about turn »
An about face; a military command to a formation of soldiers to reverse the direction in which they are facing.
|
ace in the hole »
A hidden or secret strength, or unrevealed advantage.
|
all good things come to an end »
Nothing lasts forever.
|
and counting »
Used to show that the number previously mentioned is continuously changing, i.e. increasing or decreasing.
|
at a glance »
Upon cursory examination; an abbreviated review.
|
back down »
To take a less aggressive position in a conflict than one previously has or has planned to.
|
back into »
To reverse a vehicle into a space.
|
back onto »
To reverse a vehicle onto something.
|
back out »
To reverse a vehicle from a confined space.
|
back up »
So as to stop the ball, and prevent overthrows.
|
beg off »
To avoid, or cancel some event that one has previously arranged with someone.
|
big break »
A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.
|
big mouth »
The mouth of someone who talks too much, especially by making exaggerated claims or by inappropriately revealing information.
|
bite one's tongue »
To forcibly prevent oneself from uttering a word.
|
board up »
To block doors or windows with boards, either to prevent access or as protection from storms, etc.
|
box the compass »
To make a complete reversal in stance or opinion.
|
box-office bomb »
A motion picture that generates relatively low revenue at the box office, especially that which is less than the budget for the motion picture.
|
brain-dead »
Having an irreversible loss of brain function and cessation of brain activity.
|
break ground »
To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements.
|
brush up »
To review; to improve an existing but rusty or under-developed skill.
|
change one's mind »
To convince someone to make a decision differing from what a previous one.
|
close the stable door after the horse has bolted »
To attempt to prevent a problem only to find it has already happened.
|
come out »
To be discovered, be revealed.
|
come out of one's shell »
To reveal one's true self.
|
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 to a head »
To suddenly reveal that which has lain latent for a time.
|
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".
|
cross the Rubicon »
To make an irreversible decision or to take an action with consequences.
|
cry off »
To cancel something that one has previously arranged with someone.
|
dark horse »
A candidate who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice.
|
deathblow »
Something that prevents the completion, or ends the existence of some project etc.
|
drop a hint »
To reveal a clue or hint about something.
|
film critic »
movie reviewer
|
flutter in the dovecote »
I further argued that the principal cause for the political deadlock that persisted for thirty years after the guns fell silent was Israeli intransigence rather than Arab intransigence. The appearance of the first wave of revisionist studies excited a great deal of interest and controversy in the media and more than a flutter in the academic dovecote. — Israel Confronts Its Past.
|
follow suit »
To play a card of the same suit as the previous or leading card.
|
for good »
Forever; permanently.
|
for good and all »
Permanently, forever.
|
get back at »
To retaliate; to take revenge.
|
get even »
To get revenge.
|
go back to the drawing board »
To start again; to scrap a previous idea or plan and try again from the beginning.
|
have second thoughts »
To change one's opinion, or be uneasy about a previous decision.
|
he who laughs last laughs best »
success is better after having previously endured ridicule.
|
head-on »
Direct, abrupt, blunt or unequivocal; not prevaricating.
|
hear, hear »
Let us hear and applaud the previous speaker; I endorse the previous statement; Expression of support, agreement, or enthusiasm for what has just been said.
|
honey trap »
The use of a seductive woman to entice a man into revealing secret information.
|
hung the moon »
To view or be viewed with uncritical or excessive awe, reverence, or infatuation.
|
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.
|
jump the shark »
To undergo a storyline development which is so ridiculous that previous quality is considered to have been lost.
|
keep from »
To prevent or restrain ; refrain or cause refrain.
|
keep one's cards close to one's chest »
To avoid revealing one's thoughts, circumstances, or plans.
|
keep up »
To maintain; to preserve; to prevent from deteriorating.
|
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.
|
lap up »
To revel in, to overtly enjoy.
|
last trump »
Forever.
|
lay open »
In Japan and South Korea, to publish a patent for initial public review, prior to the formal application for registration.
|
lay open »
reveal
|
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.
|
letters after one's name »
A list of abbreviations, separated by commas, representing the academic qualifications and civil or military honours achieved by a person.
|
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.
|
make the welkin ring »
By extension of , to celebrate or revel.
|
memory lane »
A set of recollections available to be reviewed, especially accompanied by a feeling of nostalgia.
|
mix up »
To confuse or reverse.
|
never mind »
I withdraw my previous statement.
|
nip in the bud »
To remove a bud from a plant to prevent flower and fruit from forming.
|
nobody's perfect »
Used when someone's mistakes or flaws are acknowledged, to remind that everyone else makes mistakes and has flaws1995, New York Magazine Vol. 28, No. 5, 30 January 1995, The de-moralization of society (Book Review)Hypocrisy, particularly in sexual matters, is excused on the grounds that hey, nobody's perfect, and at least folks back then felt bad enough to lie.2000, Madonna, Nobody's PerfectI feel so sad. What I did wasn't right. I feel so bad and I must say to you: Sorry, but nobody's perfect. Nobody's perfect. What did you expect? I'm doing my best
|
now you're talking »
A phrase indicating agreement with a previously stated suggestion to change a course of action.
