often fruitless, to attempt to curb the natural playfulness and tendency to mischief of most growing boys.1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Chapter 13But just then there was a slight altercation between Master Tommy and Master Jacky. Boys will be boys and our two twins were no exception to this golden rule.Even grown men usually remain somewhat boyish in heart"Boys will be boys", grinned grandpa while he joined his adult son playing with the fancy train-set he gave his grandson for Christmas while the kid was in school.

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

brain surgery »    Surgery on any part of the nervous system, especially the brain; neurosurgery.

brain-dead »    Having an irreversible loss of brain function and cessation of brain activity.

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

break even »    To neither gain nor lose money.

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

bridge »    A prosthesis replacing one or several adjacent teeth.

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

bridge »    The upper bony ridge of the human nose.

bring down »    To make a legitimate rulership lose their position of power.

bring up »    To bring from a lower position to a higher position.

broad across the beam »    Without fat on the hips and the bottom.

broad church »    A wide scope of philosophies and ideas.

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 noser »    One who sucks up; a bootlicker, ass-kisser, sycophant.

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

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

bum chum »    A male’s homosexual partner..

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

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.

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 telegraph »    A gossip network.

business girl »    A prostitute.

but then »    Then again, on the other hand; used to show that the opposite viewpoint is possible.

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

by and large »    Mostly, generally; with few exceptions.

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

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

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.

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

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 troublesome situation; an issue whose resolution is difficult or contentious, but not necessarily complex.

carpe diem »    seize the day, make the most of today, enjoy the present

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

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

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

catbird seat »    Expression used to describe an enviable position, often one of great advantage.

catch flies »    An ostensible product of awkwardly having one's mouth open wide.

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

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

caught in the act »    To be found doing something that you weren't supposed to be doing, while you're doing it.

center field »    The defensive position in the outfield in the middle, typically played by a player that can run fast.

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.

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

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

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

cheaters never prosper »    One does not gain from cheating.

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

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

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-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.

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

chinese gooseberry »    kiwi fruit

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

chit chat »    gossip

chuck out »    To discard, to dispose of.

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

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

close as wax »    Miserly.

close down »    To stop trading as a business.

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

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

close fisted »    stingy

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

close in on »    To catch up with in a chase; to near the end of a pursuit.

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 move people closer together.

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

close up »    To heal a cut or other wound.

close up shop »    To shut down a shop; to end a business activity.

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.

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

cock a snook »    To spread one hand, place the thumb on the nose and wriggle some of the fingers as a gesture of disrespect.

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 about »    To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking.

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

come across »    To find, usually by accident.

come out »    To come out of the closet.

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 round »    To cease anger or hostility.

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

come up »    To come to a higher position.

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.

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

controlled substance »    Except for very limited professional testing purposes.

cook up »    To prepare a heroin dose by heating.

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

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.

cost a pretty penny »    To be expensive.

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".

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

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

cowgirl position »    A sex position in which the man lies on his back, and the woman sits on top of him facing him.

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.

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

criss-cross applesauce »    Cross-legged.

cross my heart »    A declaration that the speaker is telling the truth.

cross off »    To strike out; to cross out; to draw a line through.

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

cross out »    To strike out; to draw a line through.

cross paths »    August 5 2004, SFGate.com.

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

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

cross someone's path »    To meet by chance.

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 part of a company sought by another in a hostile takeover.

crown jewels »    A prized possession or asset.

curiosity killed the cat »    One should not be curious about things that can be dangerous.

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

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

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

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

dar brincos »    To jump, leap.

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

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

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

deaf as a doorpost »    Stone deaf.

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

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

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

deep thinker »    A person whose thoughts are profound; an intellectual.

deliver the message to Garcia »    ...heaves in a deep breath, gathers himself as though he's crossed a continent to deliver the message to Garcia.

devil's advocate »    A canon lawyer appointed by the Church to argue against the canonization of the proposed candidate.

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

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

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 the honors »    Act as a host to guests.

do the honours »    Act as a host to guests.

don't be penny wise and pound foolish »    Don't be careful when it comes to spending small amounts of money, but careless when spending much larger amounts.Don't focus on minutiae and lose sight of the big picture; don't obsess over tiny inconsequential efficiencies while glaring inefficiencies are going on elsewhere.

