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.
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a pull of the hair for being unfair »
The general response to "A kick and a flick for being so quick", which is in turn a response in itself to "A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month".
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act like a bull in a china shop »
To act rudely or clumsily in a delicate situation.
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all bark and no bite »
Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
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all ears »
Listening intently; fully focused.
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all hat and no cattle »
Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
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all 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.
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at full tilt »
At full speed; very quickly.
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at large »
In full, fully.
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au fait »
fully informed;
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balancing act »
A performance that involves balancing things precariously and suspensefully.
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ball up »
To hunch over and pull in one's arms and legs.
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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.
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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.
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bastardly gullion »
A bastard's bastard.
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be all ears »
To listen carefully or eagerly; to anticipate.
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bear up »
To endure hardship cheerfully.
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bite the bullet »
To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to continue moving forward.
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bite the bullet »
To endure a punishment or consequence with dignity or stoicism.
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blue moon »
The third full moon in a quarter that contains four rather than the usual three full moons.
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born in a barn »
Engaging in the annoying behavior of inappropriately, and usually neglectfully, leaving open a door or window.
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break out »
To escape, especially forcefully or defiantly.
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bright-eyed and bushy-tailed »
Alert and in an eager, frisky, or playful mood; full of life.
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bull session »
An informal meeting among men.
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bull's eye »
sweet
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bulletproof »
Capable of withstanding a direct shot by a bullet fired from a gun.
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bulletproof »
Reliable, infallible, sturdy or error-tolerant.
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bulletproof »
Unbreakable, very tough.
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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.
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buy time »
Purposefully cause a delay to something, in order to achieve something else.
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cock-and-bull story »
A far-fetched and fanciful story or tale of highly dubious validity.
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come full circle »
To complete a cycle of transition, returning to the point of origin.
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come full circle »
To make a complete change or reform.
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come of age »
To mature, or become fully developed.
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crab mentality »
A way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you." The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs in which one tries to escape over the side, but is relentlessly pulled down by the others in the pot.
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cup of tea »
A cup full of tea.
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dead »
Full and complete.
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dead »
Without interest to one of the senses; dull; flat.
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deadweight »
The largest weight of cargo a ship is able to carry; i.e, the weight of a ship when fully loaded minus its weight when empty.
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do justice »
To really allow to be apprehended in its full scope.
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dodge a bullet »
To have a narrow escape; to avoid injury or disaster.
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drag »
To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty.
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drag out »
To haul or bring out forcefully or as though with force.
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draw back »
To pull something back or apart.
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draw on »
To advance, continue; to move or pass slowly or continuously, as under a pulling force.
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due course »
A. 1735, Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels.
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easy does it »
Relax; do something gently, lightly or carefully; slow down; calm down.
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fill up »
To make full.
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fill up »
To become full.
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from the bottom of one's heart »
In earnest; sincerely; with one's full feeling.
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fry up »
Full English breakfast.
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full as a goog »
Having eaten too much, or being drunk.
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full blast »
Maximum capacity or effort.
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full English »
A cooked breakfast consisting of bacon and eggs, and other foods.
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full marks »
To exclaim complete satisfaction with someone's efforts.
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full of beans »
Energetic and enthusiastic.
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full of beans »
Incorrect; uninformed; exaggerating or expressing falsehood.
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full of hot air »
Talking a lot, especially without saying anything of value or meaning.
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full of it »
Speaking nonsense; lying, exaggerating, or boasting.
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full of oneself »
Egotistical, believing oneself to be superior to others; preoccupied with one's own work, interests, point of view, etc.
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full of shit »
Characterized by speaking nonsense or falsehoods.
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full speed ahead »
A command, especially on military vessels, to move forward at maximum speed.
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full speed ahead »
Maximum effort without reservations or delay.
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full tilt »
As quickly as possible; very rapidly.
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full tilt boogie »
At the most extreme level.
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full tilt boogie »
In an extremely focused manner.
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full tilt boogie »
Intensely, fast paced.
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full tilt boogie »
Out of control.
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full to the gills »
Completely or overly full.
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full whack »
The whole amount.
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full-fledged »
Having all its feathers; able to fly.
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full-fledged »
Having full qualification, credentials or preparation; entire; real.
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get one's marching orders »
To be dismissed disgracefully.
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go over »
To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze.
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handle with kid gloves »
To treat something very delicately or carefully.
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have one's hands full »
To be busy or thoroughly preoccupied.
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head to toe »
Entirely; completely; over one's full body.
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hike up »
To lift; to tug or pull upwards.
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hit home »
To be especially memorable or meaningful; to be fully understood, believed or appreciated.
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hit one's stride »
To reach a full level of efficiency, competence, comfort, etc.; to get going.
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hit one's stride »
When walking or running, to reach a full or comfortable pace.
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hit the ground running »
To begin an activity immediately and with full commitment.
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hold back »
To act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power.
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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.
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in full swing »
Proceeding fully, quickly, or completely; thoroughly begun and in progress.
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in high dudgeon »
Resentfully or furiously.
