We've found 3378 phrases for TE (0.131 seconds):

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.

a camel is a horse designed by a committee »    An expression critical of committees

a cat can look at a king »    Alternative form of a cat may look at a king.1982, A J Ayer,

a cat may look at a king »    Even a purported inferior has certain abilities, even in the presence of a purported superior

a chain is only as strong as its weakest link »    An organization (especially a process or a business) is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person. A group of associates is only as strong as its laziest member.

a day late and a dollar short »    Action that was taken too late and too feeble to be of any use.

a different ballpark »    Something totally unrelated or of a vastly different scale or scope.

a fool and his money are soon parted »    It is easy to get money from foolish people, especially rich ones.

a good beginning makes a good ending »    Good beginnings promise a good end; start off on a good note to reap the benefits at the end.

a great deal »    Very much; to a great extent; a lot; lots.

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step »    even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point

a leopard cannot change its spots »    One cannot change one's own nature.1597, William Shakespeare, Richard II Act i, Scene 1 (First Folio):King. Lyons make Leopards tame.Mowbray. Yea but not change his ?pots.1611, King James Version of the Bible, Jeremiah 13:23:Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?1820, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe Chapter 32:End now all unkindness. Let us put the Jew to ransom, since the leopard will not change his spots, and a Jew he will continue to be.1918, Johnston McCulley, Thubway Tham's Inthane Moment:The leopard cannot change his spots, old boy.

a life of its own »    An independent existence with some characteristics of life.

a man is known by the company he keeps »    People are similar in character to their friends.

a new broom sweeps clean »    New management will often make radical changes.

a penny saved is a penny earned »    A maxim for thrift that says that money not spent may be spent later, or may earn interest in the meantime

a picture is worth a thousand words »    Alternative form of a picture paints a thousand words.

a picture paints a thousand words »    A visualisation is a better description than a verbal description.1971, David Gates (of Bread), If, from Manna album:If a picture paints a thousand wordsThen why can't I paint you;The words will never showThe you I've come to know.1989, Alan Kay, quoted in K?o-tung Huang, Timothy D. Huang, Introduction to Chinese, Japanese and Korean Computing, World Scientific, ISBN 9971506645, p. 9:Most human beings, no matter how familiar they are with abstract symbols, respond to voice and images better than written language. In other words, A picture paints a thousand words.2006, Paul Shakespeare, Building a Dune Buggy: The Essential Manual, ISBN 1904788734, p. 52:See accompanying diagram: a picture paints a thousand words, and all that!

a riddle wrapped up in an enigma »    Something very mysterious and hidden.

a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down »    An otherwise unpleasant situation can be pleasant when a pleasant aspect is deliberately introduced.1999, Eli Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale: History, Genre, Meaning, Indiana University Press, ISBN 0253335833, page 372,One is known as the "sweetening parable," that is to say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Thus, when the aim is to preach to the people, to guide them along the "bitter," arduous path of upholding burdensome precepts and prohibitions, a tale can lighten the load, make the "medicine" easier "to swallow."2001, Maureen Reagan, First Father, First Daughter: A Memoir, Little, Brown, ISBN 0316736368, page 319,It put some fun into the tedious business of preparing for a presidential debate. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, right?2004, John Hoover, How to Work for an Idiot: Survive & Thrive... Without Killing Your Boss, Career Press, ISBN 1564147045, page 11,If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, a barrel of laughs can wash down the big pills you might need to swallow.

a watched kettle never boils »    Alternative form of a watched pot never boils.

abound in »    To have something in great numbers or quantities; to possess in such abundance as to be characterized by.

abound with »    To have something in great numbers or quantities; to possess in such abundance as to be characterized by.

about to »    Indicates something that will happen very soon; indicates that something is imminent.

about turn »    A complete change of opinion, direction, etc.

above and beyond »    More than is expected or required.

according to »    Based on what is said or stated.

according to Hoyle »    In strict accordance with the rules, especially of card games; in the proper or expected manner.

acid test »    A rigorous test or appraisal of the quality or worth of something.

acid test »    To test for the truth.

across the board »    Pertaining to all categories or things.

act like a bull in a china shop »    To act rudely or clumsily in a delicate situation.

ad fontes »    Go to the sources: An expression emphasizing the importance of conducting fundamental research and of consulting primary sources.

adams ale »    water

add fuel to the fire »    To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.

add up »    To accumulate; to amount to.

add up »    To make sense; to be reasonable or consistent.

after all »    In the end; anyway; referring to something that was believed to be the case, but has now been shown not to be.

after all »    in spite of everything

after one's own heart »    Of a person: having the same ideas, opinions or behaviour as oneself.

after the fact »    Too late; after something is finished or final.

against all odds »    Despite seemingly insurmountable opposition or probability.

against the clock »    In a time-restricted manner, to meet a deadline, hurriedly, timed.

against the grain »    Contrary to what is expected; especially, of behavior different from what society expects.

against the grain »    To sand or plane a piece of wood parallel or nearly parallel to the fibers such that splinters forming ahead of the tool originate below the cutting surface.

agree to disagree »    To tolerate each other's opinion and stop arguing; to acknowledge that an agreement will not be reached.

ahead of one's time »    Showing characteristics of changes yet to be; present in one's work before later advances in the field; coming earlier than could be generally accepted.

ahead of the game »    Having completed a task before it is due; ready, prepared, or anticipating.

air out »    To expose to air; to leave open or spread out, as to allow odor or moisture to dissipate.

albatross »    A long-term impediment, burden, or curse.

all at once »    Unexpectedly; without warning; all of a sudden.

all bark and no bite »    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

all ears »    Listening intently; fully focused.

all eyes »    Gazing at devotedly.

all eyes »    Watching alertly or attentively.

all eyes and ears »    To be attentive.

all fired up »    Excited or energized; highly enthusiastic.

all hat and no cattle »    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

all hell breaks loose »    Vi A place or state of fury, turmoil, destruction, or chaos.

all hell broke loose »    A great disaster happened or chaos ensued.

all kidding aside »    Used to attempt to make a serious point in a jocular conversation.

all nations »    A composition of all the different spirits sold in a dram-shop, collected in a vessel into which the drainings of the bottles and quartern pots are emptied.

all out »    The state of a side having no more men to bat, thus ending its innings.

all over »    Done; finished; complete.

all over but the shouting »    The substance of the contest is complete, leaving only the cheering.

all over the board »    Showing a wide range of values with no particular pattern.

all over the map »    Widely scattered or distributed; numerous and differing greatly.

all over the place »    Inconsistent; lacking a clear pattern.

all over the shop »    Everywhere, scattered, disorganised.

all over with »    Completely finished; over.

all right, my lover »    An informal affectionate greeting.

all that glitters is not gold »    Things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so, things that look nice might not be as good as they look.

all that jazz »    Everything else related to something; other similar things.

all the tea in China »    Something priceless or invaluable.

all the time »    Always; constantly; for the complete duration.

all the time »    Very often; frequently.

all the way to Egery and back »    The long way; a roundabout route; a long distance to travel.

all things being equal »    Without considering or being affected by external factors.

all things come to those who wait »    (dated) A patient seeker will be satisfied in due time; patience is a virtue.

all told »    With everything included, counted or summed.

all very well »    All right, to a certain extent.

all wet »    Utterly incorrect; erroneous; uninformed.

all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy »    Too much focus on one's career is often viewed unfavorably.Too much hard work and not enough leisure time can be unhealthy.

all's well that ends well »    Problems do not matter if things turn out well in the end.

almighty dollar »    The dollar, satirically characterized as a being a god.

along about »    Approximately; at around some time.

am I right or am I right »    Rhetorical question from somebody who has stated what they consider to be an unassailable truth.

amateur hour »    A situation or activity in which the participants show a lack of skill, sound judgment, or professionalism.

an apple a day »    Healthy eating and living using traditional temperate-zone fresh foods.

an offer one can't refuse »    An offer from one side in any transaction with terms so attractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.

an offer one can't refuse »    An offer from one side in any transaction with the results of failing to accept so unattractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.

and how »    Used to strongly confirm preceding utterance.

and shit »    Used after a noun or list of nouns in place of "etc".

and so forth »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

and so on »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

and then some »    Used to confirm preceding utterance, while implying that what was said or asked is an understatement.

angel's advocate »    Someone who sees what's good about an idea and supports it.

answer back »    To reply to a question at a later time.

answer back »    To issue echo characters, protocol responses, reflexive connection requests, etc.

answer for »    To guarantee.

Apa Sâmbetei »    "for nothing", "to no result", or that what you have done was destroyed or is rendered useless after you finish it.

Apa Sâmbetei »    Saturday's waters.

apple does not fall far from the stem »    Alternative form of apple does not fall far from the tree.

apple does not fall far from the tree »    A child grows up to be very similar to its parents, both in behavior and in physical characteristics.1842, E. A. Freidlaender (translator), Frederika Bremer (author), The Neighbours, ch. 10:It is impossible to look at Madam Rhen, without at once making the conclusion that she is pleasantness, hospitality, and loquacity itself; nor can one look upon her daughter Renetta without thinking, "the apple does not fall far from the tree!"1978, Dr. Isador Rosenfeld, "Doctor Asks Patient

apple does not fall far from the trunk »    Alternative form of apple does not fall far from the tree.

apple never falls far from the tree »    Alternative form of apple does not fall far from the tree.

apple of somebody's eye »    A favourite, a particular preference, or a loved one; the object of somebody's affections.

apples and oranges »    Said of a comparison of items that are not comparable.

apply oneself »    To put forth a concerted effort; to try; to focus.

Après-ski »    A place "after skiing". Typically a bar or pub where people go after a day on the slopes to ease off and meet other people.

April showers bring May flowers »    April, traditionally a rainy period, gives way to May, when flowers will bloom because of the water provided to them by the April rains.By extension, that a period of discomfort can provide the basis for a period of happiness.

apron string hold »    An estate held by a man during his wife's life.

ark ruffian »    Rogues who, in conjunction with watermen, robbed, and sometimes murdered, on the water, by picking a quarrel with the passengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, stripping, and throwing them overboard, etc. A species of badger.

arm and a leg »    A relatively high price for an item or service; an exorbitant price.

arm candy »    An attractive, seemingly romantic companion who accompanies a person in public simply so that one or both of the individuals can gain attention, enhance social status, or create an impression of sexual appeal.

arm to the teeth »    To equip thoroughly with weapons.

arm's length »    Independent, but related.

around Robin Hood's barn »    The long way around; a roundabout or circuitous route.

arse about face »    Something that is placed or arranged the opposite way to the way it should be.

arse end of nowhere »    A very remote place.

as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly »    Foolish people repeatedly do foolish things.

as a rule »    In general; most often.

as far as »    With respect to; as relates to.

as is »    In its present state or condition, especially as a contractual condition of sale.

as luck would have it »    As it happened; how it turned out; by good fortune; fortunately or luckily.

as you sow, so shall you reap »    The personal consequences of one's actions are in proportion to the good or bad intentions towards others.

ask for »    To increase the likelihood of something by persisting in some action; to invite.

ask for it »    To provoke an unwanted action.

ask in »    To invite someone to enter one's house.

ask out »    To invite somebody, especially on a date.

ask round »    To invite someone to your house.

ass over teakettle »    Frantically.

ass over teakettle »    Tumbling upside down.

assault and battery »    . This legal distinction exists only in jurisdictions that distinguish assault as threatened violence rather than actual violence.

assume the mantle »    To take on a specific role or position, along with any associated responsibilites.

at a glance »    Upon cursory examination; an abbreviated review.

at a moment's notice »    Immediately; instantaneously; without need of warning.

at a pinch »    By the skin of one’s teeth; only just; Deo volente; perhaps; if you’re lucky..

at a stand »    In a state of confusion or uncertainty; undecided what to do next.

at all »    Indicating degree, quantity or frequency greater than zero; to the slightest degree, in any way, somewhat, rather.

at all hours »    Late into the night or early morning; when people ought to be sleeping.

at cross-purposes »    Mutually misunderstanding each other's plans, intentions or meanings.

at death's door »    About to die; in a life-threatening state of health.

at hand »    Being at the moment the center of attention or the cause of trouble.

at last »    After a long time; eventually.

at last »    In the end; finally; ultimately.

at latter Lammas »    Never.

at odds »    on bad terms

at once »    Immediately; now; right away.

at one with »    United with; in tune with.

at sixes and sevens »    In a state of confusion.

at sixes and sevens »    In a state of dispute or disagreement.

at the end of one's tether »    At the limit of one’s patience; frustrated or annoyed..

at the end of the day »    In summary; ultimately.

at the end of the road »    No longer in the competition. Voted off. Eliminated.

at the ready »    Ready; in a state of preparation or waiting; in position or anticipation.

autem bawler »    A parson.

autem cackler »    Dissenters of every denomination.

autem dipper »    Anabaptist.

autem diver »    Pickpockets who practice in churches; also churchwardens and overseers of the poor.

autem gogler »    Pretended French prophet.

autem mort »    A married woman; also a female beggar with several children hired or borrowed to excite charity.

autem quaver »    Quaker.

avant la lettre »    An example of a term before the term was coined. Describing a term used anachronistically.

avoir du pois lay »    Stealing brass weights off the counters of shops.

babe magnet »    A person, especially a man, to whom women are attracted.

baby blues »    Period and feeling of depressiveness after giving birth; a less severe form of postnatal depression.

back away »    Of your attention on the thing in front being avoided.

back burner »    A state of low urgency; a state of low current importance.

back gammon player »    A sodomite.

back of beyond »    A very remote place.

back off »    To become less aggressive, particularly when one had appeared committed to act.

back office »    The IT and infrastructure support services for a company, separate from the public face of the business.

back to square one »    Located back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure.

back to the drawing board »    Back to the beginning following an unsuccessful attempt.

back up »    For the non-striker to take a few steps down the pitch, in preparation to taking a run, just as the bowler bowls the ball.

back water »    A very remote, rural area.

back-assward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

back-asswards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

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.

back-of-the-envelope »    Approximate, rough, simplified.

backassward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

backasswards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

backseat driver »    By extension, anybody offering unsolicited or unwelcome advice.

bad egg »    disreputable character

bad news »    News of unpleasant, unfortunate or sad events.

bad penny »    A counterfeit or damaged penny.

bad penny »    A person or thing which is unpleasant, disreputable, or otherwise unwanted, especially one which repeatedly appears at inopportune times.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling of disappointment and frustration.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling of guilt, responsibility, or embarrassment as to cause nausea.

bad taste in one's mouth »    A feeling something is morally despicable as to cause nausea.

bad to the bone »    Completely bad and evil; pure evil.

badge bunny »    A woman who is romantically attracted to police officers and who seeks out their companionship.

baggage »    In a metaphorical sense, factors that restrict a person's freedom, often in an intellectual or psychological way: emotional baggage.

bail out »    To secure the release of an arrested person by providing bail money.

bail out »    To remove water from a boat by scooping it out.

bail out »    To leave or not attend.

baker's dozen »    Thirteen, a group of thirteen.

bakers dozen »    Thirteen.

balance out »    To counteract one another so as to be balanced.

balance the books »    To put or keep any closed or conservative system or its analysis in balance.

balancing act »    An effort to manage many conflicting or competing items or interests.

bale out »    Alternative spelling of bail out.

ballpark estimate »    A ballpark figure, a very rough approximation.

ballpark figure »    An educated guess or estimation within acceptable bounds.

balum rancum »    A hop or dance, where the women are all prostitutes. N. B. The company dance in their birthday suits.

bang to rights »    Caught red-handed; in a guilty state.

bang up job »    Something done very well; something performed above average or better than expected.

bank night »    An event where patrons are enticed to buy entry tickets into some venue, for example a movie theater, with the anticipation that they will be entered into a drawing to win an amount of money if their ticket is drawn and they are on-site at the time of the winning.

baptism by fire »    A rite of passage through the survival or success of a crisis.

bar star »    A female who frequents bars or lounges, usually late at night.

bare one's teeth »    Of an animal, to show one's teeth as a sign of aggression.

bare one's teeth »    To show one's aggression.

barge in »    To intrude; to enter or interrupt suddenly and without invitation.

bark up the wrong tree »    To attempt or pursue the wrong thing; to take the wrong approach; to follow a false lead.

barking dogs never bite »    Alternative form of barking dogs seldom bite.

barking dogs seldom bite »    People who make big threats never usually carry them out.

barnburner »    Liberal faction of the New York state United States Democratic Party in the mid 19th century.

barrel »    A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads. Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.

barrel »    A waste receptacle.

barrel »    The quantity which constitutes a full barrel. This varies for different articles and also in different places for the same article, being regulated by custom or by law. A barrel of wine is 31 1/2 gallons; a barrel of flour is 196 pounds; of beer 31 gallons; of ale 32 gallons; of crude oil 42 gallons.

barrel of laughs »    A toy in the shape of a barrel that emits sounds of laughter.

barrel of laughs »    That which is enjoyable or entertaining.

barrow man »    A man under sentence of transportation; alluding to the convicts at Woolwich, who are principally employed in wheeling barrows full of brick or dirt.

bash out »    To write something very quickly, without much thought.

bash up »    To assault someone with the intention of causing physical injury.

bass-ackward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

bass-ackwards »    Alternative form of ass-backwards.

bassackward »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

bassackwards »    Alternative form of bass-ackwards.

bat a thousand »    To achieve success at each attempt.

bat around »    When at least nine batters bat in a half inning.

bat for both sides »    To be a batter for both teams in an amateur baseball game.

bat for the other team »    To be homosexual.

batten down »    To close or make watertight, referring to hatches and cargo.

batten down the hatches »    Prepare for trouble.

battle cry »    By extension, a strong motto or purpose statement, especially in regards to winning a goal in sports, games or work.

bawdy basket »    The twenty-third rank of canters, who carry pins, tape, ballads, and obscene books to sell, but live mostly by stealing.

be after »    To try to obtain.

be after »    To try to capture.

be all ears »    To listen carefully or eagerly; to anticipate.

be around »    To be alive, existent, or present.

be had up »    To be accused of, or arrested for a criminal act.

be in for »    To be able to expect or anticipate; to be about to suffer, generally said of something unpleasant.

be mother »    To pour out tea for others.

be of two minds »    To be undecided or unsure; to equivocate; to have multiple opinions.

be on about »    Talk about; mean, intend.

be the way to go »    Represent the best of all possible options or courses of action; pre-eminate over all other choices or alternatives.

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.

beam up »    To teleport another person or object in the same manner.

bear down »    To intensify one's efforts.

bear down on »    To approach someone in a very determined way.

bear in mind »    Remember; consider; note.

bear out »    To corroborate, prove, or confirm; to demonstrate; to provide evidence for.

beat a dead horse »    To persist or continue far beyond any purpose, interest or reason.

beat around the bush »    To treat a topic but omit its main points, often intentionally.

beat Banaghan »    An Irish saying of one who tells wonderful stories, or of something which is amazing and remarkable.

beat off »    To masturbate.

beat off »    To waste time.

beat one's head against a stone wall »    To waste effort on a futile project.

beat one's meat »    To masturbate.

beat up »    To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.

beat up »    To cause by some other means, injuries comparable to the result of being beaten up.

beat up »    Repeatedly bomb a military target or targets.

beat up »    To verbally assault repeatedly.

beauty is only skin deep »    What matters is a person's character, rather than his/her appearance.

beddable »    [...] feminine, great body great legs great taste, trained and beddable, Jesus, how beddable.

bee in one's bonnet »    Something of particular interest or concern; an obsession.

beefed out »    Muscular, often in an exaggerated way.

been there, done that, bought the T-shirt »    Expresses the speaker's complete familiarity with a situation, with overtones of cynicism or exhaustion.

been to the rodeo »    Exposed to conmen and hucksters; experienced.

beg to differ »    To differ strongly in opinion or interpretation.

beggars can't be choosers »    (proverb) When resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts.

behind its time »    Showing characteristics of the past; present in one's work after later advances in the field; coming later than could be generally accepted.

behind the bit »    An equestrian term, meaning that the horse is evading the bit.

behind the counter »    Of drugs, dispensed by a pharmacist without needing a doctor's prescription or other form of compliance.

believe in »    To ascribe existence to.

believe in »    To ascribe some powers or other attributes to.

believe you me »    An emphatic form of "believe me"; you [the subject] had better believe me [the speaker].

below the belt »    Unfair; dirty; not according to the generally accepted rules.

belt and suspenders »    Redundant systems, affording mutual backup in the event of one failing.

bench jockey »    A baseball term for a player, coach or manager who is annoying and distracts opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout bench with verbal repartee.

bent on »    Completely determined; obstinate.

best of the bunch »    The best or most preferred person or item within a group.

best regards »    Used as a polite closing of a letter.

bet the farm »    To be absolutely certain, to have no doubts.

better an egg today than a hen tomorrow »    It is better to have a sure thing now than a possibility of more later.

better safe than sorry »    It is preferable to be cautious in one's choices and actions than to suffer afterwards.

better than sex »    Superlative; wonderful.

better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all »    Having experience of love, even if it ended, is better than having no experience of love.Love is worthwhile despite the pain involved in separation.

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.

between a rock and a hard place »    Having the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary.

between the jigs and the reels »    Eventually, despite all the confusion.

beyond the black stump »    Extremely remote, outside the populated area.

big break »    A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.

big enchilada »    Some item of high value, especially a top prize or reward.

big fat »    Complete, utter, total.

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 gun »    Someone who is powerful or influential most often in plural form.

big mouth »    The mouth of someone who talks too much, especially by making exaggerated claims or by inappropriately revealing information.

big top »    circus tent

big up »    To proclaim or exaggerate the importance of.

bigger fish to fry »    A much more pressing issue to attend to.

bill of goods »    A collection of items purchased or offered for sale.

bird in the hand »    Shortened form of "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".

birds of a feather »    People having similar characters, backgrounds, interests, or beliefs.

birds of a feather flock together »    People of similar character, background, or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another.

birds of the feather flock together »    People who are alike physically tend to congregate and socialize together, despite government efforts at forced integration.

bite i gresset »    To bite the dust, to die.

bite i gresset »    To loose.

bite me »    An expression of discontent or aggravation to another party.

bite of the reality sandwich »    A wake-up call, a reality check.

bite off more than one can chew »    To try to do too much; to take on or attempt more than one is capable of doing.

bite one's tongue »    An admonishment to someone who has said something unfeeling or harsh.

bite one's tongue »    To forcibly prevent oneself from uttering a word.

bite someone's head off »    To severely berate someone.

bite the bullet »    To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to continue moving forward.

bite the bullet »    To endure a punishment or consequence with dignity or stoicism.

bite the dust »    To die.

bite the dust »    To quit, or fail.

bite the hand that feeds you »    To cause harm to a benefactor.

bite to eat »    A snack or quick meal.

bitter end »    That part of an anchor cable which is abaft the bitts and thus remains onboard when a ship is riding at anchor.

bitter end »    The end of a long and difficult process.

bitter pill »    Something unpleasant that must be accepted or endured.

black »    Illegitimate, illegal or disgraced.

black magic »    Magic derived from evil forces, as distinct from good or benign forces; or magic performed with the intention of doing harm.

black-on-black »    A reference to interactions between black people .

black-on-black »    Something that is invisible or intentionally obfuscated, such as warnings or fine print.

blame Canada »    A catch phrase for shifting attention away from a serious social issue by laying responsibility with Canada.

blanket term »    A word or phrase that is used to describe multiple groups of related things. The degree of relation may vary. Blanket terms often trade specificity for ease-of-use; in other words, a blanket term by itself gives little detail about the things that it describes or the relationships between them, but is easy to say and remember. Blanket terms often originate as slang, and eventually become integrated into the general vocabulary.

bleeding edge »    Something very current, or modern where there may actually be a hazard or risk in using it, such as with potentially unstable software. The term relates to a sword.

bleep out »    To censor inappropriate spoken words by obscuring them with the sound of a bleep.

blessed event »    An occurrence or occasion which is particularly noteworthy and enjoyable.

blessing in disguise »    A misfortune that has an unexpected benefit.

blimp out »    To become fat or fatter, especially as a result of excessive eating.

blind »    An 1800s baseball term meaning no score.

blind »    Any device intended to conceal or hide; as, a duck blind.

blind date »    A romantic meeting between two people who have never met before.

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!

blot out »    To make something undecipherable; to obliterate.

blow a fuse »    To lose one's temper; to become enraged.

blow away »    Flabbergast; scintillate; impress greatly.

blow chunks »    To be very bad, inadequate, unpleasant, or miserable; to thoroughly suck.

blow chunks »    To vomit chunks of undigested food.

blow hot and cold »    To behave inconsistently; to vacillate or to waver, as between extremes of opinion or emotion.

blow off »    To shoot something with a gun, causing it to come disconnected.

blow off steam »    To rant or shout in order to relieve stress; to vent.

blow one's top »    To be explosively angry. To lose one's temper.

blow out of proportion »    To overreact to or overstate; to treat too seriously or be overly concerned with.

blow someone out of the water »    To trounce; to defeat someone thoroughly, at a game or in battle.

blow the whistle »    To disclose information to the public or to appropriate authorities concerning the illegal or socially harmful actions of a person or group, especially a corporation or government agency.

blow up »    To inflate or fill with air.

blow-by-blow »    Detailing every action or occurrence completely.

blue moon »    The moon tinted towards blue as it appears in the sky, caused by dust or smoke in the atmosphere.

blue moon »    The third full moon in a quarter that contains four rather than the usual three full moons.

blue note »    Notes added to the major scale for expressive quality in jazz and blues music, particularly the flatted third, fifth and seventh.

blue state »    A state of the United States voting Democratic in a given election, or tending to vote Democratic in general.

blue-eyed boy »    Someone's favourite, especially a young one.

board up »    To block doors or windows with boards, either to prevent access or as protection from storms, etc.

boil down »    As an allusion to the cooking technique of reducing liquids by heat, one boils down a problem, argument, etc. to its most central elements.

bone dry »    Completely dry; without any trace of moisture.

bone of contention »    Something that continues to be disputed; something on which no agreement can be reached.

booby prize »    A prize or status, often unwelcome, awarded as a joke or disincentive to the loser of a contest or for poor performance.

book in »    register

boot camp »    A short, intensive, quasi-military program generally aimed at young offenders as an alternative to a jail term.

boot camp »    Any short, intensive course of training.

boot camp »    Indoctrination, physical fitness training and basic instruction in service-related subjects for recruits in the Navy and Marine Corps.

boot up »    To start a computer using its bootstrap procedure.

booze can »    A nightclub or bar, especially one which operates illegally or is otherwise disreputable.

born in a barn »    Engaging in the annoying behavior of inappropriately, and usually neglectfully, leaving open a door or window.

born in a barn »    Lacking a sense of etiquette; ill-mannered.

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth »    Note. The original nautical expression is just born with a silver spoon and describes those young gentlemen who were able to enter the Royal Navy without examination and whose promotion was assured. the converse was born with a wooden ladle.

born yesterday »    New, naive, innocent, inexperienced or easily deceived.

borne out »    Substantiated.

bottom line »    The final balance; the amount of money or profit left after everything has been tallied.

bottom of the line »    The worst, the most lackluster, or lowest quality currently on the market, especially among selections in a product line.

bottom of the ninth »    By extension, any last chance or final opportunity.

bought the farm »    Simple past tense and past participle of buy the farm: died; often refers to death in battle.

bowl a googly »    Something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.

box on the ear »    Administered on the victim's ear, usually by an educator, to enforce attention.

box the compass »    To know, and be able to recite the 32 points and quarter points of the magnetic compass from North, both clockwise and anticlockwise.

box the compass »    To make a complete reversal in stance or opinion.

box-office bomb »    A motion picture that generates relatively low revenue at the box office, especially that which is less than the budget for the motion picture.

boys and their toys »    Used to evoke the idea that adult men sometimes dote excessively on machines, automobiles, and gadgets in a childish manner.

boys will be boys »    It is hard, often fruitless, to attempt to curb the natural playfulness and tendency to mischief of most growing boys.1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Chapter 13But just then there was a slight altercation between Master Tommy and Master Jacky. Boys will be boys and our two twins were no exception to this golden rule.Even grown men usually remain somewhat boyish in heart"Boys will be boys", grinned grandpa while he joined his adult son playing with the fancy train-set he gave his grandson for Christmas while the kid was in school.

bragging rights »    The prerogative to praise oneself for an accomplishment or for possession of a superior characteristic.

brain surgeon »    Someone very intelligent.

brain surgery »    Surgery on any part of the nervous system, especially the brain; neurosurgery.

brain teaser »    puzzle

branch out »    To attempt something new or different, but related.

brass ring »    Figuratively, a prize or goal. Often used with respect to employment goals e.g. promotion, better job, etc.

bread and butter »    Bread spread with butter.

bread and butter »    That which is central or fundamental, as to one's business, survival, or income; a staple or cornerstone.

break a sweat »    ' , Karon Karter - The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Pilates Method page 119.

break ground »    To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements.

break in »    To enter by force or illicit means.

break into »    To enter illegally or by force.

break new ground »    By extension, to initiate a new venture.

break off »    To end abruptly, either temporarily or permanently.

break out »    To separate from a bundle.

break rank »    To march or charge out of the designated order in a military unit.

break the back of »    To achieve the greater part of some project.

break up »    To break or separate into pieces; to disintegrate or come apart.

break up »    Of a telephone conversation, to cease to be understandable because of a bad connection.

break up »    To break or separate into pieces.

break up »    To stop a fight; to separate people who are fighting.

break wind »    To flatulate; fart; to expel gases generated during digestion through the anus.

brick by brick »    To create or build something in a steady, step-by-step fashion.

brickbat »    For example, it's quite common for magazines to have a section called Bouquets and Brickbats for compliments and criticisms.

bridge »    A device which connects two or more computer buses, typically in a transparent manner.

bridge »    A prosthesis replacing one or several adjacent teeth.

bridge »    A song contained within another song, often demarcated by meter, key, or melody.

bridge »    A statement, such as an offer, that signals a possibility of accord.

bridge »    A system which connects two or more local area networks at layer 2.

bridge »    A valence bond, atom or chain of atoms that connects two different parts of a molecule; the atoms so connected being bridgeheads.

bridge »    An edge which, if removed, changes a connected graph to one that is not connected.