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

don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs »    Don't presume to give advice to those who are more experienced.

doorprikken »    To expose as false.

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-edged sword »    A benefit that is also a liability, or that carries some significant but non-obvious cost or risk.

down the road, not across the street »    Along the radial artery rather than across the wrist from side to side.

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 back »    To retreat from a position.

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

dress up »    To wear fancy dress or a costume.

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

drop off »    To deliver; to deposit or leave.

easy come, easy go »    Easily won and easily lost; usually said when resigned to a loss.

easy street »    A carefree situation or lifestyle, especially as resulting from possession of wealth.

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

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 someone's dust »    To get one to be on a losing end.

elephant in the room »    A problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or comfort of those involved.

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

enough to make the angels weep »    Something so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.

even Homer nods »    Not even the most vigilant and expert are immune from erring.

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 rose has it's thorns »    everything, even if it seems perfect, has faults

everybody and their brother »    A large number of people; most people.

everyone and their brother »    A large number of people; most people.

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 rogue wireless access point installed near a legitimate one for purposes of eavesdropping or phishing.

experience is the best teacher »    Lessons learned from experience are the most lasting.

expose oneself »    To appear nude in public.

eye up »    To examine closely something coveted.

f** someone over »    To exploit somebody in a way which result in an advantage to oneself, at the cost of the other party gaining a considerable disadvantage.

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.

fall in »    Of a soldier, to get into position in a rank.

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

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 on one's sword »    To resign from a job or other position of responsibility, especially when pressured to do so.

fall over »    To fall from an upright or standing position to a horizontal or prone position.

fat of the land »    The greatest part of anything; the finest and most abundant share of resources; the cream of the crop.

fence in »    To enclose with a fence.

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

fight a losing battle »    To continue to wage war when it is clear that one is not going to win.

fight a losing battle »    To try to do something so difficult that it will probably end in failure.

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

fill the bill »    To satisfy a need; to serve a purpose; to fulfill specified requirements.

fire hose »    A hose used to deliver water in case of fire.

fire hose »    The human penis.

fire on all cylinders »    To operate as effectively as possible.

fire-breathing »    That emits flame from the mouth or nostrils.

first among equals »    A person or position that if formally equivalent to others in a group, but is superior in some attribute.

first loser »    Second place.

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

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 or cut bait »    To choose between taking action now, or forgoing the opportunity and putting that energy into another endeavor; to decide.

flip one's lid »    To be explosively angry.

flipside »    A necessary consequence or corollary of something; especially one seen as opposite, or as pro versus con.

fly the coop »    To escape from a pen or similar enclosure.

fool's errand »    A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.

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 the most part »    Mostly; in general; usually.

for the record »    For the purpose of being recorded.

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."

fortune favors the bold »    Luck is usually on the side of those who take chances and risks.

four poster »    bed

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.

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.

from pillar to post »    To another; hither and thither, to and fro.

front runner »    The most likely winners in a contest, election, etc.

full tilt »    As quickly as possible; very rapidly.

full tilt boogie »    At the most extreme level.

garbage in, garbage out »    (computing, information technology) If input data is not complete, accurate, and timely, then the resulting output is unreliable and of no useful value.1963, Raymond Crowley, "Robot Tax Collector Seeks Indications of 'Fudging'," Times Daily (Alabama, USA), 1 April (retrieved 26 July 2010):Officials explained that the quality of the computer's work depends on the quality of the data fed into it. Neil Hoke, administrative assistant to Stewart, quoted an adage of computer men: "Garbage in, garbage out."2008, Roger K. Lewis, "'In Architectural Design, Brains and Talent Trump the Best Software," Washington Post, 19 July (retrieved 26 July 2010):The old caveat "GIGO"

get a leg up »    To get a boost or a lift.

get busy »    Start working, usually in opposition to idleness.

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 possess a preferred outlook on a given issue or issues.

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

get one's wires crossed »    To get confused or mixed up; to make a mistake.

get out of Dodge »    To leave; in particular to leave a difficult or dangerous environment with all possible haste.

get over »    cross, surmount

get someone's nose out of joint »    To become angry; to take offense or take exception.

get someone's nose out of joint »    To make someone angry.

get taken in »    To be unofficially fostered.

ghost train »    fairground attraction

give 110%25 »    Make the maximum possible effort.

