a cat can look at a king »
Alternative form of a cat may look at a king.1982, A J Ayer,
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a picture is worth a thousand words »
Alternative form of a picture paints a thousand words.
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a watched kettle never boils »
Alternative form of a watched pot never boils.
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all things being equal »
Without considering or being affected by external factors.
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apple does not fall far from the stem »
Alternative form of apple does not fall far from the tree.
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apple does not fall far from the trunk »
Alternative form of apple does not fall far from the tree.
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apple never falls far from the tree »
Alternative form of apple does not fall far from the tree.
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back-assward »
Alternative form of bass-ackwards.
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back-asswards »
Alternative form of bass-ackwards.
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backassward »
Alternative form of bass-ackwards.
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backasswards »
Alternative form of bass-ackwards.
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bale out »
Alternative spelling of bail out.
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barking dogs never bite »
Alternative form of barking dogs seldom bite.
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bass-ackward »
Alternative form of bass-ackwards.
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bass-ackwards »
Alternative form of ass-backwards.
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bassackward »
Alternative form of bass-ackwards.
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bassackwards »
Alternative form of bass-ackwards.
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be the way to go »
Represent the best of all possible options or courses of action; pre-eminate over all other choices or alternatives.
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beat up »
To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.
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boot camp »
A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.
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broken-hearted »
Alternative spelling of brokenhearted. Feeling depressed, despondent, or hopeless, especially over losing a love.
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bros before hos »
Alternative spelling of bros before hoes.
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bust a cap in someone's ass »
Alternative form of pop a cap in someone's ass.
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buttoned-down »
Alternative form of button-down.
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caught between the devil and the deep blue sea »
Having a choice between two alternatives, both undesirable.
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circular firing squad »
A political party or other group experiencing considerable disarray because the members are engaging in internal disputes and mutual recrimination.
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cuckoo clock »
ornate timepiece
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dead as a doornail »
Unquestionably dead. Used for both inanimate objects and once living beings.
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deliver the message to Garcia »
Alternative form of carry the message to Garcia.
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desperate times require desperate measures »
Alternative form of desperate times call for desperate measures.
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don't cry over spilled milk »
Alternative spelling of don't cry over spilt milk.
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don't dip your pen in company ink »
Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.
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early bird catches the worm »
Alternative form of early bird gets the worm.
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even Jove nods »
Alternative form of even Homer nods.
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every rule has an exception »
Alternative form of there is an exception to every rule.
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everything and the kitchen sink »
Alternative form of everything but the kitchen sink.
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fancypants »
Alternative spelling of fancy pants. The condition of being overly showy; concerned more about one's reputation than anything else.
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fifteen minutes of fame »
Alternate form of 15 minutes of fame.
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fly-by-night »
A creatures which flies at night; a nocturnal flier or traveler.
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forewarned, forearmed »
Alternative form of forewarned is forearmed.
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fortune favors the brave »
Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.
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fortune favours the bold »
Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.
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fortune favours the brave »
Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.
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fourth estate »
Journalism or journalists considered as a group; the Press.
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great oaks from little acorns grow »
Alternative form of mighty oaks from little acorns grow.
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handwriting on the wall »
Alternative form of writing on the wall. A divine prediction or sentence to fate.
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have other fish to fry »
C. 1710, Jonathan Swift, The Journal to Stella, ch. 2, Letter 15.
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have someone by the short hairs »
To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled.
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he who laughs last laughs hardest »
Alternative form of he who laughs last laughs best.
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head south »
Alternative form of go south; to decrease or become unfavorable; to take a turn for the worse.
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hens' teeth »
Alternative form of hen's teeth.
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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.
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it ain't the whistle that pulls the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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it is not the whistle that pulls the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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it isn't the whistle that pulls the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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jack-tar »
Alternative spelling of jacktar.
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jump rope »
The activity, game or exercise in which a person must jump, bounce or skip repeatedly while a length of rope is swung over and under, both ends held in the hands of the jumper, or alternately, held by two other participants. Often used for athletic training and among schoolchildren. Variations involve speed, chants, varied rope and jumper movement patterns, multiple jumpers and/or multiple ropes.
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kettle of fish »
A situation which is recognized as different from or as an alternative to some other situation, and which is not necessarily unfavorable.
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ladies man »
Alternative spelling of lady's man.
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ladies' man »
Alternative spelling of lady's man.
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little pitchers have long ears »
Alternative form of little pitchers have big ears.
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look through rose-tinted glasses »
Alternative spelling of wear rose-colored glasses.
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loved up »
Alternative spelling of loved-up.
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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.
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measure twice and cut once »
(literally, carpentry) One should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may be necessary to cut again, wasting time and material.1872, "Dressmaking," Hall's Journal of Health, vol. 19, no. 12, p. 280:Look at Carpenters! . . . In old times it was a proverb "Measure twice, and cut once."(figuratively, by extension) Plan and prepare in a careful, thorough manner before taking action.2008, Hilary Johnson, "Mergers rattle bank relations," Financial Week, 9 Nov. (retrieved 9 Nov. 2008):Mr. Paz noted that since the onset of the credit crisis, eBay, like other companies, hasn
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measure twice, cut once »
Alternative form of measure twice and cut once.
