a house is not a home »
A home is not merely a building but requires inhabitants and a friendly atmosphere.
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a question of »
The important question is; the necessary question is.
|
abide by »
To remain faithful to something or someone; to stand to; to adhere.
|
above the salt »
Of high standing or honor.
|
accident of birth »
Reference to the fact that various benefits or detriments to the life of a person arise from the circumstances into which that person was born, these being entirely beyond his control.
|
account for »
To explain by relating circumstances; to show that some one, thing or members of a group are present or have been processed.
|
ad fontes »
Go to the sources: An expression emphasizing the importance of conducting fundamental research and of consulting primary sources.
|
against the grain »
Unwillingly, reluctantly. It went much against the grain with him, i.e. it was much against his inclination, or against his pluck.
|
all bark and no bite »
Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
|
all cats are grey in the dark »
In the dark, physical appearance is unimportant.
|
all fur coat and no knickers »
Of superficial appearance and with no real substance beneath.
|
all hat and no cattle »
Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
|
all important »
vital
|
all mouth and no trousers »
Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.
|
all mouth and trousers »
Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.
|
all over but the shouting »
The substance of the contest is complete, leaving only the cheering.
|
all the time »
Always; constantly; for the complete duration.
|
all the way to Egery and back »
The long way; a roundabout route; a long distance to travel.
|
arm and a leg »
A relatively high price for an item or service; an exorbitant price.
|
arm's length »
Distant, detached.
|
around the clock »
All the time or seemingly all the time; constantly.
|
as best one can »
In the best possible way, given the circumstances.
|
as the crow flies »
In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.
|
asleep at the switch »
Neglectful of an important task, responsibility, or opportunity.
|
at a moment's notice »
Immediately; instantaneously; without need of warning.
|
at a stand »
In a state of confusion or uncertainty; undecided what to do next.
|
at arm's length »
At a distance, away from one's body.
|
at bay »
Unable to come closer; at a distance.
|
at cross-purposes »
Mutually misunderstanding each other's plans, intentions or meanings.
|
at once »
At the same time; simultaneously; together.
|
at the drop of a hat »
Without any hesitation; instantly.
|
back burner »
A state of low urgency; a state of low current importance.
|
back-burner »
Having low urgency; not currently important.
|
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.
|
be-all and end-all »
Something considered to be of the utmost importance; something essential or ultimate.
|
beam up »
To be teleported over a long distance by means of a specific imaginary technology, specifically from the surface of a planet to an orbiting starship.
|
beauty is in the eye of the beholder »
Individuals have different inclinations on what is beautiful. Individuals have different beauty standards.
|
bee's knees »
Something excellent, outstanding.
|
beggars can't be choosers »
(proverb) When resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts.
|
below par »
Not up to the average or normal standard.
|
big cheese »
A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.
|
big daddy »
Something or someone of importance.
|
big deal »
Something very important, difficult, or of concern.
|
big enchilada »
A very important person, especially the highest-ranking individual in an organization.
|
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.
|
big shot »
A person with a reputation of importance or power.
|
big up »
To proclaim or exaggerate the importance of.
|
bigwig »
A person of importance to a group or organization.
|
blow this pop stand »
To exit or remove oneself from a less than exciting location or environment.
|
blow this popsicle stand »
To leave an establishment speedily.
|
bog standard »
Especially plain, ordinary, or unremarkable; having no special, excess or unusual features; plain vanilla.
|
borne out »
Substantiated.
|
bottom line »
The summary or result; the most important information; the upshot; the net-net.
|
box the compass »
To make a complete reversal in stance or opinion.
|
break up »
Of a telephone conversation, to cease to be understandable because of a bad connection.
|
bridge »
Any of several electrical devices that measure characteristics such as impedance and inductance by balancing different parts of a circuit.
|
bright-line rule »
A clearly defined rule or standard, comprised of objective factors, which leaves little or no room for varying interpretation.
|
built like a tank »
Broad shouldered and of solid, muscular build.
|
built like a tank »
Sturdy; exceptionally well constructed.
|
bulletproof »
Capable of withstanding a direct shot by a bullet fired from a gun.
|
burn rubber »
To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.
|
bury the lead »
To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.
|
bury the lede »
To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.
|
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.
|
business as usual »
The normal course of an activity, particularly in circumstances that are out of the ordinary.