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.

bridge »    An unintended solder connection between two or more components or pins.

bridge »    Any of several electrical devices that measure characteristics such as impedance and inductance by balancing different parts of a circuit.

bridge »    Cue for extended or tedious shots. Also called a spider.

bright line »    A clear distinction in the context of a legal or moral judgment.

bright-line rule »    A clearly defined rule or standard, comprised of objective factors, which leaves little or no room for varying interpretation.

brighten up »    To become brighter.

brighten up »    To make cheerful.

brighten up »    Brighten up my day.

brighten up »    Brighten up a room.

bring down »    To make a legitimate rulership lose their position of power.

bring forth »    To create, generate, bring into existence.

bring in »    To introduce a new rule, law, or system of organisation.

bring it on »    Used to indicate one's willingness to accept a challenge, confront a threat, etc.

bring it weak »    To fail to accomplish an accomplishable task or to make an attempt at less than maximum effort; to "half-ass" or "fake the funk".

bring owls to Athens »    Forgive me, then, for bringing owls to Athens as a thanks-offering. — Goethe, in a letter to Wilhelm von Humboldt.

bring round »    To resuscitate; to cause to regain consciousness.

broken vessel »    A person who is destroyed or forgotten, or who feels flawed or broken.

broken-hearted »    Alternative spelling of brokenhearted. Feeling depressed, despondent, or hopeless, especially over losing a love.

bros before hos »    Alternative spelling of bros before hoes.

brown bread »    Bread with a brown colour as distinct from white bread, wholemeal, granary or other specific types of bread.

browned off »    Annoyed, upset, angry, bored, fed up, disgusted.

buck up »    Hurry up; make haste.

bucket of bolts »    A piece of machinery that is not worth more than its scrap value, often of old cars.

buckle up »    To fasten one's seat belt or safety belt.

buff the muffin »    To masturbate.

bug off »    Used to tell somebody to leave them alone.

build a better mousetrap »    To invent the next great thing; to have a better idea.

build up »    To accumulate, to pile up.

built like a brick shithouse »    Exceptionally well constructed; strong or tough.

built like a tank »    Sturdy; exceptionally well constructed.

bum around »    To wander around idly to no purpose; to loaf or loiter.

bum steer »    Bad advice, regardless of intention.

bump and grind »    A combination of movements resembling such a dance, as in road racing, whitewater kayaking, or exercising; any activity involving prolonged jarring or shaking.

bump and grind »    A sexually suggestive dance involving exaggerated hip movements, especially a striptease dance.

bump up »    To promote a person to a higher grade.

bundle of energy »    The energy associated with being lively, continually active, or industrious.

bunk off »    We all bunked off school yesterday to watch the football.

bunny hop »    A ground ball that hops along the field instead of rolling.

buoy up »    To uplift, hearten, inspire or raise the spirits.

buried treasure »    Something, having been concealed for a long time, which later is found and is profitable.

buried treasure »    Treasure stashed underground or underwater.

burn a hole in one's pocket »    To cause someone to be tempted to spend money.

burn down »    To completely burn, so that nothing remains.

burn rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

burn the midnight oil »    To work studiously, especially late into the night.

bush telegraph »    A gossip network.

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 end »    The part of a tool or other similar item, that is physically used for its operation, rather than the part which is held.

business girl »    A prostitute.

bust a cap in someone's ass »    Alternative form of pop a cap in someone's ass.

bust chops »    To nag; to berate or hound in an effort to elicit action.

busted flush »    A potential flush which ultimately was not filled.

busted flush »    Anything which ends up worthless despite great potential.

bustle with »    To teem with; abound with; to exhibit an energetic and active abundance of a thing; to be full of a certain activity or active beings.

busy work »    Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.

but seriously folks »    Directs attention to immediately preceding failed attempt at humor.

but then »    Then again, on the other hand; used to show that the opposite viewpoint is possible.

but who's counting »    Used as a retort or comeback, often to deprecate oneself or another for excessive concern or attention to.

butt-naked »    Stark-naked, completely nude.

butter fingers »    A clumsy person who always drops things, a klutz.

butter up »    To flatter, especially with the intent of personal gain.

butterfly upon a wheel »    An innocent person crushed by life's adversities.

button up »    To fasten with a button or buttons.

button up »    To fasten all the buttons on a coat, or similar item of clothing, to keep warm.

buttoned-down »    Alternative form of button-down.

buy out »    To purchase the entire stock or extent of something.

buy straw hats in winter »    Of stocks, to buy when both demand and price is low, sell when demand and price is high.

buy the farm »    To die; often, to die in battle.

buy to let »    To purchase a property as in investment, and to let it out for rental instead of living in it.

buzz off »    Used to tell someone to go away.

by a long shot »    By a wide margin; indicates a very big difference or disparity.

by all means »    Yes certainly; definitely.

by far »    To a considerably large extent, easily.

by heart »    Knowing completely; as having committed completely to memory.

by no means »    Certainly not; definitely not.

by the skin of one's teeth »    Barely; closely; by a narrow margin; with nothing to spare.

by the way »    His mother will be coming for dinner tomorrow, and, by the way, she volunteered to bring dessert.

by the way »    Incidentally; a parenthetical statement not timely, central, or crucial to the topic at hand; foregone, passed by, something that has already happened.

by the way »    [...] I had counted on a life-lease of the profits, whereas I only received those of a few short years. But this is by the way.

call in »    To communicate with a base etc, by telephone.

call off the dogs »    During a one-sided sports contest, to remove the first-string unit of a team from the game after dominating the opponent.

call off the dogs »    To ease up on after inflicting great punishment.

calling card »    A prepaid card or credit card, usually electronically readable, used to pay the charges when making a telephone call.

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.

calling card »    An attribute, object, or behavior which is distinctly characteristic of someone or something.

camel through the eye of a needle »    Hyperbole to illustrate that something is almost impossible to do or to happen.

can of worms »    A troublesome situation; an issue whose resolution is difficult or contentious, but not necessarily complex.

can't wait »    To eagerly anticipate; to find it unbearable to wait for a forthcoming pleasurable event.

cap it all off »    To finish or complete something.

carbon copy »    duplicate

carried away »    Made excessively emotional or excited.

carry a torch for »    [2] To harbor feelings of love despite not being in a relationship; generally unrequited or after a relationship has ended, and sometimes implying secret feelings. There is the implication of keeping hope alive.

carry a tune »    To produce music, especially to sing, with accurate pitch.

carry on »    To act or behave; especially to act or behave so as to attract attention.

carry one's weight »    To contribute or produce one's fair share, as of work, money, etc.

carry someone's water »    To do someone's bidding; to serve someone's interests.

carry the message to Garcia »    To perform a requisite task despite obstacles.

carry the message to Garcia »    To perform a requisite task without having been informed specifically by what method to do so.

carry water for »    To perform menial tasks for; to serve; to assist.

case in point »    An example that illustrates a point.

cash cow »    A product, service, or enterprise that generates ongoing, high net free cash flows.

cast aspersions »    To make damaging or spiteful remarks.

cast off »    To finish the last row of knitted stitches and remove them securely from the needle.

cast one's vote »    To vote for something.

cast pearls before swine »    To give things of value to those who will not understand or appreciate it.

cast the first stone »    To act self-righteously in accusing another person, believing that one is blameless.

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.

cat that ate the canary »    A person who appears self-satisfied or smug, especially while concealing something mischievous, prohibited, or private.

cat that ate the canary »    A person whose appearance and behavior suggest guilt mixed with other qualities, such as satisfaction or feigned nonchalance.

cat's cradle »    Any complicated structure which appears to be without purpose.

cat's meow »    A highly sought-after and fancy example of something.

cat's pyjamas »    A highly sought-after and fancy example of something, usually referring to inanimate objects.

catbird seat »    Expression used to describe an enviable position, often one of great advantage.

catch a buzz »    To become slightly inebriated, but not yet be drunk.

catch a cold »    To become infected with cold.

catch flies »    An ostensible product of awkwardly having one's mouth open wide.

catch hell »    Be severely reprimanded, punished, or beaten.

catch it »    Be severely reprimanded, punished, or beaten.

catch on »    To begin to understand; to realize or detect.

catch out »    To put a batsman out by catching the batted ball before it touches the ground.

catch someone's eye »    To capture someone's attention.

catch up »    To compensate for or make up a deficiency.

catch-as-catch-can »    A. 1681, John Fryer, Richard Chiswell, Robert Roberts, Robert White, A New Account of East-India and Persia, in Eight Letters, Being Nine Years Travels, Begun 1672 and Finished 1681.

catch-as-catch-can »    Intermittent; only when possible or when the opportunity presents itself.

catmeat »    Someone who has been badly beaten.

caucus race »    A political competition; the game of campaigning and one-upmanship to get votes and be elected.

caucus race »    The competitive process in which a political party selects their candidate, esp. presidential; a primary election via caucus.

caught between the devil and the deep blue sea »    Having a choice between two alternatives, both undesirable.

center field »    A central role in some activity that requires speed.

center field »    The defensive position in the outfield in the middle, typically played by a player that can run fast.

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.

ceterum censeo »    A formulaic expression used to end a speech by reinforcing one, often unrelated, major view.

chalk up »    To attribute, credit, or blame.

chalk up to »    To attribute or account for something.

chalkface »    A cliff or quarry exposing chalk, e.g. the White Cliffs of Dover.

chalkface »    A musical concept or genre in which music is completely improvised and never played twice. Most often mixing elements of hip-hop, metal, punk and avant-garde jazz.

champ at the bit »    To bite the bit, especially when restless.

chance'd be a fine thing »    Given to indicate that an aforementioned thing would be desirable but unlikely. Comparable to if I should be so lucky.

charge up »    To motivate, to instill someone with determination.

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.

chase after »    To chase someone.

chase after »    To pursue someone with romantic intentions; to woo.

chase down »    To investigate the cause of something.

chat up »    In a friendly, open, or casual manner, sometimes also in a charming or affected manner, usually to curry favor, and sometimes flirtatiously with the intention of establishing a romantic or sexual encounter or relationship with that person.

che sara sara »    Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism1892 March 17, Cigarette,

cheat sheet »    A sheet of paper containing notes used to assist on a test.

cheaters never prosper »    One does not gain from cheating.

check in »    To announce or record one's arrival at a hotel, airport etc.

check out »    To pay the bill, and record one's departure, as from a hotel.

check out »    To withdraw an item, as from a library, and have the withdrawal recorded.

check out »    To obtain computer source code from a repository.

check out »    Used to draw attention to something and stimulate excitement about it.

cheer on »    To cheer and support a team, to barrack, to root for.

cherry pick »    To position oneself near the opponent's goal to attempt to receive an errant or intentional pass for an easy score, as in basketball or versions of soccer where offsides are not enforced.

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.

chew somebody out »    To berate; to shout at someone.

chew the cud »    To meditate or ponder before answering; to be deep in thought; to ruminate.

chew the fat »    To chat idly or generally waste time talking.

chew the scenery »    To display excessive emotion or to act in an exaggerated manner while performing; to be melodramatic; to be flamboyant.

chickens coming home to roost »    Consequences visited upon someone who originally had appeared to escape them.

chip in »    To contribute.

chip in »    To interrupt a discussion for the purpose of making a comment.

chip off the old block »    Someone who takes after their parent.

chip on one's shoulder »    A tendency to take offence quickly.

choke the chicken »    To masturbate.

circles around »    Far faster or better than.

circuit slugger »    A talented baseball batter that hits home runs.

circular firing squad »    A political party or other group experiencing considerable disarray because the members are engaging in internal disputes and mutual recrimination.

cite chapter and verse »    To provide specific references from an authoritative book, as the Bible or a book of statutes or rules, to support a statement.

cite chapter and verse »    To speak authoritatively, providing detailed factual information.

city slicker »    One accustomed to a city or urban lifestyle or unsuited to life in the country.

clay »    A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.

clay »    A tennis court surface.

clay »    An earth material with ductile qualities.

clay »    The material of the human body.

clean code »    Software code that is formatted correctly and in an organized manner so that another coder can easily read or modify it.

clean house »    To clean the interior of a house.

clean out »    To clean, especially to tidy by removing the contents.

clean out »    To empty completely; to remove all money or possessions from.

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.

clear the decks »    To remove, or fasten, all loose material, or partitions prior to a naval engagement.

clear up »    Of stormy weather, to dissipate, to become calm.

climb the walls »    To behave in a distressed or frantic manner; to feel very agitated.

clock up »    To accumulate a large amount of time.

clock up »    To accumulate a large distance.

close fisted »    stingy

close in on »    To enclose around; to tighten or shrink; to collapse.

close off »    To seal or block the entrance to a road, an area, or a building so that people cannot enter.

close shave »    A near accident or mishap; a dangerous or risky encounter or incident.

close the stable door after the horse has bolted »    To attempt to prevent a problem only to find it has already happened.

close, but no cigar »    That's almost correct, but not quite.

cloud nine »    A state of happiness, elation or bliss; often used in the phrase on cloud nine.

clue in »    To inform, instruct, or tell.

clutter up »    To fill with rubbish.

cock a hoop »    elated

cock of the walk »    A proud or conceited person.

cock up »    Unintentionally; to screw up, mess up or f** up.

cold hands, warm heart »    Implies inner beauty; a caring person; warm-hearted

Cold hands, warm heart; Dirty feet, no sweetheart! »    A few old timer's "fun" way to compliment a lady & to find out if she could be courted.

cold shoulder »    A deliberate act of disrespect; a slight or snub.

cold turkey »    The sudden and complete withdrawal of a dependent substance, especially of a drug.

collect one's thoughts »    To become mentally composed, especially after being distressed, surprised, or disoriented; to become calm or organized in one's emotional state or thinking, as in preparation for a conversation, speech, decision, etc.

colt over the fence »    An illegitimate child.

combine harvester »    farm vehicle

come about »    To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking.

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 »    To depend upon, basically, ultimately or in essence.

come full circle »    To complete a cycle of transition, returning to the point of origin.

come full circle »    To make a complete change or reform.

come hell or high water »    Regardless of the hardships.

come in »    To enter.

come in »    Of a broadcast, such as radio or television, to have a strong enough signal to be able to be received well.

come in »    To join or enter; to begin playing with a group.

come on »    A statement or sometimes action reflecting sexual or relational interest.

come on »    To encounter, discover; to come upon.

come online »    To enter service or become active.

come out of the closet »    To tell others about homosexuality, bisexuality or any minority or disapproved-of belief, preference, etc., where previously this had been kept secret.

come out with »    To say something unexpected.

come the acid »    To exaggerate.

come to »    To recover consciousness after fainting etc.

come to »    To devote attention to in due course; to come around to.

come to »    To regard or specify, as narrowing a field of choices by category.

come to a head »    To suddenly make mature or perfected that which was inchoate or imperfectly formed.

come to a head »    To suddenly reveal that which has lain latent for a time.

come to terms »    To accept or resign oneself to something emotionally painful.

come to terms »    To reach an agreement or settle a dispute.

come to think of it »    By the way; now that I think about it; indicates something brought to mind.

come up »    To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly; to come to attention, present itself.

come up with »    To invent, create, or think of.

come what may »    In spite of anything that might happen; whatever may occur.

comfort girl »    A sex slave; prostitute.

comfort woman »    A woman forced, or supposedly recruited, into brothels by the Japanese occupation forces during World War II.

common ground »    A characteristic or interest shared by multiple people or systems.

company »    A unit of firefighters and their equipment.

company »    In legal context, an entity that manufactures or sells products , or provides services as a commercial venture. A corporation.

company »    In non-legal context, any business, without respect to incorporation.

company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

concrete jungle »    An urban or other populated area containing a high density of buildings constructed of concrete or similar materials, especially one which lacks greenery and which seems unattractive, harsh, or unsafe.

controlled substance »    Except for very limited professional testing purposes.

conversation piece »    interesting object

cook the books »    To manipulate accounting information, esp. illegally, by a corporation.

cook up »    To manufacture; to falsify; to devise an elaborate lie.

cookie-cutter »    A solution to a problem that can be applied in many situations without modification.

cookie-cutter »    Of or pertaining to cookie cutters.

cookie-cutter »    Of or pertaining to identical looking things.

cool down »    To become cooler, to be reduced in temperature.

cool down »    To cause something temperature to lower.

cool down »    To become less agitated.

cool down »    To cause to become less agitated.

cool one's jets »    To become less excited, intense, or active.

coop up »    To confine in a restricted place or situation.

cop a feel »    To stealthily fondle someone in a sexual manner.

cop-out »    Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out.

cordon off »    To protect from intrusion by enclosing in a rope barrier.

corner the market »    To monopolize a resource or commodity, as with the intent of driving up prices.

corporation pop »    Water.

correlation does not imply causation »    (statistics) The observed correlation between two parameters, say, the growth of a market and the growth of a neighbor's child may, in fact, have nothing to do with each other's causation.

cotton to »    To like; approve of, accept, or tolerate.

coug it »    To suddenly lose a contest through reversal of fortune, mistakes, or bad judgment. The phrase is analogous to "blow it", or "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory".

cough up »    To lose a competition by one's own mistakes, usually near the end of the contest.

could not get elected dogcatcher »    Is unpopular.

couldn't happen to a nicer »    Sarcastically asserts that those in question thoroughly deserve their fate.

count sheep »    To attempt to go to sleep by thinking of something boring, traditionally by counting imaginary sheep.

cover one's bases »    To be thorough; to prepare thoroughly or completely.

cozy up »    With "to", to ingratiate oneself .

cradle robber »    A person who marries or becomes romantically involved with someone who is much younger or who employs or otherwise engages a young person for a purpose inappropriate for his or her age.

crank up »    To start something mechanical, an act that often used to involve cranking.

crash and burn »    To fail utterly.

crash course »    A quick, intense course of learning, especially one which is informal or hurried.

crashpad »    Any place used for temporary lodging.

crashpad »    In the aviation industry, used for a place of temporary lodging for airline flight crews.

cream in one's jeans »    To ejaculate while wearing one's trousers.

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.

creature feature »    A horror film in which one or more monsters plays a prominent role.

creep into »    To enter something or somewhere by creeping.

creep into »    To enter surreptitiously.

creep up »    To advance with stealth, unnoticed.

crocodile tear »    A tear shed insincerely, in a false display of sorrow or some other emotion.

crocodile tears »    A display of tears that is forced or false.

crocodile tears »    Plural form of crocodile tear.

crop up »    To occur, especially suddenly or unexpectedly.

cross my heart »    A declaration that the speaker is telling the truth.

cross off »    To finish; to mark something as complete.

cross paths »    August 5 2004, SFGate.com.

cross paths »    To be, by chance, in the same physical place at the same time, as a result of two completely separate journeys.

cross the aisle »    Of a member of a parliament, to resign from one's political party and join another party, resulting in moving from one's currently assigned desk or seat in the legislative chamber to a new desk or seat physically located with the other members of one's new party.

cross the aisle »    To vote, unite, or otherwise co-operate with members of another political party in order to achieve governmental or political action.

cross the floor »    Of a member of a parliament, to resign from one's political party and join another party, resulting in moving from one's currently assigned desk or seat in the legislative chamber to a new desk or seat physically located with the other members of one's new party.

cross the floor »    To vote against one's own political party in parliament.

cross the line »    To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable.

crown jewels »    The jewelry that accompany the office of rulership in a monarchy. I.e., crown, scepter, signet ring, etc.

crush out »    To force out or separate by pressure.

cry for help »    Acting out as a means of displaying a subconscious desire for attention or help.

cry for help »    In her second year at the school Alexis stopped doing her homework and would often scribble on walls. Her teachers wondered whether this was a cry for help, or if she was simply misbehaving.

cry one's eyes out »    To weep for an elongated time, or in an excessive manner.

cry the blues »    To complain, especially in order to obtain sympathy for one's own purportedly sad situation.

crying shame »    It's a crying shame that so much money has been wasted on this pointless political campaign.

crystal clear »    Completely clear and understood.

crystal-clear »    Completely clear and understood.

cuckoo clock »    ornate timepiece

cup of tea »    A cup full of tea.

cup of tea »    Whatever suits or interests one.

curate's egg »    A thing which has good and bad parts.

curry favor »    To seek to gain favor by flattery or attention.

curveball »    An unexpected turn of events initiated by an opponent or chance.

cut corners »    To do a less than thorough or complete job; to do something poorly or take short cuts.

cut in »    To intrude or interrupt.

cut off »    To isolate or remove from contact.

cut off »    To interrupt.

cut off one's nose to spite one's face »    To harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary.

cut one's teeth »    To begin; to gain early experience.

cut out »    Well suited; appropriate; fit for a particular activity or purpose.

cut out »    delete

cut short »    Interrupt and curtail before the planned end time.

cut short »    Make shorter by cutting.

cut the cheese »    To flatulate.

cut to the chase »    To get to the point; to get on with it; to state something directly.

cutie pie »    A cute person.

cutie pie »    A small hand-held radiation meter.

cutting edge »    The forefront, or position of greatest advancement in some field.

damn by association »    Discredit or condemn a position, person, or thing by attacking those things with which he/she/it is associated.

dark horse »    A candidate who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice.

dark horse »    An unexpected success.

darken somebody's doorstep »    To enter somebody else's home uninvited.

darn tootin' »    Absolute, utter, complete, very.

darn tootin' »    Absolutely correct; speaking the truth.

dash off »    To write quickly or informally.

date with destiny »    An inevitable future event or encounter, especially one which is likely to be momentous.

dead »     : So hated by that they are absolutely ignored.

dead »    Completely inactive; without power; without a signal.

dead »    Full and complete.

dead »    Without interest to one of the senses; dull; flat.

dead air »    An unintended interruption in a radio broadcast during which there is no sound; a similar interruption of a television broadcast in which there is neither sound nor a video signal.

dead as a dodo »    That has become out of date.

dead as a dodo »    Undoubtedly and unquestionably dead.

dead as a doornail »    Unquestionably dead. Used for both inanimate objects and once living beings.

dead end »    A path or strategy that goes nowhere or is blocked on one end.

dead heat »    A close race or contest in which no winner is apparent.

dead in the water »    Nearly dead, doomed.

dead last »    The standings, often by a considerable margin to the next-to-last-place finisher or after an exceptionally poor showing or season.

dead men tell no tales »    Once someone is dead, they can no longer communicate, hence killing someone is the best way to keep him/her quiet.

dead set against »    Completely opposed, with no possibility of a change of mind.

dead shot »    Perfect shooter

deadstick landing »    When a pilot lands a plane after the engine has died; a landing lacking any propulsion control.

death knell »    A sign or omen foretelling the death or destruction of something.

deathblow »    Something that prevents the completion, or ends the existence of some project etc.

debris field »    Any area, non-dependent of locale, space, or contour, that contains the debris of wreckage, impact, sinking, or other material that once constituted a complete object. Debris fields can be found at the site of air crashes, water vessel sinking, explosions of buildings, collapses, and other events that render a whole entity into components, pieces, or other non-whole items.

deep end »    The part of a swimming pool with relatively deep water.

deep six »    To discard, cancel, halt; to completely put an end to something.

deep thinker »    A person whose thoughts are profound; an intellectual.

deep water »    A difficult or embarrassing situation.

deep water »    Waters suitable for deep-draft ships, especially ocean-going.

deep-six »    To get rid of something unwanted.

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.

deliver the message to Garcia »    Alternative form of carry the message to Garcia.

deliver the message to Garcia »    Programmers are consistently dehumanized because so many do indeed deliver the message to Garcia only to be at best ignored.

deliver the message to Garcia »    What we need is people who get the job done, no matter how. We don't want pickers who'll only learn if we use their preferred learning method. Have you read "A Message to Garcia" ? That's what we need today - young people who can deliver the message to Garcia.

desk jockey »    One who spends his or her time seated at a desk; especially one who is more concerned with procedure, paperwork, or administration than with its ultimate goal or practical consequence.

desperate times call for desperate measures »    In adverse circumstances actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.

desperate times require desperate measures »    Alternative form of desperate times call for desperate measures.

developments »    A group of building complexes or apartments. Often used for low income housing.

devil is in the details »    The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable.

devil's advocate »    A canon lawyer appointed by the Church to argue against the canonization of the proposed candidate.

devil's advocate »    One who debates from a view which they may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity, or simply for the sake of argument.

diamonds are a girl's best friend »    A statement that suggests, while love is a luxury, material wealth (particularly jewellery) is more valuable in the long run.

dicky-bird »    Endearing term for a small bird, often used when talking with young children.

dictated but not read »    Dictated, as to a secretary or stenographer, but not proofread by the person who dictated the text so annotated.

die »    Followed by for. Often expressing wider contextual motivations, though sometimes indicating direct causes.

die »    Followed by from. General use, though somewhat more common in medical or scientific contexts.

dig up »    To excavate something.

dim bulb »    A person who is slow-witted.

dirty laundry »    Unflattering facts or questionable activities that one wants to remain secret, but which some other may use to blackmail with.

disc jockey »    radio presenter

discretion is the better part of valour »    It is often wise to refrain from seemingly brave speech or action.1597

dish out »    To distribute or deliver something.

dishpan hands »    Hands which are rough, reddish, and dry, as from irritation and chafing caused by immersion in hot water mixed with detergent.

dive in »    To start a new endeavor enthusiastically and wholeheartedly.

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.

do a »    To emulate the behavior/behaviour that is generally attributed to the individual named.

do as I say and not as I do »    Don't imitate my behavior but obey my instructions.

do away with »    To destroy, eliminate, or make an end of.

do one »    To depart from a place, often with a sense of urgency.

do out »    to redecorate; to adorn

do something with mirrors »    To insinuate one has performed a magic or optical trick with the use of hidden mirrors, insinuating trickery and sham.

do something with mirrors »    To jokingly pretend that one did something using magic mirrors, that one is a magician; a joking explanation of the fantastic or the unexplained.

do the nasty »    To engage in sexual intercourse.

do up »    To fasten a piece of clothing.

do up »    To redecorate a room etc.

do what%3F »    An intensified version of what or huh.

do without »    To manage despite the lack of something.

do-or-die »    Requiring a determined or desperate effort to avoid the consequences of failure.

dodge a bullet »    To have a narrow escape; to avoid injury or disaster.

does Macy's tell Gimbel's »    (US, dated, colloquial, rhetorical question) A rhetorical question with the implied answer being that competitors do not share business secrets with one another.

dog and pony show »    Any presentation or display that is overly contrived or intricate.

dog and pony show »    Originally, a small, traveling circus featuring animals as entertainment.

dog's life »    A miserable, unhappy existence.

don't cry over spilled milk »    Alternative spelling of don't cry over spilt milk.

don't cry over spilt milk »    It is no use worrying about unfortunate events which have already happened and which cannot be changed.

don't dip your pen in company ink »    Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.

don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly »    Driving (a vehicle) very fast is a dangerous act.

don't get me started »    About the subject currently being discussed.

don't let the bedbugs bite »    Used to wish a person a good night's sleep.

don't put all your eggs in one basket »    Don't dedicate all your resources into one thing.