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mind one's P's and Q's »
Alternative spelling of mind one's p's and q's.
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money can't buy happiness »
Money can buy external things, but true happiness comes from inside.
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nail biter »
One who bites or chews his or her fingernails.
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necessity is the mother of innovation »
Alternative form of necessity is the mother of invention.
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never look a gift horse in the mouth »
Alternative form of don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
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nickel-and-dime »
Alternative spelling of nickel and dime.
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no dice »
An unacceptable alternative.
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oil burner »
A heating device which burns fuel oil; an oil furnace.
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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.
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one's jig is up »
Alternative form of the jig is up. [for one].
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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.
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or else »
Otherwise or as an alternative.
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or what »
Or something else; allows for the existence of an unexpressed alternative to what was said.
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outside world »
The world external to the human mind.
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paint oneself into a corner »
To create a predicament or problem for oneself; to do something that leaves one with no good alternatives or solutions.
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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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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 .
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park that thought »
Alternative form of hold that thought.
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pin tuck »
narrow ornamental fold
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pride cometh before a fall »
Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.
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pride goes before a fall »
Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.
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pride goeth before a fall »
Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.
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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.
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proverbs go in pairs »
Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1932, Bertrand Russell,
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proverbs hunt in pairs »
Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.
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proverbs often come in pairs »
Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.
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ring out »
To make a phone call from an internal phone system to a general telephone network number.
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roadwarrior »
Alternative spelling of road warrior.
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rocking-horse shit »
Alternative form of rocking horse shit.
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root around »
Alternative form of root about.
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ropable »
Alternative spelling of ropeable. Able to be roped.
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run hot and cold »
To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure.
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run in »
Alternative spelling of run-in.
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run out »
Alternative spelling of runout.
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sea legs »
Alternative name of surimi.
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serpentine »
Sinuous; curving in alternate directions.
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shotgun shack »
A house with no internal barrier between the front and back doors.
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shy bairns get noot »
(Geordie) Alternative spelling of shy bairns get nowt.
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six of one, half a dozen of the other »
The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it doesn't matter which one we choose.
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skimp and save »
Alternative form of scrimp and save.
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socialized medicine »
A politically charged term used to contrast such systems with free market alternatives and emphasize the perceived link to socialism.
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speak of the devil and he appears »
Alternative form of speak of the devil.
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spick and span »
Alternative form of spick-and-span.
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stick-in-the-mud »
Alternative spelling of stick in the mud.
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switch off »
To alternate between; to trade.
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sword and sorcery »
Of or pertaining to a genre of narratives—including short stories, novels, television shows, films, and computer games—which combines wizardry and other fantastical supernatural elements with violent combat using medieval weaponry..
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tag team »
Two or more people or groups acting alternately to accomplish some task.
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take down a peg »
Alternative form of pull down a peg.
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take out »
Alternative spelling of takeout.
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take the Michael »
Alternative form of take the mickey, usually considered more polite.
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take the mick »
Alternative form of take the mickey.
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talk of the devil »
Alternative form of speak of the devil.
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tempus fugit »
time flies (used as an alternative to this phrase)."Meanwhile, the irreplaceable time escapes", expressing concern that one's limited time is being consumed by something which may have little intrinsic substance or importance at that moment.
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the ends justify the means »
Alternative form of the end justifies the means.
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the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you take »
Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.
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the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you're going to get »
Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.
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the proof is in the pudding »
Alternative form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
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the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you get »
Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.
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the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you take »
Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.
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the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you're going to get »
Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.
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the whistle does not pull the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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the whistle doesn't pull the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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there may be snow on the rooftop but there is fire in the furnace »
Even if a person is in his or her senior years, with gray hair, he or she can still have ambition and energy, especially sexual energy.
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tiger team »
A specialized group tasked with testing the effectiveness of an organization's ability to protect assets by attempting to circumvent, defeat or otherwise thwart that organization's internal and external security.
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tomato tomato »
Uses insignificant pronunciation difference to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.
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tough call »
A choice or judgment which is difficult to make, especially one involving only two alternatives.
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turnabout is fair play »
It is allowable to retaliate against an enemy's dirty tricks by using the same ones against him.
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up shit creek »
Alternative form of up the creek.
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up shit creek without a paddle »
Alternative form of up the creek without a paddle.
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when in Rome, do as the Romans »
Alternative form of when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
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white elephant »
An ornament etc that is unwanted or is a financial burden; an unprofitable investment.
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yellow journalism »
Material published in a broadcast or periodical, such as a tabloid newspaper or magazine, which is sensationalistic and of questionable accuracy and taste.
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yellow press »
Newspapers which publish sensationalist articles rather than well researched and sober journalism.
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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.
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you can't tell a book by its cover »
Alternative form of you can't judge a book by its cover.
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you don't dip your pen in the company's ink »
Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.
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you don't dip your pen in the inkwell »
Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.
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| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |