a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush »
It is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere potential of a greater one.
|
acknowledge the corn »
To cop a plea; to admit to a small error but not a larger one.
|
all in a day's work »
A nonchalant dismissal of a significant accomplishment.
|
all to smash »
Ruined; bankrupt.
|
amateur hour »
A situation or activity in which the participants show a lack of skill, sound judgment, or professionalism.
|
At ease with nudity »
ISM free identification with nude recreation
|
bad taste in one's mouth »
A feeling of guilt, responsibility, or embarrassment as to cause nausea.
|
baptism by fire »
A change in initial attitude or ideals through a traumatic situation.
|
baptism by fire »
A rite of passage through the survival or success of a crisis.
|
baptism by fire »
A trying ordeal that was not experienced before.
|
be in on »
To be a party to a secret shared by a small group of people.
|
beauty mark »
Or artificially using cosmetics.
|
been there, done that, bought the T-shirt »
Expresses the speaker's complete familiarity with a situation, with overtones of cynicism or exhaustion.
|
better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness »
In the face of bad times or hopelessness, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response than to complain about the situation.
|
big fish in a small pond »
One who has achieved a high rank or is highly esteemed, but only in a small, relatively unimportant, or little known location or organization.
|
bit part »
small acting role
|
bit part »
small acting role
|
bit part »
small acting role
|
bite the bullet »
To endure a punishment or consequence with dignity or stoicism.
|
bits and bobs »
A random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and things.
|
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!
|
blow smoke »
To speak with a lack of credibility, sense, purpose, or truth; to speak nonsense.
|
blue moon »
The moon tinted towards blue as it appears in the sky, caused by dust or smoke in the atmosphere.
|
borganism »
An organization of autonomous organisms that exhibit collectivism: individual "units" that have merged to yield a unified construct. Such an amalgam may possess a collective consciousness, arguably an emergent phenomenon of social networking.
|
borganism »
Some forms of government.
|
brass farthing »
Something worthless or of small value.
|
brickbat »
A criticism or uncomplimentary remark hurled at artwork or other recipient.
|
brickbat »
For example, it's quite common for magazines to have a section called Bouquets and Brickbats for compliments and criticisms.
|
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.
|
broad shoulders »
The ability to take criticism, or accept responsibility.
|
brush off »
An abrupt rebuff or dismissal.
|
bush telegraph »
A system used by undeveloped societies in remote regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds, word-of-mouth relay, or smoke signals.
|
busman's holiday »
A holiday or vacation during which you do the same thing that you do for your usual work.
|
calling card »
A small printed card which identifies the bearer, traditionally presented for introduction when making a social visit to a home or when attending a formal social event or business meeting.
|
camel's nose »
A metaphor for a situation where the permitting of some small act will lead consequently to a larger undesirable act or circumstance.
|
cat that ate the canary »
A person who appears self-satisfied or smug, especially while concealing something mischievous, prohibited, or private.
|
catch out »
To put a batsman out by catching the batted ball before it touches the ground.
|
che sara sara »
Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1892 March 17, Cigarette,
|
che sera sera »
Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1604, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus:Why then belike we must sin, / And so consequently die. / Aye, we must die an everlasting death. / What doctrine call you this ? Che, sera, sera: / What will be*, shall be; Divinity adieu. / These Metaphysics of Magicians, / And necromantic books, are heavenly.
|
chicken feed »
A very small or insignificant quantity, especially of money.
|
chip in »
To make a contribution; help in a small way; especially, to pay for a part of something.
|
chump change »
An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.
|
clay »
A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.
|
clean up »
To become clean, handsome, smart in appearance, e.g. for a special occasion, especially when it is out of character to be seen as such.
|
clothes don't make the man »
An aphorism meaning that you cannot judge a person solely by his appearance. Usually pertains to men.
|
come out of one's shell »
To become a naturist. To convert to naturism.
|
come the acid »
To make oneself unpleasant, especially by sarcasm.
|
cream in one's jeans »
To experience an orgasm while clothed; to be thoroughly excited or delighted.
|
creature comfort »
Any small item or detail that makes a person comfortable and at home.
|
cut up »
To cut into smaller pieces.
|
cutie pie »
A small hand-held radiation meter.
|
damn the torpedoes »
Used to dismiss the risks of a dangerous action.