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.

don't take any wooden nickels »    Do not permit yourself be cheated or duped; do not be naive.

don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs »    Don't presume to give advice to those who are more experienced.

done a bunk »    Simple past tense and past participle of do a bunk.

double back »    To retrace one's steps; to go back where one has already gone.

double Dutch »    A date where both man and woman pay for their portion of the bill.

double entendre »    A phrase that has two meanings, especially where one is innocent and literal, the other risqué, bawdy, or ironic; an innuendo..

double entendre »    Plural form of double entendre.

double talk »    Lying, especially in a formal political statement.

double up »    After a fly ball has been caught.

down for the count »    Decisively beaten; rendered irrelevant for the long term.

down in the mouth »    Sad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.

down on one's luck »    Unlucky or undergoing a period of bad luck, especially with respect to financial matters.

down the drain »    Wasted, squandered; irretrievable.

down the road, not across the street »    Along the radial artery rather than across the wrist from side to side.

down the tubes »    Into a state of collapse or failure.

down to the short strokes »    In the final steps or decisive phase of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.

down-and-outer »    Someone who is down and out.

doze off »    To fall asleep unintentionally.

drag »    To move a mouse cursor while holding down a button on the mouse, often to move something on the screen.

drag one's feet »    To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.

drag out »    To extend or lengthen excessively.

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.

drama queen »    Any exaggeratedly dramatic person.

drama queen »    Who behaves and speaks in an overly dramatic manner so as to garner attention.

draw a bath »    To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.

draw out »    To make something last for more time than is necessary; prolong; extend.

draw the line »    To set a boundary, rule, or limit, especially on what one will tolerate.

draw the short straw »    To select the shortest straw or other object while drawing straws.

dress up »    To decorate; to prettify.

drill down »    To examine information at another level or in greater detail; especially in a database, to navigate to a more detailed level or record.

drive one up the wall »    To make a person very angry or bored; to infuriate.

drive-by media »    Media professionals who "spray" a bunch of repetitive misstatements, mistaken and misinterpreted news reports to cause excitement and confusion. They then figuratively "drive off" leaving the cleanup of their mess and hysteria to others, to correct and properly explain and interpret.

drop a bomb »    To release faeces from the bowels; to excrete.

drop a line »    A note or telegram.

drop a line »    On the telephone.

drop back »    Of a quarterback or other player in the backfield, to take a number of steps back from the line of scrimmage immediately after the snap or hike of the ball, to avoid defenders.

drop in »    . Often hyphenated drop-in.

drop somebody a line »    To write, call or visit somebody.

drop the gloves »    To remove a prior impediment to action; to prepare for or engage in a dispute.

drug of choice »    Substance that a suspect is addicted to.

drum up »    To generate or encourage; to campaign for.

dry eye »    Keratoconjunctivitis sicca , an eye disease caused by decreased tear production.

dry out »    To have excess water evaporate or be otherwise removed.

due course »    A. 1399, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales.

due course »    A. 1803, Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey.

due course »    Regular or appropriate passage or occurrence.

duly noted »    In a due, fit, or becoming manner; as it ought to be; properly.

dumb down »    To become simpler in expression or content; to become unacceptably simplistic.

dumb down »    To convey some subject matter in simple terms, avoiding technical or academic language, especially in a way that is considered condescending.

dummy run »    A trial or practice before the real attempt.

dummy up »    To make a mock-up or prototype version of something, without some or all off its intended functionality.

dust off »    To use something after a long time without it.

dusty miller »    A formulaic phrase for a miller, related to the dust generated in the milling process.

dyed in the wool »    Simple past tense and past participle of dye in the wool.

e pluribus unum »    A national motto of the United States of America, meaning "From many, one", or "out of many, one", referring to the integration of 13 independent colonies into one country, and that has taken an additional meaning, giving the pluralistic nature of American society from immigration.

each to his own »    Everyone is entitled to their own opinion or tastes.My housemate is a strict vegan. I personally could never not eat meat, but each to his own.

eager beaver »    Who is very excited or enthusiastic to begin a task.

early bird catches the worm »    Alternative form of early bird gets the worm.

eat one's own dog food »    To test the beta programs that are in the test phase on one's own computers; to dogfood.

eat one's young »    To betray a constituent or charge out of self-serving interests or desperation; savaging.

eat up »    To accept or believe entirely, immediately, and without questioning.

eat up »    To consume completely.

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.

edge out »    To win in a contest or a game by a narrow margin of victory.

egg somebody on »    To tease, provoke or encourage.

egg white »    albumen

elbow grease »    Effort or hard work, especially physical work involving repeated motion of the forearm, such as scrubbing.

eleventh hour »    Nearly too late; the last minute.

emperor's new clothes »    Something obvious and embarrassing that is politely ignored or that goes unacknowledged.

empty vessels make the most sound »    noisy, opinionated people are often stupid.

end of the line »    Final cessation or discontinuance of a process, institution, or person, especially one which has existed for a considerable period of time; death.

end of the line »    The termination point of a railway or similar transportation system.

end up »    To conclude, turn out, sometimes unexpectedly.

end up »    To arrive at a destination, sometimes unexpectedly.

engine room »    A compartment on a ship in which the engine machinery is located.

engine room »    The source of power in a team or other group.

enquire after »    To ask about the health of someone.

estate agent »    property seller

eureka moment »    The moment of a sudden unexpected discovery.

even Jove nods »    Alternative form of even Homer nods.

even keel »    A state of having one's emotions under control and balanced.

even money »    By extension, an event that is somewhat likely to happen, but far from inevitable.

every man has a price »    Everyone can be bribed or corrupted for a certain price.

every rule has an exception »    Alternative form of there is an exception to every rule.

every silver lining has a cloud »    Every good situation has the potential to turn bad.2007, Diab A. Shetayh, Actuality : The Reality RequiemA great partnership isn't a self-maintaining entity. Perseverance and persistence make it thrive. For every silver lining has a cloud. Ignorance of this reality is not an option.

everything and the kitchen sink »    Alternative form of everything but the kitchen sink.

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

evil twin »    A duplicate or counterpart of something or someone that acts in a contrary, nefarious, or insidious manner.

evil twin »    A rogue wireless access point installed near a legitimate one for purposes of eavesdropping or phishing.

experience is the best teacher »    Lessons learned from experience are the most lasting.

eye candy »    A very attractive person or persons, or the salient visible physical attributes of same.

eye up »    To examine closely something coveted.

f** with »    To mess with; to interact with in a careless or inappropriate way.

face off »    Either an actual or a figurative face to face confrontation, especially a bitter one.

face value »    No more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation.

face value »    The amount or value listed on a bill, note, stamp, etc.; the stated value or amount.

faceplant »    The act of landing face first, often associated with bailing during extreme sports.

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.

fail over »    To automatically switch processing from a failed component in a critical system to its live spare or backup component.

fair and square »    Totally fairly and undoubtedly.

fair enough »    An expression used to concede a point; denotes that, upon consideration, something is correct or reasonable; an expression of acknowledgment or understanding.

fair game »    An goal or object that may legitimately be sought.

fall apart »    To break into pieces through being in a dilapidated state.

fall between two stools »    To attempt two tasks and fail at both, when either one could have been accomplished singly.

fall by the wayside »    To fail to be completed, particularly for lack of interest; to be left out.

fall in line »    C. 2004, Career Soldiers, "Won't Waste My Life".

fall off »    A hip hop term; to completely lose the plot in terms of artistic direction.

fall off a truck »    Of an item of merchandise, to come into a person's possession without having been paid for; to be acquired illegally.

fall off the back of a lorry »    Of an item of merchandise, to come into a perons's possession without having been paid for; to have been acquired illegally.

fall off the turnip truck »    To be naive, uninformed, or unsophisticated, in the manner of a rustic person.

fall over »    Of a computer program, to crash.

fall short »    To be less satisfactory than expected; to be inadequate or insufficient.

fall through the cracks »    To be missed; to escape the necessary notice or attention.

false step »    A misstep; a stumble.

false step »    An erroneous action or decision.

familiarity breeds contempt »    The more acquainted one becomes with a person, the more one knows about his or her shortcomings and, hence, the easier it is to dislike that person.1894, H. Rider Haggard, The People Of The Mist, ch. 25:This was the beginning of evil, for if no man is a hero to his valet de chambre, much less can he remain a god for long in the eyes of a curious woman. Here, as in other matters, familiarity breeds contempt.

family jewels »    Testicles.

fancypants »    Alternative spelling of fancy pants. The condition of being overly showy; concerned more about one's reputation than anything else.

far be it »    Pewtey in Marriage Guidance Counselor from And Now For Something Completely Different.

fashion plate »    A person who dresses in especially stylish fashions.

fashion plate »    A picture, usually an advertisement, showing the latest fashion in clothing.

fat of the land »    The greatest part of anything; the finest and most abundant share of resources; the cream of the crop.

feather in one's cap »    An accomplishment; particularly one that is flaunted or boasted of.

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.

fed up »    Frustrated, annoyed, tired .

federal case »    Any over-exaggerated ordeal.

feed a cold, starve a fever »    Eating more will cure the common cold, and eating less will cure a fever.1887, J. H. Whelan, "The Treatment of Colds.", The Practitioner, vol. 38, pg. 180:"Feed a cold, starve a fever." There is a deal of wisdom in the first part of this advice. A person with a catarrh should take an abundance of light nutritious food, and some light wine, but avoid spirits, and above all tobacco.1968, Katinka Loeser, The Archers at Home, publ. Atheneum, New York, pg. 60:I have a cold. 'Feed a cold, starve a fever.' You certainly know that.2009, Shelly Reuben, Tabula Rasa, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN 015101079X, pg. 60:They say feed a cold, starve a fever, but they don't tell you what to do when you got both, so I figured scrambled eggs, tea, and toast.

feed into »    To be a tributary of another river or waterway.

fencepost problem »    In computer programming, a problem dealing with how to treat the initial or boundary values of a discrete problem.

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.

fifteen minutes of fame »    Alternate form of 15 minutes of fame.

fifth wheel »    A type of trailer hitch, which consists of a horseshoe-shaped plate on a multi-directional pivot, with a locking pin to couple with the kingpin of a truck trailer.

fight fires »    To deal with urgent matters and minor emergencies rather than longer-term work.

fill in »    To fill; to replace material that is absent or has been removed.

fill in »    To substitute for somebody or something.

fill in »    To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information.

filter down »    Of a liquid; to move slowly down to lower substrate levels.

filter down »    Of information, or resources; to move slowly down to lower levels of an organisation, or population.

final cut »    A group, after a selection process getting rid of other candidates.

fine print »    The details, restrictions, terms, or conditions, especially of a contract, often printed in very small type.

fine words butter no parsnips »    Talking about doing something does not get it done.

finish off »    To finish completely.

fire hose »    A hose used to deliver water in case of fire.

fire off »    To ask an unexpected question rapidly.

fire off »    To write a note or letter quickly.

fire on all cylinders »    To operate as effectively as possible.

fire up »    To ignite.

fire up »    To excite; to infuse with energy.

firm up »    To make tentative plans more definite.

first among equals »    A person or position that if formally equivalent to others in a group, but is superior in some attribute.

first among equals »    In the British and other parliamentary systems, a term used to describe the relationship of the prime minister to the other members of the cabinet.

first port of call »    The first port that a vessel calls in at after the start of a voyage.

first rate »    Superb, exceptional; of the best sort; very high quality.

first things first »    Deal with matters of highest priority first; deal with matters in logical sequence.1922, H. G. Wells, The Secret Places of the Heart, ch.4,"First things first," said Sir Richmond. If we set about getting fuel sanely, if we do it as the deliberate, co-operative act of the whole species, then it follows that we shall look very closely into the use that is being made of it.1999, Frank Pellegrini, "House Republicans Quell Mutiny Over Tax Bounty," Time, 23 Jul.,Judging by the polls

fish out »    To deplete the supply of fish in a given body of water.

fish to fry »    A matter to attend to.

fit to be tied »    Very agitated or distressed; enraged.

fits and starts »    Activity which is intermittent, variable in intensity, and prolonged by interruptions.

five will get you ten »    I strongly believe.

five-finger discount »    Theft or pilferage, typically of a small item; shoplifting.

flag down »    Use a flag or some kind of signal to get the attention of someone.

flash in the pan »    A transient occurrence with no long-term effect.

flat-chested »    Having a flat chest; having small breasts.

flat-earther »    A person who believes or advocates an outlandish, discredited theory; a person who refuses to acknowledge the truth despite overwhelming evidence.

flat-earther »    A person who believes or advocates the theory that the earth is flat.

flat-footed »    Having feet which are flat.

flat-footed »    Having the specific physical condition of flat feet.

flat-footed »    To firmly hold and maintain a decision; to stand one's ground.

flat-footed »    Unprepared to act.

flesh out »    To complete; to create details from a basic outline, structure or skeleton.

flick the bean »    To masturbate by stimulating the clitoris.

flipside »    Later or tomorrow.

flipside »    A necessary consequence or corollary of something; especially one seen as opposite, or as pro versus con.

flog a dead horse »    To attempt to get extra work out of a ship's crew during the dead horse period.

flog a dead horse »    To attempt to get more out of something that cannot give more.

flower »    Typically including sepals, petals, stamens, and ovaries; often conspicuously colourful.

flower »    Of plants, a state of bearing blooms.

flower »    The best state of things; the prime.

flunk out »    Often requiring a retaking of the course or academic year.

flutter in the dovecote »    A disturbance, usually one caused within a prescribed group of people.

flutter in the dovecote »    I further argued that the principal cause for the political deadlock that persisted for thirty years after the guns fell silent was Israeli intransigence rather than Arab intransigence. The appearance of the first wave of revisionist studies excited a great deal of interest and controversy in the media and more than a flutter in the academic dovecote. — Israel Confronts Its Past.

fly in the face of »    To act in a manner highly contrary to; to counteract or contradict.

fly the freak flag »    To behave in a unconventional or unrestrained manner; to exhibit the uninhibited side of one's personality.

fold one's tent »    To withdraw, especially in a discreet manner; to disengage; to quit.

follow in someone's footsteps »    To follow the same path as someone.

follow suit »    To follow an example; to imitate.

follow through »    To finish; to complete, especially, of a commitment.

fool's paradise »    A state of happiness due to illusion or false hope.

fools rush in where angels fear to tread »    A person who does not plan ahead and think matters through becomes involved in risky or unfavorable situations which prudent people avoid.

for all intensive purposes »    For all highly demanding purposes.[1].

for all intensive purposes »    Misconstruction of “for all intents and purposes”.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10].

for all intents and purposes »    For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.

for all one is worth »    Intensely, vigorously, with as much effort as one can supply.

for goodness' sake »    This interjection expresses frustration, exasperation, annoyance.

for goodness' sake »    This interjection expresses surprise or amazement.

for keeps »    To compete seriously, with a strong resolve to win or succeed, as in sports or business.

for keeps »    With an agreement or intention to retain what one gains or receives.

for kicks »    In order to obtain pleasure or excitement; for fun.

for my money »    Used to mark a statement made by the speaker as an opinion or something not known with certainty.

for Pete's sake »    Expresses frustration, exasperation, annoyance.

for starters »    as a beginning

for that matter »    As far as that is concerned.

for the heck of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

for the hell of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

for the love of »    Used to form interjections expressing exasperation.

for the sake of it »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

for the time being »    Temporarily; until later.

forbidden fruit is the sweetest »    Forbidden things have more worthwhile short-term consequences.

force of habit »    An act that has been repeated to the point where the performance of the act becomes automatic.

force someone's hand »    Bring about a situation which necessitates an agent to act, often causing a plan to be executed prematurely.

forewarned is forearmed »    Advance awareness of a situation, especially a risky one, prepares one to deal with it.1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash, ch. 4:[W]hatever a young gentleman of that age says to you, he says to many other ladies; but your experience is not equal to your sense; so profit by mine . . . forewarned is forearmed.1885, G. A. Henty, Saint George for England, ch. 4:Sometimes, they say, it is wiser to remain in ignorance; at other times forewarned is forearmed.circa 1903, Lucy Maud Montgomery, "Why Mr. Cropper Changed His Mind":"Well, Miss Maxwell, I think it only fair to tell you that you may have trouble with those boys when they do come. Forewarned is forearmed, you know."

forewarned, forearmed »    Alternative form of forewarned is forearmed.

forked tongue »    The characteristic of deceptiveness; duplicity; untruthfulness.

fortune favors the brave »    Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.

fortune favours the bold »    Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.

fortune favours the brave »    Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.

fountain of youth »    Anything reputed to have the power to restore health and vitality or to restore a youthful appearance.

four poster »    bed

four score and seven years ago »    As an opener, a sometimes sarcastic indicator to indicate a past event being mentioned is particularly important.

four-leaf clover »    An uncommon variation of the clover, having four leaves instead of the usual three.

four-on-the-floor »    Characterised by a steady, uniformly accented beat with a 4/4 time signature.

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.

fourth estate »    Which governed legislation.

fox in the henhouse »    A relationships wherein a predator is granted free reign within the prey's home confinement, often used in the political sense.

freak flag »    Unconventional or unrestrained behavior; extreme, nonconformist views; the side of one's personality which harbors a tendency toward such behavior or such views.

free range »    not intensively farmed

french letter »    A condom.

friend with benefits »    A friendship with no reserves when it comes to the release of shared sexual tension thus leading to sexual fraternization.

frog in one's throat »    Any temporary physical difficulty in speaking.

from A to Z »    Covering a complete range; comprehensively.

from my cold, dead hands »    A statement that something will not be taken away from you until the day you die.

from the get-go »    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

from the word go »    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

front and center »    A command to come to the center of attention of an assemblage, as of military personnel or students.

front runner »    The most likely winners in a contest, election, etc.

fruit of the poisonous tree »    And which is therefore excluded from being admitted as evidence in a trial.

frying pan »    cooking utensil

full as a goog »    Having eaten too much, or being drunk.

full marks »    To exclaim complete satisfaction with someone's efforts.

full of oneself »    Egotistical, believing oneself to be superior to others; preoccupied with one's own work, interests, point of view, etc.

full of shit »    Characterized by speaking nonsense or falsehoods.

full tilt boogie »    Intensely, fast paced.

full to the gills »    Completely or overly full.

funny money »    A highly inflated currency.

funny money »    Bills of any foreign currency or of counterfeit origin.

funny stuff »    Irregular, often illegal, activities.

gallows humor »    Comedy that makes light of death or other very serious matters.

game plan »    Any strategy devised to reach a given objective.

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"

gentleman of the back door »    A sodomite.

get a kick out of »    To be delighted by; to be amused by.

get a load of »    To experience someone or something, especially by looking or listening.

get a room »    A jocular or sarcastic expression commanding a couple to stop displaying affection in public, and to rent a hotel or motel room to continue amorous activities in private.

get at »    intend

get at »    mean, intend

get away with »    To do something which is prohibited, forbidden or generally not allowed, and not be punished for the action.

get back at »    To retaliate; to take revenge.

get bent out of shape »    To take offense; to become angry, agitated or upset.

get better »    To improve.

get better »    To recover from an illness.

get by the balls »    To have complete control over someone, especially of a woman abusing a man's infatuation with her.

get cracking »    To get started; to get busy.

get down to business »    To become involved with something work-related.

get high »    To intoxicate oneself with drugs or other substances.

get in »    To be elected to some office.

get in »    To enter a place; to gain access.

get in »    To get into or inside something, literally or figuratively.

get in someone's hair »    To hinder someone or interfere with their actions.

get into trouble »    To perform an action which is illegal, prohibited, forbidden or proscribed and to become subject to punishment for such action.

get off »    To complete a shift or a day's work.

get off »    To stop touching or interfering with something or someone.

get on somebody's case »    To lecture, berate, or complain to somebody, especially to find fault or criticize.

get on somebody's nerves »    To annoy or irritate; to bother.

get on someone's wick »    To annoy or upset someone, usually by repeated disagreeable actions.

get one's finger out »    To proceed with the matter in hand.

get one's foot in the door »    To initiate contact or a relationship; to gain access, especially to an entry-level job.

get one's knickers in a twist »    To become overwrought or unnecessarily upset over a trivial matter.

get out of Dodge »    To leave; in particular to leave a difficult or dangerous environment with all possible haste.

get somebody's goat »    To annoy, infuriate, bother, or incense.

get someone's back up »    To annoy a person either deliberately or inadvertently.

get stuck in »    To dedicate a large amount of effort towards.

get taken in »    To be unofficially fostered.

get the axe »    To be fired, axed, terminated.

get the better of »    To overwhelm or overcome; to influence heavily; to tend to control or persuade.

get the boot »    To be voted off a competition in a reality television show.

get the chop »    To be eliminated from a competition in a reality television program.

gild the lily »    To embellish or improve something unnecessarily; to add superfluous attributes to something.

give a man a fish »    Shortened form of give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime »    It is more worthwhile to teach someone to do something, than to do something for them.

give a ring »    On the telephone.

give a shit »    To care, often used in the negative.

give a sneck posset »    To fasten the door latch.

give as good as one gets »    To behave toward others in a manner resembling or commensurate with their behavior towards oneself, especially in a situation where one is insulted or otherwise ill-treated.

give away the store »    To transact, trade, or negotiate badly, by paying, providing, or conceding too much to the other party.

give ear »    Dante Gabriel Rosetti, A Death-Parting, lines 5-6.

give ear »    To listen: to devote one's attention to an auditory event.

give heed »    Pay attention to.

give hostage to fortune »    To take an action or make a statement that is risky because it could cause you trouble later.

give it a go »    To try or attempt.

give it a whirl »    To try, test or attempt.

give it one's best shot »    To make one's best effort or attempt; to try as hard as possible.

give it the gun »    Literal meaning.

give notice »    To announce one's intent to leave a job; to inform an employer that one is leaving.

give of oneself »    To devote oneself unselfishly to a task, especially to give time and energy.

give or take »    Approximately; plus or minus some unknown amount.

give over »    To devote oneself to a particular activity.

give over »    Usually as an imperative. To tell someone to stop molesting, fooling around, or saying silly things. Or sometimes to stop saying flattering things.

give some skin »    To greet or congratulate someone by slapping his or her palm; see slap me five.

give somebody a hard time »    To tease, kid, or rib.

give somebody what-for »    To admonish or berate; to speak angrily at somebody.

give someone the chair »    To execute a person by means of the electric chair.

give the elbow »    To terminate the employment of.

give the lie to »    To prove something to be false; to refute.

give the time of day »    To acknowledge somebody; to give somebody any respect or attention.

glimmer »    A faint or remote possibility.

gloss over »    To cover up a mistake or a crime; to hush up or whitewash.

glutton for punishment »    One persistent in an effort in spite of harmful or unpleasant results.

go all the way »    To have sexual intercourse.

go along with »    To comply with something, even if reluctantly; to accept or tolerate.

go batshit »    To become completely irrational; to react in an irrationally extreme manner.

go between »    an intermediary

go blue »    Of states and counties, to be carried by a Democratic candidate in a given U.S. election.

go by »    To pass, to go past, without much interaction.

go by the board »    To be superseded, rejected, or obliterated; to pass by with little consequence; to amount to nothing.

go by the board »    To estimate the velocity of a boat or ship in knots by casting overboard the knotted line to whose end is attached the lead and thereafter counting the knots in the line as it goes aft along the side boards of the vessel.

go by the wayside »    To become obsolete or outmoded.

go down »    To decrease; to change from a greater value to a lesser one.

go down »    To be received or accepted.

go down the pan »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go down the tubes »    To fail or degenerate rapidly.

go downhill »    To worsen or degenerate.

go Dutch »    To pay for one's own food and bills, or split the cost, when eating at a restaurant or going out for entertainment.

go for »    To be equally valid or appropriate.

go for broke »    To try everything possible or do last thing possible in a final attempt.

go for the gold »    To attempt to achieve the maximum reward or result in an endeavor.

go from zero to hero »    To become very popular after being unpopular.

go in for »    To enter a competition.

go in for »    To have an interest in or approve of something.

go in off »    To pot the cue ball accidentally after hitting the object ball.

go in one ear and out the other »    Failed to pay attention.

go it alone »    To do something alone or independently, especially something that is normally or better done in groups.

go jump in the lake »    Used to tell a person that to go away, or that their request will not be met.

go mad »    Used to indicate that the second verb represents an action that is out of character.

go off the boil »    To become of diminished intensity or urgency.

go off the boil »    To lose interest; to pall.

go out the window »    To vanish or cease, especially due to lack of care, attention, etc.; to be discarded, disregarded, or ignored.

go out with »    Often in hopes that the relationship will become more longterm as in definition 1.

go out with »    Date, be involved in a romantic relationship with.

go over »    To create a response or impression.

go red »    Of states or counties, to be carried by a Republican candidate in a given U.S. election.

go round in circles »    To repeatedly do the same thing; without making any progress.

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 the way of »    To end up the same way as. To receive the same fate as.

go the way of the dinosaurs »    To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go off the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.

go the way of the dodo »    To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to go out of the firsthand market; to become a thing of the past.

go the whole hog »    To do something as entirely or completely as possible; to reserve or hold back nothing.

go through the mill »    To experience the suffering or discipline necessary to bring one to a certain degree of knowledge or skill, or to a certain mental state.

go to pot »    To decline or deteriorate.

go to seed »    To deteriorate; to decline into an unkempt or debased condition.

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 to the dogs »    To decline or deteriorate.

go to the mat »    To continue to struggle or fight until either victorious or defeated.

go to work »    Beat up, batter.

go too far »    To exceed an unstated limit, especially a limit of acceptable behaviour.

go up in smoke »    To be completely ruined.

go with the flow »    To act as others are acting, conforming to common behavior patterns with an attitude of calm acceptance.

God works in mysterious ways »    Expressing confidence that a conundrum has a solution despite it not being apparent.Expressing that a seemingly unfortunate or unfavourable situation or change may be beneficial later or in the long run.Person A: It seems that I'm about to be fired from my job.Person B: Well, God works in mysterious ways - maybe it'll be the kick you need to apply to university...

going rate »    The current standard or usual price, rate, or salary for something.

going to the dogs »    In such a poor state that it should be left to the dogs.

gold mine »    A plentiful stockpile of something sought after.

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.

golden duck »    The score of zero runs after getting out on the first ball faced.

golden rule »    The principle that one should treat other people in the manner in which one would want to be treated by them.

golf widow »    A woman who is deprived of her husband's time and attention due to his regular absence in order to play golf.

Gone to the bad »    soured, spoiled, turned rotten

gone to the dogs »    To have fallen into disrepair or ruin; to have been stagnant or depreciated.

good and »    Very; exceptionally; utterly.

good drunk »    A person who is cheerful and companionable when intoxicated, retaining reasonable control of his or her mental and emotional faculties.

good egg »    A good person, someone to be trusted; a friend.

good fences make good neighbors »    It is better to mind one's own business than get involved with other people's affairs.

good luck with that »    An expression wishing someone success in an unlikely enterprise.

good old boy »    A friendly, unambitious, relatively uneducated, sometimes racially biased white man who embodies the stereotype of the folksy culture of the rural southern USA.

good old boy »    A male friend or chum, especially a schoolmate; a man with an established network of friends who assist one another in social and business situations; a decent, dependable fellow.

good riddance »    Used to indicate that a departure, or loss is welcome.

good to go »    Ready for some specific task or ready for normal activity, especially after preparation or recovery.

good to go »    Ready for use or ready for normal operation, especially after repair or renewal.

goodbye cruel world »    An exclamation made before commiting suicide, or in a suicide note.

grab bag »    A gift, purchase, etc. whose contents are concealed until after a selection is made.

grate »    A horizontal metal grille through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.

gravy train »    An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.

gray area »    A part that is not clear or certain; something that is open to interpretation.

grease monkey »    A mechanic, often with the specific connotation of an automobile mechanic.

