a friend in need is a friend indeed »
A true friend is one who helps you when you are in need.
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a man is known by the company he keeps »
People are similar in character to their friends.
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a new broom sweeps clean »
New management will often make radical changes.
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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.
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an apple a day keeps the doctor away »
Apples are healthy and stave off illness.Eat healthy and you won't get sick.
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arse over tit »
Tumbling; falling; upside-down; unstable or unbalanced.
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arsy varsey »
Tumbling upside down; head over heels.
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ass over teakettle »
Tumbling upside down.
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at a pinch »
By the skin of one’s teeth; only just; Deo volente; perhaps; if you’re lucky..
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at one's fingertips »
Readily available.
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at peace with »
Not disturbed or upset by.
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avoir du pois lay »
Stealing brass weights off the counters of shops.
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back up »
For the non-striker to take a few steps down the pitch, in preparation to taking a run, just as the bowler bowls the ball.
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back-cloth star »
An actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.
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baggage »
In a metaphorical sense, factors that restrict a person's freedom, often in an intellectual or psychological way: emotional baggage.
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bang out »
To do something quickly, in a slipshod, or unprofessional manner.
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barrel »
A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads. Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.
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battle cry »
Something the troops yell out when going to war or battle.
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bit by a barn mouse »
Tipsy.
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blanket term »
A word or phrase that is used to describe multiple groups of related things. The degree of relation may vary. Blanket terms often trade specificity for ease-of-use; in other words, a blanket term by itself gives little detail about the things that it describes or the relationships between them, but is easy to say and remember. Blanket terms often originate as slang, and eventually become integrated into the general vocabulary.
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blood is thicker than water »
Family relations and loyalties are stronger than relationships with people who are not family members.1866, Anthony Trollope, The Belton Estate, ch. 30,Blood is thicker than water, is it not? If cousins are not friends, who can be?circa 1915, Lucy Fitch Perkins, The Scotch Twins, ch. 5,The old clans are scattered now, but blood is thicker than water still, and you're welcome to the fireside of your kinsman!
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blow a gasket »
To become very angry or upset.
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blow this popsicle stand »
To leave an establishment speedily.
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boot camp »
Indoctrination, physical fitness training and basic instruction in service-related subjects for recruits in the Navy and Marine Corps.
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bottom line »
The summary or result; the most important information; the upshot; the net-net.
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brain fart »
A lapse in the thought process; an inability to think or remember something clearly.
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bridge »
An elevated platform above the upper deck of a mechanically propelled ship from which it is navigated and from which all activities on deck can be seen and controlled by the captain, etc; smaller ships have a wheelhouse, and sailing ships were controlled from a quarterdeck.
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bring owls to Athens »
Perhaps we have not been sufficiently aware that talking about access and its implications in Scandinavia is like bringing owls to Athens. — Herbert Burkert.
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broad across the beam »
Without fat on the hips and the bottom.
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broad in the beam »
Without fat on the hips and the bottom.
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browned off »
Annoyed, upset, angry, bored, fed up, disgusted.
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bunny hop »
A ground ball that hops along the field instead of rolling.
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bush league »
A low-ranking or inferior level among groups, professions, organizations, etc.
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bust chops »
To nag; to berate or hound in an effort to elicit action.
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bust one's chops »
To exert oneself.
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butter fingers »
A clumsy person who always drops things, a klutz.
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by leaps and bounds »
Rapidly. Said of making progress.
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cat and mouse game »
Two individuals and/or groups repeatedly keeping check on each other in a suspicious or self-protective way, often with the goal of one or both parties trying to gain a malicious advantage over the other.
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cave in »
The act of something collapsing or caving in.
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cheesed off »
Annoyed, upset, angry.
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chip in »
To put into the pot the amount of chips or money required to continue.
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close in on »
To enclose around; to tighten or shrink; to collapse.
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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.
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come hell or high water »
Regardless of the hardships.
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come to grips »
To confront or deal with directly.
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cop-out »
A person who cops out.
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cop-out »
An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out.
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cut up »
To be upset.
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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.
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deep water »
Waters suitable for deep-draft ships, especially ocean-going.