|
by one's lights »
According to one's understanding.
|
by oneself »
Alone; without assistance, accompaniment, or help from others.
|
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.
|
carrot and stick »
Simultaneous rewards for good behavior and punishments for bad behavior.
|
cast pearls before swine »
To give things of value to those who will not understand or appreciate it.
|
catch a tan »
To get a suntan.
|
catch on »
To begin to understand; to realize or detect.
|
catch on »
To become popular; to become commonplace; to become the standard.
|
catch up »
To entangle.
|
center field »
The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and straight ahead left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.
|
charity mugger »
A person employed by a charity, or by an intermediary fundraising agency employed by the charity, who stands in the street and invites passersby to set up standing orders or direct debits to make regular donations to the charity.
|
clay »
A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.
|
clock up »
To accumulate a large distance.
|
clue stick »
A metaphorical stick used to beat information or understanding into a slow learner.
|
cold turkey »
The sudden and complete withdrawal of a dependent substance, especially of a drug.
|
come around »
To change one's mind, especially to begin to agree or appreciate what one was reluctant to accept at first.
|
come down to us »
To survive to the present day; to be extant in some form.
|
come short »
Fail to meet (expectations or standards)
|
common or garden variety »
Ordinary, standard. Nothing special.
|
common-and-garden »
Ordinary, standard.
|
common-or-garden »
Ordinary, standard.
|
controlled substance »
Except for very limited professional testing purposes.
|
cotton on »
To realize; come to understand.
|
country mile »
A long way, a great distance.
|
cry wolf »
To raise a false alarm; to constantly warn others about an imagined threat, thereby failing to get assistance when a real threat appears.
|
cut somebody some slack »
To be patient or lenient with somebody; to relax standards or expectations.
|
dawn of a new day »
A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.
|
day in, day out »
Every day; daily; constantly or continuously; especially, of something that has become routine or monotonous.
|
daylight robbery »
An exorbitant charge for a product or service.
|
dead last »
The standings, often by a considerable margin to the next-to-last-place finisher or after an exceptionally poor showing or season.
|
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.
|
desperate times call for desperate measures »
In adverse circumstances actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.
|
different as chalk and cheese »
Two things which are superficially alike but very different in substance.
|
do a bunk »
To escape or flee under incriminating circumstances.
|
don't shit where you eat »
(idiomatic, vulgar) One should not cause trouble in a place, group, or situation in which one regularly finds oneself.1998 April 14, Nelson Navarro, "Ever faithful, ever true," Manila Standard (Philippines) (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):The guiding principle is Don't shit where you eat. Office romances are always destructive of morale and objectivity.2003 Oct. 8, Jonathan Valania, "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Pussy," Philadelphia Weekly (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Limbaugh was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the NAB convention in, of all places, Philadelphia, thus violating the cardinal law of the animal kingdom: Don't shit where you eat.2006 Sept. 19, Michael Musto, "NY Mirror," Village Voice (retrieved 12 Aug. 2011):Mitchell refused to indulge in on-set romances with either gender. "You don't shit where you eat," he told me, plainly.
|
drag »
To act or proceed slowly or without enthusiasm; to be reluctant.
|
drag one's feet »
To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.
|
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.
|
drive home »
With tangible or powerful demonstration.
|
drug of choice »
Substance that a suspect is addicted to.
|
everything happens for a reason »
All events are purposeful.Everything happens for a reason, so there is no such thing as failure. Mary-Kate OlsenPeople like to say "everything happens for a reason." If you repeat that in your head long enough that starts to sound like "anything can happen with a razor." Laura KightlingerI believe that everything happens for a reason, but I think it's important to seek out that reason - that's how we learn. Drew Barrymore
|
fair enough »
An expression used to concede a point; denotes that, upon consideration, something is correct or reasonable; an expression of acknowledgment or understanding.
|
fall over »
To fall from an upright or standing position to a horizontal or prone position.
|
far and wide »
Over a great distance, or large area; nearly everywhere.
|
farmer's tan »
The tan line left by clothing, especially, by a short-sleeved shirt.
|
feel one's oats »
To feel important; to be empowered.
|
figure out »
To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
|
flat-footed »
To firmly hold and maintain a decision; to stand one's ground.
|
for all intents and purposes »
For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.