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.

great oaks from little acorns grow »    Alternative form of mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

great unwashed »    A contemptuous term for the populace, particularly the working class.

greatest thing since sliced bread »    A relatively recent invention likely to significantly improve people's lives.

green light »    A traffic light in its green state .

green state »    A state that is, or is perceived as, environmentally friendly.

grey area »    An area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories where the border between the two is fuzzy.

grind one's gears »    To annoy or irritate.

ground rules »    The basic rules or standards; whatever someone must know before proceeding.

grow cold »    To wane; to lose interest or enthusiasm for something or someone; to become disenchanted or to fall out of love with someone.

grunt work »    That is considered undesirable and therefore delegated to underlings.

guilt trip »    A feeling of shame or embarrassment, especially if self-indulgent, unwarranted, exaggerated or felt over a significant period of time.

guilt trip »    Remarks intended to produce such a feeling.

guinea pig »    A tailless rodent of the Cavia genus, with short ears and larger than a hamster; the species Cavia porcellus is often kept as a pet.

gun it »    To accelerate or speed up quickly or suddenly.

gunshy »    Fearing the consequences of repeating an act, especially after being reprimanded.

gut factor »    Feelings about what feels right or wrong, good or bad. An inner persuasion that one may feel convinced is the appropriate decision.

gut feeling »    An instinct or intuition; an immediate or basic feeling or reaction without a logical rationale.

had better »    Should; ought to; need to.

hair of the dog »    An alcoholic drink taken the morning after to cure a hangover or withdrawal symptoms.

halcyon days »    A period of calm, often nostalgic: “halcyon days of yore”, “halcyon days of youth”..

halcyon days »    Period of calm during the winter, when storms do not occur.

half a mind »    A moderate inclination.

halfway decent »    Good - better than expected.

halfway decent »    No more than adequate.

ham fisted »    clumsy

ham it up »    To act or emote, especially to overact or act badly.

hammer and tongs »    With tools indicating seriousness of intent and capability of harm.

hammer out »    To come to an agreement after much arguing.

hand waving »    Discussion or argumentation involving approximation, vagueness, educated guessing, or the attempt to explain or excuse vagaries.

handle with kid gloves »    To treat something very delicately or carefully.

handwriting on the wall »    Alternative form of writing on the wall. A divine prediction or sentence to fate.

hang about »    To stay, linger or loiter.

hang around »    To stay, linger or loiter.

hang on »    To pay close attention.

hang paper »    To write a bad check.

hang up »    To terminate a phone call.

happily ever after »    Living happily until death. Typically associated with fairy tales.

happy camper »    One who is thoroughly content or satisfied.

happy medium »    A balanced position between two opposite extremes.

hard done by »    Used, cheated, dejected.

hard-hearted »    unfeeling

hardwired »    In humans and animals, genetically determined, instinctive behavior, as opposed to learned behavior.

harsh one's mellow »    Disturbing someone otherwise in a state of calm.

harsh one's mellow »    To annoy or irritate; to bother.

haste makes waste »    One makes mistakes when being too hasty.

hate somebody's guts »    To despise; to hate intensely or passionately.

haul his ashes »    A euphemism for sexual intercourse.

haul off »    To alter course so as to get farther away from an object.

haul somebody over the coals »    To express anger with someone in no uncertain terms when they do something wrong.

have a ball »    To enjoy thoroughly; to have lots of fun or excitement.

have a blast »    To thoroughly enjoy; to be excited or have lots of fun.

have a go »    Shout at or tell off unnecessarily or excessively.

have a go »    To make an attempt; to try.

have a seat »    A polite directive to sit down.

have an axe to grind »    To have a dispute, resentment, or grudge, sometimes with a disposition to act on that resentment covertly; to have a bias; to take issue with something.

have an eye for »    To have good taste; to have the ability to discriminate or identify quality.

have ants in one's pants »    To be agitated and constantly fidgeting.

have ants in one's pants »    To be sexually excited.

have been around »    To be experienced in worldly matters; to be seasoned, not naive.

have butterflies in one's stomach »    To be nervous, uncertain, or anxious.

have eyes bigger than one's belly »    To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

have eyes bigger than one's stomach »    To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

have had it up to here »    To have become very frustrated or angry; to have reached the limit of one's patience or forbearance.

have in mind »    To consider, to contemplate, to intend.

have it large »    To engage intensely in pleasure-seeking activities.

have it made »    To have accomplished all there is to do; to have no further work or difficulty; to have achieved a lifestyle characterized by good fortune and comfort.

have it off »    To engage in sexual intercourse.

have one's ducks in a row »    To be organized; to have one's affairs in order; specifically, to have a multi-person effort coordinated towards the exact same goal.

have one's head in the clouds »    To daydream; to think about matters other than the present reality.

have one's number on it »    Te be destined for someone.

have other fish to fry »    C. 1710, Jonathan Swift, The Journal to Stella, ch. 2, Letter 15.

have someone by the short hairs »    To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled.

have someone's guts for garters »    To reprimand severely.

have the wind up »    To be frightened or disturbed.

have tickets on oneself »    To be conceited.

have to do »    To relate; to be relevant.

have to do with the price of tea in China »    To have any relation or bearing whatsoever on the topic at hand, usually used to emphasize the lack of relationship of a non sequitur.

he who laughs last laughs best »    success is better after having previously endured ridicule.

he who laughs last laughs hardest »    Alternative form of he who laughs last laughs best.

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 and shoulders »    "She was head and shoulders better than any of her rivals.".

head and shoulders »    To a considerable degree; better; outstanding.

head over heels »    Hopelessly smitten.

head south »    Alternative form of go south; to decrease or become unfavorable; to take a turn for the worse.

head to toe »    Entirely; completely; over one's full body.

heads or tails »    A game to bet upon a which side of a coin lays face up after it is thrown.

heads up »    Used as an informal warning, caution, or call for attention; pay attention!.

heads will roll »    Some people will be fired for incompetence.

heads-up »    A warning or call to pay attention; an advisory notice.

hear out »    To listen to someone until that person has finished.

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.

heart of glass »    A very fragile romantic state.

heart of gold »    A kind, compassionate, or caring attitude; kindheartedness.

heat up »    To heat, to cause to become hotter.

heavy-hearted »    Sad, melancholy.

hedge one's bets »    To place bets with a third party in order to offset potential losses.

hell or high water »    Highly adverse circumstances; acts of God.

hem and haw »    To discuss, deliberate, or contemplate rather than taking action.

hen's teeth »    Anything very rare or impossible to obtain is said to be like finding hen’s teeth.

hen's teeth »    Plural form of hen's tooth.

hens' teeth »    Alternative form of hen's teeth.

herd cats »    To attempt to control those resistant to control.

here and now »    immediately

here goes nothing »    Indicates a lack of confidence or certainty about the activity about to be tried.

here you are »    Said when you hand something over to someone or do a favour to them, usually to draw the recipient's attention to the exchange; Equivalent to “thank you” when receiving something..

high as a kite »    Very much under the influence of drugs, extremely high.

high ground »    A location which is at a relatively high elevation, especially in comparison to the immediate surrounding area.

hightail it »    To hurry or run; often, to flee.

hindsight is 20/20 »    (idiomatic) In hindsight things are obvious that were not obvious from the outset; one is able to evaluate past choices more clearly than at the time of the choice.

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.

hit a snag »    To encounter an unexpected problem or delay.

hit home »    To be especially memorable or meaningful; to be fully understood, believed or appreciated.

hit one's stride »    To reach a full level of efficiency, competence, comfort, etc.; to get going.

hit someone for six »    Be affected in a devastating way by some unexpected news.

hit the books »    To study, especially with particular intensity.

hit the bricks »    To participate in a workplace strike or other job action; to participate in a public protest, especially one involving picketing.

hit the ceiling »    To be explosively angry. To lose one's temper.

hit the gas »    Go, go faster.

hit the ground running »    To begin an activity immediately and with full commitment.

hit the pavement »    Literal meaning.

hit the spot »    To be particularly pleasing or appropriate; to be just right.

hog heaven »    A state of contented bliss.

hoist by one's own petard »    To be hurt, or destroyed by one's own plot or device, of one's own doing which one intended for another; to be "blown up by one's own bomb".

hold a candle »    To compare; to be even remotely of the same quality, skill, etc. as another.

hold forth »    Talk at great length; expatiate; harangue.

hold forth »    To extend or offer, propose.

hold off »    To delay someone or something temporarily; to keep at bay.

hold one's breath »    To inhale and then intentionally close the epiglottis so that one's breath is not exhaled.

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 water »    To be patient; to control one's impulses.

hold one's water »    To hold one's urine.

hold out »    To hold something out; to extend forward.

hold out »    To set something aside or save it for later.

hold sway »    Dominate.

hold that thought »    To pause in a conversation for an interruption.

hold that thought »    Used to acknowledge that one's attention needs to be diverted from what an speaker was saying.

hold up »    To fulfil / fulfill or complete one's part of an agreement.

hold up one's end »    I'm holding up my end and you had better hold up yours.

hold water »    To withstand scrutiny or criticism; to be valid.

hold with the hare and run with the hounds »    To oppose an action or behavior and yet engage in the same action or behavior; to be a hypocrite.

hold with the hare and run with the hounds »    To remain neutral by attempting to placate two factions or both sides of a controversy.

hold your fire »    Do not discharge your weapon. Used originally for weapons needing a spark or lighting of a fuse to ignite gunpowder, now sometimes used to mean any weapon launching a projectile.

hold your fire »    Wait, don't retaliate, calm down, be quiet.

holding pattern »    A path taken by an aircraft waiting to land.

holding pattern »    Any failure to advance; useless or unproductive activity.

hole in one »    A round that is completed by sinking the ball in a single shot or attempt, with one hit.

home run »    Sexual Intercourse.

home run »    baseball term

homeless dumping »    The practice of hospital employees or emergency workers releasing homeless patients on the streets instead of placing them into the custody of a relative or shelter or retaining them in a hospital where they may require expensive medical care.

hook line and sinker »    completely

hoover up »    Quickly, especially by taking it into the mouth directly from the plate rather than using cutlery.

hopped up »    Drugged; intoxicated.

horizontal dancing »    Sexual intercourse.

horizontal mambo »    Sexual intercourse.

horse of a different color »    An unrelated or only incidentally related matter with distinctly different significance.

horse opera »    A theatrical production, film, or program on radio or television depicting adventures of characters in the American Old West; a western.

Horsefeathers »    Absolute nonsense; poppycock

horses for courses »    A person suited for one job may not be suited for another job, regardless of their expertise in the former job.

hospital pass »    A poorly executed pass to a team-mate causing the receiver to present an easy target for a defender, and thus be tackled hard.

hospital pass »    An unwinnable case, often passed to a newly-qualified member of the firm.

hospital pass »    Exempting one from regular activities, to instead visit a hospital.

hot and heavy »    Passionate.

hot button »    A central issue, concern or characteristic, especially one that motivates people to make a choice.

hot chocolate »    warm drink

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.

hot mess »    A warm meal, usually cooked in a large pot, often similar to a stew or porridge; or, service of such a heated meal to soldiers.

hot mess »    Refers to a person, thing, or situation in such a state of disarray or disapproval by peers, often in reference to physical appearance, perceived to be disastrously embarrassing, pitiful, or beyond repair.

hot off the presses »    Freshly printed, minted, written, or created.

hot potato »    A child's game in which players pass a ball or other item between them, with the object of avoiding being left holding the item when time expires.

hot potato »    An awkward or delicate problem with which nobody wants to be associated.

hot up »    To increase in temperature.

hot up »    To become more heated.

hotfoot it »    To hasten; to move rapidly.

hotheaded »    Easily excited or angered.

hothouse »    A heated greenhouse.

house cooling party »    A party to celebrate when a person decides to leave a house or flat, and sometimes to help prepare the space for the incoming residents.

house warming »    Presented as a way of welcoming someone to a home into which he or she recently moved.

how are you »    An informal greeting, not requiring a literal response. Typical responses include.

how do I get to Carnegie Hall »    A set phrase, spoken as a rhetorical question, which is answered "Practice, practice, practice!" or sometimes with the humorous literal directions to Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th.

how do you like them apples »    Directed jestingly or mockingly at someone who has received surprising information, ridiculing the situation.

how-d'ye-do »    A troublesome state of affairs.

huckleberry above a persimmon »    Something better than something else.

hum and haw »    Procrastinate and take a long time before doing something or taking a decision.

hunger is a good sauce »    (dated) Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.1854, Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew, Tom Taylor, Shirley Brooks, Francis Cowley Burnand, Owen Seaman, Punch, Vol. XXVI, Punch Publications Ltd., page 74:His bread and cheese were somewhat dry, to be sure; his ale had become flat, and considerably warmer than was desirable; but hunger is a good sauce, and thirst is not particular.

hunger is the best sauce »    Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.

hunger is the best spice »    When one is hungry, anything will taste good.

hunker down »    To take shelter; to prepare oneself for some eventuality; to focus on a task.

ice cream »    dessert item

ice over »    To become covered in ice, usually of a body of water.

idiot box »    Television.

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 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.

if looks could kill »    A phrase said upon catching sight of someone's giving you a particularly nasty look of discontent or disapproval.

if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle »    (colloquial, vulgar, humorous) It is fruitless to speculate about counterfactual situations."We would have won the match if we'd had a decent goalkeeper.""And if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle!"

if pigs had wings »    Shortened form of if pigs had wings they would fly.

if the shoe fits »    If it has all of the characteristics of a thing, it probably is that thing.

if you can't beat them, join them »    If your adversaries are stronger than yourself, it is better to join the adversaries.

if you want a thing done well, do it yourself »    It is better to do something oneself, than rely on others to do it well.

ill fated »    doomed

ill health »    A state of illness, or bad health.

in a canter »    Without much effort; easily.

in a league of one's own »    Far excelling even the closest contender; not having any worthy competition.

in a state »    Agitated and anxious.

in all one's glory »    Completely naked.

in black and white »    Explicitly, in writing, clearly and without doubt or misunderstanding, without any grey areas.

in black and white »    Having it displayed using shades of gray/gray rather than colour/color .

in black and white »    Using shades of grey/gray rather than colour/color.

in character »    Acting as the character, not as oneself.

in clover »    Happy and contented.

in cold blood »    In a ruthless and unfeeling manner; premeditated and deliberate.

in Dutch »    Written or spoken in the dutch language.

in for a penny, in for a pound »    Expressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof; accepting that one must

in for an inch, in for a mile »    Given that one is partly involved in or committed to a project, action, position, etc., there is no reason to refrain from becoming fully involved or fully committed.

in full swing »    Proceeding fully, quickly, or completely; thoroughly begun and in progress.

in heaven's name »    An intensifier used with questions.

in hot water »    In trouble; in the position of arousing somebody's anger or displeasure.

in layman's terms »    Explaining something in simple words.

in laymen's terms »    In layman's terms.

in line »    Suitable or appropriate; keeping with expectations, norms, ideals, or rules.

in no uncertain terms »    With great clarity, emphasis, or exactness; without any ambiguity.

in one's element »    In a situation which is entirely appropriate or familiar.

in order »    Appropriate, worthwhile.

in order »    Complete, finished.

in other words »    Stated or interpreted another way; introduces an explanation.

in shape »    I guess I'd better get my room in shape if I have guests.

in shape »    In a good state of physical fitness or bodily appearance.

in shape »    In good condition, repair; in a good state.

in spite of »    Despite, irrespective of, notwithstanding.

in the black »    Having positive net income; having greater income than expenses; making a profit.

in the cards »    Destined or fated to happen; predicted or foreseen.

in the clear »    Not guilty or not suspected of wrongdoing.

in the face of »    Despite, against, contrary to.

in the hospital »    Admitted as a patient in a hospital.

in the hot seat »    Under pressure to perform; under scrutiny; at the center of attention.

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.

in the limelight »    In the focus of attention, especially from the media.

in the long run »    After a very long time; eventually; over a long period of time; more generally.

in the loop »    Informed; up to date; current; part of the discussion.

in the nick of time »    At the last possible moment; at the last minute.

in the running »    Of a candidate, potential or likely; worthy of consideration.

in the short run »    Lasting only a short time, shortsightedly.

in the twinkling of an eye »    Immediately; instantaneously.

in the wake of »    In the noticeable disturbance of water behind .

in unity there is strength »    More can be accomplished by a team with a common goal, than individuals.

in vino veritas »    drunken folks speak truth, one tells the truth under the influence of alcohol

in your face »    An exclamation of derision or contempt.

inquire after »    To ask about the health of someone.

inside baseball »    Matters of interest only to insiders.

inside baseball »    Technical matters concerning baseball not apparent to spectators.

inside job »    A crime or other illicit action committed by or with the help of someone either employed by the victim or entrusted with access to the victim's affairs and premises.

inside track »    The lane or track nearest to the interior.

installed base »    The number of units of a system or product that are currently in use.

instance in »    To cite an instance; to adduce an example.

into thin air »    Immediately and inexplicably out of sight.

iron out »    To resolve (a dispute); to solve (a problem).

it ain't the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God »    The rich can afford more immoral behavior than the poor.

it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog »    (rare or obsolete, proverb) If a person is determined to punish someone, they will find a way to do so.1596

it is not the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

it is what it is »    This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists.

it isn't the whistle that pulls the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

it never rains but it pours »    Unfortunate events occur in quantity.

it takes all kinds to make a world »    Diversity is essential: the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike.He irons his clothes how?! That's crazy! Well, I guess it takes all kinds.

it's about time »    Used to express impatience at the eventual occurrence of something that the speaker or writer considered to be long overdue.

it's all grist to the mill »    Everything referred to in the present context has some sort of use.1999, Simon Blackburn, Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (Oxford University Press paperback, ISBN 0199690871), ch. 7 section 6: "Kant

it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good »    There is usually something of benefit to someone, no matter how bad the situation.

it's better to ask forgiveness than permission »    The value of acting promptly and making a mistake requiring forgiveness is greater than value of delaying to get permission.

it's never too late to mend »    You

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

itchy trigger finger »    A tendency to act in haste or without consideration.

ivory tower »    A sheltered, overly-academic existence or perspective, implying a disconnection or lack of awareness of reality or practical considerations.

jack in »    To stop doing a regular activity. Often a job or studies.

jack of all trades »    One competent in many endeavors, especially one who excels in none of them.

jack of all trades, master of none »    A master of integration, who knows enough from many learned trades and skills to be able to bring their disciplines together in a practical manner; a polymath; a renaissance man.

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.

jack up »    To raise, increase, or accelerate; often said of prices, fees, or rates. See also jack up the price.

jack-tar »    Alternative spelling of jacktar.

jet-setter »    A member of the jet set, a rich person who travels for pleasure.

jive turkey »    Someone who is jiving, as in dancing. Often applied to people being funny or showy.

joe job »    An act of e-mail spamming where the sender's identity and address are those of an innocent third party, intended either to tarnish that person's reputation or to flood that person's e-mail with bounces.

joe job »    An uninteresting, low-level, low-paying job.

jolly someone along »    To make someone happy or compliant, as by encouragement or flattery.

jump »    To cause oneself to leave an elevated location and fall downward.

jump »    To employ a parachute to leave an aircraft or elevated location.

jump about »    To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.

jump around »    To move erratically by jumping. Usually as a result of being excited.

jump at the chance »    To immediately accept an offer.

jump down »    To leave an elevated position to a lower position by one jump.

jump in »    To enter something quickly. Usually a mode of transport.

jump off »    To participate in the final round of an equestrian showjumping event.

jump off »    To move from an elevated place by one jump.

jump rope »    A single jump in this game or activity, counted as a measure of achievement.

jump rope »    The activity, game or exercise in which a person must jump, bounce or skip repeatedly while a length of rope is swung over and under, both ends held in the hands of the jumper, or alternately, held by two other participants. Often used for athletic training and among schoolchildren. Variations involve speed, chants, varied rope and jumper movement patterns, multiple jumpers and/or multiple ropes.

jump to conclusions »    Make conclusions before being presented with all the evidence.

jungle telegraph »    A gossip network; an informal communication system within a group or organization.

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.

just for fun »    For no particular reason, just because it is fun, entertaining; for to relieve boredom.

just like that »    Unexpectedly, without warning.

just the same »    Anyway; despite.

keep a close watch on »    To pay careful attention to a situation or a thing, so that you can deal with any changes or problems.

keep a weather eye open »    To be alert; to concentrate on a matter in hand.

keep a weather eye open »    To maintain a background awareness of something; to remain alert to changes without it occupying your full attention.

keep an eye on »    To watch and pay attention to.

keep an eye peeled »    To look out attentively.

keep from »    To protect or preserve from.

keep one on one's toes »    To keep one attentive, active, busy or alert.

keep one's cool »    To remain composed, calm, and even-tempered, especially in a provocative situation.

keep one's eye on the ball »    My ethos has always been to be very straight with people, tell it as it is. It doesn't often make people happy but I found that over a period of time it's better to be that way. So being straight, also being very focused on your objectives, keep your eye on the ball and not get deflected away from it.

keep one's lips sealed »    To keep quiet; to keep a secret; to not tell.

keep oneself to oneself »    To be introverted; to stay away from others.

keep out »    To refrain from entering a place or condition.

keep out »    After being warned, he kept out.

keep out »    To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.

keep out of »    To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.

keep shtum »    Don't tell anyone; especially, keep silent about something that may be sensitive or secret.

keep somebody posted »    To inform or to keep somebody up to date.

keep up »    To maintain; to preserve; to prevent from deteriorating.

keep up appearances »    To pretend to be all right or that everything is going well.

kettle of fish »    A situation which is recognized as different from or as an alternative to some other situation, and which is not necessarily unfavorable.

kick in »    To contribute, especially to a collection of money.

kick off »    To force the weaning of a bovine cow's calf by restricting the calf's access to its mother's udders. Used figuratively or literally.

kick off the team »    In sports, to dismiss an athlete from a team, usually for misconduct, poor academic performance or other offenses.

kick up a fuss »    To show annoyance, or to complain loudly about something, often when it is of little importance in reality.

kick up the arse »    A severe reprimand, especially one to motivate someone into doing something.

kill off »    To eliminate, or make extinct.

kill the fatted calf »    To begin a festive celebration and rejoicing for someone's long-awaited return.

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs »    To seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit.

kill the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

kill the rabbit »    To get a positive test result from an old-fashioned pregnancy test.

kind »    Affectionate, showing benevolence.

kiss up »    To pay false flattery to another, particularly a superior at work, in order to get special attention.

kiss up »    To pay false flattery.

kiss up to »    To pay false flattery to; to flatter in excess.

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.

knacker's yard »    That area of a slaughterhouse where carcasses unfit for human consumption are rendered down to produce useful materials such as glue.

kneel before »    To kneel in front of someone or something, especially in order to worship or supplicate.

knock back »    To drink an alcoholic beverage swiftly or often.

knock down »    To hit or knock (something), intentionally or accidentally, so that it falls.

knock on wood »    To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted my a presumptuous statement.

knock out »    To complete, especially in haste; knock off.

knock up »    To impregnate, especially out of wedlock. See knocked up.

knock up »    To put together, fabricate, or assemble, particularly if done hastily or temporarily. See also knock together.

knock up »    In the morning as by knocking at the door; rouse; call; summon; also, to go door-to-door on election day to persuade a candidate's supporters to go to the polling station and vote. See also knocker up.

knock up »    To become exhausted or worn out; to fail of strength; to become wearied, as with labor; to give out.

knock up »    To gently hit the ball back and forth before a tennis match, as practice or warm-up, and to gauge the state of the playing surface, lighting, etc. See knock-up.

knock-on effect »    A secondary, often unintended effect.

knock-on effect »    The continued running of an engine after the ignition has been turned off; dieseling.

knocked for a six »    to be defeated; outwitted; outfoxed; beaten

know like the back of one's hand »    To be intimately knowledgeable about something, especially a place.

knowledge is power »    With knowledge and/or education, one's potential or ability to succeed in the pursuit of his objectives will certainly increase.

knuckle dragger »    A large, strong, and rather dimwitted person.

knuckle under »    To yield or cooperate when pressured or forced to do so.

l'esprit de l'escalier »    The experience of thinking of a devastating rejoinder only after leaving the scene of the debate.

la goutte d'eau qui fait d%C3%A9border le vase »    The drop of water that makes the vase overflow.

la goutte d'eau qui fait d%C3%A9border le vase »    The final thing that is too much and forces a reaction; the straw that broke the camel's back.

laced-up »    Fastened with a lace.

ladies first »    A phrase encouraging polite gentlemanliness, allowing the ladies to go before the men.

ladies man »    Alternative spelling of lady's man.

ladies' man »    Alternative spelling of lady's man.

lady of the night »    Prostitute.

lame joke »    An attempt at humor which is perceived to have been used previously to the point of being cliche, or was never funny to begin with.

land of opportunity »    A nickname for the United States.

land on one's feet »    To be lucky, or successful, often in difficult situations.

landing strip »    A cultivated pubic hair pattern in which much of the pubic hair is removed, leaving only a central vertical line or rectangle.

landing strip »    A runway for aircraft, especially one which is auxiliary or temporary.

lapsed academic »    A person formerly employed as a professor or researcher in a university or other institution of higher education, especially one who no longer attempts to remain current in his or her former academic field.

larger-than-life »    Of greater size or magnitude than is naturally or normally the case.

last burst of fire »    A state of exertion where one gives one's all; expending all of one's remaining energy in a final effort to achieve one's goal.

last minute »    Point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.

last resort »    The only remaining, unwanted, option or choice.

last word »    The final statement uttered by a person before death.

last word »    The finest, highest, or ultimate representative of some class of objects.

late bloomer »    A person who lives a child's life comparatively later than their peers.

late bloomer »    A person who reaches puberty comparatively later than their peers.

late model »    Recently designed or fabricated; new.

latter day »    modern

laughter is the best medicine »    It is healthy to laugh.

laundry list »    Hence, a long list of items, especially an exhaustive one.

law of the jungle »    The survival of the fittest, strongest or most cunning.

lay a finger on »    If you lay a finger on my little brother, I'll have your guts for garters.

lay down »    To specify, institute, enact, assert firmly, state authoritatively, establish or formulate .

lay down the law »    To authoritatively or dogmatically assert what is permitted or not permitted.

lay down the law »    To promulgate law.

lay it on the line »    To state something, for example an ultimatum, strongly and clearly.

lay off »    From employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume, often with a severance package.

lay open »    In Japan and South Korea, to publish a patent for initial public review, prior to the formal application for registration.

lay rubber »    To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

lay the groundwork »    To create a foundation; to provide the basics or fundamentals.

lead »    A roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates.

lead »    A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing.

lead »    Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs.

lead »    To estimate velocity in knots.

lead »    Vertical space in advance of a row or between rows of text. Also known as leading.

leader of the free world »    The President of the United States.

leather working »    The technology of making products from leather.

leave no stone unturned »    To do a task very carefully and thoroughly, not missing any step.

leave well enough alone »    To leave something alone; to avoid attempts to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient.

leave well enough alone »    To leave something alone; to avoid attempts to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient

left and right »    All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.

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.

left, right and center »    All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.

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.

lemon law »    A law dealing with defective items, especially automobiles, and consumers' rights.

less is more »    That which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; simplicity is preferable to complexity; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.1855, Robert Browning, "Men and Women":Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.1954, "'Less Is More'," Time, 14 Jun.:The essence of Mies's architectural philosophy is in his famous and sometimes derided phrase, "Less is more." This means, he says, having "the greatest effect with the least means."2007, Gia Kourlas, "Dance Review: An Ordered World Defined With Soothing Spareness," New York Times, 3 Mar. (retrieved 22 Oct. 2008):The program, which features two premieres

let go an anchor to the windward of the law »    To keep within the letter of the law.

let in »    allow to enter

let in on »    To tell someone a secret.

let somebody in on »    To disclose; to tell somebody a secret or share privileged information.

let the cat out of the bag »    To disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently.

letters after one's name »    A list of abbreviations, separated by commas, representing the academic qualifications and civil or military honours achieved by a person.

level up »    To progress to the next level of player character stats and abilities. Often used in role-playing games when the character has aquired enough experience points.

lick one's chops »    To anticipate something eagerly.

lick one's wounds »    To withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat.

lie through one's teeth »    To tell a gross or egregious untruth.

life and limb »    Existence together with bodily faculties.

life is like a box of chocolates »    Life is full of surprises, you never know what will happen next.

life of Riley »    An ideal life of carefree prosperity and contentment.

life of the party »    A person who participates in entertainment events in a very enthusiastic manner and who has a leading role in inspiring others to join in the spirit of festivity.

lift up »    To elevate to a higher position.

lift up »    To lighten the mood of someone.

light a fire under »    To start sooner or move faster.

light bucket »    Nickname for a reflecting telescope, especially one with a relatively large aperture and suitable for observing deep sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies.

light up »    To become light, to brighten.

light up »    To bring light to something, to brighten.

light up »    To light a cigarette, pipe, etc.

lighten up »    To become less serious and more cheerful or casual; to relax.

like gangbusters »    Vigorously, rapidly, zealously, or forcibly; in a manner which has considerable impact.

like the new time »    Furiously or vigorously, repeatedly.

like water off a duck's back »    Without immediate or lasting effects.

line one's pockets »    To accumulate personal wealth, especially in an illegal or morally objectionable manner.

link whore »    Someone who goes to great lengths to get other people to link to his/her website or blog.

link whoring »    The practice of going out of one's way to place links to one's website on someone else's webpage.

lion »    A large cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly to much of Europe. The term may apply to the species as a whole, to individuals, or to male individuals. It also applies to related species like mountain lions.

lion »    An individual who shows strength and courage, attributes associated with the lion.

lion's den »    Any dangerous or frightening place.

lip service »    Empty talk; words absent of action or intention.

listen in »    To eavesdrop; to listen secretly.

listen in »    To listen without participating.

listen up »    To listen closely; to pay attention. Often used in the imperative.