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 ear »    Dante Gabriel Rosetti, A Death-Parting, lines 5-6.

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

give the devil his due »    To acknowledge the positive qualities of a person who is unpleasant or disliked.

glimmer »    A faint or remote possibility.

gloss over »    To cover up a mistake or a crime; to hush up or whitewash.

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

go all out »    To reserve nothing; to put forth all possible effort or resources.

go apeshit »    To behave in an extreme manner; to act without restraint, especially by becoming explosively angry.

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

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

go off the boil »    To lose interest; to pall.

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

go to Canossa »    To submit to the pope.

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

golden ticket »    A philosophy that a quick fix can be achieved.

good riddance »    Used to indicate that a departure, or loss is welcome.

good things come to those who wait »    A patient seeker will be satisfied in due time; patience is a virtue.

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.

goose is cooked »    All hope is gone; there is no possibility of success.

grab bag »    A gift, purchase, etc. whose contents are concealed until after a selection is made.

grab bag »    Any random assortment, selection or possibility.

grasp all, lose all »    one who wants everything, may lose it all

grass widow »    A married woman whose husband is away.

grass widower »    A married man whose wife is away.

gross out »    To sicken.

grow cold »    To wane; to lose interest or enthusiasm for something or someone; to become disenchanted or to fall out of love with someone.

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”..

hand grenade »    small explosive device

hand in glove »    In very close cooperation.

hand over »    To relinquish control or possession of something to someone.

hand-in-glove »    Closely cooperative.

hang on »    To pay close attention.

happy medium »    A balanced position between two opposite extremes.

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

hard-nosed »    Guided by practical experience and observation rather than by theory.

hard-nosed »    Hardheaded.

hardball »    In baseball, a type of ball and baseball game, as opposed to softball.

hardwired »    In humans and animals, genetically determined, instinctive behavior, as opposed to learned behavior.

hardwired »    Of devices, closely or tightly coupled.

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.

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

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

heaven helps those who help themselves »    A maxim encouraging people to get involved in their own problems.

hedge one's bets »    To place bets with a third party in order to offset potential losses.

hem in »    enclose, confine

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

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

here's to »    Denoting proposed salutation while drinking alcohol, toast.

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.

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

hit the roof »    To be explosively angry.

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

hold forth »    To extend or offer, propose.

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

hold the fort »    To maintain a secure position.

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.

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.

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.

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.

hospital pass »    A throw that stays in the air long enough that it allows too many people to get underneath it, increasing the risk of injury and a trip to the hospital. Thus, a hospital pass.

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

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

hot cross buns »    good friday cakes

hot on somebody's heels »    Close behind; pursuing or following closely.

how come »    Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose?.

hunker down »    To stubbornly hold to a position.

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 you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen »    If you cannot handle the pressure, you should not be in a position where you have to deal with it.

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

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

in Abraham's bosom »    No longer living. Dead.

in bed with »    Engaging in a close mutually beneficial relationship, especially secretly and illicitly.

in clover »    In a condition of prosperity.

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 front of one's nose »    Plain; clearly apparent; obvious.

in hot water »    In trouble; in the position of arousing somebody's anger or displeasure.

in line »    Positioned in a straight line.

in line »    To assume a position in the future.

in one's stockinged feet »    Wearing socks, stockings or other hosiery on one's feet but no shoes.

in the black »    Having positive net income; having greater income than expenses; making a profit.

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 hospital »    Admitted as a patient in a hospital.

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 nick of time »    At the last possible moment; at the last minute.

in the red »    Having net losses; in debt.

in the sun »    Exposed to sunlight.

inner circle »    The closest of friends of a person.

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

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.

jug ears »    Ears whose plane is markedly not parallel to the plane of the head.

jump »    To employ a move in certain board games where one game piece is moved from one legal position to another passing over the position of another piece.

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

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

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

jungle telegraph »    A gossip network; an informal communication system within a group or organization.

just about »    Almost.

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 it up »    To maintain or continue a positive streak.

keep on »    To remain in an existing position.

keep one's cards close to one's chest »    To avoid revealing one's thoughts, circumstances, or plans.