|
damn with faint praise »
To provide praise that is so minimal or inconsequential as to actually amount to criticism.
|
deafening silence »
A silence, or a lack of any response, that signifies disapproval or lack of any enthusiasm.
|
dicky-bird »
Endearing term for a small bird, often used when talking with young children.
|
dismal science »
Nickname for economics or for the field of political economy.
|
divide and conquer »
A combination of political, military and economic strategies that aim to gain and maintain power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy.(computing) Applied to various algorithms, such as quicksort, that solve a problem by splitting it recursively into smaller problems until all of the remaining problems are trivial.(as imperative, proverb) In order to rule securely, don't allow alliances of your enemies.
|
dog and pony show »
Originally, a small, traveling circus featuring animals as entertainment.
|
don't be penny wise and pound foolish »
Don't be careful when it comes to spending small amounts of money, but careless when spending much larger amounts.Don't focus on minutiae and lose sight of the big picture; don't obsess over tiny inconsequential efficiencies while glaring inefficiencies are going on elsewhere.
|
down in the dumps »
Sad; lacking engagement or enthusiasm.
|
drag »
To act or proceed slowly or without enthusiasm; to be reluctant.
|
dress up »
To wear smart clothes for an occasion.
|
drink from a firehose »
To take a small amount from an enormous, hard-to-manage quantity.
|
drip »
To put a small amount of a liquid on something, drop by drop.
|
economical with the truth »
Not telling the whole truth, especially in order to present a false image of a situation; untruthful; lying. Often used with sarcasm or satire.
|
embarrassment of riches »
An abundance or overabundance of something; too much of a good thing.
|
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.
|
even keel »
A situation in which the boat is level and balanced for a smooth ride.
|
even keel »
Of a business or other activity which is under control and running smoothly.
|
every little helps »
Even the smallest things are helpful when towards a goal.
|
facts on the ground »
A euphemism, similar to fait accompli, used as an oblique way of saying that discussions over the possession of a given piece of territory has been rendered moot by the presence of military forces.
|
fine print »
The details, restrictions, terms, or conditions, especially of a contract, often printed in very small type.
|
five-finger discount »
Theft or pilferage, typically of a small item; shoplifting.
|
flat-chested »
Having a flat chest; having small breasts.
|
flower »
An inflorescence that resembles a flower, but actually contains many small florets, such as a sunflower.
|
fly-by-night »
Traveling businessmen and tradesmen.
|
four-on-the-floor »
Relating to a vehicle with a four-speed manual transmission mounted beside the driver on the floor of the vehicle.
|
fourth estate »
Journalism or journalists considered as a group; the Press.
|
get one's marching orders »
To be dismissed disgracefully.
|
get the boot »
To be dismissed from employment.
|
get the chop »
To be dismissed from employment.
|
gets down »
dismounts
|
give the boot »
To fire, to sack, to dismiss.
|
go out »
1922, Alfred Edward Housman, XXVIII, lines 3-4.
|
go to sleep »
An expression used to dismiss an extremely foolish statement, or to dismiss somebody that one does not feel like talking to.
|
go up in smoke »
To be completely ruined.
|
go up in smoke »
To catch fire and burn.
|
grain of salt »
A bit of common sense and skepticism. Generally used in some form of to take with a grain of salt.
|
granny smith »
apple
|
grate »
A horizontal metal grille through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.
|
grease payment »
A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.
|
grin like a Cheshire cat »
To smile broadly, especially in a self-satisfied way.
|
grow cold »
To wane; to lose interest or enthusiasm for something or someone; to become disenchanted or to fall out of love with someone.
|
guilt trip »
A feeling of shame or embarrassment, especially if self-indulgent, unwarranted, exaggerated or felt over a significant period of time.
|
hair-splitting »
The act of finding exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.
|
hair-splittingly »
With exceedingly small differences which are probably neither important nor noticeable to most people.
|
hand down »
To transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor.
|
hand grenade »
small explosive device
|
hatchet job »
A treatment which serves primarily to disparage its subject; a piece of criticism which aims to destroy a reputation.
|
haul his ashes »
A euphemism for sexual intercourse.
|
have egg on one's face »
To suffer embarrassment or humiliation; to damage one's reputation.