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).

little pitchers have long ears »    Alternative form of little pitchers have big ears.

live by the sword, die by the sword »    One who uses violence can expect a violent response. It is better to try to use peaceful means wherever possible.(figuratively) One can expect dire outcomes from any vice; used to convey poetic justice.

live one »    A person, thing, or situation which is particularly interesting, noteworthy, or urgent.

Living high on the hog »    Living richly, often above one's means

lock up »    To imprison or incarcerate someone.

lock up »    To invest in something long term.

log out »    To exit an account in a computer system so that it doesn't recognize you until you log in again.

long absent, soon forgotten »    Love fades away when people are distant and don't keep close physical contact.

long finger »    A state of postponement or procrastination.

long goodbye »    Nickname for Alzheimer's disease, especially for the final phase of the disease, during which the patient suffers a progressive decline of cognitive and motor skills and gradually loses the ability to recognize and to communicate with family and friends.[1]; nickname for the relationship between a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease and that person's family or friends.

long run »    An extended period of time.

long shot »    A master shot, the primary wide shot of a scene into which the closeups will be edited later.

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.

long ways, long lies »    Someone who comes back from a far-off country can tell lies without fear of being contradicted.

look after »    To watch or protect; to keep safe.

look daggers »    To stare sharply at someone to indicate disapproval without actually speaking.

look forward »    To anticipate or expect; especially, to expect something to be pleasant.

look forward to »    To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure.

look into »    To investigate, explore, or consider.

look off »    To mislead by directing one's apparent attention away from one's true object of intent.

look out for number one »    To act in one's own interests; to act in a manner advantageous primarily to oneself.

look through rose-tinted glasses »    Alternative spelling of wear rose-colored glasses.

look up »    To obtain information about something from a text source.

look-in »    A chance to participate, compete, or succeed.

look-in »    A quick short pass to a receiver running diagonally toward the center of the field.

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.

loose end »    The end of a rope that has not been fastened.

loose ends »    Leftover items that have not been addressed or attended to.

lose face »    To lose the respect of others, to be humiliated or experience public disgrace.

lose it »    To be explosively angry; to lose one's temper.

lose one's cool »    To become upset or disconcerted; to lose one's temper.

lose one's shirt »    To lose all of one's money; to go broke; to undergo financial ruin or disaster.

lose one's shit »    To lose one's temper.

lose one's temper »    To be explosively angry. To get very cross.

lose one's touch »    To lose one's special mastery of or knack for a particular skill or activity.

lose touch »    To cease to be familiar with someone or something or to cease to communicate or have contact.

lost cause »    A cause, attempt, or effort that is hopeless or futile.

lot lizard »    A prostitute at a truck stop.

louse up »    Mess up; confuse; put into a state of disorder.

love nest »    A room, especially a bedroom or boudoir, used for sexual intercourse.

loved up »    Alternative spelling of loved-up.

lower the boom on »    To terminate or abolish something.

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.

luck out »    To experience great luck; to be extremely fortunate or lucky.

lucky break »    A stroke of luck; a fortunate event, particularly of the sort that propels one to success, fame, etc.

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.

lucky dip »    September 2005, BBC News - Dome sale 'was like a lucky dip'.

lump together »    To put different items or groups together and treat them, or think of them as one single group.

mad as a March hare »    Crazy, demented.

mad money »    A sum of money kept in reserve or to insulate oneself financially in the event of the sudden breakdown of a relationship in which one is economically dependent.

mad money »    A sum of money, often relatively small in amount, kept in reserve to use for impulsive, frivolous purposes.

made in the shade »    In a condition characterized by comfort, success, easy living, or general well-being.

magnum opus »    greatest work

main verte »    Green thumb.

make a go of it »    To attempt; especially, to attempt to make a living.

make a meal of »    To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.

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 a point »    To argue or promote an idea.

make a point »    To take care in doing something of something; to pay attention or ensure that something is done.

make a splash »    To do something that attracts attention.

make a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

make a virtue of necessity »    To make the best of a difficult situation; to recast or portray an action or situation in which one has no alternatives as an action or situation which was deliberately chosen on its merits.

make believe »    To pretend or imagine.

make do with »    To get along with whatever is available.

make for »    ????, translator unknown, author Galileo Galilei, Two Chief World Systems.

make for »    To tend to produce or result in.

make fun of »    To tease, ridicule or make jokes about.

make haste »    hurry

make head or tail of »    To determine to be good or bad.

make it do or do without »    If you don't have a lot of money, extend the life of what you have.

make light of »    To regard without due seriousness; to joke or disregard inappropriately.

make off with »    To steal something and run.

make out »    To designate as the recipient.

make out »    To characterize as; often with to be.

make out »    To fabricate a story.

make over »    To renovate or to convert to a different use.

make someone's skin crawl »    To disturb or bother; to frighten or disgust.

make someone's teeth itch »    To bother or unsettle a person; to put someone on edge.

make the cut »    To succeed; to be chosen out of a field of candidates or possibilities.

make the welkin ring »    By extension of.

make the welkin ring »    By extension of , to celebrate or revel.

make up »    To constitute; to compose; to form.

make up »    To compensate, fill in or catch up.

man of parts »    A man that is talented in multiple areas of life. This includes but is not limited to the area of seduction. He puts very little emphasis on memorized scripts or "peacocking" and instead relies on individualized ways to charm a woman.

man up »    To "be a man about it"; to do the things a good man is traditionally expected to do, such as: taking responsibility for the consequences of one's actions; displaying bravery or toughness in the face of adversity; providing for one's family, etc.

man up »    To staff adequately; to staff up; to successfully fill all needed labor positions.

managerial inbreeding »    Bad management, caused by managers making poor selection choices in recruitment, rewards, and promotions of the staff that report to them, leading to another generation of managers who lack the necessary skill sets to reward and promote the most effective staff.

mandare a monte »    To mess up, to ruin.

manoeuvre the apostles »    To rob Peter to pay Paul; that is, to borrow money of one man to pay another.

mark down »    To write a memorandum about.

mark my words »    Listen to me; used before a statement one wishes to emphasize.

mark up »    To add coding to text so that it will display properly on a computer.

marry in haste, repent at leisure »    Getting married too soon will lead to a bad marriage.

marry in haste, repent at leisure »    Two things together too soon will lead to problems.

matter of course »    A natural or logical outcome.

matter of course »    An expected or customary outcome.

matter of fact »    A fact.

matter of fact »    A more factual correction.

matter of fact »    Something completely true.

me three »    Used to express agreement, after someone has already said "me too".

meal ticket »    Someone or something that provides income or livelihood, especially as an exploited source.

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

measure twice, cut once »    Alternative form of measure twice and cut once.

meet one's maker »    To die or to pass into the afterlife.

mend fences »    To repair damage to a friendship or relationship after a disagreement or other mishap.

mend one's ways »    To recognise one's failings and attempt to remedy them.

mercury »    A silvery-colored metallic chemical element, liquid at room temperature, with atomic number 80 and symbol Hg.

mess of pottage »    Something of trivial value, especially of immediate value.

mess up »    To make unwanted mistakes in a given task, usually through distraction or obnoxious behavior.

mess up »    To discombobulate, utterly confuse, or confound psychologically; to throw into a state of mental disarray.

mess with »    To interfere.

mete out »    To distribute something in portions; to apportion or dole out.

middle of nowhere »    Nowhere; any place lacking population, interesting things, or defining characteristics.

midi system »    hi-fi

might makes right »    The stronger and more powerful rule others, control the situation or determine right and wrong.

mike up »    To fit a microphone and transmitter to a person. Usually for television performers, or for police informers.

mill around »    To move or circulate in a confused or disorderly manner within a limited area.

mind one's own business »    To concern oneself only with what is of interest to oneself and not interfere in the affairs of others.

mind one's P's and Q's »    Alternative spelling of mind one's p's and q's.

mind over matter »    Willpower alone can overcome a physical problem.

mind you »    Used to draw attention to adjacent words.

mind-numbing »    Excessively boring, tedious, or dull; repetitive; of an activity, etc., lacking any interest or variety that might serve as intellectual stimulation.

mine arse on a bandbox »    An answer to the offer of any thing inadequate to the purpose for which it is proffered, like offering a bandbox for a seat.

mint condition »    Used, but still like new, as if freshly minted.

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.

miss the mark »    To fail to reach the result that was intended.

miss the point »    To fail to grasp the meaning of an utterance.

mix it up »    To compete vigorously, to quarrel, or to fight physically.

mixed bag »    By extension, a group of entities with few characteristics in common; an assortment.

mixed bag »    Something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a mixture of advantages and disadvantages.

mixed message »    Any communication that is contradictory, inconsistent, or unclear, especially in its motive or intent.

mock up »    To create a model or demonstration; to create a preliminary version or sample.

moment of truth »    A deciding instant; the time when a test determines or makes it apparent whether something will succeed.

money can't buy happiness »    Money can buy external things, but true happiness comes from inside.

money talks »    It is easier to accomplish goals using money instead of just talk.

monkey on one's back »    A state of persistent distress or worry or the cause of such a state.

monkey wrench »    A problem, obstacle or dilemma; something unexpected or troublesome.

more cry than wool »    Asserted but not grounded in reality.

more equal »    Ostensibly equal, but in reality more privileged.

more haste, less speed »    When we are in a hurry, we often end up completing our task slower.

more like it »    Better, more desirable.

mother hen »    An outspoken and overprotective woman dealing with others' affairs.

mouse potato »    A person who spends excessive amounts of time using a computer.

mouth breather »    A person who routinely inhales and exhales through the mouth, instead of through the nose.

mouth of a sailor »    The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.

move heaven and earth »    To do whatever is necessary, including extreme or unusual actions; to go to extremes.

move out »    To vacate one's place of residence.

move the goal posts »    To unilaterally change the rules, or terms of an agreement, especially in an unfair or underhand way.

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.

mug up »    To study intensely.

mull over »    To think deeply about something; to ponder, deliberate or ruminate.

muscle in »    To interfere, or intrude forcibly.

muscle in on »    To interfere with, or intrude on something forcibly.

music to one's ear »    Some unexpected good news; a favorable outcome after some initial confusion or delay.

mutton dressed as lamb »    A mature woman dressed in a style more suited to a young woman, especially if a deliberate attempt to appear young.

mutual admiration society »    A group of two or more people, in a workplace or other social environment, who routinely express considerable esteem and support for one another, sometimes to the point of exaggeration or pretense.

my arse »    Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

my foot »    Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

nail biter »    A nervous or uncomfortable situation.

nail biter »    An engaging or exciting cliffhanger.

nail biter »    One who bites or chews his or her fingernails.

ne'er cast a clout til May be out »    Advice not to change from winter clothes to summer clothes until June, as there is often a sudden cold snap in May.

necessity is the mother of innovation »    Alternative form of necessity is the mother of invention.

neck and neck »    Very close in progress, as in a race or contest.

necker's knob »    A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.

needle in a haystack »    Something that is difficult or impossible to locate; something impossibly complex or intractable.

neither fish nor fowl »    Said of something not easily categorized or not fitting neatly into any established group.

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 change a running system »    Don't change something that is working

never in a million years »    Absolutely not.

never look a gift horse in the mouth »    Alternative form of don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

never mind »    I withdraw my previous statement.

nickel-and-dime »    Alternative spelling of nickel and dime.

night owl »    One who stays up late at night or goes to bed late.

nightcap »    A warm cloth cap worn while sleeping, often with pajamas. Nightcaps were common in northern Europe before central heating was available, when homes were cold at night.

nine day wonder »    Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.

no brainer »    Something that supposedly doesn’t take much intellectual thought. Whoever says that something is a no brainer is usually the one with no brains.

no comment »    A refusal to say the obvious impolite retort.

no comment »    An "official" refusal to relay any further information, as a response to a newspaper reporter's question.

no dice »    An unacceptable alternative.

no good deed ever goes unpunished »    Used to express the idea that beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility.

no good deed goes unpunished »    Used to express the idea that beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility.

no great shakes »    Unexceptional; not special or noteworthy; not very effective.

no man is an island »    All people are connected to other people and dependent on other people.1623, John Donne,

no matter »    regardless of

no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney »    Regardless of how many clever points or fine distinctions one makes, what one is saying is still false or is still nonsense.

no slave to fashion »    A person whose style of clothing and appearance are unconventional, informal, or slovenly; a person who takes little interest in how he or she is dressed.

no smoke without fire »    Indicative of the fact that gossip or accusations are often substantiated by fact.

no time like the present »    A shortened form of there's no time like the present

noarch »    Short for "no architecture". It is a term used mainly in package management systems to mark packages which are architecture independent. Such packages usually contain graphics, documentation or similar data that can be used on any architecture.

nobody's perfect »    Used when someone's mistakes or flaws are acknowledged, to remind that everyone else makes mistakes and has flaws1995, New York Magazine Vol. 28, No. 5, 30 January 1995, The de-moralization of society (Book Review)Hypocrisy, particularly in sexual matters, is excused on the grounds that hey, nobody's perfect, and at least folks back then felt bad enough to lie.2000, Madonna, Nobody's PerfectI feel so sad. What I did wasn't right. I feel so bad and I must say to you: Sorry, but nobody's perfect. Nobody's perfect. What did you expect? I'm doing my best

nod off »    To fall asleep, especially while in a seated position or in inappropriate circumstances.

non-starter »    An idea or argument that cannot be sensibly debated.

non-starter »    Someone or something who was listed to start in a race, but did not start in the race.

non-starter »    Something that is not going to happen.

none of someone's business »    A matter that someone is not entitled to be involved in or informed about.

nose test »    An informal method for determining whether something is authentic, credible, or ethical, by using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

nose test »    An inspection of an object using the sense of smell, as for freshness of food.

nose test »    An inspection of the nasal passages or a trial of their function, as for breathing difficulties.

nosebleed seat »    A seat high in the back of bleachers, stands, or the balcony at a theater.

not a chance »    Absolutely not; no way.

not a pretty sight »    Something visually unappealing, ranging from mildly unattractive to utterly disgusting in appearance.

not a sausage »    Absolutely nothing, none of something.

not a sausage »    John: Do you know how I get to the town center from here?.

not be caught dead »    To refuse completely to do something.

not give a monkey's »    Not to have the slightest interest or concern.

not have a leg to stand on »    To lack support, as in an argument, debate, or negotiation.

not have the faintest »    To not know; to have no idea.

not on your life »    Absolutely not; under no circumstances.

not on your tintype »    An answer indicating outright rejection or denial; no way; absolutely not.

not quite »    Almost, very nearly.

not to put too fine a point on it »    Used to apologise for a possibly impolite statement one is making.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    Ambrose Bierce , The Fiend's Delight In conclusion, his respect for letter-writing ladies is so great that he would not touch one of them with a ten-foot pole.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    Ambrose Bierce, The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Vol. 8.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    Francis Lynde, The Quickening.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    To approach something or someone.

not touch something with a ten foot pole »    To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; signifies a strong aversion.

not win for losing »    To repeatedly fail in one's gambles or efforts.

nothing to write home about »    Not exceptional; not noteworthy or especially good.

now you're cooking »    A phrase, often given in response, meaning that the subject has switched to a more suitable or more efficient approach.

now you're talking »    A phrase indicating agreement with a previously stated suggestion to change a course of action.

nudge nudge wink wink »    A phrase added at the end of the sentence to hint that the speaker is referring to something else, euphemistically.

nugget of truth »    A small amount of truth in a generally untrue statement.

nuts and bolts »    The basic, inner workings of something; the fundamentals or basics; that which makes something operate, on a basic level.

object lesson »    A punishment intended as a deterrent to others.

object lesson »    Anything used an example or lesson which serves to warn others as to the outcomes that result from a particular action or behavior, as exemplified by the fates of those who followed that course.

odd and curious »    A way to designate special coins, namely coins that are both odd and imperfect or seriously damaged.

of an »    Indicates a more or less habitual activity during the given part of the day.

of course »    Acknowledges the validity of the associated phrase.

of course »    Asserts that the associated phrase should not be argued, particularly if it is obvious or there is no choice in the matter.

of course »    Indicates enthusiastic agreement.

of late »    In the recent past; recently; lately.

off and on »    Intermittently.

off the bat »    From the start; immediately; right away.

off the beaten path »    In a secluded location; in a place which is not frequently visited or not widely known.

off the beaten track »    In a place or places not commonly visited.

off the hook »    Of a telephone, having an open connection; not hung up.

off the mark »    Inaccurate; not correct or appropriate.

off the radar »    Unlikely to happen, or be important in the near future or tending to escape detection or attention.

off the rails »    Off the intended path.

off the top of one's head »    Without great thought or investigation; extemporaneous; natural; offhand.

off-the-cuff »    Extemporaneous; without prior preparation; impromptu.

off-the-wall »    Greatly inappropriate.

old college try »    A vigorous, committed attempt or effort.

old hat »    Something uninteresting, hackneyed, or passé due to overuse or long-standing familiarity..

old hat »    Something widely or long practiced, known, or accepted; something conventional.

old masters »    great painters

old money »    The imperial system of measurement, as opposed to the metric system.

old money »    The monetary system used in the United Kingdom before decimalisation and consisting of pounds, shillings, and pence.

old school »    Characteristic of a style, outlook, or method employed in a former era, remembered either as inferior to the current style, or alternately, remembered nostalgically as superior or preferable to the new style, the older denoting something that would be considered out of date or out of fashion to some, but as such, is considered by others as cool and hip.

old testament »    part of the bible

old time used to be »    Ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. Often used in songs.

on a full stomach »    Directly after eating, after a meal.

on a regular basis »    Regularly, occurring in regular time intervals or patterns.

on accident »    Accidentally; not intentionally; because of error, misfortune, or lack of caution.

on acid »    Exaggerated, bizarre or unpredictable.

on all fours »    Similar in nature or effect to something else; consistent.

on an irregular basis »    Irregularly, occurring in irregular time intervals or patterns.

on at »    to pester; to irritate; to annoy

on average »    Usually, typically; as a rule; as often as not.

on board »    Is that new teammate properly on board yet?.

on board »    It's a good idea, but let's see if we can get a few more of the management team on board.

on edge »    Tense, nervous or irritable.

on good terms with »    Friendly towards; having good relations with.

on hold »    Waiting on a telephone call.

on ice »    Performed by ice skaters as an ice show.

on one's feet »    Being well again after a bout of illness.

on one's high horse »    Self-righteous; proceeding on the belief one is more correct or proper than others.

on one's soapbox »    Stating or professing one's opinion; attempting to persuade others of something.

on one's toes »    Attentive, active, busy or alert.

on opposite sides of the barricades »    Of starkly different, opposite views on an issue.

on pins and needles »    Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.

on purpose »    Purposefully; with intention; deliberately.

on second thought »    After reconsidering; on further consideration.

on sight »    Immediately when sighted.

on steroids »    To a greater degree, exaggerating the characteristics of the previously named object.

on sufferance »    Unwillingly agreed to or barely tolerated.

on tenterhooks »    In a state of suspense or apprehension.

on the anvil »    Refers to anything in the making, being created, or in production, especially in the metalworking field.

on the back burner »    Not immediate; inactive; receiving less than full or regular attention.

on the ball »    Alert, active, or attentive; on top of things.

on the clock »    Of a taxicab, engaged for hire; displayed numerically as time or fare on the meter of a taxicab.

on the clock »    Remunerated per unit of time.

on the clock »    Working at one's job; occupied in some manner during one's hours of remunerated employment.

on the cuff »    On credit, with payment to be made later.

on the defensive »    Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression.

on the double »    Rapidly or immediately.

on the face of it »    Apparently; as far as can be seen or determined.

on the fly »    Spontaneously or extemporaneously; done as one goes, or during another activity.

on the game »    Working as a prostitute.

on the go »    Actively traveling; busy; moving often.

on the go »    To have started.

on the horn »    On the telephone.

on the line »    In a contest or enterprise.

on the loose »    Not incarcerated or in captivity; not under control.

on the make »    Actively seeking a romantic encounter or relationship.

on the make »    Actively seeking an opportunity for self-advancement; eager to ingratiate oneself to others in order to secure some advantage.

on the outs »    On unfriendly terms; estranged.

on the pull »    Seeking the intimate company of a member of the opposite sex.

on the ropes »    Leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, as when exhausted and nearing defeat or collapse.

on the same wavelength »    In rapport or complete accord.

on the sly »    Slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily.

on the square »    A discrete, unassuming reference to freemasonry.

on the tip of one's tongue »    Known but not quite remembered.

on the up-and-up »    Legitimate; honest; upright.

on the wagon »    By extension, maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit.

on thin ice »    In a dangerous, hazardous, or delicate situation; at risk.

on tiptoe »    Moving carefully, quietly, warily or stealthily.

on top of the world »    Delighted; ecstatic; exceptionally pleased, happy, or satisfied.

on track »    On a well-defined promotion path in an organisation, usually tenure.

on track »    Proceeding as planned, as expected, or in a manner consistent with an established pattern.

once bitten, twice shy »    One is cautious in the future if one has been hurt in the past.

once or twice »    A small, indefinite number of times.

one can't hold two watermelons in one hand »    do not attempt to take on more than you can handle

one card shy of a full deck »    Mentally deranged; demented; insane.

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 step at a time »    Slowly and carefully, ensuring that each action has been completed successfully before taking the next.

one step forward, two steps back »    A situation in which progress is more than offset by adverse developments.

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 thousand »    Used in a common chronometric counting scheme, in which each iteration is sequentially numbered and supposed to be approximately one second in length.

one up »    To outdo, to do something slightly better than a competitor's prior effort.

one who hesitates is lost »    A person who spends too much time contemplating what to do may miss a valuable but fleeting opportunity.

one's bark is worse than one's bite »    The individual acts threatening but is relatively harmless.

one's days are numbered »    Some period of time, such as a term of employment or a lifetime, is coming to an end.

one's jig is up »    Alternative form of the jig is up. [for one].

one-hit wonder »    A musical performer or musical group known for a single hit song, especially after failing at later attempts at success.

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-note »    Having only one opinion, outlook, tone, etc., especially as expressed repetitively; without variety or range.

one-trick pony »    A person or group noteworthy for only a single achievement, skill, or characteristic.

one-up »    To outdo, to do something slightly better than a competitor's prior effort.

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.

open ended »    without definite limits

open one's big mouth »    To speak about things, when it would be better to stay silent.

opposite number »    A person who holds a position in an organization that corresponds to that held by another person in an other organization; a counterpart.

opposites attract »    people who are completely different make ideal partners.

opt in »    To choose to participate in something.

opt out »    To choose not to participate in something.

or else »    Otherwise or as an alternative.

or so »    approximately; there abouts

or what »    Or something else; allows for the existence of an unexpressed alternative to what was said.

orphan drug »    But which is not manufactured or marketed because the demand is insufficient to cover the costs of supply.

other days, other ways »    People of the past thought and acted differently.

out of bounds »    Prohibited to enter.

out of character »    Inconsistent with one's personality, disposition, or usual expected behaviour.

out of character »    Not acting; not "on"; behaving within one's natural personality rather than that of a character in a performance piece.

out of character »    Not in character; not successfully performing within the mindset of a given character in a theatrical performance. See also break character, drop character.

out of date »    Not current, outmoded, out of style, or too old to be used.

out of house and home »    Cassandra Chrones Moore, Haunted Housing: How Toxic Scare Stories Are Spooking the Public Out of House and Home.

out of house and home »    Gail White, Partying with the Intelligentsia.

out of it »    Disoriented; not thinking clearly.

out of kilter »    Disturbed; out of order; not working or adjusted properly.

out of line »    Inappropriate or unsuitable, especially by reason of being unmannerly or indelicate.

out of luck »    Experiencing a temporary misfortune.

out of nowhere »    In an unexpected or inexplicable manner of arrival or occurrence.

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 of order »    Inappropriate or unsuitable.

out of place »    Amongst all those horsey people I felt quite out of place.

out of place »    Not in the proper situation or arrangement, or inappropriate for the circumstances.

out of proportion »    Not in a proper or pleasing relation to other things, especially in terms of size.

out of sight »    You better stay out of sight for a few days.

out of sight, out of mind »    When something is not nearby, it is forgotten about.

out of stock »    Temporarily unavailable for sale.

out of the blue »    Unexpectedly; without warning or preparation.

out of the box »    Immediately, without intervention from the customer.

out of the loop »    Not informed up to date; current; not kept part of the discussion.

out of the mouths of babes »    The greatest wisdom comes from children, who are not afraid or weary of the world and its pressures.

out of the question »    Impossible to even contemplate.

out of the way »    Remote or secluded.

out of the woods »    Out of peril; likely to recover or prevail over trouble; finished with the worst or most threatening part of a problem or illness.

out of thin air »    From non-existent resources.

out of whole cloth »    Fabricated, fictitious.

out on the tiles »    I've had a pint of bitter and now I'm feeling better and I'm out on the tiles." Led Zeppelin in their song "Out on the tiles", 1970.

out the window »    Made obsolete; altered drastically as a result of situational change.

out to lunch »    Clueless, inattentive or careless.

out-and-out »    Complete, utter.

outshout »    To merit the most attention or praise.

outside world »    The rest of the world outside of some closed, restricted, or remote environment.

outside world »    The world external to the human mind.

outsider »    A competitor or contestant who has little chance of winning; a long shot; a dark horse.

over and out »    Used to signal the end of a conversation, especially one conducted by CB radio or the like.

over and over »    Repeatedly; again and again; many times.

over my dead body »    Under no circumstances; absolutely not.

over the moon »    Delighted, thrilled.

over the top »    Bold; beyond normal, expected, or reasonable limits; excessive; outrageous.

over the transom »    Said of an unsolicited work submitted for publication.

overkill »    An unnecessary excess of whatever is needed to achieve a goal.

own up »    To acknowledge, confess, or admit guilt. Often used with to.

pachyderm »    A member of the obsolete taxonomic group Pachydermata, grouping of thick-skinned, hoofed animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant, pig and horse.

pack away »    To store away, place out of the way, or stash, especially for the longer term.

paint oneself into a corner »    To create a predicament or problem for oneself; to do something that leaves one with no good alternatives or solutions.

paint the town red »    To party or celebrate in a rowdy, wild manner, especially in a public place.

paint with a broad brush »    To describe a class of objects or a kind of phenomenon in general terms, without specific details and without attention to individual variations.

palace politics »    The relationships and interactions of top-level officials, advisors and other powerbrokers within a government, especially as involving internal rivalry and intrigue.

palm off »    To attempt to pass off a counterfeit or inferior product as genuine.

pan out »    By swirling dirt or crushed rock in a pan of water, in the manner of a traditional prospector seeking gold.

paper »    A sheet material used for writing on or printing on , usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.