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

keep one's eye on the ball »    My ethos has always been to be very straight with people, tell it as it is. It doesn't often make people happy but I found that over a period of time it's better to be that way. So being straight, also being very focused on your objectives, keep your eye on the ball and not get deflected away from it.

keep one's eyes peeled »    To watch closely; to look for.

keep somebody posted »    To inform or to keep somebody up to date.

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 friends close, and your enemies closer »    One should be on their toes and alert of their surroundings if malicious people are around, to ensure such people can't wreak havoc in one's life.

kick around »    To wander loose; to float around; to hang around.

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs »    To seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit.

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

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.

knocking on heaven's door »    Dying, close to death.

lady of the night »    Prostitute.

lap of luxury »    A position or situation in which one is spoiled and indulged.

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

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

last post »    military bugle call

law of the jungle »    The survival of the fittest, strongest or most cunning.

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 open »    to disclose

lead nowhere »    To have no purpose, to result in nothing.

left field »    The defensive position in the outfield to the left.

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 on »    To reveal, disclose, or divulge.

let somebody in on »    To disclose; to tell somebody a secret or share privileged information.

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

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

lie through one's teeth »    To tell a gross or egregious untruth.

life of Riley »    An ideal life of carefree prosperity and contentment.

lift a finger »    To make minimal effort; to help as little as possible.

lift up »    To elevate to a higher position.

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

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).

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.

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

lock up »    To close all doors and windows of a place securely.

long absent, soon forgotten »    Love fades away when people are distant and don't keep close physical contact.

long finger »    A state of postponement or procrastination.

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

long shot »    A master shot, the primary wide shot of a scene into which the closeups will be edited later.

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.

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

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 end »    The end of a rope that has not been fastened.

loose ends »    Leftover items that have not been addressed or attended to.

loose ends »    unresolved details

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

lose it »    To lose control of a situation.

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

lose one's head »    To go crazy.

lose one's marbles »    To go crazy.

lose one's mind »    To become mad, insane.

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

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

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

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

lose out »    To be at a disadvantage.

lose the number of one's mess »    To die, to perish.

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.

lost errand »    A mission likely to fail.

lot lizard »    A prostitute at a truck stop.

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

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 the cut »    To succeed; to be chosen out of a field of candidates or possibilities.

make the most of »    To profit as much as possible from.

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

make up »    To apply cosmetics or makeup.

man proposes, God disposes »    Things don't always work out as they were planned.

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.

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

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

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

middle ground »    A compromise position between extremes.

middle of the road »    Having a centrist attitude or philosophy; not extreme, especially politically.

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.

miss out »    To miss an experience or lose an opportunity, etc. that should not be missed.

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 equal »    Ostensibly equal, but in reality more privileged.

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.

moses basket »    portable cradle

mouth breather »    A person who routinely inhales and exhales through the mouth, instead of through the nose.

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.

muckety muck »    A person in a position of power, authority, or status.

murder will out »    Secrets or hidden crimes will eventually be exposed or discovered.

neck and neck »    Very close in progress, as in a race or contest.

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

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.

next to »    Almost; nearly.

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.

nighthawk »    A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours.

no brainer »    Something that supposedly doesn’t take much intellectual thought. Whoever says that something is a no brainer is usually the one with no brains.

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 love lost »    Dislike, animosity.

no skin off one's nose »    No harm to one.

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 two ways about it »    No other possible action, choice or option.

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

nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat »    The idea/proposed action is inconsequential to the current situation.

nose candy »    Cocaine.

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.

nose-pick »    To pick boogers from the nose.

nose-picker »    One who picks their nose.

nose-picking »    To insert a finger into one's nostril, especially to remove mucus.

nosebleed seat »    A seat high in the back of bleachers, stands, or the balcony at a theater.

not quite »    Almost, very nearly.

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 avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; signifies a strong aversion.

not win for losing »    To repeatedly fail in one's gambles or efforts.

not worth a plug nickel »    Having no or almost no value; worthless.

noughts and crosses »    pen and paper game

number one »    First; foremost; best.

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

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 one out »    A visual puzzle where the guesser has to choose which word/picture/symbol etc. does not fit with the others.

off the back foot »    From a defensive position.

oil burner »    A device whose operation causes apparent combustion of lubricating oil.

