a chain is only as strong as its weakest link »
An organization (especially a process or a business) is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person. A group of associates is only as strong as its laziest member.
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admiral of the blue »
A landlord or publican wearing a blue apron, as was formerly the custom among men of that vocation.
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all wet »
Utterly incorrect; erroneous; uninformed.
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an axe to grind »
A grievance, with implications of confrontation.
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and how »
Used to strongly confirm preceding utterance.
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apron string hold »
An estate held by a man during his wife's life.
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asphalt jungle »
A city or urban area, where the landscape is covered by pavement and the environment is alienating and unsafe.
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avant la lettre »
An example of a term before the term was coined. Describing a term used anachronistically.
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back away »
Of your attention on the thing in front being avoided.
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bad iron »
Bad luck.
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bank night »
An event where patrons are enticed to buy entry tickets into some venue, for example a movie theater, with the anticipation that they will be entered into a drawing to win an amount of money if their ticket is drawn and they are on-site at the time of the winning.
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bark up the wrong tree »
To attempt or pursue the wrong thing; to take the wrong approach; to follow a false lead.
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battle cry »
By extension, a strong motto or purpose statement, especially in regards to winning a goal in sports, games or work.
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be up against »
To be challenged by someone or something stronger than oneself.
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beg to differ »
To differ strongly in opinion or interpretation.
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bet dollars to donuts »
To suggest that something is very likely to be true or that one has a strong hunch about something.
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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 this pop stand »
To exit or remove oneself from a less than exciting location or environment.
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bluewash »
To tout a business or organization's commitment to social responsibility, and to use this perception for public relations and economic gain; to present a humanitarian front in this manner.
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break a sweat »
' , Karon Karter - The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Pilates Method page 119.
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breakfast of champions »
An ironic appellation for beer, junk food, or other foods implied to be unhealthy.
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bring it on »
Used to indicate one's willingness to accept a challenge, confront a threat, etc.
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built like a brick shithouse »
Exceptionally well constructed; strong or tough.
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buzz up »
To allow entrance into a building from a higher floor by triggering an electronic lock.
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calling card »
A prepaid card or credit card, usually electronically readable, used to pay the charges when making a telephone call.
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chrome horn »
The front bumper of a car when used to bump another vehicle, usually to inform the driver of the other vehicle, that the first car would like to pass.
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come in »
Of a broadcast, such as radio or television, to have a strong enough signal to be able to be received well.
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come to grips »
To confront or deal with directly.
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cry out against »
To complain strongly, usually as a group.
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cut up »
To aggressively move in front of another vehicle.
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cutting edge »
The forefront, or position of greatest advancement in some field.
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double entendre »
A phrase that has two meanings, especially where one is innocent and literal, the other risqué, bawdy, or ironic; an innuendo..
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dusty miller »
One of several species of plants with leaves of a dusty appearance: Centaurea cineraria, Senecio cineraria, and Lychnis coronaria.
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e mail »
electronic message
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every time »
Used to express a strong preference for something.
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face off »
Either an actual or a figurative face to face confrontation, especially a bitter one.
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face the music »
To accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.
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face up to »
To confront a condition or situation, typically one that is unpleasant or uncomfortable.
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fall off the back of a lorry »
Of an item of merchandise, to come into a perons's possession without having been paid for; to have been acquired illegally.
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fall over »
To fall from an upright or standing position to a horizontal or prone position.
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false step »
An erroneous action or decision.
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fear »
A strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.
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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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five will get you ten »
I strongly believe.
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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.
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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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foul up »
To make a mistake, to go wrong.
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fourth wall »
The imaginary invisible wall at the front of the stage in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play.
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fresh off the boat »
Newly arrived from a foreign place, especially as an immigrant who is still unfamiliar with the customs and language of his or her new environment.
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front and center »
A command to come to the center of attention of an assemblage, as of military personnel or students.
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front runner »
The most likely winners in a contest, election, etc.
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gagging for it »
Up for it, having a strong desire for sex.
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get out of bed on the wrong side »
To start the day in a bad mood for no apparent reason.
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get out of Dodge »
To leave; in particular to leave a difficult or dangerous environment with all possible haste.
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give somebody a piece of one's mind »
To express one's opinion strongly; to voice one's disagreement or dissatisfaction.
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go down the wrong way »
To swallow food or drink so that it goes down the wrong tube in one's throat and makes one cough or for a short period lose one's breath or choke.
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go from strength to strength »
To continue to get stronger[1].
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go native »
To adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants, especially when dwelling in a colonial region; to become less refined under the influence of a less cultured, more primitive, or simpler social environment.
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go to someone's head »
To strongly affect a person, especially to the detriment of their senses or mental faculties.
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green state »
A state that is, or is perceived as, environmentally friendly.
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greenwash »
A false or misleading picture of environmental friendliness used to conceal or obscure damaging activities.
