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!
|
add fuel to the fire »
To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.
|
ahead of the game »
Having completed a task before it is due; ready, prepared, or anticipating.
|
air out »
To expose to air; to leave open or spread out, as to allow odor or moisture to dissipate.
|
all set »
Ready; prepared.
|
at hand »
Readily available; within easy reach; nearby.
|
at one's fingertips »
Readily available.
|
at the ready »
Ready; in a state of preparation or waiting; in position or anticipation.
|
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.
|
bread and butter »
Bread spread with butter.
|
bread and butter »
That which is central or fundamental, as to one's business, survival, or income; a staple or cornerstone.
|
breadwinner »
The member of a household who earns all or most of the income
|
brown bread »
Bread with a brown colour as distinct from white bread, wholemeal, granary or other specific types of bread.
|
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.
|
by the way »
Incidentally; a parenthetical statement not timely, central, or crucial to the topic at hand; foregone, passed by, something that has already happened.
|
calling card »
A prepaid card or credit card, usually electronically readable, used to pay the charges when making a telephone call.
|
caveat lector »
Reader beware.
|
change horses in midstream »
To change plans or approaches at an inopportune time, such as when an effort is already underway, generally considered an inadvisable thing to do.
|
clean code »
Software code that is formatted correctly and in an organized manner so that another coder can easily read or modify it.
|
close the stable door after the horse has bolted »
To attempt to prevent a problem only to find it has already happened.
|
coals to Newcastle »
A pointless venture, in the sense of sending something to a place where it's made, or where they already have an abundance.
|
cock a snook »
To spread one hand, place the thumb on the nose and wriggle some of the fingers as a gesture of disrespect.
|
cut in »
Especially, to dance with someone who is already dancing by replacing his or her partner.
|
deliver the message to Garcia »
What we need is people who get the job done, no matter how. We don't want pickers who'll only learn if we use their preferred learning method. Have you read "A Message to Garcia" ? That's what we need today - young people who can deliver the message to Garcia.
|
dictated but not read »
Dictated, as to a secretary or stenographer, but not proofread by the person who dictated the text so annotated.
|
dish out »
On to a dish ready for eating.
|
don't cry over spilt milk »
It is no use worrying about unfortunate events which have already happened and which cannot be changed.
|
double back »
To retrace one's steps; to go back where one has already gone.
|
dye in the wool »
To dye woolen fibers before they are spun into thread.
|
faith will move mountains »
Belief in oneself (read sometimes as belief in God) can help one overcome any hurdle in life's path.
|
fools rush in where angels fear to tread »
A person who does not plan ahead and think matters through becomes involved in risky or unfavorable situations which prudent people avoid.
|
for the record »
Already publicly known.
|
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."
|
get ready »
prepare oneself
|
gift of the gab »
The ability to talk readily, glibly, and convincingly.
|
go without saying »
To be obvious, apparent or clear, or already established.
|
good to go »
Ready for some specific task or ready for normal activity, especially after preparation or recovery.
|
good to go »
Ready for use or ready for normal operation, especially after repair or renewal.
|
greatest thing since sliced bread »
A relatively recent invention likely to significantly improve people's lives.
|
hang by a thread »
To be in danger, calling for precise caution. To be in a precarious situation.
|
hell on earth »
A very unpleasant situation; torment, particularly when widespread.
|
hunger is a good sauce »
(dated) Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.1854, Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew, Tom Taylor, Shirley Brooks, Francis Cowley Burnand, Owen Seaman, Punch, Vol. XXVI, Punch Publications Ltd., page 74:His bread and cheese were somewhat dry, to be sure; his ale had become flat, and considerably warmer than was desirable; but hunger is a good sauce, and thirst is not particular.
|
if it ain't broke, don't fix it »
Leave something alone; avoid correcting, fixing, or improving what is already sufficient, as it could end up being detrimental
|
in business »
Ready to proceed in a desired activity.
|
in order »
Ready, prepared; orderly; tidy.
|
it's all Greek to me »
I tried reading the instructions, but it’s all Greek to me..
|
leaf through »
Rapidly reading short sections at random.
|
leave well enough alone »
To leave something alone; to avoid attempts to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient.
|
leave well enough alone »
To leave something alone; to avoid attempts to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient
|
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).
|
look over »
To scan-read and check for errors.
|
low-hanging fruit »
Easily obtained gains; what can be obtained by readily available means.
|
me three »
Used to express agreement, after someone has already said "me too".
|
necker's knob »
A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.
|
on hand »
Available; ready; in stock.
|
on hand »
close by; ready to help
|
out of the frying pan, into the fire »
From an already bad situation to a worse one.
|
power up »
To become ready for operation as a result of the provision of electrical power.
|
preach to the choir »
Speaking as if to convince a person or group of something which that person or group already believes.
|
pretzel »
A toasted bread or cracker usually in the shape of a loose knot.
|
push one's luck »
To take an excessive risk or to attempt some task unlikely to succeed, especially after having already been unexpectedly lucky.
|
quarter of »
"I need twenty minutes to get to the shop." "You'll be late. It's already a quarter of.".
|
quick on the uptake »
Able to readily understand things; intelligent.
|
quicumque vult »
A forward girl, ready to oblige every man that shall ask her.
|
read between the lines »
To infer a meaning that is not stated explicitly.
|
read lips »
To lipread.
|
read out »
To read something and say the words to inform other people.
|
read out »
To read some data and inform the person using the device.
|
read somebody the riot act »
To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.
|
read somebody's lips »
To discern what somebody is saying by watching the shape of the mouth rather than by hearing the sounds of the words.
|
reckon without »
To ignore that which cannot readily be ignored.
|
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.
|
rough and ready »
Crude or unpolished, but still fit for use; good enough.
|
rumor campaign »
A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.
|
run down »
To read quickly a list or other short text.
|
see through »
To be able to predict or read someone.
|
shoot one's bolt »
To use up one's resources, especially a singular one or one not readily restored.
|
shotgun approach »
An approach in which the subject is indiscriminate and haphazard, using breadth, spread, or quantity in lieu of accuracy, planning, etc.
|
shotgun wedding »
A wedding in which the bride is already pregnant.
|
soft touch »
A person or group which is sympathetic, accommodating, easily overcome, or easily persuaded, especially one which loans or readily gives money to another.
|
sow one's wild oats »
To spread one's genes around by impregnating many females.
|
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.
|
spread out »
Become further apart.
|
spread out »
To place items further apart.
|
square off »
To get ready for a fight.
|
square up »
To get ready for a fight.
|
stand by »
To wait in expectation of some event; to make ready.
|
take up »
That which takes up or tightens; specifically, a device in a sewing machine for drawing up the slack thread as the needle rises, in completing a stitch.
|
the nose knows »
Despite the addressee's belief that the speaker was unaware of something, the speaker, in fact, was already aware.
|
three Rs »
The basic education any child can expect to receive, but not necessarily limited to reading, writing and arithmetic.
|
three Rs »
The basic education received in primary schools. Literally; reading, writing and arithmetic.
|
throw dirt enough, and some will stick »
If enough allegations are made about someone or something, then even if they are all untrue, people's opinion of the person or thing will be diminished.1759, John Wesley, letter to John Downes, Rector of St. Michael's, Wood Street, read at Wesley Center Online at [1] on 14 Oct 06.I hope...that you are ignorant of the whole affair, and are so bold only because you are blind...And blind enough; so that you blunder on through thick and thin, bespattering all that come in your way, according to the old, laudable maxim, 'Throw dirt enough, and some will stick.'1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, read at fullbooks.com on 14 Oct 06,But whatever harm a spiteful tongue could do them, he took care should be done. Only throw dirt enough, and some will stick.1864, John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Penguin Classics (1994), p. 10,Archbishop Whately used to say
|
throw 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
|
time out of mind »
A lengthy duration of time, longer than is readily remembered.
|
tread lightly »
To proceed carefully; especially, to seek to avoid causing offense.
|
turn back »
No turn a dial anticlockwise or adjust a clock or other meter to an earlier time or reading.
|
under one's belt »
Already done; within one's experience; practiced.
|
upper crust »
The topmost layer of a bread, pastry dish, or other item with a hardened coating.
|
warm up »
To prepare for executing an already-learned activity by a limited amount of additional practice.
|
water over the dam »
An event or set of events which has already happened and cannot be changed.
|
whisper campaign »
A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.
|
yank off »
To remove something, like a piece of cloth or bread, by tearing it with one quick strong pull.
|
you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows »
You don't need an expert to tell you what you already know.
|
| Like Phrases.net? Why won't you tell a friend about us? |
[