|
he who smelt it dealt it »
(colloquial, originally) A person who calls attention to or complains about a fart is likely trying to pretend it wasn't his or her own.(colloquial, by extension) Used to suggest that a person calling attention to or complaining about a given problem may in fact be the source of the problem.
|
head over heels »
Hopelessly smitten.
|
hear the grass grow »
To be very aware or discerning; to pay attention to every small detail.
|
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.
|
high horse »
An appearance or sense of smug superiority.
|
hold somebody's hand »
To guide somebody through the basics or assist with excessively small details.
|
hold water »
To withstand scrutiny or criticism; to be valid.
|
hot button »
The principal desire that a salesman needs to "hit" in order to make a sale.
|
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.
|
if pigs had wings they would fly »
(colloquial) Expresses speakers skepticism toward a hypothetical argument by another.
|
in the works »
In a mechanism or machine.
|
jump on »
To attack someone verbally, or criticise them over strongly for small errors.
|
jumped-up »
We're doomed if this wee jumped-up monkey gets Gordon Smith's blessing.
|
keep one's pecker up »
Remain cheerful; keep smiling.
|
kick off the team »
In sports, to dismiss an athlete from a team, usually for misconduct, poor academic performance or other offenses.
|
kick the habit »
To recover from or quit an addiction or habit. For example, to quit smoking, drinking, burping, or drug addiction.
|
kitchen table software »
Especially in the early years of personal computers, a set of computer programs developed by an entrepreneurial advanced amateur or self-employed professional computer programmer in his or her own home; software developed by a small business using the services of such programmers.
|
knee high to a grasshopper »
Short; especially relating to when the subject was a small child.
|
left-handed compliment »
A complimentary remark which is ambiguous or ineptly worded, so that it may be interpreted as having an unflattering or dismissive sense.
|
let go »
To dismiss from employment.
|
like crazy »
To a great or excessive degree; with great speed, output, enthusiasm, etc.
|
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).
|
loose end »
A small job that needs to be done, or minor problem that needs to be resolved, before a task can be considered complete.
|
lord of the flies »
A ruler over a worthless kingdom; leader of a meaningless microcosm.
|
lubrication payment »
A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.
|
mad money »
A sum of money, often relatively small in amount, kept in reserve to use for impulsive, frivolous purposes.
|
make up »
To apply cosmetics or makeup.
|
make up »
To resolve, forgive or smooth over an argument or fight.
|
many a mickle makes a muckle »
(UK) a lot of small amounts together, become a large amount.
|
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
|
mike up »
To fit a microphone and transmitter to a person. Usually for television performers, or for police informers.
|
mince words »
To restrain oneself in a conversation by withholding some comments or using euphemisms.
|
miner's canary »
Any thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of danger.
|
miners' canary »
Any thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of danger.
|
monkey wrench »
A wrench with a smooth adjustable jaw to grip different sizes of nuts.
|
naked as a jaybird »
Stark naked; nude; especially, naked in a public setting and without embarrassment.
|
nickel and dime »
Small time; operating on a small scale; involving small amounts of money; petty or cheap.
|
no smoke without fire »
Indicative of the fact that gossip or accusations are often substantiated by fact.
|
nose test »
An inspection of an object using the sense of smell, as for freshness of food.
|
not cricket »
Unsportsmanlike.
|
nugget of truth »
A small amount of truth in a generally untrue statement.
|
on course »
Proceeding smoothly as planned.
|
on the defensive »
Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression.
|
on the nose »
Smelly, malodorous.
|
once or twice »
A small, indefinite number of times.
|
one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »
A cliché used to exaggerate an accomplishment or milestone..
|
one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind »
Words spoken by Neil Armstrong when taking the first steps on the moon.
|
one-horse town »
A very small town.
|
onesie-twosie »
Individually or in very small groups, rather in larger batches.
|
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.
|
out of one's league »
In a situation in which one is mismatched with one or more others, whose accomplishments, preparedness, or other characteristics are on a significantly higher or lower level than one's own.
|
out on one's ear »
Fired, dismissed or thrown out, especially for some wrongdoing or otherwise with disgrace.
|
outside chance »
Small chance.
|
patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels »
The appeal to patriotism is often used to distract the public from real issues.
|
pea patch »
A small farm.
|
pea patch »
A small piece of land planted with peas.
|
peaches-and-cream »
Of facial complexion, smooth, with attractive yellow-pink coloring.
