a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step »
even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point
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act out »
To go through the process of a scene from a play, a charade or a pointless exercise.
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all kidding aside »
Used to attempt to make a serious point in a jocular conversation.
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at a loss for words »
Having nothing to say; stunned to the point of speechlessness.
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at this point in time »
Right now.
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avoir du pois lay »
Stealing brass weights off the counters of shops.
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bad taste in one's mouth »
A feeling of disappointment and frustration.
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ballpoint pen »
writing implement
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beat around the bush »
To treat a topic but omit its main points, often intentionally.
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beside the point »
Irrelevant, moot.
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box the compass »
To know, and be able to recite the 32 points and quarter points of the magnetic compass from North, both clockwise and anticlockwise.
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bring owls to Athens »
To undertake a pointless venture, one that is redundant, unnecessary, superfluous, or highly uneconomical.
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bugger up »
To break or spoil something, or make it inoperative, useless etc.
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bury the lead »
To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.
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bury the lede »
To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.
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but then »
Then again, on the other hand; used to show that the opposite viewpoint is possible.
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call 'em as one sees 'em »
To candidly and honestly express an opinion or viewpoint.
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call on »
To correct; to point out an error or untruth.
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case in point »
An example that illustrates a point.
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coals to Newcastle »
A pointless venture, in the sense of sending something to a place where it's made, or where they already have an abundance.
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come full circle »
To complete a cycle of transition, returning to the point of origin.
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come to a head »
To rapidly come to a turning point.
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crying shame »
It's a crying shame that so much money has been wasted on this pointless political campaign.
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cut to the chase »
To get to the point; to get on with it; to state something directly.
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dawn of a new day »
A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.
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devil's advocate »
A canon lawyer appointed by the Church to argue against the canonization of the proposed candidate.
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drop in »
One who arrives unannounced or without an appointment.
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drop the ball »
To fail in one's responsibilities or duties, or to make a mistake, especially at a critical point or when the result is very negative.
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end of the line »
The termination point of a railway or similar transportation system.
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every Jack has his Jill »
everybody will find someone to have a romantic relationship with at some point in their life
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evil twin »
A rogue wireless access point installed near a legitimate one for purposes of eavesdropping or phishing.
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face off »
The starting point, in a match of ice hockey. Two players face each other, for snatching the puck.
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factor space »
A space obtained from another by identification of points that are equivalent to one another in some equivalence relation.
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fair enough »
An expression used to concede a point; denotes that, upon consideration, something is correct or reasonable; an expression of acknowledgment or understanding.
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fall on one's sword »
To commit suicide by allowing one’s body to drop onto the point of one’s sword..
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feet of clay »
To say that someone, who appears strong or invincible, in fact has a hidden weak point which could cause their fall.
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fly in the ointment »
Something which ruins or spoils everything else; a nuisance or problem; an unpleasant or disagreeable detail.
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for the birds »
Worthless; pointless; not deserving serious consideration.
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force of habit »
An act that has been repeated to the point where the performance of the act becomes automatic.
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fruit of the poisonous tree »
And which is therefore excluded from being admitted as evidence in a trial.
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full of oneself »
Egotistical, believing oneself to be superior to others; preoccupied with one's own work, interests, point of view, etc.
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Gone to the bad »
soured, spoiled, turned rotten
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green with envy »
Consumed by envy; envious to the point where it is noticeable to others.
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hit on »
To discover, pinpoint; to think up; to realize; to invent.
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hit the rock »
To make a gesture to show celebration, friendship, or to be part of a secret handshake by one person raising their fist so the fist is pointing at the person and the other person lightly punches the fist.
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hit the rocks »
To be at a low point in one's pursuits.
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hold up »
To rob at gunpoint.
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hopping mad »
Extremely angry; furious to the point of outburst.
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ins and outs »
The details or fine points of something.
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lame joke »
An attempt at humor which is perceived to have been used previously to the point of being cliche, or was never funny to begin with.
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lap of luxury »
A position or situation in which one is spoiled and indulged.
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last minute »
Point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.
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let down »
To disappoint; to betray or fail somebody.
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let somebody down »
To fail somebody; to disappoint or to fail to uphold a commitment.
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let-down »
A disappointment or anticlimax.
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level up »
To progress to the next level of player character stats and abilities. Often used in role-playing games when the character has aquired enough experience points.
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line in the sand »
A defining moment, a cutoff point.
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lump in one's throat »
A feeling of emotional sadness. On the point of crying.
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lump to one's throat »
A feeling of emotional sadness. On the point of crying.
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make a point »
To argue or promote an idea.
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make a point »
To take care in doing something of something; to pay attention or ensure that something is done.
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mess up »
To cause a problem with; to introduce an error or mistake in; to make muddled or confused; spoil; ruin.
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miss the point »
To fail to grasp the meaning of an utterance.
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moral high ground »
A position or point of view which is ethically superior or more reputable, in comparison to others which are under consideration.
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mutual admiration society »
A group of two or more people, in a workplace or other social environment, who routinely express considerable esteem and support for one another, sometimes to the point of exaggeration or pretense.
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no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney »
Regardless of how many clever points or fine distinctions one makes, what one is saying is still false or is still nonsense.
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not a pretty sight »
Something disappointing, disquieting, disreputable, or otherwise unworthy of admiration.
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not to put too fine a point on it »
Used to apologise for a possibly impolite statement one is making.
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oh, well »
An expression of disappointment or resignation; too bad; pity.
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on its merits »
Considering only intrinsic good points and bad points, without prejudice or other considerations, such as procedural ones.
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on the other hand »
From another point of view.
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on the point »
Very nearly; imminent; close.
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painting rocks »
Pointless or futile work organised by the government, supposedly to increase employment but in fact merely disguising the unemployment level.