|
four score and seven years ago »
As an opener, a sometimes sarcastic indicator to indicate a past event being mentioned is particularly important.
|
from here to ya-ya »
A very long distance.
|
fudge the issue »
Adopt a solution to a specific problem which does not address the larger, more general problem of which the specific problem is an instance.
|
garbage in, garbage out »
(computing, information technology) If input data is not complete, accurate, and timely, then the resulting output is unreliable and of no useful value.1963, Raymond Crowley, "Robot Tax Collector Seeks Indications of 'Fudging'," Times Daily (Alabama, USA), 1 April (retrieved 26 July 2010):Officials explained that the quality of the computer's work depends on the quality of the data fed into it. Neil Hoke, administrative assistant to Stewart, quoted an adage of computer men: "Garbage in, garbage out."2008, Roger K. Lewis, "'In Architectural Design, Brains and Talent Trump the Best Software," Washington Post, 19 July (retrieved 26 July 2010):The old caveat "GIGO"
|
get a handle on »
To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control.
|
get down to brass tacks »
Deal with the important details.
|
get high »
To intoxicate oneself with drugs or other substances.
|
get it »
To realize or understand why a joke is funny.
|
get it »
To understand, comprehend, or grasp.
|
get something straight »
To understand; to clarify.
|
get the drift »
To understand, at least at some basic or general level.
|
give somebody the cold shoulder »
To snub, resist or reject somebody; to regard somebody distantly.
|
go along with »
To comply with something, even if reluctantly; to accept or tolerate.
|
go native »
Of a contractor or consultant, to begin working directly as an employee for a company and cease to work through a contracting firm or agency.
|
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.
|
go the distance »
To have the endurance to see a difficult sustained challenge to its natural end without faltering.
|
go the distance »
To participate in a boxing match for its maximum number of rounds.
|
go with the flow »
To act as others are acting, conforming to common behavior patterns with an attitude of calm acceptance.
|
going rate »
The current standard or usual price, rate, or salary for something.
|
gold standard »
A monetary system where the value of circulating money is linked to the value of gold.
|
gold standard »
A test or measure of comparison that is considered ultimate or ideal.
|
grand poobah »
A person who is important or high-ranking.
|
grind to a halt »
Coming to a standstill, or ceasing to be productive or make progress, due to an obstacle.
|
ground rules »
The basic rules or standards; whatever someone must know before proceeding.
|
gut reaction »
An instantaneous reaction made without thought.
|
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.
|
hammer home »
Until or so that a person or group of people understands it.
|
harden »
To become or make a thing resistant or less sensitive.
|
harden someone's heart »
To make someone more resistant to something.
|
have a handle on »
To be in control; to understand or grasp.
|
have ants in one's pants »
To be agitated and constantly fidgeting.
|
have other fish to fry »
To have more important things to do.
|
head and shoulders »
To a considerable degree; better; outstanding.
|
hell or high water »
Highly adverse circumstances; acts of God.
|
helping hand »
Any assistance, help or aid.
|
herd cats »
To attempt to control those resistant to control.
|
highway robbery »
Said of excessive or exorbitant prices.
|
hill of beans »
Something of no importance.
|
historical figure »
A fictional or fabricated person who was was given historical importance in legends and myth.
|
historical figure »
A person who lived long ago, usually of some historical note or importance.
|
hold one's liquor »
To be resistant to intoxication or to show few signs of intoxication, even after consuming a significant amount of alcohol.
|
hold one's own »
To stand up to; to give a respectable performance; to provide worthy competition.
|
hold up »
To withstand; to stand up to; to survive.
|
hold water »
To withstand scrutiny or criticism; to be valid.
|
home stretch »
The final part of a distance or the final effort needed to finish.
|
honorable mention »
An award or recognition given to something that does not make it to a higher standing but is worth mentioning in an honorable way.
|
horse around »
To play or fiddle; to clown; to do nothing of importance or consequence.
|
how's the weather »
Indicating a change of subject to unimportant topics.
|
if you lie with dogs you will get fleas »
It is important whom to choose as one's closest acquanitances.
|
in black and white »
Explicitly, in writing, clearly and without doubt or misunderstanding, without any grey areas.
|
in broad daylight »
In a blatant and publicly visible manner.