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

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

on hand »    close by; ready to help

on high »    "According to those on high there is no global warming".

on hold »    Delayed; postponed.

on one's deathbed »    Close to death.

on one's watch »    During the period of time when one is in a position of authority or responsibility.

on opposite sides of the barricades »    Of starkly different, opposite views on an issue.

on purpose »    Purposefully; with intention; deliberately.

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 the back foot »    In a defensive posture; off-balance.

on the brink »    Very nearly; imminent; close.

on the bubble »    Holding the last qualifying position with qualification still in progress, and thus liable to lose that position.

on the game »    Working as a prostitute.

on the loose »    Not incarcerated or in captivity; not under control.

on the nose »    Exactly; precisely.

on the nose »    Smelly, malodorous.

on the plus side »    Positively; from a favorable view or perspective.

on the point »    Very nearly; imminent; close.

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

on the verge »    Very near or close.

on the whole »    For the most part; apart from some insignificant details.

on top »    In a dominant position.

one at a time »    Individually, as opposed to collectively; slowly or methodically, figuratively.

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 those days »    A bad day.

one thousand »    Used in a common chronometric counting scheme, in which each iteration is sequentially numbered and supposed to be approximately one second in length.

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

one-track mind »    That said to be possessed by someone who is obsessed with something or only able to think of one thing.

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.

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.

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

opt in »    To choose to participate in something.

opt out »    To choose not to participate in something.

orphan drug »    But which is not manufactured or marketed because the demand is insufficient to cover the costs of supply.

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

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 place »    Amongst all those horsey people I felt quite out of place.

out of pocket »    Lacking funds, or suffering a loss.

out of the question »    Impossible to even contemplate.

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 on a limb »    in a precarious position

outshout »    To merit the most attention or praise.

outside world »    The rest of the world outside of some closed, restricted, or remote environment.

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

pachyderm »    A member of the obsolete taxonomic group Pachydermata, grouping of thick-skinned, hoofed animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant, pig and horse.

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

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

paper »    A sheet material used for writing on or printing on , usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.

parade of horribles »    A parade featuring a progression of people wearing comic and grotesque costumes.

park the car in Harvard Yard »    A sentence used to illustrate that the Boston accent is non-rhotic; typically pronounced "pahk the cah in Hahvad Yahd".

party animal »    A person known for frequent, enthusiastic attendance at parties, especially one whose partying behavior is exuberant or excessive.

pay the freight »    To bear the cost.

pay the freight »    To pay for the cost of transport.

pay through the nose »    To pay a high price, especially an exorbitant or excessive amount, either in money or in some other manner.

peachy keen »    Extremely good, exactly right; all right. Often used in the negative or with an ironic or sarcastic connotation to mean the opposite.

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.

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

pick one's nose »    The act of picking one's nose, insertion of a finger or other object into one's nostril.

pick up »    To meet and seduce somebody for romantic purposes, especially in a social situation, sometimes used with "on".

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

piece of ass »    A male prostitute.

pig in a poke »    Something whose true value is concealed or unknown, especially something offered for sale.

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

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

pit against »    To set someone in opposition to someone else.

pitched battle »    A hostile engagement involving sustained, full-scale fighting between opposing forces in close combat.

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 hardball »    To use every means possible to achieve a goal, especially in disregarding the harm caused.

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 possum »    To feign sleep, illness, etc.

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.

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.

pony in the barn »    An exciting and real prospect, something to be legitimately excited about.

pop off »    To release flatulence, in most cases, in short rapid succession.

pop the cherry »    To break the hymen; to lose one's virginity.

pop the question »    To propose marriage.

pope's nose »    The tail end piece of a cooked chicken.

popped the question »    proposed

possession is nine-tenths of the law »    One who has possession of a thing has some right to it; a popular statement of the doctrine of adverse possession.

poster boy »    See poster child.

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

poster girl »    See poster child.

Postpone »    to cancel until a future a time

potter about »    To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.

potter around »    To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.

pre-war »    Describing the most recent or significant war in a culture's history.

preprogram »    To predispose to certain thoughts or behaviours.

pretzel »    A toasted bread or cracker usually in the shape of a loose knot.