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 .

paper »    A written document, generally shorter than a book , in particular one written for the Government.

paper trail »    A written record, history, or collection of evidence.

par for the course »    To be expected; normal; common; usual.

parade of horribles »    A parade featuring a progression of people wearing comic and grotesque costumes.

parade of horribles »    A rhetorical device employing a series of progressively more terrible results following from an act.

pardon me »    Polite expression to get someone to repeat.

park that thought »    Alternative form of hold that thought.

park the car in Harvard Yard »    A sentence used to illustrate that the Boston accent is non-rhotic; typically pronounced "pahk the cah in Hahvad Yahd".

part and parcel »    An integral or essential piece; that which must be done or accepted as part of something else.

party animal »    A person known for frequent, enthusiastic attendance at parties, especially one whose partying behavior is exuberant or excessive.

party crasher »    Someone who attempts and often gains entry to a party or club to which they were not invited, often using social engineering techniques. The party crasher usually tries to blend into the party so as not to be kicked out.

pass muster »    To adequately pass a formal or informal inspection.

pass muster »    To measure up to a particular standard.

pass on »    To convey or communicate.

pass out »    To distribute, to hand out.

pass out »    To graduate, usually marked by the ceremony at the end of their training.

pass the buck »    To transfer responsibility or blame from oneself onto another; to absolve oneself of concern for a given matter by claiming to lack authority or jurisdiction.

pass through »    To infiltrate.

patience is a virtue »    it is better to be patient than impatient

patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels »    The appeal to patriotism is often used to distract the public from real issues.

pay attention »    To be attentive; to focus one's attention.

pay off »    To bribe, especially to deter oversight.

pay off »    To become worthwhile after a lapse.

pay out »    To distribute money; to disburse.

pay the fiddler »    To contribute in order to participate.

pay the piper »    To pay a monetary debt or experience unfavorable consequences, especially when the payment or consequences are inevitable in spite of attempts to avoid them.

pay up »    To pay for something in total, after a certain amount of time after receiving a purchase.

payback's a bitch »    Usually a complete sentence as an interjection: I am amused that someone got their revenge on you...but you certainly had it coming.

payback's a bitch »    Usually a complete sentence: I will get revenge when you least expect it.

pea patch »    A small piece of land planted with peas.

peace and quiet »    Tranquility; freedom from stress or interruptions.

peachy keen »    Extremely good, exactly right; all right. Often used in the negative or with an ironic or sarcastic connotation to mean the opposite.

peashooter »    A toy gun, consisting of a tube through which peas or small objects are blown.

peashooter »    Any small or ineffective gun.

peed off »    Simple past tense and past participle of pee off.

pelt of the dog »    An immoderate, excessive quantity of alcohol drunk the morning after whilst suffering withdrawal symptoms or a hangover, which goes beyond alleviating the complaint to causing drunkenness; cf. hair of the dog.

penalty box »    That is assessed after an infraction.

pencil skirt »    clothing item

penny for your thoughts »    Used to inquire into the thoughts and feelings of another, especially when the person appears pensive or conflicted.

penny wise and pound foolish »    Prudent and thrifty with small amounts of money, but wasteful and profligate with large amounts.

pep up »    To make stronger or more interesting.

perfect storm »    A powerful hurricane or other major weather disturbance, especially as produced by a combination of meteorological conditions.

perfect storm »    A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors.

perp walk »    The intentional public display before news cameras of someone in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public interest, demonstrating the authorities' effectiveness, or shaming the person.

personal computers »    PCs

peter out »    To dwindle; to trail off; to diminish to nothing.

physical break »    A short break in a meeting or in a classroom setting, intended to improve attention.

pi%C3%A8ce de r%C3%A9sistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

pick of the litter »    The best person or item in a group.

pick up »    To clean up; to return to an organized state.

pick up »    To notice, detect or discern, often used with "on".

pick up »    To answer a telephone. See pick up the phone.

pick up speed »    accelerate

pickle »    A children’s game with three participants that emulates a baseball rundown.

pickle »    An affectionate term for a loved one.

piece de resistance »    A masterpiece; the most memorable accomplishment of one’s career or lifetime..

piece of ass »    A male prostitute.

piece of ass »    An act of intercourse, especially a one night stand.

piece of work »    A product or manufactured article, especially an item of art or craft.

pile up »    To collect or accumulate, as a backlog.

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.

pink slip »    An automobile roadworthiness inspection certificate.

pink slip »    Notice of the termination of employment.

piss away »    To spend wastefully.

piss money up the wall »    To waste money, normally through ineptness in business.

pissin like a race horse »    To urinate profusely.

pissing contest »    A boys' prankish competition to determine who can urinate the furthest up a wall.

pissing contest »    An argument which is instigated, or exacerbated while consuming alcohol.

pissing contest »    An immature dispute over some trivial matter.

pitch a tent »    To have an erection that shows through the trousers.

pitch in »    To help out; lend assistance; contribute; to do one's part.

pitch woo »    To flatter.

pitched battle »    An intense, rancorous argument or confrontation.

play ball »    To work together; to cooperate.

play down »    To make or attempt to make something seem less important, likely, or obvious.

play dumb »    To pretend to be mute.

play dumb »    To pretend to be slow-witted or lacking in specific knowledge, usually in order to avoid responsibility or to gain some advantage.

play fast and loose »    To be recklessly inaccurate, inappropriate, or otherwise ignoring guidelines and conventions.

play games »    To deceive, to lie about one's intentions.

play it by ear »    To play a song according to how it sounds, rather than from a written score.

play on words »    A pun, or similar humorous use of language such as a double entendre.

play one against another »    To manipulate two persons into competing against one another in a way that benefits the person carrying out the manipulation.

play possum »    To feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lay low.

play second fiddle »    To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.

play the field »    To date more than one person at the same time.

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.

play to the gallery »    To appeal to the least sophisticated parts of an audience in order to obtain maximum approval.

play up »    To make or attempt to make something appear more important, likely or obvious; to showcase or highlight.

plead the fifth »    To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.

plump up »    To shake or arrange so as to be fatter or more evenly distributed.

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.

poacher turned gamekeeper »    A person who now works against the same people they once supported.

point out »    To tell, remind, indicate to someone.

poison pen »    A usually intentionally rude, spiteful, and/or condescending piece of writing directed at a person, group, lifestyle, way of thought, or other target.

poison tree bears poison fruit »    Unethical actions in the service of good intentions will have immoral or unethical consequences.

pony in the barn »    An exciting and real prospect, something to be legitimately excited about.

poor power »    Limited ability.

pore over »    To examine something carefully and attentively.

possession is nine-tenths of the law »    One who has possession of a thing has some right to it; a popular statement of the doctrine of adverse possession.

poster boy »    See poster child.

poster child »    One who is a prototypical or quintessential example of something.

poster girl »    See poster child.

potter »    God, the creator.

potter »    One who makes pots and other ceramic wares.

potter »    One who places flowers or other plants inside their pots.

potter about »    To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.

potter around »    To potter, to be gently active doing various things in an almost aimless manner.

potter's clay »    A nation or kingdom.

potter's clay »    A person or people created and shaped by God.

potter's clay »    I am the potter’s clay.

potter's clay »    The clay used by a potter.

potter's clay »    We are but potter’s clay.

potter's field »    A public place where strangers, paupers, and criminals are buried.

potty mouth »    The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a person having this characteristic.

pour oil on troubled waters »    To calm something or someone who is tenacious or misbehaving.

pour out »    To talk volubly and deeply. Usually implies telling the truth.

power chord »    A chord or combination of notes used in rock music and typically selected to sound good at high volume and high levels of distortion. Power chords make extensive use of intervals such as open fourths and fifths.

power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely »    The corrupting influence of power is total when one's power is total.Lord Acton see: Wikiquote

practice makes perfect »    If one practices an activity enough, one will eventually master it.

prawn cocktail offensive »    A strategy of the Labour Party in winning over important people in the world of finance.

press stud »    snap fastener

pretzel »    A toasted bread or cracker usually in the shape of a loose knot.

pretzel »    Anything that is knotted, twisted, or tangled.

prevention is better than cure »    it is better to prevent the creation of a bad thing, than to destroy it.

prick up one's ears »    To listen attentively.

pride comes before a fall »    A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.

pride cometh before a fall »    Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.

pride goes before a fall »    Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.

pride goeth before a fall »    Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.

private branch exchange »    Telephone lines.

private eye »    A private personal detective, employed to gather information about someone.

prize fighter »    boxer

problem child »    A child who is particularly difficult to raise or educate, especially due to a lack of self-control and disruptive and antisocial behavior.

problem child »    Someone or something persistently difficult or vexing; a frequent source of trouble or annoyance.

pronunciamiento »    A military uprising or coup in Spain or the Spanish American republics, particularly in the 19th century. They received this designation because coups were usually accompanied by a statement declaring the existing government null and void.

prove out »    To demonstrate the feasibility of.

proverbs come in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0155511130, page 325:Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.

proverbs go in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1932, Bertrand Russell,

proverbs hunt in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.

proverbs often come in pairs »    Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.

proverbs run in pairs »    Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.

puddle jumper »    A small passenger airplane, typically used for shorter connecting trips to smaller airports.

puff out »    To inflate.

puff up »    To inflate with air.

pull a »    To emulate a behaviour generally attributed to the individual named.

pull an all-nighter »    Work diligently throughout the night.

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.

pull one's own weight »    To do the work that one is obligated to.

pull one's weight »    To do the work that one is obligated to.

pull oneself together »    To become mentally focused after a period of being unfocused.

pull oneself up by one's bootstraps »    To begin an enterprise or recover from a setback without any outside help; to succeed only on one's own effort or abilities.

pull out »    To use coitus interruptus as a method of birth control.

pull rank »    To assert one's authority over a subordinate who disagrees.

pull somebody's leg »    To tease someone; to lead someone on; to goad someone into overreacting. It usually implies teasing or goading by jokingly lying.

pull strings »    To manipulate, especially by asking favours of.

pull teeth »    To do something that is especially difficult or effortful.

pull teeth »    To remove teeth, usually because they are diseased or damaged.

pull together »    To unite for a common objective.

pump up »    To inflate by means of a pump.

pump up »    To inflate with a pumping action.

pump up »    To excite a person or group to a frenzy.

punch bowl waterfall »    A plunging waterfall descending from a narrow stream into a pool.

punch in »    To enter a workplace by punching a time card.

purple prose »    Extravagant or flowery writing, especially in a literary work.

push one's luck »    To take an excessive risk or to attempt some task unlikely to succeed, especially after having already been unexpectedly lucky.

put a stop to »    To terminate or abolish something.

put across »    To explain or state something clearly and understandably.

put an end to »    To terminate or abolish something.

put aside »    To ignore or intentionally forget something, temporarily or permanently, so that more important things can have one's attention.

put away »    To strike out a batter.

put by »    To perform an action without attracting attention.

put by »    To run a ship aground intentionally to avoid a collision.

put down »    To halt, eliminate, stop, or squelch, often by force.

put down »    To administer euthanasia to, as an animal too old or ill to cure.

put down »    To write something.

put down »    To replace the telephone receiver and terminate a call. To hang up.

put down for »    To record that someone has offered to help, or contribute something.

put down to »    To state the cause of a situation.

put forth »    To give or supply; to make or create.

put forward »    To change the time in a time zone to a later time.

put off »    To procrastinate.

put off »    To offend, repulse, or frighten.

put on the dog »    To dress up; to put on airs; to make a show of wealth and/or importance; to be pretentious.

put one foot in front of the other »    To move forward, progress steadily.

put one's foot down »    To make a car go faster, accelerate.

put one's mind to it »    To apply oneself; to exert a directed effort.

put out feelers »    To explore or watch for; ask around; investigate.

put someone down as »    To assume someone has a particular character from very little information.

put someone's back up »    To annoy someone deliberately.

put something into perspective »    To compare with something similar to give a clearer, more accurate idea.

put the cat among the pigeons »    If you set the cat among the pigeons, you will cause a flutter in the dovecote.

put the cat among the pigeons »    Professor Stephen Hawking put the cat among the pigeons last week with his cheery remarks about comet Machholz-2, which some astronomers believe could be heading our way. — The Times, 19 September 1994.

put the clock forward »    To change the time in a time zone to a later time.

put the hammer down »    To drive quickly; to step on the accelerator.

put the pedal to the metal »    To press the gas pedal to the maximum extent.

put the wind up »    To frighten or disturb.

put through its paces »    To test completely; to exercise the full range of abilities or functions.

put through the wringer »    To interrogate or scrutinize closely; to subject to some trial or ordeal.

put to the test »    To test something or someone; to evaluate, scrutinize or explore by testing or experimentation.

put up »    To house, shelter, or take in.

put up one's dukes »    Prepare to fight; literally, to raise your fists.

put up with »    To tolerate, suffer through, or allow, esp. something annoying.

put words in somebody's mouth »    To attribute to somebody something he or she did not say; to claim inaccurately that somebody said or intended something.

quake in one's boots »    To be frightened, scared, or nervous.

quantum mechanics »    Something overly complicated or detailed.

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.

quarter of »    "I need twenty minutes to get to the shop." "You'll be late. It's already a quarter of.".

quarter of »    Fifteen minutes before the next hour.

quarter past »    Fifteen minutes past any hour.

question mark »    The punctuation mark “?”, used at the end of a sentence to indicate a question..

quick on the uptake »    Able to readily understand things; intelligent.

quick-and-dirty »    Done or constructed in a hasty, approximate, temporarily adequate manner, but not exact, fully formed, or reliable for a long period of time.

quiet down »    To become quieter.

quiet down »    To reduce intensity of an activity.

quiet down »    To make someone or something become quieter.

quieten down »    To become quieter.

quieten down »    To reduce intensity of an activity.

quieten down »    To make someone or something become quieter.

quite a bit »    A considerable amount.

quote unquote »    Emphasizes the following word or phrase for irony, as used almost exclusively in spoken language.

rabble rouser »    Someone or something that tends to inspire mobs; something controversial or provocative.

rag bagger »    A sailboat, usually a cruising sailboats which tend to carry and store lots of supplies along the deck, or any sailboat that looks like a neglected vessel, or messy vessel.

rag bagger »    A sailor who tends to sail on messy cruising vessels.

rag the puck »    To retain possession of the puck by skillful skating and stickhandling without attempting to score, as a deliberate tactic intended to use up time.

rag-chewing »    A phrase used by morse code operators for a longer than usual conversation, generally a conversation extending about 30 minutes.

rags to riches »    In a biographical context, from poverty to exceptional wealth.

rain check »    In social interactions, a polite way to turn down an invitation, with the implication one is simply postponing it and that another time would be acceptable.

rain check »    To provide a service at a later date.

rain cheque »    Any voucher or note issued by a store to allow a customer to get a special or sale price later if an item is out of stock.

raise a hand »    To volunteer.

raise a stink »    To complain; to demand attention or remedy for a problem.

raise one's hand »    To volunteer.

raise the flag and see who salutes »    It generates, usually as a preliminary step.

raise the spectre »    To cause concern that something unfortunate might happen.

rake »    A garden tool with a row of pointed teeth fixed to a long handle, used for collecting grass or debris, or for loosening soil.

rake »    The sloped edge of a roof at or adjacent to the first or last rafter.

rat race »    An activity or situation which is congested with participants and which is hectic or tedious, especially in the context of a busy, modern urban lifestyle.

rattle off »    To list or recite quickly.

rattle someone's cage »    To demand attention; to nag, nudge, or remind.

reach an early grave »    To be sentenced to death before the age of 18.

read between the lines »    To infer a meaning that is not stated explicitly.

read somebody the riot act »    To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.

real job »    A job which requires the employee to, work regular hours for a consistent wage that often exceeds the provisions of applicable minimum wage legislation. A job that produces a living wage.

real Macoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

real McCoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

real McKoy »    The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

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.

reality check »    A check or review to make sure something is consistent, reasonable, etc.

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.

rebound relationship »    A relationship proceeding a longterm relationship, usually short in duration and used to help mend the "broken heart".

rebrousser chemin »    To retrace one's steps, to turn back.

red card »    referee's item

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 clue that is misleading or that has been falsified, intended to divert attention.

red hot »    to be keen; he is the favourite to win

red letter day »    Usually very positive, sometimes very negative.

red state »    A state of the United States voting Republican in a given election, or tending to vote Republican in general.

red tape »    A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.

reinvent the wheel »    To redo work unnecessarily when it has already been done satisfactorily; to rethink an already working system, technique, etc. in a pointless attempt to improve it.

rest on one's laurels »    To rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further.

rex-pat »    A repeat expatriate, one who becomes ex-patriated a second time.

rhyme off »    To list or recite quickly.

ridden hard and put away wet »    Mistreated; not properly cared for.

ride roughshod over »    To act in a bullying or inconsiderate manner; to display disregard towards someone or something.

ride shotgun »    To assist and protect.

ride tall in the saddle »    To act or conduct oneself in a manner that is imposing, impressive, resolute, or manly.

ride the short bus »    To participate in a special education program, such as for those with learning disabilities.

right as rain »    Correct; factually accurate.

right away »    Very soon; quickly; immediately.

right back »    Used in several informal constructions to indicate return -- especially imminent return to a point of origin.

ring off »    To finish a telephone conversation and disconnect.

ring off the hook »    Of a telephone, to ring constantly or excessively.

ring out »    To make a phone call from an internal phone system to a general telephone network number.

ring up »    To telephone, to call on the telephone.

ring up »    To enter a payment into a cash register, or till in a shop.

rip off »    To steal, cheat or swindle.

rip off »    To charge an exorbitant or unfair rate.

rip to shreds »    To severely devalue, to refute.

rip up »    tear into pieces

rip up »    tear to pieces

rip up »    tear apart

rise from the ashes »    To make a comeback after a long hiatus. To come back into common use or practice. To come back into popularity. To come back to being a thing of today.

rivet counter »    A person who has an obsession with the minutae of their particular interest. Anyone preoccupied with small distinguishing features between different items.

roach coach »    Whimsically, a catering or food truck.

road apple »    Horse manure, especially when deposited on a road.

road to Damascus »    That was my Road to Damascus moment. They played one hit after another and this is the song I remember most clearly.

roadwarrior »    A person who carries a mobile device such as a laptop or PDA and uses wireless internet connections to work.

roadwarrior »    Alternative spelling of road warrior.

rob Peter to pay Paul »    To solve a problem in a way that makes another problem worse.

rob the cradle »    To use a young person for a purpose inappropriate to his or her age.

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.

rock the boat »    To disturb the status quo or go against rules or conventions, as in an effort to get attention.

rock up »    To turn up to a place or function unexpectedly, or without notice or prior warning.

rocking horse shit »    A metaphor for something exceedingly rare or, more likely, nonexistent.

rocking-horse shit »    Alternative form of rocking horse shit.

roll out the red carpet »    To extend the utmost hospitality; to treat someone as an honored guest; to welcome or host, especially in a showy or extravagant manner.

rolling pin »    kitchen utensil

Rome wasn't built in a day »    It takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive.

root around »    Alternative form of root about.

root cause »    An initiating cause of a chain of events which leads to an outcome or effect of interest.

root up »    To dig or pull up by the roots; to deracinate.

ropable »    Alternative spelling of ropeable. Able to be roped.

ropable »    Upset; irate.

rose-colored glasses »    An optimistic perception of something; a positive opinion; seeing something in a positive way, often thinking of it as better than it actually is.

rose-colored glasses »    Glasses that are tinted in a pink or rose shade.

rough around the edges »    In need of refinement; unsophisticated.

round down »    To the greatest integer that is not greater than it, or to some other lower value, especially a whole number of hundreds, thousands, etc.

round of applause »    An outburst of clapping among a group or audience. Often asked for by the Master of Ceremonies at a concert or other performance.

round off »    To complete or finish something.

round out »    To make more complete by adding details.

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.

rub off on »    To adapt to a way of behaving after constant exposure to it.

rub out »    delete, erase

rub somebody the wrong way »    To bother, disturb, irritate, or annoy.

rub up against »    Of pets. To touch a person's body in a friendly manner, seeking attention.

rule of thumb »    A general guideline, rather than a strict rule; an approximate measure or means of reckoning based on experience or common knowledge.

rule out »    To cross an item out by drawing a straight line through it, as with a ruler.

rule with an iron fist »    To rule with absolute authority or to the detriment of the people. To rule tyrannically.

rules OK »    To be popularly accepted, or supported by the general majority of people.

rumor campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

rumor mill »    A group or network of persons who originate or promulgate gossip and other unsubstantiated claims.

run a bath »    To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath.

run after »    To chase.

run after »    To make a determined effort to win someone's affections.

run around after »    To spend a lot of time doing things for another person or group of people. Often used when that person could reasonably do the things for themselves.

run around with »    To spend a lot of time with a person or group of people. Often used to talk about a person's group of friends that one does not like much.

run away with »    To leave secretly with another person. Usually with the intention of getting married or of living together against the wishes of the family.

run back »    To rewind a film or cassette.

run down »    To criticize someone or an organisation, often unfairly.

run down »    To find something or someone after searching for a long time.

run down »    To lose power slowly. Used for a machine, battery, or other powered device.

run down »    To read quickly a list or other short text.

run down »    To reduce the size or stock levels of a business, often with a view to closure.

run for one's money »    A difficult challenge for the person indicated, especially one involving a competitive situation.

run for the roses »    A college football game or series of games played with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the championship Rose Bowl game.

run hot and cold »    To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure.

run in »    Alternative spelling of run-in.

run into »    To enter by running.

run off »    To write something quickly.

run off »    To operate by a particular energy source.

run off with »    To leave with someone with the intention of living with them or marrying them. Usually in secret because other people think it is wrong.

run off with »    To steal or abscond.

run on »    To continue without interruption.

run on »    To operate with a particular energy source.

run on fumes »    By extension, to operate with few resources or little money.

run on fumes »    To operate a vehicle that is low on fuel.

run out »    Alternative spelling of runout.

run out of steam »    To run out of energy; to run out of motivation.

run out the clock »    To preserve a lead in a game by retaining possession, to waste time.

run over »    To exceed the allotted time.

run something by »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run something past »    To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion.

run through »    To use completely, in a short space of time. Usually money.

run through »    To pervade, of a quality that is characteristic of a group, organisation, or system.

run to »    To reach the limit of one's abilities or tastes.

run up »    To make something, usually an item of clothing, very quickly.

run up »    To accumulate a debt.

run up against »    Begin to encounter problems with someone or something.

sabre-rattling »    Any threat, such as one company threatening another with a lawsuit.

safe and sound »    Having come to no harm, especially after being exposed to danger.

safety pin »    fastener

sainted »    Simple past tense and past participle of saint.

save face »    To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.

say goodbye »    To separate from someone.

say grace »    To recite a prayer of invocation or thanksgiving at meal time.

scare out of one's wits »    To frighten someone to such an extent that they behave irrationally.

scare the bejeebers out of »    To thoroughly terrify.

scared shitless »    Very scared, terrified.

scared to death »    Extremely frightened.

scissorbill »    And railroad term for someone who refused to join the union or who openly colluded with management to thwart the union.

scissorbill »    Someone considered contemptible or foolish.

scissorbill »    The black skimmer bird native to the Atlantic states, USA.

scope out »    To examine; to scout; to investigate; to check out.

scratch that »    To disregard, omit, or ignore the previous statement.

scream »    A form of singing associated with the metal and screamo styles of music. It is a loud, rough, distorted version of the voice; rather than the normal voice of the singer.

scream »    An entertaingly outrageous person.

scream »    Used as an intensifier.

scream bloody murder »    To protest loudly or angrily.

screen out »    To use a screen, grate, sieve or similar means to separate large from small objects or particles.

screen test »    movie audition

screw it »    "I don't care enough to continue"; whatever.

screw this »    "I don't care enough to continue"; "This is too stressful for me"; whatever.

scrounge up »    To seek or find despite a lack of apparent resources or availability.

sea legs »    Alternative name of surimi.

sea legs »    The ability, when walking aboard ship, to anticipate the motion of the deck so as to walk steadily without losing balance.

seat-of-the-pants »    Done by feel, guess, or trial and error rather than by careful planning, thought or technique.

second childhood »    A childlike state in any adult, resulting from mental illness, trauma, or other conditions.

second childhood »    The period or state of cognitive decline of an elderly person, characterized by childlike judgment and behavior.

second fiddle »    A sidekick or subordinate, or the role of such a person.

see red »    To be angry or irritated.

see someone through »    To constitute ample supply for one for.

see the forest for the trees »    To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the bigger picture, or the broader, more general situation. Generally used in the negative.

see you later »    A phrase used at parting, and not necessarily implying that the person being addressed will be seen later by the speaker.

sell »    To pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act.

sell »    To promote a particular viewpoint; to manipulate towards a desired end.

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".

sell ice to Eskimos »    To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous.

sell out »    To abandon one's supporters or principles to seek profit or other personal advantage.

sell-by date »    The final date on which a perishable product can be legally sold to the public.

sell-by date »    Used to indicate that something, or someone, is old and out of date.

send away for »    To write to a business or other organisation, requesting a thing.

send to Coventry »    To ostracize, or systematically ignore someone.

send up »    To imitate someone or something for the purpose of satirical humour.

send up »    To make prices or temperatures etc. rise.

senior note »    A bond that takes priority over other debt securities sold by the issuer. In the event the issuer goes bankrupt, senior debt must be repaid before other creditors receive any payment.

separate the wheat from the chaff »    To select only that which is of value.

serpentine »    Of, or having attributes associated with, the mythological serpent, such as craftiness or deceitfulness.

serpentine »    Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of snakes.

serpentine »    Sinuous; curving in alternate directions.

serve time »    To be in prison or a similar institute.

set aside »    To separate and reserve something for a specific purpose.

set down »    To write.

set in one's ways »    Driven by habit; inclined or determined to continue according to one's custom or established preferences.

set off »    To begin; to cause; to initiate.

sex up »    To enhance in terms of fashionable appeal.

sexual congress »    Intercourse.

sexual congress »    Loose translation of the title of Aristophanes' play Ecclesiazousae, more literally translated as Assemblywomen.

sexual enjoyment »    Sexual intercourse that produces physical and psychological pleasure.

sexual tension »    Physically induced libidinal unrest arising between two individuals when aware of each other's presence.

shacked up »    Simple past tense and past participle of shack up.

shape up or ship out »    To either improve one's behavior or else be required to leave; to either improve one's performance in an activity or else withdraw from that activity completely.

sharp as a tack »    Very intelligent.

sharp cookie »    One who is intelligent, bright, or sharp; especially, one who can identify attempts to deceive or mislead.

sharp tongue »    The practice or characteristic of speaking to others in a harsh, critical, or insulting manner.

shell out »    To use a program's "shell escape" function to execute an unrelated command or to invoke a subsidiary, interactive shell.

shift gears »    To change the gear by which motion is transmitted from a powered shaft to another shaft, especially in a motor vehicle.

shit one's pants »    To be extremely frightened.

shit one's pants »    To involuntarily defecate into one's pants or other clothing.

shit or get off the pot »    To choose between taking action now, or foregoing the opportunity until a later date.

Shittin in high cotton »    Living well, often above one's means

shoo-in »    A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon.

shoot 'em up »    A short story, novel, television show, film, computer game, or other narrative which depicts considerable gunplay.

shoot first and ask questions later »    To act boldly.

shoot first and ask questions later »    To take action with serious consequences without delay, preserving the benefit of surprise by not providing indication of one's intent.

shoot one's mouth off »    To make reckless or exaggerated statements.

shoot oneself in the foot »    To act against one's own interests, e.g., by saying what one is really thinking.

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.

shoot the breeze »    To chat idly or generally waste time talking.

shoot the messenger »    To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable a problem because he/she brought attention to it.

shoot the moon »    To take a risk which may result in great rewards; to succeed after taking such a risk.

shoot through like a Bondi tram »    To leave in haste.

shore up »    To strengthen, reinforce, or consolidate.

short cut »    quicker route

short sighted »    myopic

short strokes »    The final steps of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.

short temper »    The personality trait of being quick to anger.

shot in the dark »    A guess, attempt, or choice made with little or no evidence or knowledge.

shotgun »    A one-story dwelling with no hallways or corridors, with the rooms arranged in a straight line. Mostly heard in the southern United States.

shotgun »    A play formation in which the quarterback is a few feet behind the snapper when the ball is hiked, ideally allowing for an easier pass play.

shotgun approach »    An approach in which the subject is indiscriminate and haphazard, using breadth, spread, or quantity in lieu of accuracy, planning, etc.

shotgun shack »    A house with no internal barrier between the front and back doors.

show off »    To exhibit; to demonstrate one's skill, talent, etc. for its own sake.