|
in spite of »
Despite, irrespective of, notwithstanding.
|
in tandem »
together
|
in the driver's seat »
Having the most important role in a storyline or recognition. Of primary importance.
|
in the fast lane »
In a lifestyle, employment position, or other set of circumstances where the rapid pace is exciting, frantic, or risky.
|
in the twinkling of an eye »
Immediately; instantaneously.
|
in thunderation »
In any set of circumstances whatsoever.
|
instance in »
To cite an instance; to adduce an example.
|
it is what it is »
This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists.
|
it takes two to tango »
Some things need the active cooperation of two parties; blame is to be laid on both parties in a conflict.
|
it's all Greek to me »
I don’t understand any of it; it makes no sense..
|
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
|
jack of all trades, master of none »
A person who has a competent grasp of many skills but who is not outstanding in any one.
|
jumped-up »
Describes a person who thinks he is superior in some way that the speaker disagrees with. For instance, of a higher class, or has more authority than they have in reality.
|
jungle telegraph »
A system used by primitive cultures in remote tropical regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds or a relay of runners.
|
keep down »
To lie low. To stay concealed by not standing up.
|
keep on truckin' »
To continue or persist, regardless of circumstances or setbacks; to keep trying or striving.
|
keep one's cards close to one's chest »
To avoid revealing one's thoughts, circumstances, or plans.
|
keep one's eye on the ball »
To maintain one's concentration fixed on one important theme.
|
kick up a fuss »
To show annoyance, or to complain loudly about something, often when it is of little importance in reality.
|
kicking and screaming »
With extreme reluctance.
|
landing strip »
A cultivated pubic hair pattern in which much of the pubic hair is removed, leaving only a central vertical line or rectangle.
|
lay rubber »
To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.
|
leave somebody high and dry »
To abandon somebody; to stop providing assistance at a crucial moment.
|
leave to one's own devices »
To leave alone, unsupervised, without assistance.
|
left field »
The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and to your left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.
|
lie back and think of England »
. "think of England" refers to the importance of children.
|
life's a bitch »
An expression of acceptance of misfortune.1950, Joy Davidman, Weeping Bay, page 184:She'd have been willing enough to use them, poor dead little bitch. Life's a bitch. Life's a bad joke.
|
long absent, soon forgotten »
Love fades away when people are distant and don't keep close physical contact.
|
long haul »
Travelling a long distance.
|
long shot »
Something unlikely; something that has little chance of happening or working. The term arose from the accuracy of early ship guns, which were effective only at close range and unlikely to hit the mark at any great distance.
|
lose the plot »
To have one's results decline severely in quality or suddenly fall below an acceptable standard, especially when compared to past excellence.
|
lucky dip »
A game in which prizes are covered up and mixed together in a container, so that contestants can dip their hand into the container and randomly pull out a prize.
|
make a mountain out of a molehill »
To treat a problem as greater than it is; to blow something out of proportion; to exaggerate the importance of something trivial.
|
make head or tail of »
To understand even minimally.
|
make sense »
To decipher or understand.
|
meaty »
Substantial.
|
middle ground »
The middle distance.
|
mix up »
misunderstanding
|
moment of truth »
A deciding instant; the time when a test determines or makes it apparent whether something will succeed.
|
morning, noon and night »
Constantly; ceaselessly; without stopping.
|
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.
|
muck about »
To do somethings with a piece of equipment when you do not understand how it works.
|
neither here nor there »
Not important; having no significance or influence on the question at hand; not related; not relevant; not germane; not pertinent.
|
never mind »
It is not important; do not fret.
|
no smoke without fire »
Indicative of the fact that gossip or accusations are often substantiated by fact.
|
nod off »
To fall asleep, especially while in a seated position or in inappropriate circumstances.
|
nosebleed seat »
A seat high in the back of bleachers, stands, or the balcony at a theater.
|
not have a leg to stand on »
To lack support, as in an argument, debate, or negotiation.
|
not on your life »
Absolutely not; under no circumstances.
|
not the end of the world »
It's of minor importance, at least not as important as it first seemed.
|
off the radar »
Unlikely to happen, or be important in the near future or tending to escape detection or attention.
|
old hat »
Something uninteresting, hackneyed, or passé due to overuse or long-standing familiarity..
|
on one's feet »
Being standing up.