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it ain't the whistle that pulls the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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it is not the whistle that pulls the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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it isn't the whistle that pulls the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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it's not the whistle that pulls the train »
Boasting and loud talk should not be mistaken for the work that produces real achievements; bravado is no proof of action.1956, James Reston, "Washington: It's Not the Whistle that Pulls the Train," New York Times, 1 July, p. E8:
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keep a weather eye open »
To maintain a background awareness of something; to remain alert to changes without it occupying your full attention.
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kick around »
To abuse or mistreat; to bully.
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lead »
Bullets.
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leave no stone unturned »
To do a task very carefully and thoroughly, not missing any step.
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leg pull »
To joke
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let the good times roll »
To have fun or live fully; may imply letting things that are going well proceed.
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life is like a box of chocolates »
Life is full of surprises, you never know what will happen next.
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live it up »
To have a wonderful life; to live fully and have fun.
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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.
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magic bullet »
A simple remedy to a difficult or complex problem, especially a cure for a disease.
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man up »
To staff adequately; to staff up; to successfully fill all needed labor positions.
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mind-numbing »
Excessively boring, tedious, or dull; repetitive; of an activity, etc., lacking any interest or variety that might serve as intellectual stimulation.
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muck about »
To be playful; full of fun and high spirits.
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mull over »
To think deeply about something; to ponder, deliberate or ruminate.
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nearly never bulled a cow »
(Irish) Near enough is not good enough.
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number one with a bullet »
Superlative; impossible to beat.
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on a full stomach »
Directly after eating, after a meal.
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on purpose »
Purposefully; with intention; deliberately.
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on the back burner »
Not immediate; inactive; receiving less than full or regular attention.
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on the pull »
Seeking the intimate company of a member of the opposite sex.
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on tiptoe »
Moving carefully, quietly, warily or stealthily.
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on top of »
Fully informed about, and in control of something; up to speed with.
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one brick short of a full load »
Not mentally sound; insane.
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one brick short of a full load »
Stupid.
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one card shy of a full deck »
Mentally deranged; demented; insane.
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one step at a time »
Slowly and carefully, ensuring that each action has been completed successfully before taking the next.
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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.
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pick on »
To bully or make fun of a victim; to bother or harass.
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piss away »
To spend wastefully.
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pitched battle »
A hostile engagement involving sustained, full-scale fighting between opposing forces in close combat.
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play someone like a fiddle »
Skilfully.
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pore over »
To examine something carefully and attentively.
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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.
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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.
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pull a »
He pulled an Elvis and got really fat.
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pull a »
To emulate a behaviour generally attributed to the individual named.
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pull a face »
To make an abnormal facial expression.
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pull a fast one »
To deceive or trick.
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pull an all-nighter »
Work diligently throughout the night.
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pull apart »
To open something by pulling on various parts of it.
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pull away »
To move ahead.
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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.
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pull off »
To remove by pulling.
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pull off »
To achieve; to succeed at something difficult.
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pull one's finger out »
To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.
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pull one's head in »
To withdraw as a turtle might; to discontinue support of a particular argument.
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pull one's own weight »
To do the work that one is obligated to.
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pull one's socks up »
To start making an effort; to renew or redouble one's efforts.
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pull one's weight »
To do the work that one is obligated to.
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pull oneself together »
To become mentally focused after a period of being unfocused.
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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.
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pull out »
To withdraw; especially of military forces; to retreat.
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pull out »
To use coitus interruptus as a method of birth control.
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pull out »
To remove something from a container.
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pull out »
To maneuver a vehicle from the side of a road onto the lane.
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pull out all the stops »
To reserve or hold back nothing.
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pull over »
To cause to pull over.
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pull rank »
To assert one's authority over a subordinate who disagrees.
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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.
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pull someone down a peg »
To lower someone's high self-opinion.
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pull strings »
To manipulate, especially by asking favours of.
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pull teeth »
To do something that is especially difficult or effortful.
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pull teeth »
To remove teeth, usually because they are diseased or damaged.
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pull the other leg »
In imperative/precative form, used to imply that the speaker does not accept or believe what another has just said.
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pull the other one, it's got bells on »
The implication is that one leg has been pulled, and the joker will have more fun with the other one due to the bells.
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pull the other one, it's got bells on »
Monty Python's Holy Grail.
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pull the plug »
To cease from production or publication.
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pull the plug »
To cease life support.
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pull the plug »
To cease to support; to halt.
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pull the plug »
To unplug or cut power.
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pull the trigger »
To commit to a course of action.
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pull the trigger »
To fire a gun.
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pull together »
To unite for a common objective.
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pull up »
Lift upwards or vertically.
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pull up »
Retrieve; get.
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pull up »
Drive close to something, especially a curb.
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pull up stumps »
To cease doing something, at least for the day.
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pulls up »
stops
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put one's shoulder to the wheel »
To work or exert oneself heavily or with full effort.
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put through its paces »
To test completely; to exercise the full range of abilities or functions.
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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.
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reflect on »
To think carefully about something, and give it due consideration.
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rein in »
To stop or slow a horse by pulling the reins.
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ride roughshod over »
To act in a bullying or inconsiderate manner; to display disregard towards someone or something.