|
peanut gallery »
Any source of heckling, unwelcome commentary or criticism, especially from a know-it-all or of an inexpert nature.
|
peashooter »
A toy gun, consisting of a tube through which peas or small objects are blown.
|
peashooter »
Any small or ineffective gun.
|
penny wise and pound foolish »
Prudent and thrifty with small amounts of money, but wasteful and profligate with large amounts.
|
petits pois »
small peas
|
pickin' and grinnin' »
Vigorously playing folk or country music on a stringed musical instrument, especially the guitar or banjo, while smiling broadly.
|
piss and vinegar »
Exuberance or enthusiasm, especially to an excessive degree; bravado; youthful energy.
|
play the race card »
To assert that race or racism is responsible for a course of events, especially when race is not of particular significance to the issue in question; to attempt to inspire a particular reaction by raising the issue of race.
|
poison »
A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.
|
puddle jumper »
A small passenger airplane, typically used for shorter connecting trips to smaller airports.
|
quantum mechanics »
The branch of physics which studies matter and energy at the level of atoms and other elementary particles, and substitutes probabilistic mechanisms for classical Newtonian ones.
|
rat run »
A small road that people venture down when they want to sneak off the motorway and take a short cut.
|
real men don't eat quiche »
(aphorism, humorous) The stereotypical man does not do things that are considered effeminate, as to do so would imply they are effeminate.
|
red face test »
A hypothetical test of a person's embarrassment, that is either passed or failed. Saying one passes the red face test means one would not blush and thus would not be embarrassed by disclosing something to others or doing something, and saying one fails the red face test means a situation would cause them discernible embarrassment.
|
red herring »
A smoke-cured herring.
|
red ink »
A euphemism for financial loss.
|
redolent »
Having the smell of.
|
right on »
An expression of enthusiasm or encouragement.
|
rivet counter »
A person who has an obsession with the minutae of their particular interest. Anyone preoccupied with small distinguishing features between different items.
|
round up »
To the smallest integer that is not less than it, or to some other greater value, especially a whole number of hundreds, thousands, etc.
|
run hot and cold »
To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure.
|
run into the ground »
To mismanage to the point of ruin.
|
running on empty »
Losing enthusiasm or willingness, lacking energy.
|
scrape together »
To collect, assemble or gather small amounts , from various sources, with some difficulty.
|
screen out »
To use a screen, grate, sieve or similar means to separate large from small objects or particles.
|
see a man »
A bland euphemism to conceal one's true purpose.
|
see red »
To receive a red card, and be dismissed from the playing field.
|
see you next Tuesday »
A euphemism for cunt.
|
send away »
To dismiss from one's presence.
|
shift gears »
To change the gear by which motion is transmitted from a powered shaft to another shaft, especially in a motor vehicle.
|
shit-eating grin »
A broad smile indicating self-awareness that may suggest self-satisfaction, smugness, discomfort, or embarrassment.
|
short of a length »
Of a ball that pitches short of a good length; a ball that bounces closer to the bowler than the area of the pitch regarded as the best for dismissing or restricting the scoring of the batsman.
|
shotgun »
A gun which fires loads consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.
|
show somebody the door »
To dismiss or reject; to exclude someone who was formerly included.
|
smack of »
To seem like; to appear or give an impression or feeling of; to arouse suspicion of.
|
small arms »
Firearms designed to be carried and fired by a single person; often held in the hand.
|
small change »
A minor or insignificant amount of money.
|
small fry »
One or more children.
|
small fry »
One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
|
small fry »
One or more small or immature fish.
|
small potatoes »
One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
|
smallpox blanket »
An apparently benevolent offering whose real intent is to disrupt, destabilize or weaken.
|
smart arse »
One who is particularly flippant or insolent or tends to make snide remarks or jokes.
|
smart chance »
A substantial quantity of something.
|
smart off »
To show disrespect verbally.
|
smash hit »
Something that is tremendously popular or successful.
|
smear campaign »
An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.
|
smell a rat »
To sense something suspicious.
|
smell like a rose »
To be regarded as appealing, virtuous, or respectable; to be untainted or unharmed.
|
smell test »
An assessment of a subject's ability to detect and distinguish odors.
|
smell test »
An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.
|
smell test »
An inspection of an object using the sense of smell, as for freshness of food.