|
on steroids »
To a greater degree, exaggerating the characteristics of the previously named object.
|
on the mend »
Improving or undergoing restoration to a previous, more favorable condition.
|
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.
|
paper »
A written document that reports scientific or academic research and is usually subjected to peer review before publication in a scientific journal or in the proceedings of a scientific or academic meeting .
|
pay out »
To repay, take revenge.
|
payback's a bitch »
Usually a complete sentence as an interjection: I am amused that someone got their revenge on you...but you certainly had it coming.
|
payback's a bitch »
Usually a complete sentence: I will get revenge when you least expect it.
|
pencil whip »
To approve a document without actually knowing or reviewing what it is that is being approved.
|
pick up stitches »
Stitches to the knitting needle that were previously bound off, or that belong to the selvage, during the process of knitting or entrelac.
|
play the same tape »
To repeat exactly what one previously said or did.
|
point of no return »
The point in an aircraft's flight when there is insufficient fuel to reverse direction and return to the place of origin.
|
point of no return »
The point in any journey, process, or sequence of events when it is no longer possible to reverse course or stop the process.
|
prevail upon »
To convince; to persuade.
|
prevention is better than cure »
it is better to prevent the creation of a bad thing, than to destroy it.
|
proverbs come in pairs »
Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0155511130, page 325:Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.
|
reality check »
A check or review to make sure something is consistent, reasonable, etc.
|
rediscover fire »
To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well known and widely practiced at a prior time in human society.
|
rev up »
To increase the speed of an engine, especially that of a stationary motor car.
|
revenge is a dish best served cold »
An expression that emotional detachment is ideal when taking revenge, as one is righting the wrongs that have been done to the doer.
|
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.
|
run a mile »
To escape, flee or leave a situation or relationship, usually as a result of a shocking or sudden announcement or revelation.
|
scratch that »
To disregard, omit, or ignore the previous statement.
|
screw back »
To cue the cue ball in such a way as to impart backspin. On impact, the ball will follow a reverse trajectory according to the spin.
|
see the light »
To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight.
|
show one's true colors »
To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed.
|
showstopper »
Any impediment that prevents all further progress.
|
so far »
Until now; previously; yet.
|
sort out »
To clarify by reviewing mentally.
|
spill the beans »
To reveal a secret; to disclose.
|
spruce up »
To refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance.
|
stand off »
To prevent any would-be attacker from coming close by adopting an offensive posture.
|
stave off »
To prevent something from happening; to obviate or avert.
|
stop someone in his tracks »
To prevent someone from continuing along a path or way, literal or figurative, he has begun going along.
|
take away »
To prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something.
|
take the red pill »
To understand the world in its previously unknown reality.
|
tell all »
To reveal everything, particularly information that is normally withheld.
|
the die is cast »
The future is determined; there are no more options; events will proceed in an irreversible manner.
|
the shoe is on the other foot »
The roles of people in a situation have been reversed, such the advantage has shifted to a party which was previously disadvantaged.
|
third hand »
Not new, having more than one previous owner.
|
tie up loose ends »
To deal with the minor consequences of a previous action; to tidy up, finish, or complete.
|
tip one's hand »
In card playing, to accidentally reveal one's cards or hand.
|
tip one's hand »
To inadvertently reveal any secret, particularly a secret that puts one at an advantage or disadvantage.
|
to say the least »
Used to suggest that what was previously stated was an understatement.
|
top oneself »
To outdo oneself or do more than one's previous best.
|
track record »
An organization's, product's, or person's past performance reviewed in its entirety, usually for the purpose of making a judgment.
|
turn back »
To reverse one's direction and retrace one's steps.
|
turn the other cheek »
To accept a punishment or an injury and not act out revenge or retaliate.
|
turn the tables »
To reverse a situation, such that the advantage has shifted to the party which was previously disadvantaged.
|
two wrongs don't make a right »
(ethics) A wrongful action is not a morally appropriate way to correct or cancel a previous wrongful action.1915, William MacLeod Raine, The Highgrader, ch. 15:"But when it comes to taking what belongs to another
|
unring a bell »
To reverse the irreversible.
|
unring a bell »
To reverse the ringing of a bell.
|
until hell freezes over »
Forever; One will never in their life get the results that they want, no matter what they're doing involving the situation.
|
until one is blue in the face »
Forever; for a hopelessly long time.
|
ward off »
To avert or prevent.
|
warts and all »
Of or pertaining to a description or other depiction which reveals the full range of characteristics of a person or thing, including the shortcomings and imperfections.
|
wherever you go, there you are »
(colloquial, clich
|
whoop it up »
To have a great time; to party or revel excessively or noisily.
|
wipe the slate clean »
To forget about previous differences and disagreements, and make a fresh start.
|
write up »
review
|
| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |
[