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

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.

pull up »    Drive close to something, especially a curb.

purple prose »    Extravagant or flowery writing, especially in a literary work.

put across »    To explain or state something clearly and understandably.

put across »    To perform a theatrical production.

put back »    To postpone an arranged event or appointment.

put forward »    To propose for consideration.

put off »    postpone

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

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

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

put the kibosh on »    To halt, stop, or squelch.

put through the wringer »    To interrogate or scrutinize closely; to subject to some trial or ordeal.

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

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

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

rain cheque »    Any postponement, especially of an offer.

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.

rank and file »    Those lacking any particular title or status; those having no station.

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 ink »    A euphemism for financial loss.

red letter day »    Usually very positive, sometimes very negative.

red light »    Denial to proceed. Ruling out of any possibility.

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 participate in a special education program, such as for those with learning disabilities.

road apple »    Horse manure, especially when deposited on a road.

road to Damascus »    That was my Road to Damascus moment. They played one hit after another and this is the song I remember most clearly.

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 bottom »    The very lowest possible level.

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.

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.

rose-coloured »    Cheerfully optimistic.

rose-coloured »    Having a pink colour.

roses are red »    The start of a generic poem about love.

rub off on »    To adapt to a way of behaving after constant exposure to it.

rule out »    To cross an item out by drawing a straight line through it, as with a ruler.

rule out »    To reject an option from a list of possibilities.

rule out »    To make something impossible.

rumor mill »    A group or network of persons who originate or promulgate gossip and other unsubstantiated claims.

run across »    To cross by running.

run across »    To find or discover by chance.

run down »    To lose power slowly. Used for a machine, battery, or other powered device.

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 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 out the clock »    To preserve a lead in a game by retaining possession, to waste time.

run over »    To cross by running.

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.

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

safe and sound »    Having come to no harm, especially after being exposed to danger.

sauce for the goose »    A short form of what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander

scratch the surface »    To barely begin; to see or do only a fraction of what is possible.

sea legs »    The ability, when walking aboard ship, to anticipate the motion of the deck so as to walk steadily without losing balance.

see a man »    A bland euphemism to conceal one's true purpose.

see a man »    To take one's leave for some urgent purpose, especially to go to the bathroom.

seize the day »    To make the most of today by achieving fulfillment in a philosophical or spiritual sense.

sell ice to Eskimos »    To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous.

send to Coventry »    To ostracize, or systematically ignore someone.

send up »    To imitate someone or something for the purpose of satirical humour.

sent to Coventry »    Ostracised, ignored.

set aside »    To separate and reserve something for a specific purpose.

set back »    To cost money, as.

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

set one's cap at »    . Or, more generally, to choose something as a goal.

sexual congress »    Loose translation of the title of Aristophanes' play Ecclesiazousae, more literally translated as Assemblywomen.

shake on it »    To agree; to close a deal.

shit or get off the pot »    To choose between taking action now, or foregoing the opportunity until a later date.

shoot off at the mouth »    To disclose some information that was supposed to be secret.

shoot the moon »    To achieve the lowest score possible, such that the player is usually rewarded with bonus points.

shoot the shit »    To chat casually; to gossip.

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.

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.

show one's true colors »    To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed.

show up »    To make visible; to expose.

showstopper »    A performance or segment of a theatrical production that induces a positive reaction strong enough to pause the production.

shuffle »    To get lost in the shuffle: to lack attention when you deserve it.

shut down »    To close, terminate, or end.

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.

sit back »    To recline while still in a seated position, with one's back on the frame of the seat.

sit out »    To escape a hold while face-down by swinging one's legs around into the sitting position.

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.

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.

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.

slam dunk »    Tacking on top of the wind of the following yacht in close quarters.

sleep on it »    To postpone a decision until the following day to avoid making a hasty choice.

sleep with the fishes »    To be killed and have one's body disposed off in the sea or other body of water.

sleeves from one's vest »    Something non-existent; something of no value or cost.

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

smallpox blanket »    An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.

smell like a rose »    To be regarded as appealing, virtuous, or respectable; to be untainted or unharmed.

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

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.

sneck posset »    A cold reception, closing the door on a visitor.

sneck posset »    A fastened latch.

sniff test »    An informal reality check of an idea or proposal, using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

snot-nosed »    Young and arrogant or conceited.

snug as a bug in a rug »    Very cosy and comfortable.