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devil is in the details »
The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable.
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dimber damber upright man »
The chief of a gang of thieves or gypsies.
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double back »
To retrace one's steps; to go back where one has already gone.
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down in the dumps »
Sad; lacking engagement or enthusiasm.
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down the tubes »
Into a state of collapse or failure.
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down to the short strokes »
In the final steps or decisive phase of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.
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draw stumps »
To cease doing something, at least for the day.
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draw stumps »
To declare an end to the days play, and remove the bails and sometimes the stumps.
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drop back »
Of a quarterback or other player in the backfield, to take a number of steps back from the line of scrimmage immediately after the snap or hike of the ball, to avoid defenders.
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early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise »
platitude from Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym Poor Richard.
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esprit de corps »
A shared spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to a cause among the members of a group, for example of a military unit.
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every little helps »
Even the smallest things are helpful when towards a goal.
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fall down »
To collapse.
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fall in »
To collapse inwards.
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fall off the wagon »
To cease or fail at a regimen of self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an old habit or addiction.
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fine words butter no parsnips »
Talking about doing something does not get it done.
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flipside »
Later or tomorrow.
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flipside »
A necessary consequence or corollary of something; especially one seen as opposite, or as pro versus con.
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flipside »
The B-side of a phonograph record.
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follow in someone's footsteps »
To follow the same path as someone.
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food chain »
The feeding relationships between species in a biotic community.
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for keeps »
Permanently.
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for keeps »
To compete seriously, with a strong resolve to win or succeed, as in sports or business.
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for keeps »
With an agreement or intention to retain what one gains or receives.
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fox in the henhouse »
A relationships wherein a predator is granted free reign within the prey's home confinement, often used in the political sense.
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get bent out of shape »
To take offense; to become angry, agitated or upset.
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get on someone's wick »
To annoy or upset someone, usually by repeated disagreeable actions.
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get one's knickers in a twist »
To become overwrought or unnecessarily upset over a trivial matter.
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give in »
To collapse or fall.
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give somebody the creeps »
To give someone a feeling of uneasiness or mild fright.
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go it alone »
To do something alone or independently, especially something that is normally or better done in groups.
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God helps those who help themselves »
Fortune comes to those who make a genuine effort to accomplish things.
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head over heels »
Tumbling upside down.
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heaven helps those who help themselves »
A maxim encouraging people to get involved in their own problems.
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in one's cups »
Drunk.
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in stride »
Without emotional upset.
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jump through hoops »
To put forth effort for the sake of appearance or demonstration.
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keel over »
Of a vessel: to roll so far on its side that it cannot recover; to capsize.
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keel over »
To collapse in a faint; to black out; to die.
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keep one's lips sealed »
To keep quiet; to keep a secret; to not tell.
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kick in »
To kick or strike so as to cause the object struck to collapse or fall inwards.
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lapsed academic »
A person formerly employed as a professor or researcher in a university or other institution of higher education, especially one who no longer attempts to remain current in his or her former academic field.
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lick one's chops »
To anticipate something eagerly.
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lick one's chops »
To look forward avidly to eating something.
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lick one's chops »
To use one's tongue to remove moistness from the sides of one's mouth, as when salivating or at the conclusion of a meal.
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lock lips »
To kiss on the lips; to engage in a French kiss.
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long shot »
A master shot, the primary wide shot of a scene into which the closeups will be edited later.
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lose one's cool »
To become upset or disconcerted; to lose one's temper.
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lump together »
To put different items or groups together and treat them, or think of them as one single group.
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make waves »
To upset the status quo.
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mess up »
To discombobulate, utterly confuse, or confound psychologically; to throw into a state of mental disarray.
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misfortunes never come singly »
bad things or situations always come in groups, they never come in a single way.
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my lips are sealed »
See keep one's lips sealed.
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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.
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nightcap »
A warm cloth cap worn while sleeping, often with pajamas. Nightcaps were common in northern Europe before central heating was available, when homes were cold at night.
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not leave one's thoughts »
Said when one keeps thinking about something.
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on high »
"The Lord our God who dwelleth on high" Psalms 63:5.
