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.
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ace in the hole »
A hidden or secret strength, or unrevealed advantage.
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ace up one's sleeve »
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
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back-cloth star »
An actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.
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behind the eight ball »
At a disadvantage.
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break a leg »
A wish for a successful performance; primarily a valediction to an actor wishing him or her a successful theatrical stage performance.
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cash in »
To profit from; to use an opportunity to maximum advantage, especially financially.
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cat and mouse game »
Two individuals and/or groups repeatedly keeping check on each other in a suspicious or self-protective way, often with the goal of one or both parties trying to gain a malicious advantage over the other.
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catbird seat »
Expression used to describe an enviable position, often one of great advantage.
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cherry-pick »
To pick out the best, or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.
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f** someone over »
To exploit somebody in a way which result in an advantage to oneself, at the cost of the other party gaining a considerable disadvantage.
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fair weather friend »
Only when it is advantageous or easy.
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feather one's nest »
To achieve benefits, especially financial ones, by taking advantage of the opportunities with which one is presented; to amass a comfortable amount of personal wealth.
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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 out of »
Of someone who has recently left one stage of life to begin another.
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from scratch »
From the beginning; starting with no advantage or prior preparation; starting from raw ingredients.
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get a leg up »
To gain some advantage; to get a head start.
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give hostage to fortune »
He was very cautious with his words and gave no hostages to fortune.
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give hostage to fortune »
To take an action or make a statement that is risky because it could cause you trouble later.
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gone to the dogs »
To have fallen into disrepair or ruin; to have been stagnant or depreciated.
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high ground »
A position of advantage or superiority in a conflict or competition.
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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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in its infancy »
Still in an early stage.
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in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king »
Among others with a disadvantage or disability, the one with the mildest disadvantage or disability is regarded as the greatest.Even someone without much talent or ability is considered special by those with no talent or ability at all.
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inside track »
Any advantage.
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it's not what you know but who you know »
For success, and especially to obtain employment, one's knowledge and skills are less useful and less important than one's network of personal contacts.1951, G. P. Bush and L. H. Hattery, "Federal Recruitment of Junior Engineers," Science, vol. 114, no. 2966, p. 456:Eighty-four students referred to political influence as a disadvantage of federal employment with such remarks as: "There are too many political connections necessary . . . it's not what you know but who you know
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knock over »
To rob; to stage a heist.
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look out for number one »
To act in one's own interests; to act in a manner advantageous primarily to oneself.
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lose out »
To be at a disadvantage.
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make hay »
To take advantage of an opportunity.
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mess of pottage »
Something of trivial value, especially of immediate value.
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miss the boat »
To fail to take advantage of an opportunity; to overlook or be too late to pursue an option or course of action.
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mixed bag »
Something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a mixture of advantages and disadvantages.
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move the goalposts »
To alter the agreed basis, scope, standards or target of a procedure or task during its course, especially to do so to someone's advantage.
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nip and tuck »
So evenly matched that the advantage shifts from one to the other, and the outcome is uncertain.
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nip in the bud »
To stop something at an early stage.
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on the make »
Actively seeking an opportunity for self-advancement; eager to ingratiate oneself to others in order to secure some advantage.
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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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over a barrel »
In a disadvantageous or helpless situation, in which one may be controlled or victimized.
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play dumb »
To pretend to be slow-witted or lacking in specific knowledge, usually in order to avoid responsibility or to gain some advantage.
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put away »
To catch a fly ball or tag out a baserunner.
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real job »
A job that can't be replaced advantageously by a machine or a procedure.
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ringside seat »
Any vantage point providing an excellent view.
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sell out »
To abandon one's supporters or principles to seek profit or other personal advantage.
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set the stage »
To prepare; to establish the basis or required conditions.
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shoot oneself in the foot »
To deliberately sabotage an activity in order to avoid obligation, though it causes personal suffering. Origins in first world war trench warfare.
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sitting pretty »
In a favorable situation, especially a situation in which one possesses an advantage.
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stage of the game »
A point in the progress of an ongoing dispute or process.
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tag along »
To accompany, join, or follow; to go with.
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tag team »
Two or more people or groups acting alternately to accomplish some task.
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the shoe is on the other foot »
The roles of people in a situation have been reversed, such the advantage has shifted to a party which was previously disadvantaged.
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the upper hand »
An advantage or lead.
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those who will not when they may, when they will they shall have nay »
(archaic) One should take immediate advantage of an opportunity that may not be available later.
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timeserver »
A person who conforms to current opinions, especially for reasons of personal advantage; an opportunist.
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tip one's hand »
To inadvertently reveal any secret, particularly a secret that puts one at an advantage or disadvantage.
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turn the tables »
To reverse a situation, such that the advantage has shifted to the party which was previously disadvantaged.
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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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walk out »
To stage a walkout or strike.
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what's the good of »
What is the purpose or advantage of.
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when the cat's away »
People are likely to take advantage of the absence of authority or enforcement of compliance.
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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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you get more with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone »
It is advantageous not to rely solely on being nice.
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| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |
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