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petits pois »
small peas
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pick up »
To point out (a person's behaviour, habits or actions),in a critical manner.
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point blank »
The distance between a gun and a target such that it requires minimal effort in aiming it. In particular no allowance needs to be made for the effects of gravity, target movement or wind in aiming the projectile.
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point of no return »
The point in an aircraft's flight when there is insufficient fuel to reverse direction and return to the place of origin.
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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.
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point out »
To identify with a bodily gesture, notably by pointing a finger or implement.
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point out »
To tell, remind, indicate to someone.
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point the finger »
To accuse; to direct or imply blame.
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point the finger at »
To accuse or blame.
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poison »
A drink; liquor.
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poison »
A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.
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poison »
Something that harms a person or thing.
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poison pen »
A usually intentionally rude, spiteful, and/or condescending piece of writing directed at a person, group, lifestyle, way of thought, or other target.
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poison tree bears poison fruit »
Unethical actions in the service of good intentions will have immoral or unethical consequences.
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power point »
electrical socket
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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.
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put back »
To postpone an arranged event or appointment.
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put oneself in someone's shoes »
To try to look at a situation from a different point of view; as if one were the other person. To empathise.
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rain on someone's parade »
To disappoint or discourage someone.
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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.
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rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic »
To do something pointless or insignificant that will soon be overtaken by events, or that contributes nothing to the solution of a current problem.
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reinvent the wheel »
To redo work unnecessarily when it has already been done satisfactorily; to rethink an already working system, technique, etc. in a pointless attempt to improve it.
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right back »
Used in several informal constructions to indicate return -- especially imminent return to a point of origin.
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ringside seat »
Any vantage point providing an excellent view.
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road to Damascus »
A road to Damascus moment, or change, is an important point in someone's life where a great change, or reversal, of ideas or beliefs occurs.
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rub in »
To irritatingly make a point.
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run by »
To inform someone briefly of the main points of an idea.
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run into the ground »
To mismanage to the point of ruin.
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run oneself ragged »
To work or exert oneself to the point of exhaustion.
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see someone's point »
To comprehend the meaning that someone is trying to convey.
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sell »
To promote a particular viewpoint; to manipulate towards a desired end.
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shoot down »
To the point of preclusion.
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shoot the moon »
To achieve the lowest score possible, such that the player is usually rewarded with bonus points.
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short of »
Except; without resorting to; up to the point of.
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so far so good »
Up to this point, all is OK.Well, you've packed your bags for the holiday, bought your tickets, reserved the hotel and put the dog in kennels. So far so good, now let's get to Minorca without any troubles.
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social death »
The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.
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soft spot »
A point of vulnerability in a defence.
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somewhere along the line »
At some unspecified time; eventually or once; at some point.
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spare the rod and spoil the child »
If one does not discipline a child, he or she will never learn obedience and good manners.
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spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar »
To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.
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squint like a bag of nails »
To squint very much, as though one's eyes were directed as many ways as the points of a bag of nails.
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stage of the game »
A point in the progress of an ongoing dispute or process.
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stand in someone's shoes »
To see from another's point of view; to feel what another feels.
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stick up »
To rob at gunpoint.
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sticking point »
A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation.
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sticking point »
The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place.
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sticking-place »
The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking point.
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stretch the truth »
To exaggerate, often to the point where the truth is obscured or lost.
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take a stand »
To assert an opinion or viewpoint; to defend one's point of view or beliefs.
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take sides »
To ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.
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take someone's point »
To agree with what a person says; to understand a person's argument and be persuaded by it.
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take someone's point »
To grasp the essential meaning of what a person is saying.
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talk a blue streak »
To talk for a long time, at great length, or to the point of tedium.
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that's the way life is »
That is the way things happenCertain things cannot be changed, helped or improved; struggle and objection are pointless.1935, Louis Bromfield, The Man Who Had Everything [1], page 279:That's the way life is, and there's no use trying to go against it.1979, Jay Edward Abrams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption [2], ISBN 0310511011, page 45:There are no standards, no values; that's the way life is. Learn to accept it and slide with it. Stop fighting it.2002, B. Eugene Ellison, Rings of the Templars, ISBN 059524050X, page 337:Shit happens; that's the way life is. In fact, I want you to take an additional thousand for your efforts.
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the thing of it »
The important point to consider.
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then again »
From another point of view; on the other hand; on second thought.
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there's no point crying over spilt milk »
You should not be upset over something that cannot be undone.
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thumbs up »
A gesture signifying approval or okay; a thumb pointing up out of a fist.
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to the point »
Relevant or pertinent; succinct; specific.
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to the victor go the spoils »
The winner of a conflict wins additional benefits, beyond just the subject of the conflict.
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too many cooks spoil the broth »
If too many people try to take charge at a task, the end product might be ruined.
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touch cloth »
To be on the point of soiling oneself.
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touch%C3%A9 »
Used in a conversation or debate to concede a point as true, often in response to a successful counter of one's own logic.
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turn the corner »
To pass a critical point.
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upset the applecart »
To spoil carefully laid plans or arrangements; to spoil something.
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victory at sea »
Ocean conditions very windblown and messy, possibly to the point of being inimical to surfing and other water sports.
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waste breath »
To speak in a manner which is needless or futile; in discussion or argument to make points which are not appreciated or heeded.
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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.
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whistle Dixie »
To engage in a pointless or unproductive activity; to do something without resolve, seriousness or commitment.
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within an ace of »
Very near; on the point of.
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wits' end »
Limit of one's sanity or mental capacity; point of desperation.
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work one's arse off »
Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.
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work one's tail off »
Work excessively or to the point of exhaustion.
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wrestling with a pig »
To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.
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