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gut factor »
Feelings about what feels right or wrong, good or bad. An inner persuasion that one may feel convinced is the appropriate decision.
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haul somebody over the coals »
To express anger with someone in no uncertain terms when they do something wrong.
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he-man »
A strong, virile or sexually active man.
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head-on »
Of a collision, from the front or in the direction of motion.
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hear the grass grow »
To hear very well due to being in an exceptionally quiet environment.
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hit the headlines »
To appear prominently in the news, especially on the front page.
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hold all the aces »
To be in a strong position when one is competing with someone else, having all the advantages.
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hothouse »
An environment in which growth or development is encouraged; a hotbed.
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household name »
A genericized trademark or anepronym.
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if you can't beat them, join them »
If your adversaries are stronger than yourself, it is better to join the adversaries.
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in front of one's nose »
Plain; clearly apparent; obvious.
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in the clear »
Not guilty or not suspected of wrongdoing.
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iron out »
To remove with an iron.
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iron out »
To resolve (a dispute); to solve (a problem).
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it takes all kinds to make a world »
Diversity is essential: the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike.He irons his clothes how?! That's crazy! Well, I guess it takes all kinds.
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jack in »
To insert an electronic coupling into a receptacle; to connect to something, whether involving a physical medium or not.
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jump on »
To attack someone verbally, or criticise them over strongly for small errors.
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kneel before »
To kneel in front of someone or something, especially in order to worship or supplicate.
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knuckle dragger »
A large, strong, and rather dimwitted person.
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law of the jungle »
The survival of the fittest, strongest or most cunning.
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lay it on the line »
To state something, for example an ultimatum, strongly and clearly.
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loaded for bear »
Mentally prepared for a daunting situation or confrontation.
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loaded for bear »
Thoroughly equipped, as for a demanding task or confrontation.
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loaded word »
Any word, set phrase or idiom that has strong positive or negative connotations beyond their ordinary definition.
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look the other way »
To ignore something wrong. Similar to connive.
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look what the cat's dragged in »
Used as an ironic acknowledgement of someone's arrival, especially to imply that they are unwelcome or disagreeable in some way.
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low road »
A course of action which is undignified, wrongful, or otherwise unseemly.
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make a virtue of necessity »
C. 1595, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, act 4, sc.1.
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might makes right »
The stronger and more powerful rule others, control the situation or determine right and wrong.
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mouth of a sailor »
The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.
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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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not touch something with a ten foot pole »
To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; signifies a strong aversion.
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on the blink »
Functioning erratically, malfunctioning; not working or not working well. Usually refers to a mechanical or electronic device.
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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 thousand »
Used in a common chronometric counting scheme, in which each iteration is sequentially numbered and supposed to be approximately one second in length.
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out of fix »
Wrong, broken, nonfunctional.
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out of house and home »
Cassandra Chrones Moore, Haunted Housing: How Toxic Scare Stories Are Spooking the Public Out of House and Home.
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out of whack »
Wrong, broken; specifically.
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out on one's ear »
Fired, dismissed or thrown out, especially for some wrongdoing or otherwise with disgrace.
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outside world »
The rest of the world outside of some closed, restricted, or remote environment.
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park the car in Harvard Yard »
A sentence used to illustrate that the Boston accent is non-rhotic; typically pronounced "pahk the cah in Hahvad Yahd".
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peachy keen »
Extremely good, exactly right; all right. Often used in the negative or with an ironic or sarcastic connotation to mean the opposite.
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pep up »
To make stronger or more interesting.
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pitched battle »
An intense, rancorous argument or confrontation.
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play Old Harry »
Blenkiron and I have been moving in the best circles as skilled American engineers who are going to play Old Harry with the British on the Tigris. — John Buchan, "Greenmantle", 1916..
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potty mouth »
The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.
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power behind the throne »
Someone who appears to be without special status, but who has great covert influence on a person in authority.
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prone out »
In order to be propelled shorewards by a broken wave.
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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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pronunciamiento »
A pronouncement or "declaration".
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pump iron »
To lift weights; to engage in weight or strength training.
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put a foot wrong »
To make a mistake.
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put hair on somebody's chest »
To make a person stronger or more masculine.
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put one foot in front of the other »
To move forward, progress steadily.
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put one foot in front of the other »
To walk, decomposed to stress the fundamentality of the task.
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put one's foot in one's mouth »
To misspeak; to say something embarrassing or wrong.
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put the cart before the horse »
To put things in the wrong order or with the wrong priorities.
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put the cat among the pigeons »
Professor Stephen Hawking put the cat among the pigeons last week with his cheery remarks about comet Machholz-2, which some astronomers believe could be heading our way. — The Times, 19 September 1994.
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quote unquote »
Emphasizes the following word or phrase for irony, as used almost exclusively in spoken language.
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red flag »
A cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong.
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red-handed »
In the act of wrongdoing.
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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.