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

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.

space out »    To stupefy, intoxicate, disorient, or lose attention or focus, especially by the use of drugs.

spark spread »    The difference between the cost of the fuel required to produce a unit of electricity, and the price of that same unit of electricity.

spill the beans »    To reveal a secret; to disclose.

spring in one's step »    Enthusiasm, energy or a positive outlook or cheerful attitude.

square off »    To get in the fighting position.

square up »    To get in the fighting position.

squaring the circle »    A hopeless or impossible task.

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

stand off »    To prevent any would-be attacker from coming close by adopting an offensive posture.

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

stand one's ground »    To maintain or stick by an opinion or position; to remain resolute in the face of opposition.

stand up »    To rise from a lying or sitting position.

stand up »    To bring something up and set it into a standing position.

stepping stone »    A stone that can be stepped on in crossing something, especially a marsh or creek.

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 one's neck out »    To take a risk, putting oneself in a vulnerable position.

stick one's nose in »    To be nosy; to meddle or interfere in the affairs of another.

stick with »    To remain close by.

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.

stitch up »    To close by sewing.

stop and smell the roses »    To relax; to take time out and enjoy or appreciate life.

stretch the truth »    To exaggerate, often to the point where the truth is obscured or lost.

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.

stumble across »    To discover or find something by accident.

stumble across »    To meet somebody by chance.

such as »    Those who.

suck hind tit »    To be the youngest or most neglected child.

supposed to »    Permitted.

supposed to »    Required.

swallow up »    To completely enclose or envelop.

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.

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.

swings and roundabouts »    Offsetting gains and losses.

switch off »    To turn a switch to the "off" position in order to stop or disable a device.

switch off »    To lose interest, and start thinking about something else.

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

take a bath »    To lose a large amount of money in an investment.

take a bullet »    To purposely receive a gunshot that was intended for another.

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

take a dive »    To lose or fail intentionally.

take back »    To regain possession of something.

take down »    To remove something from a hanging position.

take in »    To foster or adopt a child informally.

take in »    To receive into your home for the purpose of processing for a fee.

take it easy »    An informal greeting for parting or closing.

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

take the wind out of someone's sails »    To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue.

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

take up with »    To form a close relationship with someone.

take up with »    To be contented to receive; to receive without opposition; to put up with.

talk dirty »    To use profane language, especially sexual vulgarities for the purpose of arousal.

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

tart up »    To dress like a prostitute.

tell you the truth »    Used to positively assert the frank honesty of an associated statement of set of statements; equivalent to "to you tell the truth".

the bee's knees »    Most excellent; surpassingly wonderful; cool.

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get »    (vulgar) The sexual satisfactions that one receives from a spouse or romantic partner are not sufficient to compensate for the significant periods of bad faith and unpleasant treatment which such relationships routinely involve.1971, Allen Churchill, The Literary Decade, ISBN 9780135375228:Years later she expressed her disillusionment with sex by saying, "The fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."1999, Ben Sonnenberg, Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy, ISBN 9781582430454, p. 93:Maitland got drunk at his parties and threw his arm around you and pulled you over to his wife and made you look down her dress, saying, "The trouble with marriage is that the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."2008, Joseph Heywood, Blue Wolf In Green Fire, ISBN 9781599213590, p. 63:"I can't believe a little pussy got me into dis mess." "Shit happens," Service said. "Sometimes the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."

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

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

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

the shoemaker's children go barefoot »    One often neglects those closest to oneself.

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

the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak »    (proverbs) For much as one wishes to achieve something, the frailties of the human body often make it impossible.

the 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.

there's no place like home »    one feels the most comfortable at home

thick as thieves »    Intimate, close-knit.

third wheel »    A person or thing that serves no useful purpose.

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

throw a sickie »    To take a day off from work, supposedly because of ill health. The illness could be either real or feigned.

throw away »    To discard or dispose of something.

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 off »    To confuse; especially, to lose a pursuer.

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

throw the book at »    To apply the harshest possible punishment to.

thumb one's nose »    To act disrespectfully, especially by flouting the object of disrespect.

thumb one's nose »    To place a thumb upon the tip of the nose, usually while simultaneous wiggling one's fingers, in a gesture of disrespect.