|
on one's own »
Alone; by oneself; without the companionship or assistance of others.
|
on the face of »
Notwithstanding.
|
on the fly »
Spontaneously or extemporaneously; done as one goes, or during another activity.
|
on the run »
Constantly traveling or moving from place to place.
|
on the spur of the moment »
On very short notice; spontaneously.
|
on the uptake »
In understanding or in the ability to absorb new information; especially in the phrases "quick on the uptake" and "slow on the uptake".
|
one swallow does not a summer make »
One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.
|
one swallow doesn't make a summer »
One sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.
|
one-night stand »
A single sexual encounter between two individuals, where at least one of the parties has no immediate intention or expectation of establishing a longer-term sexual or romantic relationship. As the phrase implies, the relationship lasts for only one night.
|
one-night stand »
An occasion when a performer or team of them expects to perform at a theater for a single evening.
|
one-upmanship »
A succession of instances of outdoing a competitor.
|
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 place »
Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or inappropriate for the circumstances.
|
outsider »
A competitor or contestant who has little chance of winning; a long shot; a dark horse.
|
over my dead body »
Under no circumstances; absolutely not.
|
over one's head »
More complex or confusing than one can understand; beyond one’s comprehension..
|
pass muster »
To measure up to a particular standard.
|
pay through the nose »
To pay a high price, especially an exorbitant or excessive amount, either in money or in some other manner.
|
peel out »
To start abruptly from a standing stop, accelerating rapidly, especially so as to produce skid marks.
|
pencil-neck »
An insubstantial person; a weakling.
|
pencil-necked »
Insubstantial; weak.
|
pencilneck »
An insubstantial person; a weakling.
|
pi%C3%A8ce de r%C3%A9sistance »
A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..
|
pick up »
To learn, to grasp; to begin to understand.
|
piece de resistance »
A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..
|
piece of ass »
An act of intercourse, especially a one night stand.
|
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.
|
pitch in »
To help out; lend assistance; contribute; to do one's part.
|
play down »
To make or attempt to make something seem less important, likely, or obvious.
|
play up »
To make or attempt to make something appear more important, likely or obvious; to showcase or highlight.
|
plus »
(literally) The more it changes, the more it's the same thing (sometimes loosely translated as the more things change, the more they stay the same).Although the outward appearance may change, fundamentals are constant.
|
point blank »
The distance between a gun and a target such that it requires minimal effort in aiming it. In particular no allowance needs to be made for the effects of gravity, target movement or wind in aiming the projectile.
|
poison »
A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.
|
prawn cocktail offensive »
A strategy of the Labour Party in winning over important people in the world of finance.
|
pretzel »
Anything that is knotted, twisted, or tangled.
|
price out of the market »
To charge an exorbitant price for a service or product so that no one will purchase it.
|
pull my finger »
A phrase used when playing a prank regarding flatulence, in which a mark is asked to pull the finger of the person playing the prank, who simultaneously flatulates so as to suggest a causal relationship between the pulling of the finger and the resulting expulsion of gas.
|
pull one's finger out »
To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.
|
put across »
To explain or state something clearly and understandably.
|
put aside »
To ignore or intentionally forget something, temporarily or permanently, so that more important things can have one's attention.
|
put on the dog »
To dress up; to put on airs; to make a show of wealth and/or importance; to be pretentious.
|
put oneself across »
To explain one's ideas and opinions clearly so that another person can understand them and get a picture of your personality.
|
quick on the uptake »
Able to readily understand things; intelligent.
|
rain or shine »
Regardless of what the circumstances are, and how the weather is.
|
raise the bar »
To raise standards or expectations, especially by creating something to a higher standard.
|
rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic »
To do something pointless or insignificant that will soon be overtaken by events, or that contributes nothing to the solution of a current problem.
|
ring off the hook »
Of a telephone, to ring constantly or excessively.
|
rip off »
To charge an exorbitant or unfair rate.
|
road to Damascus »
A road to Damascus moment, or change, is an important point in someone's life where a great change, or reversal, of ideas or beliefs occurs.
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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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rocket scientist »
Someone qualified to understand or handle that which is overly complex, detailed or confusing; a genius.
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rough trot »
A series of difficult circumstances.
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rub off on »
To adapt to a way of behaving after constant exposure to it.