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.

show up »    To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically.

show up »    To outperform or one-up, often in an arrogant manner.

shroud »    A covered place used as a retreat or shelter, as a cave or den; also, a vault or crypt.

shroud »    One of the two annular plates at the periphery of a water wheel, which form the sides of the buckets; a shroud plate.

shroud »    That which clothes, covers, conceals, or protects; a garment.

shroud »    That which covers or shelters like a shroud.

shuffle »    A rhythm commonly used in blues music. Consists of a series of triplet notes with the middle note missing, so that it sounds like a long note followed by a short note. Sounds like a walker dragging one foot.

shuffle »    To get lost in the shuffle: to lack attention when you deserve it.

shut down »    To close, terminate, or end.

shut the hell up »    Shut up intensified by "the hell".

shy bairns get noot »    (Geordie) Alternative spelling of shy bairns get nowt.

shy bairns get nowt »    If you're too shy, or don't ask, you will not get what you want.A' forgot te ask hor for me money back!Wye, shy bairns get nowt

shy bladder »    An inability to urinate in the presence of others.

sick joke »    A joke which is in poor taste, especially one which depicts as amusing a situation which the listener considers to be tragic or disgusting.

sign in »    In order to get into the office after hours, you'll have to sign in at the security desk.

sign in »    To sign one's name on a list when entering somewhere.

sign in »    To take some action to access a secured program or web page on a computer; to log in.

sign off »    Term used to describe the closing of a radio or television station's studios and cessation of a broadcasting signal, usually during the overnight hours.

sign on »    The time of day when a radio or television station begins broadcasting, usually after being off the air for several hours.

sign on »    register as unemployed

sign on the dotted line »    To formalize an agreement.

signet ring »    jewellery item

silence is golden »    Peace and quiet have immense value.Often the best choice is to say nothing.

silver screen »    By extension, the movies or that related to movies or cinema.

silver screen »    The cinema screen onto which movies are projected.

silver spoon »    Wealth passed down or inherited.

silver surfer »    An elderly person who regularly uses the Internet.

silver-tongue »    The trait of being clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way.

silver-tongued »    Eloquent and articulate.

simmer down »    To decrease in intensity of anger, agitation, or excitement.

since when »    Used to indicate doubt as to the veracity of a statement.

sing from the same hymnbook »    To make the same or similar statements, especially to express the same opinions in public as a result of a prior agreement.

sing soprano »    To suffer castration or an injury to the testicles.

sing the praises of »    To commend someone's attributes to others.

singing soprano »    Castrated or injured in the testicles.

sink one's teeth into »    To become involved in; particularly in an enthusiastic manner.

sink or swim »    To fail or succeed, no matter what.

sirloin steak »    cut of beef

sit back »    To recline while still in a seated position, with one's back on the frame of the seat.

sit in »    To attend something for one time, as a visitor.

sit in »    form of protest

sit in for »    To substitute; to take somebody's place.

sit on it »    To wait or hesitate.

sit out »    To decline to participate; particularly, to decline to dance.

sit out »    To lean out to the windward side of a sailboat in order to counterbalance the effects of the wind on the sails.

sit still »    To accept, tolerate, or acquiesce.

sit through »    To unwillingly stay seated until the end of an event.

six of one, half a dozen of the other »    The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it doesn't matter which one we choose.

size up »    To evaluate; to estimate or anticipate the magnitude, difficulty, or strength of something.

skate on thin ice »    In a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.

skeleton crew »    The minimum number of personnel needed to operate and maintain an item at its most simple operating requirements, such as a ship or business, during an emergency or shut down, and at the same time, to keep vital functions operating.

skimp and save »    Alternative form of scrimp and save.

skin and bones »    Said of one who is emaciated; very skinny, as from lack of nutrition.

skin diver »    underwater swimmer

skip out »    To shirk; to avoid attending or to leave early, especially without permission.

skirt chaser »    A man with amorous intentions who habitually seeks out female companionship.

slam dunk »    A task expected to present no difficulty.

slam dunk »    Tacking on top of the wind of the following yacht in close quarters.

sleep in »    To sleep late; to go on sleeping past one's customary or planned hour.

sleep on »    To consider after a period of sleep, implying a decision will be made the next day.

sleep together »    To be intimate with another person in the same bed.

sleep with »    To have sexual intercourse with.

sleep with the fishes »    To be killed and have one's body disposed off in the sea or other body of water.

sleeves from one's vest »    Something non-existent; something of no value or cost.

slip someone's mind »    To be forgotten; to escape one's memory.

slip through the cracks »    To escape notice or lack sufficient attention.

slip up »    To err, falter; to make a mistake.

slip-up »    A mistake or error; a minor misstep.

slippery slope »    A chain of events that, once initiated, cannot be halted; especially one in which the final outcome is undesirable or precarious.

slob »    A term used to insult a lazy, obese person.

slop bowl »    One of the four components of the traditional tea set. Tea drinkers emptied their unwanted, cold tea into the slop bowl before refilling their cups with fresh, hot tea.

slow down »    Decelerate.

slow up »    To slow, slow down, decelerate.

small arms »    Firearms designed to be carried and fired by a single person; often held in the hand.

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.

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 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.

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.

snake eyes »    Two ones, after rolling two dice.

snake oil »    A type of 19th century patent medicine sold in the United States that claimed to contain snake fat, supposedly a Native American remedy for various ailments.

snake oil »    Any product with exaggerated marketing but questionable or unverifiable quality.

sneck posset »    A fastened latch.

sniff test »    An informal reality check of an idea or proposal, using one's common sense or sense of propriety.

snipe hunt »    A prank in which a gullible victim is sent off on a fruitless search for a nonexistent item.

snot-nosed »    Young and arrogant or conceited.

snow job »    An attempt to persuade a person using flattery or deception.

snow on the mountaintop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

snow on the rooftop »    Gray or white hair on one's head, especially as an indication of aging.

so far so good »    Up to this point, all is OK.Well, you've packed your bags for the holiday, bought your tickets, reserved the hotel and put the dog in kennels. So far so good, now let's get to Minorca without any troubles.

so much as »    Even; suggests a minimum, especially regarding what might be expected.

so on and so forth »    Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

so quiet one can hear a pin drop »    Said during a lull in a normally bustling place or scene, or as the result of a sudden dramatic or tense moment.

so-called »    So named; called by such a name, with a very strong connotation that the item is not worthy of that name.

soapbox »    A crate for packing soap, or, by extension, any inexpensive crude platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it, especially when used for speeches.

sob story »    A sad story told to make others feel sympathy for the teller.

social death »    The alienation of certain people from society to the point of being forgotten, excluded, or ignored in society.

socialized medicine »    A politically charged term used to contrast such systems with free market alternatives and emphasize the perceived link to socialism.

socialized medicine »    An umbrella term for any system of government-run health care.

soft as a grape »    someone who is limited in their ability

soft hearted »    Be kind; Fall for someone

soft sawder »    "How the old boy swallowed my soft sawder and Brummagem notes!" —Tom Taylor, The Ticket-of-Leave Man.

soft sawder »    Cajoling or flattery.

softroader »    . This involves increased ground clearance with tyre, wheel, and suspension tweaks, skid plates and refers to mini SUV or wagons.

soldier on »    To continue or persist, despite adversity or difficulty.

something awful »    Intensely or extremely; badly; in the worst way.

song and dance »    An excessively elaborate story or excuse used to justify something.

sort of »    Approximately; in a way; partially; not quite; somewhat.

sort out »    To organise or separate into groups, as a collection of items, so as to make tidy.

sort out »    To separate from the remainder of a group; often construed with from.

sound off »    To hold forth about something in an opinionated manner.

soup-to-nuts »    Comprehensive; complete; covering all of something.

sow one's wild oats »    To indulge in a period of irresponsible behavior, particularly sexually; Often used in reference to young adults or to the recently divorced.

space out »    To stupefy, intoxicate, disorient, or lose attention or focus, especially by the use of drugs.

space out »    To plant seedlings etc at regular intervals with a calculated space between them.

spaghetti western »    Nickname for a motion picture produced by an Italian-based company and filmed in Europe, depicting a tale of cowboys and desperadoes set in the American Old West.

spanner »    A problem, dilemma or obstacle; something unexpected or troublesome.

spanner »    A stupid or unintelligent person; one prone to making mistakes, especially in language.

spare tire »    Excess weight or fat accumulated near the waist.

spare tyre »    An extra tyre carried in case one of the vehicle's tyres is damaged or deflated.

spark off »    To initiate something by providing the necessary conditions.

speak of the devil and he appears »    Alternative form of speak of the devil.

speak one's mind »    To state one's thoughts or opinions honestly or frankly.

speak out »    To assert or promote one's opinion; to make one's thoughts known.

speak to »    To give evidence regarding something; to attest for.

speak to »    To resonate with, to strike a chord in.

speak up »    To make oneself or one's opinions known; to advocate or assert oneself.

spectator sport »    Something, especially a process or activity, which is a popular object of observation; an activity which a person prefers to watch rather than to participate in.

speed up »    To accelerate, to increase speed.

spell out »    From its component letters.

spick and span »    Alternative form of spick-and-span.

spill one's guts »    To confess, or to divulge secrets, typically speaking freely and at length after a change of motive or an incentive.

spill one's seed »    To masturbate or to ejaculate when the penis has been withdrawn from one's partner.

spill over »    To enter into another zone by way of accident or overcrowding; to overflow.

spin a yarn »    To tell or create a story, especially one which is lengthy or far-fetched.

spin one's wheels »    To make no progress despite making an effort; to get nowhere.

spit the dummy »    To a situation childishly, in an angry or frustrated manner.

spit-and-polish »    Paying much attention to outward appearance.

split hairs »    Tedious details; minutiae.

split up »    Separate, disassociate, cause to come apart.

spread out »    To place items further apart.

spring fever »    A feeling of invigoration and restlessness associated with the arrival of the warm weather and renewal of nature in the spring season.

spring fever »    A feeling of laziness or listlessness associated with the arrival of the warm, comfortable weather of the spring season.

spring in one's step »    Enthusiasm, energy or a positive outlook or cheerful attitude.

spring to mind »    To appear suddenly in one's thoughts, often as an example of something.

square away »    To finish, complete, tidy or put in order.

squeaky wheel gets the grease »    The person who complains or speaks up most loudly receives the redress or attention which he or she seeks.

squint like a bag of nails »    To squint very much, as though one's eyes were directed as many ways as the points of a bag of nails.

squirrel away »    To stash or hide; to hoard, collect, save, or accumulate; to create a reserve, stash, or hoard of some supply, so as to recall a squirrel's burying of nuts.

stage of the game »    A point in the progress of an ongoing dispute or process.

staircase wit »    Thinking of an idea or course of action too late to use it effectively, or the tendency to do so.

stamp out »    To get rid of, eradicate.

stand corrected »    Said to acknowledge someone who corrects something that one says or writes that was not correct.

stand for »    To advocate, to support.

stand for »    To tolerate.

stand in »    temporary substitute

stand in for »    To replace; to act as a double or substitute for.

stand one's ground »    To attempt to hold a position in battle.

stand one's ground »    To maintain or stick by an opinion or position; to remain resolute in the face of opposition.

stand stock still »    To stand completely motionless.

stand the test of time »    To remain useful or valued over a long period of time; to last a long time.

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.

standard fare »    Menu items or dining options which are regularly available in a restaurant or other place where food is served.

standard fare »    Something which is normal, routine, or unexceptional; something which is commonly provided or encountered.

stars in one's eyes »    The state of being overly or extremely impressed with something; enchanted with romance.

start up »    To begin to operate.

state of affairs »    A specific situation; a set of circumstances.

stately home »    mansion

stave off »    To prevent something from happening; to obviate or avert.

steal a march »    To start early.

steal a march on »    To get ahead of someone or something by starting earlier.

steal away »    To leave secretively.

steal somebody's thunder »    To detract from somebody's accomplishments or glory; to undermine.

steer clear »    To avoid; to dodge; to sidestep.

stem the tide »    To slow or stop the increase.

step down »    To resign from office.

step down »    To gradually reduce something, a little at a time, as an electronic step down transformer.

step in front of a moving train »    To sacrifice one's own life for a noble and loyal cause.

step on a rake »    To fall victim to a hazard.

step on a rake »    To step on the tines of a garden rake, causing the handle of the rake to rise from the ground rapidly, invariably striking the person walking in the face.

step on it »    To act quickly.

step on it »    To drive fast; to step on the accelerator.

step out »    To date, to be in a romantic relationship.

step out »    To exit a place on foot, often for a short time.

step up »    To increase speed or rate.

step up »    accelerate

step up to the plate »    To initiate action; to assume a responsibility.

stepped down »    resigned

stepping razor »    A dangerous person, who is not to be messed with.

stepping stone »    A stone that can be stepped on in crossing something, especially a marsh or creek.

stepping stone »    Something used as a way to progress to something or somewhere else.

stew in one's juices »    To be alone and self-absorbed in an uncomfortable state of mind, especially while experiencing the unpleasant effects of one's own actions.

stick in the mud »    A person unwilling to participate in activities, often because he or she believes the activity is not wholly kosher; a party pooper.

stick it to the man »    To take some action intended to defy a source of oppression such as globalization, commercialization, big business or government.

stick one's nose in »    To be nosy; to meddle or interfere in the affairs of another.

stick out »    To protrude; to extend beyond.

stick up »    To protect one's status.

stick up for »    To defend or protect.

stick-in-the-mud »    Alternative spelling of stick in the mud.

sticker shock »    Disgust, shock, or fright upon learning the price of an item offered for sale.

stickhandle »    To deal capably and swiftly with a situation, especially in a manner which deflects potential problems.

sticking point »    A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation.

sticking point »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place.

sticking-place »    The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking point.

sticky fingers »    An inclination to steal.

stiff upper lip »    The quality of being resolute and showing self-restraint, associated with stereotypical British people.

still water runs deep »    A person with a calm appearance has, or may have, considerable inner emotion, character, or intellect

still waters run deep »    A person with a calm appearance has, or may have, considerable inner emotion, character, or intellect.

stir-crazy »    By extension, restless, uncomfortable, or impatient due to inactivity.

stitch up »    To maliciously or dishonestly incriminate someone.

stock phrase »    A phrase frequently or habitually used by a person or group, and thus associated with them.

stone dead »    Utterly dead.

stone deaf »    Utterly deaf.

stop and smell the roses »    To relax; to take time out and enjoy or appreciate life.

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.

stop someone in his tracks »    To prevent someone from continuing along a path or way, literal or figurative, he has begun going along.

stop the lights »    An interjection expressing exasperation or incredulity. or to illustrate the humour in a situation.

stop up »    To increase the aperture of a photographic lens, moving from an f/stop represented by a higher number to an f/stop represented by a lower number and causing more light to pass into the camera.

storm in a tea-kettle »    A big fuss made in a small context.

straight away »    Very soon; quickly; immediately.

straight man »    A member of a team of comic performers who plays a supporting role by helping to set up jokes and punch lines through engaging in preparatory dialog with the principal comedian; a foil who plays such a role in theatrical comedy.

straight out of the chute »    Something done immediately, or "from the beginning". Taken from rodeo routine: the bucking bronco, or bull, or the calf for the calf-roping contest is kept in a narrow pen, a chute, until it is released and dashes out to its fate.

straighten out »    To make straight.

straighten out »    To correct or rectify.

straighten out »    To eliminate confusion from or concerning.

straighten out »    To correct; to stop doing something wrong.

stretch one's legs »    To walk about, especially after prolonged time sitting or lying down.

stretch out »    To lie fully extended.

stretch out »    To fully extend a part of the body.

stretch the truth »    To exaggerate, often to the point where the truth is obscured or lost.

strike through »    Partly obliterate text by drawing a continuous line through the centre thereof, usually to indicate the deletion of an error or obsolete information.

string up »    To suspend by means of rope, cord or similar material.

strip off »    To remove anything by stripping, e.g. items of clothing or paint from the side of a ship.

strut one's stuff »    To behave, or to perform in a showy or ostentatious manner, especially in a way to impress others; to show off.

stuck up »    Snobbish, conceited; believing oneself to be better than others; haughty.

stump up »    To pay for something. Often indicating reluctance to pay.

stupid is as stupid does »    A person's intelligence may be judged by the wisdom of his or her actions.

suck donkey balls »    To be terrible, of extremely poor quality.

suck hind tit »    To be the youngest or most neglected child.

suck in »    To cause someone to become slowly more and more involved in a business or situation that is often not to that person's liking.

suck into »    To cause someone to become slowly more and more involved in a business or situation that is often not to that person's liking.

suck off »    To fellate a man until he ejaculates.

suck up »    To adulate or flatter somebody excessively, generally to obtain some personal benefit or favour.

suffer fools gladly »    To be tolerant of stupidity or incompetence in other people.

sugarcoated »    Coated with sugar.

sugarcoated »    Made superficially more attractive. This often implies the reality has faults that are being hidden.

summer and winter »    Endured.

summer and winter »    To spend extended periods of time with; to test.

supposed to »    Permitted.

sure as eggs is eggs »    Absolutely certain.

swallow one's pride »    To set aside one's feelings of pride and adopt a more humble or appropriate stance.

swallow up »    To completely enclose or envelop.

swear by »    To wholeheartedly trust.

swear off »    To quit or cease completely, or to promise to quit, as of a bad habit.

sweat »    Fluid that exits the body through pores in the skin usually due to physical stress and/or high temperature for the purpose of regulating body temperature and removing certain compounds from the circulation.

sweet hereafter »    Heaven; paradise as enjoyed in the afterlife.

sweeten the pot »    To increase a wager.

sweeten the pot »    To make something more desirable.

sweetheart deal »    A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.

swim with sharks »    To operate among dangerous people.

swing for the fences »    To act in a way that might generate a very good result, but which also has a large chance of failing.

swing state »    A state which may vote Democratic or Republican, in a given election or generally; a purple state.

swing the lead »    To pretend to be unwell so that you do not have to work.

switch off »    To lose interest, and start thinking about something else.

switch off »    To alternate between; to trade.

sword and sorcery »    Of or pertaining to a genre of narratives—including short stories, novels, television shows, films, and computer games—which combines wizardry and other fantastical supernatural elements with violent combat using medieval weaponry..

tag team »    Two or more people or groups acting alternately to accomplish some task.

take a bite »    To eat a quick, light snack.

take a bow »    To accept applause at the end of a performance in a theatre. Often this includes actually bowing to the audience.

take a bullet »    To purposely receive a gunshot that was intended for another.

take a crack at »    To attempt or try.

take a crap »    To defecate.

take a dive »    To feign a knockout in order to lose intentionally.

take a dive »    To lose or fail intentionally.

take a leak »    To urinate.

take a powder »    To leave in a hurry; run away; scram; depart without taking leave or notifying anyone, often with a connotation of avoiding something unpleasant or shirking responsibility.

take a seat »    To sit down; to become seated.

take a shit »    To defecate.

take a stab at »    To attempt or try.

take after »    In appearance or habit.

take after »    To follow someone's example.

take against »    He took against me when I was promoted over him.

take apart »    To soundly defeat someone, or a team.

take apart »    To move someone away from others to be able to talk to, or give them something in private.

take away »    To remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it.

take away »    To leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later.

take away from »    To make something seem not so good or interesting.

take back »    To retract an earlier statement.

take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves »    If you take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things.1750, Chesterfield, letter 5 Feb. (1932) IV. 1500:Old Mr. Lowndes, the famous Secretary of the Treasury, ?used to say?Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.1912, G. B. Shaw, Pygmalion ii. 132:Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves is as true of personal habits as of money.1979, R. Cassilis, Arrow of God, iv. xvii.:Little things, Master Mally. Look after the pennies, Master Mally, and the pounds will look after themselves.1999,

take down »    To write a note. Usually to record something that is said.

take down »    To remove a temporary structure such as scaffolding.

take down »    To lower an item of clothing without removing it.

take down a peg »    Alternative form of pull down a peg.

take exception »    To take offense; to object or protest.

take five »    To take a five-minute break from some activity, take a short break from some activity.

take for granted »    To assume something to be true without verification or proof.

take for granted »    To give little attention to or to underestimate the value of, to fail to appreciate.

take in »    To foster or adopt a child informally.

take in »    To shorten or make it smaller.

take into account »    Or pay attention to; to notice.

take it easy »    Immediately calm yourself down; your state of panic does not help.

take it or leave it »    It is said when a situation has to be accepted without change.

take liberties »    To behave disrespectfully, especially to make unwanted sexual advances.

take lying down »    To endure without complaint or protest.

take off »    To imitate, often in a satirical manner.

take on »    To attempt to fight or compete.

take out »    Alternative spelling of takeout.

take out of context »    To interpret something in a manner in which it was not intended to be understood, often deliberately.

take over »    To relieve someone temporarily.

take over »    To appropriate something without permission.

take over »    To annex a territory by conquest or invasion.

take part »    To participate or join.

take sitting down »    To tolerate, accept, or acquiesce; to take no action.

take somebody's word for it »    To believe what somebody tells one.

take something in one's stride »    Not to allow oneself to be set back, daunted, upset or embarrassed by unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.

take the Michael »    Alternative form of take the mickey, usually considered more polite.

take the mick »    Alternative form of take the mickey.

take the offensive »    To attack instead of defending; to be bold and proactive.

take the stand »    To testify as a witness in a trial.

take the wheel »    To be in control of the steering wheel of a vehicle or a vessel.

take things as they come »    To accept and deal with events as they occur, with a composed state of mind.

take to »    To adapt to; to learn, grasp or master.

take to »    To enter; to go into or move towards.

take to task »    To lecture, berate, admonish, or hold somebody accountable for his or her actions.

take up »    That which takes up or tightens; specifically, a device in a sewing machine for drawing up the slack thread as the needle rises, in completing a stitch.

take up with »    To be contented to receive; to receive without opposition; to put up with.

take upon »    To take charge of an item of business, or an obligation, as a personal initiative.

talk a blue streak »    To talk for a long time, at great length, or to the point of tedium.

talk a mile a minute »    To speak quickly or excessively.

talk down »    To negotiate a lower price.

talk down »    To speak condescendingly or as though the listener is inferior.

talk is cheap »    It is easy to make boastful or unrealistic statements which are not supported by actions or evidence.

talk of the devil »    Alternative form of speak of the devil.

talk out of turn »    To make a remark or provide information when it is inappropriate or indiscreet to do so, or when one does not have permission or the authority to do so.

talk out one's ass »    To speak authoritatively on a subject which one actually knows little about; to exaggerate.

talk someone's ear off »    To talk excessively or far more than is wanted or appreciated.

talk through one's hat »    To speak lacking expertise, authority, or knowledge; to invent or fabricate facts.

talk turkey »    To talk or negotiate plainly, frankly, or seriously.

talk up »    In such a way as to make the thing or person sound better than it actually is.

tall in the saddle »    Imposing, impressive; resolute; manly.

tall tale »    A greatly exaggerated, fantastic story.

taper off »    To diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.

tar with the same brush »    To characterize using the same undesirable attribute, especially unjustly.

tart up »    To dress like a prostitute.

tartufo »    Hypocrite; tartuffe.

tea service »    crockery set

teacher's pet »    A student who is perceived to be favored by the teacher.

teacher's pet »    favourite pupil

team up »    To join into a team, or into teams.

team up with »    To associate with another in a joint enterprise.

tear a strip off somebody »    To scold vigorously.

tear away »    To remove oneself reluctantly; often expressed in the negative.

tear one's hair out »    To react with extreme agitation.

tear up »    Or against.

tear up »    To damage.

tear up »    To shed tears.

tear up »    To tear into pieces.

tear up the pea patch »    To put on a notable performance, especially in sports; to go on a rampage.

tee off »    To hit the first shot of the hole.

tee off »    To irritate, vex, or annoy.

teed off »    Annoyed, upset, angry.

teeny weeny »    minute

teething troubles »    Small problems such as are to be expected with some any new and untried system or product.

tell all »    To reveal everything, particularly information that is normally withheld.

tell all »    To tell everyone.

tell apart »    To be able to know the difference between things; to distinguish.

tell it to Sweeney »    I do not believe what you said.

tell it to the marines »    I do not believe what you said.

tell off »    To speak to someone rudely, disrespectfully or angrily; to berate; to unleash one's fury verbally towards someone.

tell off »    To rebuke, to reprimand, or to admonish.

tell on »    To inform on.

tell tales »    To be lying, to be making false claims.

tell the truth »    To speak frankly.

tell you the truth »    Used to positively assert the frank honesty of an associated statement of set of statements; equivalent to "to you tell the truth".

telling off »    A reprimand, reproach, or lecture.

tempest in a teapot »    A major fuss over a trivial matter.

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.

ten a penny »    So common as to be practically worthless.

ten foot pole »    See not touch something with a ten foot pole.

tenon saw »    hand tool

test bed »    Any venue, setup, etc. used for experimentation, testing, proving a concept, etc.

test the waters »    To explore or probe, as before making a commitment.

thanks for nothing »    Expression of displeasure towards a person who has not provided what was wanted.

that does it »    Expression of annoyance or frustration; indicates that one has reached the limit of one's patience or temper.

that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger »    Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.

that's just me »    Indicates the expression of a personal opinion, but often used ironically as an understatement.

that's that »    There is nothing more to say or to do concerning the matter.

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.

the ball is in your court »    It is your turn to do something; often making a decision.

the beast with two backs »    Two people engaged in sexual intercourse.

the company »    Nickname for an intelligence service.

the Devil »    Used to add emphasis to a question or statement.

the die is cast »    The future is determined; there are no more options; events will proceed in an irreversible manner.

the end all-be all »    Something ultimate; the best part of something; the thing which solves all problems associated with something.

the end of one's rope »    At the limit of one’s patience, when one is so frustrated or annoyed that one can no longer take it..

the ends justify the means »    Alternative form of the end justifies the means.

the finger »    An obscene gesture, typically consisting of extending the middle finger at somebody.

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get »    (vulgar) The sexual satisfactions that one receives from a spouse or romantic partner are not sufficient to compensate for the significant periods of bad faith and unpleasant treatment which such relationships routinely involve.1971, Allen Churchill, The Literary Decade, ISBN 9780135375228:Years later she expressed her disillusionment with sex by saying, "The fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."1999, Ben Sonnenberg, Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy, ISBN 9781582430454, p. 93:Maitland got drunk at his parties and threw his arm around you and pulled you over to his wife and made you look down her dress, saying, "The trouble with marriage is that the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."2008, Joseph Heywood, Blue Wolf In Green Fire, ISBN 9781599213590, p. 63:"I can't believe a little pussy got me into dis mess." "Shit happens," Service said. "Sometimes the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you take »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you're going to get »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the grass is always greener on the other side »    Other circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality are often not

the hell out of »    Used as an intensifier.

the man »    The oppressive powers that be, including the government and corporations; the system, as coordinated outside of one’s control..

the map is not the territory »    Our models of the world, and our sensations of the world, are not the true world.

the nose knows »    Despite the addressee's belief that the speaker was unaware of something, the speaker, in fact, was already aware.

the other day »    Recently; lately; a few days ago.

the pick of the litter »    The absolute best one has to offer.

the plot thickens »    Used, often ironically, to describe an increasingly complex or mysterious situation.

the proof is in the pudding »    Alternative form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

the proof of the pudding is in the eating »    The only real test of something is as what it is intended to be used for.

the rabbit died »    A statement spoken to indicate one's own pregnancy, or that someone has found out they are pregnant.

the road to hell is paved with good intentions »    well-intended acts can lead to disaster

the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you get »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you take »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you're going to get »    Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get.

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.

the shoemaker's children go barefoot »    One often neglects those closest to oneself.

the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak »    (proverbs) For much as one wishes to achieve something, the frailties of the human body often make it impossible.

the terrorists will have won »    Phrase used following a description of an activity to indicate that if that activity is not continued or carried out, those who seek to disrupt normal activities through terror will have succeeded, an which is an unacceptable result.

the whistle does not pull the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

the whistle doesn't pull the train »    Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

the whole nine yards »    All the way; with everything done completely or thoroughly.

the whole nine yards »    And everything. Often used, like etc., to finish out a list.

the world is one's lobster »    (UK, humorous) intentional misrendering of the proverb "the world is one's oyster"

the world is one's oyster »    All opportunities are open to someone, the world is theirs.

the world is one's oyster »    In order to achieve something in this world, one has to grab the opportunity.

them's the facts »    That's the truth, that's how it is; frequently used in reference to an unfortunate truth.

there and back »    One or for a round trip journey, literal or figurative.

there are plenty more fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there are plenty of fish in the sea »    There are many more potential opportunities available.

there but for the grace of God go I »    A recognition that others' misfortune could be one's own, if it weren't for the blessing/kindness/luck bestowed by fate or the Divine.Man's fate is in God's hands.More generally, our fate is not entirely in our own hands.

there is nothing new under the sun »    There is nothing truly novel in existence. Every new idea has some sort of precedent or echo from the past.

there you have it »    That is it; that is the situation or state of things.

there you have it »    Used to introduce a speaker's interpretation of what has just transpired or been described.

there's a sucker born every minute »    There are a great number of fools in the world, and there always be.

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.

there's no I in team »    A team game is focused on the team, not on the individual.

there's no time like the present »    Now (i.e., the present time) is an appropriate time to take a particular action.

they're only after one thing »    Men are only interested in sex.

thick as thieves »    Intimate, close-knit.

thief in the night »    Something stealthy or that occurs without warning.

thieve out »    To walk out of a place stealthily.

thin end of the wedge »    Something that if allowed or accepted to a small degree would lead to systematic encroachment.

think better of it »    To change one's mind; especially to decide against.

think of England »    To tolerate or endure bad sex. Used in conjunction with "I just lie on my back and.." "I just go through the motions and..." etc.

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.

think the world of »    To have a good opinion; to esteem; to admire.

think up »    To create in one’s mind; to invent..

third degree »    Intensive rough interrogation in order to extract information or a confession.

third rate »    inferior

third string »    A unit of players that plays behind the first and second strings; a junior varsity team.

thorn in someone's side »    A persistent annoyance.

thorn in the flesh »    A persistent difficulty or something very annoying that will not go away.