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rip off »
To pull off by ripping.
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root up »
To dig or pull up by the roots; to deracinate.
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rose-coloured »
Cheerfully optimistic.
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run the gamut »
To encompass the full range or variety possible.
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seagull approach »
The occurence of casual, ill-informed and hasty decisions or comments made by outside authorities who lack an understanding of the local issues or a real understanding of the facts of a particular situ.
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seagull manager »
A manager who comes into the workplace or office only on occasion, especially when a problem arises or to criticize or critique employees.
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sell a bargain »
A species of wit, much in vogue about the latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, and frequently alluded to by Dean Swift, who says the maids of honour often amused themselves with it. It consisted in the seller naming his or her hinder parts, in answer to the question, What? which the buyer was artfully led to ask. As a specimen, take the following instance: A lady would come into a room full of company, apparently frightened, crying out "It is white, and follows me!" As soon as someone responded "What?" she sold him the bargain, by saying "Mine arse".
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set aside »
To declare something invalid or null and void.
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shoot the bull »
To chinwag; to talk idly.
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silver bullet »
A bullet made of silver, usually with reference to the folkloric belief that such bullets are the only weapons which can kill a werewolf.
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silver bullet »
A cocktail somewhat like a martini.
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silver bullet »
Any straightforward solution perceived to have great effectiveness or bring miraculous results.
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snipe hunt »
A prank in which a gullible victim is sent off on a fruitless search for a nonexistent item.
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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.
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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.
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stretch out »
To lie fully extended.
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stretch out »
To fully extend a part of the body.
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sweat bullets »
To sweat profusely; especially, to be very nervous or anxious.
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take a bullet »
To purposely receive a gunshot that was intended for another.
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take down a peg »
Alternative form of pull down a peg.
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take liberties »
To behave disrespectfully, especially to make unwanted sexual advances.
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take one's time »
To go about something slowly and carefully.
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take out the trash »
To forcefully remove people from a place.
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take the bull by the horns »
To confront a difficulty, rather than avoiding it.
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tell off »
To speak to someone rudely, disrespectfully or angrily; to berate; to unleash one's fury verbally towards someone.
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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."
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the whistle does not pull the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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the whistle doesn't pull the train »
Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
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think through »
To fully consider an action, and understand all its consequences.
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thrash out »
To discuss something so fully as to resolve a problem or conflict; to hammer out.
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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
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throw down »
To cause something one is holding to drop, often forcefully.
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throw down »
Admirably or forcefully.
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throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick »
Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.2001, And still no one is shouting stop. read in The Kingdom archives at [1] on 02 Nov 06,Many team managers are of the philosophy that if you throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick. They believe that team preparation is all about physical fitness. They run the players into the ground and they believe they will be "flying on the day".2001, Robert McCrum, Let them eat cake, in The Observer 16 Dec 01, read on Guardian Unlimited site at [2] on 02 Nov 06,Australian publishing boomed and in the past 10 years the country's literary culture has undergone a mini golden age, capped by Carey's triumph at the 2001 Booker Prize. As one Australian arts administrator said to me many years ago: 'Listen, mate, if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.'2001, Chris Collin, Re: 2-cp speys on The Strathspey Server mailing list archive at [3] on 02 Nov 06,I am finding that "if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick". It doesn't always work of course (especially on the nights when the class is mostly the beginners), but the class seems to thrive on the challange.2005, Ray Craft (poster on The right scale blog), Fitzhooie and his Burden, read at [4] on 02 Nov 06,Prosecutors everywhere have bad habits of overcharging lots of cases, knowing that if the throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick.2005, Sean Kelleher, Spike Milligan: His part in our downfall in Business 07 Aug 05, read at [5] on 02 Nov 06,As long as there is negligible regulation and enforcement anyone can actually try and do the job...Weak regulation allows the industry to build strategies on full time recruitment. The theory goes: throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.c2005, Everything You've Learned About Marketing Is Wrong, read on LINC Performance website at [6] on 02 Nov 06,They have the money to continue to believe in the repetition side of the equation. You throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick. But it still isn
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thumb one's nose »
To act disrespectfully, especially by flouting the object of disrespect.
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tread lightly »
To proceed carefully; especially, to seek to avoid causing offense.
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up to speed »
Fully informed; current.
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upset the applecart »
To spoil carefully laid plans or arrangements; to spoil something.
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valley of death »
The phase of a startup business beginning with the entrepreneur's fulltime commitment to it and ending when the business has achieved sustainable cash flow.
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wade in »
To interrupt someone, or a situation, by doing or saying something abruptly, or forcefully, and usually without thinking about the consequences.
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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.
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watch out »
To be aware or conscious; to look closely or carefully; to use caution. Often used in the imperative.
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wet blanket »
A person who takes the fun out of a situation or activity, as by pessimism, demands, dullness, etc.
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write out »
To write in full length or expanded form.
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yank off »
To remove something, like a piece of cloth or bread, by tearing it with one quick strong pull.
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yank out »
To remove something like a nail, or a tooth with one quick strong pull.
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zero in on »
To successfully narrow down a search.
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| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |
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