all bark and no bite »
Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
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all fur coat and no knickers »
Of superficial appearance and with no real substance beneath.
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all hat and no cattle »
Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
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all mouth and no trousers »
Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.
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all mouth and trousers »
Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.
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all over but the shouting »
The substance of the contest is complete, leaving only the cheering.
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angle for »
To try to obtain something by subtle indirect means. Political manoeuvres, suggestion, etc.
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any press is good press »
Being mentioned in the media is beneficial to the subject because it gets publicity.
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bang on about »
To keep talking endlessly about the same subject.
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beggars can't be choosers »
(proverb) When resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts.
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believe you me »
An emphatic form of "believe me"; you [the subject] had better believe me [the speaker].
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boot camp »
Indoctrination, physical fitness training and basic instruction in service-related subjects for recruits in the Navy and Marine Corps.
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borne out »
Substantiated.
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brown bag »
A short presentation or seminar on a given subject, especially one given at lunchtime.
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can of worms »
A complex, troublesome situation arising when a decision or action produces considerable subsequent problems.
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clay »
A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.
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cold turkey »
The sudden and complete withdrawal of a dependent substance, especially of a drug.
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controlled substance »
Except for very limited professional testing purposes.
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cry for help »
Acting out as a means of displaying a subconscious desire for attention or help.
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deer in the headlights »
A mental state of high arousal caused by anxiety fear, panic, surpriseand/or confusion, or substance abuse. The behavioral signs are like a deer subjected to a car's headlights, such as widely opened eyes and a lack of motor reactions.
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different as chalk and cheese »
Two things which are superficially alike but very different in substance.
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don't get me started »
About the subject currently being discussed.
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drain the swamp when up to one's neck in alligators »
(idiomatic) When performing a long and complex task, and when you've gotten utterly immersed in secondary and tertiary unexpected tangential subtasks, it's easy to lose sight of the initial objective. This sort of distraction can be particularly problematic if the all-consuming subtask or sub-subtask is not, after all, particularly vital to the original, primary goal, but ends up sucking up time and resources (out of all proportion to its actual importance) only because it seems so urgent.
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drug of choice »
Substance that a suspect is addicted to.
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dumb down »
To convey some subject matter in simple terms, avoiding technical or academic language, especially in a way that is considered condescending.
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eat out of somebody's hand »
To behave in a docile, submissive way towards somebody.
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fall in line »
To submit to the rules of a higher authority; obey; conform.
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farm out »
To subcontract some task to another; to outsource.
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fifteen minutes of fame »
A very short time in the spotlight or brief flurry with fame, after which the person or subject involved is quickly forgotten.
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fill in »
To substitute for somebody or something.
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filter down »
Of a liquid; to move slowly down to lower substrate levels.
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get by »
To subsist; to succeed, survive, or manage, at least at a minimum level.
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get high »
To intoxicate oneself with drugs or other substances.
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get into trouble »
To perform an action which is illegal, prohibited, forbidden or proscribed and to become subject to punishment for such action.
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go to Canossa »
To submit to the pope.
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hatchet job »
A treatment which serves primarily to disparage its subject; a piece of criticism which aims to destroy a reputation.
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have a screw loose »
A phrase meaning that the subject is insane or irrational.
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have someone's hide »
To punish or subdue someone.
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hot lunch »
A sexual act in which a pouch of clingfilm or similar material filled with faeces is placed in one of the participants' mouth and subsequently penetrated by the second participant.
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how's the weather »
Indicating a change of subject to unimportant topics.
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if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail »
With limited tools, single-minded people apply them inappropriately or indiscriminatelyIf a person is familiar with a certain, single subject/has with them a certain, single instrument, they may have a confirmation bias to believe that it is the answer to/involved in everything.
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in one's pocket »
Subject to one's whims because of bribery.
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in the dock »
Under scrutiny; subject to critical inspection.
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in the doghouse »
In trouble; the subject of somebody's anger or disapproval.
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jack up »
To ruin; wreck; mess up; screw up; sometimes as a bowdlerized substitution for f** up.
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knee high to a grasshopper »
Short; especially relating to when the subject was a small child.
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make a monkey out of »
To cause a person, organization, or action to appear foolish or inferior; to subject someone or something to ridicule..
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meaty »
Substantial.
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no smoke without fire »
Indicative of the fact that gossip or accusations are often substantiated by fact.
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now you're cooking »
A phrase, often given in response, meaning that the subject has switched to a more suitable or more efficient approach.
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over the transom »
Said of an unsolicited work submitted for publication.
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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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pencil-neck »
An insubstantial person; a weakling.
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pencil-necked »
Insubstantial; weak.
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pencilneck »
An insubstantial person; a weakling.
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pinch-hit »
To do something in the place of another person who is not able to perform or is less skilled; to substitute or stand in for somebody.
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play second fiddle »
To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.
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poison »
A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.
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pull rank »
To assert one's authority over a subordinate who disagrees.
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put in »
To apply, request, or submit.
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put through the wringer »
To interrogate or scrutinize closely; to subject to some trial or ordeal.
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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.
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real Macoy »
The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.
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real McCoy »
The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.
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real McKoy »
The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.
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rumor mill »
A group or network of persons who originate or promulgate gossip and other unsubstantiated claims.
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second banana »
A person who serves in a supporting, secondary, or subsidiary capacity; an assistant.
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second fiddle »
A sidekick or subordinate, or the role of such a person.
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settle someone's hash »
To physically or verbally subdue someone.
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shell out »
To use a program's "shell escape" function to execute an unrelated command or to invoke a subsidiary, interactive shell.
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shotgun approach »
An approach in which the subject is indiscriminate and haphazard, using breadth, spread, or quantity in lieu of accuracy, planning, etc.
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sit in for »
To substitute; to take somebody's place.
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smart chance »
A substantial quantity of something.
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smell test »
An assessment of a subject's ability to detect and distinguish odors.
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stand in »
temporary substitute
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stand in for »
To replace; to act as a double or substitute for.
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swot up on »
To study particularly hard to learn a subject quickly.
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take a shot in the dark »
To try on something without having any knowledge about the subject.
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take away »
To subtract or diminish something.
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take the shadow for the substance »
To be easily deceived, credulous, superficial.
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talk of the town »
A subject discussed by many people.
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talk out one's ass »
To speak authoritatively on a subject which one actually knows little about; to exaggerate.
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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 long and short of it »
The gist; the essence or substance; the most important or salient features; said of a summary or digest.
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there's no accounting for taste »
When it comes to subjective matters of taste, people have wildly different opinions.Disagreements about matters of taste can't be objectively resolved.
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think over »
To ponder or reflect on a subject.
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three Rs »
The basic precepts of any subject matter.
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to go »
Belonging to the subgroup that have not passed or have not been finished or have not been addressed yet.
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to the victor go the spoils »
The winner of a conflict wins additional benefits, beyond just the subject of the conflict.
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today we are all »
An expression indicating that the speaker empathizes with members of an identifiable group that was the subject of a disaster, and projects that others empathize as well.
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turn in »
To submit something; to give.
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under a cloud »
Under suspicion; subject to critical inspection.
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under fire »
Subjected to enemy attack.
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under pressure »
Being subjected to physical pressure.
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under pressure »
Subjected to pressure.
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under the yoke »
Under subjugation.
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when the cat's away the mice will play »
In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.
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wild horses »
A force not subject to human control and normally stronger than a man.
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