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

tight spot »    A difficult position.

tilt at windmills »    To go on a wild goose chase; to persistently engage in a futile activity.

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.

tip of the iceberg »    Only the beginning; just a small indication of a larger possibility; a problem is much bigger than it seems.

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 the gills »    Entirely or extremely; to the greatest degree possible.

to the max »    To the maximum possible degree or extent.

today we are all »    August 12, 2008:, Robert Barnes, "McCain to Georgian President: "Today, We Are All Georgians"", Washington Post.

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

top banana »    The boss, the leader.

toss-up »    A decision in which neither choice is clearly favorable or unfavorable, or for which the outcome does not matter.

toss-up »    Either of two outcomes that are equally likely.

toss-up »    The toss of a coin used to decide some issue.

toss-upness »    The quality of being a toss-up, usually used in reference to a toss-up state in American presidential elections.

track record »    An organization's, product's, or person's past performance reviewed in its entirety, usually for the purpose of making a judgment.

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

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.

turn against »    To rebel or oppose something formerly supported.

turn against »    To rotate against or in opposition to something.

turn down »    To reposition by turning, flipping, etc. in a downward direction.

turn loose »    To roam freely or to act freely.

turn to stone »    To metamorphosise into stone.

turn tricks »    To work as a prostitute, providing sexual services for money.

turn up »    To reposition by rotating, flipping, etc. upwards.

turn up one's nose »    To refuse, especially as due to pride or status.

turn up one's nose »    To sneer.

two-bit »    Costing 25 cents.

under one's nose »    Directly in front of one; clearly visible.

under one's nose »    Obvious or apparent.

under the microscope »    Under close scrutiny or examination.

under the wire »    Across the finish line.

university of life »    The real world as a source of instruction, as opposed to a formal education.

unring a bell »    To perform the impossible.

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 front »    Open, honest; tending to disclose information; truthful.

up to eleven »    Beyond the maximum possible threshold.

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.

verge on »    To approach or come close to something; to border or be on the edge of something.

victory at sea »    Ocean conditions very windblown and messy, possibly to the point of being inimical to surfing and other water sports.

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.

walk the line »    To maintain an intermediate position between contrasting choices, opinions, etc..

walk the plank »    To be forced to resign from a position in an organization.

wall in »    To enclose by surrounding with walls.

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

wash out »    To lose traction while going around a turn, especially in cycling, motorsports and skiing/snowboarding.

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

waste away »    To lose energy and become weak and feeble.

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

wear out »    To deteriorate or become unusable or ineffective due to continued use, exposure, or strain.

wear rose-colored glasses »    To see the positive in things while being oblivious to the negative.

wee small hours »    The very early morning, just after midnight, when most people are asleep.

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'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 with »    Used to express disbelief or curiosity.

when in Rome, do as the Romans do »    behave as those around do

when it's at home »    Plainly; in plain English; when it comes down to it; at it's most basic level.

whistle past the graveyard »    To enter a situation with little or no understanding of the possible consequences.

white hole »    A theoretically possible but physically highly unlikely singularity which would emit matter and energy; the antithesis of a black hole.

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

wild-goose chase »    A futile search, a fruitless errand; a useless and often lengthy pursuit.

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.

willy nilly »    Without regard for consequences or the will of those affected.

wine tosser »    A person who buys wine, but does not drink it.

wine tosser »    A person who talks a great deal about wine but actually knows very little.

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.

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.

working girl »    A prostitute.

worth the risk »    The benefit of the success is more valuable than the problems caused by the potential loss.

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

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

write up »    To write about positively.

yield up »    To disclose something hidden.

you and whose army%3F »    You can't do all that on your own.

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't always get what you want »    It is not always possible to get what is wanted.

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 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 only get what you give »    There is a positive correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefits one receives.

you shouldn't have »    Used to express gratitude at unnecessary generosity, especially when receiving a gift.

you snooze you lose »    If you are not alert and attentive, you will not be successful.

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

your mileage may vary »    To express a possible difference in taste, "this is just my opinion, your opinion may be different".

yours truly »    A closing in a note or letter.

zip up »    To close with a zip fastener.

zip up »    To close as if with a zip fastener.

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 »    So as to make it smaller and possibly less detailed.

BTW, Why won't you become an editor?