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ride shotgun »
To ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.
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ringside seat »
A seat in the front row of a boxing or wrestling match.
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robber baron »
Especially in the 19th-century and early 20th-century, a business tycoon who had great wealth and influence but whose methods were morally questionable.
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robber baron »
In Europe, an aristocrat who charged exorbitant fees or otherwise exacted money from people who journeyed across land or waterways which he controlled.
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rub somebody the wrong way »
To bother, disturb, irritate, or annoy.
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rule with an iron fist »
To rule with absolute authority or to the detriment of the people. To rule tyrannically.
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run off with »
To leave with someone with the intention of living with them or marrying them. Usually in secret because other people think it is wrong.
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shit a brick »
To react strongly or excessively, especially in anger or fear.
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shoot off at the mouth »
Don't let [presidential press secretary Ron] Ziegler shoot off at the mouth without our knowledge.
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shooting iron »
A firearm, especially a handgun.
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shotgun »
The front passenger seat in a vehicle, next to the driver.
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shotgun shack »
A house with no internal barrier between the front and back doors.
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showstopper »
A performance or segment of a theatrical production that induces a positive reaction strong enough to pause the production.
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so-called »
So named; called by such a name, with a very strong connotation that the item is not worthy of that name.
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soft sawder »
"If she goes to act ugly, I'll give her a dose of "soft sawder"; that will take the frown out of her frontispiece...!" —Thomas Haliburton, "The Trotting Horse" — first usage.
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spanner »
A stupid or unintelligent person; one prone to making mistakes, especially in language.
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start off on the wrong foot »
To begin badly; especially, to begin a relationship badly.
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step down »
To gradually reduce something, a little at a time, as an electronic step down transformer.
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step in front of a moving train »
To sacrifice one's own life for a noble and loyal cause.
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straight out of the chute »
Something done immediately, or "from the beginning". Taken from rodeo routine: the bucking bronco, or bull, or the calf for the calf-roping contest is kept in a narrow pen, a chute, until it is released and dashes out to its fate.
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straighten out »
To correct; to stop doing something wrong.
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strike while the iron is hot »
To act on an opportunity promptly; to avoid waiting.
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tail between one's legs »
A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.
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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 the bull by the horns »
To confront a difficulty, rather than avoiding it.
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that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger »
Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.
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that's just me »
Indicates the expression of a personal opinion, but often used ironically as an understatement.
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the bronx »
new york borough
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the end justifies the means »
Morally wrong actions are sometimes necessary to achieve morally right outcomes; actions can only be considered morally right or wrong by virtue of the morality of the outcome.
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the plot thickens »
Used, often ironically, to describe an increasingly complex or mysterious situation.
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there's many a slip twixt cup and lip »
In any situation, however well planned, something can always go wrong.
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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
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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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tomato tomato »
Uses insignificant pronunciation difference to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.
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touch a nerve »
To make a remark or perform a deed which produces a strong response, especially an emotional response such as anxiety or annoyance, because it calls to mind something which has been a source of concern or embarrassment.
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tough cookie »
A person who can endure physical or mental hardship; a hardened, strong-willed person.
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travel iron »
holiday accessory
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turf war »
A fight or confrontation between two divisions or parties for access to resources or capital.
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two thumbs up »
A hand gesture indicating strong approval.
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two thumbs up »
The strong approval itself.
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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
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two wrongs make a right »
A logical fallacy whereby a wrongful action is justified by the commission of another
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two-second rule »
A rule of thumb for safe driving by which a driver must maintain a two-second distance from the vehicle in front.
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under one's nose »
Directly in front of one; clearly visible.
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up front »
Open, honest; tending to disclose information; truthful.
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uphill battle »
A challenge with the odds of success stacked strongly against.
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urban fabric »
The physical aspect of urbanism, emphasizing building types, thoroughfares, open space, frontages, and streetscapes; while excluding without prejudice to this useful term, environmental, functional, economic and sociocultural aspects.
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wake up on the wrong side of bed »
To feel grumpy, irritable; to be easily annoyed.
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what doesn't kill you makes you stronger »
Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.
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what's the matter »
What's wrong? What's the problem?.
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whatsamatta »
What is the matter? What is wrong?.
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when the going gets tough, the tough get going »
in difficult times, it is the strong-willed who take action.
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white coat hypertension »
Elevated blood pressure measured by a medical practitioner and deemed to result from the patient's emotional response to the medical environment.
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wild horses »
A force not subject to human control and normally stronger than a man.
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wooden spoon »
An ironic prize for finishing last in a competition.
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wrong side of the tracks »
. May refer to area where the working class, poor or extremely poor live.
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yank off »
To remove something, like a piece of cloth or bread, by tearing it with one quick strong pull.
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yank out »
To remove something like a nail, or a tooth with one quick strong pull.
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yell silently »
To think very strong thoughts, that one wishes to yell out loud but does not.
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