|
smell the barn »
To experience heightened anticipation or to act with renewed speed or energy as one approaches a destination, goal, or other desired outcome, like a livestock animal at day's end returning to its barn.
|
smoke and mirrors »
A deceptive, fraudulent, or unconvincing explanation or description.
|
smoke like a chimney »
To smoke tobacco frequently.
|
smoke signal »
A method of long-distance communication sometimes used in ancient and undeveloped societies, consisting of messages conveyed by means of columns or intermittent puffs of smoke.
|
smoke signal »
A type of flare or combustion device sometimes used as a distress signal.
|
smoke signal »
An indirect message or indication, especially concerning a future event.
|
smoking gun »
Evidence, particularly of a crime, that is difficult or impossible to dispute.
|
smooth operator »
A person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.
|
smooth operator »
A skillful, manipulative person, con artist, or clever scoundrel.
|
sniff out »
To find something using the sense of smell.
|
socialized medicine »
A politically charged term used to contrast such systems with free market alternatives and emphasize the perceived link to socialism.
|
spanner »
A hand tool shaped like a small crank handle, for winding the spring of a wheel lock on a musket.
|
spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar »
To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.
|
spring in one's step »
Enthusiasm, energy or a positive outlook or cheerful attitude.
|
spruce up »
To dress or arrange smartly, elegantly, and neatly.
|
stand up »
To stand immediately behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a slow or spin bowler, and to attempt to stump the batsman.
|
stop and smell the roses »
To relax; to take time out and enjoy or appreciate life.
|
storm in a tea-kettle »
A big fuss made in a small context.
|
take a dim view of »
To dislike; to regard with skepticism, disbelief, disfavor, etc.
|
take apart »
To dismantle something into it's component pieces.
|
take in »
To shorten or make it smaller.
|
take one's lumps »
To endure through criticism or other adversity.
|
taper off »
To diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.
|
teething troubles »
Small problems such as are to be expected with some any new and untried system or product.
|
the course of true love never did run smooth »
There will always be problems in a relationship.
|
the straw that broke the camel's back »
A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something.
|
thin end of the wedge »
Something that if allowed or accepted to a small degree would lead to systematic encroachment.
|
thin-skinned »
Overly sensitive to criticism; quick to take offence; touchy.
|
three-on-the-tree »
On an automobile, describing the gearshift lever of a steering column-mounted three-speed manual transmission.
|
throw cold water on »
To belittle or dismiss; to cast doubt upon; to debunk.
|
throw out »
To dismiss or expel someone from any longer performing duty or attending somewhere.
|
throw smoke »
To consistently pitch fastballs that are difficult to hit.
|
tick over »
To run smoothly and without problems.
|
tip of the iceberg »
Only the beginning; just a small indication of a larger possibility; a problem is much bigger than it seems.
|
tomato tomato »
Uses insignificant pronunciation difference to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.
|
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.
|
two bob »
A small amount of value.
|
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.
|
wake up and smell the coffee »
To face reality and stop deluding oneself.
|
wee small hours »
He worked into the wee small hours to get everything perfect for the opening day.
|
wee small hours »
The very early morning, just after midnight, when most people are asleep.
|
wet blanket »
A person who takes the fun out of a situation or activity, as by pessimism, demands, dullness, etc.
|
what the dickens »
Euphemism for what the Devil, used to add emphasis to "what" when beginning a question.
|
where there's smoke, there's fire »
If there is telltale evidence of some event, the event is probably occurring.
|
whistle-stop »
A small train station.
|
whistle-stop train tour »
A tour in a political campaign that makes many brief stops in small communities.
|
why the dickens »
Euphemism for why the Devil, used to add emphasis to "why" when beginning a question.
|
with open arms »
With enthusiasm, as if embracing.
|
work the room »
To interact with one's audience, taking queues from its reactions and adapting one's performance or words to elicit the audience's attention and enthusiasm.
|
wouldn't you know it »
Expresses dismay or annoyance, especially at bad luck or misfortune.
|
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.
|
yellow press »
Newspapers which publish sensationalist articles rather than well researched and sober journalism.
|
zip up »
To convert a computer file into a smaller package.
|
zoom out »
To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a smaller image, or a more distant view.
|
zoom out »
So as to make it smaller and possibly less detailed.
|
| Search from any page on the Web with Abbreviations.com AutoSearch. It's free! |
[