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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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run afoul of »
To become entangled in; to run aground on.
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seagull approach »
The occurence of casual, ill-informed and hasty decisions or comments made by outside authorities who lack an understanding of the local issues or a real understanding of the facts of a particular situ.
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second banana »
A person who serves in a supporting, secondary, or subsidiary capacity; an assistant.
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see the light »
To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight.
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sell a bargain »
A species of wit, much in vogue about the latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, and frequently alluded to by Dean Swift, who says the maids of honour often amused themselves with it. It consisted in the seller naming his or her hinder parts, in answer to the question, What? which the buyer was artfully led to ask. As a specimen, take the following instance: A lady would come into a room full of company, apparently frightened, crying out "It is white, and follows me!" As soon as someone responded "What?" she sold him the bargain, by saying "Mine arse".
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set back »
To remove from or allow distance.
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shoo-in »
A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.
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show the flag »
To represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group.
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shuffle »
An instance of walking without lifting one's feet.
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sit on the fence »
To remain neutral on a certain topic, to not have a stance or opinion.
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small fry »
One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
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small potatoes »
One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
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smart chance »
A substantial quantity of something.
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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.
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soapbox »
Especially when only tangentially relevant to an ongoing discussion.
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soft spot »
A fontanelle.
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spit it out »
To overcome reluctance to say something particular or to speak in general.
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spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar »
To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.
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stand a chance »
To have a chance.
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stand back »
To maintain a safe distance from a hazard.
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stand back »
To abstain from participation.
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stand back »
To stand a long way behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a fast bowler.
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stand by »
To wait in expectation of some event; to make ready.
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stand by »
To remain loyal or faithful.
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stand by »
To do nothing. To be inactive in a situation.
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stand corrected »
Said to acknowledge someone who corrects something that one says or writes that was not correct.
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stand down »
To wait; to stop pursuing or fighting.
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stand for »
To mean; to symbolize; to represent.
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stand for »
To advocate, to support.
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stand for »
To tolerate.
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stand from under »
To escape something falling or being thrown from above.
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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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stand in someone's shoes »
To see from another's point of view; to feel what another feels.
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stand off »
To stand some distance apart form something or someone.
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stand off »
To prevent any would-be attacker from coming close by adopting an offensive posture.
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stand on end »
To stand erect, bristle, especially from fear.
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stand on its own »
To be independent of others.
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stand on one's own two feet »
To be independent. To survive without any help.
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stand one's ground »
To attempt to hold a position in battle.
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stand one's ground »
To maintain or stick by an opinion or position; to remain resolute in the face of opposition.
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stand out »
To be obvious or conspicuous, in contrast to one's surroundings.
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stand stock still »
Paul Travers' Adventures, by Sam T. Clover.
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stand stock still »
To stand completely motionless.
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stand the test of time »
To remain useful or valued over a long period of time; to last a long time.
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stand to reason »
To make sense; to seem logical, reasonable, or rational.
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stand up »
To rise from a lying or sitting position.
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stand up »
To bring something up and set it into a standing position.
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stand up »
To jilt or shirk.
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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.
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stand up against »
To defy or challenge someone.
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standard fare »
Menu items or dining options which are regularly available in a restaurant or other place where food is served.
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standard fare »
Something which is normal, routine, or unexceptional; something which is commonly provided or encountered.
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standard fare »
The usual price for travel by air, rail, or another means of transport.
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stands in »
deputises
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state of affairs »
A specific situation; a set of circumstances.
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stone's throw »
A short distance, roughly equivalent to how far a person can throw a stone.
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stop press »
The event or news article important enough to delay or interrupt the print, or require a reprint, of a publication, particularly of a newspaper edition.
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stop the presses »
An imperative form used to introduce especially new, important, surprising, or recent developments.
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stump up »
To pay for something. Often indicating reluctance to pay.
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swallow one's pride »
To set aside one's feelings of pride and adopt a more humble or appropriate stance.
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sweetheart deal »
A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.
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take a back seat »
To be second to someone or something; to be less important or have a lower priority.
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take a stand »
To assert an opinion or viewpoint; to defend one's point of view or beliefs.
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take one's eye off the ball »
To lose one's concentration on what is most important.
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take someone's point »
To agree with what a person says; to understand a person's argument and be persuaded by it.