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on the ropes »
Leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, as when exhausted and nearing defeat or collapse.
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on the ropes »
Showing signs of imminent failure or collapse.
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one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »
Words spoken by Neil Armstrong when taking the first steps on the moon.
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one step forward, two steps back »
A situation in which progress is more than offset by adverse developments.
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onesie-twosie »
Individually or in very small groups, rather in larger batches.
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palace politics »
The relationships and interactions of top-level officials, advisors and other powerbrokers within a government, especially as involving internal rivalry and intrigue.
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pay off »
To become worthwhile after a lapse.
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pig out »
They watched the game and pigged out on chips and pizza.
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pissed off »
Annoyed, upset, angry.
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pronunciamiento »
A military uprising or coup in Spain or the Spanish American republics, particularly in the 19th century. They received this designation because coups were usually accompanied by a statement declaring the existing government null and void.
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puddle jumper »
A small passenger airplane, typically used for shorter connecting trips to smaller airports.
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pull oneself up by one's bootstraps »
To begin an enterprise or recover from a setback without any outside help; to succeed only on one's own effort or abilities.
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pull out all the stops »
To reserve or hold back nothing.
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pull up stumps »
To cease doing something, at least for the day.
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pulls up »
stops
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read lips »
To lipread.
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read somebody's lips »
To discern what somebody is saying by watching the shape of the mouth rather than by hearing the sounds of the words.
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rebrousser chemin »
To retrace one's steps, to turn back.
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ropable »
Upset; irate.
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sexual enjoyment »
Sexual intercourse that produces physical and psychological pleasure.
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short strokes »
The final steps of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.
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slop bowl »
One of the four components of the traditional tea set. Tea drinkers emptied their unwanted, cold tea into the slop bowl before refilling their cups with fresh, hot tea.
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smooth operator »
A person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.
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sort out »
To organise or separate into groups, as a collection of items, so as to make tidy.
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stave in »
To stave from the outside, to crush inward, to cause to collapse inward.
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tag team »
Two or more people or groups acting alternately to accomplish some task.
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take one's lumps »
To endure through criticism or other adversity.
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take one's lumps »
To receive physical abuse and to survive.
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take something in one's stride »
Not to allow oneself to be set back, daunted, upset or embarrassed by unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.
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teed off »
Annoyed, upset, angry.
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that's the way the mop flops »
That is the way things happen.
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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."
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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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think tank »
A group of which performs research and develops reports and recommendations on topics relating to strategic planning or public policy, and which is usually funded by corporations, interest groups, or government.
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three skips of a louse »
Said about some trifling or insignificant matter.
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throw a fit »
To become angry, enraged, or upset; to act or react with an outburst, as by shouting, swearing, etc.
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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.
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throw shapes »
To act tough or put up a front. For example, to threaten a person by making "karate chops" at them, without actually doing harm or knowing karate.
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tight lips »
Of a person, silence or reticence.
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tight-lipped »
Having the lips pressed together.
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tipsy turvy »
upside down
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topsy turvy »
upside down
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torqued off »
Annoyed, upset, angry.
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try out one's own chops »
To produce one's own records with one's own vocals.
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turn a hair »
To become afraid or visibly upset.
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turn around »
An upset; a suprising comeback.
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turn back »
To reverse one's direction and retrace one's steps.
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turn upside down »
To flip over; to rotate top to bottom.
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turn upside down »
To thoroughly examine.
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under wraps »
Secret or hidden.
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ups and downs »
Periods of positive and negative events, moods, or interactions; highs and lows.
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upset the applecart »
To spoil carefully laid plans or arrangements; to spoil something.
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walk on eggshells »
To be overly careful in dealing with a person or situation because they get angry or offended very easily; to try very hard not to upset someone or something.
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what's eating somebody »
? Inquired of somebody who is upset, worried, angry, etc.
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when the chips are down »
When the pressure is on; when the situation is urgent or critical.
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whistle-stop train tour »
A tour in a political campaign that makes many brief stops in small communities.
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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
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you don't dip your pen in company ink »
One should avoid romantic relationships in the workplace.
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| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |
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