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.

three Rs »    The basic education any child can expect to receive, but not necessarily limited to reading, writing and arithmetic.

three Rs »    The basic education received in primary schools. Literally; reading, writing and arithmetic.

three Rs »    The basic precepts of any subject matter.

three skips of a louse »    Said about some trifling or insignificant matter.

three-martini lunch »    A leisurely, expensive, midday meal associated with drinking, which is tax-deductible because business is discussed.

three-on-the-tree »    On an automobile, describing the gearshift lever of a steering column-mounted three-speed manual transmission.

through and through »    Completely; entirely; fundamentally.

throw a spanner in the works »    To be a problem, dilemma or obstacle, something unexpected or troublesome.

throw away »    To place a son or daughter for adoption.

throw caution to the wind »    Do something despite the risks.

throw cold water on »    To belittle or dismiss; to cast doubt upon; to debunk.

throw dirt enough, and some will stick »    If enough allegations are made about someone or something, then even if they are all untrue, people's opinion of the person or thing will be diminished.1759, John Wesley, letter to John Downes, Rector of St. Michael's, Wood Street, read at Wesley Center Online at [1] on 14 Oct 06.I hope...that you are ignorant of the whole affair, and are so bold only because you are blind...And blind enough; so that you blunder on through thick and thin, bespattering all that come in your way, according to the old, laudable maxim, 'Throw dirt enough, and some will stick.'1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, read at fullbooks.com on 14 Oct 06,But whatever harm a spiteful tongue could do them, he took care should be done. Only throw dirt enough, and some will stick.1864, John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Penguin Classics (1994), p. 10,Archbishop Whately used to say

throw down »    To cause something one is holding to drop, often forcefully.

throw down »    To fight, incite to fight, or approach with the intent to fight; to make a stand.

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.

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

throw in at the deep end »    To introduce a person to a new situation without adequately preparing him or her.

throw money away »    To spend money foolishly or indiscriminately; to waste money without regard of the consequences.

throw one's hat in the ring »    To announce one's candidacy in a contest.

throw one's toys out of the pram »    To lose one's temper; to throw a tantrum.

throw out »    To dismiss or expel someone from any longer performing duty or attending somewhere.

throw shapes »    To act tough or put up a front. For example, to threaten a person by making "karate chops" at them, without actually doing harm or knowing karate.

throw smoke »    To consistently pitch fastballs that are difficult to hit.

throw somebody a curve »    To surprise; to introduce something unexpected or requiring a quick reaction or correction.

throw the baby out with the bathwater »    To discard something valuable, often inadvertently, in the process of removing waste.

throw to the dogs »    To remove or cast out someone or something out of one's protection, such as into the streets.

throw to the wolves »    To remove or cast out someone or something out of one's protection, such as onto the streets, especially towards predators.

throw to the wolves »    To sacrifice someone, especially in an attempt to save oneself.

tick off »    To annoy, aggravate.

tickle pink »    To thoroughly delight or amuse; to elate.

tickle someone's fancy »    To amuse, entertain, or appeal to someone; to stimulate someone's imagination in a favorable manner.

tickled pink »    Simple past tense and past participle of tickle pink.

tide over »    To support or sustain someone, especially financially, for a limited period.

tie up »    To complete, finish, or resolve.

tie up loose ends »    To deal with the minor consequences of a previous action; to tidy up, finish, or complete.

tiger team »    A specialized group tasked with testing the effectiveness of an organization's ability to protect assets by attempting to circumvent, defeat or otherwise thwart that organization's internal and external security.

tiger team »    An engineering or other group assembled to tackle especially difficult or critical problems, often outside the normal chain of command.

tilt at windmills »    To go on a wild goose chase; to persistently engage in a futile activity.

time after time »    Again and again; repeatedly; every time; always.

time and material »    A form of contractual compensation involving payment for materials used and at agreed rates for the those involved in performing the services.

time and tide »    Shortened form of time and tide wait for no man

time is money »    When a person's time is not used productively; time is valuable and should not be wasted.

timeserver »    A device, node or program that distributes the correct time to clients in a network.

timing is everything »    Consideration of other events can greatly influence some desired outcome (such as an audience laughing to a comedian's joke).Telling the old joke about a butt-crack was not a good idea, just as the plumber arrived, Bob.You know what they say: "timing is everything." I'm sure we can find another plumber before the house floods.

tin ear »    Insensitivity to and inability to appreciate the elements of performed music or the rhythm, elegance, or nuances of language.

tin god »    An individual that abuses or exceeds his authority over others, frequently in petty ways; for example a low-level manager in situational comedies and other entertainment.

tip of the hat »    A gesture of acknowledgement; often, an expression of gratitude.

tip one's hand »    To inadvertently reveal any secret, particularly a secret that puts one at an advantage or disadvantage.

to a fare-thee-well »    To the greatest extent or to completion; to a state of refinement or perfection.

to a T »    Precisely; exactly; perfectly; with great attention to detail.

to all intents and purposes »    For every functional purpose; in every practical sense; in every important respect; practically speaking.

to be sure »    Admittedly, undoubtedly, certainly.

to be the cat's whiskers »    To perform better than was generally supposed possible.

to date »    Until now; until the present time.

to die for »    Very good; exquisite; excellent; particularly desirable.

to each his own »    Every person is entitled to his or her personal preferences and tastes.

to go »    Served in a package or takeout container so as to be taken away from a restaurant rather than eaten on the premises.

to hell in a handbasket »    To a bad state of affairs quickly.

to one's heart's content »    Until satisfied; as much as is wished.

to say the least »    Used to suggest that what was previously stated was an understatement.

to tell the truth »    An attestation to the truthfulness and frankness of an associated statement.

to that end »    For that reason, with that goal, intending to produce that result.

to the gills »    Entirely or extremely; to the greatest degree possible.

to the letter »    Literally, exactly, to follow the rules as they're written.

to the max »    To a great degree or extent; very.

to the max »    To the maximum possible degree or extent.

to the moon »    Used as an intensifier.

to the tune of »    Roughly; about; as much as; to the sum of, to the extent of.

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.

today we are all »    March 11, 2004: Denis MacShane, Guardian Unlimited.

today we are all »    September 12, 2001: Jean-Marie Colombani, "Today, We Are All Americans", Le Monde.

tomato tomato »    Uses insignificant pronunciation difference to dismiss a correction to one's adherence to an alternative standard.

tomorrow is another day »    Tomorrow will bring new opportunities and a fresh start for one's endeavors.1600, author unknown, "Phillidaes Love-call to her Coridon, and his replying" (song), in England's Helicon, printed at London by I.R. for John Flasket:Phil. Yonder comes my Mother, Coridon,whether shall I flie?Cor. Under yonder Beech my lovely one,while she passeth by.Say to her thy true-Love was not heere,remember, remember,to morrow is another day:1896, Amelia E. Barr, A Knight of the Nets, ch. 8:"Well, well, my dear lass, to-night we cannot work, but we may sleep. . . . Keep a still heart tonight, and tomorrow is another day."1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, ch. 63:"Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."2005, Fran Schumer, "JERSEY: In Princeton, Taking On Harvard's Fuss About Women," New York Times, 19 June (retrieved 18 Aug. 2009):"Half of me is depressed

tone down »    To relax; to make quieter or less obtrusive; to make milder.

tone down »    To make a television program, piece of writing, etc. less offensive and so more suitable for a family audience.

tongue-in-cheek »    Not intended seriously; jocular or humorous.

tonic water »    mixer

too bad »    It is unfortunate that.

too bad »    That's a pity; that's unfortunate.

toot one's own horn »    To promote oneself; to boast or brag; to tout.

top dog »    In a competition, the one expected to win.

top dollar »    The maximum amount of money that an item, service, or worker is worth; a very high price.

top it all off »    To emphasize or underscore; to make something even better or worse.

top off »    To fill completely; to fill or refill the final portion of something not empty.

top shelf »    Books, magazines, or movies that have adult content, or soft-core porn.

top up »    To extend the credit of something.

toss-up »    A decision in which neither choice is clearly favorable or unfavorable, or for which the outcome does not matter.

toss-upness »    The quality of being a toss-up, usually used in reference to a toss-up state in American presidential elections.

totus porcus »    Completely; unreservedly: swallowed the official version totus porcus.

touch base »    To consult, visit, or communicate with.

touch oneself »    To masturbate.

touch%C3%A9 »    An acknowledgement of the success, appropriateness or superiority of an argument, sometimes used sarcastically to mock one's opponent's absurd logic.

touch%C3%A9 »    Used in a conversation or debate to concede a point as true, often in response to a successful counter of one's own logic.

touch-and-go »    Precarious, delicate, dangerous, risky, sensitive or of uncertain outcome.

touched in the head »    Demented, slightly mentally deficient.

tough call »    A choice or judgment which is difficult to make, especially one involving only two alternatives.

tough love »    The compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures, to attempt to improve someone's behavior.

tout de suite »    Immediately, right away.

track down »    To hunt for or locate; to search for; to find.

trailer trash »    Deleted from the movie trailer. Not included in theatrical run.

train wreck »    An inevitable disaster.

train wreck »    The aftermath of a train crash.

treat them mean, keep them keen »    A woman will be more interested in a man if he is not kind to her.

trench mouth »    Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a severe bacterial infection of the gums, typically characterized by inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration, necrotized tissue, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, and halitosis.

tried and true »    Well-established and tested; known to work or succeed based on extensive experience.

trigger-happy »    Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.

trigger-happy »    Inclined to react excessively or violently at the slightest provocation.

trip out »    To hallucinate as a result of drugs.

trip to the woodshed »    An occasion on which a reprimand or punishment is administered.

trump up »    Heavily publicise, promote or market a product.

truth be told »    Used when admitting something one might otherwise lie about, e.g. to keep up appearances or be polite.

truth will out »    A mystery will always be solved, or a truth will always be discoveredTruth will eventually and inevitably be discovered.

try one's hand »    To attempt a skill, craft, or trade.

try out »    To test something in order to see if it works.

try out »    To undergo a test before being selected for a team etc.

tube steak »    A frankfurter.

tuckered out »    Simple past tense and past participle of tucker out.

tuits »    Virtual tokens for an amount of time or attention that a particular issue would need to resolve.

tune in »    To pay attention.

tune in »    To select a channel, station, etc., as on television or radio.

tune in, turn on, drop out »    Pay attention to the new way of living; take drugs; abandon the established ways.

tune out »    To fail to pay attention to; to ignore.

turf war »    A dispute over territory between rival gangs.

turn a blind eye »    To ignore or deliberately overlook, especially with respect to something unpleasant or improper.

turn a phrase »    To create a particular linguistic expression which is strikingly clear, appropriate, and memorable.

turn against »    To rebel or oppose something formerly supported.

turn against »    To rotate against or in opposition to something.

turn away »    To rotate the body or head so as not to face someone or something.

turn back »    To reverse one's direction and retrace one's steps.

turn back »    No turn a dial anticlockwise or adjust a clock or other meter to an earlier time or reading.

turn back »    To refuse to allow someone to pass a border or enter a place.

turn heads »    To garner a considerable amount of attention.

turn in one's grave »    To be appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased.

turn into a pumpkin »    Used to indicate a curfew, or the time by which one must depart.

turn on »    To rebel; to go against something formerly supported.

turn on »    To enter a road.

turn on its head »    To completely change.

turn one on »    To increase interest.

turn out »    To attend; show up.

turn out »    To turn or rotate outwards or out of something.

turn out »    To refuse service or shelter; to eject or evict.

turn over »    To flip over; to rotate top to bottom.

turn over »    To produce, complete, or cycle through.

turn the other cheek »    To accept a punishment or an injury and not act out revenge or retaliate.

turn the tables »    To reverse a situation, such that the advantage has shifted to the party which was previously disadvantaged.

turn to stone »    To become completely still, not moving.

turn tricks »    To work as a prostitute, providing sexual services for money.

turn up »    To show up; to appear suddenly or unexpectedly.

turn up for the book »    A very unexpected, usually pleasant, surprise.

turn upside down »    To flip over; to rotate top to bottom.

turnabout is fair play »    It is allowable to retaliate against an enemy's dirty tricks by using the same ones against him.

twenty-twenty hindsight »    Perfect understanding of events only after they have happened.

twiddle one's thumbs »    To circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored.

twist in the wind »    To be unassisted and without comfort in a situation likely to result in distress or failure.

twist of fate »    An unfortunate turn of events.

two birds with one stone »    Any two things that were performed or completed at the same time by one action.

two can play that game »    The tactics and/or strategies of an enemy can be used against him.

two for two »    In baseball, meeting two out of two attempts at-bat. Specifically, it means the batter has reached base safely two out of two times.

two heads are better than one »    Some problems may be solved more easily by two (or more) people working together than by one working alone.

two wrongs don't make a right »    (ethics) A wrongful action is not a morally appropriate way to correct or cancel a previous wrongful action.1915, William MacLeod Raine, The Highgrader, ch. 15:"But when it comes to taking what belongs to another

two's company, three's a crowd »    One companion is better than two.

two-fisted drinker »    Either someone who can handle their liquor well, or an alcoholic clutching a drink in each hand.

under erasure »    Of a bit of text, written and strickenthrough; hence, figuratively in some sense both present and absent.

under fire »    Subjected to enemy attack.

under one's thumb »    Completely controlled by someone; at someone’s command..

under one's wing »    Under one's protection, sponsorship, or tutelage.

under pressure »    Being subjected to physical pressure.

under pressure »    Subjected to pressure.

under the gun »    The first player to act on the first round of betting in Texas hold 'em.

under the impression »    Thinking or making assumptions, often incorrectly.

under the influence »    Drunk; intoxicated; affected by alcohol.

under the radar »    Without attracting notice; in an undetected or secretive manner.

under the table »    Secretly or without reporting, especially of payments made or business transacted.

under the weather »    Somewhat intoxicated or suffering from a hangover.

under the wire »    At the last minute; before the deadline; barely on time; nearly late.

underwater basket weaving »    "Sure, somewhere out there, college slackers were taking broom ball and underwater basket weaving." — The Columbus Dispatch, September 15, 2005.

underwater basket weaving »    An easy and useless college or high school class.

until hell freezes over »    Forever; One will never in their life get the results that they want, no matter what they're doing involving the situation.

unwashed masses »    Of people who are considered by someone to be somehow uneducated, uninformed, godless, or in some other way unqualified for inclusion in the speaker's elite circles.

up for »    Willing to participate in; interested in.

up front »    Open, honest; tending to disclose information; truthful.

up in the air »    Literal: up in or into the sky or air.

up one's alley »    Matching a person's interests or abilities well.

up shit creek »    Alternative form of up the creek.

up shit creek without a paddle »    Alternative form of up the creek without a paddle.

up the ante »    To make something more desirable.

up the ante »    To raise the stakes of a hand of poker.

up to scratch »    Sufficient; adequate; of acceptable or satisfactory quality.

up to snuff »    Adequate; of acceptable or quality; satisfying an appropriate standard.

up-and-coming »    Emerging; aspiring; improving; beginning to attract attention or critical acclaim.

up-to-date »    Current; recent; the latest.

up-to-date »    Informed about the latest news or developments.

upper crust »    The social elite.

upper crust »    The topmost layer of a bread, pastry dish, or other item with a hardened coating.

ups and downs »    Periods of positive and negative events, moods, or interactions; highs and lows.

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.

valley of death »    Lord Alfred Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade.

variety is the spice of life »    Variety is what makes life interesting

victory at sea »    Ocean conditions very windblown and messy, possibly to the point of being inimical to surfing and other water sports.

virgin territory »    By extension, ideas or concepts or activities that have not yet been tried, explored or developed.

virgin territory »    Land that has never been explored or developed.

vote down »    By a majority vote.

vote in »    To collectively approve a nominee into an office or position as a result of voting.

vote out »    To expel the holder of an office or other position through an act of voting.

vote with one's feet »    To show a lack of support for something by departing or otherwise absenting oneself.

vote with one's feet »    To show support for something by going to or otherwise being present somewhere.

wade in »    To interrupt someone, or a situation, by doing or saying something abruptly, or forcefully, and usually without thinking about the consequences.

wail on »    To strike an opponent heavily and repeatedly in a fight.

wait for the other shoe to drop »    To defer action or decision until another matter is finished or resolved.

walk in on »    To enter suddenly or unexpectedly while something is happening; to intrude or interrupt by entering.

walk on eggshells »    To be careful and sensitive, in handling very sensitive matters.

walk out »    To leave suddenly, especially as a form of protest.

walk the line »    To behave in an authorized or socially accepted manner, especially as prescribed by law or morality; to exercise self-control.

walk the line »    To maintain an intermediate position between contrasting choices, opinions, etc..

walk the line »    To participate in the procession at a graduation ceremony; to graduate.

walk the walk »    Act competently, like an expert.

wall off »    To separate with a wall.

walls have ears »    There is a risk of being heard, so pay attention to what you say.

wank off »    To masturbate.

wank off »    To sexually stimulate another's penis.

warm the cockles of someone's heart »    To provide happiness, to bring a deeply-felt contentment.

warm up »    To make an audience enthusiastic or animated before a show.

warm up »    To prepare for executing an already-learned activity by a limited amount of additional practice.

warts and all »    Of or pertaining to a description or other depiction which reveals the full range of characteristics of a person or thing, including the shortcomings and imperfections.

wash away »    To eliminate, or destroy by fast moving water, such as in a flood, or a high sea.

wash away »    To eliminate, in a figurative sense.

wash down »    To help to swallow by drinking a liquid, after eating something, or taking a pill.

wash down »    To wash something completely from top to bottom.

wash out »    To wear away by the flow of water; to erode.

wash over »    To pass unnoticed so that one is unaffected by it.

wash over »    Of open water. To surge over the banks, or other retaining structure.

wash up »    To clean the utensils, dishes etc. used in preparing and eating a meal.

wash up »    To wash one's hands and/or face, often around mealtimes.

wash up »    To be carried on to land by water.

washed out »    Of clothes. When they lose some of their original colour from being washed so often.

waste away »    To lose energy and become weak and feeble.

waste breath »    To speak in a manner which is needless or futile; in discussion or argument to make points which are not appreciated or heeded.

waste not, want not »    If one is not wasteful then one will not be needy.

watch one's mouth »    In the imperative form, used as a warning to avoid or stop using inappropriate language, especially profanity, or disrespectful utterances.

watch one's step »    To be cautious.

watch one's step »    To move cautiously.

watch out »    To be aware or conscious; to look closely or carefully; to use caution. Often used in the imperative.

watch over »    To guard and protect.

water down »    To dilute; to add water.

water down »    To make weaker.

water down »    To simplify or oversimplify; to make easier; to make less difficult.

water over the dam »    An event or set of events which has already happened and cannot be changed.

water to my mill »    What energizes you; what stimulates you.

water under the bridge »    Something in the past that cannot be controlled or undone, but must be accepted, forgiven, or forgotten.

watered-down »    Diluted; containing extra water.

watered-down »    Weakened or simplified.

wax lyrical »    To become, or tend to become lyrical.

wax lyrical »    To talk about something with much interest or excitement.

way out of a paper bag »    A minimal level of competence or effectiveness, as used in phrases where one is unable to perform such.

weak sister »    A person or thing which is the least robust or least dependable member of a group.

weak sister »    A person who is cowardly or indecisive.

wear out »    To deteriorate or become unusable or ineffective due to continued use, exposure, or strain.

wear out »    To exhaust; to cause or contribute to another's exhaustion, fatigue, or weariness, as by continued strain or exertion.

wear out »    To become exhausted, tired, fatigued, or weary, as by continued strain or exertion.

wedding ring »    jewellery item

wee small hours »    The very early morning, just after midnight, when most people are asleep.

weed out »    To remove unwanted elements from a group.

well ain't that the catfish in the trap »    A sentence commonly spoken in the Southern United States. It can often be used in place of "well, I'll be damned". Used to express surprise.

well to do »    quite wealthy

whack-a-mole »    The practice of trying to stop something that persistently occurs in an apparently random manner at the point where the occurrence is noticed, such as terminating spammers' e-mail accounts or closing pop-up advertisement windows.

whale on »    To strike an opponent heavily and repeatedly in a fight.

what do I know »    Implies that a statement is based on a guess or assumption rather than on knowledge or evidence.

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger »    Used to express the sentiment that hardship or difficult experiences build moral character.

what goes around comes around »    The status eventually returns to its original value after completing some sort of cycle.A person's actions, whether good or bad, will often have consequences for that person.

what of it »    So what? Who cares? Expresses disinterest, disregard or lack of concern.

what you see is what you get »    The screen image resembles the printed output.

what's the matter »    What's wrong? What's the problem?.

what's up »    What's the matter?.

whatever creams your twinkie »    Do what you will, whatever makes you happy.

whatever floats your boat »    What makes you happy; what stimulates you.

whatever it takes »    Anything that may be required to achieve an objective.

whatsamatta »    What is the matter? What is wrong?.

wheel around »    To transport someone or something to various locations by pushing a wheeled transporter such as a wheelchair or a wheelbarrow or trolley.

when all is said and done »    In the end; ultimately.

when in Rome, do as the Romans »    Alternative form of when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

when it rains, it pours »    If a person encounters bad luck, more bad luck will follow.

when the cat's away the mice will play »    In the absence of a controlling entity, subordinates will take advantage of circumstances.

when the shit hits the fan »    A reference to the messy consequences of a secret or private situation becoming public.

when, as, and if »    Used to indicate the timing and contingency of some obligation in contracts, especially financial.

where there's smoke, there's fire »    If there is telltale evidence of some event, the event is probably occurring.

where's the beef »    Where is the content? So what?.

whisper campaign »    A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.

whistle in the dark »    To speak of something despite having little knowledge of it.

whistle past the graveyard »    To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; To proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.

whistle past the graveyard »    To enter a situation with little or no understanding of the possible consequences.

whistle walk »    The path slaves took to deliver food from the kitchen building of a plantation to the main dining room. Slaves were expected to whistle during this walk in order to assure their masters that they were not eating the food.

white coat hypertension »    Elevated blood pressure measured by a medical practitioner and deemed to result from the patient's emotional response to the medical environment.

white elephant »    An albino elephant.

white elephant »    An ornament etc that is unwanted or is a financial burden; an unprofitable investment.

white goods »    fridges, washing machines, etc

white hat »    A white hat hacker.

white hole »    A theoretically possible but physically highly unlikely singularity which would emit matter and energy; the antithesis of a black hole.

white lie »    A deliberate, untrue statement which does no harm or is intended to produce a favorable result.

white marriage »    An unconsummated marriage.

white on rice »    A descriptive analogy of closeness. See like white on rice.

white trash »    A poorly educated white person with low moral and social standards and low social status.

white wedding »    A wedding in which the bride is still a virgin.

white-knuckle »    Causing fear, excitement, apprehension, suspense, or nervousness.

whitewash »    A lime and water mixture for painting walls and fences bright white.

whitewash »    A victory without reply.

who's 'she', the cat's mother%3F »    A rebuke especially directed towards children for having referred to their mother, or any other woman in the third person, instead of using a properly respectful title or their name when appropriate.

whole enchilada »    All of something or a group of related things taken in totality.

whomp up »    To incite or generate.

wide of the mark »    Inaccurate.

wild-goose chase »    A futile search, a fruitless errand; a useless and often lengthy pursuit.

wild-goose chase »    A task whose execution is inordinately complex relative to the value of the outcome.

will on »    To wish intensely that someone succeeds in what they are doing. Often implies a silent, or almost inaudible wish.

willy nilly »    Without regard for consequences or the will of those affected.

wind back »    To wind a tape, cassette, or film, etc towards the beginning; to rewind.

window dressing »    These latest modifications are mere window dressing, the same problems remain.

window-shopping »    The browsing of shop windows without any intention of buying.

winter rat »    An old, unattractive automobile, purchased for little money, to be driven during brutal Great Lakes winters while the owner's "good" car remains garaged and protected from corrosive road salt for the season.

wipe out »    To physically erase something written.

wipe somebody's eye »    To defeat; to humiliate.

wipe the slate clean »    To forget about previous differences and disagreements, and make a fresh start.

with a vengeance »    Intensely motivated; resolute; forceful.

with bated breath »    "holding one's breath".

with bated breath »    Eagerly; with great anticipation.

with flying colors »    Extremely well; in an exceptional, noteworthy, or extraordinary manner.

without fail »    Certainly; by all means; as a matter of importance.

word on the wire »    The rumour or news going around on the Internet, in business, on the street, or in social circles.

work against the clock »    To work very quickly because you know you only have a very limited period of time to do something.

work like a charm »    works great - exactly as expected

work one's fingers to the bone »    Work especially hard, usually for an extended period.

work out »    To calculate.

work the room »    To interact enthusiastically with the attendees at an event, by moving among them, greeting them, and engaging them in conversation.

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.

worked up »    Excessively emotional, excited or aroused.

working girl »    A prostitute.

world »    A planet,especially one which is inhabited or inhabitable.

world »    Human collective existence; existence in general.

world-beater »    Someone or something superior to all others of its sort.

worth every penny »    Completely worthwhile.

worth one's salt »    Competent or adept.

worth the risk »    The benefit of the success is more valuable than the problems caused by the potential loss.

wrap it before you tap it »    wear a condom before sexual intercourse.

wrap up »    To fold and secure something to be the cover or protection for something.

wrap up »    To finish off a task completely.

wrap up »    To wear more clothes as protection from the weather; to bundle up.

wrap up »    To summarize or recapitulate.

wrestling with a pig »    To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.

wring out »    To squeeze a wet material, either by twisting with one's hands, or by passing it through a wringer, to remove the water.

write down »    Down in writing; to record something.

write down »    In a simple or condescending style.

write down »    To make a downward adjustment in the value of an asset.

write off »    To reduce an asset's book value to zero.

write off »    To record an expenditure as an expense.

write off »    To record an notional expense such as amortization or depreciation.

write off »    Figuratively, to assign a low value to something.

write off »    unrepairable car

write one's own ticket »    To be empowered to choose whatever job, financial arrangement, or course of action one desires.

write out »    To write in full length or expanded form.

write up »    To write about positively.

write up »    To document the faults of.

write up »    To produce by writing.

write up »    review

written all over someone's face »    Very obvious, from someone's facial expression.

yak shaving »    Any apparently useless activity which, by allowing you to overcome intermediate difficulties, allows you to solve a larger problem.

yank off »    To remove something, like a piece of cloth or bread, by tearing it with one quick strong pull.

yank off »    To masturbate.

yell at »    To scold, to rebuke - often by yelling.

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.

yes to death »    To agree with someone, often sarcastically.

yoke together »    To unite, or join, or combine.

you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar »    It's easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude than with rude demands and negativity.

you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink »    You can show someone how to do something, but you can't make them do it.

you can't always get what you want »    It is not always possible to get what is wanted.

you can't fight city hall »    (chiefly US) Nothing can be done to change the situation, because it is a governmental decision.I see they're going to build the airport after all. I suppose you can't fight city hall.

you can't judge a book by its cover »    It is not possible to make reliable judgments about things or people by considering external appearances alone.

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

you can't say fairer than that »    That is good, reasonable, or fair; one cannot hope for a better decision or outcome.

you can't take it with you »    It is not possible to take one's material wealth to whatever world may await one after death.1900, E. Phillips Oppenheim, A Millionaire of Yesterday, ch. 6:"The clause which

you can't teach an old dog new tricks »    It is impossible, or almost impossible, to change people's habits or traits or mindset.

you can't tell a book by its cover »    Alternative form of you can't judge a book by its cover.

you don't dip your pen in the company's ink »    Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.

you don't dip your pen in the inkwell »    Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink.

you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows »    You don't need an expert to tell you what you already know.

you get what you pay for »    In commercial transactions, the quality of goods and services increases as the prices increase, i.e., the more one pays, the better the merchandise.2003, Michael Blumenthal, "For Whom the School Bell Tolls," Time, 7 Dec.:Though it may sound unapologetically capitalistic to say so

you know it »    Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.

you know what »    A phrase used to get someone's attention before announcing something.

you knows it »    Indicates agreement, approval, encouragement.

you knows it »    You're right; I wholeheartedly agree with your statement.

you name it »    Used after a short list to show that further examples are unnecessary; all kinds of things.

you never know what you've got till it's gone »    Good friends and acquaintances shouldn't be taken for granted.

you snooze you lose »    If you are not alert and attentive, you will not be successful.

you what%3F »    An intensified version of what or huh.

you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette »    In order to achieve something, it is inevitable and necessary that something should be destroyed.

your mileage may vary »    To express a possible difference in taste, "this is just my opinion, your opinion may be different".

yours sincerely »    A polite formula to end a letter, especially when the recipient’s name is known to the sender.

yours truly »    A closing in a note or letter.

zero in »    To focus one's aim; to zoom in and center on something.

zero in on »    To concentrate or focus one's attention on at task.

zig when one should zag »    To misstep or err.

zip up »    To close with a zip fastener.

zip up »    To close as if with a zip fastener.

zip up »    To convert a computer file into a smaller package.

zone out »    To stop paying attention and think about something else, or to think about nothing.

zoom down »    To move quickly along a particular route, list, etc.

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