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take something in one's stride »
Not to allow oneself to be set back, daunted, upset or embarrassed by unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.
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take the cake »
To be especially good or outstanding.
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take the red pill »
To understand the world in its previously unknown reality.
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take the shadow for the substance »
To be easily deceived, credulous, superficial.
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take the stand »
To testify as a witness in a trial.
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tan someone's hide »
To beat or spank someone.
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tank top »
garment
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tear away »
To remove oneself reluctantly; often expressed in the negative.
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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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that's the way life is »
That is the way things happenCertain things cannot be changed, helped or improved; struggle and objection are pointless.1935, Louis Bromfield, The Man Who Had Everything [1], page 279:That's the way life is, and there's no use trying to go against it.1979, Jay Edward Abrams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption [2], ISBN 0310511011, page 45:There are no standards, no values; that's the way life is. Learn to accept it and slide with it. Stop fighting it.2002, B. Eugene Ellison, Rings of the Templars, ISBN 059524050X, page 337:Shit happens; that's the way life is. In fact, I want you to take an additional thousand for your efforts.
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the grass is always greener on the other side »
Other circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality are often not
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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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the thing of it »
The important point to consider.
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think tank »
A group of which performs research and develops reports and recommendations on topics relating to strategic planning or public policy, and which is usually funded by corporations, interest groups, or government.
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think through »
To fully consider an action, and understand all its consequences.
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throw down »
To fight, incite to fight, or approach with the intent to fight; to make a stand.
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throw enough mud at the wall and 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.2005, Mike Busson (poster on UKScreen forum) Re: Voiceovers!, read at [1] on 02 Nov 06,In terms of places to send your URL or CD's, there's no easy answer. It really is a case of throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.2005, "forwardone" (administrator posting on the HYIPForum), re: Alertpay phishing email, read at [2] on 02 Nov 06,I also think that sometimes they send out phishing e-mails in the hope that it`ll hit people who do have an account with a particular organization. You know, throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick theory.2006, Rob Manuel, How to be funny, read in Comedy Soup on the BBC website at [3] on 02 Nov 06,Throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick. Be prolific and don't be afraid to make stuff that's rubbish. If you keep trying eventually you'll get there.2006, Rex Pierce, Re: [303rd-Talk] D Day read on 303rd Bomb Group Talk Forum at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Believe the planners worked on the principle of "throw enough mud at the wall, and some of it will stick".If enough (perhaps false or reckless) accusations are made against someone, his reputation will suffer, whether or not this is deserved2006, "money" (poster on eTalk Money), Some thoughts about compact surfing, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,Word of advice NVUS time to distance yourself from LuukH as quickly as possible and dish some dirt, otherwise well the saying goes - throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick.
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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 one's toys out of the pram »
To lose one's temper; to throw a tantrum.
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thumb one's nose »
To place a thumb upon the tip of the nose, usually while simultaneous wiggling one's fingers, in a gesture of disrespect.
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time out of mind »
The distant past beyond anyone's memory.
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to all intents and purposes »
For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.
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to the moon »
To a very distant or unreachable place.
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tomato tomato »
Uses insignificant pronunciation difference to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.
|
tumble to »
To discover, or suddenly understand something.
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twenty-twenty hindsight »
Perfect understanding of events only after they have happened.
|
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.
|
up to snuff »
Adequate; of acceptable or quality; satisfying an appropriate standard.
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variable tandem repeat locus »
Any DNA sequence that exists in multiple copies strung together in various tandem lengths.
|
way back when »
A time in the distant past.
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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.
|
whistle past the graveyard »
To enter a situation with little or no understanding of the possible consequences.
|
white trash »
A poorly educated white person with low moral and social standards and low social status.
|
win over »
To persuade someone, gain someone's support, or make someone understand the truth or validity of something.
|
without fail »
Certainly; by all means; as a matter of importance.
|
worth one's while »
Good and important enough for one to spend time, effort, or money on.
|
you make the bed you lie in »
A person's circumstances are normally the result of his or her own actions.
|
you never know what you've got till it's gone »
Good friends and acquaintances shouldn't be taken for granted.
|
zoom along »
To proceed quickly a long distance.
|
zoom out »
To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a smaller image, or a more distant view.
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